Dear families,

From our 2026 KLAA Hockey League champions to a $452,000 grant supporting students with postsecondary education planning, great things are happening across Highlander Nation.

In this edition of MacGregor’s Message:

• Hockey wins league championship

• National School Counseling Week

• Howell High School awarded MiLEAP FAFSA grant

• Mass notification system

• Howell teacher receives Fulbright placement

• Academia Bilingüe Family Information Night

• Livingston County Parent Summit and Wellness Fair 

Last night, our boys varsity hockey team defeated Livonia Stevenson 4–3 in overtime to claim the program’s first league championship in 15 years. The team is currently the top-ranked Division 1 team in the state and is riding an impressive 22-game winning streak. With the league championship secured, the Highlanders now turn their focus to the playoffs.

Today marks the end of National School Counseling Week. Our dedicated school counselors have an incredible impact on our students each day. Their work amplifies student success by supporting academic growth, well-being, and future planning. Whether helping students navigate challenges, prepare for college and careers, or build strong interpersonal skills, our counselors are a vital part of every child’s journey to becoming a future-ready Highlander. Please join me in thanking our school counselors for their dedication to our students, families, and Highlander Nation.

Howell High School has been awarded a $452,621 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) Challenge Grant from the Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential (MiLEAP). Through this grant, the school will launch new initiatives to support students and families in completing FAFSA, expand college and career exploration opportunities, provide summer transition support for graduates, and strengthen school-wide efforts to reinforce a Future Ready, college- and career-going culture. To read more about the grant, please visit https://bit.ly/3ZpxdsS.

We are currently experiencing an increase in families not receiving our automated phone calls due to additional spam protection from phone providers. Working with our vendor, we have registered all district and school phone numbers and are taking additional steps to improve call delivery. We encourage families to add the district’s main number, 517-548-6200, and the phone numbers for each of their child’s schools to their contacts, which may help prevent calls from being blocked. Additionally, if you have not opted in to receive district text messages, you can do so by texting “Y” to 67587 from your mobile device.

Howell High School teacher Crystal Carder has received her Fulbright Teacher International Field Experience placement. This June, Ms. Carder will join approximately 20 Fulbright teachers in Uruguay, where they will engage with schools, educators, and community organizations while exploring strategies for integrating global perspectives into classroom instruction. Ms. Carder is one of only about 400 educators worldwide selected for this experience this year. To learn more about the Fulbright program, please visit https://bit.ly/4knEhjh.

On Tuesday, February 10, at 6 p.m. at Three Fires Elementary, the Academia Bilingüe team will host an information night for families of incoming kindergarten students interested in learning more about our dual-language immersion program. Attendees will hear about the program, speak with teachers, staff, and current families, and tour the Academia Bilingüe classrooms. We are proud of the opportunities this program provides to students, and the program is a great fit for all students. Families can learn more by visiting HowellSchools.com/DualLanguage.

Families are invited to the Second Annual Livingston County Parent Summit and Wellness Fair on Saturday, March 21, from 8:15 a.m. to 12:35 p.m. at Parker Middle School. This free event will feature TED-style talks, interactive workshops, and parent resources centered on this year’s theme: Tech, Talk, and Well-Being: Finding Balance in a Digital World. Childcare will be provided for children in grades BK–5. The summit brings together expert speakers and community partners to support families. To learn more, please visit https://bit.ly/4qjZI66.

I hope you have a great weekend. Go Highlanders.

Sincerely, 

Erin J. MacGregor, Ed.D.

Superintendent

Howell Public Schools