Superintendent's Corner: Black History Month

Punxsutawney Phil told us there will be six more weeks of winter, so bundle up! We have a lot going on in the Nordonia Hills City School District to keep us warm.

Black History Month: Black History Month is an annual celebration that started in the United States in 1926. It was conceived by historian Carter G. Woodson who proposed marking a time to honor African Americans and raise awareness of Black history. The month of February was chosen to coincide with the birthdays of President Abraham Lincoln, who issued the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, and Frederick Douglas, an African American orator, social reformer, writer and abolitionist.

Since 1976, every U.S. president has officially designated February as Black History Month. Other countries around the world, including Canada and the United Kingdom, also devote a month to celebrating Black history. You may have noticed this year the Nordonia Hills City School District’s theme is "Better Together." This is also the theme for the 2023 Black History Month.

Each school will celebrate Black History Month with a variety of activities. Feel free to contact the principal of any school with questions about specific activities.

Mock Trial Finds Success: Congratulations to the NHS Mock Trial teams who are advancing to regionals to be held on Feb. 17. (See the article in this issue of the News-Leader.)

Band Performs at Severance Hall: Regarded by many music lovers as one of the world's most beautiful concert halls, Severance opened in 1931 as the home of The Cleveland Orchestra. Today, the main concert hall is known as the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Concert Hall.

On Sunday, Jan. 29, the NHS Concert Band and Wind Ensemble was selected to perform on this gorgeous stage at the 19th Annual Northeast Ohio Band Invitational. Under the direction of Tom Weaver and Eric Vasquez, the bands looked and sounded great.

Community Art Connection: Kudos to Northfield art teacher Danielle Miller and the entire district art department. The "Community Connections" project is underway. The goal of this project is to connect Nordonia community with student artists.

This month Miller dropped off three pieces of framed artwork at the Macedonia Senior Center. The art department will be dropping off more artwork to multiple businesses in the upcoming month. Some of these businesses and associations include the Macedonia Fire Department, Macedonia Police Department, Summit County Animal Hospital, Macedonia Rec Center and Crossroads Chiropractic. Beyond these associations, we am proud to say that relationships with other businesses are strengthening. Are you an area business owner or manager looking for some awesome student art work to display? Please contact Miller at danielle.miller@nordoniaschools.org.

Kindergarten Registration Now Open: If you have a child turning 5 years old on or before Aug. 1, please consider enrolling them for kindergarten as soon as possible. When parents enroll their kids early, we are able to adjust our staffing accordingly. Parents who wait to register their children until summer may have their children placed in a different building.

This year we have implemented an April 30 deadline to register for all-day kindergarten. Children not enrolled in kindergarten by April 30 will only have the part-time option. This is to assist us in planning our staffing appropriately.

To help make the registration process as easy as possible, we have compiled a packet of printable materials located at www.nordoniaschools.org. These items can also be picked up in the lobby of the Board of Education or at the Nordonia Hills Public Library. Please complete the packet prior to registering and present all forms and documents required by the Board of Education to the registrar in order for your child to be enrolled into the Nordonia Hills City School District. To schedule an individual appointment, please call Maria at 330-467-0580.

Boys Volleyball Coming to NHS: Last spring the Ohio High School Athletic Association approved the addition of boys volleyball as a state-sponsored sport. As a result of this announcement, a number of high school students asked about adding the sport at Nordonia. Our long-standing practice has been that new sports must undergo a two-year probationary period as a club team. This has been adhered to by all of our recent sport additions: bowling, hockey and gymnastics. The boys volleyball club will begin competing this spring. During the probationary period, the club’s viability will be evaluated and after two years a recommendation of elevation to varsity status will be made to the board. While under club status the program is responsible for all of its own expenses. The club must also abide by all OHSAA rules and regulations as well as Nordonia Board and Athletic Department policies.

Nordonia High School Wins Award: Nordonia High School has earned the College Board AP Computer Science Female Diversity Award for achieving high female representation in AP Computer Science A and AP Computer Science Principles. Schools honored with the award have expanded girls’ access in AP computer science courses.

In 2022, Nordonia High School was one of only 64 nationwide to be recognized for closing the gender gap in both AP computer science courses. Thank you to Samantha Fales for being an awesome AP Computer Science instructor and an excellent role model.

As always, thanks for supporting the Nordonia Schools, have a great month, and remember to follow me on Twitter @JoeSuperintend1.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Superintendent's Corner: Black History Month