The Holiday spirit came alive in Berea on Saturday night for the lucky folks who attended the Cleveland Pops Holiday Concert! The concert, benefiting The Education Foundation for Berea School District, was filled with the sounds of the holidays!
Cleveland Pops conductor, Carl Topilow led the Cleveland-area top-notch musicians with grand enthusiasm, energy, humor and charm. The audience was engaged and delighted with a variety of upbeat seasonal arrangements throughout the two-hour concert. There were soloists... Featured musicians... Guest Conductors (including Berea-Midpark's very own - Deborah Wesoloski)... And even a fun little number that featured a few unsuspecting young audience members!
The buzz in the lobby after the concert confirmed that the concert was a HUGE success! To make sure you don't miss our future events, sign up for The Education Foundation's mailing list, here.
With the overwhelming success of the Jim Tressel appearance last year fresh in mind, The Education Foundation sought a fundraising event for 2013 with a different look and appeal.  That led to the Cleveland Pops Orchestra, which
performs at Severance Hall and Blossom Music Center but takes its 100 musicians
on the road to venues throughout northeast Ohio.
Funds raised by the Holiday Concert on Nov. 30 will
supplement those raised by the Foundation’s annual Auction and will help provide enrichment activities for students in the Berea Schools.
The Foundation booked the Cleveland Pops into the Kulas Musical Arts Building thanks to Baldwin Wallace University, which also consulted with the Foundation on the programming.
"The venue makes the concert easily accessible to patrons," said Carol Templeman, chair of the Foundation’s marketing committee. "You don’t have to drive downtown or to the East Side to hear a top-notch orchestra. They will be right here." And parking is free.
Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield is the presenting sponsor. Corporate sponsorships at various levels are available. Contact Kim Dettmer, (216) 898-8270 or kdettmer@berea.k12.oh.us for details.
Linda G. Kramer
Berea School District employees generously contribute money to this fund through payroll deduction and participate in the selection of recipients. Since its inception, The Foundation has received more than $80,000 via the Payroll Deduction Program. These grants can be awarded to staff or students.
Currently, Payroll Deduction Grant Applications are being accepted for the fall and are due Sept. 27, 2013. 
2013 spring recipients include:
Bucket Fillers Program
School: Brook Park Memorial
Elementary School
Staff Member: Mike Kostyak Amount: $1250
The Bucket Fillers program works with students to promote kindness, respect and thoughtfulness. It is a proactive program that helps deter negative behavior. The grant will fund incentives, books, journals and posters.
Bal-A-Vis-X
School: Big Creek Elementary School
Staff Member: Kristy Krajnaik Amount: $500
Bal-A-Vis-X is a multi-sensory program that helps students become more confident, stronger readers and writers ballowing students to have fun while working on developing balance and rhythm. Both balance and rhythm are linked to academic success. The grant funds starter kit and complete Bal-A-Vis-X DVD.
Oviparous Unit
School: Grindstone Elementary School
Staff Member: Amy Murray Amount: $250
The students of a kindergarten class get to observe the stages of development of a chick
hatching from an egg. The grant will fund the eggs and oviparous kit (including incubator, food for chicks, etc.)
Mileage Club
School: Grindstone Elementary School
Staff Member:
Kristen Johnson Amount: $500
Mileage club is a year-long recess running and walking program for 1st, 2nd and 3rd grade students. Two days a week, the students who wish to participate, run or walk on the
measured track behind Grindstone. Student laps are counted and they receive incentives to continue participation in the club. This program is an effort to fight obesity by building active lifestyles within the school environment. The grant funds incentives and supplies.
Tickets for the Cleveland Pops Holiday Concert, benefiting the Education
Foundation went on sale on September 3, 2013. This concert is presented by
Anthem.  The concert is at 7pm on November 30, 2013 at Kulas Musical Arts Building on the campus of Baldwin Wallace University. Ticket price are $75 for Patron tickets and $50 for regular tickets. Tickets may be purchased here or in person at the Berea City School District Administration Building at 390 Fair Street, Berea, Ohio 44017. Proceeds of the concert will benefit the Education Foundation and the Enrichment Grants that are awarded annually. Since it's inception, the Education Foundation has awarded more than $170,000 in enrichment grants. These funds support innovative projects and programs suggested by staff members. The programs supplement the regular curriculum and can be offered during school, before or after regular school hours or in the summer. Thank you for supporting the Education Foundation! See you at the Pops!
Today is Titans Day in Berea, Middleburg Heights and Brook Park and the Titans Spirit is everywhere!
The Education Foundation is proud to support such an amazing event and community building experience!
 The Education Foundation awarded a $10,000 grant for Titans Day
Berea-Midpark High School
Grant Recipients: Mary Draves, Theresa Hahn, Sherri Fox, Toni Knotek, and Carrie Albrecht
August 23, 2013 is Titans Day! The purpose of Titans Day is assist in developing a strong community in the new
Berea-Midpark High School by providing students and staff an opportunity to
get to know each other through a variety of events. The events include
"Challenge Day-Cross the Line", teambuilding activities, and a pep rally.
The Education Foundation is proud to support our new Titans community!
Go Titans!
 Self-esteem, bullying, anger management – those may be difficult issues for anyone but especially for elementary school children.
Three years ago, guidance counselor Kristen Johnson decided to tackle those concerns with a “Bucket Filling Program,” based on a series of books for children by Carol McCloud. Brookview Elementary School Principal Tracy Schneid describes the books as “guides for daily happiness for kids. The goal is to fill another person’s ‘bucket’ and then your ‘bucket’ will be full, too.”
Filling a bucket means doing something positive, says Johnson. It could be as simple as smiling at a classmate as you walk down the hall or reading to a friend during lunch or recess.
Johnson began the program at Smith School and then transferred it to Grindstone Elementary School when that building opened in 2011. Schneid imported the Bucket philosophy to Brookview that same year as “Growing Up With a Bucket Full of Happiness.”
Both schools’ programs are funded in part by Education Foundation grants. Brookview received Enrichment Grants of $5,000 in 2012 and $4,000 in 2011. Grindstone was given an Employee Payroll Deduction Grant of $840 in 2012. For the 2013-14 school year, Brook Park Memorial School will receive a Payroll Deduction Grant to begin the program there.
“We absolutely couldn’t do this without The Education Foundation funding,” Schneid said.
The program was so successful at Brookview that first year, that Schneid expanded it to include faculty and staff. Two teachers had their 2nd-grade students create a craft and then deliver them to local nursing homes, for example. The program even went international. “One little girl collected money by selling fake moustaches and sent the funds to Africa for a clean water project,” Schneid said. Future plans call for a talent show and a play about a Bucket-Filling Fairy.
At Grindstone, Johnson had each child decorate a bucket – that added up to more than 900 plastic pails. The children filled the buckets with goodies and gave them away. One child filled the bucket with cat and dog treats and donated it to Berea’s Animal Rescue Friends shelter. Another child gave a candy-filled pail to his postal delivery person. Yet another bucket was planted with a flower and given to a neighbor. The Berea Division of Police got one filled with cookies. The students then wrote papers on to whom they donated the buckets and why.
Johnson says the program emphasizes the positive. “Each child likes to be a part of something,” she said. “We want to send positive messages.”
The children at both schools receive positive reinforcement for their good deeds. At Grindstone, students receive tickets. One is pulled at random every day. Prizes range from jump ropes to stress balls and pencils with the Grindstone logo. In the end, Johnson makes sure everyone gets a prize. At Brookview, students are rewarded for good behavior. Three good conduct reports earn them a T-shirt. Those students who fill their buckets receive a bright orange belt, which they can wear on the playground and in the cafeteria.
It has made an impact, said Schneid, “especially on younger children, and parents love it.”
Johnson said she hopes the lessons learned in elementary school stay with the students as they go on to intermediate school and junior high. “Bucket-filling is a pro-active program and it’s about discipline,” she said. “It will be interesting to see how it grows.”
-Linda G. Kramer
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