Appleseed-February 2014 - Hudsonville Public Schools

The Hudsonville Public Schools Board of Education Newsletter
February, 2014!
The Appleseed
Dear Hudsonville Community,
“Great things are done by a series of small things brought together” ~ Vincent Van Gogh
As a school system, each member of Hudsonville Public Schools strives to be attentive to the work at hand. Through our partnership with our parents and community, HPS staff recognize that the small things make a huge difference in the development of our students and the betterment of our schools. To that end, we are building off the success of S.O.A.R I (our district’s three year strategic plan) and seeking input on S.O.A.R. II (2014-­‐2017). We have concluded a series of ten focus groups where parents, staff, students, and community leaders have shared the positive attributes of HPS and areas to be attentive to for the next three years (see website for summary). As the next phase, we will be asking our parents, students, staff, and community members to complete a comprehensive needs assessment survey. The data collected from the survey instrument will be vital during the summer months as we develop S.O.A.R. II. As Eagles, we aspire to soar as we embrace a model of continuous improvement. Setting direction and being attentive to the little things makes a signiQicant difference. We witness the effects of this daily by our students’ performance. State and national assessments are one way of gauging a system’s success. While we caution the use of a single test to assign success or failure to a student or school, we celebrate the achievements of our schools and our students. This school year has brought unprecedented results on the assessment front. We have received notiQication from the state that Qive of our schools have been identiQied as Reward Schools (most in Ottawa County). Moreover, this year’s senior class has posted an amazing 40 students who achieved a 30 or higher on the ACT (national college entrance exam). Six of those students are national merit semi-­‐Qinalists and one student, Brittney Kleinheksel, received a perfect score of a 36. To place this into a national perspective, only 5% of students who take the ACT receive a 30 or higher (HHS senior class is at 9%) and only 1,162 students out of 1.8 million receive a perfect score! We are so incredibly proud of our students’ accomplishments!
Last month, we recognized the contributions of our School Board. Our board members, who have a combined 76 years of service to our Hudsonville community, give of their time and talents to help set direction and provide oversight. Student and building accomplishments would not be possible without the support of a dedicated Board of Education and an incredible staff who are attentive to the little things. Thank you to all for your continued support of Hudsonville Public Schools.
Respectfully,
Nick Ceglarek
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The Hudsonville Public Schools Board of Education Newsletter
February, 2014!
KINDERGARTEN
ENROLLMENT
INFORMATION
Kindergarten enrollment forms are available at any of our Hudsonville Public School elementary buildings beginning
January 20. We encourage any family with a child turning five years of age on or before December 1 of 2014* to pick
up registration forms. Please fill out the forms included in the packet and return the completed information to any
elementary school or at one of the Kindergarten Round-Up meetings on February 27.
Completed registration form!
Copy of your child’s birth certificate must accompany registration (certified with raised seal)
Health appraisal form which includes dates of immunizations and vision/hearing testing
(information completed no later than August 22, 2014)
Completed waiver request for students with birth dates between October 2 - December 1, 2014
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Registration forms will include a place for parents to indicate their placement preference:
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Full day/every day kindergarten (all buildings)
Full day/alternate day prekindergarten (Early Childhood Center)
~We anticipate our Early Childhood Center opening in the fall. If by chance construction
isn’t completed, classes will be held in various elementary buildings.!
If undecided, the building principal will contact parent to discuss placement.
Due to prekindergarten enrollment decline (10 sections in 2011-12 to 7 sections in 2013-14), funding associated with
prekindergarten, and budget considerations, district-provided transportation may not be available for the 2014-15
school year. Please consider this when registering.
All kindergarten placement requests will be honored. Prekindergarten placement requests will be honored
based on section availability. If sections fill up, preference will be given to students with birthdays between
September 1 - December 1. Parents will be notified of placement decision by May 31, 2014. Information
about future Kindergarten Orientation meetings will be included in the notification letter.
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Kindergarten Round-Up meetings will be held for parents on Thursday, February 27. The meeting will offer
parents information in preparation for your child entering kindergarten or prekindergarten in the fall. The
locations and times of the meetings are as follows:
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Meeting Location!
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Alward Elementary!
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Bauer Elementary!
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Forest Grove Elementary!!
Georgetown Elementary!!
Jamestown Elementary! !
Park Elementary!!
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South Elementary!
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Times
7:00 p.m.
7:00 p.m.!
7:00 p.m.
7:00 p.m.
7:00 p.m.
7:00 p.m.
10:00 a.m. OR 7:00 p.m.
Information will be the same at each time/location so parents are welcome to attend the time that works best for
them. If you attend in another location, please drop off the registration form at your “home school” building.
Kindergarten Screening Information
After attending Kindergarten Round-Up, parents who remain uncertain about placement and desire additional
information to help guide the decision can request a screening by contacting their building secretary. Screening will
be held in each of the elementary buildings in March. The teacher will provide a summary of the child’s readiness
skills following screening.
We welcome your child with open arms and thank you for the privilege of working with your family!
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The Hudsonville Public Schools Board of Education Newsletter
February, 2014!
On Wednesday, December 18 the 3rd,
4th, and 5th graders walked over to
the Laurels and performed their
Christmas program songs to the
residents. The residents and staff
were invited to sing along during the
last song, "Oh Come All Ye Faithful."
It was a heart warming experience to
be a part of this special treat. They
truly did spread Christmas cheer and
uplifted many on this cold snowy
December day.
Music teacher,
Abby Whitenight
leading Park
students and soloist
Erica in "Where
are you Christmas."
Third graders singing "Where are you Christmas"
Schools-of-Choice Information
for 2014-2015
Hudsonville Public Schools is accepting schools-of-choice
applications for residents of Ottawa County and under Section
105c (residents outside Ottawa County) for Pre-Kindergarten
through 12th grade for the 2014-2015 school year. Acceptance
will be determined by space available at the building and
grade level requested. Some requests may be denied due
to overall building capacity. Parents can apply by:
Completing and returning the application to Hudsonville
Public Schools Administrative Office between February 1,
2014 through June 1, 2014. Applications can be found on
our website www.hudsonvillepublicschools.org. If applying
for grades PK-8th be sure to indicate an alternative
building choice in case there is not room available at the
first building choice.
Important considerations for parents & students applying
for schools-of-choice:
Transportation is not provided for schools-of-choice enrollees;
parents must provide their own transportation to and from school
for children accepted for enrollment.
According to the rules of the Michigan High School Athletic
Association there is a 60 school day ineligible period for athletic
participation for schools-of-choice enrollees in grades 10-12.
2014-2015
KINDERGARTEN ROUND-UP
Hudsonville Public Schools
Elementary buildings are holding parent information meetings on
Thursday, February 27 regarding enrolling children who will be five
years old on or before December 1, 2014*. All buildings will have a
7:00 p.m. meeting. South Elementary will also hold a 10:00 a.m. meeting.
We encourage parents from other buildings to attend the morning
meeting at South Elementary if daytime is your best option.
Registration forms and additional information are available on our
website or at any of the elementary buildings. If you are unsure of what
building your child will attend, call Robin at 669-1740, ext. 1.
*If child’s birth date is between October 2 - December 1,
parents must complete a waiver request.
HUDSONVILLE PUBLIC SCHOOLS
“A Great Place to Learn”
www.hudsonvillepublicschools.org
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The Hudsonville Public Schools Board of Education Newsletter
February, 2014!
DISCOVERING NEW TASTES AT SOUTH ELEMENTARY
South students are once again being treated to monthly taste testing events.
These events are in conjunction with the “Jump With Jill” assembly that was
enjoyed earlier in the year, and also supported by our Food Service department.
December’s foods, known as “Nature’s Candy,” included blueberries, raspberries,
and strawberries. Fourth grade students Whitney Diep, Josh Bennett, Keegan
Hall, David VanDyke, Kristen Pikaart, and Emmaleigh Lyon worked to research
the fruits that were served to students. They found healthy recipes for students
to enjoy and also shared some health benefits of eating such foods. When asked,
92% of students enjoyed the food they tested. January taste testing will include
foods from the bean family.
FIRST GRADE STUDENTS IN
MRS. FARACI’S CLASSROOM ARE
THIRSTY TO READ! During the month of December, Mrs. Faraci put
her class up to a reading challenge of determining
their own class-wide reading goal and choosing an
incentive. Students decided that reading 14
books, (requiring approximately 20 minutes per
night), was an appropriate yet still challenging
goal. The incentive they decided upon was a hot
cocoa party!
To earn this sweet treat, students were required to document the books they read by writing a few sentences that
summarized each book and then they turned them in just after Holiday Break.
Mrs. Faraci was so proud that her entire class achieved this goal that they set for themselves. All students
celebrated with a nice warm cup of hot cocoa topped with whip cream! These first graders learned that setting
goals helped them to push themselves to become better readers!
"SWEET" MOTIVATION
The staff at Forest Grove Elementary is always looking for new
and creative ways to motivate students to continually strive for
excellence and to continue improving their academic skills
throughout the school year, even during vacation time. There is
much to be said for taking a break from rigorous academic
effort. Extra sleep, relaxation, laughter, etc. are necessary for
good overall health and brain function. However, a lengthy
vacation is no reason to let student's developing skills plateau or
to even decline. With this in mind, our 5th graders were enticed
with the promise of a sweet reward for keeping up their good reading habits over our recent holiday break.
Students could earn a steaming cup of hot cocoa piled high with our favorite topping (marshmallows) upon their
return to school by simply "reading" for a specified amount of time on a daily basis. The more they read, the
more marshmallows they could add to their treat. Students were encouraged to be creative, to make it fun, and
to read, read, and read some more. Options for earning this treat included reading with a sibling, reading in the
car (on the way to grandmas), reading in your pajamas, reading when it was snowing, etc. When the students
returned to school they not only had improved their reading ability and enjoyed some awesome stories and
books, they also collectively celebrated their accomplishments by enjoying their reward. The only catch was that
they had to sip their treat while they read a book. Reading is certainly SWEET!
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The Hudsonville Public Schools Board of Education Newsletter
February, 2014!
30 SECOND TIMEOUT
“ONE WORD”
~By Kevin Wolma, Athletic Director
How can one word change your life when on average people speak between 7,000 and
20,000 words per day? Jon Gordon, Dan Britton, and Jimmy Page wrote a book
together about this very subject on how one word can impact your life at home, work,
church, or wherever you want that focus to be. I was a little hesitant to read the book
because of its simplicity, but Jon Gordon is my favorite author so I thought I would
give it a try. So I hopped on the stationary bike and started to read. My initial skepticism
was
replaced with the realism that this did make a lot of sense. Hearing their stories and looking at the process
intrigued me on how I could use this concept at work and at home. The basis of the principle is that people
have a hard time focusing on a long-winded mission statement or a New Year’s resolution because they are
comprised of too many words that are often forgotten. A recent study shows that only 8% of people who
make New Year’s resolutions are successful in achieving their goals. One word sticks. We have instituted this one word concept within the high school by having teachers choose one word that
will make an impact in their classroom. This has had a trickle down effect as some classrooms have had
their students choose one word that will impact their lives. Some of our students even had their one word
shown recently on the Today Show as a part of an interview they did with Jon Gordon on News Year’s Day. See the video at http://www.today.com/video/today/53957503/#53957503.
According to the book, finding your one word can be done by doing the following:
You need to prepare your heart by unplugging all the noise in your life whether that may be the TV,
computer, cell phone, or your busy schedule. Then you answer the following questions:
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•What do I need? •What is in my way of achieving my needs? •What needs to go in order to move forward?
Once you find your word you need to live it out. If your one word is going to stick, you need to find ways to
post the word so you have daily reminders. Some people will post the word on their refrigerator, bathroom
mirror, screen saver, etc... Have fun with this part because the more you make your word a part of your life,
the more of an impact it is going to have.
My word for the year is priority. With my schedule at work, I can easily fall into the trap of putting my
family second behind my job. Using the word priority helps to ground me in what is really important. As I
have struggled with my health over the past five months, priority brings on a whole new meaning. Finding
answers to my health problems have become more of a priority than ever before. The interesting thing
about the word you choose is that over time it can mean something different than what you may have
originally intended.
Over the course of this coming year, all of the Appleseed articles I am going to write through my “30 Second
TimeOut” columns will revolve around one word. Each word will focus on a different area regarding youth
sports and the important role each one of us plays in these areas.
I encourage each and everyone of you to find your one word. Live it out and see the impact this could make
on your life. Wishing everyone the very best in 2014!
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The Hudsonville Public Schools Board of Education Newsletter
February, 2014!
TECHNOLOGY BRINGS STUDENTS
FROM AFRICA INTO CLASSROOM
Students in Mrs. Boss’ second grade class at
Bauer Elementary School recently had the
opportunity to talk with several children at
an orphanage called Children’s Recovery
Center in Kenya, Africa. One of the
student’s parents, Mr. Buist, travels to Africa
every year to work with these children. He
is the board president of Kenya Matters “Second graders talk with children at the African orphanage in
which is a primary supporter of the
Kenya via a computer application ca&ed Skype.”
Children’s Recovery Center
(kenyamatters.org). While he was there on a
recent visit, second graders were able to Skype with him and talk to the African children. Second graders
from Bauer asked them many questions such as, “What is a typical day like for you?” and “What is your
school like?”. Our students were surprised to learn that children in Kenya wear uniforms to school and can
also speak three languages! They have school from 7:00 AM to 4:00 PM. African children wanted to know
what sports we play at our schools
and what kinds of things we learn
during our school day.
This was a great learning
experience for both second graders
at Bauer and the children at the
Children’s Recovery Center in
Kenya!
JAMESTOWN + FOREST GROVE =
FAMILY MATH NIGHT FUN!
Patterns, measurement, estimation, place value, geometry, and graphing.
Those were just a few of the math skills that the Jamestown Elementary
and Forest Grove Elementary families explored during Family Math Night
in late November. Hosted by elementary education students at Grand
Valley State University, Family Math Night was an opportunity for families
to enjoy some fun games together, while learning and applying math skills.
Of course, cider and donuts always help too!
Working in pairs, Grand Valley State University’s
future educators used curriculum to prepare math
activity centers that could be differentiated for many
ages. Most of the activity stations came with a handout
for families to take with suggestions for activities to try
at home. Over 250 Jamestown and Forest Grove family
members took advantage of this fun and educational
night out, and it was a fantastic night for the families at
Jamestown and Forest Grove!
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The Hudsonville Public Schools Board of Education Newsletter
February, 2014!
5TH GRADE SERVICE PROJECT
The fifth grade students at Georgetown Elementary
wanted to participate in a service project for the holiday
season. So it was decided by the students and teachers
that we would go to two different retirement villages and
sing the songs that were learned from the school Holiday
Program to some of the elderly people in the community.
Our first stop was Waterford Place, a retirement living
community in Jenison. There were about 50 seniors and
staff on hand to watch us perform our Holiday Program in
full force. We started out by singing a few Christmas songs
to get everybody in the mood and then moved into our
stage performance. The performance included solos from
our 5th graders, ribbons, and the grand finale which was a L.E.D. light show
done to the Carol of the Bells by The Trans-Siberian Orchestra. After the
show, the 5th graders received a standing ovation and then headed to the
second stop of our “tour.”
Our second stop was at Sunset Manor
in Jenison. As we arrived we were
greeted by a host that showed us to
our stage. The stage was set up in a
similar fashion as the program, only
smaller, with the opportunity for complete darkness. We knew that this would really show off our light show at
the end. It was a great experience for all the 5th graders to take part in and it really showed their caring for other
people. It was enjoyable for us to see the permanent smiles that some of the residents had on their faces while
we sang Christmas songs and performed for them. It really meant a lot to them and to us.
"COMMUNITY" CELEBRATION~
DINNER ON US!
The entire school community at Forest
Grove Elementary enjoyed a Hawaiian
Luau themed evening in mid-January. The
sole purpose of this event was to celebrate
"community" and was sponsored by our
Parent Teacher Club (PTC). All school
families were invited to a "free" meal, a pig
roast with all the fixin's. Hundreds of
people showed up to eat, fellowship, and just enjoy each other's company for several hours on this wintry night. We are so thankful for our Hudsonville community! The small town feel in this growing Hudsonville area is a
valued commodity and treasured "reality" that we enjoy very much at Forest Grove!
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The Hudsonville Public Schools Board of Education Newsletter
February, 2014!
GEORGETOWN KINDERS
SAY NO TO BULLIES!
Georgetown has adopted a BE NICEBE SAFE school-wide bullying
prevention pledge to prevent and stop
school-wide bullying. As part of our
school-wide Mind-Up program in
kindergarten, we have all adopted a
grade-level of common language. In any
of our four kindergarten classrooms, you can hear
the phrases, “mindful listener”, “mindful speaker”,
and “mindful movement” being used with the
students. We have
found the site,
www.wedolisten.org
to be a kindergarten
appropriate site for
educating our young
ones about bullying
through animated
books and songs.
Through read-alouds,
class discussions, and
role-play
opportunities we
have exposed our
students to what
bullying looks like and sounds like. We have talked
about how it makes others feel and what we can all
do to stop and prevent it. Our kinders are excited
and educated to say “No to bullying!”
Every student has agreed to sign, along with their
parents, our school-wide pledge that says the
following:
I want Georgetown to be a place where
everyone feels safe and treats each other
with respect.
I have an important role to play in helping my
school be safe.
•I will include those who are left out.
•I will NOT tease, hurt, or bully anyone.
•I will be a good bystander. If I see someone
teasing or bullying, I will tell the person to stop
and tell an adult.
•I will tell an adult if I see or hear anyone threaten
me or another.
•I will talk to a parent or adult if I am mad or sad
about anything
that happens at
school.
Hudsonville Public Schools does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, height, weight,
marital status, handicap, disability, or limited English proficiency in any of its programs or activities. The following office has been
designated to handle inquiries regarding the nondiscrimination policies:
Human Resource Director, Hudsonville Public Schools, 3886 Van Buren, Hudsonville, MI 49426, (616) 669-1740
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