Student Services Programming

Child Sexual Abuse Prevention (Erin's Law)

Ohio Revised Code Section 3316.60 requires all students in grades K-6 to participate in education about child sexual abuse prevention. During the month of February, School Counselors will be facilitating these lessons for students in grades K-6. See the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce website for more information. 

School Districts in Ohio are obligated to notify the following information:

• Instruction in child sexual abuse prevention is a required part of a district’s curriculum;

• Parents and/or legal guardian may examine instructional materials in accordance with ORC 3316.6 (see lesson plans linked below)

  • • • Kindergarten Lesson Plan / Directions to access video

      • Grade 1 Lesson Plan / Directions to access video

      • Grade 2 Lesson Plan / Directions to access video

      • Grade 3 Lesson Plan / Directions to access video

      • Grade 4 Lesson Plan / Directions to access video

      • Grade 5 Lesson Plan / Directions to access video

      • Grade 6 Lesson Plan / Directions to access video

• Upon written request of the student’s parent or guardian, a student shall be excused from taking instruction in child sexual abuse prevention. Please contact Holly Merkle, Coordinator of Wellness and Success, at cf_merkleh@cftigers.org or 330-926-3800 by January 26, 2026 if you would like to excuse your child from participation in this instruction. 

Panorama Student Survey

At Cuyahoga Falls City Schools, our commitment is to provide an outstanding educational experience for every student. We believe that a key part of this is listening to our students and using their insights to continuously improve.

To that end, we will be administering the Panorama student survey twice during the 2025-2026 school year for students in grades 3-12. The survey is a vital tool that helps us identify both our strengths and areas for growth by gathering direct feedback from students. This information is crucial for shaping our programming and ensuring it meets their needs. For example, insights from past surveys have directly guided the development of classroom guidance lessons, small groups such as Ruling Our Experiences (ROX), our youth-led prevention group, Sources of Strength.

The survey will take approximately 20 minutes to complete and will be conducted during a time in the school day that ensures students do not miss core instruction. The Panorama Survey covers topics such as social awareness, emotion regulation, self-management, positive feelings, and challenging feelings.

Fall Survey Window: October 20, 2025-October 31, 2025 (deadline to opt out October 24, 2025)

Spring Survey Window: February 2, 2026- February 13, 2026 (deadline to opt out January 26, 2026)

By administering the survey twice a year, we can effectively monitor progress and see the impact of our programs. If you have any questions about this process, would like to preview the survey, or wish to opt your child out of taking the survey, please contact Holly Merkle, Coordinator of Wellness and Success, at cf_merkleh@cftigers.org or (330) 926-3800. Students whose caregivers previously opted them out of the Panorama survey will not participate survey unless you contact Holly Merkle to notify her that you would like your child to take part. 

We are excited to continue this partnership with our students to create a supportive and engaging school environment for all.

Kind, Safe Choices (Previously Not Me, I'm Drug Free)

The Kind, Safe Choices program is offered in partnership with the Cuyahoga Falls Police Department to our 5th grade students.  This program focused on helping our student build positive coping and decision making skills. Below is an outline of the topics covered in each session. 

Session One (September or October, dates vary based on elementary building)

•  Mental health

•  Respect, empathy, kindness

•  Bullying

•  Positive activities

•  Skill building for how to handle stressful or difficult situations

•  Self-regulation

Session Two (December or February, dates vary based on elementary building)

•  Social media

•  Cyberbullying

•  Internet safety

•  Threats

•  Skill building for how to handle situations when using social media or the internet

Session Three (March, April, or May, dates vary by elementary building)

•  Vaping

•  Peer pressure

•  Influences

•  Skill building for being assertive when saying no

•  Ripple effect

•  Choices and consequences

*Please contact Amber Anderson, Cuyahoga Falls Police Youth Services Coordinator, at aanderson@cityofcf.com for more information or to preview the content of this program.