Guitar Mania Hits Storefronts
The Chagrin Falls Chamber of Commerce enthusiastically partnered with Gurney Elementary School to encourage local businesses to display the second trimester third-graders’ guitars from the Gurney Guitar Mania Unit. Like the Cleveland Guitar Mania project, the Gurney Guitars were on display during first two weeks of March in the windows of Chagrin Falls’ local and supportive businesses.
“The guitars have been displayed throughout the village,” said Gurney teacher JoAnn Mynchenberg. “The businesses were extremely happy to display them.”
“In addition to supporting our local business members, we are always honored to support the young minds in our local schools. So, when Mynchenberg called and asked for help on getting the guitars out in the village windows, I was more than happy to assist,” said Molly Gebler, executive director of the Chagrin Valley Chamber of Commerce. “I sent one email out to our members and that is all it took. We were all happy to share the artists’ work in the community.”
Super News Available Online
The February issue of the Chagrin Falls Exempted Village Schools’ online monthly magazine, Super News, is available to read at bit.ly/February2016_SuperNews.
The publication features a message from the superintendent, updates on the February Board of Education meetings, “Super Spotlights” of students and staff, as well as many stories and photos of happenings in the school buildings.
Transportation Department Switches to Cleaner Fuel
The Chagrin Falls Schools Transportation Department has entered into a one-year agreement with Eco Chem Alternative Fuels, LLC. The fuel is refined on-site making it cleaner to increase mileage, reduce maintenance and provide cleaner exhaust. The cost of the program is $0.185 per gallon. However, the district expects an overall savings of approximately $8,000 to $10,000 per year when accounting for the improvements and reduced cost of repair with fuel injectors, filters and pumps.
Eco Chem Alternative Fuels, LLC uses High Performance Clean Diesel (HPCD), a highly refined commercial fuel that has superior lubricating, stabilizing and cleansing properties that help protect critical engine components from the risk associated with poor quality, regular diesel fuel. Some other advantages of HPCD include less pollution, lower exhaust gas temperature, and buses start faster in the cold. There also is up to 35 percent more lubricity than regular diesel, is stable up to six times longer than standard diesel, reduces crankcase contamination, cleans, protects and extends life of vital equipment parts, and give vehicles up to 10 percent more miles per gallon.
“We believe this is a great switch for our district, because not only are we saving money, but we should see a significant reduction in exhaust contaminants which helps our employees, students and community,” said Christopher Woofter, director of operations and strategic initiatives for Chagrin Falls Schools.
Eighth-Grade Entrepreneurs
Chagrin Falls Middle School eighth-graders in Mr. Andy Spooner’s Entrepreneurship 101 class presented their solutions to a STEM related “pain point” during recess on March 3 and 4. The students were given a science, technology, engineering or mathematical (STEM) problem to solve. The problem not only related to STEM, but the problem had to be a pain point. Venture capitalists create opportunities for themselves by creating solutions to pain points, or problems that people struggle with, perceived or real.
The entrepreneurs in the making took much time to brainstorm what type of STEM problem exists in the world around them that they could fix. Once an idea was thought up, students researched possible competitors, proposed a revenue, discovered distribution channels and conducted demographic research.
Some of the ideas students came up with were a faster phone charger, a re-design of potato chip bags to keep them fresher and an app to notify students how long until the school bus will be at their house. Another idea was a sticker app that helps find objects – simply apply the sticker to a television remote and when one loses it, the app is able to locate it.
“The students really get into this assignment,” said Andy Spooner, Entrepreneurship 101 teacher. “It’s a rewarding experience for both the students and myself to see their idea come to life.”
Rotary Student of the Month
Tom Vandertill, a senior at Chagrin Falls High School, was chosen for his service and leadership qualities as the March Chagrin Valley Rotary Club Student of the Month. He is a Cum Laude Society inductee this year, was an AP Scholar with Distinction his junior year and has been on the Honor Roll his whole high school career. He was also a Scholastic Art Award Show nominee this year. He received an Honorable Mention All-Conference in football when he was a junior and First Team All-Conference in football this year.
Vandertill’s Honors and AP classes include: Honors English, Honors Algebra 2, Honors Pre-Calculus, AP Calculus AB, AP Calculus BC, AP Statistics, AP US History, AP US Government, Honors Chemistry, AP Physics 1, AP Chemistry, AP Computer Science and Honors Advanced Data Structures.
When Vandertill is not working hard in his classes, he is active in many extracurricular activities. He is a Life Act Walk Team Leader, a member of the Student Athletes Advisory Committee and was class president his freshman and sophomore year. He has also been on the football and basketball teams since he was a freshman. Outside of school, Tom is an employee of the Chagrin Valley Rec Center and a member of the Federated Church.
As for college, Vandertill is planning on studying engineering at The University of Michigan, The University of Virginia or Miami University.
Vandertill was recognized at a recent Chagrin Valley Rotary Club meeting.