Chapman Elementary School announces new principal: Strong Points

STRONGSVILLE, Ohio — Kaylee Harrell has been selected as the new principal of Chapman Elementary School. Harrell was unanimously approved at the last Board of Education meeting.

The search for a new principal began following the promotion of current Chapman Principal Amy Pinney, who will move into her new role as the district’s supervisor of elementary curriculum.

Harrell is currently the principal at Melrose Elementary School in Wooster. She has been a part of the Wooster City School District since 2014, holding positions as both a teacher and administrator. She holds a bachelor of science degree in elementary education and a master’s degree in educational leadership, earning both degrees at Ashland University.

She also attended Strongsville City Schools through 10th grade and has several family members still in the area.

“After an amazing start to my career as an administrator with Wooster City Schools, my husband and I made the decision that we wanted to return home to raise our family,” Harrell said.

“As I began the process, never would I have imagined that I would be able to return to the Strongsville community, the place where I grew up. Having the opportunity to bring my family back to my roots while continuing my professional career at Chapman Elementary is an incredible opportunity.

“As an educational leader, I believe in providing high-quality learning experiences that will spark creativity, inspire critical thinking and allow students to learn in a respectful and encouraging environment,” she said.

“Educating the whole child, fostering social emotional growth, as well as providing rigorous and high-quality instruction is essential in any school building, and I am excited to continue supporting this excellence at Chapman Elementary. I could not be more excited to serve and support the students, staff and families as Chapman’s principal.”

Contract extension: Strongsville City Schools and Locals 290 and 028 of the Ohio Association of Public School Employees (OAPSE) have agreed on a three-year contract extension. These local groups of OAPSE include transportation, custodial/maintenance, food services, educational support, office support and technology staff in the school district.

The contract extension maintains the current agreement, with a 2 percent salary increase each year of the contract. This agreement will be in effect from July 1, 2021, through June 30, 2024.

“We appreciate the continued collaborative relationship with the local units of OAPSE in our district. Our OAPSE staff is integral to the success of Strongsville City Schools, and their efforts on a daily basis do not go unnoticed,” said Superintendent Cameron Ryba.

“This fiscally responsible agreement is in line with our forecasted budgets over the next three years and is crucial to continuing to move our district forward.”

Richard Micko, school board president, added: “Our local units of OAPSE provide important and necessary support for our district. This contract extension is another example of the strong relationships we continue to build with all of the employees in our school district.

“We appreciate the members of OAPSE and their efforts in striving to make Strongsville City Schools a premier district in Ohio.”

“We are pleased to have agreed to this three-year contract extension for our OAPSE Local 290 staff,” said Paul Cummins, president of OAPSE Local 290 and head custodian at Strongsville Middle School.

“The OAPSE employees in our district are proud of the work done on a daily basis to provide the very best environment in the buildings for our students, staff, families and community.”

Michael Hicar, president of OAPSE Local 028 and SCS Bus Driver, added: “Our OAPSE Local 028 staff is continually dedicated to helping make Strongsville City Schools the very best it can be. This contract extension is a testament to their individual efforts and commitment to our district.”

Honor students: Polaris Career Center recently inducted 81 students into the National Technical Honor Society (NTHS). NTHS is America’s highest award for excellence in career and technical education. NTHS’s mission is to honor student achievement and leadership, promote educational excellence and enhance career opportunities for the organization’s members.

Fewer than 2 percent of America’s secondary students are nominated for membership into this prestigious organization. Nominees are evaluated based on scholarship, service, leadership and character.

To be eligible, Polaris students must meet the following requirements:

• Earn all A’s in his or her Polaris program

• Maintain a 95 percent or higher attendance rate

• Maintain a 3.0 accumulative grade point average

For the fourth straight year, Polaris also inducted satellite program students into the National Technical Honor Society. Those students are enrolled in Polaris programs housed at each partner high school.

For a complete list of all 81 inductees, go to www.polaris.edu.

Museums for all: The Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage has announced that it has joined Museums for All, a signature access program of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), administered by the Association of Children’s Museums (ACM), to encourage people of all backgrounds to visit museums regularly and build lifelong museum-going habits.

The program supports those receiving food assistance (SNAP) benefits visiting the Maltz Museum by providing free admission for up to four people, with the presentation of a SNAP Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card.

Museums for All is part of the Maltz Museum’s broad commitment to seek, include and welcome all audiences.

Museums for All includes more than 500 institutions, including art museums, children’s museums, science centers, botanical gardens, zoos, history museums and more. Participating museums are located nationwide, representing 48 states. See a full list at www.museums4all.org.

The Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage is located at 2929 Richmond Road, Beachwood. Go to www.maltzmuseum.org for more information.

Let the Strongsville community know what is going on with your organization, church, school, business or family. Email me at [email protected].

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