Frankenmuth School District News

September 2014
Volume 14, Issue 1
Frankenmuth School District News
www.frankenmuth.k12.mi.us
Frankemuth School District
525 E Genesee St.
Frankenmuth MI 48734
Phone: 989.652.9958
Fax: 989.652.9780
FHS Girls Track State Champions
Board of Education
Scott Zimmer, President
Lori Ettema, Vice-President
Kevin Maurer, Treasurer
Dan Wortman, Secretary
David Harris, Trustee
Karen Uebler, Trustee
Albert Zehnder, Trustee
Superintendent
Mary Anne Ackerman
School Board Meetings
2nd Monday of each month
7:00 PM FHS Room 29
Inside This Issue
FHS Girls Track State
Champions
1
Superintendent’s Corner 2
My How Homework Has Changed
3
FHS Nationally Ranked
3
Alumnus of the Year
Dr. Craig Mayes
4
Champion for Children
Mrs. Doris Koopman
5
Exemplary Sportsmanship 5
Award
FHS Students Earn AP Honors
FSD Proposals
6
8-10
Thanks FHS 11
School Bus Alert
12
FHS Track Team back row standing (left-right): Assistant coach Kristina Stilson, Coach Jerry Drake,
Linda Vesterfelt, Karistia Biddle, Mackenzie Walter, Celeste Worley, Carissa Schurr, Samantha Przybylski,
Carly Hammond, Angela Ritter, Emily Sievert, Bailey Elnick, Keri Frahm, Assistant Coach Rob Hayes,
Paige Hollerback, and Coach Mike Snyder. Second row (left -right): Grace Adler, Kylie Ostrofsky, Megan Reinbold, Stephanie Lambeth and Brianna Mayo. Front row kneeling (left-right): Erin Fischer, Autumn Gentner, Cadi Palmreuter, Rebekah Barger, Sydney Bronner, Sarah Beulla, and Brianna Mayo.
The FHS Girls Track program wrapped up the 2014 Track and Field season by
winning the two most coveted state titles: The Michigan Interscholastic Track
Coaches Association Division 3 State Team Championship and The Michigan High School Athletic Association Division 3 State Championship. Kelsey
Ritter was named Ms. Track and Field 2014 by the Michigan Interscholastic
Track coaches Association, honoring Ritter as the top female track athlete in
the state.
Pictured are the team members and coaches featured on a billboard donated by
Lamar Signs which is located just outside of town on the south side of Junction
Road. Lady Eagles, your school, community and friends are proud of all of you!
Page 2
Frankenmuth School District
Superintendent’s Corner
Dear Residents,
Whenever I’m out and about in the community I often find myself having a conversation
about our school district. I take great pride in telling our story – here’s a snapshot of this
summer’s conversations.
The Frankenmuth School District is one of Michigan’s premier districts! Just recently,
FHS was ranked by the U.S. News and World Report as the 4th Best High School in the State
of Michigan and the 288th in the Nation. This doesn’t magically happen. The Frankenmuth
Schools are reflection of the entire community that comes together to support its schools.
How is enrollment looking? This year we begin the school year with an enrollment of 1230 students in
kindergarten through grade twelve. This compares to an enrollment in 2003 of 1320 students.
Like
schools across the state and county, FSD experienced a loss of students which bottomed out at 1190 students in 2010-11. With the turn of the economy, there have been a number of new families moving
into the district coupled with limited school of choice enrollment resulting in a three-year growth trend.
People that visit from other communities often comment on the beautiful campus and the well maintained
facilities. The 112-acre campus includes List Elementary School, EF Ritmueller Middle School, Frankenmuth
High School, tennis courts, baseball and softball fields, track and football complex, soccer fields, and a transportation facility. Compared to how the campus looked 25 or 30 years ago, we have a lot to take care of! The convenience
of all schools being located on a common campus is a selling point to new families considering our community.
There sure are a lot of cars on Genesee in the morning! In addition to those students who drive to school or
are transported by their parents, the Frankenmuth School District oversees transportation for 740 students that
attend the public school, St. Lorenz Lutheran School, Immanuel Lutheran School, and St. Michael’s Lutheran
School. A fleet of 10 busses navigates over 80 square miles of roads in the Frankenmuth School District.
This first edition of the Frankenmuth School District Newsletter features several stories we hope you enjoy.
The District is set to kick-off the First Annual Hall of Fame Awards. We are proud to recognize the 2014 Distinguished Alumnus Dr. Craig Mayes and 2014 Champion for Children Mrs. Doris Koopman. Dr. Mayes and
Mrs. Koopman both personify the Frankenmuth tradition of excellence and they bring distinction and honor to
our school and community.
Please also find information regarding the upcoming November election and three important Frankenmuth
School District, district propositions which will be on the ballot.
Warm Regards,
Mary Anne Ackerman
Page 3
My! How Homework Has Changed!
Do you remember what homework looked like when
you were a 2nd grader? Pat Murphy recently had
the opportunity to experience today’s homework while
helping her grandson Robbie Brown.
Second grader Robbie brought home a homework assignment from List Elementary School. Robbie’s homework
included creating a band, thinking about what instruments
would be appropriate for the band, drawing and naming
the instruments, and then creating a name for the band.
The instruction may not look like the paper and pencil assignments of the past, but through this type of engagement
and technology use, the content and concepts are engraved in
the minds of today’s learners. Robbie’s critical thinking, as
well as his creativity, is allowed to shine in assignments like
these. Most importantly, we are able to develop the thinkers
and leaders of tomorrow by engaging students with the technology of today. Thanks Grandma Pat for sharing your story!
Robbie’s Grandmother took a few minutes to discuss
the assignment with him. Robbie told his Grandma Pat
what instruments he would need and decided to name his
band The Gems. Grandma Pat handed Robbie a piece
of paper and some markers and told him, “Get started!”
Instead of grabbing the markers, Robbie picked up the iPad,
took a screenshot of the paper, uploaded the photo to the
Educreation App, and selected pictures of instruments from
the internet and imported them. He typed in the names
of the instruments, corrected the spelling with autocorrect, and then emailed the assignment to his teacher – all
within five minutes. Robbie was rewarded with a quick
response from his teacher who was home that evening.
Screens shot of Robbie Brown’s homework
FHS Recognized as Top School in State and Nation
For the third year in a row, FHS earned a Gold Medal and has been
ranked by U.S. News and World Report as one of the best high
schools in the State of Michigan. FHS was one of only 10 schools
in the State to earn a Gold Medal. Ranked as the 4th Best High
School in the State, FHS was noted for its students’ high participation and performance in Advanced Placement coursework and exams.
Additionally, FHS was ranked nationally as the 288th best high
school and the 245th in opportunities offered for students in the
areas of Science, Technology,
Engineering, and Mathematics.
Newsweek recently released its rankings of schools across the Nation.
Frankenmuth School District was recognized as the 329th Best School in
the Nation.
Congratulations to the students, faculty, parents, and entire community for continuing to support our efforts that
make it possible for FHS to achieve this level of distinction.
Page 4
Frankenmuth School District
FSD 2014 Hall of Fame Awardees
The Frankenmuth School District is pleased to announce the inaugural recipients of the Frankenmuth School District Hall of
Fame Awards. Representing the Frankenmuth High School Class of 1973, Dr. Craig Mayes has been named the 2014 FHS
Alumnus of the Year. Long-time List Elementary School volunteer Doris Koopman has been named the FSD 2014 Champion for Children.
Dr. Mayes and Mrs. Koopman will be feted at a Luncheon Celebration held at the Bronner Performing Arts Center on Friday,
October 10. Later in the day, they will serve as Grand Marshalls of the Homecoming Parade at 6:00 PM and then be recognized during football half-time festivities.
While in Frankenmuth, Dr. Mayes will be the featured speaker at Noon Rotary on Thursday, October 9. Members of the Class
of 1973 are invited to join in a reception honoring their classmate Craig Mayes. Classmates and friends will celebrate with
Craig on Thursday, October 9; at 7:30 PM; in the Lorelei Lounge at the Bavarian Inn Lodge.
For information regarding any of the activities, please contact Superintendent Mary Anne Ackerman at 989.652.9958 or
[email protected]
FHS Alumnus Of The Year Dr. Craig Mayes
A 1973 graduate of Frankenmuth High School,
Dr. Craig Mayes currently
serves as the Executive
Director of the New York
City Rescue Mission, located in lower Manhattan.
The New York City Rescue Mission was founded
in 1872 and it is the first of
over 300 rescue missions
that are located across the
United States. The mission provides food and
Craig Mayes
shelter to transient men
and women and a residential recovery program for homeless men dealing with
addictions and other conditions contributing to homelessness. The New York Rescue Mission was recently
featured in the Make Them Visible Project which was
featured on ABC World News with Diane Sawyer. The
project has had over five million views on Facebook.
Dr. Mayes is the founder of Impact India 360, an organization dedicated to aid benevolent works in India. The
organization has established orphanage housing for over
200 children, constructed a private elementary school,
established a sewing school to teach women a trade,
and built a 27,000 square foot hospital to treat the poor.
Dr. Mayes is a founding member of Communitas NYC.
Established in 2008, Communitas NYC exists to develop
followers of Jesus by growing in love for God and others,
living in authentic community, and serving open-handedly
with one’s life.
After graduating from Frankenmuth High School, Dr. Mayes
earned a Bachelor’s of Religious Education from William
Tyndale College in Farmington Hills, a Masters of Arts in
Theology from Talbot Seminary in La Mirada, California,
a Masters of Arts in Counseling from Oakland University,
and a Ph.D. in Counseling from Wayne State University.
Prior to his work in New York City, Dr. Mayes spent eight
years as a professor in counseling/psychology and eighteen years as a pastor at Highland Park Baptist Church
in Southfield and Kensington Community Church in
Troy. He worked at the Detroit Rescue Mission and in a
halfway house during his younger years. He has served
as an adjunct faculty member at Michigan Theological Seminary in Plymouth and as an Assistant Professor at William Tyndale College in Farmington Hills.
When told of the award, Craig commented, “I love
Frankenmuth. I had the greatest childhood possible!
My Father was a Frankenmuth Rotarian, and I was
able to participate in Rotary Youth Leadership training. My experiences provided me with a rich foundation which opened many doors for me. I am honored to
have the opportunity to return to my childhood home.”
Craig enjoys sailing, reading, and running. Craig and his
wife of 29 years, Chris, are the parents of Josh (27), Megan (25), and Caleb (22).
Page 5
FSD Champion For Children Doris Koopman
teer at List School. She assists the staff by making copies, filing, binding books, traveling on field trips, and mentoring small groups of students. You will also find her at
the Fourth Grade marketplace as an entrepreneur selling
shopping bags that she designed and created, playing the
role of Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz, acting as an election official and Uncle Sam’s “right hand man” during student elections, pretending to be a farmer for Harvest Hoedown, working as an angel on a class project, and dressing
as a clown to be part of the fun with her student friends.
Mrs. Koopman pictured with a birthday quilt from
List Elementary students
For 22 years, ninety-two year old Mr. Doris Koopman has
volunteered at List Elementary School.
In 1992, Mrs. Koopman first volunteered as a reading mentor with the HUGS Program (Helping Us Grow With Seniors). At the conclusion of the program, former Superintendent Michael Murphy sparked a challenge when he
recited a poem on volunteering that moved her to want to
make a greater contribution. She soon became a classroom volunteer at List School, assigned as an assistant to
third grade teachers Kathie Robertson and Kathy Pretzer.
“Soon I was adopted,” Doris tells, “and I loved it!”
It wasn’t long before she was spending five days a week
from 8:30 to 4:30 as an energetic and organized volun-
A number of years ago when asked why she spends so much
time volunteering, Mrs. Koopman commented, “ I was looking for things to do. I had time on my hands. I had always
wanted to be a teacher, but my family lacked finances for me
to attend college. I’ve had some people on the staff tell me,
‘You could step right in and do it.’ It’s because this is what I
always wanted to do. God has blessed me with gifts to help
others. I want to use them until He calls me home. I pray for
this school and ask God to make me a blessing every day.”
Mrs. Koopman was born and raised in Detroit. At 18
years of age she got a job with the Chrysler Corporation. A short time later, she became executive secretary to the president of the now defunct DeSoto Company. Her skills were further enhanced with 23 years
of service as the secretary of the First Baptist Church in
Allen Park. Widowed in 1982, Doris moved to Frankenmuth in 1990 to be closer to her sons Bob and Tom.
Mrs. Koopman is a member of the Frankenmuth Bible
Church.
Exemplary Sportsmanship Award
Good sportsmanship is a core value of the Frankenmuth School District athletic program. The coaches and student athletes of Frankenmuth High School recently received recognition from the Michigan High School Athletic Association for
their efforts in promoting good sportsmanship.
Referees who officiate athletic events are required to submit reports to the MHSAA documenting any incidents that have
occurred. During the 2012-2013 school year, there were no reports of concern, no coach or student-athlete was ejected
from an event, nor were there any reported incidents of poor sportsmanship.
Congratulations to the coaches and student athletes who represent the community of Frankenmuth in such an exemplary
way!
Frankenmuth School District
Page 6
FHS Students Earn Advanced Placement Honors
Do you know all FHS students have an opportunity to earn college credit? Students can choose to dually
enroll at a college or university, or choose from nine on site or six online AP courses.
The numbers of students enrolling in AP courses has grown from 67 students in 2007, to 193 during the 2013-14 school year. AP electives include Biology, English Language & Composition, English Literature & Composition, German Language & Culture, Psychology, Statistics, US Government & Politics, US History, World History, Calculus BC, Macroeconomics, Microeconomics, Physics
B, Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism, Physics C: Mechanics, and Spanish Language & Culture.
Upon completion of a course, students take a rigorous exam. Collectively, our FHS students earned passing scores on 199 exams. Passing the AP exam earns the student academic credit at the college or university level. What does a passing score equate to? If all students that passed an exam in 2013-14 were to enroll at Michigan State University, they would have earned 772 credits prior to ever setting foot on campus!
As you can imagine, passing scores also offer considerable savings in tuition costs. Using MSU’s tuition fees of $420 per credit hour, these FHS students would save upwards of $339,000 in tuition fees.
Annually, the AP College Board recognizes those students who have excelled on their AP exams. We are
proud to honor our 2014 AP Scholar Award Winners:
**Rebekah Barger
*Julia Bender
*Hunter Bernreuter
*Brooke Bowden
***Claire Carter
*Nicholas Duvernois
****Lucas Ehrlinger
*Michael Frahm
***Lance Frahm
**Carly Hammond
*Shannon Hutchinson
*Trevor Johnston
*Andrew Kaiser
***Riley Kaiser
*Jessica Harris
*Denotes AP Scholarship Awards ** Denotes AP Scholar w/Honors ***AP Scholar w/Distinction ****AP National Scholar
Page 7
FHS Students Earn Advanced Placement Honors continued
**Kristen Kueffner
*Carly Lachman
*Kristen Loesel
*Anna Loest
***Maria Martuch
**Ethan Maurer
*BrianMay
*Michael McInerney
*Kiersten
Meyerhuber
***Joshua Pendleton
*Calley Roche
*Lane Savage
**Joseph Seder
***Emily Sievert
*Abby Spendlove
*Mark Sylvester
**Abigail Vaughn
*Nicholas Volk
*Derek
Warnemuende
***Doyle Webb
***Lauren Zehnder
***Noah
Zimmerman
***Cheyenne Kotch
*Emma VanVoorhees
*Nathan Worden
Page 8
Frankenmuth School District
Frankenmuth School District Proposals
On November 4, 2014, the Residents of the Frankenmuth School District will be asked to consider three separate, but
related proposals that impact the funding of the school district. The proposals are:
•
•
•
Renewal of 18 mill Non-homestead for 5 years
Renewal of .5 mill Sinking Fund renewal for 5 years
New 1.5 mill Sinking Fund for 5 years
Each proposal is explained below. Important to understand, as each of these request ask for “mills” is exactly what a mill
is. A mill, or a millage rate, is essentially a property tax rate expressed by the amount of tax per $1,000. The mills or
millage rate is multiplied by the assessed value of the property and then divided by 1,000. For example, a property with
an assessed value of $50,000 located in a city with a mill rate of 20 mills would have a property tax bill of $1,000 per
year.
What is the 18- mill non-homestead renewal?
Throughout Michigan, all school districts receive the majority of their funding on a per-pupil basis. The per-pupil allowance for Frankenmuth is $7,524. This represents the major portion of the Frankenmuth School Districts’ revenue. Per
pupil funding comes from two sources:
•
•
Local Revenue – 18 mills collected on non-homestead property
State Revenue - Contribution from the School State Aid fund
Of the $7,524 per pupil received by the Frankenmuth School District, approximately $3,587 comes from the State, while
the remaining 52.3% ($3,937) is generated from the 18 mill non-homestead levy. These combined dollars are used to
fund the nearly $11 million dollar operating costs of the District. A non-homestead levy is assessed on industrial and
commercial property and “second homes” (homes which are not the voters primary residence).
What is the .5 mill renewal?
In 1965, the residents of the Frankenmuth School District first approved a ten year 4-Mill Sinking Fund. The tax was
levied each year and the revenue generated from this levy was used to make the most urgent repairs and improvements
identified by the district. Ten years later, the Sinking fund levy expired. Because the needed improvements and repairs
had been made, the District asked the voters to consider a .5 Mill Sinking Fund to maintain the infrastructure. Since
1975, the residents have renewed the .5 Mill Sinking Fund every five years.
FHS Boys basketball 1965 Conference Champions. The first champion
basketball team ever in Frankenmuth.
Standing left to right: Tom Johnston,
Brian Ferguson, Roy Rodammer, Bob
Zeilinger, Dwight Bleke, Dan Meyer, Bob
Piesko, Ken Weiss, Don Kaczynski, Brian
Bickel, Mark Marcet, Mark Goldammer,
Terry Weiss, and Mr. Don Duff. Kneeling left to right: co-captains Al Martens,
Ken Spencer and Coach Warren Wilson.
Page 9
EFR
Frankenmuth School District Propositions cont.
Pictured is an aerial view of the Frankenmuth School District Campus. The red boxes mark the additions to the campus since 1975.
E.F. Rittmueller Middle School was built in 1978. In 2000, the District embarked on a campus-wide renovation project which increased
the square footage needing to be maintained by 50%. FSD maintains 264, 805 square feet of buildings and 112 acres of grounds.
The .5 Mill Sinking Fund levy generates $220,000 a year. The Sinking Fund levy has paid for many projects over the
past nearly 50 years. Some of the more recent projects include:
• Installation of security systems
• Lighting improvements and the addition of energy saving light sensors in all buildings
• Art room renovation at EFR
• Replacement of 60 of the 90 original steel doors campus-wide.
• Replacement of lights and wood poles installed on the football field complex in the 1960’s.
• Renovation of the EF Rittmueller gymnasium constructed in 1979
• Addition of a transportation loop in front of EF Rittmueller to allow busses to pull off Genesee Street
• Replacement of bleachers at the football field, soccer field, and baseball/softball complex
• New tennis courts replacing the original courts built in 1976
• Building and resurfacing of the FHS Track
• Renovation of EF Rittmueller cafeteria
• Roof replacements
• Parking lot upgrades campus-wide
• Sidewalk installations
• Carpet replacement district-wide
• FHS Concession/Restroom Facility
Page 10
Frankenmuth School District Propositions cont.
Why is the District asking for an additional 1.5 Sinking Fund Mills?
We take great pride in the outstanding maintenance and upkeep of our entire infrastructure. However, things get old and
they need to be replaced and updated. We’ve worked with our architectural consultants and heating, venting, and air conditioning (HVAC) experts in order to develop a comprehensive and efficient way to update and maintain our district in to
the Future. They have recommended the following needed repairs and updates:
1. The HVAC equipment and temperature controls at EF Rittmueller Middle School are all original
equipment that is now 35 years old. The Frankenmuth High School equipment is in excess
of twenty-five years. These projects are of high priority. The estimated cost to upgrade the
HVAC equipment at EF Rittmueller and Frankenmuth High School is $1.6 million.
2. Needed repairs and updates:
• Renovation of the original common area restrooms at all three schools $500,000
• Renovation of the FHS Gymnasium/Balcony/Locker rooms constructed in 1972 $540,000
• Renovation of the FHS Media Center constructed in 1972 $400,000
• Renovation of the EFR Media Center constructed in 1979 $225,000
• Replacement of Classroom Cabinetry in the 1961 section of List Elementary $100,000
• Installation of Lockers in the 5th/6th grade hall at EF Rittmueller $40,000
• Upgrade of the FHS Cafeteria/Stage Area to expand the seating area for students $200,000
• Renovation of the original 1953 FHS Wood Shop
• Additional Security upgrades
3. Routine maintenance and preservation:
• Roof replacements $140,000
• Tennis court resurfacing $50,000
• Parking lot resurfacing
How will the District prioritize projects?
If both Sinking Fund requests are passed by voters, they will generate approximately $880,000 annually for five years.
We estimate the cost of all projects to be $4.5 million dollars over five years. Passage of both sinking fund requests
would allow the district to accomplish the recommended repairs, updates and maintenance projects. The additional 1.5
Mills will be assessed for the first time in December of 2015.
The District will tackle the most urgent projects first. The HVAC systems at EF Ritmueller and FHS are a priority as they
are considered directly related to health and safety. After those needs are addressed, the District will address the remaining projects based on the urgency of the project and funds available.
How much will the 1.5 Mill increase cost me?
The median home value in Frankenmuth is $150,000. The 1.5 Mill increase will cost the median home owner $2.17 per
week or about the cost of a cup of coffee OR ABOUT .31 CENTS A DAY. If you are interested in calculating your exact
cost, your assessed value is available through an online search at www.sagagis.org. Enter your property information and
then multiply your assessed value by 1.5 and divide by 1000 to determine the tentative cost of the new 1.5 mill request.
Where can I find more information?
Please visit the Frankenmuth School District Website at www.frankenmuth.k12.mi.us
Page 11
FHS Class of 2014 Emma VanVoorhees recently moved to East Lansing to begin studies in International Relations
at the College of James Madison, Michigan State University. Emma took some time to reflect on her education at Frankenmuth High School and has these thoughts to share.
On Thursday, the twenty eighth of August in the year two thousand and fourteen, I left my
dorm at approximately three twelve, fifty-eight minutes before my first class of the day started. I left this early partially because I had a good twenty-minute walk ahead of me and partially because this was my first class that would consist of an amount of persons roughly
numbering the entire population of my high school. This was the class that I was dreading
and my plan was to arrive as early as possible, so that I could find a seat in the back and
make myself invisible before the general populous arrived. The only problem was that I
wasn’t the only person with this novel idea and by the time I got to class, it was already full.
Walking into that room made my heart stop and my spirits drop and not even the obnoxiously loud chants of “Hooked on a Feeling” could not make me any less miserable. Why
couldn’t I be back in high school? (To put things into perspective, walking into that class
felt like walking into the BPAC full of absolute strangers, trying to find a seat, stepping on
people while trying to get this seat, somehow managing to shift things around so that your
notebook, folders, pencils, pens, and laptop fit onto the microscopic slab of laminate that someone tried to pass off as
a desk, and then furtively trying to pay attention to a man who barely speaks English.) Did I mention I was miserable?
“Did you know that every day when you wake up, the first thing you do is make an economic decision?” was the very first
thing my professor said. It made me smile. The students around me didn’t even look mildly interested in that statement,
but I was on the verge of giggling in relief, for that sentence was the very same sentence that I had heard a year before on
my first day of Economics my senior year. That sentence felt like home.
The truth is simple: Frankenmuth High School has effectively prepared me for college. It’s a miracle. I don’t know their
secret, I have no idea what goes on in those esoteric staff meetings that occur every Wednesday morning, but whatever it
is they’re doing, it is working. My junior/senior year was the strangest experience on an academic level because I started
to connect concepts from different classes, concepts that I never thought could be associated. Theories from geometry
sprung forth during discussions of rhetoric, psychology appeared whilst examining political philosophy and poetry
excerpts, and musical jargon saved my AP essays—everything that I had ever learned began flowing together in a seamless rush, creeks hastening upon creeks that streamed into rivers, all the tributaries surging into the ocean that was my
impressionable mind. My teachers, my extraordinary teachers, did not drive fact after trivial fact into my brain, organizing everything into pretty little “right” and “wrong” boxes, but instead presented the bones of new philosophies and then
encouraged me to find the answers for myself; I believe this is called an abstract and analytical thought process. This type
of education is paramount, it is the finest one can possibly receive. It’s the sort of instruction that entwines wisdom into
knowledge and I cannot stress how crucial, how valuable, that is to have.
These past three weeks that I have spent at James Madison College at Michigan State University have been full of professors telling me that no class here will contain definite solutions, in no class will there be right or wrong answers, no
class will consist of spewing out memorized facts; I need to think for myself, I need to analyze the texts that I am required to read and think swiftly, critically, and effectively, responding attentively with arguments that take into account
multiple perspectives. It’s hard. It’s really, really hard. But I know I can do it. I know that I can do it because I’ve done
it before, not once, not twice, but every single day for the past three years. There are times where I feel miles ahead of
my peers, my confidence soaring because unlike them, I’m accustomed to actively participating in class discussions, I’m
acquainted with being asked to objectively question everything that I am taught, and I’m familiar with thinking for myself, developing my own opinions and forming logical arguments, presenting them both in speech and script—I’m used
to acting like a college student, I’m used to acting like a college student because my teachers at FHS have been teaching
me how to act like one since I first stepped through those tedious silver doors approximately one third of a decade ago.
Visit us on the web at
www.frankenmuth.k12.mi.us
Frankenmuth School District
525 E Genesee Street
Frankenmuth MI 48734
www.frankenmuth.k12.mi.us
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ECRWSS Postal Customer
School Bus Alert
With the start of a new school year, citizens may have noticed school bus drivers are not always activating the red flashing lights when pupils are being picked up or dropped off. This is a result of legislation that is designed to allow traffic to
flow on primary roadways. In the Frankenmuth School District, this impacts school busses traveling on certain sections
of Junction Road, M-83, and M-46.
If a pupil is not required to cross the roadway and the road has adequate width for the school bus to be pulled to the far
right of the roadway, the driver will activate the yellow hazard warning lights before the stop and continue to display
the lights until the student has entered or exited. Before the driver resumes motion, the driver will deactivate the lights.
Traffic should continue to flow around the bus while the yellow hazard lights are flashing. The driver will activate the
turn signal to indicate moving back on to the roadway.
Bus drivers will continue to activate red flashing lights on secondary roads and on main roads where there is not adequate
room for the bus to completely pull off the road. When red flashers are activated, all vehicles must come to a complete
stop and may resume travel when the red flashers are deactivated. The community is reminded to practice extra diligence
in the early morning and afternoon when busses are on the road and students are walking to and from school.
For more information please contact: Superintendent Mary Anne Ackerman at 989.652.9958 or email:
[email protected]