Monday, April 29, 2013
The Beaumonsters will travel to the national competition in Indianapolis next month
The 2013 RoboBots team from Beaumont faced West Geauga in the final round for the second year in a row, but this time the Cleveland Heights school brought home a championship. The group of sophomores and juniors dubbed the Beaumonsters spent much of the school year constructing Ramses, a polycarbonate robot with an 18-spike, titanium spinner that powered through six rounds of destruction. The Beaumonsters were lead by biology teacher Gretchen Santo and sponsored by Christopher Tool & Manufacturing Co. of Solon. Beaumont also won the competition's "Coolest Robot" award, selected by their peers. The award was for the team with the robot that had a "you know it when you see it" factor, announcer Ray Somich said. Nineteen teams from schools …
Friday, April 26, 2013
Mary O'Keefe and Kate Miller will perform music by Sir Eugene Goossen and Beethoven, respectivele
Cleveland Heights High School seniors Mary O’Keefe and Kate Miller will be featured soloists at the upcoming concert by the School Symphony on Friday, May 3rd. An ensemble group will perform at 6:30 p.m. and then the full symphony will perform at 7:30 p.m. Mary, an oboist, will perform Oboe Concerto in One Movement by Sir Eugene Goossen. Kate, a pianist, will perform Beethoven’s Piano Concerto number 1, First Movement. Both musicians will attend a music conservatory in the fall to study music performance. Eight years ago, Mary attended a Heights High concert and saw a senior soloist playing the oboe. “That was when I knew what I wanted to do,” she said. Mary added that she is grateful to both music teachers, Dan Heim and Brett Baker. “Mr…
Thursday, April 25, 2013
Lay Facilities Committee nearing finalization of a facilities master plan recommendation for Board of Education with a $232 million price tag
The Cleveland Heights-University Heights School District Lay Facilities Committee is eying a $232.7 million master facilities plan recommendation to the Board of Education. The committee's plan will likely call for a 6.34-mill bond issue to be passed in the November 2013 elections that would generate $135 million for Phase 1 of the project. The district could apply for a $15 million loan for the remainder of the cost of the first phase. The committee, created by the CH-UH School Board at the recommendation of FutureHeights and Reaching Heights, is tasked with examining the facilities master plan and determining what aspects of the plan the community would support. A draft of the plan will be presented for a vote at the committee's April 30…
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
The leader of Youthful Praise will join the Heights High Spring Gospel Choir Concert this Friday
The Heights High Gospel Choir will have a special guest during their Spring Concert this Friday -- J.J. Hairston. The leader of Youthful Praise -- as well as Grammy and Soul Train Award nominee -- will perform three numbers with the students. Coincidentally, Hairston got his start conducting high school choirs. The concert will begin 7:30 p.m. this Friday at the Heights High School auditorium. The Heights Gospel Choir is directed by Sandra Dixon and includes 30 students. The choir was started in 1974. Concert tickets are $5 for students and senior citizens and $7 for adults. For more information, call 216-469-1424.
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
Board of Education aproves 7 percent staff reduction at Tuesday meeting.
Editor's note: The percentage of staff reduction has been corrected. Cleveland Heights-University Heights City Schools will lay off 42 teachers at the end of this academic year. The Board of Education unanimously approved the staff reductions at Tuesday’s meeting, and the teachers who will be laid off have been notified. The district noted that there will be subsequent reductions in support and administrative staff that are expected to be reviewed by the Board May 21. The district was required by law to notify the laid off teachers by April 30. The cuts represent a 7 percent reduction in teaching staff. Superintendent Doug Heuer noted that the teaching staff has increased its teaching staff by 5 percent since 2001, but cut administrative …
Cleveland Heights-University Heights Schools Board of Education will hear a proposal for staff cuts for the 2013-2014 school year at tonight's work session.
Updated, 2:45 p.m. Tuesday: Spokesperson Angee Shaker said that the Board will vote on teacher cuts tonight and on administrative cuts at its May 21 meeting. --- The Cleveland Heights-University Heights School Board will hear a plan to reduce staff and save money at tonight's meeting. The district announced April 9 that the cuts are necessary for the district due to uncertainty about state funding. The board must notify its staff by April 30 of any teacher layoffs. The district expects to ask for 8.6 mills on the next operating levy in 2014. The current levy, passed in 2011, is for 6.9 mills. The district is also expected to ask for a bond issue to fund the district building restructuring — the Lay Facilities Master Plan — this November. …
Friday, April 19, 2013
Antonio Harper’s film, Larry, won first place in the Comedy category and was also named “Best in Show” at the iMagine Film Festival
Cleveland Heights High School senior Antonio Harper was the big winner at Hathaway Brown School’s iMagine Film Festival on Friday, April 12. Harper’s film, Larry, won first place in the Comedy category and then was named “Best in Show” as the festival’s single most outstanding film. “I was thrilled, excited, and nervous all bundled into one,” Harper said in a statement. He added that his film’s humorous look at a day in the life of a Heights student came from staying true to his own creative instincts. “When (Jeff Glass, the Heights High’s video production instructor,) told me about the competition, I started thinking about complex things. But when it came down to doing it, I went with what’s natural to me. I’m a comedian and it paid off…
Monday, April 15, 2013
The run will raise funds for University Hospitals Iris S. & Bert Wolstein’s Kids Kicking Cancer Foundation
The first ever Dick Mann Memorial Run/Walk not only pays tribute to a local legend, it will also raise money for cancer treatment and research. The Cleveland Heights High School athletic department is hosting the run April 27 at the high school. Festivities begin at 9 a.m. There is still time to sign up for the 2-mile run and walk. (A registration form has been attached to this story as a PDF.) Pre-registration costs $10. It costs $15 to register the day of the race. The run is a fundraiser for University Hospitals Iris S. & Bert Wolstein’s Kids Kicking Cancer Foundation. As per the race's namesake, Mann was a long-time former cross country and track coach who passed away recently. He coached at Heights High for 36 years and led the team …
Thursday, April 11, 2013
Committee will recommend that Gearity host elementary schools in University Heights under Cleveland Heights-University Heights City Schools restructure plan
Closing Wiley Middle School would save Cleveland Heights-University Heights an estimated $17 million on facilities restructure costs, the Lay Facilities Committee learned Wednesday. The cost of the scenarios the committee requested is estimated to be between $255 and $279 million dollars, according to information presented at Wednesday’s Lay Facilities Committee meeting. These estimates include all the improvements the committee would like to see, though the final version will likely be scaled down and cheaper. The committee, created by the CH-UH School Board at the recommendation of FutureHeights and Reaching Heights, is tasked with examining the facilities master plan and determining what aspects of the plan the community would support. …
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
School Board to present budget cut proposal April 23
UPDATE 2:30 p.m. — The district spokesperson sent this additional comment to Patch: Superintendent Douglas Heuer said priority will be given to retain the support and management positions that directly impact teaching and learning. “Reductions in teaching staff numbers will be based upon student enrollment numbers by building and grade level. We will retain the teaching positions necessary to maintain the quality of educational programs. This is a process the district engages in annually," said Heuer. "Once those numbers have been established, and they will be by April 23, we can move forward to determine the number of support staff and administration necessary for support and management,” Heuer added. “We will also be looking to reduce …
Garry Kanter
3:09 pm on Thursday, April 25, 2013
It seems more like you're just making stuff up. more ›