Monticello Assistant Principal Selected as Fulbright Award Winner

Monticello Middle School Assistant Principal Brian Williams has been selected as one of two educators in the State and seven in the nation to participate in the Brazil Award Winning Principals Program. The program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, the Fulbright Commission in Brazil, and the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board.

“It is an honor to receive this opportunity to work with educators from across the United States and Brazil to advance our collective knowledge and best teaching practices,” Williams said. “My goal is to further our District’s vision of preparing all students for success in a global economy and to continue work on a partnership between CH-UH and teachers and students in Brazil.”

The program will take place in Brazil August 2-16, 2008. During this time, Williams, along with other U.S. principals, will travel to different Brazilian states to visit award-winning schools for one week of observations and work-shadowing. He will also participate in the National School Leadership and Management Conference held in Salvador, Bahia. At this conference, principals from the 27 Brazilian states will join their U.S. counterparts to share their practices in school leadership and management.

In December, the Cleveland Heights – University Heights City School District was one of eight school districts in the nation to host a group of Brazilian educators through the same program.

Monticello Students Recognized as National Young Leaders

Two Monticello Middle School students are among a select group recognized by the Congressional Youth Leadership Council to honor and inspire the most exceptional middle school students in Ohio and across nation, distinguished by their academic excellence, leadership potential, and maturity.

Sixth grade student Brandon Brown attended the Junior National Young Leaders Conference in Washington, DC, earlier this month. Teacher Marian Kopp recommended Brandon for this honor. Eighth grade student Lauren Thompson joined a select group of distinguished Ohio middle school students at the end of March for the National Young Leaders State Conference in Columbus. Lauren was nominated by teacher Diana Goroncy-Sheppard.

“The aim of NYLSC is to inspire students to recognize their own leadership skills, measure their skills against those of their peers, and return home with newfound confidence in their ability to serve as future leaders,” Executive Director of the Congressional Youth Leadership Council Michael Lasday said.

In addition to the two students selected this year for state and national recognition, Monticello has had 10 students recognized by the Congressional Youth Leadership Council since 2004.

“We are so pleased to have two students representing Monticello at the state and national levels for academic achievement and leadership characteristics,” Monticello Principal Sheldon Smith said. “Brandon and Lauren personify the excellence in our school, and we could not be prouder to see their hard work acknowledged by such an esteemed organization.”

Monticello and Wiley Honored as “Ohio Schools to Watch”

Two schools in the Cleveland Heights – University Heights City School District have been selected as “Ohio Schools to Watch” by the Ohio Department of Education (ODE) for the 2007 – 2008 school year. Monticello Middle School and Wiley Middle School were two of only 10 schools in the state to be selected for this honor, and the only schools in Cuyahoga County.

The Ohio Schools to Watch program recognizes high-impact, public middle schools in Ohio. In these schools, there is a focus on all students leaving the middle grades prepared for success in high school and beyond. The designations were made after a rigorous application process that included ODE site visits to each school.

According to the ODE, these schools provide a personalized learning environment, give all students access to high-quality classes, and the support they need to learn at high levels. The schools also provide leadership and professional development necessary for continuous improvement.