Words of Wisdom

Each day at Celina High School, we pass on a message on the afternoon announcements called the 'Words of Wisdom'.  These Project Wisdom announcements are intended to send positive messages to the students about how they treat one another, respecting others, and making positive choices, in addition to many other topics.  Visitors to our 'Announcements' blog can find links to the video version of these Words of Wisdom at any time.

Today's message was this:

Today I want everyone to think about the messages we try to send each and every day to the student body.  Positive messages about treating others with kindness, respecting differences, and getting along with one another. 

With a hotly contested presidential election right around the corner, it is easy to get caught up in pointing fingers at each other or participating in the ‘mud-slinging’ that occurs in ads and commercials.  But today and everyday, try to remember that the others sitting around you are people just like you.  RESPECT their differences and their similarities. 

How many of you have heard the old expression "Man does not live by bread alone"? It's true. We human beings need food for our bodies, but we also need to feed our hearts and minds. Here at school we feed our minds every day. But what about our hearts? Listen to these words by the great French writer Victor Hugo:

Man lives more by affirmation than by bread.

And what does affirmation mean? It means being noticed . . . supported . . . appreciated . . . encouraged. It means being acknowledged for what is good and wonderful about ourselves.Today, tell a friend if she's doing a good job in school. Thank a teacher for her hard work. Say thank you to the cafeteria worker. Let's make a point of affirming one another with words of encouragement and appreciation.

Make it a Great Day or not, the choice is yours! 

Week in 3 Words 5.11.12

Style Your Sole

For more information about the TOMS movement, visit 
www.toms.com/our-movement. 

TOMS Shoes is a company that was created in 2006 by a world traveler that wanted to help children that have no shoes.  TOMS Shoes is a one-to-one program that matches every pair of shoes purchased with a pair of shoes for a child in need.  One of the ways that Tom’s makes shoe giving fun is with a charity event called 'Style Your Sole'.  This event consists of people coming together, being creative, and helping children in the process.

On Thursday evening, CHS hosted our very own 'Style Your Sole' Party for 40 CHS students.  Each student paid for a pair of plain white shoes and then participated in a 1 mile barefoot walk on the high school track, enjoyed pizza and snacks, and decorated their TOMS.  The purpose of the barefoot walk was to encourage the participants to consider what it is like to be without shoes.  Students shared their feelings about the event through participating in a Week in 3 Words.

We would like to thank our sponsors for their generous support of our event:

• Wine Store 
• Pedrone's 
• Chief 
• Walmart

We plan to host another event this fall.  Stay tuned for more info!

Dime Wars 2011

Each year, Student Council sponsors the Dime Wars -- a class competition fundraiser for the StuCo Santa Fund (a fund used to purchase Christmas gifts for area families in need).  Last year CHS raised more than $2,000 from the Dime Wars...  are we up to the challenge this year?  Stay tuned for more!

Parent Bullying Event

Next Tuesday evening, November 22nd, Celina High School will play host to a parent event on bullying.  Award winning child therapist and founder of the "Bully Proofing Youth" program, Jim Bisenius will give parents tools to help their children respond to bullying.  The event will be held from 7 - 8:30 PM in the high school Lecture Hall and is specifically designed for adults (please leave children at home).  Contact Jenny Dippold, East Guidance Counselor at 419-586-8300 ext. 2506 with questions or check out the flyer for more information.

MTV's 'Made' is Coming to CHS

If you have ever watched the MTV show 'Made', you know that it is all about making a teenager's dream come true.  They have help students across the country reach their goals by giving them a one-on-one coach for six weeks.

Now they are looking for new cast members, right here at CHS!

On Thursday, September 8th, 2011, Made will be holding casting calls @ CHS after school.  For the casting packet, click here or visit the tab above.

Here is a video clip from the show:

Character Counts @ CHS

Each school year, CHAMP (Celina High Academic and Motivational Promoters) teams up with Bill Montgomery, president and CEO of Celina Insurance Group, to sponsor Character Counts to recognize Celina High School students who show exceptional character.

Students are nominated by their teachers for the award, which includes a $50 prize to each individual. This year eight students were honored:

Kyler Conner, nominated by Marcia Smith. Kyler is a sophomore who found a credit card in the high school parking lot and immediately turned it in to the school office.

Ashley Gagle, nominated by Ruth Rumple. “Ashley has a positive attitude no matter what may happen,” Rumple wrote. “I always appreciate her upbeat attitude and willingness to listen and do what needs to be done. I feel she is an excellent representative of Celina High School.”

Kahl Knapke, nominated by Ruth Rumple. Kahl, a senior, has a very respectful and cooperative attitude in the classroom, said Rumple. “He pays attention and is an excellent example of a person with great character.”

Chris Nusbaum, nominated by Bill Sell. Chris is a senior “who has overcome tremendous obstacles to be in the National Honor Society and successful in sports, and he has a positive attitude,” Sell wrote.

Sara Smith, nominated by Linda Goodwin. Sara, a sophomore, is “one of those students who is overlooked sometimes because she is so quiet,” Goodwin wrote. She is active in her church and consistently makes good choices in her daily life.

Kristen Snyder, nominated by Marge Tobe. Kristen is a junior who has overcome adversity in the study of foreign language. “She patiently works out the answer, and she is so smart she is usually right,” Tobe wrote.

Hannah Stroth, nominated by John Higgins. Hannah, a freshman, went out of her way in Higgins’ Spanish class to help a fellow student throughout the school year. “Hannah deserves to be recognized for this kind act, which she did without being prompted,” Higgins wrote.

Andy Sutter, nominated by Jared Rolfes. Andy was nominated because “he is a great leader in school lifting class and encourages other kids in the class. He always seems to motivate other students both in class and on the football field. He is a great young man who will be a great hire in any field,” Rolfes wrote.

CHAMP, which is supported by CHS parents and community businesses and organizations, sponsors programs through the school year that recognize and encourage students to make good choices. It awards scholarships, supports teachers and staff, and recognizes students who make the honor roll, among other activities.

$5,000

In just three days, CHS raised over $5,000 last week to help a local family in need.  The Eichler's, a family of 7, lost their home and nearly everything in it to a fire recently.  Katey is a teacher in our district and the 5 children all attend Celina City Schools.



Principal Jason Luebke, Football Coach Jared Rolfes, and Dean of Students Bryant Miller challenged the students at CHS to raise $3,000 to help a family in need.  Our students, staff, and community stepped up to the plate BIG TIME in this time of need for a local family.  Thanks to all that donated.

Flash Mob @ CHS

Maybe you've hear of it before... the Flash Mob Dance has become a relatively popular phenomenon on You Tube (check out this version from OSU).  Recently, a group of CHS seniors and some teachers, in conjunction with the Spirit Squad, decided to organize their own version of the 'Flash Mob Dance' to the tune of 'Can't Touch This' by MC Hammer.  So, without further ado, its Hammer Time!!

CHS is Making Bald BEA-U-TIFUL!

This post was written by guest blogger, Mrs. Kelly Black in regard to the recent tragedy that struck the home of the Eichler family in Celina last weekend.  Katey Eichler is a teacher at West Elementary.  Katey and her husband Steve have 5 children that attend Celina City Schools.  

Helping others is a social trait we try to instill everyday, right?  Well CHS wants to help the Eichler Family with their recent devastation.  We are trying to raise $3,000 to give to the Eichler's.  IF we raise the money, Mr. Jason Luebke WILL shave his head at Friday's pep assembly.  Since this is a competition and we do have some prominent coaches on staff, they wanted in on the "action"!  Mr. Bryant Miller will shave his head Friday IF we reach $3,250 and Mr. Jared Rolfes will  shave his head IF we reach $3,500.  Let's make BALD BEAUTIFUL by raising the $3500 to help a local family of seven!

Thanks to everyone for showing your support in this family's time of need. Stay tuned for more.

New Feature on the CHS Announcements -- WEEK IN 3 WORDS

We stole this idea from Good Morning America... maybe you have seen the segment on their show titled "Week in 3 Words."  We started this today with some members of the office staff and plan to continue next week and beyond.  We will post them as they are completed right here on the blog.

CHAMP Meeting

Tonight's CHAMP meeting brought to light many of the great things going on at CHS.

• Mrs. Rumple and some of her students from her Healthy & Safe Foods course talked about what they are doing in class.  Mrs. Rumple's classes are very popular and it was interesting to hear her discuss the history of the content she teaches... from teaching girls (mostly) how to make a 'Murphy Bed' to a much more modern curriculum that teaches building relationships, becoming good consumers, decision making skills, financial management, preparing for careers, and of course cooking & food safety.  Mrs. Rumple also talked about how they use the website http://www.mypyramid.gov/ in class to discuss and plan for healthy eating.  (This is a great resource... check it out!)

• Two members of Mrs. Black's 1st ever 'Successful Speaking' course talked about their experience in the course and the different types of speaking techniques they learned.  This class did a lot of public speaking and were also responsible for recording our daily announcements.  In addition, the students talked about their final exam project for the course.  The project was to research and present about a charity of their interest.  The group that gave the best presentation was awarded a cash prize donation (courtesy of the CHS faculty) for their charity.  Here is a clip of the presentation of the check. 

• Finally, two students, along with Ms. Sneddon and Mrs. Kramer, talked about the toy drive they sponsored right before Christmas for patients in Dayton Children's Hospital.  The students rode to Dayton at the conclusion of the toy drive to deliver the presents and had a meal at Golden Corral (courtesy of CHAMP!) Look below for a video summary of the project. 

• Finally, Mr. Luebke gave a quick update on some of the things happening recently.  Most of the conversation centered around discussion of 21st Century Skills and how CHS is changing to keep up with a change in expectations of graduating seniors.  More information to follow regarding 21st Century Skills and how changes at CHS will impact students in this regard.  Below is Mr. Luebke's presentation.  Click on the right arrow to advance the presentation.

CHAMP Meeting 1.31.2011 on Prezi

For a Good Cause

When Mrs. Black first presented the idea for an 'Oral Speech' class, we had no idea it would turn into something that could impact the world.  In the end, that is exactly what happened!

The course is not referred to as Oral Speech... at CHS it is known as 'Successful Speaking' and in its first go around, the course has left a footprint on the world!  For their final project, pairs of students were asked to choose a charity they were passionate about and then present to the class the needs of the charity or organization.  On the last two days of class, students gave heart-warming presentations, leaving few dry eyes in the classroom.  Clips of the videos were put together and shown to the staff who in turn chose the best presentation.  This group was awarded $250 from the CHS faculty 'Jeans Fund' to be donated to their charity.

This is a video of the student winners being awarded the money for their charity.

Dime Wars

A Senior adds to their winning total!

Student Council once again held the Dime Wars competition just before Christmas Break.  The competition between grade levels is used to help raise money for the StuCo Santa Fund which Student Council uses to purchase Christmas gifts for families in need in our area.  This year, the Senior Class of 2011 won the competition.  Student Council advisor Mrs. Mitchell-Payne pointed out that "Even though the students enjoy the thrill of the competition and the bragging rights if their class wins, the real winners will be the kids in need in our community."

The total raised this year for the StuCo Santa Fund was $2,787.54 with more than $2,000 coming from the Dime Wars and another $750 coming from other fundraisers.  This was enough to purchase gifts of clothing and toys for 55 kids in the Celina area for the holidays.

Thanks to all of the students that participated!

A Powerful Message

Rachel's Challenge has lived up to our expectations and more.  I will post more about the program and our plans to carry on Rachel's message.  For those of you looking for more about Rachel's Challenge and/or the Columbine Tragedy, click on the Rachel's Challenge tab above.  I will continue to post and add to this page.

Below is a video message from our presenter, Ali, recorded for our daily Project Wisdom announcement.  Special thanks to Ali for helping us start our Chain Reaction at Celina High School!

Are You Ready to Take the Challenge?

Rachel's Challenge comes to Celina High School tomorrow, Thursday, December 16th, 2010.  All CHS students will participate in an assembly in the morning, with a smaller number of students participating in a breakout session later in the morning.  At 7 PM, we will be hosting a community event with the presenter from Rachel's Challenge -- all parents, students, and community members are invited to attend.


For more information, check out our Rachel's Challenge page with links to website & pre-event activities.
Our hope is that this event will help transform and shape our culture at Celina High School.  Please consider joining us tomorrow night.

Rachel's Challenge Parent & Community Event

Looking for meaning amidst the business of the holiday season? Take one night to join us at CHS as we host Rachel's Challenge, which we hope will transform our school. Yes, we have been recognized for our academic excellence but we want more than that: we want to create a place where every student feels welcome and safe, encouraged and empowered. 


You're hoping to give your kids a lot this holiday season... Give them one thing more: attend the Rachel's Challenge session and see how you can help us change the world.


Join us Thursday, December 16th from 7 - 8 PM in the high school Lecture Hall. 


Watch the video below for a little more about Rachel's Challenge. 

Rachel's Challenge

On Thursday, December 16th, CHS will host 'Rachel's Challenge'.

Rachel Scott was the first person killed in the Columbine High School Tragedy on April 20, 1999.  She left behind an amazing legacy and a simple challenge to anyone who will accept it -- treat others with kindness and compassion and you just may change the world you live in.

Rachel's Challenge presents to more than 1 million people each year and will send a powerful message to students, staff, and the community.  On the day of the assembly, there will be a presentation to the middle school students, a separate presentation to the high school students, a breakout session for a small number of students and staff, and a community event in the evening.

All parents, students, and community members are invited and encouraged to attend the community event being held from 7 - 8 PM in the Lecture Hall at Celina High School.  Please consider attending this important event.

Here is a preview of the event:

For more information, visit http://goo.gl/RcvcC.