Newsletter - Frankenmuth School

A Publication for FSD Students, Alumni and Friends
Frankenmuth School District
Newsletter
A Place
For All
Letter From The Superintendent
,
Dear Friends,
We have much to celebrate this school year!
The U.S. News and World Report organization has once again ranked Frankenmuth High School in the top five percent of high schools across the
nation. The Washington Post ranked FHS as the 21st most challenging high
school in the state of Michigan. Only 10 percent of over 22,000 schools
in the nation received this designation, with one of the determining factors
being at least half of the senior class having taken a college-level Advanced
Placement course.
Ninety-two percent of our graduates plan to pursue post-secondary education at a college, university,
or vocational school. They will attend 26 different colleges or universities in the state of Michigan,
and eight students will attend college out of out of state. Four of our graduates - Matthew Bohl, Alexander Leach, Cory Knoll, and Parker Pasco - have volunteered to serve our country in the Armed
Forces.
The members of the Class of 2016 are the recipients of $1.4 million dollars in academic scholarships.
Of that amount, $90,000 was generously awarded by our local civic organizations, churches, and in
memory of loved ones.
As this year comes to a close, I would like to thank you for supporting our children. Research shows
that a strong partnership between the school district and the community is a key ingredient for success. That partnership is evident in Frankenmuth.
Beginning July 1, I will be taking a new position at Saginaw Valley State University. Thank you for
giving me the privilege to serve our community. I truly have been blessed.
Best wishes,
Mary Anne Ackerman
FSD Board of Education filing deadline in July 26, 2016
The Frankenmuth School District Board of Education election will be held on Tuesday, November 8, 2016. Three
4-year seats and one 2-year seat will be decided in the election.
If you are interested in serving on the Frankenmuth School District Board of Education, the filing deadline is 4:00 PM
on Tuesday, July 26, 2016. Petitions may be picked up from the Saginaw County Clerk’s Office at 111 South Michigan
Avenue, Saginaw, MI 48602, or at Frankenmuth City Hall, 240 West Genesee, Frankenmuth.
Candidates may pay a $100 filing fee in lieu of gathering signatures or since the election is being held in a district with
less than 10,000 in population, only 6-20 registered district voter signatures are necessary.
For more information, contact the Frankenmuth School District Office (652-9958).
2- FSD News -Summer 2016
iConnect With New Friends
List Elementary second graders have lots of friends at Bavarian Comfort Care. In a program called
iConnect, the second graders use the Facetime application on their iPads to communicate with residents at Bavarian Comfort Care. The students read books to their new friends while promoting fluency
and comprehension. Residents also have iPads and have opportunities to read a story to the students.
Pictured are students reading to the residents at Bavarian Comfort Care. You can see the residents as
they react while listening to the students read, (l-r): Jagger Clark, Hannah Aguirre, and A’myah Perkins, Mrs. Gertrude Niedbala, Mrs. Joyce Zueker, and Mrs. Jacqueline Vanderlip.
Insurance Leadership Academy
The Frankenmuth School District has partnered with Frankenmuth Insurance, Northwood University, and the Tuscola Intermediate School
District to provide opportunities for high school students to explore a
career in the insurance industry. Students will spend five days a week
in a classroom at FMI learning about insurance operations. Upon
completion of the one-year program, students will earn nine Northwood University credits and certification in Property and Liability
Insurance Principles, Personal Insurance, and Commercial Insurance.
FHS junior Haley Otter will join 15 students from across the region
in this inaugural program. We are grateful for this opportunity being
provided for our students.
Cover photo.
FHS students Jack Gilmour (pictured left) and Kyle Schmitzer (pictured
right) competed in the Teamworks event for Skills USA. The Teamworks
event consists of a mason, plumber, electrician, and a carpenter who work
together to complete a project involving all four trades. During the competition the team is scored on accuracy as well as how they work together as a team. The event included a presentation portion where the team explained their project. The team advanced to the national competition which
will be held in Louisville, Kentucky on June 20th. Good luck Jack and Kyle!
3- FSD News -Summer 2016
FS
D
Staff
Retirees
4- FSD News -Summer 2016
The Frankenmuth School District is grateful for the service of the following
individuals who will be retiring at the end of the 2015-2016 school year.
Sandra Bowen Masud (top row left) joined the district as a Special Education teacher in 2006. In addition to
teaching Special Education, Sandy served as the Morning Rotary Interact Advisor and the FHS Volunteer Club
Advisor, the co-director of the Kids Kingdom playground project, and president of the List Elementary Parent’s Organization.
Tamara Ley (top row right) joined the District in 1990 as a Business Teacher. Tamara currently teaches business courses, oversees students enrolled in virtual courses, and has authored a number of hybrid virtual courses. Tamara’s responsibilities have included directing the Cooperative Vocational Program and securing over
1500 students in community work placements. Tamara was instrumental in establishing a partnership with the
Frankenmuth Credit Union, which included opening a branch in the high school called Eagle Credit Union.
Mark Jarlock (middle row left) joined the district in 1992 as a physical education and health instructor. During his tenure, Mark coached numerous baseball and basketball teams. In addition to the classroom, Mark has
contributed to teaching youth on the athletic fields while serving as a MHSAA official in football, basketball,
and baseball.
Mary Ricard (middle row right) joined the District as an assistant in the Special Education Department in
1994. Mary has been instrumental in providing guidance for numerous children with special needs. Mary was
instrumental in developing the sensory room at List Elementary School.
Sharon Harvey (bottom row left) joined the school district in 2002 as an assistant in the Special Education
department. Sharon provided guidance and instruction for numerous children with special needs. Sharon was
one of the founders of BRASS Eagles, a peer-mentoring group that partners special needs children with another student to assist them in developing friendships and social skills.
Nancy Bierlein (bottom row right) joined the staff at List Elementary School in the Food Service Department
in 1998. Mrs. Bierlein has been responsible for preparing and serving over 300 tasty lunches every day.
5- FSD News -Summer 2016
School News
List Elementary Student Grace Billot with
Amy Zehnder Grossi
Thanks to Advanced Art students (l-r) seniors Grace Jarabek,
Sarah Schriber, and Tori Reinbold. These ladies assisted the
American Legion by organizing the children’s craft center
during the community Easter Egg Hunt Extravaganza.
We are fortunate to have numerous
community volunteers who assist in
so many ways.
Mrs. Amy Zehnder Grossi has been volunteering at List Elementary School for 10
years! Amy teaches Jr. Achievement civics lessons to all three kindergarten classes.
Students learn about needs vs. wants and
basic economics. The best part for the students is the culminating activity where Mrs.
Grossi invites the students to her place of
work and the students have the opportunity to roll pretzels and experience a grand
tour of the Bavarian Inn. Thank you Mrs.
Grossi for your generous donation of time!
6 FSD News -Summer 2016
Thank You Kylie Jaeger
Kylie Jaeger has, for six years, asked for food donations instead
of gifts for her birthday. Three years ago, she joined forces
with the EFR Student Council for an annual food drive.
Several local businesses, including Kroger, Meijer, Grasel
Graphics, Allure’a Salon, Cinema Hollywood, Sugar High
Bakery, and the Adventure Park joined with donations.
This year the donations of over 1600 pounds of nonperishable food items and hygiene items were delivered to
the Saginaw City Rescue Mission.
Gary Karney
William Ronk
Hero In Education
Congratulations to third grade teacher Mr. Gary Karney, who was recently honored by Saginaw Valley State University as
a Hero in Education. Mr. Karney has taught in the Frankenmuth School District since 1996 and was recognized for his efforts in going above and beyond the call of duty to help students be successful.
One such instance involved a student who has a huge interest in the story of the Titanic. Mr. Karney built a replica of the
Titanic for the student to use as his work space. Thank you Mr. Karney; we are so fortunate to have you serving our students!
Congratulations to Mrs. Suzanna Williams
School Board Member Earns Board Member Certification
Congratulations, Mrs. Karen Uebler! Karen serves the District as a school board member, and was recognized by the
Saginaw County Board of Education for completing the first
nine Board Leadership courses and earning Board Member
Certification. The coursework offers training in leadership
skills, school finance, educational issues, and politics. Thank
you, Karen, for choosing to serve as a school board member.
Pictured (l-r): Karen Uebler and SISD Board Member, Carol
Coppens.
Mrs. Williams was recently honored by the
Central Michigan University Student Council for Exceptional Children as an individual
who goes above and beyond the call of duty
in advocating for students with special needs.
Mrs. Williams joined the FHS faculty this fall
and has been responsible for spearheading
a peer-to-peer program where students with
special needs are partnered with a student in
order to foster friendships and teach social
skills.
7- FSD News -Summer 2016
Artists of the Senior Mural 2016 (l-r): Lindsay Pierce, Grace Jarabek, Tori Reinbold, Sarah Schriber, and
Sadie Layher.
“I find it quite special that my school
Encourages everybody to be their best
Through difficult classes and activities abundant
The average student is most likely
A student-athlete-musician-employee
The teachers here stand firm in the idea
That learning trumps the grade any given day
They give help to those who need it
But require the pupil to give it a try
What I have learned from my years as an eagle
To fail is to succeed though it may be rough
Because learning to prosper through stress
Proves crucial to those who desire happiness”
by Jacob Rummel
FHS Class of 2016
8- FSD News -Summer 2016
“Upon entering high school, I was determined
to break out of the Frankenmuth “bubble” and
decided I was going to attend college in an urban environment. This set the premise for me to
apply to schools in Chicago and New York City.
Both of these places had the new experiences I
yearned for, however I ended up at Loyola University, Chicago.” Brittany Baker, FHS Class of 2011
Chicago was a great first step outside of Frankenmuth because it introduced me to a big city feel with a diverse group of
new people, but it still was a short train ride back to Michigan to visit friends and family. During my time at Loyola University, Chicago, I was fortunate enough to study abroad in Rome, Italy. This experience opened a whole new perspective
with what I wanted to do with my future. In Rome, I was exposed to new cultures and people that allowed me to learn
more about myself than I already had by moving alone to Chicago. During my time abroad, I realized I wanted to pursue
working with international students or help students gain access to a similar study abroad experience that I had. Upon
returning to Chicago, I become a resident assistant which introduced me to mentors who made me aware of the career
pathway of higher education and student affairs.
Now, most people ask what exactly this profession is...and no, it is not a professor at a university. Higher education
and student affairs professionals can usually be classified as the staff who work inside the offices within a college (e.g.
admissions, financial aid, residence life, study abroad, greek life, student activities, etc.). Therefore, during my senior
year at Loyola I applied to New York University-which had been my dream school since 8th grade. After applying, I
was realistic in thinking that I may not get in so I applied to a few other graduate programs for higher education and
student affairs. Luckily, I was accepted into NYU’s Master’s program for higher education and student affairs for Fall
2015. I knew moving to the “big apple” would be a significant change, mainly because I was no longer an Amtrak train
ride from home and this new metropolis was significantly busier. However, before I started that next chapter, I had a
summer internship at Harvard University to complete as I had been hired to work for their inaugural pre-college program as a residence advisor. This was a great experience because it gave me the chance to visit NYC over the summer.
Then, before I knew it, summer was over and fall semester had started. Suddenly I was being exposed to a much busier
and faster lifestyle. I loved (mostly) every minute of it despite it taking some time to adapt to all these new changes. I kept
busy with classes and my required graduate internship in NYU’s Office of Global Programs (study abroad office). This is
the line of work I want to do after I graduate, so having daily exposure to it has been amazing. Additionally, NYU’s program has given me even more opportunities to quench my need to travel and learn. I will be participating in a two-week
class in Rio de Janeiro and Salvador de Bahia in Brazil. This class focuses primarily on race, class, and equity in Brazil’s
higher education systems. Additionally, NYU has opened many new doors to job opportunities that may have been hard
to achieve elsewhere. NYU has multiple academic centers globally and also has 3 actual college campuses in locations
including New York, Shanghai and Abu Dhabi. This summer I will have the pleasure of working at NYU’s Abu Dhabi
campus as an Academic Coach for the NYU Abu Dhabi Summer Academy which works with Emirate high school students who want to be exposed to a westernized education system. Upon finishing these summer adventures, I will return to
New York City to complete my second year at New York University and graduate in 2017. After graduation, I will hopefully be working in Chicago or NYC at a university working with international students/study abroad or working abroad.
Looking back over the past six years, if someone had told me in high school that I would be doing everything that I have
done/will be doing, I would not have believed them. However, I realize that I have been extremely fortunate in receiving
these opportunities because I found something I was passionate enough to pursue as well as the ability to step outside of
my comfort zone to embrace myself in these life changing opportunities.
9- FSD News -Summer 2016
FHS Top Ten
Cassandra Keinath, Valedictorian
(daughter of Allen and Cynthia Keinath)
Luke Pendleton, Salutatorian
(son of Craig and Sara Pendleton)
Kenton Hoffmann (son of
Matthew and Marla Hoffman)
Mackenzie Piesko (daughter of
Frank and Tammy Piesko)
10- FSD News -Summer 2016
Carson Waites (son of
Christopher and Lori Waites)
Keri Frahm (daughter of
Thomas and Gail Frahm)
Alexandra Barrett (daughter of
Matthew and Kristina Barrett)
Madison Walter (daughter of
Tamara Walter and the late
Arthur Walter)
Grace Jarabek (daughter of
Steven and Kari Jarabek)
Jacob Rummel (son of
Gregory and Stephanie Rummel)
11- FSD News -Summer 2016
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Coach Walraven commented, “It’s a nice
achievement, but I do this because of the
kids. They respond to me, and I enjoy the
competitiveness the sport brings. When
you realize the impact you have on people’s lives, that is what keeps you going.
I feel truly blessed to be doing something
I love, and to be doing it as long as I
have.”
Thank You Coach Walraven
The students at Frankenmuth Schools have numerous athletic opportunities. At the high school there are
23 Varsity sport teams. As a district, we are fortunate to have awesome coaches who give our athletes
great knowledge of the sport they coach as well as serve as mentors for our students. While the coaches
typically receive a small stipend for their service, in reality they volunteer their time because they love
what they do.
One of those individuals is FHS Softball Coach Brad Walraven. Coach Walraven recently coached his
1,100th career win! He is the fifth high school softball coach in the United States to reach this milestone,
according to the National Federation of State High School Associations and MHSAA record books.
Coach Walraven, we are truly blessed to have you working with our students!