By Amanda Bridle, Grand Rapids Public Library, Main
Fact is better than fiction.
Fictional portrayals of Cleopatra write her off as a mere seductress, not worth much more than her looks. In truth, Cleopatra wasn’t all that good-looking (we can tell from the portraits on coins she herself approved and from the snide comments made by her published detractors) but instead attracted the men in her life, Julius Caesar and Mark Antony, with her brains. Author Stacy Schiff, reveals a portrait of a daring, complex and politically savvy woman in her new biography Cleopatra: A Life.
The well-researched book plunges us into another time and place with lush descriptions of lavish royal events and in-depth discussion of the culture and politics that shaped Cleopatra’s life. To understand her is to understand the how her Greek family came to power in Egypt and how they fought, intermarried and murdered amongst themselves.
To know her is to know the status of women in Alexandria and how shockingly different that was from Rome. To appreciate her life and her choices is to understand the power struggles and politics of Roman leaders as they attempted to gain control of more and more of the world and function, or dysfunction, as a democracy.
Painstakingly researched and beautifully written, readers will enjoy a book that is equal parts history, politics, romance, and tragedy.
The Godfrey-Lee Public School District battled a continuous malicious cyberattack beginning in September that sometimes left staff members with no access to student emergency and medical information.
The Wyoming Police Department and Michigan State Police are investigating the cyber attack. The district is offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to the apprehension and conviction of the person or persons responsible for the criminal activity.
The entire district internet system was shut down nearly every school day. Attackers did this by jamming the AT&T router with traffic to the point it would shut down.
“It all seemed to be tied to school hours, not always starting the same time of day, but it always would end just as kids were getting out of school,” Superintendent David Britten said. “(AT&T) wouldn’t give us any information at all on where (the traffic) was coming from.”
To fix the problem, AT&T required Godfrey-Lee purchase the protection service.
Teresa Mask, senior public relations manager for AT&T Michigan, declined comment.
While the attacks had stopped as of early December, the district has locked into a three-year contract for a protection service with AT&T, costing $87,000 over three years.
Daniel Townsend, district director of technology and media services, said the cost for AT&T’s protection service is approximately $49,000 for 12 months. That includes a one-time $30,000 fee for an emergency setup. The cost for the remaining two years in the three-year contract is $19,000 a year. The Board of Education approved a $60,000 budget addition for this fiscal year to cover the cost — about the cost of a teacher, Britten said.
The district’s technology team first tried to use an out-of-state company to fix the problem, but that didn’t work because AT&T has control of the infrastructure. The out-of-state company did have another solution, but “it would have been a very complex process involving a lot of man-hours, so we chose to use AT&T since they own the infrastructure and could expedite the process,” Townsend said.
Godfrey-Lee Public Schools is the poorest district in Kent County. Ninety-five percent of students receive free or reduced-cost lunch.
Be sure to check out School News Network for more stories about our students, schools, and faculty in West Michigan!
Godwin Heights seniors Donta Sanders and Damien Bell peeled the skin off green Granny Smith apples in long strips. They later assembled the tart apple slices, sweetened up with sugar and cinnamon, into pies.
“I’ve never made a pie before. It’s a cool experience to make pies with my friends,” said Damien.
Art teacher Deanne Basse led the after-school apple pie-making extravaganza with about 40 ninth- through 12th graders, explaining how to measure, peel and criss-cross strips of dough into lattice to top their pies.
It was the second year for the pre-Thanksgiving event with the mission of sending students home with pies.
Art teacher Deanne Basse teaches students to make pies to bring home for Thanksgiving.
“Not a lot of the kids have a lot of experience in cooking,” said Basse, who loves to bake. “This is a way they can contribute to their families.”
Bill Shafer, high school director of information services, donated more than 300 apples, and other staff members chipped in with supplies as well.
Students left with ready-to-pack pies, but it was questionable whether the pastries would last much past Thanksgiving.
“I’m eating it today,” Donta said. “My mom will give me a hand.”
Be sure to check out School News Network for more stories about our students, schools, and faculty in West Michigan!
Jessica Hanselman is excited about her new position on the Wyoming District School Board and said she is ready to take on the challenges facing the district.
Hanselman won one of two open seats on the Board Nov. 8 with 4,640 votes. Incumbent Lisa Manley received 5,016 votes.
“My vision includes a greater connection between the Wyoming Public School District and the larger community, to build community pride and increase involvement in district initiatives and activities,” said Hanselman.
Hanselman wants the district to raise its public profile and publicize its successes more broadly, so that the community gets the opportunity to know the district’s achievements and best practices. She also wants to cultivate community relationships between the education community and human services community, including mental health organizations.
“Often, public entities operate in silos, for many reasons,” she said. “However, I believe students served in the schools would benefit from streamlined communication and the sharing of best practices and resources, wherever possible. It will take me a bit of time to determine whether there are any pressing concerns or problems, but I am happy to work with the rest of the board to help with any issues that arise.”
She said that many of the challenges faced by all districts, including Wyoming Public Schools, is the continued failure at the state level to fund education at the level it deserves, and new mandates handed down by the Michigan House of Representatives that are often unhelpful, uninformed and may create unnecessary barriers for educators to do what they know best.
“As necessary, I am willing to be a voice for the district with our state legislators, and partner with other districts who are seeking to advocate for their students at the government level.
“Wyoming Public Schools is worthy of being a sought out education destination for our community, and I want parents to know why WPS is a highly desirable school home for their children.”
Letter by letter, fourth-grader David Espinoza read through the alphabet on flash cards. English-learner teacher Nicole Adams timed him with a stopwatch at 40 seconds. Unsatisfied, David wanted to try again.
“Last week you were only able to do it in one minute. Now 40 seconds seems slow,” Adams said.
David, a recent immigrant from Cuba who started at Gladiola Elementary School in September, tried again, hesitating at just one letter. His time: 34 seconds — a personal record. “Wow! Wow!” Adams exclaimed to a gleeful David, who wrote the time down on his data sheet.
First-grader Gustavo Aburto Ambriz shows his story to EL teacher Nicole Adams.
David is learning English letters, sounds and reading. By the end of the school year, he will be much more proficient. Adams spends time with him conversing in Spanish and English, in ways that capture his attention. David knows a lot about dinosaurs and, in Spanish, talked excitedly about a brachiosaurus. In English, he practiced words like “mouth” and “neck” while describing the prehistoric beast.
“He’s really eager to learn and not afraid to practice,” Adams said. “He will be much more fluent by the end of the year.” He has strong Spanish speaking, reading and academic skills, she said, so he’s on the right track.
Gladiola is one of only 35 schools recognized by the Michigan Department of Education for academic efforts for English learners over the past two years, and is eligible to be named a 2016 Title 1 Distinguished School in the category of Serving Special Populations (English learners). Also in the running are West Godwin Elementary in Godwin Heights Public Schools, Explorer Elementary in Kentwood Public Schools, Sibley Elementary in Grand Rapids Public Schools, and Appleview Elementary in Sparta Area Schools.
The top two schools will be announced in late November and recognized at the 2017 National Title 1 Conference in Long Beach, California.
The schools have shown growth in proficiency levels with their EL population.
David Lyon, who was hired as principal last year, credits a strong culture of shared leadership in the building and strong EL instruction including a full-time EL teacher, formerly Laura VanderWerf and now Adams.
Fourth-grader David Espinoza, who is from Cuba, uses beads that correspond to questions to grow his vocabulary.
He said EL students are held to high expectations, and not not limited because of low proficiency in English, Lyon said.
“Sometimes the perception in your struggle with English is your struggle with ability. This really proves you’re a very capable student in spite of your struggles with the language,” he said.
In-depth language instruction challenges EL students in Adams’ class to really think about words. They hold colorful beads resembling a caterpillar. Each bead corresponds with different questions on the classroom wall. When David thinks about a dinosaur, for example, he goes through each bead. What does it do? What does it look like? What is it made of? What are its parts? Where does it live? And what else?
At Godwin Heights, Director of Instruction Michelle Krynicki said staff works hard to build relationships and collaborate. Oftentimes, instruction can be tweaked in classrooms to benefit all students.
“The celebration for us at West Godwin is embracing the idea that all of these learners are our responsibility,” she said.
It was the night before Thanksgiving and not a student was sitting at Wyoming’s Daniel Heintzleman Auditorium as there were costumes to sew, props to prepare, and lines to review.
This weekend, the Wyoming Theater Company presents the musical “The Addams Family.” Created by cartoonist Charles Addams as a satirical version of the ideal 20th Century American family, “The Addams Family,” with its fascination with the macabre, became a cult hit in the mid-1960s with videos, an animated TV series, books, two feature films and a 2010 Broadway musical following. It is the musical that the Wyoming High School students are set to present this Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, Dec 1 – 3.
“It is very outside the box for us,” said junior Caitlyn Bulthuis who plays Grandma. “It’s a lot bigger show than what we have normally done in the past.”
Ansleigh Hamilton as Morticia and Pablo Marcos as Gomez.
It is also quite the opposite of the children’s productions the company presented last year, said 11th grader Clayton Howell who plays Pugsley Addams. “When I first read the script, I thought it sounded like a lot of fun,” Howell said. “And of course, I could see myself playing Pugsley.”
The characters in “The Addams Family” are very distinct from the crafty, but jolly, schemer and patriarch Gomez to the “electric” personality of Uncle Fester. This means having the right set of actors to pull off such an eccentric group of characters is essential for the show, something Director Jeremy Schnotala said he found when looking at his possible cast.
“I have a pretty good group of leads, about seven, who I felt could handle the parts along with about 10 future leads in the upcoming classes,” Schnotala said. “I applied early for the rights and we actually promoted this musical in the spring to help create some buzz for it.”
“Last year I played a Twit in ‘The Twits,'” said senior Matt Bulthuis, who plays Lucas in “The Addams Family.” “This part is really different for me and I like the change as I have the freedom to act more on my own and to improvise.”
The story centers around Wednesday who, normally a cold-hearted person (her favorite doll is a headless Marie Antoinette), has fallen in love with a normal, everyday guy named Lucas. This comes much to the surprise of her family but before Wednesday will agree to marriage, the two families must meet.
“I like the music,” said senior Cianna Gomez who plays Wednesday. For most of the cast, it is the music that makes the show. Among the most recognizable songs is “When You’re an Addams.”
“The music is so much fun,” said senior Olivia Cool, who is part of the orchestra pit. “When you perform at a concert, you have to play a specific portion. With the musical, there is more variety with you being asked to add or subtract depending on what is needed.”
“I really love the jokes,” said 11th grader Melissa Hadzikic, who plays Lucas’s mother Alice Beineke. “I really like the dynamics of the two families, one that is weird and kooky and the other that is normal and regular — here they are so different and they come together to make it work.”
The cast and crew
Much like the story, it takes all kinds of people to put together the production. More than 70 Wyoming High School students are involved from acting to building costumes, from back stage to the orchestra pit.. Many of the students have worked long days since unlike many high school companies, Wyoming Theatre builds all of its items for each show, Schnotala said.
“It’s my last musical,” said Ansleigh Hamilton who wanted it indicated that she said it with a sniff. Hamilton who plays Morticia, said she has been performing since seventh grade and has loved every moment. “It’s been work but its been fun. There is a little bit of dancing and [the show] has become a great favorite.”
There are books galore in Rebecca English’s high school classroom. New and old and of many genres, they are categorized and in bins along the walls, on shelves and in a closet-turned-library.
There are also bundles of yarn stacked in a container on the floor, wooly materials to be knit into hats and mittens. Several handmade scarves hang from hooks on the wall.
When it comes to connecting with students, English does so purl by purl and page by page. She invites them into her den-like classroom for endless supplies of books and knitting needles, which she said are great mediums to get students to relax, talk and develop a sense of belonging. Their effectiveness is evidenced by teenagers who pop into the classroom to visit her during lunch every day.
They take a seat to read, eat or just start a conversation.
“When you walk into my room, kids always say it’s like walking into a big hug,” said English, who has taught at Godwin Heights High School for 23 years. “I want it to be cozy and nurturing.”
Sophomore Cecilia Montejo said she started writing poetry after being inspired by English. “You can be comfortable here. It’s a warm place inside school.”
“She has this smile on her face and is always happy,” sophomore LLuvia Fuentes said of English. “It’s full of books. It’s like the library in here.”
Three days a week at noon, the classroom becomes Knitting Club, Writing Club or Book Club, all which English advises. Over half-finished scarves, prose or verse, lots of bonding takes place.
“We talk about different situations, laugh and solve all the world’s problems,” English said.
Reaching Out to ‘Invisible’ Students
Teacher Rebecca English has more than 3,000 books.
English teaches special education English and social studies classes, and general education multicultural literature. A native of Grand Rapids, she grew up “with floor-to-ceiling bookcases” in her home. Her parents (her father was an Episcopal priest) stressed giving above everything else.
So as a teacher, English made it part of her job to do more than required. She jokes that a huge chunk of her paycheck goes toward books. Students call her an Amazon fanatic, and the staff at Schuler Books & Music know her by name.
She started the clubs — Knitting Club is in its third year, Book Club in its second, and Writing Club is new this year — to give students another way to be involved with school.
“I basically just saw a big need,” she said. “Our school offers sports, band, choir, art, but sometimes students fall through the cracks. Sometimes certain students do not feel a sense of belonging and feel disconnected from their own high school.”
English herself was once an “invisible student,” she admitted, so said she relates to those who tend to go unnoticed, those at the back of the class, not an athlete or academic superstar.
She also realized another need in Godwin Heights, a diverse district where more than 80 percent of students qualify for free or reduced lunch rates. “Some of our students come to school and this is their safe haven,” English said. “I think every kid wants to feel special in someone’s eyes, like someone’s caring for them.”
So her room is a sanctuary. During club sessions, students feel safe and free. “Goodbye social media for an hour. Goodbye fast-paced world. Goodbye chaos-filled minds,” English said.
English goes the extra mile in other ways. She brings groups of students to movies that are based on the books they read; she takes them shopping and to lunch. She hunts down the right book for the right student. Senior Zy Scott often spends her lunch hour in English’s classroom with a book in her hand. She didn’t even like reading much before she met English, who introduced her to “drama books,” she said.
Students in Knitting Club have ample material.
“Now I read every day,” Zy said. “She knows what kind of books I like, and we talk about them.”
Principal Chad Conklin said English’s work makes a big difference at Godwin Heights.
“Rebecca has a fantastic heart and passion for our students, and she works hard to ensure all students have an opportunity to connect to a club to build a sense of school pride and self confidence,” he said.
English, who has two daughters, even made sure one teenager had a home. “I had a student who needed a foster placement a few years ago.
Davonte ended up living with English’s parents, and now, at age 20, recently moved out on his own, she said.
“I feel kind of like that’s what I was put on Earth to do, to give back,” she said.
Advocating for Students
She is also her students’ biggest champion. In her ninth- and tenth-grade special education English class, she asks Shakespeare trivia questions. Students rattle off answers on his birthdate, wife, family and theatre. They know a lot about the Bard.
“I’d put them against anyone in the school,” she said. “They are Shakespeare experts.”
English loves to see students accomplish their goals, to see them dare to try new things. When they succeed it impacts others, she insists. In Knitting Club, they learn to make beautiful, handmade gifts and to teach others how to knit.
“The look on student’s faces when they come into the Knitting Club glowing because they were able to make a homemade Christmas gift for their family, is priceless.”
Student Edwin Daniels, also a former non-reader, talks about how he’s already read five books this year because English stocked her shelves with a series he really likes.
But getting to know English is about more than books and knowing Shakespeare, he said.
“We share in here. We share whatever. We’re different shades,” he said, about the ethnically diverse class. “(That students are different) doesn’t matter.”
What matters is the way English makes students know they are always welcome by handing them spools of yarn, a favorite novel or a comfy place to talk.
“I cannot help but smile and feel the joy,” she said. “My students have found their place.”
Be sure to check out School News Network for more stories about our great students, schools, and faculty in West Michigan!
Cocktail Hour Under the Tree of Forgetfulness completes a cycle that the author began with Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight: An African Childhood, and Scribbling the Cat: Travels with an African Soldier, spanning a time from the last throes of white-rule Rhodesia, to majority-rule Zimbabwe.
Cocktail Hour comes full circle, and instead of a child’s point of view of the family’s struggles, it’s the author as an adult, looking back on her parent’s long journey. How and why did they come to Africa? Did they really think that there was a place for them there?
“…[T]hose who shed our ancestry the way a snake sheds skin in winter… We white Africans of shrugged-off English, Scottish, Dutch origin…”
There were accidents, assaults, near death and actual death, all against the backdrop of the implacable African landscape, and laced with an extraordinary amount of alcohol.
If you like memoirs like The Glass Castle, Angela’s Ashes or All Over But the Shoutin’, this is another one of those rare tales of family hardship and pain, but also of love and courage, with a generous amount of black humor.
It can be a looooong way from when the first sentences are written to when a completed novel hits the shelves. Publishing is a journey often wrought with rejection and lots of revision, said MarcyKate Connolly, author of fantasy books for middle-grade and young adults.
“If there’s anything I want you to take with you today it’s that writing is rewriting,” Connolly told about 50 Lee Middle-High School students who attended the session because they have an interest in writing.
Connolly talked about the roadmap to publishing, which she learned by writing her books “Monstrous” and “Ravenous,” tales geared toward tweens that have been likened to Frankenstein and the Brothers Grimm.
Connolly, of Boston, made a stop at Lee while visiting Grand Rapids Comic-Con, the popular event where sci-fi, fantasy and comic book fans gather. She explained the quest of a writer, including spending many hours in her “writing cave,” the challenge of finding an agent to represent the book, the experience of rejection and the work that continues after a book is accepted for publishing.
And finally, the thrill of seeing the book at stores and in the hands of others.
MarcyKate Connolly signs a book for the Lee Middle-High School media center
A marketing professional by day, Connolly said her love for writing and storytelling kept her going despite more than 300 rejections from publishers. She wrote several books that were never published and received her first offer for publishing after four years of trying.
“Publishing is not something you get into thinking you are going to get rich quick or going to be a mega bestseller overnight,” she said. “You do it because you love it.”
Connolly had to re-assess her goals, at one point. “Why am I doing this to myself?” she recalled asking after getting rejection after rejection. So she continued writing for herself, making up the stories and characters she loved.
Kelly McGee, Godfrey-Lee district media specialist, said Connolly’s visit helped students think about writing as a career and the process of becoming an author. He said he hopes to start a student writer’s group. “I think we have a lot of writers here.”
He said he also wanted students to leave with the message that perseverance is required for accomplishing your dreams.
Connolly’s books were published through HarperCollins Publishers. Her next book, “Shadow Weaver,” is scheduled for release in winter 2018.
She encouraged students to find their “tribe” — other writers they can use for empathy, feedback and critique. And no matter how many failed attempts, she urged students to look at it as getting somewhere.
“Whatever words you write are not wasted,” she said.
Freshman Olivia Clark, who loves writing, said Connolly’s words resonated. “Don’t give up. You’ve got to be strong. There are harsh people out there.”
Be sure to check out School News Network for more stories about our great students, schools, and faculty in West Michigan!
Eligible students cast their ballots for the presidential election and several state positions.
First-Time Voters Reflect on Presidential Election
By Erin Albanese, Charles Honey and Linda Odette
School News Network
For 18-year-old high school students, last Tuesday’s election was their first chance to cast a ballot for president. School News Network asked several students from Kent County-area public schools what their first vote for president meant to them, what they learned from it and whom they voted for. Here we share the views of three of those students, from East Kentwood, Godwin Heights and Byron Center.
Esteban Nunez
Esteban Nunez, Godwin Heights High School
“To me it was something really important, especially in society today and the way things are going. I like to show my opinion along with understanding how it feels to be part of something and knowing something I say matters,” said Estaban Nunez.
He said the electoral process was “kind of confusing at the beginning, but later on I caught on.
“I voted for Gary Johnson. Generally, I encourage the idea of moving forward instead of staying with what the Republicans and Democrats are doing.”
Gregory Perhamus (Facebook photo)
Gregory Perhamus, East Kentwood High School
“For lack of better words it was really kind of cool. My mom always took me voting with her ever since I was little. … So now, for me to add a vote to this election and to be a part in the say and do my duty as a citizen was something I found very interesting. I felt really honored and proud to be part of the population.
“My mom teaches education at Grand Valley State University, so I was always in the know, so I don’t know if I learned anything new.” He said he took time to study the local elections. “I got more education on that perspective.
“I voted for Hillary, not totally in support of Hillary, but I guess against Trump. I think a lot of people did that. It was a rough election to have as a first election. When I look back at it in 20 years and someone asks who I voted for, I won’t be proud to say either one. I don’t know if anyone will, but it is what it is. We have four years. Hopefully next election we will have someone better.”
Maria Cotts, Byron Center High School
“I really liked it because I took a government class last year and I liked how I was able to vote this year. I liked that I could get involved and exercise my right to vote after learning about it for so long.”
Maria said she felt armed with knowledge about how voting works from her Advanced Placement government class. “I know lots about it, why it works, why it was put in place. I learned about the whole voting process and how it works at the polls.”
Still, it was a new experience. “I had never seen the ballot before,” she said.
“I voted for Hillary Clinton. … It should be interesting today,” she said the day after the election.
Avoid the madness and come help the folks at Saul Lake Bog Nature Preserve plant a new section of the ever-expanding Saul Lake Prairie — one of the longest-running and most successful prairie restoration projects in Michigan. Located east of Rockford, Saul Lake Bog Nature Preserve was established in 1989 and comprises 123 acres.
Convenient parking and over a mile of meandering trails allow visitors to appreciate the bog, prairie, forests, and fields — and the diversity of wildlife they support — in all seasons. Participants should wear appropriate clothing for outdoor work, including long pants and sturdy shoes. A great family activity, appropriate for ages 12 and up. Learn More.
Event:Black Friday Prairie Planting
Saturday, November 25 | 10:00am – 12:00pm | Saul Lake Bog Nature Preserve, 10471 Six Mile Road, Rockford, MI
Contact Justin Heslinga at 616.451.9476 or by email to register.
Manuel Ochoa’s face lit up in a smile. He had just learned he will exit the middle school’s new School within a School Program at the end of the marking period. After several years working to get on track academically, he will return to the regular classroom.
For the past few weeks in the SWAS intervention program, Manuel has excelled. The seventh-grader covered a lot of ground in history and language arts classes, and had achieved an 80 percent overall score. “I just worked,” he said, explaining his progress. “It has helped me a lot.”
Led by teacher Joe Marsiglia, SWAS has eight students enrolled and is located in a classroom at the end of a quiet wing of the school. Students who have been identified for failing grades and behavior problems– most have been suspended at least once this fall– work on subjects on computers, regularly getting help from Marsiglia. They are together all day, even for lunch.
“We have some students flying through the coursework, which is pretty awesome,” Marsiglia said. “They get to own their learning.”
Students are working at their own pace, most making steady gains.
Eighth-grader Gage Sims recently learned he is on track to exit the SWAS intervention program.
“We are finding behavior is better,” said Assistant Principal Beth Travis. “They are focusing on their work. A lot of the students like the fact that they can put on the headphones and get lost in the academics and shut out the outside influences.”
SWAS addresses several issues to break the all-too-common cycle of poor grades, poor attendance and poor behavior.
“We are trying to think outside of the box,” Travis said. “We need something that’s going to help our students. We are finding it’s a frustrating cycle when they act out and make a poor decision in class. They get sent home for their actions; they come back the next day and they are already behind in their schoolwork, so they act out again.”
The class is the most intensive part of a three-tier system the middle school uses to help at-risk students. At the beginning of the school year, teachers began monitoring students’ grades and behavior if they showed signs of academic, attendance and behavior problems. Marsiglia met weekly with those who showed a continued pattern of problems, discussing behavior goals and grades.
Finally, he met twice a week with students facing suspension and failing grades, even sitting with them during classes to get to know them. From there, staff identified eight students who were most at risk to start SWAS.
Each student has a chance to enter or exit the program each quarter. Three, including Manuel, are now on track to exit, which will open up three new spots for at-risk students.
After eighth grade, Travis said, students with academic and behavior problems sometimes switch to alternative schools. “Our hopes are to keep the students here at school to teach them better behavior choices, and to get them to pass the classes and get them the knowledge they need to move on to the next grade.”
While the program is not punitive, returning to the regular classroom can be a strong incentive for students. “They want to be with their friends,” Travis said. “It’s middle school. They are very social.”
Added Attention Helps
Signs of success include more content students. “Since this has started, none of these students have been suspended,” Travis said. “We have not had one student with one discipline referral.”
Marsiglia said the 1-to-8 teacher-student ratio allows him to get ahead of any potentially bad behavior. “(SWAS) takes them out of a class where they want to be the king or queen. Instead of being the focus of attention, they all have their own individual attention, with me.”
Seventh-grader Teron Collier said SWAS has helped him get better grades.
“There aren’t a lot of kids in the class, so I get help from the teacher more,” he said.
The school’s community coordinator also spends an hour in the classroom each day to provide added support.
There have been other success stories, he said. One student discovered she really likes history and geography. “She didn’t know it until she was in here. Now, she’s so far ahead in that class,” Marsiglia said.
Be sure to check out School News Network for more stories about our great students, schools, and faculty in West Michigan!
Kentwood Public Schools, MI — It’s the great pumpkin, Southwood Elementary students, and it’s fun to weigh, measure and catapult through the air.
The school’s family event, “Math + Pumpkins = Best Night Ever!” put orange gourds at the focal point of learning, from guessing how many seeds they contain to finding just how much girth they have. Each student received a free pumpkin, to use in the math and decorating activities.
To culminate the evening, Rick Evans, whose daughter Katelyn Evans is a Southwood teacher, used his homemade catapult to launch pumpkins far into the schoolyard, measuring with markers how many meters they flew, to the “oohs” and “aahs” of students.
First-grader Payton Smith guesses a pumpkin has 900 seeds, with help of mom Susie Smith.
Kindergarten teacher Julie Van Lier said the event was a great way to involve families in math in a unique way with a fall theme. “It’s fun to estimate with a pumpkin, launch a pumpkin,” she said. “We wanted to do something real and meaningful.”
Southwood Elementary School fifth-grader Taeron Grays and his brother, second-grader Dontae Grays, watched as their mother, Holly Grays, began wrapping a measuring tape around the middle of a fat orange pumpkin. “10 inches!” Taeron guessed its circumference. “32!” guessed Dontae.
Then it was off to the scales, where Missy Limbacher, who works in the school lunchroom, challenged students to guess the weight of their gourds. “What do you think: 20 pounds, 30 pounds, 40 pounds?” she asked, as one by one students tested their pumpkins’ weight.
Be sure to check out School News Network for more stories about our great students, schools, and faculty in West Michigan!
Forest Hills Public Schools, MI — Retired Forest Hills Superintendent Dr. J. Michael Washburn, long-time mentor and education advisor, received the Educational Advocacy Award from the Kent Intermediate Association of School Boards at its fall meeting.
Washburn served as superintendent of the Forest Hills Public Schools for 21 years and was instrumental in transforming the district into one of the highest performing suburban school districts in Michigan, Kent Intermediate Association of School Boards President and Northview Board Member Tim Detweler said.
“Mike Washburn is a gifted professional who has contributed greatly to the school districts in our region”, Detwiler said. “Our board benefited greatly from his expertise in selecting our last two superintendents, and I’m certain the others in our ISD did as well.”
Since leaving Forest Hills, Washburn served as a consultant to Kent ISD and its member districts, mentored superintendents, was a counselor and strategic advisor to school boards and served as search consultant who guided the placement of new leaders in eight districts, including Kent ISD in 2015.
The Kent Intermediate Association of School Boards is an organization of board members directing the 20 public schools within Kent ISD. The Education Advocacy Award was created in 2004 to recognize those who created better conditions for children, improved student achievement and initiated collaborative programs to encourage student success. Previous winners include a wide range of business and community leaders.
Be sure to check out School News Network for more stories about our great students, schools, and faculty in West Michigan!
The county fair stopped by North Godwin Elementary School for Harvest Day, when students met a horse and goats, played games for treats, made crafts and took tractor-hitched hayrides.
The event, which the school has hosted for 12 years, is an alternative to a traditional Halloween party, and involves a half-day of autumn-themed fun, supported by local businesses that provide discounts for food and materials.
Staff members turned the basketball court into a makeshift pumpkin patch, where students picked out gourds. “It’s a beauty! I found a beauty!” shouted one first-grader as he grabbed his mini-pumpkin.
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
Be sure to check out School News Network for more stories about our great students, schools, and faculty in West Michigan!
The senior class of Saugatuck High School will present a special evening Nov. 16 as they conclude their 13-week Senior Seminar course in partnership with the Saugatuck Center for the Arts(SCA).
The open house on Wednesday, Nov. 16 at the SCA, 400 Culver Street, showcases the work the 70 students have accomplished during their arts|inSenior Seminar course. The event, which is free to the public, runs from 6:30–8:30 pm. Attendees will enjoy listening to live music, nibbling on hors d’oeuvres and engaging in an energetic evening with some of the community’s most creative young people.
During the Open House, students will introduce their partner businesses and preview the solutions they created. Participating area businesses include Lighthouse Immigrant Advocates of Holland, Pathways, Special Olympics, twisthink, Saugatuck Community Recreation, Critter Barn, Disability Network of Lakeshore, Felt Mansion, Grace of Douglas, Lakeshore Habitat for Humanity, United Way of Allegan and more. A special exhibition of artwork by Hamilton, Saugatuck and Fennville students, created in response to the Senior Seminar projects, will open the same evening in the SCA’s conference room.
Designed as an arts|inproject-based learning class, the students spent the last trimester paired up with area businesses, helping solve real world problems. This project-based learning model created by the SCA — arts|in — gives students crucial “real world” opportunities to work with professionals, tackle current problems, and produce credible solutions. The result is deeper, more complex learning opportunities for students and valuable outcomes for the businesses.
SCA Executive Director Kristin Armstrong said the art center is very excited for students to have this opportunity to connect with community members. “For the past three years we’ve been working with the Saugatuck Schools to better prepare students for jobs in today’s innovative economy,” Armstrong said.
Project-based learning (PBL) enables students to develop deeper learning competencies required for success in college, career, and civic life. Through PBL projects, students gain knowledge and skills by working for an extended period of time investigating and responding to complex questions, problems, or challenges. Arts|in takes project-based learning to a higher level by injecting design thinking and community engagement into the process.
Ann McKnight, who is working with a group on teen mental health issues, says of students in the arts|in process, “I have witnessed the students working cohesively, brainstorming, and delegating responsibilities with ease, all the while showing respect for each other and being engaged in the project. Their communications with me have been clear and consistent. All this to say I am very impressed with these students, and with the vision for learning that teaches soft skills as well as strengthens the community.”
Dr. Tim Travis, Saugatuck Middle School & High School Principal, says he was impressed by the students’ preparation for an “Intriguing Conversation” program they presented at the SCA in October. “I was even more impressed with their compassion, empathy, passion and commitment to making a difference in their school and community. Arts|in is providing great teaching, real world learning, and local impact from a very talented young adult workforce.”
The student exhibition of works responding to arts|in projects is open Monday-Friday, 9 am–5 pm, free of charge, through December.
The Kent County Road Commission (KCRC) has some tips for making sure your mailbox is weather-ready. Shake your mailbox. Yes. It’s that simple.
KCRC is once again urging motorists to take advantage of the fall conditions and Shake Your Mailbox. Give the mailbox an aggressive shake; if the mailbox moves, it most likely needs maintenance to withstand the winter season and storm response efforts.
Over the years, a mailbox post can rot or become wobbly. By grabbing and shaking it, a resident can determine if it’s secure.
“The average speed of a snow plow is only 25 to 30 miles per hour, but a large enough amount of snow pushed off the road can damage a mailbox that is not in optimal condition,” said KCRC’s Deputy Managing Director of Operations Jerry Byrne.
Addressing necessary repairs now will help residents avoid the potential hassle of delayed mail or the need to make alternate mail delivery arrangements that a damaged mailbox can cause. The colder is gets, the greater the chance of below freezing conditions, and this makes it more difficult to install or fix a mailbox.
“Quick fixes like duct tape, bungee cords and string won’t last the season,” said Byrne. “Tighten screws and ensure that your mailbox post and receptacle are secure enough to endure large amounts of thrown snow.”
KCRC receives a number of calls from residents who believe road commission snow plows have hit their mailbox and caused damage. Byrne said that every complaint is investigated. “What we find, nine times out of ten, is that the snow coming off the truck’s blade, not the truck itself, made impact with the mailbox. We also find that, had the mailbox been in appropriate condition, it likely would have withstood the velocity at which the snow hit it.”
Based on the Spin Master-produced, hit animated TV series on Nickelodeon, PAW Patrol Live! “Race to the Rescue” brings PAW Patrol characters to the stage for an action-packed, musical adventure. When Mayor Goodway is nowhere to be found during the day of the Great Race, the pups come to the rescue. Join Ryder, Chase, Marshall, Rocky, Rubble, Zuma, Skye and the newest pup, Everest, when they take the stage for two shows at DeVos Performance Hall, 303 Monroe Ave. NW, Wednesday, Nov. 9, at 10 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.
PAW Patrol Live! “Race to the Rescue” shows that “no job is too big, no pup is too small,” and shares lessons for all ages about citizenship, social skills and problem-solving as the characters each use their unique skills and teamwork. The show includes two acts and an intermission, and incorporates an innovative costume approach that brings the pups to life on stage with their vehicles and packs during the rescue mission.
The performance features up-tempo music and is considered a good introduction to live theater for young children. Classic theatrical scenery along with a high-tech video wall visually transports families to locations from the TV series, like Adventure Bay, The Lookout, Seal Island, Farmer Yumi’s Farm and Jake’s Mountain. During the show, guests have the opportunity to participate in the adventure and become a part of the PAW Patrol Cheer Team.
Ticket prices are $19.50, $29.50, $39.50, $57.50, and $112.50 for VIP. Tickets are available here, at the DeVos Place and Van Andel Arena box offices, Ticketmaster.com, and by phone at 1-800-745-3000. A purchase limit of 10 tickets will apply to every order and prices are subject to change. All children ages one and older will require a ticket.
Groups of 10 or more can save $5 per ticket excluding VIP and Gold Circle seats. Groups can call 616-742-6185 or email GroupSales@smggr.com for more information or to purchase group tickets.
Hillary Baker and Ellen Zwarensteyn have coached students in becoming so well-versed in government and civics that they take home national awards.
Baker has led outstanding We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution teams, made up of high school students who rattle off informed opinions about different facets of the U.S. Constitution in front of lawyers, judges and professors. Zwarensteyn has coached award-winning high school debaters who argue different sides of complex policy.
But despite their track records in engaging students in civics, politics and government, both educators say there is much work to be done. As the U.S. presidential campaign creeps closer and closer toward Election Day, evidence mounts that good civics education is more important than ever.
Baker and Zwarensteyn are crafting civics curriculum and training teachers nationally, as well as working to get debate and We the People teams in more schools.
“It’s been a real interesting year in how might we craft how we talk about the election and really getting kids to explore issues,” Baker said. “How do you go beyond the candidates and really unearth and look at issues, and be able to talk about the election in a way that promotes deep understanding?”
Baker and Zwarensteyn’s work spans more than two decades at East Kentwood High School. Baker taught civics, Advanced Placement government, and coached We the People for over 15 years. She is now Forest Hills Central High School’s assistant principal. Zwarensteyn coached debate for 15 years and has served as a teacher and coach since 2006. She is on leave to work on other projects focused on civics teaching.
How Have We Gotten Here?
Because of their work, the pair have a sense of the current teaching climate. Many teachers don’t feel up to the task of even including the election in classroom discussion, they say.
“We’ve had civics teachers say they are not going to talk about it at all,” Zwarensteyn said.
But skipping lessons on polemic issues fuels the divide even further, she said.
“That’s the $20,000 question,” Baker said. “Many teachers are afraid to talk about politics in the classroom because they are afraid of backlash from parents or the administration.”
But students quickly pick up on tone and what is considered OK to say. Hateful, insulting talk and rhetoric can be contagious. Knowing how to appropriately conduct political discourse is a vanishing skill set, Zwarensteyn said.
“It’s almost as if someone might have given other people permission to speak that way,” she said. “Honestly, many students are afraid. What we have seen is that they don’t have a fundamental understanding of themselves yet enough to filter what they are hearing in the news.”
Added Baker: “(It’s) that whole idea of civil discourse and how do we appropriately model it in the classroom? How do we engage in ideas and issues, especially when the adults in the national spotlight don’t necessarily do that very well themselves?”
Adults Create the Climate
While students are influenced by candidates, more than anything they mimic other adults, Zwarensteyn said.
“If people at home aren’t filtering or watching multiple news sources or aren’t getting their news from multiple different perspectives, then there’s very little chance for that kid to see other divergent points of view.”
That’s perhaps one reason the country is so polarized, she added: “We only seek out information that confirms an existing bias, and students don’t see that as a particular problem yet. They see news as news, not a perspective.”
Baker and Zwarensteyn are encouraging teachers to think deeper and consider these questions: How do we teach ethical listening to one another? How do we teach what privilege looks like or taking multiple perspectives on an issue? How do we honor different opinions and still have a baseline of civility?
The goal of their far-ranging work is to give students a broader view and deeper knowledge of things that impact their lives.
“These programs are good for all kids,” Baker said. “It’s the kind of learning students are doing that really engages them in current issues and what’s going on around them in their communities, in the state and the nation and even around the world.”
Be sure to check out School News Network for more stories about our great students, schools, and faculty in West Michigan!
The struggle is real: Getting your child to eat just a few bites of his vegetables can be like pulling teeth. Frustrated? Well, here are five ways you can trick your kid into eating vegetables:
Blend them into a smoothie. Add some kale into a strawberry and banana smoothie. Your child will never know the difference.
Sneak them into baked goods. There are many baked treats that you can sneak nutritious veggies in. Check out this recipe for green zucchini muffins!
Take your kids grocery shopping with you. Allow them to pick out their own vegetables. It will get them more excited to try them.
Serve food your child already likes. Try adding peas or other vegetables into macaroni and cheese. This is an easy way to ease your children into vegetables. And who doesn’t like vegetables covered in melted cheese?
When in doubt, turn them into soup. You can make vegetables savory and delicious by adding them to a stew or soup.
There’s much more than just delicious vegetables and beautiful flowers to be gained by gardening — it can also improve your mental and physical well-being.
And although gardening season is just about over, it helps to know that there are three entities in the area that are actively involved in providing food to the community as well as patients and hospital staff.
Founded in 2014 and measuring approximately 1,380-sq.-ft. divided into 11 raised garden beds, the Community Garden is a partnership between United Church Outreach Ministry (UCOM),Metro Heath Hospital and the City of Wyoming. Ten of the beds measure 4×8’ and one bed is raised up on legs, positioned near the front gate of the garden allowing mobility impaired gardeners access to fresh, healthy produce.
The Community Garden’s goal is to introduce fresh, organic produce into gardeners’ and their families’ diets. Over 150 lbs of tomatoes, radishes, lettuces, broccoli, collard greens, kale, spinach, carrots and beets are donated to UCOM’s food pantry each year, with much more produced and shared between gardeners, friends and family.
In addition to fighting hunger in the Wyoming community, UCOM helps neighbors build healthy lifestyles beginning with the food they eat. The organization operates one of the largest pantries in the city, Client Choice Food Pantry, located at 1311 Chicago Dr. SW in Wyoming.
People living in the UCOM service area are able to access the pantry once a month and receive a three-day emergency supply of healthful and delicious food. Committed to personal empowerment, UCOM has encouraged people to select their own food for over seven years.
Starting October 1st, 2016, the food pantry is open to those in need on Mondays from 9 am-12 pm, Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 9 am-3 pm, and Thursdays from 2-8 pm. Office hours are Monday through Thursday 9 am-5 pm.
Metro Health Garden works with its culinary team, master gardeners and community volunteers to grow fresh fruits and vegetables to be used in Metro Café’s patient and staff meals. The garden boasts an approximately 4,000-sq.-ft. area of rich, productive soil located east of the Hospital.
After being harvested, the produce is weighed and recorded. This information is used to track yields and productivity, as well as food costs saved by producing food on campus.
“Gardening helps relieve stress and improve mental health,” said Dr. Diana Dillman of Metro Health Jenison. “It is also a great way to get outside and get active. And of course the fresh fruits and vegetables are a healthy, tasty result of all that digging in the dirt.”
All-organic seeds and transplants are used to ensure that the produce is of peak flavor, nutritional value and integrity. A drip irrigation system allows efficient application of water, greatly reducing water waste.
Cooking classes, community presentations, and tours of the garden are open to the public and staff of Metro Health Hospital. Visit the Events Calendar or like us on Facebook for the most up-to-date information. If you are interested in volunteering time in the garden, please contact volunteer services.
The garden also offers educational opportunities for youth and community members. The teaching garden is located behind Metro Health Hospital, in Wyoming. To register for these classes, or any of the other free or low-cost Live Healthy programs, visit Metrohealth.net or call 616.252.7117.
The Metro Health Garden is managed by Metro Health’s Culinary Team and Master Gardeners.
Incorporating green living practices into your daily life may be easier (and more fun) than you think. Here are just a few of Metro Health’s favorite ideas:
Go Vegetarian Once a Week (Meatless Mondays)
One less meat-based meal a week helps the planet and your diet. For example: It requires 2,500 gallons of water to produce one pound of beef. You will also also save some trees. For each hamburger that originated from animals raised on rain forest land, approximately 55 square feet of forest have been destroyed. Find some meatless recipes featured by our Farm Markets and learn how to make your favorite recipes more heart healthy.
Rethink Bottled Water
Nearly 90% of plastic water bottles are not recycled, instead taking thousands of years to decompose. Buy a reusable container and fill it with tap water, a great choice for the environment, your wallet and possibly your health. The EPA’s standards for tap water are more stringent than the FDA’s standards for bottled water.
Make a Rain Barrel
Do your part to conserve water by taking a Rain Barrel Workshop. Rain barrels are effective in storm water usage and water quality. They can even help lower your water bill during those long, hot summer months.
Buy Local
Consider the amount of pollution created to get your food from the farm to your table. Whenever possible, buy from local farmers or farmers’ markets, supporting your local economy and reducing the amount of greenhouse gas created when products are flown or trucked in. Click here to learn about the Metro Health Farm Markets.
Plant a Garden
Planting a garden is a great way to enjoy fresh produce at home! We are proud to supply our Metro Café with fresh produce and herbs from the Metro Health Garden. We also partner with the United Church Outreach Ministry (UCOM) and the City of Wyoming to provide a Community Garden in a neighborhood where there is great need and limited access to healthy food. Watch for information about our gardens and tips on making your own garden come to life.
Community Clean-Up Day
Metro Health Village is home to a number of walking and biking trails and Frog Hollow Park, making it a great escape for the whole family. So every spring, we host a day to spruce up Metro Health Village, making it ready for another season of family fun. Please join us – this may be the most fun you ever had picking up trash! (High school students can also earn Community Service Hours by participating.) Check Metro Health’s Live Healthy Calendar to learn more.
From Nov. 5, 2016, through May 29, 2017, visitors to the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum, 303 Pearl St. NW in Grand Rapids will experience the sights and sounds of space exploration through live performances, easy-to-use interactive exhibits and state-of-the-art projection and audio technology.
The SPACE: A Journey to Our Futureexhibition immerses visitors in the discoveries of the past and introduces them to today’s explorers who are shaping our destiny in the universe. Ride a lunar module simulator on a journey to the surface of the moon and visit a simulated scientific base camp on Mars.
Although SPACE is geared to young people ages 9 to 17, visitors of all ages will enjoy learning about space exploration.
The 12,000-square-foot exhibition is one of the largest touring space exhibits ever developed. Over the next four years, it will visit Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Cleveland, Denver, Indianapolis, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, New York, Philadelphia and San Francisco.
U.S. Senator Gary C. Peters will open the exhibit Nov. 10 at 7 pm.
Altars are on view Thursday, Oct. 27 to Tuesday, Nov. 1
Bring the whole family to the Grand Rapids Public Library — Main, 111 Library St. NE in Grand Rapids on Sunday, Oct. 30 and learn about the Day of the Dead holiday. You can explore the altars, decorate sugar skulls, have your face painted and do a craft. The day will include bilingual story times, live music, food from El Granjero, Lindo Mexico and Pan de Muerto provided by Panaderia Margo.
Family Day Schedule: 1:00 pm – 4:30 pm | Main Library
1:30 pm | Live music with Cabildo | Ryerson Auditorium | Level 3
2:15 pm | Bilingual Story Time | Reading Room | Level 3
2:45 pm | Live music with Cabildo | Ryerson Auditorium | Level 3
3:25 pm | Bilingual Story Time | Reading Room | Level 3
Ongoing | Face Painting | Children’s Library | Level 2
Esperanza Mercado wants her children — kindergartner Coral, first-grader Yra, and fourth-grader Adrian — to have big goals. “I want them to get their master’s degrees,” she said.
“I didn’t get much education,” she said while attending an English literacy class at North Godwin Elementary School. Mercado’s formal education ended in sixth grade. An immigrant from Mexico, she moved to the United States more than 20 years ago.
She’s attending the intermediate-level class, offered by the Literacy Center of West Michigan and led by Americorps instructors, for two hours twice a week to improve her English-speaking and reading skills. At North and West Godwin elementary schools, where more than 40 percent of families are English-language learners, basic and intermediate classes are offered all school year long. Grand Rapids Public Schools also offers the program.
Mercado already speaks basic English, but wants to build confidence.
Parents study the usage of ‘will go’ and ‘am going to go’ during class
“I want to be able to communicate with people who speak English,” she explained. “I want to help my kids with their homework, attend meetings with no helper interpreting. I want to be capable to speak without someone else to help me.”
The fact classes are held at school is ideal, said Sarah Schantz, North Godwin Kent School Services Network community school coordinator.
“Having it here makes it a lot easier,” Schantz said. “It’s right after school starts. Parents stay for class after dropping off students. Having them here gives them the extra opportunity to stay after class and help out with things that they like to.”
The class helps parents connect in other ways too. It’s for all non-native English speakers, not just Spanish-speaking.
“It helps them be able to communicate with us, with their students, with helping them with homework,” ” Schantz said.
Helping Students Read Proficiently
Marti Hernandez, director of the Family Literacy Program at the Literacy Center of West Michigan, said the program serves a huge need as the Hispanic population continues to grow.
Americorps instructor Kari Moss teaches English
The program’s aims are tied to third-grade literacy, helping parents help their children be fluent readers by then, said Hernandez, a former principal at Burton Middle School. “Our goal is to help the parents learn English so they can be more involved in their child’s education, and be more informed on what’s going on in their child’s school and what the goals are for their child,” Hernandez said.
“It also helps them with employability,” she added. “You need to have some sort of English in order to get a job and to just survive.”
Parents also learn the importance of promoting literacy in the home. Monthly Family Activity Nights are offered for families.
“I am so pleased to see so many of my parents participating in our English Literacy classes,” said North Godwin Principal Mary Lang. “They are so committed to learning the language so they are able to better support their children through their educational process.”
Participant Maria Nunoz, mom to kindergartener Gadiel, sixth-grader Adan and seventh-grader Lorenzo, said she’s continuing to study English so she can better help them in school.
“I help Gadiel with homework, and the alphabet pronunciation,” she said.
Be sure to check out School News Network for more stories about our great students, schools, and faculty in West Michigan!
“Tuna, more cowbell,” coaxed Samantha Martin as the proud, white cat raised her paw, looked Martin straight in the eye and then put her paw back down. “No cowbell for you,” the feline’s face seemed to convey.
At least not right at this moment.*
Tuna and her cohorts, the Amazing AcroCats were in Grand Rapids Oct. 16 and 17 for three performances at the Wealthy Theatre in Eastown. The troupe comprises regular, down-to-earth house cats rescued by Martin and trained to perform tricks of their choosing.
As Chief Executive Human, on any given day Martin oversees the well being of about 14 performing cats — and sometimes an abundance of kittens. On Martin’s cue, the cats perform tricks with skateboards, roll balls over parallel ropes, play the piano, strum the guitar and even read signs.
With a background in animal training, Martin has a natural affinity for animals, especially felines. She uses clicker training techniques to build better relationships and solve behavioral problems. Her career as animal circus master began in the ’80s with an act called the Amazing AcroRats. After a few years, she realized she wanted to do something more challenging when she decided, why not cats?
Kittens in the studio!!!!
“Cats have a reputation for being notoriously difficult to train,” said Martin. “But I love a challenge.”
To Martin’s delight, she discovered that cats are highly trainable. The training method differs from that of dogs — cats prefer real treats (chicken, salmon) versus a paltry “good kitty!” after performing a trick.
There’s much more to the show than music and acrobatics, and each cat has an amazing rescue story. One was found behind a dumpster. Others were abandoned as tiny kittens. All are well cared for and loved by Martin and her colleagues.
“We’re devoted to promoting cat-training awareness,” Martin said. “We support feline adoption and rescue across the country. We usually travel with foster kittens and cats. Right now, we don’t have any as we’ve adopted the last group out.”
Martin brought some of her AcroCats came to WKTV’s studio on Saturday to share some tricks and tips on why it’s important to train your cat.
Samantha Martin and WKTV’s Bill Jung. Love the ears, Bill.
In the studio with Martin was Smudge, a kitten who came on board with a sibling just yesterday. Already he is in training to become an AcroCat.
“I start training them as soon as they can eat solid food,” said Martin. “I observe to see what each cat likes to do and then build upon that using clicker training.”
Already Smudge is exhibiting some great paw action. Surely he has a promising future.
*Seconds later,Tuna did more cowbell. What a tease.
WKTV takes seriously its role as a communications provider. We want our community to be well-informed and more involved in local matters. Note: Wyoming City Council seats are nonpartisan.
Kent County 911 Dispatch
Kent County Under Sheriff Michelle Lajoye-Young sat down with WKTV to explain the Kent County 911 Central Dispatch millage that will be voted on during the general election on November 8. If you would like to watch the whole interview, you can view it here.
John Ball Zoo/Grand Rapids Public Museum
Dale Robertson of the Grand Rapids Public Museum, CEO of John Ball Zoo Pete D’Arienzo, and Kent County Commissioner Harold Voorhees sat down with WKTV to share information regarding the upcoming millage to help fund the Zoo and the Museum. The millage will be voted on during the general election on November 8. If you would like to watch the whole interview, you can view it here.
Crestwood Middle School’s new Collaboration Center looks more like a modern professional meeting room than a place seventh-graders complete school work.
Tables are situated for group work; a huge projector screen stands next to walls that serve as whiteboards. An artistic panel serves as a partition for a living-room style area. Small white boards called huddle boards connect to tables for students to scrawl notes. Six TV screens hang on the walls to display what’s projected on the big screen. Everything is outfitted for technology.
“This will have the best up-to-date technology a district can have,” said Superintendent Mike Zoerhoff. “We are trying to give our kids space to be innovative and not be held back by the constraints of a room.”
Crestwood’s Collaboration Center opened a year and a half ago, serving as a pilot for centers in schools district-wide. East Kentwood High School and the Freshman Campus will have centers as well as Pinewood and Valleywood middle schools. Elementary schools, beginning with Bowen, Brookwood, Southwood and Townline, will have redesigned media centers that blend features of a traditional library with the Collaboration Center concept. Centers are modeled after spaces at Steelcase University Learning Center in Grand Rapids.
The projects are funded through the $64.8 million bond passed last November. The plan for technology is ongoing to keep up with district needs and ever-evolving tech innovations over the next 10 years, Zoerhoff said.
Seventh-grade student Madison Catching, while working in the Collaboration Center with her class, glanced at the TV screen above the table where she worked on on a laptop. On the TV was an example of a writing prompt related to her language-arts assignment. “If we are back here and we can’t see (the large screen) we can look up here to see,” Madison said.
Teacher Erika Vann books the room regularly for her class because she loves the learning environment.
“I like how large it is,” Vann said. “The kids can move around. I don’t have to say ‘Shhh.’ They can talk.”
They also are savvy with the technology, and working on it while working together comes naturally, Vann said. “I tell them, ‘You are going to be doing this all your life. Collaboration is a part of everything.'”
Principal Don Dahlquist said the center is perfect for cross-curricular learning and projects that take on a new level of innovation. Even physical education teachers use it. “It really allows the teaching staff to be creative,” he said.
Funding for Safety, Security and Technology
Since the bond issue’s approval the district has purchased eight new buses, eliminating double runs and adding video camera for increased safety and security. Twenty-eight buses will be replaced over 10 years.
Parking lots were resurfaced at Endeavor and Townline elementary schools and exterior lighting was replaced.
More than 750 laptop computers were purchased district-wide. The plan is to purchase more than 5,000 Chromebooks over 10 years.
Artificial turfs were replaced at Falcon Stadium and Pat Patterson Athletic Field.
Projects planned for summer 2017 include a site plan renovation at East Kentwood High School to improve traffic flow and entrances.
Be sure to check out School News Network for more stories about our great students, schools, and faculty in West Michigan!
Want to honor a deceased loved one — a person or a pet? Consider building an altar at the Grand Rapids Main Public Library for Día de los Muertos.
Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos) is celebrated in Mexico between October 31st and November 2nd to remember deceased loved ones and honor them. Contrary to U.S. funerals, which are mainly somber affairs, Day of the Dead is a festive occasion and colorful holiday—a celebration of lives who have passed on.
Building an altar is an integral part of celebrating the holiday. Traditionally, families will build altars in their homes during the weeks leading up to November 1st. These are often quite beautiful creations, constructed with love and care.
There are no hard and fast rules about how the altar should be made; just create it from your heart. Make something that looks attractive and is meaningful to you. Altars are also meant to welcome returning spirits, so they include both personalized and traditional elements—including several dating to the Aztecs—that will guide an honoree on his journey from the land of the dead.
Whether simple or sophisticated, Day of the Dead altars and ofrenda all contain certain basic elements in common. Here are the ofrendas that you will typically see on a Día de los Muertos altar:
Candles – Candles are lit to welcome the spirits back to their altars.
Marigolds – These yellow-orange flowers, also called cempasúchitl, symbolize death. Their strong fragrance also help lead the dead back to their altars. Marigold petals may also be sprinkled on the floor in front of the altar, or even sprinkled along a path from the altar to the front door, so that the spirit may find her way inside.
Incense – Most commonly, copal incense, which is the dried aromatic resin from a tree native to Mexico. The scent is also said to guide the spirits back to their altars.
Salt – represents the continuance of life.
Photo of the deceased – A framed photo of the dead person to whom the altar is dedicated, usually positioned in a prime spot on the altar.
Pan de muerto – Also known as “bread of the dead”, pan de muerto is a symbol of the departed.
Sugar skulls – As symbols of death and the afterlife, sugar skulls are not only given as gifts to the living during Day of the Dead, they are also placed as offerings on the altar.
Fresh fruit – whatever is in season—oranges, bananas, etc.
If you’re interested, please download an application today (aplicación en español). Altars can be built on October 26 and will be on display from October 27 to November 1 at the Grand Rapids Public Library Main Branch, 111 Library St. NE, Grand Rapids, MI.
Deadline for reserving space is Wednesday, October 19 at 6:00pm.
When you see red lights on the school bus start flashing in front of you, it always means stop, right?
And when you see yellow hazard lights flashing down low on the school bus in front of you, it always means you can keep going, right?
The simple answers: Red means stop. Yellow means you don’t have to, but be careful.
Confused? Many drivers are, said Fred Doelker, safety and training director for Dean Transportation, which provides bus transportation for all but two of the 20 school districts in the Kent ISD. Explaining what red and yellow school bus lights mean is part of his job.
The key difference is whether those yellow lights are flashing on the top of the bus above the windows, or the hazard lights are flashing below the windows. (See an illustration of the difference)
When the big yellow lights next to the red lights on top of the bus are flashing, motorists should prepare to stop. That’s because the red lights will come on soon and the red stop sign will be put out.
Doelker compares it to a car going through an intersection. When you see a yellow traffic light, you know the red light will come on shortly.
When It’s OK to Pass
“The confusion comes in with the yellow hazard-light stop,” Doelker said of the lower yellow lights at the middle of the bus. “Lots of times when drivers see these, they don’t know what to do, but they think they should stop.”
That’s wrong. When these yellow hazard lights are blinking, you can drive around the bus with caution.
Doelker gives another example: You’re driving down the road and meet a bus with red lights and a stop sign displayed, so you stop. You wait until the red lights go off and stop sign is down, and you pass the bus. You drive a ways farther and see another bus with yellow hazard lights on and wonder if you can go around it. Yes, you can — cautiously.
Another “should-I-stay or should-I-go” situation that confuses motorists occurs when buses are traveling multi-lane, divided roads (like the East Beltline), he explained. You stop when you see a bus ahead of you put on its flashing red lights. A car on the opposite side of the divided road drives past the bus, even though the vehicle has its red lights flashing. Then you mutter, “Why does that driver get to go and not me?”
The multi-lane, divided road is what makes the difference in this situation, Doelker said. If there is a median dividing the highway, you don’t have to stop for a bus on the opposite side of the road with red lights on. However, if there is no physical barrier between opposing lanes, red lights mean all drivers must stop.
Darryl Hofstra is transportation director for Forest Hills Public Schools
A Chronic and Dangerous Problem
Darryl Hofstra, Forest Hills Public Schools transportation director, said cars passing by buses illegally is a significant problem in his district. “It’s chronic,” he said, adding that each bus driver probably sees several every day, and most of the time it’s cars approaching from the front.
Hofstra, who gets behind the wheel of a bus when the district is short on drivers, was on the Michigan Association of Pupil Transportation board for 12 years. He still serves on a state school bus safety legislative committee.
In a 2015 survey by the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services, Michigan bus drivers reported 1,031 illegal passes of the 1,543 buses that participated. That’s more than 10,000 illegal passes in one day, if applied to all stops.
Doelker finds it “frightening” several thousand illegal “pass-bys” can happen in one day. “I don’t know why people go around,” he said. “I don’t know if they don’t know any better, if they don’t care or if they’re distracted.”
His concerns are grounded in long experience. A nearly six-year veteran of Dean Transportation, in March he received the Richard H. Austin Long-Term Traffic Safety Award from the Michigan Governor’s Traffic Safety Advisory Commission. He also worked for 32 years as community safety coordinator with the AAA Auto Club Group.
Doelker put together a proposal for the Michigan Department of Highway Safety Planning earlier this year. It asked for funding to study why drivers are illegally passing school buses during student loading and unloading. However, his proposal was not funded.
Dean Transportation encourages districts to design routes with pickups only on the right side of the road, because they say it’s safer. The state of Michigan requires and provides 24 hours of bus safety training, plus six hours every two years of continuing education.
Fred Doelker is the safety and training director for Dean Transportation
Students Need to be Taught
Accidents nearly always involve the bus a student rides, not a motorist driving by illegally, Doelker said. “Students do something unexpected — like run to the bus before it is stopped — and the bus driver doesn’t see it.
“We really encourage bus drivers and parents to work together and teach their children to be safe at school bus stops.”
After two students were killed when the car they were driving ran into the back of a Coopersville school bus in 2011, Rep. Holly Hughes, R-Montague, introduced a bill to add more lighting to buses. A pilot study tested in 10 school districts, including three buses in the Forest Hills district, put LED lights with words on the back doors of the bus. “Caution — Stopping” flashed in amber when a bus prepared to stop. “Stopping — Do Not Pass” flashed in red when the bus was stopping.
Hofstra advised motorists to take bus safety seriously and personally.
“Whenever you see a school bus, use extreme caution,” he said. “Think of it as though you were a parent or grandparent and those were your kids in the bus.”
Be sure to check out School News Network for more stories about our great students, schools, and faculty in West Michigan!
Before the advent of humankind, whales roamed the oceans unfettered by humans and dangerous, man-made noises. It is said that back then, a whale in the Pacific Ocean could hear a whale singing in the Atlantic Ocean. What a world that must have been.
Sadly, those days are long gone and we have become far removed from our huge mammal friends. But the Grand Rapids Public Museum (GRPM) wants to change that. The GRPM’s Whales: Giants of the Deep exhibition’s unique blend of science, storytelling, and innovative interactivity gives visitors the opportunity to discover more about the world of whales.
Featuring two fully-articulated sperm whale skeletons, including an impressive 58-foot male, Whales showcases amazing and rare specimens from New Zealand’s Te Papa Museum’s whale collection, one of the largest in the world. Visitors will see life-size and scale models of whales common to the South Pacific as well as contemporary whalebone treasures such as weapons and chiefly adornments.
They’ll also learn about whale biology, the extraordinary evolutionary journey of whales from land to sea, and the history of whaling in New Zealand.
Children can even crawl through a life-size replica of the heart of a blue whale, the Earth’s largest living creature.
Interactive, immersive, and featuring the latest in international cetacean research, Whales: Giants of the Deep is an experience that brings adults and children eye to eye with some of the world’s most elusive creatures.
Here are some of the exhibition highlights:
See life-size and scale models of whales common to the South Pacific, including a beaked whale skull and a massive 58-foot, fully-articulated sperm whale skeleton.
Learn about the intricacies of whale biology, the history of whaling in New Zealand, and efforts being made by scientists and others to protect whales from threats of entanglement, shipping and sonar use, and the continuation of whaling practices in some parts of the world.
View casts of fossil whale ancestors, which show the evolutionary journey of whales from land to sea, as well as contemporary whalebone treasures such as weapons and chiefly adornments.
Encounter whales through video portholes, be transported into their underwaterworld via two immersive projections, and enjoy a moving film experience that tells the stories of three whale-riding traditions in New Zealand, including the famous story of Paikea featured in Whale Rider.
See ancient and contemporary works of art and hear stories from people of the South Pacific illustrating the powerful influence these creatures have had on human culture.
Tune in to a range of whale sounds and discover how scientists and amateur trackers identify individual whales on their migration through the Pacific Ocean.
Gain a true appreciation of the physical and behavioral traits that enable whales to make a living in the challenging and dynamic marine environment.
Walk among the giant—and not-so-giant—articulated skeletons of an astoundingly diverse collection of whale specimens, and then explore the evolutionary paths that gave rise to this unique group of mammals.
Beginning at 2 p.m. on Saturday, October 22, Whales: Giants of the Deep tickets will be $2 for member adults and children, and $13 for non-member adults and $8 for non-member children. Admission to Whales: Giants of the Deep includes general admission to the Museum. Get tickets here.
Come to the Special Opening Party, Saturday, Oct. 22 from 9 am to 2 pm.
Visitors of all ages will have first access to the exhibit at this party coming eye to eye with some of the world’s most elusive creatures. Featuring two fully-articulated sperm whale skeletons, visitors are able to see life-size and scale models of whales common to the South Pacific, discover how scientists identify whales on their migration process and interact with a life-size replica of a blue whale, the world’s largest living creature.
Tickets to this event will include admission to the exhibit, as well as hands-on activities and performances including live animals from the John Ball Zoo, performances by traditional Maori dancers, admission to Dynamic Earth in the Museum’s Chaffee Planetarium and lunch.
Use your ticket for lunch between 11 am and 1:30 pm to eat lunch at the Museum. Lunch will include hot dogs, chips, fruit with a drink and dessert.
Non-members: Receive incredible savings for the Opening Party! Purchase a one year family membership plus 4 tickets to the event for only $80 (saving $57). To purchase a membership package call 616.456.3977.
Members are $10 for adults and FREE for member children. Non-member event-only tickets are $18 for adults and $13 for children. Limited tickets available.
At the age of 23, Grand Rapids native Leighton Watson is striving to leave a legacy that matters, and he is confident that his life path is on target to achieve that goal.
Watson was in Grand Rapids Sept. 26 to share with Grand Valley State University students the importance of finding solutions to social injustice within each community. The former student body president of Howard University was the keynote speaker for a presentation called ‘The Power of Student Voices,’ a component of GVSU’s Student Assembly Week. The purpose of the assembly was to encourage students to actively engage in conversation about social and political issues and have their voices heard.
Leighton Watson
Although he is active in addressing the issues of Civil Rights and social injustice, Watson says he doesn’t think of himself as an ‘activist.’
“I’d rather be called a human being,” he said. “Everyone wants to put you in a box and label you. I’m an American.”
Watson’s current life path crystallized during his senior year of college, around the time of the Ferguson riots. Deeply disturbed by the increasing civil unrest and injustice, he gathered fellow students for a photo, ‘Hands Up’ (as in ‘don’t shoot’). He also traveled to Ferguson to see the situation firsthand.
“You can’t prescribe a remedy for a situation you don’t know about,” Watson said.
Meanwhile, the ‘Hands Up’ image rapidly went viral on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, and CNN took notice. The station invited him to the studio to share his views and possible remedies for civic unrest.
“We don’t have to wait until we get to the point of Ferguson,” he said. “A lot of the same symptoms are happening now in other cities, but people don’t realize it until things blow up. If America was what it’s supposed to be, what it says on paper, you’d never have the movement, women’s rights, etc. I still think that there is a gap and that means there’s work for me and us to close that gap.”
Watson and POTUS
After seeing Watson’s CNN appearance — and impressed with his proactive approach to identifying solutions (rather than simply pointing out the problems) — the White House invited him to Washington to be a part of a task force on policing.
“The President asked me what I wanted him to do about Ferguson,” said Watson. “There is no national solution to this issue. It’s something that must be addressed state by state, local government by local government — it has to happen on a local level.”
Since then, Watson has kept busy visiting communities across the country to talk to school children and organizations, discussng concerns and organizing movements. He stresses the importance of preparation and solution-finding, even at the middle school level.
“And I say to middle-schoolers, ‘You have to be prepared to answer the question. Preparation is an ongoing process; you must be prepared to meet the president in that moment.'”
Watson addressing GVSU students (Photo courtesy of GVSU
Watson learned the importance of legacy from his grandfather, who started the Section 8 Housing Authority in South Bend, Indiana. Years after his death, people remember and speak very highly of him.
“I was about four years old when he died,” said Watson. “My grandpa taught me that achievement is not a resting place, it’s a trampoline.
“Fifty years from now, history will have written about this time, that these police shootings happened. The question I’ll have to answer my grandchildren is, ‘Grandpa, where were you when this happened?’ And I’ll want to answer that question confidently, that I did do something about it.
“Legacy is important. What you do with your time is important,” said Watson. “I want to look back on my life and be confident about what I did with my time.”
East Kelloggsville Elementary School kindergartner Ricky Brooks threw his arms around Student Service Coordinator Christie Alexander in a big hug. “Thank you!” he exclaimed.
Alexander had spent a few minutes with Ricky, helping him line up paperclips to make shapes during a class activity. Since meeting him on the first day of school, she has gotten to know Ricky well by checking on him every day.
He thrives from the positive attention, said teacher Kathi Burke. Alexander’s job is to provide students with someone to turn to if they need a break or need to talk, and students, including Ricky, benefit from it. “It makes a kid feel needed,” Burke said.
“Some of the kids just need a break… a walk in the hallway,” Burke said. They come back ready to listen after a little time with Alexander. “Five minutes is usually enough.”
Kindergartner Ricky Brooks gives Christie Alexander an impromptu embrace
Covering the Spectrum of Need
A few blocks away at West Kelloggsville Elementary School, Student Service Coordinator Sara Cinadr checked third-grader Jayden Mast’s blood sugar level and administered an insulin shot to control his diabetes. At the same time, they discussed what was making Jayden a little “grumpy.”
And at Southeast Elementary School, Student Service Coordinator Bilal Muhammad spun a basketball atop his finger and tried to pass it onto the fingertip of fifth-grader Lily Vandergeld in mid-rotation. Before that, he greeted students on the way to recess, taking note of every student who walked by. “Christopher, where are your glasses?” he asked one student.
Alexander, Cinadr and Muhammad began the new full-time district positions in September. They are modeled after Kent School Services Network, a countywide program that brings social and medical services to students’ schools and homes. KSSN is run through a partnership with local districts and Kent ISD, and Kelloggville’s Southeast Elementary School had a KSSN community site coordinator and clinician for several years.
To provide equitable services to all elementary schools, the district, which has a high-poverty population, hired its own staff to fill the roles, said Tammy Savage, assistant superintendent for the district.
“We’re an extra support, and we support in whatever way we’re needed,” Cinadr said.
Muhammad is a former athletic director for Riverside Middle School in Grand Rapids Public Schools; Alexander is a former high school guidance counselor, elementary school counselor and has worked in juvenile justice and with Child Protective Services. Cinadr is a former GRPS teacher.
Positive Forces
Sara Cinadr gives third-grader Jayden Mast an insulin shot
The student service coordinators focus on attendance and behavior and form relationships with students during recess and lunch. They check in on students who need extra attention. They communicate with families and make home visits to establish rapport with families and emphasize the importance of attendance.
“We provide positive feedback for students and see them at least twice a day to talk to them about what good choices they are making and say, ‘Keep up the good work,'” Cinadr said.
She can relate to teachers who need a helping hand. “Coming from the classroom, I loved teaching; I loved my students, but there were so many needs that I saw that I couldn’t meet on my own, with having to balance the academics, and the relationships, and the calling home. And the this. And the that.”
Muhammad grew up in a single-parent home with his mother, a school principal. He looks to her as a role model for how to build relationships with students.
“We know it’s all about ‘it takes a village,’ ” he said.
Be sure to check out School News Network for more stories about our great students, schools, and faculty in West Michigan!
Since our story on Tom Gunnels’s project, Waiting On Division ran on September 6, Gunnels has been keeping busy — visiting and filming people on the streets, setting up art shows at The Collective Artspace on Division and filming musicians jamming at Rocky’s Bar and Grill — all to showcase the talents of the people he has come to know as his friends.
And on Friday, November 18 at 6-9 pm, the public is invited to check out a photography exhibit at The Collective Artspace, 40 Division Ave. S. in Grand Rapids.
The exhibit will showcase Gunnells’s photography from throughout the summer as well as stories of how the photos and friendships came to be.
“I am extremely excited to announce that VAGUE photography will be making a trip up from Kalamazoo to help contribute to this show,” said Gunnels. “He will be doing tintypes of some of our friends and some of the veterans who are currently out on the street.
“Come down, learn more, and maybe meet some cool people along the way,” Gunnels said.
Gunnels does not intend to sell the photos for profit and has limited resources for printing. Anyone with a lead on a resource for discounted printing rates, please message Gunnels on the project page.
Most of the world plays “football” with the feet. They use a round, black-and-white ball. North Americans, on the other hand, use an oblong, brown ball to play “football” but only touch the ball with the feet on 13% of the plays.
If you grew up in the 95% of the world that plays soccer, then North American football is a mystery. The play is hard to follow, and the rules seem confusing. At work on Monday morning, you can’t join the water cooler conversation because you weren’t watching The Big Game over the weekend. Worse yet, at an afternoon sales meeting, someone says they’ll either have to punt or throw up a Hail Mary. Say what?!
Before you throw up your hands and give up, know that help is here: a 90-minute seminar on the rules of American football. We will show you, play-by-play, how the game works and teach you the essential vocabulary for watching a live game. We’ll also go over cultural aspects like rivalries, tailgating, and The Wave. And we’ll talk about the common football expressions that Americans use in everyday life – both at work and at home.
And finally, to help you practice what you’ve learned, we’ll watch a televised game in the adjacent sports bar so you can apply your knowledge while nibbling tasty appetizers and sipping the beverage of your choice. Don’t be left out! Sign up today!
On the Shelf Book Review
Based on the Spin Master-produced, hit animated TV series on Nickelodeon, PAW Patrol Live! “Race to the Rescue” brings PAW Patrol characters to the stage for an action-packed, musical adventure. When Mayor Goodway is nowhere to be found during the day of the Great Race, the pups come to the rescue. Join Ryder, Chase, Marshall, Rocky, Rubble, Zuma, Skye and the newest pup, Everest, when they take the stage for two shows at DeVos Performance Hall, 303 Monroe Ave. NW, Wednesday, Nov. 9, at 10 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.
