MacGregor's Message 12/2/2022 
Dear Families,

Next Thursday, December 8, from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. I will be hosting my second Coffee Chat of the school year. At this Coffee Chat, I will share district updates and answer any questions attendees may have about the district. I have also invited Highlander College and Career Council members to share the many ways we promote college and career pathways district-wide. The Coffee Chat is free and will be held at the Highlander Restaurant. To read more about the chat, please visit https://bit.ly/3gOSSYR. I hope to see you there.

This past Wednesday marked the first anniversary of the tragedy at Oxford High School that took the lives of four students and forever changed the lives of an entire community. I know that as this somber anniversary occurred, all of Highlander Nation was thinking about those in Oxford. In Howell, our top priority will always be student and staff safety. We continue to take steps to implement the recommendations outlined in the safety and security assessment that was conducted last spring, and our Safety and Security Team meets monthly to review, assess and recommend various security measures.

Theresa Marcum, one of our school counselors at Howell High School, has been selected to join the Michigan College Access Network’s (MCAN) Student Counselor Fellows program. Theresa is one of only eight school counselors from Michigan and the only counselor from Livingston County selected to join this two-year program. The program focuses on current issues to support post-secondary planning for students and allows participants to further develop their leadership skills. At the end of the program, Ms. Marcum will have created an advocacy program that will directly support our students. This is an incredible opportunity for Ms. Marcum and our students, who will benefit from it.

Each year, I select holiday-themed artwork created by a student to be featured on the district’s holiday card. Typically, I choose artwork done at school. However, this year, I want to allow students in grades begindergarten through fifth grade to really showcase their creativity by submitting an original holiday design for the card. With your help and permission, students should send their artwork to [email protected] by 5 p.m. on Monday, December 12. Please include the student’s name, grade and school in the email.

Third, fourth, and fifth-grade students at Hutchings Elementary are enjoying an optional book club started by the school’s media specialist Mrs. Deurloo. The students meet once a week during lunch to discuss the chapters they have read and make predictions on what they think will happen next in the book. This is just one example of the fun and engaging ways our teachers and support staff encourage our students to develop strong reading skills and a love of reading.

Two Howell High School students, Kaitlyn Ward and Sydney Schimmel, recently presented to over 300 educators from around the region at the Live Well Lead Well Summit at Oakland Schools. They shared the journey of the Hope Squad at Howell High School - a team of empowered students building a culture of support for their peers. Their stories captivated the audience and moved many to tears. Ultimately, their impact will now be felt in schools across Michigan. Watching our students share the work at Howell Public Schools was amazing.

Next Tuesday, December 6, is our second district-wide late start day of the school year. On this day, our secondary students will begin at 9:05 a.m., and elementary students will start at 10:20 a.m. Transportation will be provided, and approximate bus stop times can be found at https://bit.ly/3DDrgym.

Sincerely,
Erin J. MacGregor, Ed.S
Superintendent
Howell Public Schools
Posted by gouldt On Fri, Dec 02, 2022 at 3:19 PM  

 
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