Lake Catholic High School recieves Cleveland Clinic Designation

Lake Catholic High School has been named a Cleveland Clinic Banner School for the 2019-20 school year in recognition of the creative ways it continued to educate students despite the building closures causedFuller by the coronavirus.

“Luckily, as a one-to-one school, we were very prepared to face the challenge of distance learning presented to us by the COVID pandemic,” said Charles Fuller, the principal of the Mentor school. “From a technology standpoint, we hit the ground running, and we were able to continue the education of our students through the school closure.”

By meeting stringent implementation and participation criteria, Cleveland Clinic Banner Schools maximize enrichment, promote continuous programmatic improvement, according to a news release. The honorees earn a distinction shared by fewer than 24% of the 264 schools across 10 states that participated in the hospital’s 2019–20 educational school programming.

“The Cleveland Clinic Banner School designation is an important acknowledgment of our transformation in educational methods and procedures in keeping with

the Ohio Department of Education STEAM-designated school requirements,” Fuller said.

Bryan Pflaum, the Cleveland Clinic’s director of school programs (K–12 Education) indicated, the resolve, ingenuity, and adaptability Lake Catholic has shown were evident before this pandemic, however, all of their accomplishments have distinguished it.

“Having received the designation of a Cleveland Clinic Banner School speaks to our students’ commitment to providing them with a wide array of opportunities for their growth and our continued efforts to strive for excellence,” added Christine Ronzi, the school’s department chair of science. “We are always looking for those ‘inroads’ into the community where our students can expand their knowledge and ‘live’ different experiences outside of the classroom.” With the summer ahead, the staff and administration at Lake Catholic have implemented programs for and are ready to embrace “simultaneous learning.”

“Students participated in the Cleveland Clinic’s Worldwide Classroom Program,” Dean of Academics Kelley Turner said. “This program provides students the opportunity to engage with Cleveland Clinic healthcare professionals through video conferencing.”

Students were able to engage with healthcare professionals, hear personal stories, and ask questions. This program provided interested students with the opportunity to explore different health issues, make connections to the curriculum, and well as exploring careers in science and medicine.

“The webinars were held twice a month, and some of the themes this year included: Meet a Heart Surgeon, Meet a Nurse Practitioner, Meet a Therapy Services Team, All About Diabetes, All About Nutrition, and All About Sports Injuries,” Turner added.

The faculty has also decided to participate in a book study for the summer to help with culminating professional development.

Lake Catholic, like most schools right now, is focusing on re-opening in the fall.

“We are also preparing our school re-opening task force intending to provide a safe environment that embraces simultaneous learning that is also unique to the Lake Catholic experience,” Fuller said.

They plan to return in the fall with face-to-face education, but they can reach any student who cannot attend school in person with the use of technology.

This plan would help if a student were forced to miss school. He or she could feel confident that they can be active members of all their classes. Lake Catholic has come up with new technology and teaching methods designed to maximize the distance learning experience. The goal would be to have the student return to face-to-face learning without having to play catch-up.

“We are excited to be on the cutting edge of modern education, with the ability to reach our community remotely, while maintaining the special in-person environment that is Lake Catholic,” Fuller added.