Mustang Moments

TOMORROW (Friday, April 18) - NO SCHOOL

Thursday, April 24 - 7:00pm (6:15pm - Executive Session)

Strongsville Board of Education Meeting*

SCS Administrative Offices (18199 Cook Ave.)
* SCS Board of Education Meetings are live streamed HERE

PLEASE NOTE:
At last month's Board of Education meeting, a revision to the 2025-26 academic calendar was approved. One reason for the revision was to correct an error that was recently discovered with the previously approved calendar. The error occurred in our day count for April 2026. We had accounted for 18 student days when there were only 16.

We apologize for the error and changes to the calendar. It is our hope that this change does not disturb your plans for the final days of summer break.

At last week’s meeting, the Board of Education approved a plan to replace the roofs at both Chapman and Whitney Elementary Schools at an approximate cost of $2.2 million.

Looking to add to your "Green & White" wardrobe and get some updated Mustangs gear? Click HERE to visit our special, limited time Mustangs Team Shop for short-sleeve t-shirts, long-sleeve t-shirts, sweatshirts, hoodies, and MORE! Personalized merchandise is also available. Hurry - it's the FINAL DAYS for this Team Shop! Orders for your new Mustangs gear close at 11:59pm on Sunday, 4/20!

This week, Surrarrer Elementary announced their “One School, One Book” program at an assembly which included all grades. All students at Surrarrer will be reading “The Wild Robot” by Peter Brown. The assembly featured the Surrarrer Tech Club operating robots to get their classmates excited, a reading from the first chapter by Principal Mrs. Young, “Minute to Win It” competitions between students and teachers, and overall FUN! During the next few weeks, students will have the opportunity to win fantastic prizes through daily trivia questions about the book.

Congratulations to SMS 6th graders Isaac Anderson, Maxwell Kravtsov, Lana Matic, and Holly Mazzella; SMS 7th grader Jacob Meland; and SMS 8th grader Kaustubh Devarakonda. These six swimmers represented Strongsville SwimUnited in the National Club Swimming Association (NCSA) Age Group Junior National Swim Meet recently held in Orlando, FL, competing among some of the most elite swimmers from the Midwest and East Coast!

Mr. Denny Ziegler and Mr. Jason Keppler - SHS Athletic Director and SHS Assistant Athletic Director / SMS Athletic Director, respectively - were honored this week at the annual Northeast Ohio Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (NEOIAAA) awards luncheon. Each year, the Executive Committee of the NEOIAAA honors various athletic administrators and other professionals who have contributed outstanding service to interscholastic athletics in Northeast Ohio. The recipients of the award are nominated by association members, and honorees are selected by the awards committee made up of NEOIAAA executive committee members.

Mr. Ziegler was one of four high school athletic directors to be recognized as “Athletic Director of the Year.” Mr. Keppler was awarded “Middle School Athletic Director of the Year.”

Congratulations on these well-deserved awards!

SMS 6th Grade Science Teacher Mr. John Lipowski was recently recognized by Strongsville Council PTA with the ‘T in PTA Award.’ This annual award celebrates an SCS staff member and their efforts in going above and beyond in the lives of our District’s students. Part of his nomination included these thoughts about Mr. Lipowski: “John teaches with heart, purpose, and intention. He’s not just 'on the train' of curriculum delivery - he gets off the train, helping his students pause, explore, and truly engage with science in ways that inspire wonder and critical thinking. His classroom is an immersive experience where students don’t just learn about science - they DO science. Whether it’s through hands-on labs, real-world simulations, or collaborative community projects, John turns content into connection.” Mr. Lipowski was also recognized by the Ohio Senate for receiving this award - Congratulations "Mr. Lip!"

(L to R) Dr. Cameron Ryba (SCS Superintendent), Mrs. Tera Thomas (SMS 6th Grade Principal),
Mrs. Jenni Pelko (SCS Assistant Superintendent), Mr. John Lipowski (SMS 6th Grade Science Teacher), Mr. John Telloni (SMS Principal)

The SHS Mustangs Baseball Team opened the 2025 regular season with a 5 game set at the Cal Ripken Experience in Myrtle Beach, SC. The team went 4-1 in games against ranked teams from other states. One of the highlights of the trip was Senior Tommy Farkas hurling his first career no-hitter, as the Mustangs defeated #15 ranked South Laurel (KY) by a score of 6-1. Tommy struck out eight and helped his own cause with two hits and three RBI at the plate.

The SCS Food Services department is interested in gathering both student and parent feedback about your experiences with breakfast and lunch in our District, in order to continue to meet the needs and wants of our students and families. Click on the specific links below to help Food Services plan for future school years.

Elementary School Parents - Food Services Survey

Don’t miss the SMS Drama Club performances of “Everything You Wanted to Know About Middle School (But Were Too Busy Being Stuffed in a Locker to Ask)” on Friday, April 25 (7pm) and Saturday, April 26 (2pm) in the SMS Auditorium. “Everything You Wanted to Know . . . “ is a short comedy about a day in the life of your typical middle school students. Only, is any day really typical in a middle school? With pirates in the cafeteria, zombies in the hallway, and a bear on the loose, these kids are just learning to survive! This is the first performance by the NEW Drama Club at SMS, made possible by a generous donation from the Strongsville Community Theatre.

Click HERE to purchase your tickets - ONLY $5 - in advance.

CLICK HERE to register for the upcoming 2025-26 SHS Dance Team Auditions (registration required). There will be a parent & athlete audition information meeting on Wednesday, 4/23 at 6pm in the SHS Media Center. The audition clinic will be held on Tuesday, May 6th from 4-7pm and the audition will be Friday, May 9th at 5pm in the SHS Main Gym. Auditions are open to current 8th through 11th grade students. Dancers will learn the audition material at the clinic and come prepared to perform it at the audition. This team is made up of the most highly skilled and trained dancers at SHS. They perform at home varsity boys basketball games and compete at the regional and state level in the categories of jazz, hip-hop, lyrical/contemporary, and pom. For more information about the team and tryouts, follow them on Instagram: @shsdance_team.

Mr. Jenkins' SHS Advanced Drama & Theatre students are excited to present their public performance of Complaint Department & Lemonade by Kamron Klitgaard.

People will complain about anything — not almost anything, but absolutely anything! In this rapid succession of hysterical grievances, the complaint department takes on everything from Oreo icing to kleptomania and from songs stuck in the head to the price of cheese and on and on and on. Could there be a glimmer of hope for anyone in charge of a complaint department?

There is only one chance to catch this hilarious one-act play: Wednesday April 23 @ 7pm in the SHS Auditorium. Admission is free, but donations will be accepted. The play should only run 30-35 minutes. If you have any questions, please reach out to Mr. Jenkins (jjenkins@scsmustangs).

Order awesome Mustangs Gear from ‘The Derby’ at Strongsville High School! ‘The Derby’ is a student operated spirit shop located in the SHS cafeteria, providing job training opportunities for students to develop skills necessary for future success - including independence, workplace readiness, job training, communication, problem solving, and leadership!

Check out ‘The Derby’ for items to add to your Strongsville wardrobe - made by SHS students. Items can be personalized and orders can be placed if the item is not available. Items can also be delivered to individual schools or picked up at the high school. SHS students can shop and order at ‘The Derby’ during lunch periods (10:00am - 1:30pm). All proceeds are given back to the Life Skills Employment Readiness Program for continued vocational training. Online orders can be placed using the QR code below or by clicking HERE. Contact thederbyshop@scsmustangs.org with any questions on custom apparel.

Stream and watch SHS athletic events from the SHS Main Gym on the new HUDL TV. Simply search for Strongsville High School at fan.hudl.com or download the HUDL Fan app in your app store. Right now, you can utilize the following promo codes and receive special discounts for Mustang Athletics action on HUDL TV:

• $5 Off All-Access Day Pass: Enjoy all Mustang games with a day pass for just $7.50 using the promo code Mustangs$5.

• $100 Off Annual Pass: Get unlimited access to Mustang Athletics for the entire school year for just $95 with promo code Mustangs$100.

Both promo codes are reusable and valid through the Winter Sports season, so don't miss out! Catch every play, cheer on your favorite teams, and save while you stream. Stay tuned in and show your Mustang pride through HUDL TV!

Our District has expanded its partnership with Blocksi to include student content filtering and alerts. We no longer utilize SecURLy for these services.

Click HERE to view an informational flier about joining the Blocksi Parent Portal to gain insights on your student’s online behavior with their scsmustangs account, as well as set parental controls beyond the school. If you have any questions, contact Dave Binkley - Director of Instructional Technology - at dbinkley@scsmustangs.org.

Right At School provides care for SCS K-5 students before and after school at each of our elementary buildings, with a variety of plan options ranging from once a week to all five days. RAS provides homework support, a fun-based curriculum including American Sign Language, crafts, games and fun activities, afternoon snack, and so much more! For more information on registering with Right at School, visit rightatschool.com. Should you have any specific questions, please contact Matt Urbin, RAS Area Manager (matt.urbin@rightatschool.com / 440.902.1302).

Strongsville City Schools encourages students, teachers, staff, parents, and other members of our community to report any instances of potential violence, bullying, self-harm or any other issue where students may be at risk. Click HERE for additional Stay Safe. Speak Up! Information on the District’s website. Reporting incidents can be made anonymously online or through a toll free number (​1-866-listen2me / 1-866-547-8362).

Strongsville Rotary KidsFest & Duck Race (Saturday, June 7)
Don’t miss the 12th annual Strongsville Rotary KidsFest and Duck Race on Saturday, June 7 from 11:00am - 3:00pm at the Cleveland Metroparks Chalet in Strongsville. Enjoy pony rides, face painting, inflatables, and MORE! Duck Race begins at 2pm. FREE shuttle from the Strongsville RTA Park-n-Ride. Click HERE for the event flyer or visit StrongsvilleDuckRace.com

Head Start Basketball 2025 Summer Camps

Join your friends at Head Start Basketball Camp for our 33rd summer! Now's the time to register so you don't miss out on a great week of basketball skill development, games, contests, and fun. Click the link to get registered! https://headstartbasketball.leagueapps.com/camps

Head Start Basketball Camps are held at the Strongsville Recreation Center

Contact Camp Director Mike Klinzing at 216-392-4059 or headstartbasketball@usa.net for more information

Treehouse Berea Programming

Treehouse Berea is offering many activities and opportunities for students! From Coding to Robotics to Game Design - there's lots of great STEAM based enrichment experiences for kids ages 6-12. Visit treehouseberea.com to learn more or click HERE for the current flyer about available activities.

Strongsville Chamber of Commerce

Please note the following April 2024 events presented by the Strongsville Branch Library. Please call (440) 238-5530 to register or for more information. Customers may also visit www.cuyahogalibrary.org to register and to see more library event information.

CCPL Program Guide The Cuyahoga County Public Library program guide is now digital! Want to find out about all the amazing library programs and resources happening around the system? You can view our Program information by going to cuyahogalibrary.org and click on Research & Discover to use the Press Reader resource here:

https://cuyahogalibrary.org/research-discover/resources-a-z/pressreader

English as a Second Language Classes by Aspire Greater Cleveland. If you need to learn English or improve your language skills, we can help. Aspire Greater Cleveland offers FREE beginner, intermediate and advanced-level English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) classes. Strongsville Branch will be hosting morning classes on Thursdays and Fridays. Please call 833.ASPIRE2 (1.833.277.4732) to register or visit https://cuyahogalibrary.org/services/adult-education/aspire-greater-cleveland for more information.

Cuyahoga Works: Job & Career Services Schedule an individual career coaching session at the Strongsville Branch with one of our Career Services Coaches. Career Services Coaches are available by appointment on Tuesdays to help you discover your occupational interests, create an effective job search strategy, and prepare for job interviews. They can also provide tips that will help you develop top-notch resumes, cover letters, and LinkedIn profiles. Career Coaching is available by appointment ONLY! To schedule a FREE appointment at our branch, please call Cuyahoga Works Job & Career Services at (216) 475-2225 or email the team at Careers@cuyahogalibrary.org

Storytimes Storytimes are for Birth to Age 5 not yet in Kindergarten. No registration needed!

Baby & Me (Birth to 18 months with a Caregiver) - Mondays / 10:00 - 10:20 a.m. OR Thursdays / 10:00 - 10:20 a.m.

Preschool (Ages 3 - 5 not yet in Kindergarten with a Caregiver) - Mondays / 11:30 a.m. - Noon OR Tuesdays / 10:00 - 10:30 a.m. OR 11:30 a.m. - Noon

Toddler (Ages 19 - 35 months with a Caregiver) - Wednesdays / 10:00 - 10:25 a.m. OR 11:30 - 11:55 a.m.

Family - Thursdays / 7:00 p.m.

What's Behind That Big Grey Wall? - A Walk Through Gardenview Horticultural Park. Thursday, April 17th / 7:00 p.m. The Strongsville Historical Society and the Strongsville Branch Library have partnered to offer this special presentation. Speakers Dain D. Finke and Marla Tooman will be at the Library to share What’s Behind that Big Grey Wall? A Walk Through Gardenview Horticultural Park’s Past, Present, and Future. If you have never been to this hidden gem, join us to learn all about the Gardenview Horticultural Park as they prepare for their Spring Grand Re-Opening. A brief historical society business meeting will begin this presentation. Registration is requested.

Blood Drive. Friday, April 18th / 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. In just an hour of your time you can help save up to three lives. Make sure hospital patients get the treatment they need. Donate blood today. For more information or to make an appointment visit www.redcrossblood.org or call the American Red Cross at 800-RED-CROSS (800-733-2767).

Egg-stravaganza. Ages 4 - 6. Friday, April 18th / 10:30 - 11:45 a.m. We will have an egg-cellent time dying and decorating hard boiled eggs provided by the library. The egg-citing news is that you get to take them home with you! This program may include activities that could be considered harmful. In order for your child to participate you must sign the Release and Hold Harmless form and return to the program location at least one week prior to the program start date.

School Age Craft: Yarn Art. Ages 9 - 11. Thursday, April 24th / 5:30 -7:00 p.m. Try something new! Relax after school with watercolor art. Try different watercolor techniques to create unique masterpieces!

Monday Afternoon Book Discussion. Monday, April 28th / 2:30 p.m. The Monday Afternoon Book Discussion meets at 2:30 p.m. in the Library on the 4th Monday of each month. No registration is required. New members are always welcome. We welcome all adults interested in reading and discussing great books! Our next discussion title will be All the Colors of the Dark: a Novel by Chris Whitaker. Copies of the book will be available for check-out at the circulation desk.

Learning from Our Gardening Mistakes. Tuesday, April 29th / 7:00 p.m. Join us for this gardening presentation by the Master Gardeners of Cuyahoga County. Every gardener faces challenges in their landscapes. Our speaker will share lessons learned from their own gardening experiences.

Strongsville High School * Muraski Elementary *

Strongsville Middle School * Surrarrer Elementary *

Chapman Elementary * Whitney Elementary *

Kinsner Elementary * Early Learning Preschool

Website: www.scsmustangs.org
Location: Strongsville City Schools, 18199 Cook Avenue, Strongsville, OH, United States
Phone: (440) 572-7000
Facebook: facebook.com/strongsvillecs
Instagram: @strongsvillecs

Twitter / X: @strongsvillecs