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North Royalton High School

Bear Facts Update

The Bear Facts Update newsletter is a service project of the NRHS PTA. Information was

contributed by administration, staff members, PTA members and students. As with any

publication, there is always the possibility of typographical errors and unintentional deletions.

Calendar of Events Sat., 9/21 - ACT Exam, 7:30 am; NR Band Festival,4 pm, Serpentini Stadium

Thurs., 9/26 -Homecoming Court Elections During Lunch Periods.

Sat., 9/28 -Revere Band Contest

Mon., 9/30 –Fri.,10/4 Spirit Week, Mon-Childhood Character Day(Disney, Super Hero, Cartoons) Tues.-Tropical Day (No Bathing Suits) Wed -PJ Day Thurs-Throwback Day, 70’s, 80’s, 90’s. Fri-Class Color Day Fri., 10/4 -Photo Re-Take Day, Class Color Day, Assembly 10th Period, Homecoming Game vs, Twinsburg, NREF Spaghetti Dinner @ MS, 4-7 pm

Sat., 10/5-Homecoming Dance, 8-11pm, Nordonia Band Contest

Mon., 10/7-NHS Induction, 7 pm, PAC

Tues., 10/8-PTA Meeting, 9:30 am, CR District Early Release, 1:20 pm

Wed., 10/9—CVCC College Night @CVCC, 6pm

Fri., 10/11-Band Senior Night

Sat., 10/12-Band @ Perkins HS

Mon., 10/14-School Board Mtg., 7pm, CR

Tues., 10/15- NRHS Choir Concert, 7pm, PAC Thurs., 10/17-Senior Exit Interview Day Fri., 10/18-No School-NEOEA Day

September 2013

Principal’s Report Parents, North Royalton High School had a great first few weeks of school. We

have several new staff members that are currently working with your

students. They are Michelle Toth, Counseling; Anita Boumitri, Foreign

Language; Amy Vance, Special Education; Nick Lapsevich, Physical

Education; Randy Suchy, CBI; Jennifer McFadden, Math; Jennifer Kunes,

Science; Kristen Cicak, Social Studies; and Jill Larson, CVCC

Representative.

We are proud to announce that Advance Placement (AP) Psychology is

new for this school year. Mr. Jamie Leonard is teaching two full

classes, and we expect the interest in this new course to grow. In

addition, NRHS is working on having AP courses in Spanish, French, and

Calculus BC. I will keep everyone informed as we move forward with

these courses.

As some of you are aware, NRHS won the first Principal’s Cup, which is

a new “week-long” athletic competition with Brecksville-Broadview

Heights High School (BBHHS). Our fall sports teams competed against

BBHHS and with each team win each school earned specific points. The

competition came down to the last day of competition with our

volleyball teams, girls varsity soccer, and boys varsity soccer winning

their games to secure our overall victory. This was a great idea that

came from our athletic department, and I would like to thank our

athletic director, Bo Kuntz, for a job well done.

Parents, this is just a reminder that the speed limit on all school

properties is five miles per hour. We have had a number of accidents

and we would like to remind everyone to be attentive in the parking

lot.

Last, as Election Day approaches, our school district has a bond issue on the

November ballot to renovate and add-on to our existing school buildings. I

urge all parents to make sure to exercise the privilege to vote.

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Message from the Principal - continued We have had a number of accidents and we would like to remind everyone to be attentive in the parking lot. Make

sure there are safe following distances. If your student makes contact with another vehicle, he/she will need to stop,

exchange information with the person, and notify the main office. North Royalton Police will be conducting

enforcement efforts to help raise awareness of traffic safety. Thank you for your cooperation.

Last, as Election Day approaches, our school district has a bond issue on the November ballot to renovate and add-on

to our existing school buildings. I urge all parents to make sure to exercise the privilege to vote.

I hope to see many of you at our many fall events.

Best wishes,

Mic Becerra

Message from the PTA President

Welcome back to another school year! A special welcome to all the new 9th grade parents and new parents to the district. It’s hard to believe it’s almost October, and we are well into the school year! A great way to get involved with our school is through PTA. Our mission is to promote the welfare of our kids, and to develop between educators and the public such a united effort that secures for all children the highest advantages in their education. In order to do this, we need everyone’s help! The PTA has already been very busy this year completing the audit of the PTA books over the summer, stuffing 1600 packets over the summer, working on getting crafters for the Craft Fair, assisting at photo/form day, and organizing the Welcome Back Luncheon for the teachers. Thank you everyone for all of your hard work and dedication! All chair positions for PTA have been filled. The volunteer list is being compiled, and you should be getting calls throughout the year for your help. One of my personal goals this year is to ask everyone, including myself, to do “ONE MORE THING.” If you typically bake for a function at the high school, bake for two functions. If you like to help on a committee, help on two committees. If you’re never helped before, offer to help this year. EVERYONE is welcome at PTA. We can never have too many people volunteering! If we all do a little bit more this year, we will undoubtedly support our school even more, helping to make it the best it can be. Our next PTA meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, October 8th at 9:30 a.m. in the High School Community Room. I hope to see as many of you as possible there. In the meantime, if you have any questions or concerns, please call or email me. Tricia Stanton, PTA President 440-539-0532 t.stanton@roadrunner.com

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Activities Report

PSAT registration deadline is September 20th and the test date is October 19th. Cost is $20 and sent to the NRHS Office. ACT registration deadline is September 27th and the test date is October 26th. Register online at www.actstudent.org. Senior exit interview day is October 17th and all seniors will have appointments. Sophomores will take the Plan test that day, while juniors and sophomores can take the ASVAB test for the military and/or can go on a college visit or explore a career.

Did You Know …

~North Royalton Schools rated EXCELLENT for 12 straight years! Congratulations to everyone for this achievement.

~The North Royalton High School PTA is excited to announce that CRAFTER REGISTRATION for the 2013 CRAFT SHOW is NOW OPEN! The Craft Show will be held on Saturday, November 23rd, 2013. Last year's event showcased over 100 different crafters and opened its doors to 2000 shoppers. Please join us for another great show this year! If you have any questions, please contact Julie Novak at NorthRoyaltonCraftShow2013@aol.com or 440-627-6064.

~Wednesday, September 18th the district will be on an early release schedule. The High School will start at normal time and will release students one hour earlier than normal. Students will have access to bus transportation at the 1:23 release time.

1st Fill The Goal Food Drive

Wednesday, September 18th 2013, 5:00 PM-9:00 PM

@ Serpentini Stadium

Supporting the North Royalton Food Bank

Bring a bag of non-perishable food items to the soccer game and get FREE ADMISSION!

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North Royalton High School PTA General Meeting The general meeting of the North Royalton High School PTA took place on Tuesday, September 10, 2013, in the Community Room. Tricia Stanton called the meeting to order at 9:30 A.M. The Pledge of Allegiance was said. Tricia welcomed everyone back to another school year and to PTA; especially to the new 9

th grade parents. Tricia

introduced herself as this year’s PTA President. She is married with two children. She is excited about this new school year and looks forward to working with everyone. Next, Tricia introduced guest speakers, Greg Gurka and James Presot, to speak about the upcoming Levy and what each of us can do to get involved. Guest Speakers Our Superintendent, Greg Gurka, explained the need for our support for the bond issue being placed on the November 5, 2013, ballot. The bond amount is $49.8 million. This is a cost of $7.12/month per $100,000 home valuation. The funds are for the following four areas: safety and security, science and band rooms, general upkeep, and moving kindergarten back to elementary schools. New bus garage and new locker room were removed from last year’s ballot following a community survey. A high percentage of the community feels their taxes dollars are being spent wisely. A video has been produced and reading materials are available to help educate the community. Secretary’s Report Dawn Mastellone stated that the minutes of the May meeting were reviewed at the Financial Review meeting and a few copies were on the table. There were no corrections. The minutes will stand as published. Corresponding Secretary’s Report Tricia passed around various thank you letters. Treasurer’s Report Shirley Berish reported a beginning balance of $6,893.65 and an ending balance of $8,349.31. Revenue is in from membership and expenditures out for Welcome Back Luncheon. There were no additions or corrections. The report was filed for audit. Tricia asked that everyone take a few moments to look over the new budget for this year before we vote on it later under New Business. Principal’s Report Mic Becerra said the school year started out with a fantastic Back to School Luncheon. He reported that AP Psych is up and running. His goal is 15 AP courses by 2015 and looks like we are on target for 13 courses. OTES new teacher evaluation is underway. 100 teachers need to be evaluated in the classroom. A new Principal’s Cup competition was held last week with Brecksville. All fall sports competed against each other all week and the Bears came out the winners! We have been invited to join a new Suburban League and a decision needs to be made later today to stay in the NOC or move to this new league in two years. Finally, Link Crew will be hosting a tailgate party this Friday before the home Football game. Food will be provided! Guidance Report Rachel Hoag reported the following breakdown in the Counselor’s office: Mrs. Rachel Hoag for students A-Di, Mrs. Kriste Smith for students Dj-J, Mrs. Michelle Toth for students K-M, Mr. Scott Spessard for students N-Sd, and Mrs. Monica Boduszek for students Se-Z. September 19th at 7:00 p.m. in the PAC is Applying to College Night and all senior’s parents are encouraged to attend. PSAT registration deadline is September 20

th and the test date is

October 19th

. Cost is $20. ACT registration deadline is September 27th

and the test date is October 26th

. Register online at www.actstudent.org. Senior exit interview day is October 17

th and all seniors will have appointments.

Sophomores will take the Plan test that day, while juniors and seniors can take the ASVAB test for the military and/or can go on a college visit or explore a career. In the Activities Office, student council elections for the freshman class are taking place on September 19th. On August 30, Form and Photo Day was held. Volley for a Cure is on September 26

th and Homecoming game will be on

October 4th

. Homecoming Dance is October 5th

and the theme this year is the movie UP! A blood drive is scheduled for October 22

nd.

Board Representative Heidi Dolezal announced pre-sale tickets are available for the annual NREF pasta dinner on October 4

th. The board

is busy working on the upcoming bond levy. President’s Report Tricia Stanton announced this is her second year as president at the high school. She is very excited to serve you all and work with you. She started off with her goals for this coming year and what she hopes to accomplish.

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Everything we do should be to promote the welfare of our kids and to develop between educators and the public such a united effort that secures for all children the highest advantages in physical, mental, social, and spiritual education. Based on that, her goals are fairly similar:

Make everyone feel welcome and know that as a PTA, the more the merrier! All of you are here, bring a

friend next time.

If everyone does “one more thing”, we will have improvement over last year. Whether it is running a

committee, being on a committee, baking, whatever it is – do one more thing.

Serve as a liaison with the school to maintain excellent communication between parents and the school.

The school district has made huge strides with this. The high school is very different from the middle

school. Constant Contact is also being used more regularly. Either way, the most important thing is that

everyone gets the proper information in a timely, consistent manner. Our newsletter will be published

through Constant Contact for all to review.

If you are in charge of a committee this year, please grab your folder. Everything you need should be in there except for tax exempt forms. Please pick one up at the front table. As far as the structure of our meetings, Tricia asked everyone to keep in mind that everyone has a right to be heard. Please make sure that when you are asking questions of the principal, it pertains to the group as a whole. If you have a personal question, please address him separately from the meetings so that we can keep the meetings flowing and succinct. Finally, a special thank you was given to everyone who helped with the financial review, stuffing packets in the summer, working on membership and volunteer lists, helping at photo/form day, planning the Welcome Back Luncheon, working in the Craft Fair, and much more! Sherry Matusek and her team put together a wonderful welcome back luncheon. It was a baseball theme. There are some Cracker Jacks at the front that you can enjoy! Without all of you, this PTA would not function and we would not be as good as we are. We touch so many lives and do such great things for our students. We all should be so proud. A reminder was given to please state your name when making a motion, so everyone gets to know each other and Dawn can get the right name reported. For new parents to the high school, look on the website at the announcements made each day – lots of information!!!

OFFICER’S REPORTS: 1

st Vice President – Newsletter

Beth Miller stated that reports for the newsletter should be sent to her at nrhsnewsletter@hotmail.com. Community information should also be provided. 2

nd Vice President –Craft Fair Contracts

Julie Novak reported that there are 80 confirmed spaces out of a maximum of 130 vendors. She asked for feedback regarding providing child care during the Craft Fair. The Craft Fair is on November 23

rd from 9:00 a.m. to

4:00 p.m. 3

rd Vice President – Craft Fair Set-Up

Becky Humes had no report. 4

th Vice President – Craft Fair Kitchen

Helena Johnson reported she was passing around volunteer sheets, so please sign up. COMMITTEE REPORTS: Cultural Arts Leslie Panfil reported that this year’s theme is Believe, Dream, and Inspire. There is a new category this year for special artists. Membership Helen Limberg reported 420 members as compared to 358 this time last year. There are currently 68 staff members who have joined. National Honor Society Tricia announced the Induction ceremony is scheduled for October 7

th.

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Talent Show Helen Limberg reported that the Talent Show will be held in April. Volunteer Coordinator Dejana Cinquepalmi reported that we have 169 volunteers. Committees will be receiving lists, so please contact these volunteers. Welcome Back Luncheon Tricia reported on the wonderful job Sherry Matusek and her team did in putting together the Welcome Back Luncheon for the staff. NEW BUSINESS: FINANCIAL REVIEW REPORT: The Financial Review Committee met and completed their financial of the Treasurer’s books and found them to be in good order. A motion was made by Sue Galuska and seconded by Frank Wojowicz to accept the financial review. The motion carried and the financial review will stand as published. SUPPORTING BOND ISSUE: A motion was made by Linda Rudy and seconded by Kathy Lineweaver to support the 2013 bond issue as a PTA unit. The motion carried for supporting the bond issue. BUDGET: The budget was presented for acceptance. A motion was made by Dejana Cinquepalmi and seconded by Maria Rowlett to accept the 2013 budget. The motion carried and the budget was accepted. ANNOUNCEMENTS: Tricia announced that important dates are on the back of the agenda. The next meeting will be held on Tuesday, October 8, 2013, in the Community Room. The meeting was adjourned at 11:02 a.m. These minutes respectfully submitted by: Dawn Mastellone Recording Secretary

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North Royalton High School PTA

MAKE THE MOVE THAT MAKES THE DIFFERENCE……. JOIN PTA!

In today’s economy, everyone is looking for a bargain! There is no greater bargain than to invest

in your child’s future by being a supporter of PTA! With your $6 membership fee (per adult

member), you become a part of not only your local PTA, but an integral part of a six-million

member network – the largest child advocacy network in the United States. When you join PTA,

you can be an active member by participating in meetings, becoming a Chairman of a

Committee, or getting involved in various ways throughout the year. You can also join PTA as a

silent member. We understand that with busy family schedules, not everyone is able to volunteer

their time. Please join us at a meeting! PTA Meeting Dates 2013-2014

9:30 a.m. in the High School Community Room

September 10 / October 8 / November 12

January 14 / February 11 / March 11 / April 8 / May 20 Please send your $6 membership fee (per adult member) made out to NRHS PTA, on

fee/form/photo day with your student or mail it to: NRHS PTA Membership Chairman, 14713

Ridge Road, North Royalton, OH 44133.

PLEASE PRINT CLEARLY. PLEASE ATTACH MONEY TO FORM OR PUT IN

ENVELOPE.

Member’s Name (s)

___________________________________________________________

(Please list each member’s name and include $6 dues for each member) Student’s Name(s) &

Grade(s)___________________________________________________

Address:

__________________________________________________________________

___

Please check one: City of : North Royalton________ or Broadview

Heights____________

Home Phone

#:________________________________________________________________

E-mail address:

_______________________________________________________________

_______Please place a check on the line if it is okay to send you an email

regarding NRHS PTA.

Please enclose a self-addressed stamped envelope with your dues to receive your

membership card.

Thank you for your support!

For PTA purposes: Cash ______ Check #________Amt. paid $:_______# of

Members