Dear Families,
On Monday evening, the Board of Education voted to call for an election on Tuesday, May 7, 2019. This vote was the final step in the process of placing our bond proposal on the ballot. As I shared in a previous update, this bond proposal incorporates many of the capital needs projects that were part of the sinking fund proposal, as well as additional security and safety upgrades such as secure entry vestibules at each building. The proposal also includes redesigned learning spaces and Makerspaces in each building and several athletic enhancements. The way this proposal has been structured, district taxpayers would not see an increase in the debt levy. In fact, if voters approve this bond proposal, our district debt levy will drop from 6.3 mills to 6.2 mills this summer. In the coming weeks, we will be launching an information campaign to educate voters on the proposal. I will share additional details about the proposal in future messages.
While I keep hoping that Woody the Woodchuck was correct when he predicted an early spring, it seems that Mother Nature has other plans. We have currently used nine “forgiven time days,” which is three over what is allowed. Yesterday we submitted our waiver to the Michigan Department of Education to request the three additional “forgiven time days,” that I informed you about in my last message. While this has been submitted, it is still subject to the approval of the Interim State Superintendent. As always, I will keep you updated on the status of the waiver as well as pending legislation that would “forgive” when schools close during any weather-related emergency declared by the State of Michigan. Lastly, I know there have been some rumors circulating regarding our decision to hold school on Wednesday. I have addressed these rumors on my blog at https://goo.gl/hGZBJU.
There are a few calendar items coming up that I want to remind everyone about. First, please remember that there is no school on Monday, February 18 in honor of Presidents Day. My next Coffee Chat of the school year is scheduled for Saturday, March 2 from 9 to 10 a.m. at The Hive Teen Center. Lastly, March 8 is a half day for all students as our staff will be engaging in professional development during the afternoon.
Three Fires Elementary recently announced the winner of its annual Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) poster contest. Next week Parker Middle School will host an organ and tissue donation awareness night as part of its work with the Positivity Project and motto #otherpeoplematter, and this April Howell High School will present Guys and Dolls. I’ve shared more on each of these stories below.
Three Fires PBIS Poster Contest Winner
Recently, Three Fires Elementary announced the winner of its second annual PBIS poster contest. All students were invited to create and submit a poster highlighting the schools “We are” behaviors: “ we are safe,” “we are responsible,” and “we are kind and respectful.” This year’s overall winner was Vivian Hahn. Her poster will be displayed around the school for the next year. The grade level poster contest winners included Colbie (kindergarten), Anna (first grade), RJ (second grade), Anabel (third grade), Skyler (fourth grade), and Adrienne (fifth grade).
Parker Middle School to Host an Organ Donation Awareness Night
All year students at Parker Middle School have been participating in the Positivity Project and have adopted the motto #otherpeoplematter. Each week during Patriot Time, the students learn about one of the 24 character strengths that make up the Positivity Project. These range from love and kindness to forgiveness and bravery and leadership. To show that #OtherPeopleMatter and reinforce many of the character strengths they have learned, the students and the school community will host an Organ Donation Awareness night on Thursday, February 21 at 6:30 p.m. at Parker. The evening will educate attendees about helping others through organ donation.
Howell High School Presents Guys and Dolls
This April, Howell High School’s Performing Arts Department will present Guys and Dolls. This classic musical, romantic comedy is always a fan favorite. The cast and crew are working hard preparing for what will be another outstanding performance. The show will run April 12-14. All shows will take place at the Howell High School Rod Bushey Performing Arts Center.