At the March 13 Board of Education meeting, a proclamation was read declaring March as National Middle Level Education Month, recognizing the importance of middle level education and honoring the contributions of those who educate this unique age group. Erin Calabrese, principal of North Royalton Middle School, shared how schools that educate middle grade students play a critical function in the nation’s educational system in that they are responsible for educating young adolescents between the ages of 10 and 15 (grades 5-9). “Other than the first year and a half of a person’s life, the middle level years mark the greatest amount of change that a person experiences,” said Calabrese. “The ability for our teachers and staff to support these changes in our students while creating a school atmosphere where each student learns and grows at his or her own rate is certainly something to be celebrated.”