GARFIELD GAZETTE

April, 2009

Mark Walter PrincipalCatherine White, Assistant PrincipalMary Kay Marcuse, CounselorAbby O’Connor, Counselor

Garfield Middle School13114 Detroit AvenueLakewood, OH 44107Phone (216) 529-4241Fax (216) 529-4146

Attendance (216) 529-4310Website: www.lakewoodcityschools.org

Lakewood Board of Education:Edward Favre, PresidentBetsy Bergen Shaughnessy, Vice PresidentLinda Beebe John KamkutisMatthew John Markling

Message from the Principal:

The staff and students have been working diligently to prepare for the Ohio Achievement Test that will begin April 21st this year. I am very pleased and proud of the planning, hard work, and diligence that the Garfield community has put forth to prepare for these very important tests. Our goal is to have each child on track to pass the Ohio Graduation Test given in the 10th grade. Last year we were ranked as an “Effective” School by the Ohio Department of Education. In addition, we performed above expected growth using the Value-Added measurement, and adequately met the yearly progress for all of our students. My belief is that we will continue this trend and that our students will excel this year.

Please note the following dates for achievement tests this year.

April 21st—Reading Test for 7th and 8th gradesApril 22nd—Math Test 8th gradeApril 23rd—Math Test 7th gradeApril 24th—Science Test 8th gradeApril 27th—Reading Test 6th gradeApril 28th—Writing Test 7th grade; Social Studies Test 8th gradeApril 29th—Math Test 6th grade

Attendance for these tests is critical and any absent or tardy students will have to makeup the test at a later date. Please make sure your child gets enough sleep, has a good breakfast, and is ready to go on test

Calendar _____ _________

April

3 Garfield Spring Play – 7:00 p.m.6 Parent /Student Washington

Trip Meeting – 7:00 p.m. - Gym10-19 Spring Break20 School resumes21-5/8 6th, 7th and 8th grade OAT testing22 PTSA Meeting – 7:00 p.m. – LRC

May

6-8 8th Grade Washington, D.C. Trip18 Celebration of Excellence –

7:30 p.m. – LHS Civic19 Orchestra Spring Concert –

7:30 p.m. – LHS Civic20 PTSA Meeting – 7:00 p.m. – LRC21 Choir/Band Spring Concert –

7:30 p.m. – LHS Civic25 Memorial Day - No School28 7th Grade “Weather Education

Day” with the Cleveland Indians

A Message from the District:

Like most every family and business these days, the Lakewood City Schools is tightening its belt. On Monday, March 16 the Board of Education approved a reduction of its 2009-2010 budget of $1.2 million or less than 2% of its overall budget.

The savings will come from across the board reductions in instructional supplies, equipment, professional development and maintenance services. It also includes the elimination of 18.5 staff positions, including 11.5 teaching positions, most of which are held by retiring personnel who will not be replaced.

“Our district has experienced a steady decline in enrollment over the last six years, and as responsible stewards of the taxpayers’ money, we must continue to downsize the staff accordingly,” said Superintendent David C. Estrop.

The smaller budget is being accomplished without any major reductions in programming. In fact, by re-allocating funds, the district has been able to add extended day kindergarten at all seven of its elementary schools for next year.

While the district is in stable financial condition, the Board and Administration felt it prudent to trim expenses at this time given the general financial uncertainties facing everyone.

“We are always looking for ways to contain our budget and save money, while maintaining strong programs,” said Board President Edward Favre.

Phase III Building Plan Update:The first of two Community Forums will be held at 7 p.m., April 2 at Lakewood High School’s East

Cafeteria. This is an important chance for the community to have its voice be heard on the fate of the three remaining elementary schools that have not been refurbished or rebuilt– Grant, Lincoln and Roosevelt. Please plan on attending this important meeting.

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Middle School Intra-District Open Enrollment

Middle school intra-district open enrollment is available to parents wishing to have their child transferred to a different middle school from their home school (home school is defined by attendance area as determined by the district). Parent requests shall be in writing by completing the Open Enrollment Form and submitting it to the Assistant Superintendent for Secondary Education.

The middle school open enrollment period for current Lakewood City School students shall be from April 1 to May 22 for the 2009-10 school year. Applications will be processed on a first-come, first-served basis and will be available online and in the buildings on April 1. Parents will be notified in a timely fashion before the first day of school.

More detailed information is available in the Middle School Open Enrollment Administrative Guidelines, which can be found on the district Website (www.lakewoodcityschools.org) under “Forms and Links.”

If you have any questions, please contact Madeline Liss at 216-529-4244.

Message from the Principal:

The staff and students have been working diligently to prepare for the Ohio Achievement Test that will begin April 21st this year. I am very pleased and proud of the planning, hard work, and diligence that the Garfield community has put forth to prepare for these very important tests. Our goal is to have each child on track to pass the Ohio Graduation Test given in the 10th grade. Last year we were ranked as an “Effective” School by the Ohio Department of Education. In addition, we performed above expected growth using the Value-Added measurement, and adequately met the yearly progress for all of our students. My belief is that we will continue this trend and that our students will excel this year.

Please note the following dates for achievement tests this year.

April 21st—Reading Test for 7th and 8th gradesApril 22nd—Math Test 8th gradeApril 23rd—Math Test 7th gradeApril 24th—Science Test 8th gradeApril 27th—Reading Test 6th gradeApril 28th—Writing Test 7th grade; Social Studies Test 8th gradeApril 29th—Math Test 6th grade

Attendance for these tests is critical and any absent or tardy students will have to makeup the test at a later date. Please make sure your child gets enough sleep, has a good breakfast, and is ready to go on test

Calendar _____ _________

April

3 Garfield Spring Play – 7:00 p.m.6 Parent /Student Washington

Trip Meeting – 7:00 p.m. - Gym10-19 Spring Break20 School resumes21-5/8 6th, 7th and 8th grade OAT testing22 PTSA Meeting – 7:00 p.m. – LRC

May

6-8 8th Grade Washington, D.C. Trip18 Celebration of Excellence –

7:30 p.m. – LHS Civic19 Orchestra Spring Concert –

7:30 p.m. – LHS Civic20 PTSA Meeting – 7:00 p.m. – LRC21 Choir/Band Spring Concert –

7:30 p.m. – LHS Civic25 Memorial Day - No School28 7th Grade “Weather Education

Day” with the Cleveland Indians

PTSA NEWS

Spring is here!! It’s hard to believe we are in the final quarter of the school year. The year seems to have passed quickly. April, May and June are filled with opportunities for you to get involved. Read on to find out how:

MORE KUDOS FOR Mrs. Tabaj! - After being selected as Garfield Middle School’s Outstanding Educator of the Year and Lakewood City wide PTA Council’s Outstanding Educator of the Year, Mrs. Tabaj was selected as Ohio District 11 Educator of the Year. District 11 includes the following schools districts: Bedford, Brooklyn, Cleveland, Cleveland Hts./University Heights, Euclid, Fairview Park, Garfield Heights, Lakewood, Maple Heights and South Euclid-Lyndhurst. Mrs. Tabaj will be honored during our Teacher Appreciation Week May 26-29 and at the Lakewood PTA Council Dinner on May 13th. She will also be honored at the Awards Banquet during the Ohio PTA Convention on Saturday, April 18th from 6:15 p.m. - 8:15 p.m. at the Crowne Plaza - North Columbus.

Garfield PTSA Nominating Committee – Thank you to the PTSA nominating committee of Wally King, Tricia Madden and Katrina Holmes. They have put together a slate of PTSA officers for the 2009-2010 school year that will be voted on at our April Meeting. The slate is published in this edition of the Gazette. There are still open positions. Please consider accepting a nomination to one of these positions. Nominations can be forwarded to Katrina Holmes 216.227.1224 (katrinaholmes@hotmail.com)

The 2nd VP position runs the PTSA fundraising. 2nd VP is a great job to share with a friend. We have fundraising programs in place that can be repeated (spirit wear, book fair, plant sale) and/or we can develop some new programs. We also have great volunteers to help get the job done.

Council Delegate – This position involves attending the Lakewood PTA Council meetings and reporting back district information to our own PTSA. This is another position that can be shared.

Thank you Garfield Civics Club! - Thank you to Mr. Fassett and the Civics Club for hosting the End of 3rd Quarter Dance/Activity Night. What a fun night!! Also, to all of the volunteers who gave their time that evening to make the event a success. The students really had a great time.

Display Cases – Look for the newly installed display cases on each floor of our school. These cases were donated by the PTSA. Student work can now be displayed for the entire student body to enjoy.

Upcoming Events/News:

Garfield PTSA Plant Sale – This is a great way to support our PTSA and add wonderful color to your yard. Order deadline is May1st. Plant Pick Up is May 23rd. Look for information in this edition of the Gazette.

Staff Appreciation Celebration May 26th – 29th – Join us as we honor our dedicated staff. Contact Katrina Holmes if you are interested in helping out with this event. 216.227.1224 (katrinaholmes@hotmail.com)

8th Grade Celebration – The 8th grade only dance will be held on Friday June 5th. The 8th grade awards night will be held on Monday June 8th. If you are interested in serving on the 8th Grade committee, please contact Amy Kemp 216.521.0056 teamkemp@cox.net

Green Thumbs Needed – A request has been made to beautify the grassy area behind the LRC. Staff and students will be making good use of this green space as the weather warms up. We are looking for a few folks to organize a small landscaping effort to improve the appearance of the area. We are looking to do something this spring and/or next fall. If you are interested in taking the lead and/or being a member of this “Green” team, please let me know. Amy Kemp 216.521.0056 teamkemp@cox.net

Join PTSA – You can still join the Garfield PTSA. The PTSA is a great way to stay connected to your student’s school life. Our meetings are informative and only last for about an hour. There are still plenty of opportunities to become involved. Send your name, address; phone and email address along with your $6 PTSA membership dues in an envelope to the Garfield office. We will add you to our email list and help you stay connected.

Garfield PTSA Meeting Schedule for 2009

- Wednesday, April 22, 2009 7pm LRC

- Wednesday, May 20, 2009 7pm LRC

Please join us at our next PTSA Meeting - Wednesday 4/15 at 7 p.m. in the LRC.

Thank you, Amy Kemp, PTSA President 216-521-0056 teamkemp@cox.net

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PROPOSED SLATE OF GARFIELD PTSA OFFICERS for 2009-2010

President Amy Kemp 1st VP Stacey Voll2nd VP’s (fundraising) OPEN

2nd VP is a great job to share with a friend. We have fundraising programs in place that can be repeated (spriritwear, book fair, plant sale) and/or we can develop some new programs. We also have great volunteers to help get the job done.

Secretary: Haylee SchwenkCorresponding Secretary Karen ForteTreasurer Ann Schleckman

Council Delegate OPENDelegate attends the Lakewood PTA Council meetings and reports business back to our PTSA.

Committees:

Membership Mary Beth Kohl Volunteers Wally King

Newsletter Katrina HolmesBox Tops Beth KeenanReflections - OPENPromote and organize student entries for the PTA sponsored art contest.8th Grade Planning Diane Helbig

Katrina HolmesVeterans Day Chair Mary TherberElection Day Bake Sale OPENHospitality – munchies at meetings Shared by AllWelcome Back Luncheon Tricia MaddenParent-Teacher Conference Dinner Tricia Madden

The 2009-2010 slate of officers will be voted on at the April 15, 2009 PTSA meeting. Nominations are still being accepted. Contact Katrina Holmes 216.227.1224

katrinaholmes@hotmail.com

Garfield Middle School PTSA / Emerson Elementary PTO

SPRING PLANT SALE We are taking orders for high quality annual flowers, gorgeous ferns and hanging baskets, herbs and vegetables. These beautiful plants are grown locally at Dean’s Greenhouse in Westlake.Why should you buy your plants from our sale?

You will be directly helping children at Emerson and Garfield Schools in Lakewood Better quality plants than discount stores (your plants will grow!) Plants are grown locally. Better prices than local retail nurseries – at least 30% off retail. Your plants will be available on Memorial Day Weekend, just in time for planting!

How can you help? Place an order! And tell your relatives, neighbors, co-workers , and friends. Volunteer to help distribute and collect order forms in your neighborhood Volunteer to help on plant pick up day, Saturday, May 23rd. Call Ann at 216-221-7264 or email her at LNPTK8@SBCGLOBAL.NET to volunteer.

Order deadline Friday, May 1, 2009. Be sure to include a name, contact number and email address (if you have one). Indicate how you would like to distribute profit: Emerson, Garfield or evenly split. Include check payment. Payable to Garfield PTSA. Send orders to either school, or mail or drop off at 13480 Lake Ave. or 1215 Manor Park

Ave.

Order Pick up is Saturday, May 23, 2009. If Last name on order is: A - H Pickup between 12-1pm; I - P Pickup between 1-2pm; Q - Z

Pickup between 2-3pm.

Pick up will be at Garfield Middle School’s rear parking lot.

Exceptions to your pick up time can be made ahead of time with special approval only. Call 221-7264.

Delivery, within five miles of Lakewood, available for $10 extra.

Calling All 7th Grade Garfield Middle School Students!!!

Who: All 7th grade students (who meet all six of the attached criteria).Event: “Weather Education Day” with the Cleveland Indians.Date: Thursday May 28, 2009.Time: Students will leave Garfield at 8:30 A.M. and will return at approximately 4:30 P.M. Cost: $14.50 per student ($10.00 Cleveland Indians ticket + $4.50 RTA

all-day pass).

We will be going to Progressive Field for the Fourth Annual Weather Education Day with the WKYC Weather Team (Mark Nolan, Betsy Kling, and Hollie Strano). They will be teaching the students about severe weather, safety, and how forecasting is done. They will utilize the Progressive Field scoreboard, conduct live experiments, and request student involvement. Following the Weather Education Day presentation, the students will be cheering on the Cleveland Indians as they take on the defending American League Champion Tampa Bay Rays!! Students will be taking RTA (rapid) transportation with their teacher-chaperones to and from Progressive Field. Students may bring a brown bag lunch into the stadium (they also have the option of purchasing lunch from the concession stands). Students have been spoken to about the criteria for attending the Field Trip.

The attached Field Trip Permission Slip must be signed by a parent and returned with your $14.50 fee (fee may be paid in cash or a check or money order payable to Garfield Middle School) by Wednesday

April 8, 2009.

Education + = Learning + Fun!!

For more information, call Mr. Manos at Garfield Middle School (216-227-5769). Deadline to register is Wednesday April 8, 2009.

7th Grade “Weather Education Day” with the Cleveland Indians Field Trip

Field Trip Criteria:1. ALL school fees must be paid prior to the Field Trip.

2. Students must have NO Out of School Suspensions between Monday, March 30, 2009 and Wednesday, May 27, 2009.

3. Students must have 2 or less In School Suspension days between Monday, March 30, 2009 and Wednesday, May 27, 2009.

4. Students must have 5 or less tardy’s to school between Monday, March 30, 2009 and Wednesday, May 27, 2009.

5. Students must have 4 or less office referrals between Monday, March 30, 2009 and Wednesday, May 27, 2009.

6. Students must have all money and forms turned into Mr. Manos by Wednesday, April 8, 2009.

Failure to meet all six of the criteria points will result in removal from field trip. NO REFUND will be offered due to the fact the tickets will have already been purchased and the Cleveland Indians and R.T.A. offer NO REFUNDS.

GARFIELD MIDDLE SCHOOLFIELD TRIP PERMISSION SLIP

Date: January 25, 2009

Dear Parent/Guardian:

On Thursday, May 28, 2009, we are planning the following field trip:“Weather Education Day” with the Cleveland Indians. Students will depart Garfield Middle School at 8:30 A.M. and will return to Garfield Middle School immediately following the conclusion of the game (approximately 4:30 P.M.)

Pertinent details:Field Trip Criteria: Students have been given a list of the criteria for the field trip, please ask your son/daughter to see the descriptions of the criteriaTransportation: RTA Rapid Rail System; $4.50 per studentLunch: Student choice (brown bag lunch or they may purchase lunch at Progressive Field)Miscellaneous: Game Ticket: $10.00 per studentTotal Cost and Payment: $14.50 per student; due by Wednesday, April 8, 2009**If not paying by cash, please make your check or money order payable to Garfield Middle School and write your child’s name on the memo line.**

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

TO BE COMPLETED BY PARENT/GUARDIAN

I give permission for my son/daughter, _____________________________to go on the field trip detailed above.

__________________ ____________________________________ (Date) (Parent/Guardian Signature)

Return this completed form to Mr. Manos by Wednesday, April 8, 2009.

8th Grade Students and Parents: Mark your calendar – The 8th Grade Dance will be Friday, June 5th, 7 pm – 9:30 pm. Tickets will be $5 per student.

Parents please sign up to help. We need volunteers for the Food Committee, Decorations Committee, Setup and Clean up, Chaperones, Photography and Memory Book. Sign-up sheets will be available at the Washington DC meeting on Monday, April 6th. Or you may call or email Christine Matthews, 216-324-3450 or christinermatthews@yahoo.com to volunteer.

Students interested in helping with the memory book may sign up with Mrs. Ellert .

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Garfield Art Show

OPENING NIGHT APRIL 20th :Garfield will be hosting its second annual student art show at the Local Girl Gallery in Lakewood.  Opening night will be held Monday, April 20th from 5-7 pm.  The month of April is also "Autism Awareness" month, so in order to bring about further awareness we have worked with the Autism Speaks Organization to include an activity, designing a puzzle piece, for both our students and the public to partake in during this event! The art show will run through May 2nd.

We hope to see you there!

~Mrs. Rudy & Mrs. Peltz Art washes away from the soul, the dust of everyday life!"

 ~Check out our online international art gallery at

www.artsonia.com!~

Washington D.C. 2009 May 6,7,8, 2000

FUNDRAISER The Malley’s Candy Sale was a huge success. We earned a total profit of $7,400. Several students paid for the entire trip by selling pretzel crunch, almond and crunch bars.

FINAL PAYMENT Students have received a packet that includes the final payment information and a emergency information sheet. The final payment and information sheet is due by March 25th. All payments and sheets are to be turned in to Mrs. Lynch in Room 220.

MANDATORY MEETING Don’t forget to mark your calendars! There will be a mandatory parent and student meeting, Monday, April 6th in the cafetorium at 7 p.m. Trip itineraries, rules and regulations will be discussed at this meeting. Contact trip coordinator Barb Lynch if you have any questions about this meeting. (216-529-4241) MEDICATION The only medication permitted on over night trips must be approved by a physician, this includes any over-the-counter medication. Additional medication forms can be picked up in Room 220. Also, the forms will be available at the parent/student meeting on April 6 th .

AND FINALLY: Students report to Garfield Middle School’s gymnasium at 6 a.m. on Wednesday, May 6th

for a luggage check and final instructions. We will return to Garfield Middle School’s front parking lot at 11 p.m. on Friday, May 8th with lots of memories of our trip to Gettysburg and Washington D.C.!

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Music Boosters Spring Plant Sale

Mark your calendars! It’s not too early to begin thinking about spring and the Music Boosters Plant Sale. Order forms are included this month and are due with payment on April 22, 2009.Plant pick-up is Thursday, May 14th in the McKinley school parking lot from 4:15-6:30. See order form for all necessary order information. Thanks for supporting Music Boosters.

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H2O Summer Camp Registration

H2O Summer Service Camp for middle school students will hold its annual registration during the month of April.  Because of the popularity of this program, registration for H2O Camp is held lottery-style.

Applications will be available under the Division of Youth on the City's website beginning April 1st.  Hard copies of the application will also be available in April at both public libraries or at Lakewood Division of Youth.  Applications must be received by 5:00pm on Friday, May 1st to be eligible for the lottery. For more information about H2O Summer Service Camp, click on the following link:http://www.onelakewood.com/human_youth_H2O_camp.html

CBI NEWS

Students have done a fine job maintaining their bank accounts. Deposits

are on track and students are maintaining a 20% balance of all earnings.

Several students have been consistent by putting their entire check in the bank

on a regular basis.. They are learning how quickly their savings can grow!

In the math portion of the program, students are working hard learning

linear/nonlinear relationships in word problems. They are using these models to

make predictions. They are also learning to calculate interest problems

involving money and graphing the results on a grid. Next to be covered is

Order of Operations and Algebraic Expressions.

In the related portion of CBI, students continue to work on Language Arts

remediation, review Language Arts, and catch-up in other classes. They also

continue to make entries into their journals, thus improving their writing skills.

This helps in written expression and also helps prepares them for the 10th

grade OGT.

Bruce Schaedlich

Garfield CBI Coordinator

529-4241

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            Garfield Middle SchoolH2O Highlights

Cleveland Food Bank – During the month of March, H2O middle school volunteers visited the Cleveland Food Bank and help package over 400 bagged lunches to be delivered to local low income day cares.  Great job Garfield H2O  members!

H2O Homeless Awareness Bake Sales – Thanks so much to all those who donated baked goods and supported our bake sales last month at Garfield.  The bake sale raised awareness about homelessness in our own community.  The sale raised over $100.00 that will be donated to area homeless efforts. 

April H2O Activities – During the month of April H2O will be collecting donated bags of wrapped candy to be used to make 200  Easter Baskets that will be delivered by the Salivation Army Canteen Truck to  children staying in homeless shelters Easter Weekend. Donations of individually wrapped candies would be greatly appreciated. Donations can be dropped off in the school office or can be brought to the April 6th H2O meeting. Please contact the H2O Office for more information. 529-4173.

FINAL RESULTS FOR GARFIELD AND HARDING AT REGIONAL POWER OF THE PEN COMPETITIONGARFIELD MIDDLE SCHOOL – FEBRUARY 28, 2009

Below are the final results from the Regional Power of the Pen competition held right here at Garfield Middle School. Both the Harding and Garfield teams did very well. Thanks again to all of you who volunteered that day – the feedback we have received has been wonderful!

● TOURNAMENT DATA: 46 middle schools, 265 writers (129 for grade 7; 136 for grade 8). 25.7% the writers at this regional will move on to the State Tournament at The College of Wooster on May 22-23, 2009.

● Lakewood Qualifiers for the State Tournament:-- Garfield:

+ Grace Bader, Garfield, Grade 7+ Tony Kahn, Garfield, Grade 8+ Grace Lazos, Garfield, Grade 8+ Lily Pollack, Garfield, Grade 8

-- Harding+ Monica Adams, Harding, Grade 8+ Ellen Latsko, Harding, Grade 8+ Sheila McMahon, Harding, Grade 8+ Trent Wimbiscus, Harding, Grade 8

Though only 10% of all writers who start at District qualify for the State Tournament, the Lakewood teams qualified 33% of their original writers for the State Tournament!

● Harding 7 th Grade Team: 4th place

● Harding Grade 7-8 Teams Combined: 2nd place for Sweepstakes Trophy. (This trophy merges the scores for both grade 7 and 8 teams, and includes carry-over points from the earlier district meet.)

● Tony Kahn, 8 th Grade, Garfield : won a “Best of the Best” honor. Tony had won two “Best of Rounds” at the district meet. All “Best of Rounds” are reread after the districts, and a select number are chosen as “Best of the Best”. This is considered a very high honor in Power of the Pen; Tony’s story is eligible to be published in Power of the Pen’s annual Book of Winners.

● Top Fifteen: Individual Category (Lakewood placed four writers in Top Fifteen)

+ Grace Bader, 7 th Grade, Garfield : 2nd place out of 129

+ Grace Lazos, 8 th Grade, Garfield : 8th place out of 136

+ Monica Adams, 8 th Grade, Harding : 9th place out of 136

+ Sheila McMahon, 8 th Grade, Harding : 13th place out of 136

● Trent Wimbiscus and Ellen Latsko, both 8 th Graders at Harding , each earned a “Best of Round” at the Regional meet.

● Grace Bader, Garfield, Grade 7, was one of only three writers (out of 265) who scored a perfect rank point of “1” across the board.

Thank you.

Dan Smith, Garfield Middle School

Shaarey Tikvah 2009 8th Grade field trip- Holocaust Unit

On Tuesday Feb. 3 and Tuesday Feb. 10 2009, the 8th grade team at Garfield Middle School took about 150 of our total 8th grade class of 212 students to Shaarey Tikvah Synagogue and Holocaust mini museum to learn first hand what life was like during the Nazi reign of terror and Adolph Hitler’s Final Solution plan to exterminate all Jews, Gypsies and other dissidents from his Third Reich empire. This trip has been a part of our Language Arts Holocaust curriculum for numerous years now and this year saw the highest participation percentage rate in my six years of taking kids there. Many of the 8 th grade teachers were instrumental in forging a passion among students to attend this important event.

This year the keynote was delivered by Joe Klein, a man in his 80’s today who has a unique connection with Lakewood. Mr. Klein was a developer who built the Kirtland House on Warren next to the Board of Education, the Waverly House on Madison and Marine Towers at the Gold Coast, as well as other apartment buildings in Lakewood during the 60’s and 70’s. He told me that Lakewood was his second home. The warm familiarity of Lakewood quickly slipped away as he took the podium and began taking the entire group down a path of darkness, hatred, misery and sadness in his accounts as a young boy in Nazi controlled Europe.

He tells us of the day when he was just a 14 year old boy coming off a cattle car at Auschwitz with his mother and sisters and Dr. Josef Mengele asked him directly, “ Can you work”, as the doctor of death looked at him with a skeptical eye. Young Joe had no idea what the question meant and less about how important and life saving his response would be.

Joe Klein tells: “You see, Mengele was the ‘angel of death ‘for millions at Auschwitz by indicating with a right flip of his thumb for people who appeared strong enough to work a few months at least, and his left flip of the same thumb which indicated an immediate brief and terrifying existence of going the ‘showers’ only to be gassed with ZylonB and choked to death to later be loaded onto waiting carts and wheeled by slave labor. The workers were Kapos , Jews who worked for the Nazis to gain special privileges, to waiting stoked ovens where you were to be consumed by flames until nothing of you was left in this world... nothing except the memories of those who still remember you and can tell the story.”

The whole room was silent; some older adults who lived through this time period were visibly in anguish; each Garfield student was hanging on the words of this man sharing his horrendous tale of woe and death. With tears streaming but with solid composure, Joe added “my mother and my two sisters were right in front of me and Dr. Mengele did not ask them if they could work. He saw them and nodded to them to go to the left. I never saw my mother again or my little sisters. I did not know for a long time, maybe a few months, what had happened to them. I thought maybe the men would work and we would see our mothers and wives after the war. But no; no one saw any of there mothers or sisters or fathers ever again. All burned up in the fires of the ovens.” “I could hate the Nazi. I cold have gone back to find them and kill them after the war. For what? So I can live in hatred like they did? No children, you cannot live with hate in your heart. You must let it go. Love is the only answer to hatred. You must love all people the best you can. Do not let yourself fall into hate. It only destroys you and others and the word.”

Joe Klein was an interactive speaker who lured students into asking goods questions. One student asked about any good people he saw. Mr. Klein told a tale not often heard of from that time period about a Nazi who actually took great risk to feed Joe and other Jews who worked the latrine detail at Auschwitz. The latrine detail group had to empty the out -houses of all the human waste and load it onto carts to move it into the woods and bury it there.

The Nazi soldier who kept watch over the Jews had told them that he really was not a Nazi but had been assigned the prison job because he had been injured when he crashed landed his plane. He hated the Nazi ideology and was force to take on the black SS uniform to because he worked under Heinrich Himmler and the death camp branch of Hitler’s crazy plan. Once the men had the carts in the woods and away from the sight of the camp and after they dug the holes and filled them again, this guard would tell them where there was fruit and crops that would be available for them to hurry and eat. There were a few who took risks to help some prisoners. They would be killed if the Nazis found out what they were doing.

An added bonus for our students was the presence of a veteran Lakewood School administrator.

Dr. Richard Dutro, veteran Director of Elementary Curriculum and Instruction during the 1970’s thorough 1991, joined Garfield Middle School 8th field trip on Feb. 10. Mr. Dutro had been a US Army soldier who liberated Dachau in Germany. His tale of death and suffering were sobering and eye opening for all in the room. “I saw corpses stacked 10 feet high waiting to be cremated yet abandoned by the fleeing Nazis before we arrived.” “I was unable to talk about it for 40 years and only after meeting Joe in 1982 was I able to talk about the horror and hell that I witnessed as a young man”. Mr. Dutro talked of the machine gun towers, barbed wire, inhuman living quarters, execution walls, gallows for hanging people, the gas chambers that appeared to be showers, and the horrid crematoriums. As an added extra, Dr. Dutro rode on the bus with students to and from the event and was able to chat with students about his experiences. We are extremely grateful to Mr. Dutro for taking the time to ride with the students and interface with them about his experiences in that horrible time of war.

Academically speaking there is no better way for students to obtain information of this magnitude than from an original source. For them to be in the presence of eye witnesses of Hitler’s Final Solution, to listen to a person who was there seeing and living the suffering, the death, the hunger and such inhumanity to man is unmatched by any textbook, video or Hollywood film. Sadly, we are seeing these survivors and WWII veterans dying at a rate of about 1000 each day. At this rate, the opportunity to be in the presence of a lucid victim of the Holocaust winnows daily. Soon there will be no more survivors or eye witnesses to these most moving and terrible events of history. Will the history of these millions of victims of Hitler’s reign become simple statistics on graphs and charts in student textbooks too often read under extreme duress and with great indifference from reluctant learners or will we be able to tickle a hunger for learning through interactive avenues of intellectual stimulation our students so readily find interesting? The human factor of the history is the blood that runs throughout the veins of history.

Mr. Corrigan and the 8th grade team.

   

GARFIELD MIDDLE SCHOOL ATHLETICSHarry Manos- Garfield Middle School Athletic Director

Voice Mail: (216) 227-5769

Email: harry.manos@lakewood.k12.oh.us

Fall SportsMid-July-October

7th/ 8th Football

7th/ 8th Volleyball

7th/ 8th Cheerleading

Winter SportsLate October-February

7th/ 8th Basketball (Boys/Girls)

7th/ 8th Wrestling

7th/ 8th Cheerleading

Spring Sports

March-June

7th/ 8th Track (Boys/Girls)

For more information and try-out information on any of our sports, please be sure to visit

the Garfield Middle School Athletics website at:

http://www.teacherweb.com/OH/GarfieldMiddleSchool/GarfieldMiddleSchoolAthletics

****** SWEAT TO PREPARE ******STP is our Spring and Summer Conditioning Program. Its primary purpose is to get our players into

optimum playing condition (both mentally and physically) BEFORE practice sessions begin in August.These sessions are open to ALL CURRENT 6 th grade students interested in playing Middle School football at

Garfield Middle School next year. These are not mandatory, but every possible attempt should be made to be in attendance to insure yourself a chance of success.

Conditioning sessions will begin on Monday March 30, 2009 at 3:00 P.M. at the Garfield Middle School Gymnasium and will last for about one hour. Conditioning sessions will be held on Monday’s. Listen to the school announcements for any changes that may be made to the schedule. A summer schedule will be announced the final week of school.

DESIRE+

DEDICATION+

DISCIPLINE=

CHAMPIONSHIP

The 3 D’s will decide the fate of the 2009 Garfield Middle School Football Team. How much DESIRE do you have to sacrifice to win? Are willing to DEDICATE yourself in the classroom and on the football field in order to be successful? Do you have the DISCIPLINE to work this Spring and Summer to become a better football player and the best Middle School Football Team that Lakewood has ever seen?

If you can answer yes to all of these questions then you can be champions.

The choice is yours!!!

SPRING AND SUMMER GOALS1. To prepare to win the League Championship.

2. To prepare to Beat Harding!!3. Develop leadership.

4. Create team loyalty and unity.5. Become bigger, faster, and stronger.

6. Work on the various fundamentals of football.7. Find responsible team captains.

8. Increase squad size and quality; eliminate people not interested in Lakewood Football.

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Volleyball Open GymsFor “2009-2010” Garfield 7th and 8th grade girls

Each open gym will take place on the following days from 3 – 4pm in the Garfield GymWednesday, April 22nd

Wednesday, April 29th

Wednesday, May 6th

Wednesday, May 13th

Wednesday, May 20th

Wednesday, May 27th No Experience Necessary!!!

Please secure the proper equipment: t-shirt, shorts, tennis shoes, & knee pads (optional)See Mr. Manos, Coach Yoder or Coach Street for more information

Garfield Girls’ Volleyball Try-Outs2009 – 2010 School Year

In order to try-out athletes MUST have the following paperwork completed and turned in by the first day of try-outs:1. OHSAA Physical Form

2. Emergency Medical Form3. Insurance Waiver Form

August 2009 Schedule:Open Gyms – August 3rd, 5th, and 7th from 10:00am – Noon @ Garfield

(Participate in these to sharpen your skills the week before try-outs begin)Try-Outs – August 10th, 11th, and 12th from 10:00am – Noon @ Garfield

(Players are expected to be at all of the try-outs unless arrangements have been made with your coach)

Practices – If you make the team you will receive a practice schedule. Practices will be held everyday until games begin.

Garfield Middle School

April

BandWhat’s Happening-

Special points of interest: www.freewebs.com/garfieldmusic

 April 2, 2009 Jazz Band performs for the Spring Fling @ Garfield. 3:00—5:00pm April 6, 2009 Jazz Band performs @ 7:00pm for the Rocky River MS Jazz Festival. Concert is free and at RRMS cafetorium.

Congratulations to the following Garfield Band members who were chosen to participate in the Ohio Music Educators Association District IV Honors Band. Lillian Pollack—FluteWes Carney — Tenor SaxMatt Bosworth — TrumpetMatt Carlson — TrumpetNichole Whitney — BassoonNick Hudson — TromboneJoy Hoile — TubaTheir concert was on Saturday, March 7th at Westlake’s Performing Arts Center at 4:00pm. This month the Garfield Jazz Band will be very busy. Just a reminder that all members are to wear their black monogrammed polo shirt with black pants and shoes. 

The Garfield Cedar Point Band has begun to rehearse. There are 60 band members who will represent our school on Saturday, May 16, 2009 participating in the Music in the Parks Adjudicated Festival. This group and the Jazz Band will perform in the early morning at Perkins High School and then spend the rest of the day at Cedar Point. Our Chamber Choir and Strolling Strings will also perform that morning.  Lastly, parent’s have asked me if I need anything and my answer will always be a gift card from Educator’s Music Annex. The kids love to play new repertoire and I have a wish list of selections they have created for me! Thank You— Mrs. Tabaj

From the Garfield LibraryMs. Judy Montgomery

Grants & Teamwork Create Unique Opportunity for Garfield Students!Garfield students have a unique opportunity when selecting books during their visits to the

Garfield Library. They may check out a digital audio book from the new collection of Playaway Digital Audio Books! Books and their matching Playaways are all shelved together near the center of the Library.

Our collection of 116 Playaways has been built through a collaboration of efforts. Most of them have been purchased with grants, thanks to the McGinty Family Foundation and the Margaret Warner Educational Grant which is awarded by the Lakewood Alumni Foundation. Some have been purchased with regular Library funding. We’re also excited that several staff members decided that student access to Playaways they purchased would be better managed if the units became part of the Library collection (yay, team!) so then we added even more titles! Our PTSA contributed $200 towards the purchase of rechargeable batteries and replacement lanyards.

7 Playaways were purchased with Garfield library & building money in the Spring of 2008 to start the collection.

45 Playaways were purchased in the fall with a $2,000 grant from The McGinty Family Foundation

20 Playaways were purchased with a $1,000 Margaret Warner Educational Grant from the Lakewood Alumni Foundation

10 Playaways were purchased with Career Tech money (facilitated by Mr. Schaedlich) 9 Playaways were purchased with Mrs. Hopkins’ Margaret Warner Educational

Grant 12 Playaways were purchased with Mrs. Winters’ budget 13 more have been purchased with Garfield Library moneyBorrowers must sign a contract that indicates they understand the responsibilities of

borrowing the costly Playaways. We lend the mp3 player itself, a lanyard, a set of earbuds, the case to hold them and a rechargeable battery that we will replace when necessary. Students are also required to check the book out at the same time to further enhance the reading experience.

Though reading a book by listening to it helps struggling readers to be able to enjoy the same books their classmates are enjoying, some students just enjoy the auditory option! Listening to stories will also increase vocabulary and reading ability.

TeachingBooks.netThanks so much to our PTSA for renewing our subscription to

TeachingBooks.net!! It is an internet database about children’s books and authors. Our subscription is for teachers, students AND PARENTS to use! It has over 21,000 resources about K-12 books. Resources include audio clips of authors pronouncing their names, talking about their books, narrated excerpts from books, photographs and study guides. Let’s get our money’s worth – use it! Call 529-4023 to ask for the password if your Garfield student doesn’t remember it!

Though you can certainly go directly to TeachingBooks, you will find the Garfield Library homepage a user-friendly place to link to it, to ProgressBook and other resources. A HUGE resource linked on this page is Ohio Treasure Chest. It is a standards-based index to games and activities on the web for K-12th grade students. The friendliest way to get to the Garfield Library site is to go to http://www.lakewoodcityschools.org, click on Garfield Middle then on the bottom of the left column, click Library. Don’t forget to add the Library page to your Favorites once you get there!

Lakewood City Schools1470 Warren RoadLakewood, OH 44107

Non-Profit OrganizationUS Postage PAIDCleveland, OH Permit No. 2512

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