Teacher and Staff Member of the Year Announced
Chagrin Falls Exempted Village Schools announced its Teacher of the Year and Staff Employee of the Year during its opening staff meeting Aug. 14. This year’s outstanding teacher is Gurney Elementary’s Stephanie Malley. The outstanding staff member for 2015 is Cindy Matejcik.
Teachers and staff were invited to nominate candidates for the awards at the end of the last school year. A committee of district and community leaders, including the Parent Teacher Organization, reviewed the nominations and selected the honorees.
Teacher Stephanie Malley is respected, admired and trusted by her colleagues.
“Other teachers describe her as flexible, willing to try any and all interventions to see a student succeed,” said Gurney Elementary Principal Rachel Jones. “She knows which of her students needs a friend and works just as hard on making sure that happens as she does to make sure that student can solve multi-step math problems.”
For 14 years, Malley has participated in everything the district has to offer: learning how to use digital cameras; participating in strategic planning, summer language arts academics and book studies; becoming a master teacher; mentoring new teachers; being a grade level chairperson, writing curriculum; and attending conferences and workshops outside the district.
“Stephanie initiated the Responsive Classroom concept in our building and this has shaped the culture of our school for more than a decade,” said Jones.
Just last year, all the furniture in her classroom was replaced by kinesthetic furniture, so her students were pedaling, kneeling, twisting or pogo bouncing in their seats. The data that she collected from students using this new furniture was priceless and led to furniture being installed in three grade levels with hopefully more to follow.
As one parent praised, “Stephanie develops individual relationships with each student and their family.”
Another parent nomination read, “She is an example of a high quality teacher in the Chagrin Falls Schools. My admiration for her overflows.”
Cindy Matejcik, educational aide, has been working in the Chagrin Falls Schools for 14 years, serving students at Gurney Elementary, the intermediate school and middle school.
“All who know her agree that you will not find a more compassionate, patient or dedicated person working with our children,” said Chagrin Falls Intermediate School Principal Sarah Read. “What impresses me the most is her ability to connect with each student on a personal level. I can’t put into words the wisdom she has with children. She has the integrity and knowledge to help special students, especially those with the severest of needs.”
Matejcik’s patience and compassion is a testament to her character, courage and inner strength. Students were quoted as saying, “She’s cool, funny and approachable” and “I love how she likes to joke around. But she is also kind and understanding.”
Whether in the classroom, in the cafeteria or on the playground, Matejcik’s rapport with students is genuine, warm and heartfelt.
Taiwanese Students Visit CHS
Students at Chagrin Falls High School had the opportunity to meet and learn from a group of Taiwanese students when they visited the high school’s Chinese classes on Aug. 21. The Taiwanese team of students came prepared to teach their American counterparts some lessons on Mandarin, Chinese songs and an aboriginal dance. They also shared stories about their lives, family and Chinese culture.
“This was a great opportunity for my students to meet and learn from the Taiwanese students through the various cultural activities,” said high school Chinese teacher Yan Guo.
This opportunity was made possible thanks to the high school youth director at Fellowship Bible Church, Marty Dummermuth. Over the last five years, he has taken American students to Taiwan to teach them about the American culture and the English language.
“It is so important for our students to develop a heart for people all over the world,” said Dummermuth. “It was great to see relationships built across cultural boundaries and language barriers.”
Students Selected for State Chorus
Nine Chagrin Falls Intermediate School students will represent the district in the 2016 OMEA All-State Children’s Chorus to be held in Cincinnati on Jan. 28, 2016. The performance will be presented at the Ohio Music Education Association Professional Development Conference.
Last spring, K-3 music teacher Nathan Bachofsky coached the fourth-graders and Mrs. Pat Haynish coached the fifth-graders through what was a rigorous audition process that involved learning and recording two pieces of music. The recordings were then mailed to a review committee who chose the following students to take part in this special experience: fourth-graders Jillian Bunker, Elena Goodwin, Kate Quinn, Alexandra Scharpf and James Wilkinson; and fifth-graders Nathan Hill, Ryan Hill, Sophia Lewis and Logan Zelch.
Regional rehearsals will take place in Chagrin Falls. Then, the students will spend the entire day in Cincinnati on Jan. 28 working with Dr. Rollo Dillworth, a world-renowned children’s choral conductor and composer. A concert for families and music teachers attending the conference will be presented that evening.