MacGregor's Message 5/12/2023 
Dear Families,

It is hard to believe we only have three weeks left in the school year. While the school year is winding down, the great things happening at Howell Public Schools certainly are not.

This edition of MacGregor's Message includes information about:
-Teacher Appreciation Week
-Senior Walk Out and Graduation
-Family and Student Perception Surveys
-Warrior Awards
-Fire Academy Live Burn
-Howell Robotics Night
-Salvation Army Summer Lunch Bunch
-Highlight Round-up

Today marks the end of Teacher Appreciation Week. I cannot say enough about the outstanding team of educators we have here in Howell. When visiting buildings, I am always impressed with the innovative teaching and learning happening in our classrooms. Our teachers and instructional support staff bring the curriculum to life in fun and engaging ways that inspire students to always do their best. Our team's dedication and commitment to their students extend well beyond the classroom walls and into co-curricular activities and community events. Each day our staff is making a difference, and I am so proud of the work we are doing in the district. To our staff, thank you for your tireless efforts to create an incredible learning environment for our students.

Yesterday, the Howell High School Class of 2023 walked the halls of the Freshman Campus and 10-12 Building for the final time. The Senior Walk Out is always a bittersweet day. It is exciting to see our students completing this phase of their life and to hear the stories of what is next for them. At the same time, it is sad to say goodbye to another class of students with whom we have shared so many memories. Next Saturday, we will celebrate the Howell High School Class of 2023 during their graduation ceremony at the Michigan State University Breslin Center. Doors will open at 12:00 p.m., and the ceremony will begin at 1:00 p.m. The ceremony will also be live-streamed at HowellSchools.com/graduation. The following week on Wednesday, May 24, we will celebrate the Innovation Academy Class of 2023 during their graduation.

Each year, we conduct a series of perception surveys to gauge our district's strengths and areas where we can improve. The feedback from these surveys helps set the direction for the district as we strive to provide the best education possible and meet the needs of our students and families. Please take a few moments to complete one survey for each school you have a child attending. To complete the survey, please visit https://bit.ly/3VUXTPJ. This survey will close on Friday, June 2 at 5:00 p.m. All responses will remain strictly anonymous.

Last year, we added a student perception survey to give students an opportunity to have a voice in their education. This year, our fifth-grade and all secondary students (grades 6-12) will be able to complete the survey. As a partner in your child's education, we wanted to share the survey questions with families before sending them to students. You can view the fifth-grade student perception survey at https://bit.ly/3VX2DnO and the secondary student perception survey at https://bit.ly/3nPm9Gq. If you do not want your child to take this survey, please contact your child's school.

Last week we held our annual Warrior Awards ceremony. The Warrior Award honors students who have triumphed and shown determination, effort, focus, and strength in the face of adversity. Staff members nominate students for the award, and we honor students from each school in the district. The Warrior Awards ceremony is always heartwarming, and it is so moving to hear the stories behind why the student was selected for the award.

Yesterday, Howell Public Schools Fire Academy cadets took part in a live burn training. Throughout the day, platoons of students entered a specialized burn building to experience a fire up close. While in the building, the cadets completed several exercises, such as observing how a fire begins, grows, and behaves, pulling hoses, and performing search and rescue operations in a smoke-filled room. The training put all the skills the cadets have learned this school year to the test. This program is a prime example of the many programs that we offer to prepare students for a future career. To read more about the live burn training, please visit https://bit.ly/41LfJpL.

On Monday, May 15, the Howell Robotics teams are hosting an open house for students and families who would like to learn more about the various FIRST Robotics programs in the district. Team members and mentors from the district's high school, middle school, and elementary teams will be on hand to provide robot demos, answer questions, and even allow you to drive a robot! To learn more about the Robotics Open House, please visit https://bit.ly/3nFwR1T. If your child is interested in joining a robotics team, please complete the Howell Robotics Interest Form.

The Salvation Army will host its Summer Lunch Bunch at locations across our district and county starting June 12. The Summer Lunch Bunch provides an essential source of meals during the summer months. To view this year's Summer Lunch Bunch flyer with all the stops listed, please visit https://bit.ly/3W0lb6U.

Several of our archery teams and archers are currently competing at the National Archery in the School Program Eastern Nationals Competition. So far, our high school JROTC team has already claimed a National Championship, making them back-to-back National Champions. Please join me in wishing our other teams and students good luck as they compete over the next few days. Emily DeJaegher, a fourth-grade teacher at Voyager Elementary, has been selected to serve on the 2023-24 MI Teacher Leadership Collaborative. This is a highly selective leadership opportunity for 20 outstanding Michigan teachers looking to deepen their knowledge of education policy and amplify the voices of teacher leaders in Michigan. On Wednesday, 26 of our student-athletes participated in an Athletics signing day ceremony where they committed to continuing their athletic and academic careers with various colleges and universities. To read more about the signing day event, please visit https://bit.ly/3Bl99LO. Congratulations to our MHSAA Scholar Athlete Award Nominees, Sophie Daugard, Olivia Farr, Claire Geboski, Jasmine Kiser, Chloe Kiser, Nick Mason, and Aiden Niemiec. To be nominated for the award, students must be a varsity athlete, have a minimum 3.5 GPA, and be involved in community activities.

Sincerely,
Erin J. MacGregor, Ed.S.
Superintendent
Howell Public Schools
Posted by gouldt On Fri, May 12, 2023 at 3:23 PM  

 
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