Dear Families,

From state championships to show-stopping performances, our Highlanders continue to accomplish incredible things.

In this edition of MacGregor's Message:

• National Assistant Principals Week

• Senior Survivor Carnival

• Robotics Team Heads to World Championships

• Archery Teams Have Impressive Showing at State Championship

• Hope Squad Honored by United Way

• Hockey Player Honored by State Champs

• Chicago: Teen Edition 

• Highlander Virtual Enrollment for 2025-26 School Year

• Celebrating Awareness 

• Sex Education Advisory Board Survey

• Revised Car Seat Law

Today marks the end of National Assistant Principals Week. We have an incredible team of assistant principals and student service advisors who play an essential role in our schools and district.  Their leadership, dedication, and support help create positive school environments. Our assistant principals play a vital role in ensuring student success, fostering strong relationships, and helping our schools run smoothly every day. Please join me in thanking our assistant principals for all they do to support our students, staff, and families.

While fundraising events for Senior Survivor have already started, the true kickoff to Senior Survivor Week is the annual Senior Survivor Carnival. This year, the Senior Survivor Carnival will be held on Friday, April 26, from 6 to 9 p.m. in the Howell High School Field House. The carnival will feature games, entertainment, arts and crafts, raffles, inflatables, food trucks, and more. Admission is $10 for ages three to eighteen, and adults and children two and under are free. An adult must accompany students in eighth grade or below. All funds raised will support the overall fundraising goal of Senior Survivor. 

Our high school FIRST Robotics Team, the S.C.O.T.S. Bots, has had a great season so far. Earlier in the year, the team was part of the winning alliance at the Mason District Qualifier and earned the Engineering Inspiration Award—one of the highest honors in FIRST Robotics—at the Muskegon District Qualifier, securing a spot at the FIRST in Michigan State Championship. At States, competing on the Consumers Energy Foundation Field, the S.C.O.T.S. Bots finished the qualification matches in 6th place, and advanced to the semifinals. Overall, the team ranks an impressive 22nd out of 528 teams statewide and has qualified for the FIRST Robotics World Championship in Houston. To help support their trip to the World Championship, the team is hosting a Movie Night at the Historic Howell Theater on Monday, April 14. For more details on the fundraiser, please visit https://bit.ly/42sUhrQ. 

The Howell Archery Program had an incredible showing at the National Archery in the Schools Program Michigan State Championship, bringing home nine team trophies, 26 individual awards, and breaking 13 all-time Howell records. Congratulations to Jacob Dault (Howell High), who was named the Grand Champion. In the 3D Tournament, Howell High School placed second, Highlander Way Middle School placed second, Parker Middle School placed third, and Challenger Elementary School was crowned State Champion. Individual 3D State Champions included Tanner Mayer and Allison Patton (Parker). In the Bullseye Division, Howell High School, Parker Middle School, Highlander Way, and Challenger all earned second-place team finishes, while Voyager Elementary took third. Jordyn Kratz (Highlander Way), Collin St. Antoine (Parker), and Jackson Babcock (Challenger) each claimed State Champion titles in their respective divisions. Congratulations to our archers for their outstanding performance and for representing Howell with excellence.

The Howell High School HOPE Squad was recently honored by the Livingston County United Way as its Youth Organization of the Year. This award recognizes a youth organization for outstanding service to the community, demonstrating true selflessness and a strong sense of caring for others. The HOPE Squad is a peer-to-peer suicide prevention program in which students are trained to recognize warning signs of mental health struggles, provide support, and connect their peers with trusted adults. Every HOPE Squad member completes QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) training—a nationally recognized suicide prevention program that teaches students how to ask difficult questions, offer hope, and refer individuals to professional help. The Squad plays a vital role in fostering a culture of kindness, empathy, and connection at Howell High School.

Congratulations to Howell goalie Henry Lansky, who has been honored with the State Champs Wall Award for hockey! This prestigious award recognizes outstanding athletes based on their season-long performance, the level of competition faced, big game impact, team success, online fan voting, and recruiting prospects. Henry's incredible efforts in goal and his leadership on the ice earned him this well-deserved recognition.

Tonight is opening night for Howell High School's production of Chicago: Teen Edition. There will be three performances of the show, tonight, Friday, April 11, and tomorrow, April 12, at 7 p.m. and Sunday, April 13, at 2 p.m. The show is absolutely amazing, and you will not want to miss it. You can purchase tickets in advance at https://bit.ly/2ZGF1HK or at the door. 

Enrollment for Highlander Virtual is now open for the 2025–2026 school year for students in grades 6–12. Highlander Virtual students learn from home through Schoology while staying connected to Howell teachers and having access to sports, performing arts, clubs, and social and emotional support. Families wishing to enroll or continue in Highlander Virtual must complete the Application and Consent Form by 5 p.m. on Friday, April 25, 2025. For questions, please contact Brooklyn Gehringer at [email protected].

Our Office of Instructional Services is proud to recognize Zach Baca, a fifth-grade student at Southwest Elementary, for his exceptional Black History Month essay. In his thoughtful and well-written submission, Zach honored the legacy of Jackie Robinson, highlighting the significant struggles Robinson faced and the determination that led him to break barriers and become a Major League Baseball player. This month's Celebrating Awareness themes are Autism Acceptance Month and the second is Child Abuse Prevention Month. To learn how your child can participate in this optional program, please visit https://bit.ly/4lhaAQX. Submissions can be made to the office at your child's school.

Every three years, Howell Public Schools seeks input from parents and guardians to help review and guide the district's sex education and reproductive health education program. As part of this process, the district's Sex Education Advisory Board is inviting parents to complete a brief survey to ensure the program continues to meet the needs of our students. Please note that this survey is intended for parents and guardians and is not administered to students. We value your feedback and encourage you to share your thoughts by completing the survey by Monday, April 14. Thank you for your support and partnership. You can complete the survey at https://bit.ly/3FN6P5x. 

We are sharing the following important update from our law enforcement partners. Starting April 2, 2025, Michigan's updated Child Passenger Safety Laws will take effect to help keep children safer on the road. The new law requires rear-facing car seats until age 2, forward-facing seats until age 5, and booster seats until age 8 or 4'9" tall. Children under 13 must ride in the back seat if one is available. Learn more about these updates at https://bit.ly/3YfomcY. 

I hope you have a great weekend. Go Highlanders!

Sincerely,

Erin J. MacGregor, Ed.D.

Superintendent

Howell Public Schools