Mustang Moments

Strongsville City Schools has earned a 5-star rating (Significantly Exceeds State Standards) on the State Report Card for the second straight year. What does the State Report Card measure and how does it impact daily classroom lessons and learning? Click HERE as we learn from both Mrs. Erin Green (Director of Elementary Education) and Mrs. Nicole Hackman (Director of Secondary Education) about the highlights and celebration of this 5-star rating.

Issue 53 will be on the November 5th ballot. Issue 53 replaces the previous 5.9 mill renewal levy for our District. Since Issue 53 is a 4.9 mill continuous levy, it will lower the tax rate for Strongsville residents, while still investing and offering more to students and families, as well as keeping the District financially stable through the 2028-29 school year.

Please consider giving 5 minutes of your time for our 5,000 plus students in Strongsville City Schools. HERE is a 5-minute message on behalf of the 5,700 learners that we are inspiring and empowering every day to build into our leaders of tomorrow.

Dr. Cameron Ryba, SCS Superintendent, hosted a virtual Community Conversation about Issue 53 this past week. This interactive Google Meet discussion also featured Richard Micko (SCS Board of Education President) and George Anagnostou (SCS Treasurer). If you missed the Community Conversation, you can watch it HERE.

This past week, an email went out to SCS families about Ohio Senate Bill 29 (SB29). In accordance with this new legislation, Strongsville City Schools will now be notifying parents and guardians within 72 hours when certain situations occur involving your child’s district account or device. These situations include what SB29 defines as “Triggering Circumstances” or when a district staff member accesses your child’s account or device. Click HERE for additional information about SB29 and SCS compliance with the Senate Bill.

Congratulations to SHS Junior Hannah Jicha, our Lady Mustangs Varsity Soccer Team, and our Varsity Football Team for competing in their respective state playoffs.

Hannah has qualified for the State Cross Country Meet, which will be held tomorrow (Sat. Nov. 2) in Obetz, Ohio. Hannah’s times have consistently ranked near the top for runners in the State of Ohio.

The Mustangs Varsity Football Team defeated Brunswick last week to earn a first round home playoff game for the first time in 16 years. TONIGHT (Fri. Nov. 1) the Mustangs host Cleveland Heights at 7:00pm on Serpentini Field at Pat Catan Stadium. Tickets can be purchased online at www.ohsaa.org/tickets. NO PASSES WILL BE ACCEPTED FOR PLAYOFF GAMES AND EVERYONE WILL NEED A TICKET. Tonight’s game is also the Spectrum Game of the Week, meaning there will be NO DISTRICT LIVE STREAM available for this game. Spectrum live stream information can be found HERE.

There are a number of different job openings for Strongsville City Schools. Interested applicants are encouraged to visit the Human Resources page at www.scsmustangs.org. Our District is also in need of school nurses. Please click the links below for additional information and to apply.

School Based LPN - Strongsville City Schools Health Clinic - Immediate Need

https://psi-solutions.isolvedhire.com/jobs/1336280-294367.html

School Based LPN - Muraski Elementary School Health Clinic

https://psi-solutions.isolvedhire.com/jobs/1336265-294367.html

School Based LPN - Strongsville Middle School Health Clinic

https://psi-solutions.isolvedhire.com/jobs/1335769-294367.html

School Based LPN - Strongsville Schools - District FLOAT

https://psi-solutions.isolvedhire.com/jobs/1335789-294367.html

LPN, WHITNEY Elementary School Clinic, Strongsville
https://jobs.willsubplus.com/jobs?districtIds=2073

Don’t miss this year’s SHS Fall Play - “You Can’t Take It With You” - on Friday, November 15 and Saturday, November 16 at 7:00pm in the SHS Auditorium. This play chronicles the eccentric Sycamore family, who thrive on creativity and joy, and the contrasting Kirby family who are wealthy and uptight. When Alice, the Sycamore daughter, falls in love with Tony Kirby, their worlds collide during a chaotic dinner party. As secrets and quirks unfold, the play explores themes of individuality, love, inclusion, and the true meaning of happiness, ultimately celebrating the importance of living life to the fullest. This SHS Fall Play production includes 27 student actors and 27 student crew members.

The annual PTA Reflections contest is happening now. This year’s theme is “Accepting Imperfection” and students in grades PreK-12 can submit entries in a number of different categories - including Photography, Visual Arts, and Film Production. Click HERE for additional Reflections Contest information.

This week, SHS students participated in a Career Series, which provided additional information and insight about job opportunities in the trades. Students had a chance to meet representatives from several local companies and participate in small group Q&A sessions to provide additional career insight and guidance. Special THANK YOU to the following companies who participated and provided valuable information to our high school students: Electrical Appliance Repair Services, Fabrizi Trucking and Paving, Henkel Corporation, R.A. Kalfas Construction, RFC Contracting, Spartronics

Make plans to dine at Bibibop (15191 Pearl Rd.) on Thursday, November 7 to support the SHS Theatre Program and its fall production of “You Can't Take It With You.” 20% of sales from 10:30am to 9:00pm will help with funding props, set pieces, licensing rights, etc. You must mention this fundraiser during checkout or use the code BIBIFUNDRAISER when placing an online order.

The SHS Theatre Department is collaborating with Playhouse Square to sell a block of tickets for the upcoming tour of & Juliet on Sunday March 9, 2025 at 6:30pm. The jukebox musical stars SHS alum, Corey Mach, as Shakespeare. This fundraiser will go toward some of the expenses for SHS's spring musical. Purchasing tickets for the show at Playhouse Square is currently live and will remain open until 12/13/24. SHS FUNdraiser prices range from $32.50 - $107.50 and the SHS Theatre Department will receive $10 for every ticket sold. Please visit https://tickets.playhousesquare.org/g08 and follow the instructions on how to purchase tickets. You must enter the promo code SHSMUSICAL in the purple box on the top left. That will open up the ticket purchase below when the web page refreshes. Thank you for your support of the SHS Theatre Department!

Don’t miss a special Strongsville City Schools Night with the Cleveland Cavaliers at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse. The Cavs battle the Toronto Raptors on Sunday, November 24 - Tip off is at 7:30pm. For families that purchase tickets, SCS students will be entered into a drawing to be a part of the Pregame Visiting Team Cheer Tunnel. Click HERE to purchase tickets.

Over the summer, the District expanded its partnership with Blocksi to include student content filtering and alerts. We no longer utilize SecURLy for these services. Click HERE to view an informational flier about joining the Blocksi Parent Portal to gain insights on your student’s online behavior with their scsmustangs account, as well as set parental controls beyond the school. If you have any questions, contact Dave Binkley - Director of Instructional Technology - at dbinkley@scsmustangs.org.

Right At School is once again providing care for SCS K-5 students before and after school at each of our elementary buildings. For more information on registering with Right at School for the 2024-2025 school year, click HERE.

Strongsville City Schools encourages students, teachers, staff, parents, and other members of our community to report any instances of potential violence, bullying, self-harm or any other issue where students may be at risk. Click HERE for additional Stay Safe. Speak Up! Information on the District’s website. Reporting incidents can be made anonymously online or through a toll free number (​1-866-listen2me / 1-866-547-8362).

Watoto Children’s Choir Concert at Strongsville’s First Lutheran Church

First Lutheran Church in Strongsville (19419 Royalton Road) invites you to join us on Tuesday, November 19th at 7:00pm as the Watoto Children’s Choir sings, dances, and shares their stories of restoration and hope. This is a free concert that features music from their new album, “Better Days - There Is Hope.” We can’t wait to see you on Tuesday, November 19th at First Lutheran Church.

Treehouse Berea Programming

Treehouse Berea is offering many activities and opportunities for students. From Coding to Robotics to Game Design - there's lots of great STEAM based enrichment experiences for kids ages 6-12. Visit treehouseberea.com to learn more or click HERE for the current flyer about available activities.

Strongsville Chamber of Commerce

Please note the following upcoming events hosted by the Strongsville Chamber of Commerce. Registration is required for all events. Please call 440.238.3366 for more information or to register. Those interested in the following events may also visit the Chamber website (www.strongsvillechamber.com) to register and see additional event info.

UPCOMING EVENTS

November Business Luncheon

Tuesday, November 12, 2024

Ehrnfelt Rec & Senior Center, 18100 Royalton Road, Strongsville

11:30am-1:00pm

Holiday Scholarship Dance

Friday, December 6, 2024 7:00p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Encore Event Center (formerly Michaud’s)
16808 Pearl Rd. / Strongsville

Strongsville Library

Please note the following November 2024 events presented by the Strongsville Branch Library. Please call (440) 238-5530 to register or for more information. Customers may also visit www.cuyahogalibrary.org to register and to see more library event information.

CCPL Program Guide The Cuyahoga County Public Library program guide is now digital! Want to find out about all the amazing library programs and resources happening around the system? You can view our Program information by going to cuyahogalibrary.org and click on Research & Discover to use the Press Reader resource here:

https://cuyahogalibrary.org/research-discover/resources-a-z/pressreader

Kindergarten Countdown: Off to Work. For those entering Kindergarten in the Fall with a Caregiver. Friday, November 1st / 11:00 a.m. - Noon. Join us as we help your child build kindergarten readiness skills in a program aligned to Ohio’s Early Childhood Standards. This session, we will focus on sharing.

IN-PERSON Storytimes. Storytimes are for Birth to Age 5 not yet in Kindergarten. No registration needed!

Baby & Me (Birth to 18 months with a Caregiver) - Mondays / 10:00 - 10:20 a.m. OR Thursdays / 10:00 - 10:20 a.m.

Preschool (Ages 3 - 5 not yet in Kindergarten with a Caregiver) - Mondays / 11:30 a.m. - Noon OR Tuesdays / 10:00 - 10:30 a.m. OR 11:30 a.m. - Noon

Toddler (Ages 19 - 35 months with a Caregiver) - Wednesdays / 10:00 - 10:25 a.m. OR 11:30 - 11:55 a.m.

Family - Thursdays / 7:00 p.m.

Teen Knit & Crochet Club. Teens Grades 6 - 12. Monday, November 4th / 6:30 - 8:00 p.m. Do you like to craft? Do you know how to knit, crochet, or hand sew? Bring your own project and come hang out with other teens who also love to make things! NO REGISTRATION REQUIRED!

Technology Training Classes:
Word: Mail Merge and Inserting Objects. Wednesday, November 6th / 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. Explore tools for organizing and adding visual interest to documents. Topics including creating and modifying tables, inserting and formatting images, and creating letters and mailing labels using the mail merge feature. Prerequisite: Word Basics

Word Advanced Features. Saturday, November 23rd / 10:00 a.m. - Noon. Learn about the advanced formatting features available in Word, including tab stops, styles, headers and footers. We will also discuss using tracking capabilities and comments to collaborate on documents. Prerequisite: Word Basics

English as a Second Language Classes by Aspire Greater Cleveland. If you need to learn English or improve your language skills, we can help. Aspire Greater Cleveland offers FREE beginner, intermediate and advanced-level English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) classes. Strongsville Branch will be hosting morning classes on Thursdays and Fridays. Please call 833.ASPIRE2 (1.833.277.4732) to register or visit https://cuyahogalibrary.org/services/adult-education/aspire-greater-cleveland for more information.

Drop-In Sewing. Saturday, November 9th / 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. Bring your unfinished project or a project that you want to begin here to the Strongsville Branch! We will have sewing machines available for usage, and staff will be there to assist. You must bring your own supplies and have sewing machine experience. No registration is required.

Young at Heart. Tuesday, November 12th / 7:00 p.m. A book club for adults who love Children's and Teen books. The title for our next discussion is Tree Table by Lois Lowry. No registration. Everyone Welcome!

Teen Sewing Night. Teens in Grades 6 - 12. Wednesday, November 13th / 6:30 – 8:00 p.m. Sewing machines, sharp scissors, and needles will be used during this program. Come in for a sewing night! Beginners welcome! This sewing class will review the basic parts of the sewing machine, basic sewing techniques, and allow teens to make a project to take home! In order to participate in youth programs that could be considered harmful, Cuyahoga County Public Library requires parents to complete a Release & Hold Harmless Form. The Release & Hold Harmless Form must be completed and returned one week prior to the start of the program. The completed form must be returned to the program location.

Digital Navigator at Strongsville Branch. Wednesday, November 13th from 1:00 - 6:30 p.m. OR Friday, November 15th from 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Call us at 216.749.9420 to make an appointment with one of our Digital Navigators at a CCPL branch. Cuyahoga County Public Library’s Digital Navigators service offers one-on-one assistance to help you – or someone you know – connect to the internet, get a device, set up a telehealth appointment and more.

Moon Over Strongsville. Thursday, November 14th / 7 p.m. Local speaker Chuck Jakubchak returns with this informative presentation on the moon over Strongsville. Our speaker will highlight the role that the full moon plays in our lives throughout the course of the year, with particular emphasis on the solstice. The presentation compares our sentiments about the full moon with those of Native American Indians and includes memorable photos. Anyone that enjoys looking at a moonlit sky should enjoy this program. The next full moon is Friday, November 15th!

Blood Drive. Friday, November 15th / 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. In just an hour of your time you can help save up to three lives. Make sure hospital patients get the treatment they need. Donate blood today. For more information or to make an appointment visit www.redcrossblood.org or call the American Red Cross at 800-RED-CROSS (800-733-2767).

Audio & Video Studio Orientation. Ages 11 & up. Saturday, November 16th / 10:00 a.m. VIRTUAL or on Monday, November 25th / 7:00 p.m. IN PERSON Have you ever thought about recording your own music, making a video, digitizing memories and more? The Strongsville Branch Library is home to both Audio and Video Recording studios that can help you do just that! You must go through an orientation to use the spaces. Patrons 11 & up can participate in the orientation and must turn in the User Agreement form at the branch for the orientation to count. Register online to attend the virtual session.

Name Game: Teen Writer's Workshop. Teens in Grades 6 - 12. Tuesday, November 19th / 3:30 - 5:30 p.m. Join Ohio Poet Laureate Kari Gunter-Seymour for fun writing exercises and a writer's workshop! “What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell just as sweet.” William Shakespeare uses this line in his play Romeo and Juliet to convey that the naming of things is irrelevant. Ohio Poet Laureate Kari Gunter-Seymour disagrees. Names are somewhat central to our identities, maybe even helping to shape our destinies to some extent. Some of us have nicknames, and some famous people (including Beyoncé) are known by mononyms. Many of us just answer to whatever trendy, retro, or unique names our parents happened to choose for us BUT in this workshop, we are going to consider alternative names for ourselves—serious, silly, make believe or possibly outrageous, building on prompts, she will provide to kick start our creative brain cells. All are welcome, no prior writing experience is required.

Blow off some S.T.E.A.M. After School. Grades 1 - 4. Wednesday, November 20th / 4:30 – 5:30 p.m. Ignite your curiosity and creativity through this exploration of all things STEAM. Discover the elements of Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math through hands on activities and exploration. Boost your problem solving and teamwork skills in this program.

Wednesday Evening Book Discussion. Wednesday, November 20th / 7:00 p.m. Our Wednesday Evening Book Discussion meets at 7p.m. on the 3rd Wednesday of each month. We welcome all adults interested in reading and discussing great books! Our next discussion title will be Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John. Copies of the book will be available for check-out at the circulation desk of the Strongsville Branch Library.

School Age Craft. Ages 9 - 11. Thursday, November 21st / 5:30 - 7:00 p.m. Shake off the school day by getting artsy at the library! Registration is required. This program may include activities that could be considered harmful. In order for your child to participate you must sign the Release and Hold Harmless form and return to program location at least one week prior to the program start date.

Monday Afternoon Book Discussion. Monday, November 25th / 2:30 p.m. The Monday Afternoon Book Discussion meets at 2:30 p.m. in the Library on the 4th Monday of each month. No registration is required. New members are always welcome. We welcome all adults interested in reading and discussing great books! Our next discussion title will be The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon. Copies of the book will be available for check-out at the circulation desk.

Strongsville High School * Muraski Elementary *

Strongsville Middle School * Surrarrer Elementary *

Chapman Elementary * Whitney Elementary *

Kinsner Elementary * Early Learning Preschool

Website: www.scsmustangs.org
Location: Strongsville City Schools, 18199 Cook Avenue, Strongsville, OH, United States
Phone: (440) 572-7000
Facebook: facebook.com/strongsvillecs
Instagram: @strongsvillecs

Twitter / X: @strongsvillecs