Integumentary (referring to something that covers or encloses, especially an enveloping layer of an organism) was the winning word in the 22nd Annual Reaching Heights Adult Community Spelling Bee, held April 17, 2013, at Cleveland Heights High School. The Barratrous Orthographers, a team representing the law firm of Squire Sanders with spellers Bonnie Bealer, Becky [...]
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CH-UH Special Ed. Resource Fair – April 13th 8:30-1p
The Cleveland Heights-University Heights School district in coordination with Reaching Heights’ parent initiative The Exceptional Children’s Advocacy Group (ECAG), is looking forward to the first annual Resource Fair for families of students with disabilities and learning differences. The fair will be held this Saturday, April 13, 2013 8a-1p in the Heights High Social Room. Parents are invited [...]
Special Report Highlights Charter School Screening Strategies
A Reuters special report examines techniques used by charter schools across the country to determine who will be admitted. Charters are public schools, funded by taxpayers and widely promoted as open to all. But Reuters has found that across the United States, charters aggressively screen student applicants, assessing their academic records, parental support, disciplinary history, [...]
First Graders at Fairfax are Active Learners
Life is packed if you are a first grader learning English Language Arts (ELA) from teacher Debbie VanNostran’s at Fairfax Elementary School, and in ways that probably differ from most of our memories of elementary school. During an action-filled 90 minutes of reading, writing, and word play, each of her 22 students was busy learning. [...]
Bringing the Garden to the Classroom – and the Stage – at Gearity
By Krista Hawthorne Learning is fun and multi-dimensional for the fourth graders in Mr. Joe Mendes’s class at Gearity Professional Development School who recently enjoyed reading “Seedfolks,” by Paul Fleischman. Set in Cleveland, it’s the story of a small urban community that turns a vacant lot into a community garden and that project’s powerful benefits. [...]
Enjoy the Finale Concert from the 2012 Heights Summer Music Camp
Video of the 8th Annual Heights Summer Music Camp finale concert is now available on the Reaching Heights YouTube channel. Reaching Heights partnered with the CH-UH school district to offer young musicians a chance to discover their own capacity to learn and grow, to strengthen their commitment to music, and to enjoy music and the [...]
Reaching Heights Grant Supports Heights High Filmmakers
In May, Cleveland Heights High School hosted a crew of film professionals led by Director, Karyn Kusama, who directed the Hollywood movies Jennifer’s Body and Girlfight. Kusama’s crew arrived at Heights High to make the short film, Speechless, written by Cleveland School of the Arts senior Roxanne Lasker-Hall. Speechless was the winning script in New [...]
New Calculation of Graduation Rates on State Report Card Doesn’t Add Up
When you hear about high school graduation rates, what do you think they measure? The number of students in the 12th grade who finish their required courses plus the few brainiacs who graduate early, right? The U.S. Department of Education has redefined “graduation rate” on state Report Cards (starting with the 2011-12 school year) to [...]
Thank a teacher this week
School’s out next week, and before summer break begins, why not take a moment to thank a teacher who’s making a difference in your family’s life. The Reaching Heights Thank-A-Teacher program recognizes teachers and fosters an atmosphere of appreciation. Parents and community members can pay tribute to a Heights teacher by making a contribution to [...]
Congratulations to Phyllis’s Phriends, 2012 Bee Champs!
Congratulations to our 2012 Reaching Heights Adult Community Spelling Bee Champions, Phyllis’s Phriends, representing Noble and Oxford school PTAs, and honoring the memory of Phyllis Albert, a longtime and much loved teacher in the Cleveland Heights-University Heights schools. Complete Bee results are available here. Thanks to all who participated in what was [...]
2012 Summer Music Camp
