Mustang Moments

• Important Dates to Remember

• 60 Seconds with the Superintendent

• SCS Responsible Restart Update from Dr. Ryba

• Moody’s Bond Rating For SCS / Bond Refinancing Will Save District $14 Million

• Mustang Spotlight - Mrs. Christine Canning, Kindergarten Teacher at Kinsner Elementary

• 5th Grade Band & Orchestra - Virtual Instrument Demonstrations

• Friday Night Community Concessions

• Mustangs Team Shop - Shop Online NOW through Sun. 9/13

• SCS Food Services - Weekly Meal Distribution

• Jersey Mike’s “Above & Beyond” Weekly Award Recipients

• Become a Member of the Strongsville Instrumental Music Boosters

• SCS Tech Corral - Your Tech Support Website

• Strongsville Athletic Boosters Membership Drive

• Spectrum Internet Assist for Qualified Households

• Immunization Requirements for Incoming 7th & 12th Graders

• “Heard Around Town” on SCS Website

• Stay Safe. Speak Up!

• The U.S. Census - Have You Taken the Time to Register?

• Community Events

Wednesday, September 16th - 7:00pm
Virtual Information Meeting*
For Parents of 5th Grade Students Interested in Band/Orchestra
* Link for Meeting Will Be Sent Soon to 5th Grade Families

Thursday, September 17 - 7:00pm
Strongsville Board of Education Meeting (Regular Meeting)**
SCS Administrative Offices (18199 Cook Ave.)
** All Board of Education Meetings are live streamed HERE

You can watch our Strongsville High School “Marching Mustangs” perform their 2020 halftime show tonight (Friday, September 4) at 6:00pm. Hear the traditional Friday Night sounds from Pat Catan Stadium - streamed online using BoxCast. The direct link for the live stream may be found HERE or individuals can watch from the Strongsville City Schools channel on the BoxCast app available on Apple TV, Roku, and the Amazon Fire TV/Stick. The performance will be recorded for on-demand viewing at the link above and on these same devices.

Technology has become integral to our classrooms over the past few years. And it’s even more vital as we begin the school year in Remote Learning 2.0. What kinds of resources and technology are available to our students, parents, and teachers to help in the learning process? Click HERE for this week’s episode as we visit with Mrs. Sermak and Mrs. Frenchik at SHS, Mrs. Swaney at SMS, and Mrs. Reiley at Kinsner to hear more about how they and their colleagues have been working with technology to enhance their classes.

On July 31st, the Cuyahoga County Board of Health (CCBH) shared their recommendation that school districts in the county should start the school year remotely due to concerns with the prevalence and spread of COVID. We followed that recommendation. The CCBH also shared their desire to see sustained improvement (i.e., 4 or more weeks) in specific data markers prior to rescinding their recommendation. We have been tracking the suggested CCBH data (click HERE) and we are closing in on 4 weeks of sustained improvement. If these trends continue, our District will implement the SCS Responsible Restart plan and open schools for in-person/blended learning. Please click HERE to view the presentation made to the Board of Education last night. Click HERE for the entire update letter sent to families this morning via email.

Moody’s Investor Service recently reaffirmed Strongsville City Schools Aa2 bond rating and revised the District’s credit outlook to ‘positive.’ This rating and revised credit outlook also assisted the District in refinancing the outstanding debt on the $81 million bond issue, approved by the residents of Strongsville in 2012. Over the next 26 years, this refinancing will result in an average savings of $800,000 annually for the District and will reduce Strongsville taxpayers’ investment by 0.5 mills by 2024, providing an annual savings of approximately $17.50 on a $100,000 house. The District will see a total savings of $14,524,342 over the remaining life of the bond.

Link to the complete news release: https://tinyurl.com/SCSBondRating

Mrs. Christine Canning is beginning her eighteenth year teaching in our District. She has worked at Zellers, Allen, Drake, and Muraski during her career, and is now one of Kinsner Elementary’s kindergarten teachers. She has earned both undergraduate and graduate degrees from Cleveland State University. Her family has lived in Strongsville for over 26 years - “My son received an excellent education thanks to the dedication, guidance and efforts of his many outstanding teachers and staff here in Strongsville, whom I gratefully thank for their time and talents.” Mrs. Canning has been a “soccer, baseball, and band mom,” supporting our Mustangs.

“As a teacher, the most rewarding days are filled with excitement and a child's achievement, independence, and self confidence; those “lightbulb” “ah-ha” moments - when a child is beaming with pride sounding out words, tying her/his own shoelaces, solving a math puzzle, or practicing resilience with a challenging situation! My goal is to foster the love of learning for all of my kids,” said Mrs. Canning.

“We all share a passion for teaching and helping our future generations. I am blessed to be just one of the many SCS faculty and staff who provide the learning foundation for our Strongsville kids. Parental support and establishing relationships with families guide learning. It is certainly special when you have the opportunity to teach all children in a family,” she added.

“This year will be the year of resilience and growth for all! Teachers are learning Google Classroom and utilizing new programs, apps, and technology right alongside their students. We will need patience, communication, and understanding to continue to work together as a team for our kids!”

Thank you Mrs. Canning for helping our youngest Mustangs build a learning foundation for success! #WeAreStrongsville

* Picture of Mrs. Canning and her students was taken during the 2019-20 school year

Attention all 5th grade students and parents: It is time to join Band and Orchestra! Within the next week, all 5th graders will have the opportunity to hear a virtual demonstration of the instruments and meet their Orchestra or Band teacher during IE. Each student has been invited to a Google Classroom that includes a link to our Google Meet and important information. The link to access the meet is posted in the classroom banner.

Parents are welcome to attend recruitment demonstrations along with their son or daughter. If you have any questions, please email the teacher listed in your son or daughter's Orchestra/Band Google Classroom.

Instrument Demonstration Via Google Meet, linked in Classroom banner:

Muraski: Wednesday, 9/9, 11:30 AM

Kinsner: Wednesday, 9/9, 11:45 AM

Chapman: Thursday, 9/10, 11:15 AM

Whitney: Thursday, 9/10, 11:30 AM

Surrarrer: Monday, 9/14, 11:15 AM

Following the instrument demonstration, the instrumental music staff will hold a (virtual) parent informational evening meeting on Wednesday, September 16th at 7:00 PM. Lessons will begin the week of September 21st.

During Fridays this fall, the following local businesses have agreed to donate a portion of sales back to the Strongsville Instrumental Music Boosters (SIMB). Please be sure to mention “Strongsville Concessions Fundraiser” prior to ordering.

• Raising Cane’s (114356 Pearl Road) - 3pm - close

• Dairy Queen (12152 Pearl Rd.) - 3pm - close

• Gina’s Pizza (14405 Pearl Rd.) - 440.238.4820

• Peace, Love, & Little Donuts (13500 Pearl Rd.) - Friday AND Saturday - 8am - 3pm

• Robek’s (18025 Royalton Rd.)

SIMB normally staffs the concession stands during fall SHS football games at Pat Catan Stadium. They appreciate our community’s continued support, and thank the participating Strongsville businesses, for helping to raise funds to support our students and the various music programs in our District. GO MUSTANGS!

The “Back to School” online SCS Team Shop is open now through Sunday, September 13. Shop for lots of great Mustangs gear, including fashionable face masks! Visit https://mustangsf20.itemorder.com/ for the complete selection of items. A portion of sales will be donated back to Strongsville City Schools.

During Remote Learning 2.0, breakfast and lunch is still available for families in our District. Each Monday, an email will be sent for the upcoming week. Families can choose either a Wednesday pickup (for Thursday and Friday meals) and/or a Friday pickup (for Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday meals). Meal pickups will occur at your student’s school.

The Mustangs Athletic Department has partnered with Jersey Mike’s to recognize student athletes who go “above and beyond” in the classroom and on the athletic playing field.

Coaches nominate student athletes and a committee of high school administration and coaches determine the weekly recipients. This week’s Jersey Mike’s “Above & Beyond” student-athletes:

Amelia Matousek (Girls Tennis / Junior) Amelia completed the first three weeks of the 2020 season with a 6-0 dual match record at number two singles and a 1-0 record at one doubles with teammate Bhavya Anoop. At the Medina Doubles Tournament, Amelia teamed up with Bhavya to go 2-1 with three set victories in the first round and third place match to take third place in the first doubles bracket. Amelia has not dropped a set in dual matches this year. Off the court Amelia earned Academic All-GCC for the 2019 season.

John Yarwood (Boys Cross Country / Junior) John has an outstanding 4.3 GPA. His favorite subjects are Math and History and also volunteers with Special Olympics. When John is not competing or training, he loves traveling and swimming. As a Freshman, John’s best 5K cross country time was 19:38. As a Sophomore last year, John improved by almost 2 and a half minutes. Now in the early season of his junior year, John has shown that he is on pace to improve once again.

Even in these uncertain times, the Strongsville Instrumental Music Boosters (SIMB) is working hard to support the needs of our student musicians. SIMB is the 501c3 organization that provides direct support to our music program through the purchase of music, instruments, music stands, repairs, guest clinicians, and performance fees.

This summer, SIMB was working to keep all involved in the music program healthy and safe, by providing consumable and durable items to help protect our students and staff. SIMB purchased and donated plastic dividers for the band and orchestra classrooms at the high school and middle school. They donated cases of masks and gloves, as well as infrared thermometers for our music department, athletic department, and the school district.

We’d like to invite you to join SIMB to help us continue these good works. Joining is easy - you can get started at https://simb.membershiptoolkit.com/home

Join by September 2nd to be included in the fall sports Media Guide. Thank you to our friends at Strongsville Athletic Boosters for their support!

Our Instructional Technology Department and Curriculum Department have partnered in the creation of the 'SCS Tech Corral.' The site includes reference guides and 'how-to' videos for a number of common programs and software our students and teachers are utilizing, Chromebook information, and a 'Live Tech Chat' (available during school hours) to answer your questions. This is a great resource with lots of helpful information. Check out the ‘SCS Tech Corral’ by clicking HERE.

The Strongsville Athletic Boosters 2020-2021 Membership Drive is under way! Join the boosters today to support all of our Mustang Athletes. Athletic Boosters provides team uniforms, team incentives, scholarships for graduating seniors and much, much more! We can't do it without the support of our parents!
Please consider joining - visit https://strongsvilleboosters.membershiptoolkit.com/home - there are multiple levels and great incentives! GO MUSTANGS!!

The Spectrum Internet Assist program provides reliable, high-speed internet access at an affordable price for those who qualify.

Eligible low-income households can receive discounted 30 Mbps high-speed internet, along with Security Suite and an internet modem, at no additional charge. Spectrum Internet Assist requires no contracts - visit

https://www.spectrum.com/browse/content/spectrum-internet-assist.html for additional details about this program.

Even though we are beginning the school year in Remote Learning 2.0, please note the following immunization requirements from the Ohio Department of Health. Proof of these immunizations need to be on file in our Health Services Department for incoming 7th & 12th grade students:

All students entering 7th grade need to receive the following immunizations prior to entering 7th grade:

One (1) dose of Meningococcal [MCV4] vaccine

(A second dose of meningococcal vaccine will be required prior to entry into the 12th grade)

One (1) dose of Tdap [tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis] vaccine

All students entering 12th grade need to receive the following immunizations prior to entering 12th grade:

Two (2) doses of Meningococcal [MCV4] vaccine

Incoming 7th and 12th graders will need to show proof of having received these vaccines before they return to school for the 2020-21 school year (exemptions are provided for under law, call for more information).

Click HERE for the form to confirm immunizations for 7th graders

Click HERE for the form to confirm immunizations for 12th graders

Strongsville City Schools Health Services

Section 3313.671 of the Ohio Revised Code states that students who do not provide documentation of this immunization will be excluded from school on the 15th day after entrance, until proof is provided.

Have you heard something that you want more clarification about concerning Strongsville City Schools? Share your questions with us, we're happy to provide information to clear up any misconceptions! Visit the new “Heard Around Town” link on the main page at www.strongnet.org or click HERE to submit your question.

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. The Stay Safe. Speak Up! link is located in the shortcuts along the right hand side on the homepage of the District website (www.strongnet.org). It can also be found on the homepage of each of our individual building websites. Reporting incidents can be made anonymously online or through a toll free number (​1-866-listen2me / 1-866-547-8362).

Take the Census today for the good of our kids and community. When your family is counted, the programs that support you and your kids get more of the federal funding they need for the next 10 years. The Census is Important, Safe, and Easy. The Census closes on September 30th - visit my2020census.gov or call 1-844-330-2020.

Eager Engineers

Eager Engineers is offering live online interactive classes! Join us live, on Zoom for both Lego and Citibloc adventures! STEAM concepts are built into every project, with new projects each class. Visit www.creativeclasses.org to register or click HERE for more information.

Great Lakes Science Center Learning Lab

Great Lakes Science Center’s new Learning Lab program supports working parents who need daytime childcare for their school-age children. The program provides a safe, supportive environment where children can do their schoolwork virtually. Many of the Science Center’s health and safety procedures for programming during the pandemic were developed for Camp Curiosity, which served more than 1,000 children this summer. The program is open to children in grades K-8. Click HERE for more information or visit GreatScience.com.

Strongsville Chamber of Commerce – 52nd Annual Golf Outing

The Strongsville Chamber of Commerce will host its 52nd Annual Strongsville Chamber Golf Outing on Friday, September 25, 2020 at Shale Creek Golf Course in Medina. Registration begins at 8:30 am followed by a shotgun start at 9:30 am. The scramble-format outing also includes a boxed lunch, dinner following golf, skills contests and prizes. To register or for more information, please visit www.strongsvillechamber.com, or call the Chamber office at 440.238.3366.

Strongsville High School * Muraski Elementary *

Strongsville Middle School * Surrarrer Elementary *

Chapman Elementary * Whitney Elementary *

Kinsner Elementary * Early Learning Preschool

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