Dear Families,
It has been a great few weeks in Highlander Nation! When I am out in our schools, I often think about our Adaptive Plan and the Portrait of a Highlander, and it never ceases to amaze me how our students and staff are bringing both of those items to fruition.
In this edition of MacGregor's Message:
- Our Kids, Our Community, Our Future Bond Proposal
- Unified Champion Schools
- Highlander Hownds Update
- Holiday Support Program Sponsors Needed
- HHS Hope Squad Presents to State Board of Education
- HHS Fall Play
The safety and security of our students and staff is our top priority. While we have made many security enhancements in recent years, school safety is continually evolving and requires an ongoing investment. If approved, the Our Kids, Our Community, Our Future Bond Proposal would provide continued funding for safety and security updates in all of our buildings. Please take a moment to watch the video below to learn more about this focus area of the proposal. For more information on the bond proposal, please visit HowellSchools.com/Bond and remember to vote on Tuesday, November 7.
Over the last several years, we have greatly expanded our Unified Champion Schools athletic programs. That work continues with the addition of a Unified Basketball team at Highlander Way this year. Unified Champion Schools is a program through the Special Olympics where students with and without intellectual disabilities participate in various sports together. On Tuesday, the Highlander Way Unified team hosted the Parker Unified team for a basketball game. It was incredible to see the excitement as the two teams competed. A goal of our Adaptive Plan is to expand co-curricular opportunities for all students, and this program certainly supports that goal. Our high school Unified Soccer team has one final home game on Tuesday, October 17, at 6 p.m. in the Parker Stadium. My profound thanks to our staff and families who make these programs possible for our students.
Two of our Highlander Hownds Therapy Dogs have graduated from training and are ready to begin their work of supporting our students. Talon came home on Tuesday and is now back at Northwest Elementary. Wylie will be returned on Wednesday, October 18, and will begin supporting the students at Southwest Elementary. Several of our other Highlander Hownds are making great progress in their training. The Highlander Hownds program is where it is today due to the support and funding provided by last year's Senior Survivor program.
Again this year, Howell Public Schools has been invited to participate in the 16th Annual Christmas Elf Holiday Giving Program. The program's goal is to provide holiday gifts for children in need throughout Howell Public Schools, Brighton Area Schools, and the Livingston Educational Service Agency. Last year, the program supported 369 children and 95 families across the three districts. As we prepare for the 2023 Holiday Season, the Christmas Elf Holiday Giving Program is seeking sponsors. If you would like to help support this program, please visit https://bit.ly/3RU0Q34 to sponsor a student or visit https://bit.ly/3QbZGyk to make a monetary donation. To learn more about the Christmas Elf Holiday Giving Program, please visit https://bit.ly/3vyk3tS.
This week, Howell High School Hope Squad members presented to the State Board of Education. The students and staff were invited to share Howell High School and the Hope Squad's work around student mental health. Hope Squad is a peer-to-peer program centered around mental health and suicide prevention. Being invited to present to the State Board is an incredible honor, and our students did an outstanding job. I am so proud of our students and staff leading this work.
The Howell High School Performing Arts Department will present its fall play November 3-5 in the Rod Bushey Performing Arts Center. This year's play is "Puffs, or Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at a Certain School of Magic and Magic," a hilarious parody of a familiar story. In the play, three potential heroes, Wayne, Oliver, and Megan, are just trying to make it through a magic school that proves to be very dangerous for children. Alongside them are the Puffs, a group of well-meaning, loyal outsiders with a thing for badgers. Their epic quest takes the classic story to new places and reimagines what a boy wizard hero can be. To read more about the show, please visit https://bit.ly/3LZjpyQ.
Please remember that there is no school next Friday, October 20, for our Fall Break. Have a great weekend, and Go Highlanders!
Sincerely,
Erin J. MacGregor, Ed.S.
Superintendent
Howell Public School
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