June 13, 2016 - Midland Public Schools

Superintendent’s Weekly Communiqué
Michael E. Sharrow, Superintendent
(989) 923-5026
sharrowme@midlandps.org
Volume 3, Issue 39
June 13, 2016
FUTURE CENTRAL PARK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL … Set to open Fall 2017
media center
main street corridor
music & art room
office area
(410 feet long)
café and stage
(previous gym)
Your 2.95 Mill Bond
Dollars at Work at MPS!
lower el classroom wing
outside of new gym
Central Park’s
Mascot …
The Explorers
in-wall plumbing
foundation blocks
Central Park’s
Colors …
Orange &
Navy
south entrance bus
storm & sanitary sewers
Bond Projects as we look ahead ...
2015-19: Elementary renovations (including secure entrances) — Fall 2016: renovation bid packages go out for 1-2 buildings
2018-19: Athletic renovations & district-wide paving (Community Stadium Track, light resurfacing, summer 2016 to prolong life)
2019-21: Middle school & high school renovations (including secure entrances)
Student Technology Devices: Middle School—Fall 2015; High School—Fall 2016; Elementary—Fall 2017
THANK YOU, MIDLAND PUBLIC SCHOOLS’ VOTERS!
Second Page Headlines
June 13, 2016
Please join us in welcoming an exciting
new area at the Jack Barstow Airport—
The Midland Community
Aviation Discovery Area
This exciting new feature at the airport is a
great place for families to have picnics,
watch the planes take off and land and much more. The Discovery Area
has a pavilion, a large concrete compass rose in the ground to help
students learn about directions and air travel, play equipment, educational
plaques and more. Check out this great
area sometime soon!
Welcome, Midland Community
Aviation Discovery Area!
Page 2 of 3
Dalton DeBoer of Woodcrest
Elementary took action as a
second grader to help build
friendship on the playground,
and last week she gets to see
her idea put to use. Dalton
learned of the “Buddy Bench”
from her Nana and shared the
idea as a need with her teacher. Her next step was to
write a letter to the PTO requesting funding to purchase
a bench to help those who have no one to play with at
recess. Now that the bench is installed, Dalton has
shared posters and announcements to make sure it is
used to build friendship. Students who do not have a
friend to play with, sit on the bench. When fellow
students spot someone there, they have the
responsibility to invite them to play and then recess
becomes a lot more fun! Thanks to Dalton’s caring
and her taking action, recess is a happier place.
Ana Geib and Amy Guzman’s Survey of Spanish 2 class at Midland High School
celebrated a Quinceañera! This coming-of-age event is typical of Latin American
countries and people of Latin descent in the Southwest of the U.S. It celebrates a girl’s
passage to womanhood as she turns 15. Students had roles assigned and performed all
parts of a traditional quinceañera: preparations, blessing, party…
Our audience of teachers and students, and especially our quinceañera, senior Amanda
Johnson, had a culturally immersive experience with language food, and music.
Last Day of School for
2015-16 School Year:
Thursday, June 16
FREE SUMMER MEALS
are once again offered for
ALL CHILDREN
AGE 18 & UNDER
in our community at these sites:
More info is available on the MPS
Flyer Board: http://midps.org/cf
Midland Curling Center: 2009 Jefferson Ave, Midland
Monday-Friday, June 20th to September 2nd
Breakfast: 7:45am-9:30am & Lunch: 11:45am-1:15pm
Eastlawn Elementary: 115 Eastlawn Drive, Midland
Monday-Thursday, June 27th to August 4th
Breakfast: 8:15am-9:15am & Lunch: 11:00am-12:30pm
Plymouth Elementary: 1105 E Sugnet Street, Midland
Monday-Thursday, June 27th to September 1st
Breakfast: 8:00am-9:30am & Lunch: 11:30am-12:30pm
Plymouth Park: 4501 Plymouth Park Drive, Midland
Monday-Friday, June 20th to September 2nd
Lunch 11:30am-1:00pm (No Breakfast)
Gerstacker Spray Park: 201 Wyman Drive, Midland
Monday-Friday, June 20th to September 2nd
Lunch 11:30am-1:00pm (No Breakfast)
*All sites are closed Monday, July 4th*
Midland High Kudos!
 Chemic Softball Team District Champions for the 2nd year
in a row!
 Chemic Varsity Golf - Headed to
States for the 2nd year in a row!
MPS Summer Hours
Our elementary offices
close for the summer on
June 24 with middle and high school
offices remaining open during the
summer months.
From June 27-August 19, our district
employees work four 10-hour days—
Monday-Thursday, with all District
buildings closed on Fridays.
Elementary offices will re-open on
Monday, August 22.
The 2016 Distinguished Service Awards nomination window is now open (til July 1). Do you know an MPS paraprofessional,
manager, office professional, administrative assistant, bus driver, technician, grounds or maintenance worker who goes above
and beyond to make a difference for MPS students? If so, visit the MPS website (www.midlandps.org) for more information
and the 2016 Nomination Form. Nominate an MPS support person today! (Sorry, teachers and administrators not eligible for this award).
Midland Public Schools
Back Page Headlines
600 East Carpenter
Best Wishes to our
secondary students who are taking
final exams this week!
Midland, Michigan 48640
Telephone: 989-923-5001
MPS Website:
www.midlandps.org
Twitter:
@MichaelSharrow2
@MidlandPS
YouTube Channel:
http://midps.org/youtube
Community Flyers:
http://midps.org/cf
Adams Elementary
923-6037
Carpenter Street
923-6411
Chestnut Hill Elem.
923-6634
Eastlawn Elem.
923-7112
Plymouth Elem.
923-7616
Siebert Elementary
923-7835
Woodcrest Elem.
923-7940
Jefferson Middle
923-5873
Northeast Middle
923-5772
H. H. Dow High
923-5382
Midland High
923-5181
“pearls” of wisdom ...
“A good head and a good
heart are always a formidable
combination.”
—Nelson Mandela
“The function of education is
to teach one to think
intensively and to think
critically. Intelligence plus
character—that is the goal of
true education.”
—Martin Luther King, Jr.
June 13, 2016
The Dow High Girls’ Tennis Team
took first in the State Tournament on
June 4! All members of the team
contributed points to the
championship. Jessica Brown was
a quarter finalist, Hadley Camp was
a semi-finalist, Mina Fabiano,
Tatum Matthews, Maggie
Schaller, and Marie Marche were finalists, and Caroline Szabo,
Sarah Ismail, Afua Ofori Darko, Kamryn Matthews, Kelly
Livingston, and Meghan Killmaster all won state championships at
their flights. Congratulations to these talented Lady Chargers!
The 42nd annual Elementary Track
Meet for 4th and 5th graders was held at
Dow High this year (due to resurfacing
of Midland Community Track). Approximately 370 students participated in this year’s meet, which included
both running events and field events. All that participated had a great
time. Thank you, MPS PE teachers, for organizing this great event
and MHS track teams, who volunteered to work this year’s meet.
Two Woodcrest Elementary Students Earn
Accelerated Reader (AR) Top Award
Congratulations to 5th grader, Daniel Shi, for
earning 1054 points in the AR Program. This is
the highest score in school history! 4th grader,
Sarah Li, came in second with 930 points. Daniel and Sarah are the
first students to have their names engraved on a plaque recently
purchased by the Woodcrest PTO that commemorates their amazing
reading accomplishment. The plaque will be displayed permanently in
the Woodcrest Media Center.
Jefferson 7th & 8th grade
Chorus took their production of
"Schoolhouse Rock" on the
road! Two groups of Siebert
students filled the Jefferson
Theater on June 2nd. In early
June the performers took their
fun show to Adams, Woodcrest,
Carpenter and Riverside Place Senior Housing. These talented young
thespians had a total of eight performances for over 1000 appreciative
audience members! Great job, Huskies!
MPS groups leading the National Anthem at
Dow Diamond
DHS’ Chamber singer ladies—May 31
JMS’ Vocal Showcase/Nothin’ But Treble—June 4
Woodcrest’s 5th Grade Chorus—June 5
Page 3 of 3
Congratulations to the
Charger’s Girls Track as five
girls earned All-State Honors at
the Division 1 State Track Meet
in Hudsonville on June 4!
Amanda Kline finished 5th in
High Jump. Maija Rettelle, Ana
Tucker, Beth Hoffman and
Emily Wall placed 8th in the
3200 Meter Relay! Rettelle &
Wall also competed in the 800.
Congratulations to these
impressive athletes!!
June Shining Stars ...
Congratulations to
 Chad
Wegener, Midland High
Special Education Teacher
 Rachel Walker, Human
Resources Administrative
Assistant
These dedicated, hard working
MPS staff members will be
recognized at tonight’s Board of
Education meeting. Thank you,
Chad and Rachel, for going
above and beyond to make MPS
a better place for students!