December 20, 2024

From festive dress-down days and concerts to holiday parties and mischievous elf shenanigans, we’ve had an amazing week spreading holiday cheer! Now it’s time to rest and recharge. Reaching New Heights will be back up and running on January 10.

As we head into Winter Break, please note that our school offices will be closed from December 21 through January 5. We will reopen on Monday, January 6.

If you have an urgent concern during this time, feel free to reach out to us at admin@cuyhts.org.

Wishing you a joyful, relaxing holiday season filled with peace and happiness!

From the Desk of Superintendent Young

Dear CHS Community,

As we wrap up 2024 and prepare for winter break, I want to take a moment to express gratitude for another remarkable year. Our school community continues to demonstrate the power of working together - from our dedicated staff and hardworking students to our supportive families and community members.

The holiday season is a time for reflection, and we have much to be proud of. Through challenges and celebrations alike, our community continues to show remarkable resilience, compassion, and commitment to educational excellence. These qualities make our district truly special and create an environment where our students can thrive.

As we look ahead to 2025, I'm filled with optimism about the opportunities that await our students and staff. Whether you're traveling or staying close to home this winter break, I hope you find time to rest, recharge, and enjoy moments with family and friends. From all of us at CHS, we wish you a joyful holiday season and a very happy new year.

See you in 2025!

Matt Young

Superintendent

CHS TIP OF THE WEEK: Maintaining Learning During Winter Break

Winter break provides a well-deserved rest, but it's also important to keep minds active during this time. Maintaining some learning activities during break helps prevent academic regression while still allowing for plenty of holiday fun. Here are some tips for engaging learning during the break:

Preschool-5th Grade:

• Read holiday stories together daily

• Practice math through cooking and baking

• Keep a winter break journal with drawings and writings

• Play educational games as a family

6th-8th Grade:

• Set aside 20 minutes daily for reading

• Watch educational documentaries of interest

• Practice real-world math through shopping and budgeting

• Work on a creative project or hobby

9th-12th Grade:

• Read ahead for next semester's literature

• Review first-semester challenging concepts

• Work on college or work applications

• Explore potential career interests through research

For All Students:

• Balance academic activities with relaxation

• Use travel time for educational games or discussions

• Take advantage of local learning opportunities

• Maintain regular sleep schedules

Remember, learning can be fun and informal during break while still being valuable. Enjoy this special time with family while keeping minds active!

Our CHampion Staff

Aurey Labenz
I am proud to be celebrating my 25th year at Cuyahoga Heights Schools. I started my career here as a middle school teacher before transitioning to the role of elementary school counselor. For the past 18 years, I’ve had the privilege of serving as the middle school counselor. Before joining Cuyahoga Heights, I taught middle school at Cleveland Municipal Schools.

I grew up in Liberty, Ohio, and earned my bachelor’s degree from Kent State University and my master’s degree in school counseling from Cleveland State University. In 2000, I married my husband, Larry, and we have two wonderful sons. Drew is a junior studying mechanical engineering at the University of Cincinnati, and Michael is a freshman studying business finance at The Ohio State University.

Outside of school, Audrey enjoys spending time with her family, friends, and her mini-Goldendoodle, Ortley.

Jessica Satterlee
This is my 13th year at CHES and my 22nd year in education—time flies when you're doing what you love! I graduated from Wittenberg University with a Bachelor’s in Psychology and earned my Master’s in School Counseling from the University of Akron. Being an Elementary School Counselor is my absolute passion, but if I could pick another dream job, I’d be on Broadway! Luckily, I get a little taste of the spotlight as one of the directors of the Wolf Pup Drama Club.

I live in Cuyahoga Falls with my husband, Cale, and our two energetic boys—6-year-old Asher and 5-year-old Bowie. When I’m not at school, you’ll find me watching movies, browsing the aisles at Target, or playing with my kids. And in a few more days, I’ll be celebrating my birthday!

Holly Thrasher
I am in my fifth year at Cuyahoga Heights High School and my 12th year as a school counselor. Before coming to Cuyahoga Heights, I spent seven years as a counselor at Brecksville-Broadview Heights High School and four years as a math teacher at Mayfield Middle School.

I grew up in North Royalton and graduated from North Royalton High School. I earned my bachelor’s degree from Ashland University and my master’s degree from Cleveland State University. Outside of school, I love spending time with my family and friends. My husband, Bryan, and I have two wonderful children. Jocelyn is in fifth grade, and Mason is in third.

DISTRICT NEWS

The 7th and 8th graders had a fantastic time celebrating their 2nd quarter achievements at an Ice Cream Social, generously sponsored by the PTO. Students enjoyed delicious sundaes while listening to holiday music and embracing the festive season with friends.

A heartfelt thank you goes to Carolyn Pajestka for her outstanding coordination of the event. We deeply appreciate all that you and the PTO do to support our students across the district.

A special shout-out to Mr. Kovitch and Mr. Tartara for serving up ice cream all afternoon and making the day even sweeter.

Calling all families! Do you have a student in the spring play? Or are you a community member interested in volunteering? Please join us for an informational meeting on Tuesday, January 7 at 6:00pm in the orchestra room. Topics covered include information about the play, set construction, program ad sales, bake sales, star gram sales, tech week dinners, and prop donations. Any set construction questions can be directed to Jen D’Amico at damico06@yahoo.com. All other questions can be directed to Mrs. Brown, gbrown@cuyhts.org. We hope to see you there!

Save the date! CHS got Talent will be a fun family friendly event to support the CHS Music Boosters! Tickets for the event go on sale soon. We are currently in need of basket raffle items, volunteers and acts, so if you or your kids want to sing, dance, play an instrument, juggle, do a gymnastics routine, volunteer, whatever - sign up today!

https://cuyhtsmusic.ptboard.com/sgnvw?signup=75b83403-ed25-464c-9fff-5d468547a435~s.9223370308278722173

Important Update for Current Tuition Families:
We are excited to begin the registration process for the 2025-2026 school year at Cuyahoga Heights Local Schools! To help us plan and determine space availability, we ask all families participating in our Tuition Program to complete the Tuition Interest Form by December 20, 2024.

Important Update for Prospective Tuition Families:
If you're interested in joining Cuyahoga Heights Local Schools for the upcoming school year, please note that the completion date of the Tuition Interest Form will serve as your official request date, contingent on space availability. Final enrollment will also require completion of the full registration process, which opens in January 2025.

Whether your student is returning or not, a separate form must be completed for each child. This ensures we have accurate information for planning.

Submit the Tuition Interest Form here: TUITION INTEREST FORM

Thank you for choosing Cuyahoga Heights Local Schools, where we help every student reach new heights!

CO-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

The CHHS Music Department will be embarking on a trip to the Windy City on March 28-31, 2026. Any student who will be in grades 9-12, who is in good academic and behavioral standing with the school, and will be enrolled in a music program, during or after school, for the whole year or season, during the 2025-2026 school year will be eligible to go. This includes the curricular Band, Choir, or Orchestra classes, and also includes students in the co-curricular activities Marching Band, Red Rubies, Jazz Band, Scarlet Angels, Electric Orchestra, and Drama Club.

We will have an informational meeting on Tuesday, December 3 at 6 p.m. in the CHHS Media Center (there were some earlier communications that this would occur on Monday, the 2nd, but it was moved to Tuesday, the 3rd). Noteworthy Tours will be there to explain the details of the trip, the payment process, and answer any questions.

If you wish to sign your student up for the trip, please complete the Google Form below by Thursday, December 19.

Sign My Student Up for the Trip!

COMMUNITY

The Village of Brooklyn Heights is currently looking to hire for the positions of:

• Art in the Park Supervisor ($19.97 per hour)
  

• Art in the Park Assistant Supervisor ($19.97 per hour)

Details can be found here. Those interested should email Thea Guilfoyle at tguilfoyle@brooklynhts.org or call the office at 216-739-3702.

ALUMNI HAPPENINGS

Cuyahoga Heights Schools is proud to congratulate Julia Harris, CHHS Class of 2021, on her outstanding academic achievements. Julia graduated Summa Cum Laude from The Ohio State University with a 3.96 GPA in Pharmaceutical Sciences. She will continue her studies at Ohio Dominican University to pursue graduate work and become a Physician Assistant.

Julia’s success is celebrated not only by her alma mater but also by her CHHS alumni parents, Steve (Class of 1987) and Tina (Class of 1990).

As the Class of 2025 enters their final year at Cuyahoga Heights, we are also rolling out the red carpet for the Classes of 1950, 1975 and 2000! Whether you rocked poodle skirts, bell-bottoms, or cargo pants during your high school days, we want to hear from you!

🎓 Class of 1950: Celebrating 75 years of wisdom!

🎓 Class of 1975: Half a century of memories!

🎓 Class of 2000: A quarter-century of adulting!

We want to bring your high school memories back to life. Throughout the year, we'll be reaching out to you, our alumni, to share your stories as we relive the school year, one nostalgic moment at a time.

Are you (or someone you know) a proud graduate from these classes? We want to hear from you!

🍂 Fall Flashback: Share Your Back-to-School Memories! 🍂

As leaves start to turn and school bells ring again, we're diving into your first-quarter memories. Send us your stories and snapshots of:

• Pep rallies that got your school spirit soaring

• Fall sports triumphs and team bonding moments

• Homecoming festivities that still make you smile

• Typical school day shenanigans

• Fashion statements that defined your era

• Hairstyles that were totally "in" (no judgments, we promise!)

Whether it's a faded photograph, a vivid memory, or a hilarious anecdote, we want it all! Help us create a time capsule of Cuyahoga Heights Schools through the decades.

Ready to take a trip down memory lane? Send your stories and photos using this link. 

#CHSAlumniLegacy #DecadesOfExcellence

STAY IN THE LOOP

We're excited to introduce a new addition to our Friday e-newsletter to help families stay in the loop. To make your life easier, we've created a dedicated section that serves as a one-stop shop for all the essential apps and tools you regularly need. Here, you'll find quick access to everything from reporting absences and tracking school buses to adding money to lunch accounts and more. We hope this centralized resource will save you time and make managing your child's school-related tasks more convenient.

Know someone who would enjoy receiving our weekly e-newsletter?
Share this link with them!

REACHING NEW HEIGHTS E-NEWSLETTER SIGN-UP