Update

February 27, 2015

Community Improve Student Achievement!

Three District Updates

Willoughby-Eastlake is implementing a new physical education curriculum. The SPARK (Sports, Play, and Active Recreation for

Kids) programs are designed to be more active, involve all children, incorporate social skills, and emphasize both skill development

and health-related fitness. The SPARK programs are dedicated to improving the quantity and quality of physical education for

children and teachers. Our physical education specialists have been trained by SPARK professionals and are continuing to improve

the quality of our physical education programs.

Julie Rogers and Brett Ramming have both implemented appropriate yet fun activities for our students. At Willowick Middle

School, the physical education classes have been closely monitoring activity by assigning each student a pedometer daily. They

have a grading scale to correspond to either high or low activities in terms of steps. The response has been fabulous. Students are

moving more because they are now aware of how much they are actually in motion. Brett Ramming, at Eastlake Middle School

recently arranged for the Metroparks to come to the school and teach a “learn to ski and snowshoe” lesson. Brett explained, “As

a physical education teacher, I continually strive to introduce students to new and exciting activities. I believe in teaching lifelong

fitness that can be embraced in and out of the classroom. Lifelong fitness is a goal all should achieve at an early age and continue

throughout one’s life. I also like to introduce activities that can be family oriented.”

The mission of Willoughby-Eastlake City Schools is to Improve Student Achievement.

Keeping students active and engaged is a crucial component to that mission.

#1 - Physical Education, does it help to

IMPROVE STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT?

In addition to the changes to standards in English, math, science and social

studies, Willoughby-Eastlake students are also experiencing changes in their

physical education classes. According to Dr. Lynne Haverkos, a child develop-

ment specialist at the NIH (National Institution of Health), “Some research

suggests that physical activity might even help improve children’s thinking and

mental functions.” The NIH further explains that children that participate in

regular exercise feel more ready to learn in school and following exercise they

experience enhanced mental functioning that is central to cognitive

development.

Composite of 20 student brains taking

the same test

After sitting quietly After 20 minute walk

Power of the Pen is an educational enhancement program devoted to excellence in creative writing. Students from Willoughby

Middle School meet weekly before school to practice quickly coming up with ideas and other writing exercises. In a recent News

Herald article, Caty Johnston, a Willoughby Middle School student, was quoted as saying, “It’s fun, it’s not work. You’re not

jealous (if a teammate scores higher), you’re just happy for them.” She and Lily Daneshand, also from Willoughby Middle, stated

that the team feels like a family to them.

The seventh grade team members include: Michael Marino, Alexis Lewis, Marley Bielek-Welsh, Emma Boeman, Natalie Dureiko,

Sara Hritz, Stacy Masterman, Connor Tobey and Bukunmi Araba. The eighth grade team members include: Michelle Zhang, Lily

Daneshmand, Caty Johnston, Hailey Kole, Angelina Sicurezza, Jonny Shell, Emma Kaplan, Bella Phillips and Joe Frate. Working as

runners for the event are: Briella Kent, Tessa Spooner, Angela Marble, and Ally Moore.

During the January 30th competition, the Willoughby Middle Power of the Pen Team claimed 2nd place overall in the 7th grade

category and won the 8th grade competition. Individual trophies were won by: Sara Hritz, Marley Bielek-Welsh, Halei Kole, Caty

Johnston, Lily Daneshmand and Michelle Zhang. Lily Daneshmand won the best response to two of the writing prompts while

classmate Caty Johnson earned the best rank for the remaining prompt. Eleven out of twelve team members qualified for

Regionals at Hudson Middle School on April 11, 2015.

Congratulations Willoughby Middle School Power of the Pen Team and good luck on April 11th!

#3 - Kennedy Early Learning Center Receives a Five Star Rating

one of them. There are 2 Four Star Programs, 9 Three Star programs and the remainder are not yet rated or have less than 3 stars.

There are approximately 80 Licensed Child Care programs in the county.

Early childhood programs with a five star rating have highly trained teachers, strive to develop children’s school readiness skills, are

committed to continuous improvement and value relationships with families and the community. Programs with five star ratings

have high-quality early learning experiences which provide the basis for the brain’s development and directly impact how successful

children are in kindergarten and beyond. Children who have high-quality/early learning experiences are better prepared for school,

life and are likely to have successful futures.

Congratulations to Kennedy Early Learning Center for a job well done. The Willoughby-Eastlake preschool students and families are

fortunate to have such an excellent program available.

Community Update (cont’d.)

#2 - Power of the Pen

On Saturday, January 30, nearly 200 students from northeast Ohio competed at

Andrews Osborne Academy in the regional Power of the Pen Competition. The

participants in the competition came from Lake, Geauga, and Ashtabula counties.

Willoughby Middle School was represented by a team comprised of seventh and

eighth grade students under the direction of English Language Arts teacher, Mrs.

Kathie Stalzer. Mrs. Stalzer noted that in her 20 years of coaching the students, she

has never seen one team claim so many awards and trophies.

In December 2014, Kennedy Early Learning Center was awarded a Five Star Rating in the Step

Up To Quality (SUTQ) Rating System. SUTQ is Ohio’s quality rating and improvement system

for licensed early learning and development programs. SUTQ recognizes early learning and

development programs that exceed licensing health and safety standards. This process

involved an in depth desk top state review followed by a three day unannounced

on-site review.

In Lake County there are only 2 Five Star Programs of which Kennedy Early Learning Center is

Community Update (cont’d.)

Two Student Highlights

Jason Bailey & Matthew Crenshaw

Thank you Matthew!

Both of the students highlighted this month attend Washington Elementary School and have both

engaged in selfless acts of kindness. Jason Bailey and Matthew Crenshaw each worked in the

month of December to make a difference in the holiday season for others.

Matthew Crenshaw worked with the students at Washington Elementary to make Christmas cards

for soldiers that were stationed overseas. Matthew has shared that as an adult he would like to

“help his country” and be in the United States Navy. He currently has a cousin serving in the Navy

and this has had a profound impact on him. Matthew stated, “I thought that one of the cards might

possibly reach my cousin and the soldiers serving with him and make a difference for him and for all

of the others with him. I got their back.” Matthew felt that this was an amazing opportunity and

shared that it taught him respect for soldiers. He and his classmates made more than 500 cards.

Jason Bailey asked his mother if it would be possible for him to collect presents and then

deliver them to children at Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital that would not be coming

home for Christmas. Jason decided to ask other students at Washington to assist by do-

nating gifts during the month of December. During his gift drive, with the help of his

mother, Jason created a flyer, met with adults to set parameters and then distributed the

flyer to others. Through the generosity of others and Jason’s hard work, he was able to

collect more than 100 gifts which were donated to children at Rainbow. Next year, Jason

would like to expand his collection and “stuff a bus” with gifts for children that are in the

hospital during the holiday season.

Thank you Jason and Matthew for making a difference! You are incredible role models and

ambassadors for Willoughby-Eastlake City Schools.

Great Work Jason!

Thank You!

One Family Highlight

The Malecek Family When Kevin Malecek and Nora Colburn married, they decided that they

would like nothing more than to return “home” to live. Kevin had

attended Willoughby-Eastlake City Schools and states, “The quality of

education that I received from Willoughby-Eastlake Schools was one of

the many reasons that I decided to come home after college. I wanted

to invest myself in this area and give back to the community that had

given me so much to work with.” Together, Nora and Kevin felt that the

school district had many great resources for future generations.

Today, Kevin Malecek serves as Lake County commissioner. In the past, Kevin served on the Laketran Board of Trustees,

Willoughby Hills City Council and as CEO of the Mentor Chamber of Commerce. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for

the Academic Decathlon, which has allowed him to come “full circle,” having once been a member of the Academic Decathlon

team. Nora works as a physician, specializing in infectious disease. Although Nora is not a Cleveland native, while attending Case

Western Reserve University she fell in love with the area.

THANK YOU!

It comes as no secret that February of 2015 has been one of the coldest months on record in Cleveland. I would like to thank each

of you for your exceptional patience and understanding when it is necessary to close school due to inclement weather. I

understand that school closings are difficult for families and cause many changes to schedules. The decision as to whether or not

to close school is weighed heavily and is always done in the best interest of your children.

On another note, Willoughby-Eastlake students are currently participating in Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College

and Careers (PARCC) testing. This testing has been mandated by the state of Ohio. In the guidelines developed by the Ohio

Department of Education, a timeline is created in which students must begin and finish the testing. In accordance with the state

guidelines, Willoughby-Eastlake students began electronic PARRC testing on February 18, 2015. In light of the current weather

related closings, the twenty day window given by the state of Ohio allows students to resume testing once they have returned to

school. If you would like to learn more about testing requirements you can find them at this link on the Ohio Department of

Education’s website: Education.ohio.gov/testing.

While it is irrefutable that PARCC test results will give educators valuable information regarding the progress your children are

making in their classrooms, I realize that there are many things that tests do not show. The test results do not reflect the

personalities and wonderful qualities possessed by your children. They do not reflect the outstanding and tireless work that

parents do on a daily basis to raise the exceptional human beings that attend our schools. Thank you for allowing our teachers to

be a part of the lives of your children and learn not only about their academic progress but also about them as humans.

Your patience, understanding and support are greatly appreciated as we move towards Spring!

“Children are our most valuable resource.”

Herbert Hoover

Teach - Learn - Grow

Willoughby-Eastlake City Schools - 37047 Ridge Road - Willoughby, OH 44094 - 440-946-5000

Community Update (cont’d.)

The Malecek Family (cont’d.)

Kevin discussed the changes that he has seen during the past few years in Willoughby-Eastlake City Schools. He believes that one

of the most impactful changes has been the district’s commitment to moving forward with respect to curriculum. Kevin is

confident that this will place students at the forefront of educational opportunities and make them successful, productive people

of the future. “From manufacturing to technology, computer science, political science and performing arts, our students will be

prepared for all careers upon graduation.” Kevin shared his thoughts on the district, “It is evident that parents, community

members, staff and administration support our schools and students. This endorsement shows commitment to education and to

the future of our children. We need to continue to advocate for our schools and the great opportunities that they provide.” Kevin

and Nora both believe that Willoughby-Eastlake and all school districts are an essential part of the equation to maintaining a

sustainable population in Lake County, “Strong schools provide a base for growth and support.”

Kevin shared one of his favorite quotes and stated that he uses this to guide him in his role as a member of our community:

What is the use of living, if it be not to strive for noble causes and to make this muddled world a better place for those who will

live in it after we are gone?

Winston Churchill

October 1908

A Word from Superintendent Thompson