SP RING /SUMM ER 2 02 1
A Publication for Tiger Nation
Diversity , Equity and Inclusion A C E L E B R AT I O N O F
#TIGERNATIONINDIVISIBLE
ON THE COVER | The grand prize winning art piece appearing on the
IN THIS ISSUE
cover is by Heights High 12th grader Katrina Palmer, titled after the theme,
FEATURES
DEPARTMENTS
4 | Breaking Educational Barriers
18 | District News and Updates
Major changes in the Cleveland Heights-University Heights communities took root in the 1970’s, and created subsequent changes in the CHUH School District. Meet some of the early Black educators and leaders who were pioneers in the district.
22 | The Great Heights Give Back
8 | Equity Work in Heights Schools Today Equity work is not just in the past, it is the school’s commitment now, and into the future. Learn more about where the focus is today.
10 | Guest Alumni Voices We Asked & Alumni Responded! From across the country, and across the decades, Alumni share their reflections on the positive impact of attending a diverse school like Cleveland Heights High.
“Tiger Nation Indivisible.” Katrina’s original art piece has earned a permanent place in the Historical Archives.
23 | Reunion Info
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14 | Seizing Your Opportunities A blueprint for life. A powerful essay from Judy Jackson Winston, Class of ‘87, remembering a fellow classmate, highlighting the values, connections and experiences that bring us together when we need each other the most.
16 | Safer Heights Inspires Change and Engagement
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Finding your voice, putting your words into action: Dorian Martin, Class of 2014 reflects on a summer of awakening and organizing working to make the city a place where truly “all are welcome.”
SPRING/SUMMER 2021 | VOLUME 5 | NUMBER 2
EDITORS Julianna Johnston Senturia ’87 Executive Director
EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTORS
Heights Schools Foundation JJS@heightsschoolsfoundation.org
Vivian Gatta
Cathan Cavanaugh Supervisor of Communications CH-UH City School District c_cavanaugh@chuh.org
Betsy Friedlander ’90 Krissy Dietrich Gallagher ’91 Abbie Nagler Sender Charlie Swift ’14 DESIGN BY Drew Dallet, Boom Creative www.boom-creative.com
10 STAY CONNECTED TO CHUH CHUH.org Twitter @CHUHschools YouTube @CHUHschools Facebook /CHUH.Schools Instagram @CHUHschools ALUMNI INQUIRY 216-397-3871 BOARD OF EDUCATION 216-371-7171
STAY CONNECTED TO HSF Twitter
@HSFoundation1
YouTube @HeightsSchoolsFoundation Facebook @HeightsFoundation Instagram @HeightsSchoolsFoundation Read The Heights Magazine online at HeightsSchoolsFoundation.org. To comment or change an address, please email info@heightsschoolsfoundation.org or call 216-397-3871.
The Heights Magazine is published two times a year and is a joint project of the Heights Schools Foundation and the CH-UH City School District.
We’re set up to keep Tiger Nation connected! Reach us at info@heightsschoolsfoundation.org
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THE HEIGHTS SCHOOLS FOUNDATION EQUITY WORK IN HEIGHTS SCHOOLS When looking through an old Heights High yearbook, you could make the mistake of thinking for the first several decades, “everybody’s the same”. In other words, with few exceptions, there was little diversity, especially race. But, then, you might look closer: LoPresti, Madorsky, Mahler. The names are a geography lesson of recent immigration - Italy, Russia, Germany and more. Over the years war and economic shifts inside the U.S. and beyond have shaped the student body in the district. It’s always all come together at Heights High. A mix of religions, countries of origin, races, and identities. While there are many other ways in which we are different, the schools have been a place where we try to find our
Heights Schools Foundation Trustees PRESIDENT Dr. Susan D. Carver ’78 VICE PRESIDENT Steven Haynie ’91 VICE PRESIDENT Shanice Settle ’06 TREASURER Meghan Zehnder McMahon ’90
commonalities, or at the very least, learn to coexist. No system is perfect. We have urgent work right now to address persistent inequality, especially when it comes to race. You can join our efforts by making a contribution to “The
SECRETARY Peter Shriver ’90
Equity Project”. All grants
Rachael Collyer ’11
will further the impactful
Krissy Dietrich Gallagher ’91
work under the District’s
Dan Heintz ’85
Equity Policy, and target
Timothy Jones ’92 Hank Kornblut ’81 Ed Long ’89
awarded from this fund
strategic objectives that help kids thrive.
Scott Pennyman ’97 Margaret Rothschild Slesnick ’79 Kelly Thomas ’83 Elizabeth Kirby, Superintendent
We’re set up to keep Tiger Nation connected! Reach us at info@heightsschoolsfoundation.org
BREAKING EDUCATIONAL BARRIERS By Abbie Nagler Sender
F
or decades, the Cleveland Heights-University Heights City School District has been recognized for its diversity. As the community slowly began to integrate around 1970-71, a group of committed Black residents created the Committee to Improve Community Relations (CICR) to make “significant impact on City and school district practices.” As long-time Cleveland Heights resident and author Susan Kaeser writes in Resisting Segregation, “CICR existed to confront mistreatment and build acceptance.” For a variety of reasons, the 1970s was a difficult time for education. In this district, a number of racially fraught student fights occurred either during or after school. By 1974, Black high school students, with support from their parents (in CICR), petitioned the administration expressing their desire for increased cultural recognition and focus on additional educational concerns. As per Kaeser, these included “the small number of minority teachers, the absence of a Black point of view in the curriculum, a discriminatory suspension policy, a lack of counseling support, and the unchecked racist behavior and derogatory language of white staffers… (In) October, the CIRC filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Justice charging discrimination due to the unmet needs of Black students...They prevailed…(and) On April 1, 1975, Harvey Feinberg, President of the CHUH Board of Education, and Cornelius Edwards, Chairman of CICR, signed a consent decree that resolved all…demands.” Nearly 50 years later, in the midst of a pandemic that has raised national focus on continued race inequity, we spotlight several African-American educators who were tapped to actively change our schools. Here are brief stories of four pioneers who broke educational barriers, induced positive transformation through teaching excellence and even garnered national recognition.
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KATIE SHORTER ROBINSON Katie Robinson was the first Black female elementary school principal in the district from 1975-1988. During her initial year at Canterbury in 1975, Ms. Robinson intentionally did not implement change because she wanted the students, teachers and parents to get used to having a new principal and to allow time for everyone to get to know each other. Somewhat willing to admit that she was a “ground-breaker” back then, Ms. Robinson recognized that her appointment was an achievement. At the time, however, she was too busy juggling the tremendous task of being “hands-on” with everyday duties. Most in the community greeted her warmly, as the majority of parents wanted their children to get the best education possible and to be successful. While some gave Ms. Robinson a lukewarm reception, her relationship with the PTA was good. Believing that relationships were key to success, change and altering perceptions—real or unreal, Ms. Robinson worked hard to build connections with staff and parents. Ms. Robinson ’s innovative Energy Circus event may have been her most memorable production. The project involved the entire school and was widely attended. The school won a national award from the National School Public Relations Association. The US Department of Energy in Washington, DC presented the award to Ms. Robinson, who was accompanied by two “lucky” students.
LARRY & MARGE PEACOCK
WILLIAM TARTER SR.
After graduating from Wittenberg University, the Peacocks worked five years in the Cleveland public schools before joining the district in 1974 and settling their young family in the Monticello neighborhood. Mr. Peacock was recruited to be among the initial career development team at the high school, an intentionally diverse group of male and female educators both white and Black, while Mrs. Peacock became one of just two Black teachers at Fairfax Elementary. Mr. Peacock’s impactful career took off in just two years. As assistant superintendent when Dr. Albert J. (“AJ”) Abramowitz was Superintendent, Mr. Peacock was responsible for designing the district’s reorganization plan and implementing the bussing plan to integrate the schools. After earning his master’s degree, Mr. Peacock served as principal first at Coventry and then at Monticello. He was working on his doctorate when he returned to the administrative staff at the Board of Education to serve as Director of Staff Development. Sadly, Mr. Peacock’s significant trajectory at the district ended with his untimely death in 1994 at the age of 47. Marge remained in the district and went on to teach at Roxboro Middle, where she once again worked alongside only a few other Black educators. In those early years of racial integration in the Fairfax and Roxboro neighborhoods, the Black staff truly wanted to share their culture as it was so lacking in the curriculum. Some “eye-opening” experiences included year-end class parties at homes on Fairmount Boulevard, community meals at others’ homes, Kwanzaa celebrations, and cultural programming at Severance Mall.
A young Mr. Tarter was among the first black male teachers at CHHS in 1973. After graduating from John Adams High School, Mr. Tarter graduated from Williams College earning his BA in English. During his junior year, he ‘student-taught’ at CHHS while taking classes at Case Western Reserve University. During his senior year at college, CHHS extended a job offer to Mr. Tarter. Already familiar with the integrating school district, he accepted. When Mr. Tarter began, the student body of 1,500 included roughly 45 Black students. Feeling that teaching was his “calling,” he recognized he was a “role model” for students. As a teacher and advisor, he modeled the behavior he had been taught—to express oneself verbally, not physically, even when angry. Mr. Tarter is also known for founding the Heights Gospel Choir and for never raising his voice. Feeling that the school’s music program did not reflect their culture, the after-school choir program met the Black students’ need for an offering that reflected their culture. The Heights Gospel Choir became a coveted club open to all high school students regardless of race, nationality or religion. Throughout his time at CHHS, Mr. Tarter kept an even temperament, did not allow racially insulting terms in his classroom, and did not let student outbursts interrupt instruction. To this day Mr. Tarter “is grateful that his students still fondly recall that his classes were encouraging, educational, and inspirational, and that his classrooms were ‘safe spaces’ for all.”
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HIGHLIGHTS IN BLACK LEADERSHIP in the Cleveland HeightsUniversity Heights School District
1967 First Black male principal of an elementary school
Dr. Louis L. Aikens
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THE HEIGHTS MAGAZINE
Jeff Payton
Craig Bows
Rhoza Simmons
1970
Committee to Improve Community Relations (CICR) Forms First Black educators hired at Heights High included Jeff Payton (science), Craig Bows (language), Rhoza Simmons (social studies)
1973 Heights Community Congress Forms First Black member of the CHUH school board and first Black person to hold elected office in the City of Cleveland Heights
Bernice Lott
Consent Decree finalized and requires multi-pronged approach to racial inequity. Dr. Patricia A. Ackerman, hired as the first Black administrator at Heights High with title of Assistant to the Principal Katie Shorter Robinson appointed first Black female principal of an elementary school
Katie Shorter Robinson Heights Alliance of Black School Educators (HABSE) Founded
1975
Founded by Dr. Ackerman, and served as its first president HABSE was the first affiliate of the National Alliance of Black School Educators (NABSE) in Ohio
1978
Christine Fowler Mack
First Black Interim-Superintendent
2009
2014
1980 First Black principal of Heights High
Dr. Patricia A. Ackerman
First Black Superintendent of the CHUH School District
Dr. Talisa Dixon
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By Krissy Dietrich Gallagher ’91
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THE HEIGHTS MAGAZINE
WORK IN HEIGHTS SCHOOLS TODAY
A
chieving educational equity in schools is long, slow, challenging work. But it’s work that the Cleveland Heights-University Heights School District is committed to doing. As the first district in Cuyahoga County to adopt an Equity Policy in 2016, CH-UH uses that policy as a lens through which to examine all its programming from family engagement to course enrollment to hiring practices. Equity is at the core of everything we do across all goal areas,” says Superintendent Elizabeth Kirby. “We don’t look at any data point without asking how it impacts students of different races, genders, abilities, home language or even those who live in different neighborhoods.” The Equity Policy serves as the bedrock for the district’s Strategic Plan and brings together many efforts that had been happening in silos for years. According to Equity Task Force member and Heights High Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) teacher Shawn Washington, “This is still in its infancy. But the policy lays a solid foundation.” So what does equity work actually look like in a practical sense? One key piece, according to the district’s Family Engagement Specialist Lisa Hunt, a leading member of the Task Force and 1988 Heights grad, is focused on reducing the opportunity and achievement gaps between Black students and their White peers. Increasing access to early childhood education, which CH-UH now offers at Gearity, Noble and Oxford, is critical to this effort. “Engaging families, identifying the barriers they face and connecting them to resources … that’s also equity work,” says Ms. Hunt. The district is planning to provide an array of wrap-around services to students, families and community members at Noble School, a proven way to improve academic and behavioral outcomes. Increasing participation in Honors and Advanced Placement (AP) courses is another necessary piece, according to Ms. Washington who’s also an advisor for the Minority Student Achievement Network (MSAN). AP enrollment has nearly doubled at Heights High in the past five years thanks to a concerted effort on behalf of staff to identify, encourage and support students to take the rigorous courses. Looking at the explosive growth of MSAN in recent years, Ms. Washington says, “We used to round up members from the hallways. Now we have over 100 students and a waiting list.” Part of that success is thanks to increased outreach and connection between the middle and high schools’ MSAN groups. And it makes a difference. “Most of the African-American students in AP classes are either in MSAN, in AVID or both,” she says. Of course, the foundation needed to succeed in AP courses is laid long before high school. A broader look at who qualifies for gifted education and enrichment programming and how those are administered in the early grades is another important piece of equity work.
Much of this intersects with teacher expectations which are undeniably impacted by implicit biases. The Equity Task Force has provided small group trainings for all district staff over the past four years. “There were definitely people who felt like being a good person with good intentions was enough,” says Ms. Hunt. “This process has shifted their understanding of implicit racial bias.” Heights Schools Foundation Executive Director Julianna Johnson Senturia, class of 1987, is a member of and trainer with the task force. “I learned how to have direct conversations about race as a student at Heights High,” she says. “Now, more than ever, students need us to have uncomfortable conversations, reveal our implicit bias, understand intention versus impact, and examine our structures for racialized impacts.” The decisions around how the Foundation’s scholarship and teacher grant dollars are spent are all considered through an equity lens. The district is also committed to hiring greater numbers of teachers of color in partnership with the National Alliance of Black School Educators and the Cleveland Area Minority Educators Recruitment Association. All of this work has had a noticeable shift at the high school. MSAN member and AVID student Taylor Cody reports increased numbers of Black students in her Honors and AP classes. “We’ve done a great job recruiting them,” says the senior. “But now we have to provide the support so we can retain them. We got our foot in the door. Now we have to help students stay there and do well.” So the work continues. Every time one goal is successfully met, another appears on the list. “This work is arduous,” says Ms. Hunt. But she remains positive and committed to making sure everyone involved in district policy and programming understands the need. “This is not – and cannot be – an after-thought.”
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“ GUEST GUEST GUEST
During my time at Heights High, I found out just how important the ability to adapt and adjust to people around you from different backgrounds and cultures… that foundation really helped me thrive in my television career…The diversity of the district really opened my eyes to a different world.
ALUMNI ALUMNI ALUMNI CLASS OF ’73, HOF 2000 Child Psychiatrist
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THE HEIGHTS MAGAZINE
Sports Reporter - Producer
“
The diversity of people I grew up with in grade school through high school has certainly impacted my life for the better. I realized this as soon as I went to college and then on to grad school; this was a unique and special situation, and I was truly fortunate. Since high school, I have gone through life living in many different rural and urban areas, and I believe that my experience in Cleveland Heights has made me a better person, and I really appreciate that now that I am older.
“
The diversity of Heights (and that of the jazz community) no doubt contributed to me thriving and having a ball as I traveled the world with an older and mostly black entourage… My life maturing at Heights High continued as an advantage through an enjoyable 33-year career as a member and leader of a Greater Cleveland police department.
“
“
LEE I. ASCHERMAN MD, MPH
CLASS OF ’98, HOF 2020
RICK PORRELL0 CLASS OF ’80
Author - Screenwriter - Musician Former Police Officer
“
“
Growing up in the Heights indelibly impressed upon me the value and power that arises from an embrace of diversity. I gained conviction that actualizing these values is the best weapon against the harsh threat to individuals, families, communities and the world when prejudice and discrimination win out over respect and a true embrace of equality.
“
VOICES VOICES VOICES
SCOTT PENNYMAN
LISA LANNING CLASS OF ’82 Scientist
FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY, AND ACROSS THE DECADES, ALUMNI SHARE THEIR REFLECTIONS ON THE POSITIVE IMPACT OF ATTENDING A DIVERSE SCHOOL LIKE CLEVELAND HEIGHTS HIGH SCHOOL.
LISA LIPKIN BALSER
Talent & Inclusion Executive
“
I would not be the person I am today without the background and experiences I had growing up in the Heights school systems… I’m grateful every day that I have the confidence and humility needed to interact with anyone from a culture different than my own. Those experiences helped shape my political and world view, allowing me to see that without equity and inclusion, organizations and societies disintegrate, rather than grow.
“
ANDREW McBRIDE
“
…the wisdom that I (learned) at Heights High...set me apart from everyone else I’ve ever met since. Love, acceptance and awareness were the life-lasting gifts that growing up in Cleveland Heights gave to me.
ERIC COLLINS
CLASS OF ’85
CLASS OF ’87, HOF 2010
Certified Diversity Executive
Sports Broadcaster
“
I come from an adoptive bi-racial family who experienced many challenges in our early years before finally settling in Cleveland Heights. It was because of the diversity and acceptance within the Heights, that I was able to thrive and succeed.
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“
CLASS OF ’98
“
LOIS BELL CASTILLO
“
I loved Heights and took for granted that people could — and should — embrace friendships with people who don’t look the same. Until I got to college, I didn’t realize that this was not the norm.
“
“
I knew Heights was magical because this was my first educational experience where everyone belonged regardless of their ethnic, religious, or racial backgrounds.
SEAN SULLIVAN
CLASS OF ’85
CLASS OF ’88, HOF 2018
Financial Planning Executive
Educator
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“
KELLY BULLOCK DAUGHERTY
ALEXIS ABRAMSON PHD
Educator - Coach - Author
College Dean and Engineer
“
CARMEN McGUGAN DANIEL
“
“
“
I spent my entire 1st-12th grade life (I skipped kinder!) in the CHUH school system…It has been a privilege to use my professional expertise in research, analysis, consulting, higher education, and marketing as I carried out my vision for the Black Lives Voter Guide…I choose to be an active participant in the liberation of systemically marginalized people.
KEVIN HILL CLASS OF ’95
Community Organizer - Nonprofit Founder
CLASS OF ’91, HOF 2008
“
I graduated with an appreciation of diversity in all its forms that has served as a base of reference for the rest of my life…(and) led to a lifelong dedication to fighting for health care access - both internationally and now here in Cleveland.
“
CLASS OF ’90, HOF 2020
At Monticello Middle School, Mrs. Cavor, Principal, and Ms. Iverson, English teacher, showed and modeled strong Black women leadership and helped me to believe in myself… Mrs. Sandra Dixon… told me to live for and in my purpose and it didn’t matter what other people thought. Those lessons I learned, changed my life…I am now finishing my doctoral degree (May 2021) in Educational Leadership and Innovation and am determined to be a champion for students and a change leader in the field of education, all because these women never saw me as invisible!
“
My experience in the Heights school system taught me that embracing diversity is not only the right thing to do, but diversity also helps us to better solve problems and design solutions.
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“
Cleveland Heights taught me how to take risks; to take on challenges; and to learn to get comfortable with being uncomfortable.
CLASS OF ’07
Doctoral Student
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BRANT SILVERS CLASS OF ’91
Public Health Consultant
GUEST ALUMNI VOICES
NEW STUDENTS ARRIVED Near the End of World War II
I
Julianna Johnston Senturia ’87
magine the setting - Heights High, still in the final grips of World War II, a war that many wondered if it would ever completely end. Mainstream media supplied many derogatory images of Japanese people, as part of war propaganda. Japanese and Japanese-American families, the vast majority of whom were U.S. citizens, were imprisoned by the United States government in ten different internment camps. Several teens who had been in the camps and were now separated from families or orphaned, were welcomed at Bellefaire Jewish Children’s Bureau (JCB) and placed as new students in the Cleveland Heights-University Heights Schools. Richard L. Golden (Formerly Goldenberg), Class of 1945, recently shared his recollections of the powerful experience about connecting to those new students arriving in 1944. Golden recalled, “Sometime during the latter part of 1944, twelve new students enrolled at Heights High... The new kids were a quiet group, looking a little confused, as they tried to get to their homerooms. ‘These new kids look different,’ was the whispered gossip in the school’s halls. These kids were called… “slant eyes” and were rudely and openly called “Japs”. It was a tense time for all of the Heights students, especially the new kids.” This is a story similar to ones we know from across the years at Heights High. “New students” have been Italian immigrants, African-American students, Nepali refugees,
Dr. Minoru Okino ’45
and many others, depending on Richard L. Golden the decade. Transitions have both challenges and opportunities. It was clear that this group of Japanese-American students needed help given the initial reception, and the opportunity to make a difference was available. “Mr. Roy Flint and Miss Helen Wallace, the Deans of Boys and Girls, took action. The ‘Guide’ group was organized, essentially a buddy system,” according to Golden. Golden formed friendships with many of the new students, and visited in later life with two fellow 1945 graduates in particular, Dr. Minoru Okino and Dr. Lindy Kawahara. Golden said of the ‘Guide’ group, “It was more than an act of help... As a result, lifelong friendships developed. The ‘new kids’, after a while, became a part of the student body of Heights.” Golden’s memories and photos have been added to the “Alumni Voices” project at the Historical Archives managed by the Heights Schools Foundation. There is so much more to this story. If you have any personal experiences to share from this time period, please contact us to add your recollections and photos to the project.
’45
Dr. Lindy Kawahara ’45 APRIL 2021
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GUEST ALUMNI VOICES
SEIZING YOUR
OPPORTUNITIES A BLUEPRINT FOR LIFE 14
By Judy Jackson Winston ’87
THE HEIGHTS MAGAZINE
M
y sophomore year was a profound one for me and during those times high school didn’t start until you were in the 10th grade. I was in a new school with new people and new possibilities and I was ecstatic. I was attending a premier high school that was an epicenter of inclusion with students of different religions, different races, skin tones and belief systems. I was a member of the one thousand strong1987 -Cleveland Heights High Class of Opportunity and I easily blended into the fusion of diversity that was representative of my class. My teachers were constantly urging me and my classmates to take advantage of the opportunities that were available to us within our school and our community and this message was reinforced by our unit principal Dr. Patricia Ackerman during our daily announcements. In 1985, life was not like what we know today in respect to technology. My peers and I didn’t have cell phones, social media or home computers because these things did not yet exist. However, I knew that one day computers would be a big part of our world and thought that I might want to one day work as a computer programmer, so I took advantage of the opportunity to learn more about the subject and took a computer class. I was a decent student who earned above average grades, I had lots of friends and acquaintances in all grades, who represented all kinds of backgrounds, races and religions but I also had a few foes. On the first day of my computer class my teacher assigned us seats and when I turned to my immediate left, I spotted her. She had attended three years of junior high school with me and we were very well acquainted because we had been in many of the same classes together. We were never really friends, but we were always cordial to each other. Our civility came to an end when we had an argument over a boy who didn’t even attend school with us. I was angry because it had gotten back to me that she had made disparaging comments about the complexion of my skin. I had been told that she said that I was too dark to be with the boy who had a light skin tone. The young man had travelled from another school to take me to lunch and the incident was the talk of the Sophomore class. I confronted her and let her know that I was offended by her alleged comments. We were of the same race and the pain that I felt from the sharp sting of colorism directed towards me from a member of my own group precipitated our argument. For the next four months we attended computer class without speaking. Soon it was April, the flowers were blooming, and the teachers and student body were beginning to wind down the semester. I was in my computer class peering out the window lost in deep thought. Our teacher had given our class quiet time to work independently on the computers or do whatever we wanted. I was busy planning in my head on where to apply for summer employment when out of
the clear blue she approached me. “Do you have a moment?” She tentatively asked. “I wanted to apologize to you. I was wrong to talk about you behind your back. I am hoping that you will accept my apology and I am also hoping that we can be friends,” she said. I was rendered speechless because I was not expecting her to apologize but I soon found my words. “Yes, I accept your apology and yes we can be friends,” I said with a wide smile. We briefly hugged and she went back to her desk. Three days later I was walking up the stairs that led to the entrance of our school when I heard the whispers. “Can you believe it? She’s dead.” I was trying to figure out who was dead and what they died from when I heard her name and my heart stopped. I wondered to myself, “what happened?” “She killed herself. Put a gun to her head and pulled the trigger,” I heard someone say. I broke down in tears and was engulfed in a bear hug, a merger of students of different races, genders and religions. We hugged, our tears falling on each other as we cried together, comforting each other, mourning the loss of our classmate who would never have the opportunity to grow old. Dr. Ackerman told the whole class about her suicide during our daily announcements. Immediately after, I went to my computer class and for 45 minutes my grief became one with my class. We did not speak one solitary word and there were no other sounds, with the exception of the blend of different pitches of cries that came from me and my fellow classmates and served as the background to our teacher’s loud sobs. I looked at her empty seat through my blurry tears and at that moment I realized that when my teachers and unit principal referred to the opportunities that were available to my class, they meant much more than just jobs, colleges and career choices. They were talking about being that person to offer a comforting shoulder to someone in need and taking the opportunity to treat the people around us with kindness while also being a listening ear. It is through her death that I had an epiphany. I no longer wanted to be a computer programmer, I now wanted to be a mental health professional. At that moment I decided that I would use this traumatic experience to help other kids who were feeling lost, hopeless and confused. I am proud to say that I took the advice of my teachers and unit principal and used every available opportunity presented to me to reach my goals. I will never forget her or the lessons that were reinforced by her untimely death: that we have the opportunity to decide how we want to live our lives, how we want to treat others, and it is up to us to seize the moment and make every opportunity count. By Judy Jackson Winston, Class of 1987, MSSA, LISW-S, Esq., who is also known as JJ Winston the author of fiction novels, The Anniversary and The Commemoration and the non-fiction The Anniversary Behavioral Health Guide and Workbook. Connect with JJ Winston by visiting her website at novelistjjwinston.com or follow her on social media@novelistjjwinston.
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CHANGE AND ENGAGEMENT By Dorian Martin ’14
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THE HEIGHTS MAGAZINE
M
y name is Dorian Martin and I am a lifelong resident of Cleveland Heights and CHHS alum, Class of 2014. I’ve been fortunate to see the city’s growth through the different stages of my life. Through the CHUH school system I’ve been able to make friends with men and women of many races and ethnicities. In kindergarten, I remember trading “Lunchables” for anything from African dishes to sushi. As an adult, I’ve seen Cleveland Heights from a different perspective. I see the cultural diversity and sense of community, but what I really see is an opportunity to be greater. Unfortunately, last summer was filled with acts of brutality against AfricanAmericans from police. With the growing use of social media it’s becoming easier for the world to see what we’ve known to be true since the civil rights movement. On May 25th, George Floyd was murdered by Minneapolis police and social media made his execution accessible on our cellphones. My friends and family were outraged that once again another white police officer might get away with killing an African-American man in cold blood. My friends and I protested in Cleveland Heights and were surprised by the turnout of community members. At city hall, the organizers and government officials spoke to the crowd. But the words from officials felt hollow and filled me with the uneasy feeling that nothing was going to change - and the cycle of systemic racism in this country, and specifically in my backyard, would continue. After the march, we decided that now was the time to stand up and make our community greater. If we sat by and watched life after life continue to be lost, no change could come. With our voices, we started to finally address the issues that African-Americans experience in such a culturally diverse city. The color of your skin could determine how you are treated by police - who you’ve been taught since safety-town are supposed to protect us. Imagine how it feels when fellow citizens of this city clutch their purses or cross the street when they see us. In June, we put our heads together to create a march of our own. This time the venue was the Coventry area, specifically the police department on Superior Road. We marched from Coventry Peace Park to the police station and back but we didn’t walk alone - at least 1000 people came to march with us and hear our stories. I am most proud that we gave a local family affected by police brutality the time to speak in front of the crowd to share their perspective. My goal in Safer Heights is to create a dialogue that will unite neighborhoods. Working together is the only way to ensure the vision of Cleveland Heights: that “all are welcome”.
March for Safer Heights June 14, 2020. Our first event brought around 1000 people to Coventry to stand with us to confront injustice in Cleveland Heights.
Big thanks to @jj_icecreamandcafe for welcoming Safer Heights with open arms & allowing us to co-sponsor the shop’s 3rd annual Back-to-School Drive. Together we gave 100 backpacks and school supplies to the community.
Learn more about Safer Heights and its work in the community at SaferHeights.com
Safer Heights is a Black youth led organization in Cleveland Heights. We aim to confront injustice, racism, and violent policing by building power through direct engagement with our friends, family, neighbors and other members of the community. We can make Cleveland Heights safer for everyone, no matter the color of your skin. Through the power of grassroots organizing, we aim to challenge local policies that perpetuate racial inequity & by advocating for the reallocation of funds towards public safety alternatives to policing. We are committed to community empowerment and building a Safer Heights for our Black residents specifically, and ultimately for all residents.
Safer Heights helps @Tigernation4strongschools pass out info on issue 69 on voter day.
#TIGERNATIONINDIVISIBLE
DISTRICT NEWS OXFORD ELEMENTARY
Grant to Fund ‘Oxford HUB’ After School Program The district premiered new after school enrichment programs funded by two additional 21st Century state grants: Oxford HUB and Boulevard Blast. Oxford HUB’s online program is designed to focus on social-emotional well-being and provide kids a fun gathering space while they’re isolated from friends and extended family. Each week is organized around a specific theme with guided activities, games and projects with opportunities for “sneaky learning.” The first week of the program was animal themed; students made nests out of natural materials they could find outside their homes like sticks, twigs, leaves and mud.
BOULEVARD ELEMENTARY
‘Boulevard Blast’ Focuses on Student Wholeness Boulevard Blast, a new after school enrichment program, is organized around a weekly theme and goal of developing students academically, socially and emotionally. During Health and Wellness week, students practiced yoga, learned mindfulness strategies, and ate healthy snacks. For their first monthly service project, students painted their own versions of “The Ladybug Flower” by Cristin Coffey with supplies dropped off at their homes. The finished artwork was delivered to a local nursing home along with letters of encouragement for residents to enjoy.
FAIRFAX ELEMENTARY
Students Bond Over Shared Virtual Lunch Breaks
At Fairfax Elementary School, a group of 4th grade students were so enjoying their Title I class on a particular Friday that they asked if they could stay online to eat their lunch together. Their teacher, Conny Meier, agreed and decided to bring her lunch along as well. They took a few minute break, each heading to their kitchens to fix a plate, and returned to laugh and share and bond in a relaxed atmosphere. They had such fun that they decided to make it a weekly Lunch Bunch. “We’re really thinking out of the box to create as many opportunities for students to build relationships as possible.” said Ms. Meier.
CANTERBURY ELEMENTARY FAST Program Engages Families at Home
GEARITY PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SCHOOL
Extra Outreach to English Language Learner Families Remote schooling has posed challenges for parents and students across the district but some of those challenges are greater than others. “When this was all starting back in March, I immediately realized that these families can’t understand all the district emails and probably have no idea what’s going on.” said Heather Higham, counselor at Gearity Professional Development School, who has been particularly concerned about the growing population of English Language learners at her school. Gearity began translating their entire school bulletin into written Spanish and audio-recorded translations each week along with making numerous home visits to assist individual families. One bright spot has been the addition of Spanish language instruction as a curricular “special” at Gearity as the new Spanish teacher Ms. Juana Cuervo’s assistance has been a lifesaver.
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THE HEIGHTS MAGAZINE
The Families And Schools Together program, known as FAST, has been a staple at Canterbury Elementary for more than a decade. FAST offers an opportunity for parents and children to bond with one another while making connections with fellow families, school staff and community partners. Ms. Napier, who has facilitated FAST at Canterbury for the past five years, stepped up to the plate to offer the eight week program remotely this school year. She delivered everything needed to participate to the homes of families, including activity materials and instructions so they could easily engage in fun family time and Giant Eagle gift cards to purchase ingredients and prepare a meal together. “The community meal is a huge part of the FAST program,” reports Ms. Napier, and she didn’t want to lose that; the act of eating a similar meal helps the families bond with one another and builds community.
DISTRICT NEWS ROXBORO ELEMENTARY
MONTICELLO MIDDLE SCHOOL
History is all around us. That’s the message that district parent Dr. Derrick Williams has wanted to drive home for the elementary students at Oxford and Roxboro Elementary Schools during Black History Month. For the past four years, the professor of Communications Studies at Tri-C and father to two Rox El students has created a dynamic video presentation titled “Mapping Black History in Cleveland: 20 People in 21 Minutes.” Accompanied by 1st grader Ella and 5th grader Meldrrick, the Williams family used photographs, maps and plenty of laughter to introduce students to 20 famous African Americans who have some connection to Cleveland.
For every month of Monticello Middle School’s Learners Become Leaders program, teachers infuse one AVID strategy and one IB Approach to Learning skill throughout the entire building. Aligned with each quarter’s theme, students attend speaker series featuring virtual visits from guest speakers and district leaders such as Superintendent Elizabeth Kirby, University Heights Mayor Michael Brennan, and Cleveland Heights Judge J.J. Costello. The program includes a Service Learning component, designed to grow students’ international perspective and capacity to think critically and act compassionately in a complex world.
NOBLE & ROXBORO ELEMENTARY
HEIGHTS HIGH SCHOOL
Elementary music teacher Jenna Tucker engaged her 4th and 5th grade students at Roxboro and Noble Elementary in a series of lessons about how music heals and helps people express their gratitude, pain, hope or happiness. Ms. Tucker invited students to form a special “virtual choir” class to put their voices to good use. Students learned the vocal components of the inspirational song “Rise Up” by Andra Day as well as the technical skills necessary to record their individual parts for Ms. Tucker to combine them all into one project. The virtual performance can be seen on the district’s Youtube channel at: Youtube.com/CHUHSchools
Heights High art students are adding a bit of beauty to the world during the coronavirus pandemic. Studio art teachers Laura Skehan and Nancy Rich partnered with community leaders from the Millikin neighborhood to create murals to adorn the side of the old school building near what is now a well-used playground and park. Eleven standout student designs that represented the neighborhood’s vibrancy and diversity were chosen for installation. Junior Thalia Lisowski, whose image of a girl measuring the height of a giant flower was included in the mural, was inspired by her own “experiences growing up in the Heights with art easily visible throughout local parks and neighborhoods.”
Parent Helps Students Map Black History in Cleveland
Students Perform “Rise Up”
Where Learners Become Leaders
Studio Art Paints Community Mural at Millikin
APRIL 2021
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Students have had many “back-to-school” days this year with changes in format adapting to the pandemic. The majority of students were back to school in person in a “hybrid” format, and then phased in full time in person attendance over the course of the semester.
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THE HEIGHTS MAGAZINE
APRIL 2021
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THE GREAT HEIGHTS
‘GIVE BACK’
A CLASS YEAR COMPETITION OF GENEROSITY
A
nnouncing The Great Heights Give Back – a friendly competition amongst graduates. Throughout 2021, we’ll track all individual alumni and Class donations to Heights Schools Foundation’s “Highest Need Fund” that helps ensure today’s students have the same opportunities that we had. Each month, we’ll make awards to the top three classes who are the most generous graduates. Subscribe to Heights Schools Foundation’s E-news to make sure you see the rankings! Your donations will go to the top priorities that help kids thrive in Cleveland Heights-University Heights Schools today. Whether it is classroom grants to make teaching more effective and engaging, transportation to increase equity and access to programs afterschool, or scholarships for graduating seniors or remote learning centers –
the fund is there to meet those strategic needs. Awards will be based on number of donors as well as total amount given, and a special “class spirit” award will be given to classes that share the challenge through their class or reunion social media, email lists or website – just send us a copy or link at info@heightsschoolsfoundation.org to nominate your class. Besides the generosity glow, and feeling good that your donations help students today have the same kinds of impactful experiences that you did, winning classes will get a special social media and E-News shout outs. To help boost your class, make a donation and indicate it is designated for the Great Heights Give Back, along with class year and month. In addition to monthly winners, at the close of 2021, we’ll announce overall winning classes!
PLEASE ACCEPT MY DONATION IN THE AMOUNT OF_ $______________________________________________
Name_____________________________________________________________________________ Class of________________________________________ Address___________________________________________________________________________ Phone_________________________________________ City / State / Zip__________________________________________________________________ Email__________________________________________ Mail your donation to: Heights Schools Foundation - 2155 Miramar Boulevard, University Heights, Ohio 44118 or make your donation online at: HeightsSchoolsFoundation.org
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THE HEIGHTS MAGAZINE
REUNION INFO
REUNIONS HAVE BEEN POSTPONED, BUT RECONNECTION DOESN’T NEED TO BE! Consider new ways to “see” old classmates.
Many classes have Facebook groups and others have websites. Creating a virtual meet-up, through emails, social media or services like Zoom is easier than you think, free or low cost.
CLASS of JAN. & JUNE 1960
CLASS of 1971
For more information
More Details to Follow
60TH REUNION More Details to Follow
Alan Goodman: 216.456.2486 Email agoodman@aiglaw.com Sharon Leiberman Levey Email shrnlev@aol.com
CLASS of 1961
60TH REUNION More Details to Follow For more information
Allan Fried Email allanao@aol.com Dave Bunkin Email 0042rbd@gmail.com
CLASS of 1965 Not sure how to find your classmates? Join the main “Cleveland Heights High Graduates” group on Facebook, and put up a post asking people from your class to comment!
Planning a reunion event?
55TH REUNION Postponed Until 2022 for the 75th Birthday Reunion More Details to Follow For more information
Elaine Silver Email esilverrn@roadrunner.com
If you are the contact for your graduating class or reunion committee, email info@heightsschoolsfoundation.org We often receive requests to reach out to other classes to consider combining years for reunions.
CLASS of 1980 & 1981 40TH REUNION Thanksgiving Weekend with Class of 1981 November 27, 2021 The Agora For more information Web chhsreunion.net
CLASS of 1990
30TH REUNION Homecoming Weekend October 15-16, 2021 More Details to Follow For more information Facebook ../groups/chhclassof1990 Email chhs1990reunion@gmail.com
CLASS of 1991
Please update your contact information at
30TH REUNION More Details to Follow
clevelandheights65.com
For more information Facebook ../groups/chhclassof1990
Update us on the details for future publications and our website. Send a note to info@heightsschoolsfoundation.org.
50TH REUNION October 8-9, 2021
CLASS of 1970
Email chhs1990reunion@gmail.com
50TH REUNION More Details to Follow For more information
Enid Gurney Email enidgurney7@gmail.com APRIL 2021
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OCTOBER 15-16, 2021
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Homecoming Weekend featuring The Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame celebration, Friday night football game, Heights open house and many ways to connect.
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