The Weekly Words

At Noble Elementary, we believe that every student has the right to learn and grow in a safe and respectful environment. We also believe that every student has the power to make positive choices, learn from mistakes, and become stronger leaders in our school community. Noble Elementary empowers all students for college and career readiness through AVID’s schoolwide focus on WICOR, student success skills, and a growth mindset.

We’ve been busy making Noble shine for the upcoming school year! Over the summer, we’ve made major progress on several facility improvements throughout the building. We are currently finalizing brand-new carpet installation in our second-floor hallways and replacing the tiles and flooring in our stairwells. Plus, our long-awaited cafeteria renovation project is officially underway! We are so excited for you all to return to a refreshed, beautifully updated space.

A few important notes as you return: In the coming weeks, as you begin to re-enter the building to prep your rooms, please be mindful of ongoing construction. We will keep you updated on which stairwells, hallways, and access points are off-limits or limited during your transition back.

Thank you for your patience and flexibility as we put the finishing touches on our building. Stay tuned for more updates before school officially begins!

Team,

I hope you are soaking up every bit of the summer and taking the time you truly deserve to rejoice, relax, and rejuvenate!

While there are still plenty of summer days left, the purpose of this edition is to share a few key updates regarding the upcoming school year. Inside, you'll find operational, staffing, academic, and culture updates that will be helpful to know before we officially kick off the year together.

I am so excited to step into year two with all of you. Reflecting on and learning from our first year together, I can't wait to build on the momentum, energy, and wonderful work that sparked new life into Noble. Thank you for your continued dedication, enjoy the rest of your well-deserved break, and dive into the updates below when you have a moment!

Mr. Walker, M.Ed.

Principal

I am thrilled to announce that Dr. Michelle Watson will be joining Noble full-time this fall as a building administrator to support our leadership team!

Dr. Watson is certainly no stranger to CH-UH or to educational leadership, bringing years of administrative experience to our building. Having worked with her previously at Baumgardner (formerly Monticello Middle School), I can personally share what a absolute delight she is to partner with.

Dr. Watson comes to us most recently from Fairfax Elementary, where she served during the 2025–2026 school year. She is well-versed in our CH-UH Student Code of Conduct, deeply understands PBIS as it relates to our students and families, and is constantly analyzing academic, cultural, and operational data to proactively strengthen our school-wide systems and structures. While Fairfax was a wonderful home for her this past year, Dr. Watson is thrilled to join the Noble team, and we could not be more excited to welcome her!

August 3: BOE meeting, 7 p.m. (note this is on a Monday)

August 4: TAP Retreat at CHHS (9 a.m. - 12 p.m.)

August 5-7: Principals Retreat - CHHS (8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.)

August 10: New Teacher Orientation Begins (8:30 a.m. to 3:45 p.m., High School Cafeteria)

August 11: Kindergarten Kick-Off, CHHS, 6 p.m.

August 13 - 18: Professional Days - District Schedule

August 13: HS Summer school graduation ( 6 p.m., CHHS Auditorium)

August 15: Back to School Fair at CHHS (10 a.m. - 2 p.m.)

August 17: Meet the Teacher & Supply Drop Off (Grades 1-5), 2:30 p.m.

August 18: Convocation ( Breakfast at 8:15 a.m. Program begins at 8:45 a.m.)

August 18: BOE Work session 6:30 p.m.

August 19: First Day of School (Grades 1-5)

August 19, 20, 21: Kindergarten Staggered Start

August 24 & 25: Pre-K Orientation

August 26: Pre-K First Day

Help us celebrate the amazing things happening at Noble! Use this form to:

• Give a shout-out to a staff member, student, class, or moment that has demonstrated one of the Noble Big 4.

• Share feedback or ideas that will help make Noble an even better place to learn and work.

Your voice matters, let’s lift each other up and keep moving forward together!

I am excited to announce that Sonya Sims will be joining us as our new Administrative Assistant in the front office, working alongside Ms. Murray!

Sonya brings years of invaluable administrative experience to our team, coming to us most recently from the Delisle Center. We are beyond excited to welcome her aboard.

I will be working closely with Sonya over the coming weeks to help her get acclimated to Noble. Rest assured, we will have all necessary information regarding budgets, supply orders, and operational details ready for you by the time everyone officially returns.

Please join me in giving Sonya a warm welcome when you see her!

Kindergarten Support: Cashmir Ferguson joins our Kindergarten team as a Kindergarten Paraprofessional!

Facilities & Operations: Jeremiah Jacobs joins our facilities crew to support building operations, cleaning, and maintenance, keeping Noble running smoothly!

Welcoming Back: Lola Sims returns home to Noble as a Paraprofessional!

Second Grade: Kimberly Holyk joins our Second Grade team, bringing energy and knowledge to our students!

Special Education & Intensive Support: Mr. Kevin Horter joins our Intervention Team to lead and support our new Intensive Classroom (Room 210)!

Fourth Grade: Antoinette Battle transitions to our Fourth Grade team alongside her 1:1 student, King!

Fifth Grade: Erik Rozsa joins our Fifth Grade team to help guide our oldest Tigers!

Building Leadership: Dr. Michelle Watson joins us full-time as a Building Administrator!

Pre-K STEM: We are excited to welcome Karlene Sa’ad to lead our Pre-K STEM instruction!

Lunchroom Team: Brenda Brown joins us as a Lunch Monitor, and we are in the process of welcoming back Qua’Asha Miller to the lunch team as well!

Main Office: We warmly welcome Sonya Sims as our new Administrative Assistant!

Gifted Education: Eric Cohen will now serve Noble full-time as our Gifted Intervention Specialist!

Fond Farewells & Best Wishes
Pre-K Spanish: We wish Katherine O’Keeffe-Swank all the best in her future endeavors! We are currently finalizing the hire for our next Pre-K Spanish teacher and will share updates soon.

Gifted Support: We extend a warm farewell and gratitude to Sonia Cencic as she moves on to support another CH-UH school this year!

We wish Tarhonda Ward well in her future endeavors at Baumgardner Middle School! They are very lucky to have you!

We wish Mel Barrett success and well wishes as she leads Rox El this year! You will be missed greatly, but we are rooting for you!

We wish Andrea Clay, Jacqueline Thornton, and Sean Sullivan a restful and well-deserved retirement!

We wish Nina Woofter tremendous success in her new district and role!

Don't See you name? Please be sure to complete our Staff Interest Survey!

June & July Birthdays

Ms. Larson - June 18

Mrs. Boyles - June 27

I am so excited to celebrate the beginning of the 2026–2027 school year with all of you at District Convocation Day on Tuesday, August 18!

Breakfast will be provided in the cafeteria starting at 8:15 a.m., followed by the Convocation Program at 8:45 a.m. in the Heights High auditorium. Details regarding district transportation to and from Heights High will be shared soon.

Now, for the main event: as you know, Noble does not come to play! This year, the district is giving away a special prize to the school with the most Tiger Nation spirit, and we are aiming for nothing less than Back-to-Back Convocation Champions!

We need everyone to REPRESENT! Don't just show up in simple black and gold—bring the full Noble Tiger energy:

• 🖤 Gold & Black to the Max: Sparkles, face paint, tiger stripes, customized shirts, gold jackets, accessories—if it shines or roars, wear it!

• 📣 Noble Pride: Let’s make sure everyone in the auditorium knows who has the loudest, proudest energy in CH-UH.

I cannot wait to see us take over the auditorium and set the tone for an incredible Year Two together.

Gear up for the 2026–2027 school year! Join us for the annual CH-UH Back-to-School Resource Fair to get everything your family needs for a strong, successful start to the year.

PLEASE NOTE: This event has been moved to Cleveland Heights High School!

Date: Saturday, August 15, 2026

Time: 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Location: Cleveland Heights High School (13263 Cedar Rd)

What to Expect:

• 🎒 Free Backpacks & School Supplies

• 🩺 Health & Vision Screenings

• 🤝 Community Resources & Family Activities

• 🍔 Food, Fun, & Connections!

This FREE event is a wonderful opportunity to connect with amazing community partners, access valuable resources, and celebrate the upcoming school year together.

A special thank you to our partner, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, for helping make this event possible. Mark your calendars, share with your neighbors, and we’ll see you at Heights High! 🐯✨

Our TAP team will be meeting for our summer retreat on Tuesday, August 4, from 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM at Heights High.

Following the retreat, please expect further communication from TAP regarding essential updates for the upcoming school year, including:

• Arrival & Dismissal schedules, procedures, and duty rotations

• Calendar & Scheduling for upcoming staff meetings and committee dates

• Operational & Structural updates to ensure a smooth launch to Year Two!

Thank you to our TAP team for their leadership and preparation ahead of the school year!

The District has adopted a plan for communications with persons with disabilities, which is available at the following link: Communication Plan. The plan establishes procedures to ensure that the District's communications with persons with disabilities, including applicants, participants, members of the public, and companions with disabilities, are as effective as its communications with others.

Our Noble One Plan has a sleek new template! This updated design is built to strengthen our accountability and make checking in on our progress easier than ever. Feel free to take a sneak peek at the new format, but please note that we will dive deeper into it during our Opening Days PD.

As a reminder, the One Plan will be central to our daily work this year. We will regularly revisit, review, and reflect on it during our staff meetings, professional development days, and key touchpoints throughout the school year to ensure we stay aligned and driven toward our common goals.

After conferring with Mr. Crawford, teachers are welcome to begin entering the building on Monday, August 3, from 8 - 4:30 p.m., if you’d like early access to set up your rooms. As you transition back, please be extra mindful of freshly waxed floors, new second-floor carpeting, and cafeteria renovations.

Navigation & Access: The stairwell connecting the primary wing to the cafeteria will be under renovation. If you enter through Doors 5, 10, or 15, please use the internal route through the Media Center to access the first floor.

Warm Welcome & Operations: August 3 marks Ms. Sonya Sims’ first day on campus! Please allow her some grace and time to get acclimated to Noble before reaching out with supply orders or budget questions. Lastly, please help us keep our space clean by taking care of trash within your rooms, and remember to submit all facilities requests through official work orders. Our custodial team will be unable to track informal verbal requests or hallway conversations while completing summer projects!