Principals highlight achievements, student growth in State of the Schools address

by Laura Bednar

Principals from Nordonia Hills City Schools highlighted the progress and accomplishments during the past year at the October State of the Schools address.

Ledgeview and Northfield Elementary

Kristen Cottrell, principal for Ledgeview Elementary, said the amount of time children spend reading is a predictor of academic success. Over the last three years, Ohio has introduced new reading techniques and training for school districts. Cottrell said teachers have participated in training to recognize, understand and teach students with dyslexia. This intervention teacher training cost $30,000 for K-4 teachers and intervention specialists.

Elementary school teachers were trained in the Science of Reading, a state initiative that focuses on teaching students phonemic awareness. Teachers were paid $200,000, and Nordonia is eligible for state reimbursement.

Nordonia implemented a new reading curriculum this year, Benchmark Advance, in all elementary schools. The implementation cost Nordonia an additional $300,000. Cottrell said the state’s “tight timeline for implementation has pushed districts to rush important and expensive decisions.”

Students in grades K-3 are now screened for literacy skills in one-minute time slots. These short screeners, according to Cottrell, are more effective than previous longer tests in showing which students are at risk for reading difficulties.

“The district has devoted over half a million dollars in up-front costs towards training and materials mandated by the state,” said Cottrell.

Marc Kaminicki, principal for Northfield Elementary, spoke about the social emotional learning component in the elementary schools. He said Responsive Classroom is an evidence-based approach to education that focuses on relationships between academic success and social emotional learning.

“The Responsive Classroom approach empowers educators to create safe, joyful and engaging learning communities where all students have a sense of belonging and feel significant,” he said.

Students hold class huddles in which they discuss 7 Mindsets, a curriculum that includes the themes everything is possible, passion first, we are connected, 100% accountable, attitude of gratitude, live to give, and the time is now.

Kaminicki praised the PTA at each of the three elementary schools for its programming efforts. This year, each school held a fall walk-a-thon or fun run, and each school collected a minimum of $25,000 through their events, thanks to community sponsors and parents.

Lee Eaton

Carol Tonsing, Lee Eaton Intermediate principal, spoke of the school’s five-star rating on the Ohio report card. Part of the high rating, Tonsing said, was due to intervention in math and English language arts for students in need of extra support.

Though part of the school’s mission is achievement, Tonsing said, “We are not simply producing widgets,” noting that the teachers and staff adapt to teach students with different levels of achievement.

Assistant Principal Bryan Rudowsky talked about student groups such as Knights at the Round Table, a group that recognize their peers for exemplifying kindness, respect and ownership. The award winners become part of a focus group that communicates their thoughts on Lee Eaton to the administration.

This is the second year Lee Eaton has held intramural sports for students during recess. Rudowsky said the program allows students to make friends and learn to work together as a team.

Other extracurricular activities include choir, of which there are 91 sixth-grade members. Select members will participate in Nordonia Middle School’s production of Beauty and the Beast. The band at Lee Eaton has 90 sixth-grade members.

This year, Tonsing said the school introduced a camp for sixth-graders and took 134 students to Camp Fitch in Pennsylvania along with 18 high school counselors.

Nordonia Middle School

Middle school Principal Bryan Seward highlighted achievements, growth and opportunity within the school. The seventh- and eighth-grade bands and choirs all received a Superior rating – the highest possible – at the Ohio Music Education Association competition. The eighth-grade choir placed first overall in a regional competition at Cedar Point.

The Science Olympiad and Power of the Pen teams qualified for the state competition for the second year in a row.

In the classroom, Seward said the school has met four of seven indicators for proficiency, according to the state, with eighth-grade science and seventh-grade English Language Arts both earning an 82% proficiency rating. Algebra I earned 98% proficiency rating and geometry earned 100%. Last year, the eighth-grade class earned 61 high school credits in Spanish, 110 credits in health, 82 credits in Algebra I and 27 in geometry.

“Seventy percent of all eighth-grade students earned at least one high school credit,” said Seward.

According to the state’s calculations, Seward said there was significant evidence that the school exceeded students’ growth expectations in math, geometry, eighth-grade science, algebra I and all tests.

One the school’s goals is to develop a new student group, “The Knightly News” into a full semester journalism course.

Nordonia High School

Associate Principal Jessica Archer said the high school’s special education program is one of the best in the state. In addition to a transition day between grade levels for special ed students, the school has physical education and art classes for special ed and peers to take electives together.

Archer said the high school structures the school day so every period has one math, English, science and social studies teacher with a study hall. “These core teachers are available for help so that if any student in a study hall needs subject specific help … a content teacher is available to provide them with support,” said Archer.

Nordonia High School offers 29 Advanced Placement courses and added two pre-AP courses this year for freshmen. In the last two years, Archer said over 200 students traveled abroad through teacher-led trips that are of no cost to the district.

Associate Principal Anthony Buckler highlighted the arts, including the student a cappella groups and choral department, which earned superior ratings at district and state contests. The marching band earned first place finishes in area competitions and qualified for the state finals for the 11th consecutive year.

There are 355 students enrolled in classes within the family and consumer sciences department, which includes classes like gourmet food, leadership and community service.

Principal Louise Teringo talked about community connections such as the Nordonia Hills Rotary Club, which celebrates a student of the month and annually co-sponsors a district-wide safety fair. She said the high school partners with local businesses, and many students take classes at Cuyahoga Valley Career Center. Students can also take College Credit Plus classes to earn college credit while in high school.

Artistic students are offered a workshop at Kent State University to explore the arts, and marketing/entrepreneurship students attended “Think Fest” at John Carroll University, where they met business leaders and participated in problem-solving activities. Females interested in data science and statistics attended The Ohio State University-sponsored “Florence Nightingale Conference,” where students hear from professional career women.

Said Superintendent Casey Wright, “The district must continue to invest in infrastructure, technology and innovative programs while maintaining financial responsibility and fostering strong community ties.” ∞