School News

The Cleveland Job Corps Center celebrated the Life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by attending the Cleveland Chapter of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference's Eleventh Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Gala, January 13. The theme was "Anchors for Life's Journey: Salvation, Education, Activism." The Student Ambassadors were able to meet Rev. Dr. E. Theophilus Caviness, President of SCLC and Pastor and Rev Hilton O. Smith, Vice President of SCLC. The Keynote speaker for the evening was City of Warrensville Hts. Mayor and former Ohio State and NBA Basketball player, Brad Sellers. Mayor Sellers said that it was time to change the conditions we live in by making a difference in our communities.

Forty Student Ambassadors volunteered at the Masonic Auditorium for the 2012 Homeless StandDown. The over 800 veterans and homeless people at this event enjoyed haircuts, medical screening, service providers, and free winter clothing.

The mission of the Cleveland Job Corps Center is preparing our students for leadership, and having an impact in their neighborhoods. History books are full of examples of what youth have the potential to accomplish. Our collective future depends on it. The legacy continues...CJCC  Student Ambassadors.

Neither rain, nor sleet, nor snow shall keep pro-life activists from saving lives. Thirty members from Villa Angela-St. Joseph High School attended the Right to Life March in Washington D.C on January 23, 2012. This event is held annually to help persuade Congress to reverse the decision of Roe v. Wade. When the group from VASJ arrived in D.C. on Monday morning they first attended Mass at the St. Mary Mother of God church before participating in the march.

This year, more than 100,000 Americans came to join in civil protest; through marching, chanting, making signs and props to illustrate their repugnance for the 1973 ruling. The energy was high with the people yelling, “Pro-choice that’s a lie, babies never choose to die!” For 18 VASJ students, it was their first time attending the march in Washington D.C. In all it was a day to join in civil protest and express powerful opinions and something I was glad to be a part of.

In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the Memorial-Nottingham library held an event on Jan 12th, for history students from Charles W. Eliot Elementary School, titled "King Me!"  The principle bused the 25 students to the library, for this special field trip, where the seventh grade class played a game of Jeopardy, all about Dr. King.

The class was "organized into three teams to compete against each other..." said librarian Alfonzo Daniels.  "Each team picked two captains to choose and answer questions for part I & II."  In Part III, everyone could give input and decide on a final wager. The idea was for the students to learn about the life and accomplishments of civil rights leader, Dr. Martin Luther King, and also have fun.

The room had a Jeopardy Board with 6 categories about Dr. King’s life, and each category had 10 questions.

Some of the questions covered in each category included:                                                                                       Accomplishments:                                                                                                                                                               

Q: Dr. King was awarded the Man of the Year by what magazine, in 1963? A: Time Magazine                                      Q: He was the youngest person to receive what annual award in 1994? A: The Nobel Peace Prize                                     

Education                                                                                                                                                                               Q:After divinity schools, what universities did Dr. King attend? A: Harvard University and Boston University.                   Q: How many honorary degrees did Dr. King have? A: 20

continued...

O.H. Perry students celebrate Molly Day

Every October since the death of his daughter, struck and killed by a van on her way to school 32 years ago, Senator and Mrs. George Voinovich have returned to O.H. Perry School to remember 9-year-old Molly and to show their support for the Major Work Program – the gifted and talented program Molly loved.

On Oct. 21, O.H. Perry students remembered Molly at the annual “Molly Day” with a musical tribute spanning nine decades, beginning with the Roaring ’20s. Afterward, Sen. and Mrs. Voinovich presented their annual gift to the Cleveland Metropolitan School District’s programs for gifted and talented students, and thanked those in attendance for the 32nd tribute to Molly.

As part of its mission to improve literacy across the spectrum in Cuyahoga County, The Literacy Cooperative is releasing a series of public education and advocacy briefs focused on addressing systemic and institutional barriers that impact secondary-school credential holders who have earned a high school diploma or GED but are not prepared for postsecondary education or workforce success and are therefore unemployed or underemployed. 

Issued October 26, 2011, the first of these briefs, titled The Economic Case for Literacy, paints a clear picture of the economic incentives for Cuyahoga County to address barriers to academic success, in particular, postsecondary success – from higher employability and significantly higher lifetime individual earnings to increased tax revenues and decreased public costs.

“Even one year of post secondary education leads… to increases of 4 to 7% in per capita output [for businesses]," states The Economic Case for Literacy.  “[Furthermore] the earnings gap between high school diploma holders [and those with a higher level of education]… is now estimated to be as wide as 84%.”

continued.

                The students of the UBC Job Corps, Cleveland Job Corps Center, attended a field trip Friday August 19, 2011 to a work-in-progress construction project-The Cleveland Medical Mart. The project is the largest, publically funded construction project in the entire United States. The total estimated cost is presently Four Hundred Sixty-five Million Dollars. It is being constructed at the location of the former Cleveland Convention Center. Once completed, the facility will offer one million square feet of Class A exhibit space with many additional amenities. One such amenity is a Grand Ballroom with foodservice to accommodate 2,500 guests; which will be the largest of its kind in Cleveland.

continued.

Children at O.H. Perry K-8 School will release helium-filled balloons on Wednesday, October 12, 2011, 9-11 am, to celebrate the Cuyahoga County regional launch of the state-wide website www.redtreehouse.org .  The balloons will carry a message announcing the website’s availability!  OH Perry K-8 School was selected because of its strong commitment to family/school/community partnerships and educational opportunities.  O.H. Perry is located at 18400 Schenely Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44119.

 A collaboration between Ronald McDonald House of Cleveland and Ohio Family and Children First Council, with support from many state agencies and organizations, www.redtreehouse.org  helps families and professionals promote the wellbeing of children and young adults, from birth to age 25.  This includes the specific needs of families with a child with a disability.

The website offers three main types of support for families and professionals:

 · Resources, guides and tool-kits (“how to” information with examples)

· Contact information for organizations (the go-to person and how to reach them)

· Calendar of events, training and activities (opportunities to learn more)

continued.

Ms. Arlene Anderson Founder/CEO of Minority Business Solution is a board member of Cleveland Job Corps Center, Center Industry Board. The CJCC Industry Board’s purpose is to work with employers, community leaders, business leaders to created work base learning opportunity and Jobs. In the past, MBS has hired a Cleveland Job Corps Graduate.

Ms. Anderson invited Michael E. Taylor Business and Community Liaison to meet with Duane Johnson Director of Public Relation for M.M.P.I. This meeting led to discussing future job opportunities; also present was the Center Director, Modesto Gloria.  In addition to this very productive meeting, they toured the Cleveland Job Corps Center and received an overview of the vocational training programs:    Bricklaying, Sign and Display, HBA Faculty Maintenance, Carpentry, LPN program, STNA, Medical Assistant, Pharmacy Tech, Medical Office Support and education programs:  Penn Foster High School diploma, GED, Career Transition Program, Advance Career Training Partnership with Cuyahoga Community College.

Mr. David Lummus, Lead Instructor for the UBC Carpentry Program and the carpentry students toured the Med Mart site and met with workers and a supervisor on site. The CJCC will be back in December to witness steel being poured and observe weather conditions that they will have to work in. This is the beginning of a long term partnership.

  If  you are interested in becoming a Community partners with the Cleveland Job Corps Center please contact Michael E. Taylor, Business and Community Liaison at 216-469-5711.l 

Nadia Tate of Collinwood High school had the recent privilage of being chosen for the Ohio State Fair Band. 

The All-Ohio State Fair Band was founded in 1925 and continues its tradition of exceptional music in the 21st century. Composed of 200 superior musicians from 85 high schools in 47 counties from across Ohio, the AOSFB is a testament to the musical talents of young Ohioans. 

continued.

IDentiphoto Company, LTD., is pleased to partner with the Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD) on the implementation of its Priority Recognition Increased Data & Efficiency (P.R.I.D.E) initiative.  This program offers CMSD three components for this initiative; student identification badges, visitor management, and a student information/discipline management system. 

With the start of the 2011-2012 school year, CMSD’s Division of Safety and Security will require students to wear an ID badge at all times during the school day.  This enables school security and staff to quickly identify students who are authorized to be in the building. In addition, the ID incorporates a unique barcode that is utilized for cataloging various activities and transactions such as cafeteria checkout, media center, hallways and processing tardy students.

continued.

Imagine Bella Academy of Excellence has a lot to be proud of these days.  They recently received many honors for their outstanding accomplishments this year.  The School recently received a 2011 National Promising Practices Award for The Bella Ball, a specific and unique character development initiative on the campus. 

The Character Education Partnership (CEP), the leading national advocate for character education, announced its annual Promising Practices in Character Education award to 260 schools and districts from across the United States as well as Mexico and Puerto Rico. Nearly 500 applicants submitted practices for recognition. The Imagine Schools National Office as well as eleven Imagine campuses, including Imagine Bella Academy of Excellence, received Promising Practices awards in 2011. This is the second consecutive year the school has won the award.

These awards highlight the unique, effective, and specific strategies used on campuses to help students become better citizens, friends, and leaders. The Bella Ball was an initiative that involved parents, students and community members to promote proper etiquette, Imagine’s Shared Values and excellence in character through ballroom dancing. 

continued.

As the final step in the first year of the nationally recognized SPARK (Supporting Partnerships to Assure Ready Kids) program’s implementation in Cuyahoga County, The Literacy Cooperative, in collaboration with Invest in Children and Family Connections, is hosting a series of Kindergarten Kickoffs at its SPARK schools in order to help facilitate a smooth transition for children and their parents or caregivers from preschool, daycare or home-care into kindergarten.  

continued.

With all the emphasis lately on shopping locally, I wanted to remind you of some of the Back to School shopping opportunities right here in Collinwood. For Cleveland Sports fans, and anyone proud to represent 216, Native Cleveland is a must stop shop. If you like to mix old pieces with new, you'll be sure to score some unique vintage threads at the Beachland, Blue Arrow or Starpop. But if you're searching for fierce fashion, the new Cloud9 Boutique on Waterloo is going to be your new secret weapon. Cloud9 is located on Waterloo, just a few doors down from Arts in Collinwood and the tower, and carries a variety of clothes and accessories for both women and men.  Instead of showing up to the first day of school in the same chain-store-at-the-mall shirt as three other people, you could be sporting Cloud9 fashion that comes from designers in New York City, Chicago, Atlanta, and even some local Cleveland designers. After hearing about all of the amazing designers, I was almost afraid to look at a pricetag, but was pleasantly surprised to discover that cute tops for women are only $15-30. Wow, affordable fierce fashion was hard to find in the neighborhood, until now. And with their Back to School sale Aug 1-31st you can save even more, with 15%-20% off select items. So if you're looking for the coolest backpack ever, or clothes nobody else will have, save the gas money to drive to the mall, and visit our new friendly neighbors at the Cloud9 Boutique.

In the late 1960s, young Richard Osborne’s numerous extracurricular activities as a student at St. Joseph High School included responsibility for writing the weekly “Viking Views” column for the local community newspapers, the Euclid News-Journal and the Collinwood Scoop.

           As things turned out, that task proved to be a stepping stone to a distinguished career in journalism and publishing. Now, Osborne is retracing his steps--but in the opposite direction.

            A member of the 1969 St. Joe graduating class, he is retiring from the publishing business, where he most recently served as editor and publisher of the award-winning Ohio Magazine, to become the new President at Villa Angela-St. Joseph High. (The president oversees the financial and operational side of the school, while the principal is primarily concerned with the academic environment.)

cont.

The Pat Tillman story is certainly a compelling saga.  During the prime of his career as an NFL linebacker he retired to enlist in the US Army in 2002, in the Army Ranger program. Deeply affected by the events of 9/11 he felt very strongly about  doing his part in the US war on terror, even though he was at some odds with the Iraq war and possibly being used for propaganda purposes. Tragically, he was killed in action in 2004, a victim of friendly fire.

The Pat Tillman Foundation was formed to honor his legacy. One of the foundation's activities is the Tillman Military Scholars Program.

Kevin Gallagher, a Collinwood resident, was recently named as a Tillman Military Scholar, 1 out of a class of 60 nationwide.

The Tillman Military Scholars program honors student veterans who share the traits of Pat Tillman: Excelling academically and giving back to community. Tillman graduated summa cum laude from Arizona State University, in just 3-1/2 years, while playing football.

cont.

A group of thirty-seven students from Villa Angela - St Joseph High School embodied the definition of "what it means to serve" by assisting the Lake County American Legion members with the decoration of veterans’ graves at All Souls Cemetery with U.S flags on Thursday May 26, 2011. Mr. Gary Minadeo, retired Army veteran, 1974 St. Joseph graduate, and current mathematics teacher, rallied together these students with his powerful and inspirational ways.

St. Jerome Elementary School, which is the only Catholic Elementary  School in Collinwood, is also home to the only Montessori Preschool in the surrounding neighborhood as well. With its first year of operation behind, Director of the Ursuline Family Care Program, Sister Barbara Eppich, is looking forward to the preschool’s first full school year.

Lake Catholic senior, David Petrovic, completed his Senior Project at VASJ at the end of April. The goal of the project was to allow seniors to explore their individual career interests throughout the community. For Petrovic, who aspires to be a teacher, the choice to complete the project at VASJ was an easy one. "The uniqueness and the way people express themselves really drew me to this school," Petrovic said.

Congratulations to the students selected as Students of the 3rd Quarter.

The Senior Prom was held on Friday, May 13 at La-Vera Party Center in Willoughby. Congratulations to seniors Bobby Vollman and Marquia Ivey for winning prom king and queen!

Villa Angela-St. Joseph High School held the Commencement Ceremony for the Class of 2011 on Sunday, May 29, 2011 at St. William Church in Euclid. The Commencement Speakers were Meaghan S. Clemons, Jonelle A. Evans and Robert J. Vollman.

Villa Angela-St. Joseph High School presented three performances of the spring musical "Into the Woods Junior" the weekend of April 29, 2011. In the musical, classic fairy tales such as Cinderella, The Baker and His Wife, Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk and Rapunzel all collided for a magical and imaginative journey that taught lessons of the power of tolerance, community and shared sacrifice.

Each year during Lent, Villa Angela-St. Joseph High School holds a Lenten Mission Collection to raise money for a worthy, charitable cause, a tradition that dates back to 1987. Being a co-sponsored school in the Ursuline and Marianist traditions, VASJ wanted to support two causes with the money raised during the Lenten Mission Collection, one supported by each of the religious orders.

The Lenten Mission Collection kicked off on Ash Wednesday, and collections were taken each day during the second period of class. Meanwhile, Campus Ministry Director, Jill Latkovich was still working hard to find two worthy causes to support with the money. At the suggestion of Coach John Storey SJ ’59, the VASJ Peer Ministers, a group of students who lead the school in Faith development, chose St. Joe's alumnus and former Michigan State football player, Dr. John Shinsky SJ ’69 and his City of Children Orphanage in Matamoros, Mexico as the Marianist Ministry the VASJ Lenten Mission Collection would support. “John Shinsky is an example of another Viking ‘legend.’ He has carried on the spirit of generosity, dedication, and passion to other parts of the world,” Latkovich said.

After selecting Shinsky’s orphanage as one of the recipients, Latkovich was still in search of an Ursuline mission to support with the other half of the money raised. Sr. Martha Mooney, Director of the MUSP program at VASJ suggested Sr. Miriam Fidelis VA ’59. Although Mooney wasn’t sure of the details of Fidelis’ mission, she knew her work was helping children in Texas. After exchanging several emails with Fidelis, Latkovich soon realized that this year’s Lenten Mission Collection was truly meant to be and that God had His hand on the plan. Three weeks into the Lenten Mission Collection, in an email received from Sr. Miriam Fidelis, it was disclosed that although she lives in Texas, she travels on a daily basis over the Texas/Mexico border to Matamoros, Mexico where she teaches English and ministers to the children at the City of Children Orphanage, the same organization. The Ursuline Ministry VASJ would support was the same orphanage Dr. Shinsky helped to build and to operate. “I was shocked, amazed, thrilled, and in awe of this unbelievable one in a million chance occurrence. I felt this was an affirmation that was needed to prove that we were on the right path,” Latkovich said.

The VASJ student body raised $2,195.37 to help John Shinsky and Sr. Miriam Fidelis and the children in Matamoros, Mexico. On Tuesday, May 17, 2011, Shinsky visited VASJ to accept the check from the students for his orphanage. During his visit, Shinsky shared with the VASJ students a presentation about the work he is doing in Mexico and how his life lead him to this mission. Once an orphan himself, Shinsky discussed with the VASJ student body, the way in which the sacrifices his mother had made when giving him up for adoption, taught him some of his most valuable life-lessons. “My mom was just an ordinary person, she wasn’t anybody special. But she taught me what unconditional love was and she also taught me that ordinary people can do extraordinary things,” Shinsky said.

Finally, Shinsky ended his presentation with an explanation about how his time as a Viking at VASJ (then St. Joe’s) helped shape him into the man he is today. “You might fall down,” Shinsky said, “But you will get back up because you’re a Viking and that’s what Vikings do.”

April 28, 2011

Dear Members of the Villa Angela-St. Joseph Community:

After two years leading the turnaround effort at VASJ, I am pleased that the progress made has set the school on the right path toward our vision of building a 21st Century model of Catholic education. With a great team effort of faculty, staff, administrators, parents, alumns, neighbors, Ursulines, Marianists, Board of Advisors and Endowment Board members, and a broad array of Diocesan people beginning with Bishop Lennon and continuing through Secretary of Education Margaret Lyons and the Office of Catholic Education, we have set VASJ on course for success. Fulfilling this requires much hard work ahead, but our community can carry out that work with the confidence that comes from having an achievable and realistic plan grounded firmly in our mission to transform lives to transform the world.

While I have been honored to work internally and externally with this eclectic group and to see the great results that have come in a fairly short time, I write today to inform you that this good work will continue without me at the helm of the Viking ship next year.

As many of you know, while this year has been one of great success for VASJ, that success has come with sacrifice by my family as I have bilocated between my VASJ home in Cleveland and my family that moved to Louisiana last year. After much family discernment and deep prayer on the subject of my oft-repeated mantra, “You go where God calls you,” my family and I have decided that the progress at VASJ makes is a good time for me to turn over leadership of the school to someone who can lead its pursuits further while I continue to follow God’s call without the competing challenge of long-distance digital family life. At this good transition time, God has blessed me with a great opportunity to rejoin my professional and family vocations. Beginning in July, I will assume the position of Head of Redemptorist Elementary and High Schools in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, an institution with similar demographics, traditions and spirit that make it much like VASJ.

Pre-register for 2011-2012 kindergarten until June 9 at any K-8 CMSD school building. Children must be 5 years old by September, and children who are 4 years old on or before September 30 may be eligible for a free pre-kindergarten program. Early entrance testing is also available.

FREE full-day kindergarten includes FREE hearing screening, vision exam and glasses. Children receive early literacy and math instruction and computer technology. If your children speak a language other than English, or have special needs, call one of the following offices:

Multilingual Multicultural Education Center: 216-404-5159

Special Education: 216-592-7387

Student Assignments: 216-523-6347

Early Childhood: 216-348-4559

When registering, take the child’s birth certificate, proof of address, guardianship documents (if applicable) and complete immunization record  -- 5 doses DPT (Diptheria, Polio, Tetanus), 4 doses IPV (Polio), 2 doses MMR (Measles, Mumps, Rubella), 3 doses Hepatitis B, 2 doses Varicella (Chickenpox). An additional dose is required if all doses were given prior to the 4th birthday.

Call the Early Childhood Information Hotline for details: 216-348-4560

In 1987, the year he was one of the charter inductees into the St. Joseph High School Hall of Fame, legendary coach Bill Gutbrod mentioned that he’d turned down a number of college coaching opportunities because “I just didn’t want to leave.”

The school’s first head football coach, who spent 40 years at St. Joe’s, then added: “This place kind of gets to you -- the school spirit, the unity, the togetherness.”

All three of those ingredients were on full display last month when a crowd of nearly 500 people, including many former Viking gridders, turned out for the April 8 tribute dinner honoring perhaps the most beloved figure in the history of the school, now VASJ.

The event, held at the Croatian Lodge in Eastlake, featured speakers representing five decades, from Joe Topoly of the Class of 1954, the first St. Joe graduating class, to Rick Finotti (’91) who is now head football coach at St. Edward. Their common themes included respect, gratitude, and, perhaps most important, love.

Making a surprise appearance was Desmond Howard (’88) who once scored five touchdowns in a single game for the Vikings. He went on to win a Heisman trophy while playing for Michigan and a Super Bowl MVP award as a member of the Green Bay Packers.

The Villa Angela-St. Joseph High School community lost one of its stoutest leaders on April 21 when Timothy Robertson passed away while hospitalized at the Cleveland Clinic. He had been on a waiting list for a heart transplant. The highly regarded 66-year-old educator taught advanced placement mathematics at the school for more than four decades until his recent retirement. He also served as the school’s academic dean.

The Wrestling Stars from VASJ:

           Phil Wellington (senior, 189 pounds) – Chosen as the Vikings’ “most valuable wrestler,” Wellington placed fourth in the state meet after earning third-place honors in the Division III district tournament. He finished the season with a 35-6 record. “At the state meet, Phil wrestled five great matches,” says head coach Bob Mullin. “He took it right to the wire against the state runner-up before losing a hard-fought 3-2 battle.”

            DiAnte Jackson (junior, 215 pounds) – Selected to receive the “outstanding junior” award at the Vikings’ awards banquet, Jackson also qualified for the state tournament. He compiled a 27-13 record and was coming on strong late in the season, earning runner-up honors in the district meet. In the district finals, he had his opponent—Ken Smith of Chanel—in pinning combinations several times; however, Smith struggled free and won the district title with a pin of his own.

          Mullin, who was named one of the “coaches of the year” by the Greater Cleveland Wrestling Coaches and Officials Assn., reports that Wellington and Jackson were invited to compete in a national tournament in Virginia Beach, Va., in late March.

***

The date was Nov. 25, 1989. The St. Joseph Viking football team was trailing, 14-7, at halftime of the state football championship game against Fostoria in the “Horseshoe” at Ohio State University. 

But, as he had done many times before, veteran Coach Bill Gutbrod found a way to get his gridders charged up--and they went out and won the game, 21-14. (It was the last football game ever played as the “St. Joseph Vikings.” The merger with Villa Angela Academy took place the following year.)

What did Coach Gutbrod say in that halftime pep talk? Well, hundreds of alumni and other supporters of the East 185th Street school might find out on Friday April 8, when the school—now VASJ—hosts “Coach Bill Gutbrod Night” at the Croatian Lodge in Eastlake, beginning at 5 p.m. Former NFL player Bob Golic, a 1975 grad, will serve as master of ceremonies.

Just in time for the tribute to the storied coach, who devoted 40 years to St. Joe’s, a long-lost videotape recording of that final halftime pep talk has turned up.

Tim Ryan, a professional photographer who filmed many of the Vikings’ football games, recently stumbled across the video in his archives while searching for something else. “I had been looking for that tape for 20 years,” he says, “but I couldn’t find it because it was mislabeled. Until now, no one has ever seen that tape.”

After only their second year back in CYO (Catholic Youth Organization) sports, St. Jerome School won the Mater Dei Mayhem Seventh Grade Boys Basketball Championship.

With a 12 and 2 season, the seventh grade boys triumphed against West Park Catholic Academy, 34 to 30.

Matt Galinac, the seventh-grade boys head coach, said that the team came into the season with the goal of winning a championship.

“I told them that if they wanted to win a championship, they could do it if they worked hard,” Galinac said.

Galinac is a graduate of St. Jerome Elementary School. He said the school has always held a special place in his heart and that is why he returned to coach. Galinac also lead the 2005 eighth-grade boys’ basketball team to a championship as well. Galinac attributes this team’s success to hard-work, dedication, and team work.

“These kids are a really close-knit group,” Galinac said. “They get along well together and are mentally tough.”

Jason Williams, one of the championship team’s leading scorers and point guard, said he credits the success the team has had to having a great coach.

“If we were ever down, he always told us that no team could beat us,” Williams said. “That made us feel confident that we really could win if we tried our best.”

 Williams, who has been playing basketball for four years, said that the trust that his teammates have also was an important key to leading them to a championship.

During the week of March 21, more than 200 students in Mrs. Beacham’s Health and Physical Education classes and Mrs. Mengel’s GRADS and Child Development Classes participated in a three-day workshop presented by Cleveland’s Domestic Violence Center. 

On Thursday, March 24, 2011, VASJ held its annual National Honor Society Induction Ceremony where 18 students were inducted as new members. The ceremony was coordinated by the student officers of the National Honor Society (NHS) chapter at VASJ.

Noble Academy Cleveland (an Excellent with Distinction School) wishes our former Director, Mr. Kose best wishes while establishing a new school in Minneapolis. After five years as the founding director of Noble Academy, Mr. Kose takes his experience and knowledge to a new community where he will build another strong academic environment and school. In his goodbye letter to our families, he attributed the success of our excellent school to our committed families, students, and staff. Mr. Kose felt personally that the five years at Noble Academy were his favorite and most memorable.

A Villa Angela-St. Joseph High School Assistant Principal and teacher was recently selected as a Claes Nobel Educator of Distinction by The National Society of High School Scholars (NSHSS). A role model to pupils, Megan was nominated by VASJ senior Terika Hyneman, for outstanding dedication and commitment to excellence in the classroom.

I lived for love
Love lived through me
You say you care.
When boundaries between us begin to tear

Love told me that it was true
It showed me things I never knew
But all I saw were lies
Taking away the blindfold from my eyes

It sucked me in
And took me over
Making me feel
As though I found a four-leafed clover

Love picked me up
And dropped me back down
Taking away
My joyous crown

I lived for love
Love lived through me
Blinding the truth
I could not see

At the end of each quarter, teachers at Villa Angela-St. Joseph High School nominate a few students to be chosen as Student of the Quarter. Student of the Quarter is not just for the top academic students, students who demonstrate leadership in class or who have shown a lot of improvement during the quarter are also nominated.

Villa Angela-St. Joseph High School presents the spring musical, "Into the Woods Junior" - a part of The Broadway Junior Collection. In the musical, "Into the Woods," classic fairytales such as Cinderella, The Baker and His Wife, Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk and Rapunzel all collide for a magical and imaginative journey that teaches lessons of the power of tolerance, community and shared sacrifice.

Come and find out why VASJ can be a great choice for you! A small Catholic High School environment that can provide personalized attention, greater opportunities for leadership and achievement in academics, sports and service with a welcoming, family feel.

Here’s a chance to turn back the clock and feel like a teenager again. VASJ alumni and alumnae are sponsoring a throw-back dance, a Vikings Classic Mixer at the VASJ gym, aka The Purple Palace. Whether your era was Bobbie sox, Poodle skirts and the “Twist”, Wing Tips or Penny Loafers and the “Hitchhiker”, or bell-bottoms and Disco Dancing, this event is for you.

Villa Angela-St. Joseph High School is excited to recognize the achievements of nine current students who were recently announced as winners in the LifeWorks Ohio Art & Essay Contest.

The LIT and the Women's Philanthropy of the Jewish Federation of Cleveland are co-sponsoring "Cover to Cover", a project to help the students and faculty at Ginn Academy, the boys' high school our neighborhood managed to hang onto.

Hundreds of books have been donated to fill the bare shelves at the school and inspire its students with the power of words. Help is needed to get all those  books on the shelves; volunteers will be hard at it from  9 am to 3 pm on Tuesday, March 8, and 11 am to 5 pm on Thursday, March 10. Choose any two-hour time slot and call Joyce Lisiewski at 216.593.2845

The VASJ basketball team, seeded No. 1 in the Division III sectional at Painesville Harvey, will open tournament play with a sectional final contest Friday, March 4, against the winner of the Independence-Fairview semifinal. The Vikings, ranked No. 20 in the latest Plain Dealer poll, have been playing well lately and took a 12-7 record into their final regular season game against Elyria Catholic.

A key reason for the Vikings’ success this season has been the play of three talented sophomores, including 6-7 Demonte Flannigan, who scored 17 points and blocked seven shots in a recent 63-56 victory over Archbishop Hoban. Duane Gibson, a 6-1 sophomore forward, also scored 17 in that game. Karlton Garner, another tenth grader, made two key free throws in the late stages of the contest.

After falling behind, 36-29, in the third period, Coach Babe Kwasniak’s squad came charging back as the Vikes showed a lot of defensive hustle. A slam dunk by Flannigan on a fast break cut the deficit to two points, 40-38, and the super sophomore displayed a variety of other moves—including a spinning lay-in—as the Vikings gradually pulled away.

It has been an uphill battle, but the Villa Angela-St. Joseph High wrestling program is beginning to make people sit up and take notice. Though small in number--with just 12 matmen on the squad this year--the Vikings now boast a higher level of wrestling talent than they’ve had in recent years.

The unofficial team nickname this year is “The Dirty Dozen,” which was the title of a movie some years back about a group of roughneck soldiers who displayed courage and determination in carrying out a dangerous mission.

Head coach Bob Mullin might not go as far as to compare his grapplers with the characters in that movie, one of whom was played by Jim Brown, although he does sense an enhanced degree of determination being shown by his key wrestlers – especially the core group that accounted for the bulk of the Vikings’ team points in the recent Division III sectional tournament at Beachwood High.

Four VASJ grapplers advanced from that event to the district tournament at Garfield Heights. (You might say that the Dirty Dozen was trimmed to the “Fantastic Four.”)

Leading the way for the Vikings was Phil Wellington, the senior 189-pounder who emerged as a sectional champion with a 4-3 victory in his title bout against Chanel's Johnathan Schafer. In two previous encounters, Schafer had gotten the best of the St. Joe ace, including a 7-4 decision in the North Coast League tournament in early February.

Two VASJ wrestlers survived last weekend’s tough district meets to qualify for the state wrestling tournament in Columbus.The Vikings’ qualifiers were Phil Wellington at 189 pounds and DiAnte Jackson at 215 pounds. This is the first time in more than 10 years that VASJ has produced at least two state qualifiers. Jackson finished in second place at the Division III district at Garfield Heights, while Wellington earned third-place honors.

The Literacy Cooperative sought funding to replicate SPARK in Cuyahoga County and is currently collaborating with Invest in Children -Cuyahoga County’s public-private partnership serving young children and families - and with Family Connections in order to offer SPARK at select schools in Maple Heights, Cleveland Heights, and Cleveland.

Essential elements of SPARK include:

1)     parent partners who work closely with children and families through monthly in-home interactions;

2)     developmental screenings for all children (including a review of results by a child psychologist and a Responsive Services Team consisting of early childhood professionals);

3)     follow-up assessments as indicated;

4)     individual therapies as needed (i.e., for speech or behavioral issues);

5)     learning plans individualized to each child’s specific learning needs;

6)     home and group visits with prescribed lesson plans based on Ohio’s early learning content standards;

7)     developmentally appropriate books with art supplies and activity cards;

8)     transitional program to introduce children and families to their new school and take the mystery (and fear) out of kindergarten;

9)     backpacks with all necessary school supplies; and

10)  screenings and assessments for evaluation purposes.

Cleveland Job Corps Academy (CJCA) recently attended the Joliet Job Corps Centers’ “There is HOPE” weekend conference in Joliet, Illinois. 

The mission of the “There is HOPE” conference is to "restore communities by helping people walk into their future with character, love, and HOPE."

The two day event, held in early November, was attended by CJCA along with 10 other Job Corps Academies from throughout the  Chicago Region. The youth summit focused on building leadership skills through the participation of attendees in workshops and group presentations.

The individual workshop subjects included Team Building, Entrepreneur Projects, Conflict Resolution, Peer Support, and Career Success Standards. 

Each participating academy was also encouraged to produce and perform a 15 minute leadership presentation in the form of spoken word, song, dance, or mime. The CJCA team’s performance was an interpretive dance that highlighted their accomplishments and Career Service Standards.

The conference capped off a very successful 2010 for CJCA. Throughout the year the young men and women visited with City of Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson and attended a Cleveland City Council meeting, as well as meeting with local Congressional Representatives  Marcia L. Fudge, Dennis J. Kucinich, Betty Sutton, Steven LaTourette, US Senator Sherrod Brown, and Cleveland city councilman Eugene Miller.

Young people interested in joining Job Corps are invited to visit their recruiting website at: http://recruiting.jobcorps.gov/en/home.aspx or call (800) 733-JOBS today.

While most Northeast Ohio sports fans—and sportswriters—were focused on the big high school state football championship game down in Canton in early December, two area basketball teams staged an “instant classic” that went practically unnoticed.

In front of a large crowd in the Euclid High gym on Dec. 4, the host Panthers survived a see-saw battle against neighborhood rival Villa Angela-St. Joseph, eking out a 55-54 victory in a game with a storybook finish.

The evening’s unlikely hero for Euclid was a substitute player by the name of Don Won Demore, who sank only one basket all night. But what a shot it was—a buzzer-beating three pointer off the backboard as time expired. As the scoreboard clock approached the 0:00 mark, Demore, a six-foot junior who entered the contest when Arthur Cook fouled out, let loose with a shot that area basketball fans may be talking about for years to come. And, importantly from the Panthers’ standpoint, he sent the home crowd home in a happy mood.

As part of the Department of Labor/National Job Corps Inaugural Universal Safety Day, the Cleveland Job Corps Academy hosted a Safety Fair that was highlighted in the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Job Corps’ October 2010 national edition of the Job Corps Safety Circle Newsletter.

This recognition is in line with the Office of Job Corps’ evaluation of the Cleveland Job Corps’ performance rating as “Exceptional.” This category includes “Use of Innovations.”  Of the 124 Centers nationwide, Cleveland ranked number 20 from October 2009 through September 2010, which included its first-place ranking for GED/High School Diploma attainment and second-place ranking for vocational-trade completion.

The Safety Fair gave students, staff and community partners the opportunity to recognize and champion occupational safety, and personal health and safety. Students at the Center have long evaluated the Center as “safe,” a fact attested to by the Students’ Satisfaction Survey. Conducted biannually, this survey measures how students feel about their safety on each of the 124 Job Corps centers nationwide. Cleveland scored a 99.8%; the highest score ever recorded at any center in the nation, in the March 2009 survey, and averaged 96.8% for the three periods covering March 2009 through March 2010. The national average was 83.7% for the same reporting period. The national results for September 2010 are still being tabulated.

f the Job Corps Safety Circle Newsletter.