On September, 27, 2022, the District began the “Design” stage of the strategic planning process by holding our Inquiry Team Kick-Off meeting at Chagrin Falls Intermediate School.  The session was led by Denise Snowden, the Founder and CEO of Coach to Lead.  There are three Inquiry Teams, one aligned to each strategic priority area (High-Quality Learning, Student and Staff Well-Being, and Strategic Resourcing).  Each Inquiry Team has 16 members which consist of two administrative leader coaches, one community leader coach, five to six parents/guardians/community members, three students, three to four staff members and one Board member.

The purpose of the kick-off meeting was to build excitement, provide direction, and engage in meaningful inquiry.  Members were welcomed with a journal to record their learnings about Chagrin and write their stories as we design for the future.  After the welcome and introductions, team members had some time to get to know each other.  The activities challenged the teams to think about the past, present, and future with questions such as “What was the world like if you graduated in 2004-2005, What is the world like now if you are graduating in 2023, What will the world be like if you are graduating in 2035 (current kindergarten class) or 2040 (this year’s newborns)?”

The teams then discussed the four industrial revolutions and the similarities and differences with engagement in learning between Gen Z, Gen Alpha, and Gen Beta.  We also explored different jobs anticipated to be new to Ohio, according to Columbus CEO magazine, in the next five years with the opening of the INTEL facility.  These jobs included automation engineer, manufacturing technician, marketing communication specialist, senior director of people leadership, and software security architect.  The wide range of qualifications for these positions was fascinating…everything from a high school diploma to a doctorate degree in software engineering.

Denise explained in more detail the purpose of their work and what would need to be accomplished by March 22, 2023. The teams will meet at least monthly and are tasked with spearheading the work to produce well-supported strategy recommendations in the form of a briefing paper to the Strategic Coordination Team.  Community questionnaire responses, community roundtables, and other existing relevant qualitative and quantitative data will be used for this initial work.  Members will engage stakeholders through focus groups and extend their understanding of research, best practices, and future fluencies that inform their strategic priority area.  

It was evident that most left inspired with a sense of pride, purpose and direction.  The work these teams will do will not only be the foundation of the strategic plan, but will also follow the theme and direction set for this school year, “This is Chagrin…Write the Story.”  The first part “This is Chagrin” allows Inquiry Teams to embrace our core values, beliefs, and strong traditions.  It also allows them to identify the current state of the Chagrin Falls Schools and determine what matters most to our students, staff, and school community.  

The second part “Write the Story” allows us to start with what we have learned through qualitative and quantitative research and begin to write the storylines for the desired future state of the School District.  These stories will not only incorporate what we have learned from our research, but also guide us in writing the introductions for our future at Chagrin Falls Schools.  

Gurney Preschool's New Communication Board Helps Students Better Communicate with Each Other on the Playground

New Chagrin Falls High School Mathematical Modeling and Reasoning Course Provides Creative and Interactive Spin on Math

Two Chagrin Falls High School Seniors Named National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists and Three Chagrin Falls High School Seniors Named National Merit Commended Scholars

Chagrin Falls Middle School Eighth Graders Discuss Importance of Global Awareness and International Collaboration at September Regular Board Meeting

Start with Hello; How You Can Make a Difference

(A CFMS Tiger Tales student-written article)

Safe Routes Chagrin Hosts 12th Annual Walk to School - Walk to Town

Chagrin Falls Schools Receives 5/5 Stars on All Categories of State Report Card

Report Card Presentation from September 21 Board Meeting

Enrollment in Schools Across Ohio Presentation from September 7 Board Meeting

Chagrin Falls Band Monthly Newsletter - September 20

Chagrin Falls Orchestra Newsletter - September

As our District’s Strategic Planning process inspires us to look to the future, there is also value to be found in recalling the past. My past as a Chagrin Falls alumna inspires many memories that have shaped my personal story of Chagrin. 

I started kindergarten at Gurney in the late 80s, and my teacher was Mrs. Owen who I still occasionally see at church. Our mascot was the Gurney raccoons, and one year our community came together to fundraise and build a massive wooden playground that was the pride of the school. At our holiday show my class sang “We All Live in a Yellow Submarine” and all the children crowded the stage during the big finale to sing and sign “Let There Be Peace on Earth,” in a touching tradition that continues today.

I attended third through fifth grade at Sands Elementary, which stood roughly where Chagrin Falls Middle School is right now, with a playground full of hot metal, asphalt and little white gravel that always came home in your shoes. Any of my peers who attended that school will remember the way Dr. Gray started every day, with her voice booming over the PA system: “You are SPECIAL!” 

Chagrin Falls Middle School was on Philomethian St, where art class was way down in the sunken basement, and a favorite after school pastime was walking into town to buy candy at Nalls drugstore or browse slap bracelets at Taggarts toys. None of us had cell phones so we wrote notes to each other and folded them into little paper footballs to slip into lockers. 

In high school, Y2K was a big deal…right up until it wasn’t. I used an orange grease pencil to crop printed photos for the yearbook, and met my future husband during class in the marching band outbuilding. Like many other Chagrin teenagers before and since, I played powderpuff football, had a blast at AfterProm, watched friends perform in the Orange and Black Revue, and slid down Grove Hill on a slimy layer of pumpkin guts.

My senior year, the high school offered 15 AP classes and the District ranked 49th in the country according to Newsweek. I’ll admit I had to consult my yearbook to find those statistics, though. My story of Chagrin, and my most lasting memories from my childhood here, center around the way the grownups in my school made me feel. I still remember the hug I got from my second grade teacher on the last day of school, and the encouragement from Mrs. Petite when I was struggling with a program in computer science. I will also forever take way too much pride in the fact that Mr. Dole named his daughter Lauren the summer after I was in his class. 

As we look back on the past, we can use the highlights of our own school experiences to shape the environment we create for our students today. May we honor and learn from the past as we go forth and write our story! 

The District's 2022-23 school year theme is “This is Chagrin…Write the Story.”

The work we are doing this year centers around our school community sharing their stories and experiences to write a narrative for what we collectively believe and want for our students. This is a perfect statement that outlines what we hope to accomplish through the strategic planning process. Core values and beliefs are the foundation of strategic planning and establishing the culture of an organization. It is what makes school a special place to learn, work, and succeed, and a school community a special place to live. Are we ready to educate the next generation of students? How will the story we write this year impact their story in the future?

Throughout the school year, our students, staff, parents/guardians, and community will be encouraged to help “write the story of Chagrin Falls Schools” in numerous ways. From participating in the creation of the District’s strategic plan to actually being an author highlighting the commitment and dedication to academic excellence and preparation of our students for the world after graduation.

As a District, we look toward the future and ask all of you to engage with us as we help write Chagrin’s story for many years to come. 

October 14 - NEOEA Day - No School

October 17 - Fall Break - No School

October 19 - Chagrin Falls Board of Education Regular Meeting - Middle School cafeteria