Medina City Schools Minute
March 13, 2024
DID YOU KNOW?
Election Day is right around the corner on Tuesday, March 19. Early voting has started at the Medina County Board of Elections.
Kids First Medina is hosting a rally on the Square Friday, March 15 from 5:30-7:00. Please feel free to stop by or even honk on your way through the Square this Friday.
If you have any questions about the upcoming levy issue, please complete this form. For more information, visit www.medinabees.org or scan the QR code in the graphic in the top left.
On Wednesday, February 21, the Medina City Schools held its first-ever Portrait to Practice Expo at Medina High School. The event showcased over 60 innovative student projects from all grade levels throughout the District, providing insight into the great things happening in classrooms.
The event was a collaboration between the District’s curriculum department and the Medina High School Principal’s Student Advisory Council. Elisa Tedona, Principal of Medina High School, stated, “This collaboration allowed the students to be a part of the planning of this event, having a voice and choice on how the evening would be structured.”
The Expo was an opportunity for students to present their learning and engage with community members in attendance. Tina Cassidy, Director of Instruction, commented, “We were excited to provide a platform for our students to demonstrate their skills and knowledge in a hands-on and engaging way. This was an opportunity for us to celebrate our students' achievements and show the community the kind of learning that is taking place in our classrooms.”
The event included an exhibit from the Career Exploration Opportunities internship course, Senior Capstone, Project Lead the Way, a collaboration between the Medina County Career Center and Medina City Schools, and Turtle Therapy with the high school prevention coordinator, Ron Blue, to name a few. The expo also offered “Breakfast for Dinner” with pancakes and sausage cooked by the students in the Consumer Science class at Medina High School. Additionally, there was student entertainment from the music departments and time in the Makerspace.
“This event was a great success and showcased the incredible talent and hard work of our students and staff,” said Cassidy. “We look forward to continuing to provide opportunities for our students to demonstrate their learning.”
Sign up now for the Virtual Lunch with the Superintendent series. The next meeting is scheduled for Friday, April 5 from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM. Mine Pazitka, Director of Pupil Services and Ryan O'Cull, Director of Business Affairs, will discuss plans for Helping Hands Preschool. To be one of the first 25 to register, click on the link below. Don't forget to bring your lunch.
Medina City Schools Foundation is once again hosting its Winter Raffle with over $8,000 in prizes. There is still time to purchase raffle tickets for a chance to win. See the flyer for the prize list. To purchase ticket(s) scan the QR Code on the flyer or go to
www.medinacityschoolsfoundation.org.
The drawing will be held on March 21 at 7 PM on Facebook Live. Winners will be notified by email or phone.
Medina City Schools will be closed on Monday, April 8 for students and staff PK-12 for the Solar Eclipse event. The City of Medina is in the path of totality which will bring thousands of additional visitors. For activities and best places to view the eclipse, visit www.medinaoh.org.
Janeen Liston, first-grade teacher at Blake Elementary was presented with the Going the Extra Mile Award on Tuesday, March 12. This award recognizes staff members for their exemplary work ethic, being a great role model, going the "extra mile" serving on committees, assisting others, improving the culture within their building/department, spreading kindness, doing good deeds, and demonstrating pride and enthusiasm in the workplace. These awards are sponsored by the Medina City Schools Foundation.
Medina City Schools, in proud collaboration with Main Street Medina, Medina County Art League, and Huntington Bank, is thrilled to announce its annual Medina County Student Art Show. “Main Street Medina is excited to be a part of the 6th Annual Student Art Show and so proud of the amazing talent of local students. We’re also pleased that so many local businesses support the Arts in our schools and will proudly display this year’s entries,” said George Sam, Main Street Medina Executive Director.
This special event, celebrating Youth Art Month, will commence on Friday, March 1, and run through Friday, March 31, showcasing the artistic talents of students from Medina City Schools, Wadsworth High School, and Highland High School. In a unique integration of community and education, the art show will feature diverse student artworks displayed in several local businesses in and around Medina’s Historic Square. This event not only highlights the creativity of our youth but also strengthens the bond between the schools and the community.
Participating Businesses
The exhibition locations include All Fired Up!, Cool Beans Cafe’, Critchfield, Critchfield, & Johnston, Cups Cafe’, Do It Again, Habitat for Humanity of Medina County, Huntington Bank, Medina Centre for Dance Art, Miss Molly’s Tea Room, Nibble, Northeast Ohio Eye Surgeons, Ohio Valley Pizza, PJ Marley’s, Root Candles, Sully’s Irish Pub, Sweets & Geeks, Swine BBQ, The Farmer’s Table, The Foundry Social, The Raspberry & The Rose, The UpTown Shoppe, and Wichert Insurance. The artwork will be on display during their regular business hours, offering a unique opportunity for the community to engage with and appreciate the talents of local students.
An Invitation to the Community
We cordially invite the entire Medina community and visitors from surrounding areas to join us in celebrating the students' creativity and artistic achievements. This month-long event is a testament to the importance of art in education and its role in our youth's personal and academic development.
The Medina County Student Art Show is not just an exhibition but a celebration of the potential and talent of the students. It is an opportunity for the community to support youth art, showcasing the importance of fostering creativity and expression from a young age. “The Medina County Art League is proud to be a sponsor of this year's Medina County Student Art Show. We recognize the exceptional talent of the students in Medina County and hope that the visual arts will always be an important part of their lives,” said President Linda Long. To view the full program, click here or on the image to the right.
About Youth Art Month
Youth Art Month is a national celebration held every March to emphasize the value of art education for all children and to encourage support for quality school art programs. It provides a platform for acknowledging skills that are not possible to develop in other subjects.
For more information about the Medina County Student Art Show, visit www.medinabees.org.
It's time to think about registering for summer athletic camps. Information for registration is on Flyer Central. To view all of the currently available registrations, click here or on the Flyer Central image.
On January 24th, and February 29th Broadway Creek Senior Living residents visited Medina High School for the Senior Citizen Seminar. Organized by teachers Katie Shaffer and Vic Kaplack, each month seniors visit Medina High School to meet with students who showcase the learning they are doing in their classrooms. Visitors learned how to make a Spanish fortune teller, practice printmaking and painting with watercolor pencils, and how to edit photos. Thank you to all the students who participated; Addyson Meyers, CJ Jordan, Blair Crandall, Hannah Faulkner, Marissa Nugent, Kaitlin Frimel, Serene Rocha, Charlotte Hobbes, Katelyn Scheiber, Triton Rupert, Madilyn Niehaus, Beckett Vogrin, Addy Shook, Meagan Beidelschies, and Becca Ambrosetti. The next visit will be in April.
Join the Medina High School Choir Alumni Celebration, Showtime Legacy, on Saturday, May 4. Legacy is a celebration of 55 years of Showtime, and a chance for alumni to sing, share and reconnect with friends and former directors at Medina High School. Click on the image for details and registration information.
The Medina High School Drama Club has been busy again this year. In November, the group performed The Play That Goes Wrong, the West-End hit about a community theater murder mystery production where everything that can go wrong– and more– does including the almost-complete destruction of the set. The production had three large and appreciative audiences with many patrons commenting it was the most entertaining show they have seen at the high school.
In January, students performed their own selection of music-dance-comedy routines for two in-school performances and two evening shows of S.P.I.C.E. This included the teacher band, Paper Jam, performing a trio of songs: Jack Black’s Peaches, Journey’s Don’t Stop Believin’ and Taylor Swift’s Shake it Off. One of the highlights during both in-school performances of Don’t Stop Believin’ was nearly 500 students who started singing along with their phones light and waving them in the air.
February started off with the underclass play, The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon. Twenty-two 9th and 10th graders performed a madcap contemporary and audience-interactive take on all (or at least many) of the 209 Brothers Grimm Tales. Princes, princesses, witches, talking fish and crab people adorned the stage entertaining the great audiences who truly enjoyed the all-ages show. February also included field trips to the Allen Theater in Downtown Cleveland to see the professional version of The Play That Goes Wrong as well as Murder on the Orient Express at the Hanna Theater.
Throughout the year, Drama Club members have had the opportunity to attend Master Classes in acting, dance, voice and technical production at Playhouse Square through the Dazzles, the National High School Musical Theater Awards Program. These classes are led by professional actors, often those in the national tour of the production currently at Playhouse Square at the time of the workshop.
April 12, 13, 14, 19,and 20 is the final production of the year on the Performing Arts Center's Main Stage-the spring musical, The Prom. This award-winning, Broadway hit has the heart and humor of a Golden Age musical comedy with an inclusive message about love, understanding and acceptance. The show was cast in December with rehearsals beginning January 4th. The cast of 33 has been working hard to make this show amazing. Their energy, excitement and passion for this show is on display at every rehearsal. Including cast, orchestra and crew, over 60 students will be involved in this production. Tickets will be available on the PAC website starting March 15. Adults are $15 and students/seniors $10. Rated PG 13.
Cast
Graham Dennis (Barry) Anna Vilimonovic (DeeDee) Trynter Stiles (Trent) Jodi Rabung (Angie), Livy Douglas (Emma), Ella Barberic (Alyssa), Gracie Ruppelli (Mrs. Greene), Owen Newman (Hawkins), Josh Nass (Sheldon), Raven Kline (Olivia Keating), Connor Donnelly (Nick), Evan Schofield (Kevin), Abby Alvarez (Shelby), Maya Becker (Kaylee)
Ensemble/Non-Equity Cast of Godspell: Mason Cooper (dance captain) Casey Smerglia,
Mitch Rittmaier, Reese Goldmeier (dance captain, L Kearns, Elizabeth Warfel, Hal Bilek,
Max Robbins, Katie Patterson, Shelby Liberty, Emmy Mousourakis, Rebecca Herman,
Eve Lindon, Paige Kupec, Matthew Hetsler, Lainey Miller, Kyra Nemec, Amelia Hicks, Georgita Burtnett
