Hi everyone! For our next episode, we are going to take you on a trip down memory lane in Coventry… as we prepare to sit down with two lifetime Comets, Kindergarten teacher Lori Hall and 3rd grade teacher Lori Mitchell… as these 2 amazing teachers will be retiring together at the end of this year and riding into the sunset together after incredibly amazing careers in Coventry that spanned their entire lives – as they’re both also Coventry graduates and alumni. Both of these ladies have taught and served in a variety of buildings throughout their tenure in Coventry and combined for an inspiring ‘almost’ 70 years of teaching. Mrs. Mitchell and Mrs. Hall truly define what a teacher is supposed to be… patient, loving, empathetic, creative and passionate till the end of their careers. There are well over a thousand children and lives that have been touched and enriched because of these ladies. I have been blessed to have worked with both in a variety of buildings going back to Lakeview, Turkeyfoot, Erwine and now Coventry Elementary. I’m beyond excited to sit down with these two today and allow them to share just a little bit of their stories of Coventry going back over 50 years as students, teachers and community members in our incredible district. There is not a doubt in my mind that after listening to this episode you will all agree that Coventry is blessed to have these amazing ladies, and many teachers just like them, working with our kids, and we will dearly miss them next year. I know your about to smile, laugh and maybe be brought to tears by their stories… so kick back, relax and enjoy the next half hour with Mrs. Hall and Mrs. Mitchell.

Good morning everybody! On this episode, we are super excited to share with you some information about a position in the Coventry Local Schools that often flies under the radar but is an incredible asset to our parents and families of students with special needs. This position is our ‘Parent Mentor’. This job is currently filled by the amazing Tiffany Wearstler in her second year in that capacity. Among many things, her position is working to provide information about special education laws, policies and procedures to our district personnel but most importantly to parents. She works tirelessly to improve and increase parent and professional partnerships and relationships. Tiffany is a Mom of 3, two of which go to Coventry Middle School. She has begun to develop some incredible relationships with the special education families within Coventry, while establishing a lasting impact on so many people that she helps on a personal and professional level. I’ve had the privilege to work with Tiffany over the past 2 years as a colleague and a parent and there are not words to describe the passion that she brings to our district each and every day. Coventry has provided the parent mentor program for over 20 years now, and the position has been filled by 4 different and wonderful people over that time. It is incredible to think about the amount of families we have helped through those years, and heartwarming to see the ways in which Tiffany connects and builds bridges for so many of our families to make their lives a little easier. I know after our conversation today regarding the parent-mentor program, you will all better understand and agree that Coventry truly goes above and beyond to help our families, students and community. This is one more example of how our Coventry connections make this a great place… so kick back, relax and enjoy the next 15 minutes with Ms. Wearstler. Tiffany Wearstler - [email protected] (330) 644-0699 ext. 626021

Hello Coventry! On our next episode of Comet Connections, we are going to take some time to dive into what is being done at Coventry to help ensure our students are the most marketable and employable when they leave the walls of the High School. This will focus in our our Career Based Interventions class that has grown and improved significantly over the last several years. To do this we will be chatting with our CBI instructor and a longtime friend of mine Mr. Ed Egan. Ed has been teaching and coaching in the Coventry School system his entire career of 25 years now. It has been exciting to be able to watch him build the CBI program from the ground up and I can’t wait for him to share some of the ins and outs of how he has done that with all of you. Ed has a drive to help each and every student and athlete that walks the halls of Coventry. There is no one that he will not go out of his way to advocate for and push to work to their potential. I’m excited for him to join us today on Comet Connections to share his thoughts and ideas on how we drive all students to enroll, enlist or be employed when they graduate. I know when we are finished today, you will be excited about the possibilities that our students are presented on a daily basis to maximize their opportunities… so kick back, relax and enjoy the next 15 minutes with Coach Egan. Coach Egan contact information: [email protected] (330) 644-3004 ext. 624311 Instagram: @coachegan Twitter/X: @8Egan

For our next episode, we are so excited to sit down with our very own Devon McAfee – Coach Dev, and talk school, sports and community. Coach Dev has been a staple in the schools and community for over 10 years now. He is a stabling influence in the lives of many of our students, athletes and families. It is a blessing to us to have someone like him that gives and cares on a continual basis to improve the situations we are faced with on a daily basis. Not only has Coach Dev worked in the Coventry School system since 2014, but he has also resided in the district for 7 years and raised his family here. Dev has forged life-long partnerships, relationships and friendships within Coventry that extend well beyond the walls of the school, gym and field and bring meaningful bonds to our families. I’ve had the privilege to work alongside Dev in several capacities over the years and I can tell you that there is no one that is a bigger advocate for our Comet students than this man. Coach Dev and the basketball team are mid-season right now and we appreciate him taking the time out of his busy schedule to sit down and talk to us for a while. The team is off to a great 7-4 start and have a big league game tonight against Streetsboro. I’m hopeful that a lot of you will be able to get out, either tonight or soon, to watch out team play – as I know you’ll see a group of student-athletes that represent our school with class and pride. I know when you listen to this episode you’ll agree that our Coventry kids and families are blessed to have a mentor like Dev in their corner. Nobody embodies “Comet Connections” more than this man. He works tirelessly to afford and provide countless opportunities to our young men and women… so kick back, relax and enjoy our newest episode with Coach Dev.

Good day everyone! For our newest episode, we are pumped to talk to you about a new position and program that was started in Coventry this year, called our Behavior Health and Wellness Coordinator . This position was filled internally by our very own Shari Brustoski, better known as Mrs. Bru. Among many things, her position is working to provide consultation services to students and families in the district, along with implementing psychosocial assessments, planning interventions and supervising behavior coaches in the district – a position that she expertly held for years. Mrs. Bru has worked in the Coventry School system for 23 years now, almost all of those as a focus behavior coordinator. Shari has formed meaningful and lasting relationships with countless students and families over those years and will now parlay those connections into her new role. I’ve had the privilege to work alongside Shari in several buildings over the years and I cannot speak highly enough about the heart, care and compassion that she brings to the table on a daily basis. Coventry was lucky enough to be selected to participate in a 2 year pilot program in cooperation with the Summit County Educational Service Center and the Peg’s Foundation, allowing us to rollout this new position. The grant was for over $60,000 meaning that this incredibly valuable role to our Coventry families is cost free to the school district. There were only 2 districts in the entire county, us and Tallmadge that were awarded the opportunity to participate in this for the next 2 years. I know after you hear Shari talk today about this program, you’ll all understand and agree that the services being provided are building, enhancing and solidifying the incredible relationships and opportunities afforded here in Coventry… so kick back, relax and enjoy the next 15 minutes with Mrs. Bru. Shari Brustoski contact information - email: [email protected] phone: (330) 644-8469 ext. 621109

Hey everyone! In our coming episode, we are excited to really dive into our Comet Connections, as we welcome a guest who has played multiple roles and worn many a hats during her time in Coventry. We are always elated to share out and highlight so many of the meaningful relationships in place within the Coventry Schools. These relationships open doors and create endless opportunities for our young students, Elementary through High School. To highlight some of these relationships, we will be joined by Elementary Art teacher Sarah Wulff. Sarah has been in the Coventry School system as a teacher for the past 16 years. Sarah had experience elsewhere before joining us here in Coventry and since she has been with us, she has masterfully filled many different roles. I have been privileged to work closely with Sarah in several of her positions while at Coventry, and I can tell you that there is no one with a bigger heart for kids that this lady. She cares deeply about each and every student in her class and in our school – whether they are little ones in the Elementary or bigger kids at our High School. Mrs. Wulff knows each and every one of them by name and cares about them personally. She defines someone that is a champion for kids and we are privileged to have her on our team. Whether she is handing out fist bumps or hugs, kids know that Mrs. Wulff cares about them. I know when we are finished today, you will be excited about the connections that are being made in the schools and community of Coventry thanks to Sarah… so kick back, relax and enjoy the next 15 minutes with Mrs. Wulff.

Hello Comet Fans! In our third episode, we will be shifting gears from our last episode focusing on Reading to talking Science and STEM this time. We wanted to be able to share with all of you some of the incredible things happening in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math here in the Coventry Schools. The opportunities for our students in these areas has magnified tremendously in the last couple of years. To do this we will be meeting with Middle School Science teacher and STEM enthusiast Adam Shoemaker. Adam has been in the Coventry School system his whole life as an alumni and now a teacher of 22 years at CMS. This man has one of the most creative minds and puts it to great use, working overtime to provide innovative opportunities for our students to hone their critical thinking skills and better prepare them for future success. I have been blessed to work with him as a fellow teacher, coach and more importantly a friend. I’m excited for him to join us today on Comet Connections to share his thoughts and ideas that make our Science and STEM opportunities so engaging. I know when we are finished today, you will be excited about the opportunities that our students are presented on a daily basis in their Science classes… so kick back, relax and enjoy the next 15 minutes with Mr. Shoey.

Hello everybody! For our second episode, we will be piggybacking something that Mr. Fisk mentioned in episode one as he referenced our new Elementary Reading Series that was adopted for Grades Kindergarten through 5th. We wanted to take some time to dive a little deeper into what this series is bringing to our young emerging readers in Coventry and how this will reap rewards down the road in their educational journey. To do this we will be meeting with 1st grade teachers Missy Carr and Jen Elgin. Missy has been with Coventry for 32 years and Jen has been with us for 22 years, both in a variety of grade levels across our Elementary Buildings. They are both incredibly caring, compassionate and dedicated teachers, educators and people. I have been blessed to have worked with both in a variety of buildings going back to Lakeview, Turkeyfoot, Erwine and now Coventry Elementary. I’m excited for them to join us today to share their thoughts and opinions on our new Reading series Core Knowledge Language Arts, called CKLA, from Amplify. I know when we are finished today, you will be excited about the opportunities that CKLA is providing our young students and their teachers… so kick back, relax and enjoy the next 15 minutes with Mrs. Carr and Mrs. Elgin.

As we begin our journey into the world of Podcasting at Coventry Schools. This is an introduction into what residents and stakeholders can expect to hear, learn and take away from our episodes. We will also have a short interview with Superintendent George Fisk previewing some exciting things to look forward to in Coventry this year.