Berea City School District

5/6-5/10 Staff Appreciation Week

5/13 Board of Education Meeting

5/16 Polaris Family Career Fair Night & Job Fair

5/25 Commencement (Rain Date 5/24)

5/27 No School, Memorial Day

5/30 Last Day of School for Students

2023-2024 School Year Calendar

To coincide with School Bus Driver Appreciation Day, School Principals' Day, National Teacher Appreciation Day, School Lunch Hero Day, and National School Nurse Day this month, the Berea City School District is celebrating Staff Appreciation Week (May 6-10, 2024). We want to ensure that you have ways to give thanks, encourage, and celebrate a BCSD staff member who has made a difference in your life or the life of your child or family this school year. BCSD is fortunate to have an incredible team of staff members both inside and outside the classroom who have our students' academic and well-being at the heart of everything they do.

We have created a simple and fun way for you or your child to reach out to someone special and send a word of thanks and encouragement. Simply fill out a short form, select a postcard to send, write a special note, and your digital message will be delivered!

May is Mental Health Month and Berea City School District is raising awareness of the important role mental health plays in our lives. We are encouraging our Titans community to take action toward protecting their mental health and overall well-being.

We live in a rapidly changing world that can be complex to navigate. About half of Americans can remember a time when we were not constantly connected and it was easier to tune out the noise of the world, while the younger half of the population can’t imagine life without the internet.

Finding a sense of calm and focusing on well-being when you are having mental health concerns can be daunting in our fast-paced society. It can be especially challenging to know where to start.

Life can be challenging, but every day shouldn’t feel hard or out of your control. If it does, there is hope and help. One free, private, and easy way to determine whether you are experiencing symptoms of a mental health condition is to take a mental health test at mhascreening.org.

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org. You can also reach Crisis Text Line by texting HELLO to 741741.

The Berea City School District has been once again honored with the Best Communities for Music Education designation from The NAMM Foundation for its outstanding commitment to music education. Now in its 25th year, the Best Communities for Music Education designation is awarded to school districts that demonstrate outstanding achievement to provide music access and education to all students. The district has received this honor every single year since the award's inception.

“Music education helps prepare our students for success in school and life, highlighting the important role music plays in their overall development,” said Tracy Wheeler, Superintendent.

To qualify for the Best Communities designation, the district answered detailed questions about funding, graduation requirements, music class participation, instruction time, facilities, and support for the music program and community music-making programs. Responses were verified by school officials and reviewed by The Music Research Institute at the University of Kansas.

Research into music education continues to demonstrate educational/cognitive and social skill benefits for children who make music. After two years of music education, researchers found that participants showed more substantial improvements in how the brain processes speech and reading scores than their less-involved peers and that students who are involved in music are not only more likely to graduate high school, but also to attend college as well. In addition, everyday listening skills are stronger in musically trained children than those without music training. Significantly, listening skills are closely tied to perceiving speech in a noisy background, paying attention, and keeping sounds in memory. Later in life, individuals who took music lessons as children show stronger neural processing of sound, young adults and even older adults who have not played an instrument for up to 50 years show enhanced neural processing compared to their peers. Social benefits include conflict resolution, teamwork skills, and giving and receiving constructive criticism.

Mel Martin, dedicated Head Custodian at Berea-Midpark High has been honored with the Ohio Association of School Business Officials (OASBO) School Facility Support Staff Award. Mel has been an integral part of the Berea City School District since 1993, currently leading a team of 14 custodians who maintain our 282,000 square foot high school.

Mel's commitment to excellence goes beyond the typical duties of his role. He is known for his exceptional dedication, arriving early during inclement weather, staying late to complete essential tasks, and always stepping up when needed. His relentless energy and proactive approach not only keep our facilities in top shape but also create a welcoming and safe environment for everyone.

Mel's extraordinary work ethic, kindness, and leadership not only make him a pillar of our community but also a true hero in our eyes. His award is a well-deserved recognition of his relentless efforts and the positive impact he has on our school every day.

"BMHS head custodian, Mel Martin, being recognized as OASBO Support Person of the Year is a testament to his dedication and hard work," said Dr. Mark Smithberger, Berea-Midpark High School Principal. "Our school is blessed to have such an incredibly deserving leader. He truly exemplifies the spirit of this recognition."

Congratulations to Mel on receiving this remarkable achievement and for his ongoing commitment to the Titans community!

Polaris Career Center celebrated its outstanding students from Berea-Midpark High School during the Third Annual Outstanding Senior Recognition Dinner. Among them, Owen Dettmer, a student from the Engineering program, was named one of the Outstanding Senior Students of the Year.

Owen Dettmer has excelled in his four years in the Polaris Engineering program at Berea-Midpark High School, achieving a 4.5 GPA. He is a member of the National Honor Society and the National Technical Honor Society, and was honored as the outstanding senior program student in Engineering. Owen was involved in a variety of activities including football, swimming, track, and leadership roles such as LINK leader and commissioner. He also founded The Prototyping & Engineering Design Club. His post-graduation plans include attending the University of Cincinnati to pursue a degree in mechanical engineering with an integrated MBA. Owen's career ambition is to run his own engineering firm.

In addition to Owen, several other Berea-Midpark High School students were recognized as outstanding students in their respective career-technical programs, each receiving a $100 scholarship from the Polaris Educational Foundation:

• Michael Suhm - Automotive Technology
• Kaley McCartin - Baking & Pastry Arts
• Nathaniel Withrow - Community Work Experience
• Jazmyne Shaffer - Cosmetology
• Dylan Kuharik - Criminal Justice
• Michael Baker - Deli & Food Production
• Amelie Mockbee - Biomedical
• Jayden Bowers - Broadcasting & Video Production
• Owen Dettmer - Engineering
• Madilyn Timko - Marketing & Entrepreneurship

These students have demonstrated exceptional academic achievement, citizenship, service, and participation in extracurricular activities. Their dedication and hard work have earned them this distinguished recognition at Polaris Career Center.

Eleven skilled Berea City School District bus drivers, along with our Routing Coordinator and Transportation Supervisor, participated in the State of Ohio North Region School Bus ROAD-E-O last month. The theme this year, "Striking the Band," highlighted their commitment to safety and excellence. Four drivers competed, while the others served as judges, exemplifying the teamwork and passion that underscore their dedication to safely transporting students. Great job!

As part of our ongoing commitment to improving district communication, we are reaching out to gather valuable insights from our Titans community.

We kindly request a few minutes of your time to complete our survey. Your feedback is crucial in helping us understand your needs, experiences, and suggestions for improvement. Thank you for your continued support and engagement.

Please contact the city of the program you are interested in with any questions.

Berea

Session 1: June 10-14 – 9:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

Session 2: June 10-14 – 12:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Registration must be done in person at the Berea Recreation Center.

Brook Park

Session 1: August 5-9 – 8:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

Session 2: August 12-16 – 8:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

Register online

Middleburg Heights

Session 1: June 10-21 – 11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Session 2: June 10-21 – 5:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.

Register online

Summer Camp 2024 is being held at Big Creek Elementary! We are having 8 weeks of programming, starting June 10, 2024-August 1, 2024. We are offering both 4 days/week of summer camp (Monday-Thursday) and a 3 days/week option. We will not be offering programming on Fridays. Our traditional summer camp is from 9:00 a.m. -4:00 p.m. We are also offering before and after camp care. Please note that there will not be any summer programming on 6/19/2024 or 7/4/2024.

Visit our website for more information: https://www.berea.k12.oh.us/Page/5463

The Portrait of a Titan is a collective vision that articulates aspirations for ALL of our students. The Portrait identifies six key competencies that every student in the Berea City School District should possess by the time they graduate. These competencies are nurtured at every grade level. They are adaptable, communicator, critical thinker, empathetic, innovative, and leader. Our educators are inspiring students to cultivate these essential skills.

We want our Titans to be agile in their thoughts and actions. Our Titans demonstrate remarkable perseverance and agility during their transitional years between elementary, middle, and high school. By providing opportunities to experience our schools and utilizing a Transition Day, we are setting our students up for success as they move to new buildings. In classrooms and through extracurricular activities, our students increasingly take on challenging roles, show resilience in the face of setbacks, and adapt quickly to new situations. Recently, BMHS hosted a transition day for our rising 9th graders. This day brought all of our 8th graders to the high school where they engaged with staff and took part in a scavenger hunt in order to familiarize them with BMHS.

Big Creek Elementary School's recently held science fair directly contributes to developing the Portrait of a Titan competency of being a critical thinker by challenging students to engage with real-world problems and think deeply about their work and its broader implications. Their projects were based on being an expert in something that interests them, conducting a demonstration of a scientific principle, or conducting a controlled study to answer a questions. Their projects were presented and evaluated by judges. This event not only showcased the students' innovative approaches but also reinforced their roles as critical thinkers.

All Seniors and students in grades 4 and 8 will turn their Chromebooks in at the end of the school year. Please follow your principal's instructions on where to leave them.

Summer Chromebook Care

• Berea City Schools to make grading more ‘equitable and fair’
• Polaris students seek to repeat ‘Just Drive’ distracted driving contest win
  

• Amid growth, Cleveland Browns lead charge to see flag football become state-sanctioned sport in Ohio

• Browns CB Greg Newsome II, LB Tony Fields II visit Berea-Midpark girls' flag football team
  

• BW Alumna Turns Challenges into Teaching Success

BCSD uses Peachjar, an electronic flyer posting and distribution system to distribute school flyers and approved flyers from community groups and organizations that sponsor activities of an educational/enrichment nature for students and staff >> view current flyers

The Berea Board of Education holds regular community conversations to give the public access to board members outside of the formal public participation setting of a meeting. Residents will have the opportunity to meet and discuss any concerns they may have with two board members during a 30 minute time-slot set aside prior to each regular scheduled Board of Education meeting. The goal of this effort is to more effectively connect with the public and learn more about the community.

Additional district financial information such as our annual financial reports, forecasts, budget documents, etc., can be found on the district website under the Treasurer's Department page or by using the QR code.