Three Students Named National Merit Scholars Heights High School seniors
Remy Bourbeau, William Larkin, and Gus Szpak have been named National Merit Scholars.
Gus and Remy are Merit Scholar Semifinalists in the 2025 competition and have the opportunity to advance to the finalist level and qualify for the National Merit Scholarship. Only about 16,000 semifinalists were recognized nationally,
Resource Center Celebrates Grand Opening at Back-to-School Fair
The new Heights Family Resource Center is more than a place where CHUH students’ families can stop in to pick up needed household items, shelfstable food, toiletries, clothing or school supplies -- though it is definitely that. It is also a central location for learning and connecting.
Instrumental in bringing the HFRC to life were the district’s Family Engagement Specialist Lisa Hunt, Supervisor of Community and School Partnerships Nancy Peppler, Oxford’s Community Learning Center
National Construction Program Comes to Heights High
Heights High School has partnered with Tremco Construction Products Group, a global construction products manufacturer, to give students hands-on experience in the field.
Tremco’s Rising Stars Program is designed to empower the next generation by providing opportunities for sustainable careers in construction. Led by industry veterans, the curriculum includes seminars and training in carpentry, project management, solar panel installation, roofing, construction management and architecture.
CLEVELAND HEIGHTS • UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS CITY SCHOOLS
representing less than 1% of U.S. high school students.
William is a Commended Student, placing among the top 5% of students who entered the competition.
More than 1.3 million students entered the competition by taking the Preliminary SAT/ National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test in the fall of their junior year.
CH-UH Preschools Earn Highest Rating From State
The preschool programs at Noble Elementary School and Gearity Professional Development School have once again been awarded five-star ratings by the Ohio
coordinator Sabrina Ollie, and Noble’s CLC coordinator Tenille Threatt. The group visited similar spaces in Ohio and as far away as Kansas. “It became clear that this was what we needed,” said Superintendent Liz Kirby.
The HFRC held its soft launch in May 2024 and served as the gathering point for the district’s Back to School Fair in August, at which hundreds of families received resources and school supplies, and met local partners.
Donations can be made through the Heights Schools Foundation, which allows Center staff to purchase needed
Department of Education & Workforce Step Up To Quality division.
Step Up To Quality is a tiered system created to recognize and promote early learning and development programs that meet quality standards over and above the basic licensing requirements. The District’s third preschool program at Oxford Elementary School also holds a five-star rating.
items most efficiently. If you’d like to donate, please use the QR code below or visit tinyurl.com/hfrcdonate.
Heights High School is the first host site for Rising Stars in the Cleveland area. Sixteen Heights High students are enrolled in Rising Stars, which is housed by the 21st Century TASSEL program at Heights.
“One of the great things about the Rising Stars Program is that it gives our students a foot in the door,” said Dr. Brandon Towns, Heights High School Principal. “Having early, hands-on exposure to different career opportunities breaks down barriers and builds confidence.”
(L-R: William Larkin, Remy Bourbeau, Gus Szpak)
Letter From The Superintendent
Dear Heights Community,
I hope everyone is enjoying a wonderful holiday season and spending time with family, friends, and loved ones. I’m writing to share more exciting things happening in our school community as we continue the 2024-2025 school year.
The CH-UH City School District’s theme this year is Heights United. The mantra highlights our community’s strength, stability, and progress. Unity is essential because it is only together that we can tackle challenges and overcome obstacles. I have seen this truth come to life time after time here in the Heights, and I couldn’t be prouder of this community.
I am particularly proud to share that the 4-year graduation rate for the Heights High School Class of 2023 (the most recent data from the state) was 90.3%. This is our highest 4-year graduation rate since 2010. We are working hard to get this number to 95% per our 2026 Strategic Plan. But beyond that, we are committed to ensuring that all students are known, loved and supported to achieve college and career success.
All of the dreams we have for our students begin with good school attendance, and that’s why Tiger Nation joined the Cleveland Browns Stay in the Game! Attendance
69 Heights High Students Named AP Scholars
Nearly 70 members of the Heights High School Classes of 2024, 2025, and 2026 have been recognized by the College Board for their outstanding performance in Advanced Placement classes from last year. This is the highest number of scholars recognized in the last eight test administrations.
• 35 AP Scholars: For earning scores of 3 or higher on three or more exams.
• 11 AP Scholars with Honor: For earning an average score of at least 3.25 on all AP exams taken, and scores of 3 or higher on four or more exams.
• 23 AP Scholars with Distinction: For receiving an average score of 3.5 or higher on all exams taken, and scores of 3 or higher on five or more exams.
Marcus Holland, Class of 2024, has the distinct honor of being awarded the AP International Diploma. The AP International Diploma is a globally recognized certificate awarded to students who display exceptional achievement across a variety of disciplines.
Awards Across the District for PBIS Efforts
Each school in the CH-UH City School District has earned the Bronze PBIS Recognition Award from the Ohio Department of Education & Workforce and the Ohio PBIS Network for the 2023-2024 school year.
Network this year. During Homecoming Weekend, beloved Browns mascot Chomps joined more than 1,000 students, teachers, parents, and community members to march in the parade from Fairfax to the high school. Dozens of students also stopped by the Stay in the Game table before kickoff to fill out attendance pledge cards. The Tigers capped off a great evening by winning the game against Brunswick, 20-17.
I wish you all the best in 2025, and I thank you for your continued partnership and support.
Sincerely,
Superintendent Liz Kirby
PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports) is a researchbased system that utilizes a positive approach to discipline, which leads to a reduction in referrals that decrease instructional time for students. PBIS provides a strategic way for staff to celebrate positive behavior.
“This award is a testament to our staff’s dedication to implementing PBIS with fidelity, to our students’ focus on achieving their goals, and to our families’ commitment to their children’s success,” said Superintendent Liz Kirby.
Finance Department Earns Awards of Excellence
The CH-UH City School District’s finance department has been awarded the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting for the 21st consecutive year.
The award was given by the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada. The Certificate of Achievement is the highest form of recognition in the area of governmental accounting and financial reporting.
Additionally, for the 23rd straight year, the Association of School Business Officials International has awarded CH-UH its Certificate of Excellence in Financial Reporting for having met the program’s high standards for financial reporting and accountability.
Both awards were received for the department’s Annual Comprehensive Financial Report for fiscal year 2023.
Nice Work To All!
Educators Earn Master Teacher Designation
Four CH-UH teachers earned their Ohio Master Teacher designation in 2024. According to the state, a Master Teacher demonstrates excellence inside and outside of the classroom through consistent leadership and focused collaboration to maximize student learning.
Initials:
• Heights High School Mandarin Chinese teacher Dr. Shu Hui Lin
• Canterbury Elementary School/Oxford Elementary School Spanish teacher Jessica Valentino-Artman
Renewals:
• Roxboro Middle School social studies teacher Yolanda Harris
• Heights High School English teacher Courtney White
Heights Scores Big Hit With ‘Big Fish’
More than 200 student actors, musicians, and stage crew came together to bring the Heights fall musical, Big Fish, to the stage this November. The performances showcased the diverse artistic talents of the district’s middle and high school students through the family-friendly, beloved story of a man’s larger-than-life tales.
Fairfax Hosts Kiddie Concerts
Watching a mini concert by Heights High’s band and orchestra inspired a 4th grader to pick up her cello again. And a group of 3rd graders eagerly wondered when they’d be old enough to start playing, too. The answer is the very next school year. “That’s exactly the point” of these Kiddie Concerts, said Heights High orchestra teacher Dan Heim. “The goal is to demonstrate how cool it is to play a musical instrument.”
Boulevard Besties Teachers’ Tale
At their core, schools are all about relationships. Sometimes, those relationships span decades. During Julie DeViney’s kindergarten year at Oxford Elementary in the 1980s, her class welcomed a new student teacher, Ms. Betsy Race. Decades later, fate would have it that Ms. Race and Julie, now Mrs. Walker, both ended up at Boulevard Elementary as educators. Now, they are “each other’s person,” said Ms. Race.
Governor DeWine Visits Oxford Elementary
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and First Lady Fran DeWine visited Oxford Elementary School to meet students receiving new prescription eyeglasses through the work of Vision to Learn, a CH-UH school
Scott’s 3 Things
At each regular Board of Education meeting, Chief Financial Officer Scott Gainer presents his “3 Things,” breaking down the complexities of school funding into useful and digestible bites. Here are a few recent topics:
1) Five-Year Forecast
The Five-Year Forecast uses historical and projected financial data to communicate and assess the financial health of a school district. The Five-Year Forecast must be submitted to the state at least twice a year, although CH-UH prepares this report monthly. View it at: chuh.org/FinanceDevelopment_home.aspx.
partner. As the pilot site for the partnership, Oxford welcomed the Vision to Learn team in March, who screened each student and returned a few weeks later to complete follow-up exams. In all, 91 students were found to need glasses - nearly a third of all Oxford students.
Heights High Students Attend National School-Based Health Care Conference
Two students and four MetroHealth schoolbased nurses traveled to Washington, D.C., in July for the annual Youth Advisory Training program. Addison Hart and Dashara Turner worked alongside the nurses to create and deliver a presentation detailing the work of Heights High’s Youth Advisory Council. The council has worked over the past year to address food insecurity in our community.
Students Create Film Scores for Heights Middle School Shorts Camp
Students participating in the Heights Middle School Shorts camp had the opportunity to not only learn how important music is in short films, but create the music itself. The middle schoolers worked with Tyler Maxey, a 2014 Heights graduate with a master’s degree in music composition, on writing and composing their own scores.
2) T-1 Report
The purpose of the T-1 report is for a school district to certify the actual number of students transported and the total daily miles traveled. The ODEW uses it to calculate state funding. Currently, CH-UH transports more than 1,100 of its enrolled students and more than 1,500 students who attend area non-public schools
3) EMIS
The Educational Management Information System is a statewide school data collection system. EMIS provides a uniform and consistent source of reporting data in accordance with Ohio law, including definitions, requirements, and reporting procedures.
Read more at chuh.org/3Things.aspx
2155 Miramar Boulevard
University Heights, OH 44118-3397
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Are you a Heights grad? Join fellow alumni in connecting with the Heights Schools Foundation—visit heightsschoolsfoundation.org.
Tiger Team Members of the Month
Each month, CH-UH recognizes employees who go above and beyond to inspire one another to create a culture of excellence in our district. Each Tiger Team Member of the Month was nominated by their colleagues.
For the months of June, July, and August, the District recognized all staff members who worked to provide summer programming for students in grades 2-12
Board of Education/Bus Depot/Millikin
May - Nancy Peppler
September - Sharon Rohler
Boulevard Elementary
May - Dr. John Clay
September - Genevieve Kenealy
Canterbury Elementary
May - Ben Colas
September - Mariah Lightfoot
Delisle Options Center/Tiger Virtual Acade -
my/Information Technology
May - Jeronica Bell
September - Ed Stair
Fairfax Elementary
May - Lauren Houk & Kristen Kephart
September - Traci Adeen
Gearity Elementary
May - Lisa Husain
September - Brian Stern
Heights High
May - Sobhi Awadallah
September - Kim Sudduth
Monticello Middle
May - Patience Giboney
September - Shirley Fuller
Noble Elementary
May - Erik Rozsa
September - Carol Perison-Wilson
Oxford Elementary
May - Sabrina Ollie
September - Caitlyn Klesta
Roxboro Elementary
May - Gillian Cox
September - Karen Willmitch
Roxboro Middle
May - Margaret Friedman
September - Kristen Leonard
2024 CH-UH Staff Award Winners
Teacher of the Year - Lia
AVID Teacher, Roxboro Middle School
Important Dates
Thursday, Dec. 12: Cleveland Food Bank School Market, 2-4 p.m. at Gearity
