This Week

• Monday, 3/31 - Friday, 4/4 - Spring Break

Next Week

• Monday, 4/7 - Return to School
• Wednesday, 4/9 - Orchestra Field Trip
• Thursday, 4/10 - Cleveland Guardians Day (wear Guardians gear)
• Saturday, 4/12 - Daughters' Dance

Week After

• Monday, 4/14 - Spring Picture Day
• Monday, 4/14 - AIR Testing (4th Grade)
• Tuesday, 4/15 - AIR Testing (4th Grade)
• Wednesday, 4/16 - AIR Testing (5th Grade)
• Wednesday, 4/16 - PTA Meeting at 10:00 AM
• Thursday, 4/17 - AIR Testing (5th Grade)
• Friday, 4/18 - No School

I want to take a moment to celebrate the incredible work of our art teachers, Shannon Hoffmann and Julia Madal. The stunning pieces of student artwork displayed around the school are truly inspiring and bring so much joy as I walk through the hallways. The variety of styles and creativity remind me of projects I did in high school, not elementary school!

The art station up front was a huge hit, with kids rotating in and out, adding vibrant colors to the flowers and designs. It was heartwarming to see families getting involved, coloring the big mat out front—even though that wasn’t part of the plan!

A special thank you to Katie Woodring for turning up the volume on the music and energizing the gym! She gathered students and families for songs and dances from diverse cultures, and the kids danced hard all evening, needing cool-down breaks outside.

I also want to extend my gratitude to Lisa Supelak, Ginette Quien, Meredith Wise, and Emily Weir for their help in hanging the artwork on the walls. Your efforts made a significant difference in the presentation of the show! If we missed anybody, I sincerely apologize; please let me know, and I’d be happy to include you in a shout-out!

Additionally, I want to thank the PTA for their support in enhancing our stations and providing the Kona Ice Truck. It was a lovely gesture, enjoyed by families and kids, even though the machine “froze” halfway through the event—fitting, given the snow last night! We are grateful for your partnership in making the art show a terrific event.

I am thrilled to share that Career Day was a massive success at Kinsner Elementary! Our students had the wonderful opportunity to engage with an array of presenters who inspired them with their diverse careers.

Feedback from both teachers and parents has been overwhelmingly positive. Many noted how respectful and attentive the students were. One teacher shared, “My students were able to make connections to what they are learning in the classroom to skills they need to do jobs later in life. A parent highlighted, “This was super adorable and I love that Kinsner constantly creates events that will involve parents in making lasting memories with their children. Thank you! They are only little once!"

I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to all the presenters for their generous time and effort in showcasing their careers. Your ability to create age-appropriate activities and use developmentally appropriate language was remarkable. Our students, as well as the teachers, learned so much throughout this process! I have no doubt that you have inspired our kids to explore and learn more about your fields of work.

Kindergarten

• Christopher Bockelman - Architect
• Corie Mahoney - Medical Lab Tech
• Sarah Meyer - Mechanical Engineer
• Beth Zeleznikar - Pharmacist

1st Grade

• Laura Richardson - Customer Retention & Development
• Christina Peters - Primary Care Physician
• Jessica Thompson - Recruiter
• Elisha McClanahan-Rothman - Learning & Development Manager

2nd Grade

• Victor Marchetto - Manager of Cybersecurity
• Kalyani Veturi - Indian Classical Dance
• Christina Kloss - VP Finance
• Mary Martin - Attorney
• Gina Koch - Dance Studio Owner

3rd Grade

• Kristen Davis - CFO
• Mita Patel - Surgical Oncologist
• Chris Desh - Coast Guard
• Jason Lange - Robotics Integrator
• Michelle Stamatis - Top Golf

4th Grade

• Nick Arndt - Director of Ticketing MLB
• Rana Mancini - Co-Owner of Last Looks Films
• Nikki Kaldas - Nurse Anesthesiologist
• Amy Russo - Branch Manager / Director of Operations

5th Grade

• Jennifer Perez - Registered Nurse
• Mick Afaneh - Software Engineer
• Sara Marchetto - Director of Proposal Management
• Tom Holbert - VP of Human Resources
• Diana Martens - Cake Department Manager

This event was designed by our Operations Leadership Team and I wanted to thank all the members who helped bring it to life: Kim Weers, Cristy Reiley, Meredith Wise, Shannon Hoffmann, Julia Madal, Shelby Namsick, Leah Behymer, Missy Gurchensky and Amy Valentine! We look forward to continuing this tradition and making Career Day even better in the future. Thank you for your support and involvement in making this event a memorable experience for our students!

ELECTRIFY YOUR SYMPHONY - SATURDAY, APRIL 12

The Strongsville City Schools Orchestra Directors are excited to announce another amazing performance experience for our string orchestra program on Saturday, April 12. Electrify Your Symphony (EYS) is a music education phenomenon that FIRES UP students, teachers, and local communities by injecting a high voltage dose of energy and much-needed funding into a school’s music education program. This intensive experience boosts student self-esteem and motivation, increases school-wide, family and community engagement, and helps raise money for participating schools. Created by international recording artist, electric violinist, and music education advocate Mark Wood, EYS accomplishes this by having a team of teaching artists work with music students to put on real life, real world rock concert, with ticket sales directly benefiting the participating music departments. Tell your neighbors, family and friends about this awesome event being held in our Strongsville High School Auditorium on Saturday, April 12, with performances at 3:00pm & 7:00pm!

Click HERE to purchase tickets for the 3:00pm show (doors open at 2:30pm) featuring SMS 6th Grade Orchestra (2nd Period), SMS 7th Grade Orchestra, and SMS 8th Grade Orchestra

I am writing to express my sincere gratitude to all our presenters and students who made the Model Mustang Experience such a resounding success.

A special thank you to Steve Owens and Lori Yates for leading an incredible 3rd-grade unit on archaeology and ancient civilizations. The excavation experience was truly memorable, especially when I unearthed bones of a dead horse.

I would also like to commend Emily Gundert and Jennie Zacharyasz for their exceptional Makerspace Experience. It was delightful to see families engaging with our diverse resources, from the Bee Bots to the Indy Cars. The enthusiasm and curiosity, mixed with their front-row seat to the lovely music presented by Rene Roblee's band, was truly inspiring.

Mallory Miles and her 5th graders did a remarkable job conducting various experiments and effectively demonstrating Newton's first law. Their presentations showcased not only their understanding of the scientific method but also their passion for learning.

I want to give a special shoutout to our student presenters: Dina Awawda, Aleena Hanini, Landon Montemorano, David Petrosov, Zain Samaroo from Mrs. Yates' class, and Christopher Owens, Iniyal Madhan, and Ashik Patel from Mrs. Miles' class. Congratulations on your outstanding presentations at the Model Mustang Experience last night! Way to show your Kinsner Pride!

Thank you once again to everyone who attended and participated. The sense of community and support was palpable, and it was wonderful for our kids, families, and the overall community to witness the great initiatives taking place at Kinsner Elementary and within Strongsville City Schools.

Dear Parent/Guardian:

Strongsville City School students are invited to check out books from the Media Center every week. It is your child’s responsibility to take care of the books and make sure they are returned to the library on time. There are no fines for late returns, however, if a book is damaged or lost, there will be a fee for replacement.

They should remember not to write in books, to keep them safe from pets, and to keep them dry and protected. Leaky water bottles in backpacks have been the number one reason for water damage. Your help in reinforcing the proper care of library books at home is greatly appreciated.

Children are eager to look at books and listen to stories read to them. We hope that this will turn out to be a good experience for all and help our students become lifelong readers.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the Media Center. Thank you for your help and cooperation.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Lewis – Media Specialist

Next Kinsner PTA Meeting - Wednesday, April 16th at Kinsner - 10:00 AM

Watch for a flyer with details and volunteer opportunities to come home with your student after Spring Break!

Daughters' Dance - April 12th

Help is still needed, especially with set-up! Please sign up to volunteer here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E4DACAE28A6F9C61-54613735-kinsner?useFullSite=true#/

Last Chance to RSVP to attend is April 5th. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf5-81YyYf1vQPFy9S0mR9jtCva4wG0x7Z34mLD0bK6qhHGsQ/viewform

Attention ALL 5th Grade DARE Students:

With the school year ending soon, so will your DARE education classes; and, because of that, we want to celebrate YOUR grade level in style! Please join us for a DARE Graduation Celebration Dance

Party at Club 25!

The 5th Grade (ONLY) DARE Club Party will be held on Friday, May 2nd from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.

Club 25 is located in the upstairs of BAM Arena. This is NOT an ice skating party…this is a CLUB PARTY!!! 5th Graders …plan to eat, drink, dance, hangout, win some DARE prizes, and PARTY with your friends!

So…“Get Your Glow On”… And… LET’S PARTY!!!

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:
IN-PERSON 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.

Young at Heart. Tuesday, April 1st / 7:00 p.m.

A book club for adults who love Children's and Teen books. The title for our next discussion is The List of Things that Will Not Change by Rebecca Stead. No registration. Everyone Welcome!

Kindergarten Countdown: Community. For those entering Kindergarten in the Fall with a Caregiver. Friday, April 4th / 11:00 a.m. - Noon.

Join us as we help your child build kindergarten readiness skills in a program aligned to Ohio’s Early Childhood Standards. This session, we will focus on Community.

Teen Knit & Crochet Club. Teens Grades 6 - 12. Monday, April 7th / 6:30 - 7:30 p.m.

Do you like to craft? Do you know how to knit, crochet, or hand sew? Bring your own project and come hang out with other teens who also love to make things! NO REGISTRATION REQUIRED!

Southwest General Health Talk: Prevent Falls & Improve Balance. Tuesday, April 8th / 1:00 p.m.
Feeling off balance or having vertigo? Don’t let your fear of falling keep you at home. Eran Shiloh, PT, Balance Therapist from Southwest General Physical Therapy will discuss fall risks, balance disorders and ways to make your home environment safer. Interested participants can register for a screening to see if they are at risk for falls and if a therapy program could help.

Shucked: A New Musical - Small Town Music in a Big City Medium. Thursday, April 10th / 7:00 p.m.
Join us for a presentation by music historian, Stephanie Ruozzo, where we learn about the score behind this "corny" new musical and its departure from a traditional Broadway show.

Technology Training Class:

Excel: Tables & Charts. Friday, April 11th / 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

The Library offers FREE computer classes that cover digital literacy basics, Windows, Microsoft Office programs, digital imaging and cloud computing. Learn the benefits of formatting a range of data as a table; how to summarize a large data set with a pivot table; and how to use charts to visually represent data.

Toddler Sensory Art Play. Ages 1 - 3 with a Caregiver. Friday, April 11th / 10:00 - 11:00 a.m.

Engage your little one’s senses, develop skills, and build brain connections though open-ended art using a variety of tactile materials.

Audio & Video Studio Orientation. Ages 11 & up. Monday, April 14th / 7:00 p.m. IN PERSON

Have you ever thought about recording your own music, making a video, digitizing memories and more? The Strongsville Branch Library is home to both Audio and Video Recording studios that can help you do just that! You must go through an orientation to use the spaces. Patrons 11 & up can participate in the orientation and must turn in the User Agreement form at the branch for the orientation to count. Register online to attend the virtual session.

Teen Craft Night. Grades 6 - 12. Tuesday, April 15th / 6:30 -8:00 p.m.

Come in and learn about watercolors! We will practice some techniques and then look for inspiration to create our own watercolor masterpieces! In order to participate in youth programs that could be considered harmful, Cuyahoga County Public Library requires parents to complete a Release & Hold Harmless Form. The Release & Hold Harmless Form must be completed and returned one week prior to the start of the program.

Digital Navigator Appointments. Wednesday, April 16th / 10:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. OR Wednesday, April 23rd / 10:30 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Call us at 216.749.9420 to make an appointment with one of our Digital Navigators at a CCPL branch.
Cuyahoga County Public Library’s Digital Navigators service offers one-on-one assistance to help you –
or someone you know – connect to the internet, get a device, set up a telehealth appointment and more.

Blow off some S.T.E.A.M. After School. Grades 1 - 4. Wednesday, April 16th / 4:30 – 5:30 p.m.

Ignite your curiosity and creativity through this exploration of all things STEAM. Discover the elements of Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math through hands on activities and exploration. Boost your problem solving and teamwork skills in this program.

Wednesday Evening Book Discussion. Wednesday, April 16th / 7:00 p.m.

Our Wednesday Evening Book Discussion meets at 7p.m. on the 3rd Wednesday of each month. We welcome all adults interested in reading and discussing great books! Our next discussion title will be The Wedding People by Alison Espach. Copies of the book will be available for check-out at the circulation desk of the Strongsville Branch Library.

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.

...

Attention current 5th grade families! Save the date for 6th Grade Camp - September 12-14th, 2025. There will be an Information Session for families on April 8, 2025 at 6pm in the SMS Auditorium.

Sign up using this link HERE.