School News

Cleveland-area schools scramble to bridge the digital gap as the semester starts; will it be enough?

With Cleveland Metropolitan School District soon returning to school in a remote-only format, the District is currently in a mad dash to prepare students, teachers and families for their first week of school with the COVID-19 pandemic still looming large.

The District has its work cut out for it. By some estimates, Cleveland is one of the worst-connected large cities in the country -- and school begins as early as next week for some students.

The COVID-19 pandemic in spring revealed a glaring divide: Two-thirds of students at the largest school district in the city, Cleveland Metropolitan School District, didn’t have access to a device, and 40 percent of families didn’t have Internet access at home, according to a survey of parents conducted by CMSD after schools shut down in Ohio last March and youngsters were forced to take online classes with their teachers.

To combat that, the district  has purchased or ordered a total of about 27,000 laptops and tablets and about 13,500 WiFi hotspots (for a school district with an enrollment of about 40,000 students) as many Northeast Ohio schools, including CMSD, chose to return to remote classes for the fall because of the pandemic. That’s come at significant expense.  The district has paid about $11 million for the devices and $3 million for the hotspots and one year worth of data, funded through a mix of school funds, federal CARES Act money and grants, according to a CMSD spokesperson.

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Volume 12, Issue 9, Posted 4:17 PM, 09.03.2020

Collinwood K-8 Community Schools Reopen with Positive Changes

ACCEL Schools in Collinwood are reopening with new programming and leadership for the 2020-21 school year. East Academy and Lake Erie Preparatory School are tuition-free, public charter schools serving K-8 students.
Dr. Sheila L. Sherman joins East Academy as principal with over 25 years of experience. The staff has worked over the summer to brighten the campus and reopened on August 20th offering three learning options to families: Traditional (5 days at school), Online (5 days at home), and Hybrid. About one-third of students are attending traditionally and are observing strict safety guidelines outlined by the Ohio Dept. of Health such as daily temperature checks, wearing facemasks, frequent handwashing, bringing their own water bottle, and more.
Award-winning leadership standout Denecia Dillard returns as principal of Lake Erie Preparatory School, one of the top-performing schools in Cleveland for Value-Added gains (the amount of learning students accomplish in a single school year). Lake Erie Prep reopens on September 8th with an emphasis on social-emotional curriculum which will be taught as a new specialty subject and supports student wellness and empowerment in response to current events. Lake Erie Prep is reopening Online for the first nine weeks of school.
Both schools are loaning Chromebooks to students and just announced an Internet Reimbursement Policy. “Grab & Go” breakfast and lunch will be free for pick-up as part of the National School Lunch Program.

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Volume 12, Issue 9, Posted 4:17 PM, 09.03.2020

Navigating School Choice in Cleveland: No reason to go it alone

“We want to meet families wherever they are,” says program coordinator Eli Stacy about the Cleveland Transformation Alliance’s recently re-launched Navigator program.  The program is an extension of the Alliance’s commitment to being a partner for Cleveland families choosing from the variety of high-quality options in Cleveland’s public school landscape, which includes both district and charter schools.

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Volume 12, Issue 7, Posted 5:01 PM, 07.06.2020

Congratulations to CSA Graduates, Class of 2020!

The Cleveland Metropolitan School District wanted to do what they could to honor and celebrate our seniors from the by hosting drive up graduation ceremonies. In six days, nearly 2,300 seniors received their diplomas during 32 graduations. As a teacher, it was fantastic to see our students and their families and be able to wish everyone good luck as they move on to the next stage in their lives.

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Volume 12, Issue 7, Posted 5:01 PM, 07.06.2020

Student Spotlight

This month we spotlight two of our Elementary School Students.

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Volume 12, Issue 1, Posted 5:13 PM, 01.12.2020

Collinwood High School is Saved

Dear parents, caregivers, residents, partners, and friends-

As you know, the District has engaged over the past year in long-term planning for our schools that included analyzing data and gathering stakeholder input.  Last month, I presented to you and to the greater Cleveland community a set of draft recommendations for proposed impacts to our K-8 and high school portfolio.

Following extensive community engagement on these initial recommendations at meetings across the city, and in discussions with our Board of Education, we have explored additional options with District staff.  Based on those steps, I am releasing a revised set of recommendations that will be presented to the Board of Education for their consideration on Tuesday evening.   The full set of revised recommendations will be available shortly at QualitySchoolsforCLEKids.org.

Although much of the plan proposed in October remains unchanged, I am recommending two significant amendments to our high school recommendations.

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Volume 11, Issue 12, Posted 6:21 PM, 12.02.2019

State of the Schools highlights momentum

Cleveland’s public schools have a long way to go but are gathering momentum, CEO Eric Gordon said Sept. 26 in the annual State of the Schools address.

Speaking to a packed ballroom at the Renaissance Cleveland Hotel, Gordon repeated a theme sounded after a new state report card raised CMSD’s overall grade from an F to a D. He has said the District will not celebrate a D but will celebrate the report card’s many signs of significant progress.

In his speech, hosted by the City Club, Gordon described that progress by using references to the laws of the 17th Century physicist and mathematician Isaac Newton. The CEO said the District had, with strong community support, moved from a state of rest to motion.

“In Newton's terms, the mass that is the Cleveland Metropolitan School District is not only accelerating its progress, but it is gaining momentum,” he said.

Gordon cited highlights from the report card, including improvement in K-3 literacy, overall test scores and the graduation rate, which has reached the latest in a series of record highs for the District. CMSD’s growth in those categories outpaced that of most school districts in the state. At times, he punctuated sentences with "That's momentum."

The CEO also peeled back the label of the letter grade to reveal complex learning widely found in “joyful, adventurous classrooms.”

He put faces and names on students and educators who successfully made synthetic fuel for a car, developed an app for the Northern Ohio chapter of the Federal Bar Association, converted and operate school bus that now serves as a food truck, wrote and produced a powerful play about gun violence, performed community service featured in a current Cleveland History Center exhibit and more.

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Volume 11, Issue 10, Posted 10:23 AM, 10.06.2019

CMSD schedules more planning meetings

The Cleveland Metropolitan School District will resume meetings to plan the future of the District’s academic programs and facilities, with the first session scheduled for 10 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 28 at Max S. Hayes High School, 2211 W. 65th St.

The first five meetings will focus on all high schools, allowing the District to share data and collect feedback on academic quality, enrollment trends and forecasts, and building use and conditions. One of those meetings will be at 10 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 5 at New Tech Collinwood High School, 15210 St. Clair Ave.

The next five meetings will include presentation of proposed recommendations for both K-8 and high schools. For a schedule of meetings, go to qualityschoolsforCLEkids.org

Meetings on K-8 schools were held in the spring.

The District is trying to efficiently use limited resources, which could mean consolidating some schools and closing some buildings. The goal is to keep the pledge, included in The Cleveland Plan, to make quality education available to every neighborhood.

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Volume 11, Issue 10, Posted 10:23 AM, 10.06.2019

O.H. Perry media center named for Voinoviches

The Voinoviches have cherished and supported Oliver H. Perry PreK-8 School for years. So, it’s fitting that a portion of the school’s new home has been named in their honor.

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Volume 11, Issue 9, Posted 5:20 PM, 09.08.2019

Public Asked to Help With Long-Term School Planning

CMSD will engage the community in planning the future of academic programs and buildings.

The Board of Education is revisiting the District’s master facilities plan. Cleveland’s population patterns have changed since the plan was last updated five years ago, and the board wants to ensure that the taxpayers’ investment matches community needs.

The independent Bond Accountability Commission has called for a fresh look, citing trends in enrollment and construction costs. The BAC was created to monitor a building and renovation program that has been funded by the state and local bond issues.

The District is responding to this call and taking the opportunity to better align its academic and facilities decision making.

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Volume 11, Issue 4, Posted 2:55 PM, 03.30.2019

Free WiFi Enabled Devices for All Eligible New Tech Collinwood High School Students

We have exciting news to share!  Cleveland Metropolitan School District is participating in the 1Million Project! With network support from Sprint, the 1Million Project Foundation is providing one million eligible high school students across the country with 100% free mobile devices and free high-speed Internet for up to four years. This a completely free program for both our school district and the participating scholar. 

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Volume 11, Issue 3, Posted 2:52 PM, 03.10.2019

"Man of Peace" Art Display at New Tech Collinwood

Scholars in Ms. Avers Art One Course at New Tech Collinwood High School collaborated to create Martin Luther King Jr. murals. The artwork was scaled using a grid process which allowed an 8x10 inch image become a 5 foot drawing masterpiece. Students were able to select a section to paint and collaborated with each other to coordinate the color schemes. The pieces were hung in the hallways and will add color to the school halls until the end of February. A total of 55 students participated in the activity.

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Volume 11, Issue 3, Posted 2:52 PM, 03.10.2019

Scaffolding in the Classrooms of New Tech Collinwood

In preparation to welcome our scholars back from winter break to New Tech Collinwood, Principal Mary E. Miller organized an amazing professional development on “Instructional Scaffolding”, with guest speaker, Drew Schrader from the New Tech Network.

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Volume 11, Issue 2, Posted 4:36 PM, 01.30.2019

You're invited to New Tech Collinwood's Parent Happy Hour

We are delighted to invite you to our very first "Parent Happy Hour" at New Tech Collinwood. The event will be held on Friday, January 25, 2019 from 4:00-6:00PM in the Multi-purpose Room. At this event the first 50 parents and/or guardians will recieve a "Carry Bag Kit", filled with carefully selected resources to help parents and their scholar make a smooth transition to high school. The carry bag kit includes the following resources:

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Volume 11, Issue 2, Posted 4:36 PM, 01.30.2019

Cleveland Monsters donate STEM curriculum to Hannah Gibbons

Three Cleveland Monsters players visited Hannah Gibbons School on Nov. 20 – to help give students a lesson in STEM education.

The Monsters are providing a STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) curriculum that will be used by second-graders at Hannah Gibbons, George Washington Carver, Michael R. White, Mound and Orchard schools.

The Great Lakes Science Center designed the curriculum for the Monsters.

Lessons use elements of hockey to teach concepts like force, motion and friction, while also working in math, literacy and physical education, all based on state standards. Students will work in small groups, sharpening their communication and teamwork skills.

“The best part is it all relates to hockey,” Karyn Torigoe, STEM learning products manager at the museum, said during the announcement at Hannah Gibbons. “It introduces them to hockey.”

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Volume 10, Issue 12, Posted 1:14 PM, 12.07.2018

You're invited to Family Math Game Night

You are cordially invited to attend New Tech Collinwood's Family Math Game Night on Wednesday, December 19, 2018 from 3:00-5:00pm. The event will be held in the multi-purpose room. 

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Volume 10, Issue 12, Posted 1:14 PM, 12.07.2018

Collinwood mural is monument to free speech

The parking deck at New Tech Collinwood High School now stands as a monument to free speech.

A mural installed Oct. 24 and 25 on the side of the deck facing St. Clair Avenue is one of three displayed publicly in Cleveland to spark reflection on the role of free speech in the city.

The City Club of Cleveland, a forum for free speech, commissioned the works last year to celebrate the 75th anniversary of its "Freedom of Speech" mural by Cleveland artist Elmer Brown. The installation at New Tech Collinwood came during Free Speech Week.

Christopher Darling, who died in June, created the Collinwood mural, using three tableaux to represent what he considered to be the underpinnings of the City Club’s mission: dialogue, diversity and democracy. Darling was a painter and illustrator whose works have been published and exhibited internationally. At the time of his death, he was teaching at Kent State University's School of Visual Communication Design.

LAND studio facilitated the New Tech installation. Scherba Industries was the installer. 

The other murals were installed in August at the Bonfoey Gallery at Euclid Avenue and East 17th Street, by Playhouse Square, and this week at the Cleveland Public Library's Rice Branch on Shaker Boulevard.

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Volume 10, Issue 11, Posted 12:06 PM, 11.04.2018

Local High School Football 2018 Seasonin Review

Collinwood Railroaders:
8/24    Wickliffe                               (L) 21 – 6
8/31    Beachwood                                     (L) 23 – 6
9/07        Rocky River                             (L) 41 – 7
9/14    Glenville                                   (L) 40 – 6
9/21    John Hay                              (L) 19 – 6         
9/29          Thurgood Marshall                                    (L) 49 – 6
10/05  John F. Kennedy                      (W) 22 – 20
10/12  Rhodes                                (W) 17 – 14
10/19  East Tech                                                         (W) 20 - 12
10/26  Lincoln West                       (*)
                                                           
Villa Angela – St. Joseph Vikings:
8/23    Cuyahoga Heights                 (L) 54 – 12  
8/31    Elyria Catholic                               (L) 48 – 7
9/07    University School                        (L) 42 – 12
9/14        Shaw                                        (L) 47 – 0
9/21    Warrensville Heights                                      (L) 36 – 6
9/29    Cleveland Central Catholic                 (W) 35 – 14  
10/05  Aquinas                                    (W) 35 – 0
10/12  Trinity                                                     (W) 34 – 0
10/20  Gilmour Academy                                     (L) 46 – 6
10/27  JFK Catholic                             (*)  




Glenville Tarblooders:
8/24     Euclid                                       (L) 42 – 17
8/31      Olentangy Liberty                    (W) 19 – 17  
9/7      Mentor                                          (L) 42 – 18
9/14    Collinwood                              (W) 40 – 6
9/21    East Tech                                 (W) 45 – 0
9/28    Rhodes                                     (W) 27 – 0
10/5    John Adams                                  (W) 40 – 18
10/12  John F. Kennedy                          (W) 55 – 20
10/19  John Marshall                         (W) 25 – 0
10/26  John Hay                                 (*)


Euclid Panthers:
8/24    Glenville                                      (W) 42 – 17
8/31    Lorain                                      (W) 42 – 21
9/7         St. Ignatius                                     (L) 21 – 6
9/14    Medina                                            (W) 37 – 14
9/21    Elyria                                       (W) 55 – 0
9/28    Strongsville                                 (W) 50 – 31
10/5    Solon                                      (W) 21 – 0
10/12  Brunswick                                      (W) 42 – 17
10/19  Mentor                                       (L) 30 – 7
10/27  Shaker Heights                         (*)





Shaw Cardinals:
8/25    Shaker Heights                                (L) 20 – 6
9/1      Detroit Delta Prep                           (L) 33 – 32
9/7      Luthern East                              (W) 15 – 14
9/14    Villa Angela – St. Joseph         (W) 47 – 0
9/21    Crestview                                         (L) 35 – 20
9/28    Warrensville Heights                           (L) 24 – 18
10/5    Maple Heights                          (L) 38 – 0
10 /11 Bedford                                       (W)    7 – 6
10/19  Cleveland Heights                          (L) 17 – 8
10/26  Lorain                                       (*)

(*) Results post press deadline

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Volume 10, Issue 11, Posted 12:06 PM, 11.04.2018

Local High School Football 2018 Season in Review

Collinwood Railroaders:
8/24    Wickliffe                               (L) 21 – 6
8/31    Beachwood                           (L) 23 – 6
9/07    Rocky River                          (L) 41 – 7
9/14    Glenville                               (L) 40 – 6
9/21    John Hay                              (L) 19 – 6         
9/29    Thurgood Marshall                 (L) 49 – 6
10/05  John F. Kennedy                   (W) 22 – 20
10/12  Rhodes                                (W) 17 – 14
10/19  East Tech                             (W) 20 - 12
10/26  Lincoln West                         (*)
                                                           
Villa Angela – St. Joseph Vikings:
8/23    Cuyahoga Heights                 (L) 54 – 12  
8/31    Elyria Catholic                       (L) 48 – 7
9/07    University School                  (L) 42 – 12
9/14    Shaw                                   (L) 47 – 0
9/21    Warrensville Heights              (L) 36 – 6
9/29    Cleveland Central Catholic     (W) 35 – 14  
10/05  Aquinas                                (W) 35 – 0
10/12  Trinity                                   (W) 34 – 0
10/20  Gilmour Academy                   (L) 46 – 6
10/27  JFK Catholic                           (*)  




Glenville Tarblooders:
8/24    Euclid                                      (L) 42 – 17
8/31    Olentangy Liberty                    (W) 19 – 17  
9/7      Mentor                                    (L) 42 – 18
9/14    Collinwood                              (W) 40 – 6
9/21    East Tech                                 (W) 45 – 0
9/28    Rhodes                                    (W) 27 – 0
10/5    John Adams                             (W) 40 – 18
10/12  John F. Kennedy                       (W) 55 – 20
10/19  John Marshall                          (W) 25 – 0
10/26  John Hay                                 (*)


Euclid Panthers:
8/24    Glenville                                   (W) 42 – 17
8/31    Lorain                                      (W) 42 – 21
9/7      St. Ignatius                               (L) 21 – 6
9/14    Medina                                     (W) 37 – 14
9/21    Elyria                                       (W) 55 – 0
9/28    Strongsville                              (W) 50 – 31
10/5    Solon                                      (W) 21 – 0
10/12  Brunswick                                (W) 42 – 17
10/19  Mentor                                      (L) 30 – 7
10/27  Shaker Heights                          (*)





Shaw Cardinals:
8/25    Shaker Heights                           (L) 20 – 6
9/1      Detroit Delta Prep                       (L) 33 – 32
9/7      Luthern East                              (W) 15 – 14
9/14    Villa Angela – St. Joseph             (W) 47 – 0
9/21    Crestview                                    (L) 35 – 20
9/28    Warrensville Heights                    (L) 24 – 18
10/5    Maple Heights                             (L) 38 – 0
10 /11 Bedford                                      (W)  7 – 6
10/19  Cleveland Heights                        (L) 17 – 8
10/26  Lorain                                       (*)

(*) Results post press deadline

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Volume 10, Issue 11, Posted 12:06 PM, 11.04.2018

New Tech Collinwood School Market

New Tech Collinwood will host a School Market on Tuesday, September 11, 2018 from 3:00 – 5:00pm at New Tech Collinwood, 15210 St. Clair Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44110. The market is open to all community members. ID's are not required! All participants must "bring their own bags!"

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Volume 10, Issue 9, Posted 12:19 PM, 09.07.2018

CHS WWII Memorial Plaque Missing

The Class of 1952 honored the more than 2,600 Collinwood alumni who served during World War II by installing a Memorial Plaque on the boulder in front of school.  Of those who served, 0ne hundred and eighty seven Railroaders paid the ultimate price. While the Collinwood High School Alumni Association has tried to locate the plaque, nothing has turned up yet. However, with the help of Gary Fisher custodian at CHS, we are still hunting for it. 

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Volume 10, Issue 8, Posted 9:13 AM, 08.04.2018

New Tech Collinwood Family Back to School Party

You are invited to join New Tech Collinwood for our Back to School Family Meet & Greet, which will be held on Thursday, August 9, 2018 from 5:00-7:00PM at New Tech Collinwood located at 15210 St. Clair Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44110.

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Volume 10, Issue 8, Posted 9:13 AM, 08.04.2018

Highlights from Listen. Act. Win. Action!

On Tuesday evening Greater Cleveland Congregations (GCC) held a highly successful 185-person, packed-house for the Listen-Act-Win education action at New Tech Collinwood school with CMSD CEO Eric Gordon.  

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Volume 10, Issue 7, Posted 3:11 PM, 07.05.2018

Congratulations New Tech Collinwood Class of 2018!

Congratulations to the very first graduating class of New Tech Collinwood! You all are members of the class who refused to just accept the status quo, and you are destined to make a difference!  We would like to thank Judge Dawson for delivering our Keynote speech at New Tech Collinwood’s 125th  Commencement ceremony. Judge William L.  Dawson is an author, motivational speaker and the Administrative and Presiding Judge of the East Cleveland Municipal Court.

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Volume 10, Issue 7, Posted 3:11 PM, 07.05.2018

School board to revisit building plan

Acting on an independent watchdog’s recommendation, the Cleveland Board of Education will consider revising its master plan for building and renovating schools. 

It has been four years since the plan was last amended and six years since the District began assembling the data used to modify the document. 

The Bond Accountability Commission, which was created for the specific purpose of monitoring the ongoing modernization program, has called for an “extensive re-examination” of the plan based on current neighborhood population and enrollment patterns, changes in academic programming and rising construction costs. (Read the BAC report here.)

More recently, the state drastically limited reimbursement for Cleveland’s school construction program. The policy changes could force the District to absorb millions of dollars in additional expenses. 

Before considering revisions, the District will seek direction from the public. Community meetings will begin June 5.  The meeting schedule and other information can be found at clevelandmetroschools.org/buildingplan.

“We support the Bond Accountability Commission’s recommendation,” District CEO Eric Gordon said. “It’s logical to re-evaluate the plan under current conditions, and keeping with past practice, we want to ask for guidance from our families and other stakeholders.” 

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Volume 10, Issue 6, Posted 11:14 AM, 06.07.2018

Hannah Gibbons preschool receives state's top rating

The preschool at Hannah Gibbons STEM School has received the state’s top rating for quality.

Hannah Gibbons' preschool earned five stars under Ohio’s Step Up To Quality program. Five-star schools:

  • Have lower staff/child ratios.
  • Use child assessment results to plan activities that best support learning and development goals for each child.
  • Share assessment results and create goals for children.
  • Develop plans to support children as they move to a new classroom or educational setting.
  • Work with other organizations or businesses to support children and their families.
  • Have an active and organized parent volunteer group.
  • Use input from families and community partners to strive for continuous improvement.
  • Are accredited by an approved organization. 

“Hannah Gibbons is proud to be a five-star program,” said Greg Adkins, principal of Hannah Gibbons. “We know that children typically have a little more than five years from birth until kindergarten, and every day matters. It is important to us that children develop their self-confidence, social and emotional skills, and a love of learning.”

Research confirms that the first five years of a child’s life have a direct impact on how children develop emotional well-being and learning and social skills.  

To learn more about Hannah Gibbons, visit www.clevelandmetroschools.org/hannahgibbons

For more information on early childhood education, to https://bit.ly/2r4os7H

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Volume 10, Issue 5, Posted 4:56 PM, 05.10.2018

Pillowcase Project

Students in grades 3-5 at Constellation Schools: Collinwood Village Academy had the privelage to partner with the American Red Cross to complete The Pillowcase Project. The Pillowcase Project was created by the American Red Cross in 2005 after Hurrican Katrina. and became a preparedness education program for elementary school students targeting 8 to 11 year olds. In 2013, the Red Cross receieved a grant from Disney to design and develop a multiyear effort that would build on this success by creating a standardized, state-of-the art preparedness education program. Now entering the third year of this pilot, The Pillowcase Project is being offered by every Red Cross region across the county. 

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Volume 10, Issue 5, Posted 4:56 PM, 05.10.2018

Hannah Gibbons preschool receives top rating

The preschool at Hannah Gibbons School, 1401 Larchmont Road, has received the state's top rating for quality.

The score helps the Cleveland Metropolitan School District move closer to its goal of having all of the District’s 61 preschool sites earn high ratings for quality.

Five other preschool sites – Case, Mary M. Bethune, Nathan Hale and Patrick Henry schools and Douglas MacArthur Girls' Leadership Academy – also recently received the maximum five stars from Ohio’s voluntary Step Up to Quality program. All of CMSD's 45 rated sites have earned five stars, and the rest are going or will go through the evaluation process.

The age when children attend preschool is a critical period in brain formation and the development of skills like communication and teamwork. PRE4CLE, a partnership between the District and private providers, is working to make high-quality preschool available to as many District children as possible.

The initiative is part of The Cleveland Plan, a blueprint for education reform in the city.

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Volume 10, Issue 4, Posted 3:25 PM, 04.04.2018

'Black Lightning' creator talks diversity with East Clark students

Tony Isabella, the man behind the DC Comics superhero "Black Lightning," has held tight to his Cleveland roots since he created the character in the 1970s.

Decades later, Isabella visited East Clark School in Collinwood and shared the stories and inspiration behind DC’s first African-American superhero with the youngest generation of Cleveland children. He spoke with fifth- through eighth-graders about how growing up reading comics with a diverse group of friends motivated him to create "Black Lightning," a schoolteacher who acquires electrical superpowers that he uses to fight crime in his crime-ridden neighborhood. 

“When I was growing up, there weren’t a lot of black characters in comics, but everybody wants to see themselves in the fiction they enjoy,” Isabella said while visiting the school on March 22. “ 'Black Lightning' was something I created for my black friends.”

Isabella grew up on the West Side of Cleveland and currently lives in Medina when he’s not traveling to conventions or other events. 

The CW television network's prime-time series version of "Black Lightning," premiered in January. Meanwhile, Isabella is writing the six-issue DC Comics miniseries “Return of Black Lightning.” The third issue is on the stands, and the story is set in Cleveland.

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Volume 10, Issue 4, Posted 3:25 PM, 04.04.2018

Collinwood Village Academy Buddy Program

At Collinwood Village Academy our Kindergarten students are assigned to a sixth grade student based on their personalities and teacher recommendations at the beginning of the year.  The students then meet to complete projcets and activities together a few times per month. The Big Buddies, or sixth graders, benefit from helping teach and reinforce reading skills, writing, math and more. The students quickly become friends. The little buddies beniefit from having someone help them with activities to build conficence and skills needed to be successful students. Both groups also get practice in social skills and really enjoy their time together. It is not uncommon to walk into the room where the buddies meet to see many smiles and hear lots of laughter. Even my acadmically lowest students can assist a kindergartner with his/her graphing, letter sounds and basic math and reading activities. It allows the sixth graders to develop leadership skills and character as they serve in assiting the younger children. It is a simple way to encourage our mission built on a foundation of character education and life long success for all students. 

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Volume 10, Issue 4, Posted 3:24 PM, 04.04.2018

Oliver H. Perry School to follow new learning model

With a variety of high-quality, innovative high school models in place across the city, CMSD’s team of academic specialists is turning its attention to PreK-8 schools, and they are doing so with the help of families and community stakeholders.

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Volume 10, Issue 3, Posted 11:04 AM, 03.10.2018