“It’s fitting that all of the hard work and dedication the students in our Fashion Studies program have displayed throughout the year culminates in an event that they have the freedom to make their own,” said Interim Dean of the College Ron Riksen. “The KCAD community looks forward to celebrating their accomplishments.”
Titled UN.EARTH, the event will feature work from all class levels of the Fashion Studies program that ties into the event’s theme of nature and personal growth. The theme is based on the earth’s terrain and includes three subcategories: peak, valley, and coast. Specific color schemes and key words associated with each subcategory informed class projects in Fashion Studies courses throughout the spring semester of the 2015-2016 academic year.
Underclassmen will be displaying individual garments, selected through a juried process, that were designed within the parameters of different class projects. Graduating seniors, on the other hand, will be displaying their full capstone collections, multiple garments that have been designed with much more creative freedom at the students’ disposal. A number of fashion illustrations will also be on display.
“We chose to call the fashion show UN•EARTH specifically for its definition and connotation,” said Fashion Studies senior Audrey Langejans, one of the event’s lead organizers. “The word ‘earth’ got us thinking a lot about incorporating the nature-inspired trends that are so relevant in the fashion industry right now – trends that would give the underclassmen a chance to be extra creative in their interpretation of the theme. The definition of the word ‘unearth’ itself felt like the perfect summation of the senior experience. We seniors have spent three years working on class projects and learning different techniques, and now we have been able to unearth our own aesthetics and identities as designers through our capstone collections.”
Fashion Studies Program Chair Lori Faulkner added, “In our Capstone course, senior students use all the technical skills and knowledge they have gained through their years of study at KCAD to create an individual collection that specifically reveals their individual vision. Up until their senior year, they have been designing with certain guidelines in mind, but for this project they are given complete creative freedom. Regardless of their class level, I am consistently amazed by the unique designs that my students are able to take from concept to finished product.”
UN.EARTH will be held at the Grand Rapids Downtown Market on April 13, 2016 from 7:30-10 pm. Appetizers and refreshments will be provided by Martha’s Vineyard. Admission to the event is free, and the public is warmly welcomed to attend. Attendees are asked to pleaseRSVP through Eventbrite to reserve their free tickets. Space is limited.
West Michigan has a long history of design, and it’s becoming an even stronger and more vital part of our community. From graphic design to industrial design, architecture, interior design, packaging design, and UX design, an incredible amount of innovative, world-class work is happening here, and we want the world to know about it!
In its second year, West Michigan Design Week is a week-long series of programs aimed to inspire designers from all disciplines and demonstrate the strategic and economic advantages of design thinking to the rest of the community. The hope is that this event will spotlight West Michigan design increasing opportunities for local designers, attracting new ones, and building connections between designers and our cultural, educational and business communities.
Mimi Valdés, The Multimedia Maker
From April 6-11, a lineup of tours, speakers and workshops is scheduled in the area to showcase what has been accomplished in the region as well as to develop connections in the design industry. Go here for the calendar of events.
The Pyramid Scheme, 68 Commerce Ave. SW, Grand Rapids, kicks things off on April 9 with music and good company. Get your 2016 West Michigan Design Week t-shirts screen printed by Ambrose live on stage. Glitter Booth will capture the action.
Saturday, April 9th | 9pm – 2am
9:00 – 10:30 | Tom Engelsman from Scintillate
10:30 – 12:30 | AJPASCHKA
12:30 – 1:30 | AB
Several design industry organizations have collaborated to make this event possible, including (in alphabetical order): AIGA West Michigan, American Institute of Architects Grand Rapids, American Society of Interior Designers and Interaction Design Association, Design West Michigan, Industrial Designers of America, International Interior Design Association, and Kendall College of Art and Design.
Tina Murua sat down recently with Kelloggsville Middle School seventh-graders Genesis Figuero and Kiara McBride. The girls were ready to talk face-to-face about problems with their friendship, prompted by hurt feelings and misunderstandings.
Taking turns holding a bag of marbles to designate who could speak in the Restorative Circle, the girls, through guided conversation with Murua, told each other what was on their minds. Turns out, they really never wanted to stop being best friends but got caught up in a game of she said/she said.
At the end of the discussion, the girls signed an agreement to talk directly to each other about any concerns.
Without Murua to talk to, the girls might have wound up in the principal’s office for gossiping or arguing. Instead, they used a new tool available to them: restorative justice. Murua began working last fall at Kelloggsville Middle School on three afternoons a week as facilitator for the program that aims to teach students how to peacefully resolve conflicts.
Kiara and Genesis said they felt positive about the agreement. Restorative justice was a better way to solve their problem than continuing to argue. “I like this better because if you are going to the principal or dean you are getting in trouble. I like to go somewhere where I’m not getting in trouble and can sort out my problems,” Kiara said. “It’s good because if you don’t want to talk to the teacher or principal, you have (Murua) to help.”
Genesis Figuero listens to her friend Kiara McBride
A new outreach of the Grand Rapids-based nonprofit Dispute Resolution Center of West Michigan (DRCWM), restorative justice helps students solve differences using trained mediators. Many students’ conflicts center around friendships, gossiping or social media arguments, though they see Murua for bigger offenses–like stealing or fighting–sometimes after suspension, as well.
Students often just need the skills to respond appropriately to conflict. Sometimes that hasn’t been modeled well at home, Murua said. “I think these kids are so interesting, and they are just trying to find their way. There are a lot of them who struggle,” she said. “I don’t think a single one of them is a bad kid. Some of them are in rough situations, and they don’t have the internal resources to deal with it.”
A Non-Punitive Approach
As a third-party, Murua provides a place where students feel comfortable talking things out without facing punishment.
“It is a different way to approach conflict or difficult behavior. When we are talking about student discipline traditionally, we ask, ‘What was the rule? Who broke it? What is the punishment?’ Instead we’re asking, ‘What happened? Who was affected or harmed, and what needs to be done to repair the harm and keep it from happening again?'”
While restorative justice isn’t a new philosophy or curriculum, it flips the traditionally punitive school-discipline model. It is also being used at Lee Middle School in Godfrey-Lee Public Schools and at Wyoming High School in Wyoming Public Schools. In Grand Rapids Public Schools, more than two dozen schools have implemented restorative practices and more than 1,500 students have participated, Superintendent Teresa Weatherall Neal reported this fall.
Kelloggsville students may still be suspended as part of the discipline program there, but they often meet with Murua after they return. Christine Gilman, executive director for the DRCWM, said they first approached Godfrey-Lee to start the program last year because of a disproportionate rate of suspensions and expulsions for minority and special-education students. Wyoming High School and Kelloggsville administrators expressed interest when the center wanted to expand the program. “It is such a powerful way to help improve the school community and culture, to make communication really valued and where students use their communication skills to solve problems,” Gilman said.
Kiara McBride and Genesis Figuero discuss a rift in their friendship
A Way to Build Community
Oftentimes, including in the case of suspension, students are cut off, at least temporarily, from the school community. Restorative justice instead makes students accountable for their behavior. They have to own up to the situation and become part of the solution. “I like to focus on the word ‘restorative’ as opposed to ‘retributive,'” said Murua, a self-described “recovering lawyer.” “Retribution traditionally focuses on ‘You do something bad to us, we do something bad to you.'” The long-term goal is to interrupt the school-to-prison pipeline by creating stronger schools and students who have a sense of belonging.
The outcome of a successful restorative justice program is fewer suspensions. Students are also less likely to repeat bad behaviors and the need for classroom discipline decreases, Murua said. Principal Jim Alston said restorative justice is another level in helping students resolve conflict before they end up in his office. “They are more apt to open up and face each other. It forces them to learn the skills of being able to talk to each other.” Wyoming High School Assistant Principal Josh Baumbach said they’ve already seen a reduction in suspensions since starting the program this fall. “It has allowed students a safe process to work out their differences and it helps ensure the issue does not come back as soon as students return to the hallways and classrooms,” he said.
Be sure to check out School News Network for more stories about our great students, schools, and faculty in West Michigan!
Kenia’s story of her journey to the U.S. comes through the fuzzy lens of a child’s memory. She’s uncertain how long she traveled or even how old she was, but some things she recalls vividly: fear, thirst, hunger and preparing herself to die. It seems those things are harder to forget.
Her story unfolds as a series of unthinkable events when she teetered on the edge of death to escape the violence in her native Honduras and cross the U.S. border at an age when most American students are sitting at their school desks or headed to basketball practice.
Now a 19-year-old East Kentwood High School student, Kenia, who did not want her last name used, tells of the horrors she faced as a young girl traveling more than 2,000 miles on her own. The entire trek took months and she said along the way she was kidnapped, abused, threatened to be sold and hunted down by men who killed her father.
“It was very hard. I didn’t want to leave my country, but they killed my dad because he was black,” said Kenia. “I saw him covered with blood. I said, ‘Dad wake up, wake up,’ but he was dead.”
Her mother, who was native Indian, ran away, but eventually was killed as well.
So Kenia fled, walking for days and then riding bus after bus, before jumping onto a train that has been given the monikers “The Beast” and “The Train of Death” by those who have survived it. She climbed atop a rail car, where she experienced the blistering hot noontime sun and the cold dark of night, day after day. She doesn’t think she ever slept, because if you do, she said, you fall.
“I had to come without thinking,” she said. She left behind her grandmother, also now deceased, and other family members. “You just think, die or live? You come to U.S. or you die.”
‘Boom, He Was Gone’
She jumped on the train in Chiapas, Mexico, more than 400 miles from her home. Hundreds of thousands of migrants, most from Central America, take the route each year. Many of them are children like Kenia. As they pass by cities and towns, some people throw bread and others throw rocks at those on top of the train.
Kenia tells her story in a straight-forward tone. It is graphic. She remembers a friend whose grip slipped while trying to hold onto the train. “He yelled, ‘Let me go.’ … I screamed, ‘No!’ and boom, he was gone.”
When they weren’t riding, the migrants walked. Kenia said she remembers tearing open cactuses for drinking water. The only time she bathed was when they came upon a lake. She said she became very thin.
She remembers a group of men grabbing her. She was among several girls captured by human traffickers. Kenia is unsure how long she was with them, but said it was a long time. One day, however, while in a park, a boy realized she was in danger. He distracted the kidnappers and she took the opportunity to run away. It was just before she was to be sold. “It was planned already,” she said. “The man who wanted to buy me, he had the money ready.”
Another incredible occurrence was when Kenia had to cross the Rio Grande, which stretches south of Texas. It was a “very angry ocean,” she remembers. Unable to swim, the currents pushed her down. “I decided I would die there,” she said. “I woke up and said, ‘Am I alive?’ A boy was holding me.” Another boy had saved her.
She and the boy crossed the border into Texas, she recalled. Immigration authorities soon caught them. She begged them not to send her home. “I was like, ‘Please let me go! Please kill me now. Don’t bring me back there.'”
She was allowed to stay. She entered a home for refugees in Texas, and then began living with foster families. She was ultimately sponsored by Bethany Christian Services and moved in with a family in Kentwood.
At School in the U.S.
Kenia never went to school in Honduras because her family couldn’t afford it. Now, she plans to graduate next year from East Kentwood High School. Her native language is Garifuna, and three and a half years ago, when she arrived, she spoke no English. Now she speaks a total of six languages, including English.
She gets very frustrated with algebra, but likes biology and learning about animals. She gets good grades, recently staying up all night to study to earn a B- in biology.
She works at a nursing home. “I do that because I couldn’t help my grandma,” she said. She wants to go to college and become a nurse. Kenia said she still has a hard time trusting people.
Teacher Erin Wolohan works with many refugee students who have backgrounds as horrific as Kenia. They’re survivors, she said. “Kenia is hardworking and has tenacity,” Wolohan said. “I think she will do well if she keeps her eye on the prize: education and full employment.”
Kenia’s not sure how she’s come so far.
“I’m alive but I don’t know how I’m alive,” Kenia said. “I’m so glad I’m here, I don’t know what would happen if I was still in my country. My country is beautiful. The people is bad.”
Be sure to check out School News Network for more stories about our great students, schools, and faculty in West Michigan!
So, there I was, just minding my own business pondering where the gray walls end and the gray skies begin, when Easter happened. I turned my head and when I looked back—poof!—people were all decked out in their Sunday finest, and there were countless clusters of chocolate bunnies and little baskets festooned with eggs and jelly beans snuggled in colorful nesting material.* More chocolate bunnies. Even more of them. Plus those peculiar curiosities called “peeps.”
Easter took me by surprise, I must admit, because I’m never prepared for it. The fault is not mine but that of full moons and equinoxes. I come from a family of Greek Orthodox people, which means “my” Easter quite likely isn’t yours. The date of Greek Orthodox Easter is determined by the Julian calendar, and it can vary wildly from one year to the next. It’s kind of cool except most other people use the Gregorian calendar. When I am asked what I’m doing for Easter, I say that I have no idea. Because I never know when it is.
(Wait. What?) OK, I’ve just been told that my Easter is scheduled for May 1 this year. But will there be any chocolate bunnies left?
A calendar by any other name
The calendar’s purpose is to keep people rooted somewhat in reality. Calendars tell us when we have to work, when to vote, when to go to church, when to celebrate a holiday, when to observe Thanksgiving and other feasts—you name it. Without calendars, surely humankind would be cast adrift, lost forever in contemplation and confusion.
Einstein really nailed it when he said that time is relative, because it seems that no one can agree on using just one method to keep track of days, weeks and months. There are many, many calendars.
Western civilians currently use the Gregorian calendar, which improved upon the Julian calendar (the source of “my” Easter), which had improved upon the Roman calendar. And then there are a multitude of different religious calendars, many of which disagree that we are even living in the year 2016.
Depending on the calendar, today is whatever day you’re reading this (Gregorian) or minus 13 days (Julian). By way of example, pretend that I’m writing this on the 12th of March (three days before the Ides). If we use the Julian calendar, I’m writing this on the 29th of February (assuming it’s 2016), which is a leap year day, all the better to confuse the issue.
Of moons and equinoxes and rotation
Putting together an accurate calendar is not for the faint of heart. It requires meticulous musings, knowledge of the phases of the moon and equinoxes, and the rotation of the earth. It also requires people with nothing better to do than argue over an overabundance of calculations. Key point: In the end, they must all agree. And we know how well that usually works out.
We want to control everything. It’s human nature. But despite this irrational obsession, the universe always has the final say. In the case of calendars, the earth’s rotation refuses to conform to a man-made system of measurement. Just when you think you have it under control, you find that you don’t.
Trying to tame time
Before the dawn of civilization, ancient peoples had no need for wall calendars, Blackberries and day planners. By monitoring the phases of the moon and observing weather patterns, these peoples knew when to plant crops, when to migrate, when to harvest crops, etc.
Enter the Romans, who demanded predictability. Mental illness—obsessive-compulsiveness, specifically—influenced the matter, and politics played a huge role as well. Some would argue that politics and mental illness are mutually exclusive, but this matters not because of at least one immutable fact: Credit for the invention of the original Roman calendar goes to Romulus, the first king of Rome, at around 753 BCE (Before Common Era). Scholars think it may have been a lunar calendar, but it was so fraught with flaws that this remains uncertain.
The Roman calendar began the year with a month that could be construed as a call to action—March (Martius). The calendar consisted of 10 months, with six months of 30 days and four months of 31 days. The winter season was not assigned to any month, so the calendar year only lasted 304 days with 61 days unaccounted for in the winter. Basically, winter was ignored.
I am not a fan of winter and would prefer to ignore it, too, but if everybody did that, many, many retail and online stores would go out of business. The economy would take a dive. More people would plunge into poverty.
Besides, it seems a bit extreme. Animals in the wild don’t ignore winter, they hibernate. As they sleep they are blissfully unaware, but winter exists nonetheless. Wild creatures don’t use calendars, and they’ve gotten by just fine over the centuries.
Predictably, the earth’s rotation would not cooperate, and as expected, the 304-day Roman calendar didn’t work for long because it didn’t align with the seasons. King Numa Pompilius—and, seriously, who burdens a kid with such a name?—reformed the calendar around 700 BCE by adding the months of January (Ianuarius) and February (Februarius) to the original 10 months. This increased the year’s length to 354 or 355 days.
The Julian calendar proved rather hardy and served humankind in good stead until 1582, when Pope Gregory XIII promulgated the Gregorian calendar, because naming a calendar after oneself is irresistible, if not grandiose. Today, the Gregorian calendar is the most widely used civil calendar throughout the world.
Why did all of this happen? Blame it on Easter. Wait. That’s not entirely fair. It’s better to blame it on the pope, who wanted to bring the date for celebrating Easter closer to the time of year in which it was celebrated by the early Church. Because Easter was tied to the spring equinox, the steady drift in its date by the year being slightly too long drove the poor pontiff to distraction. With no treatment available for obsessive-compulsive disorder, he did the next best thing. He changed the calendar.
The (formerly) blissful equinox.
There’s always been quite the brouhaha over the relationship between the equinox and Easter, and it will be easier to understand the conundrum if you think of the equinox as a thing with feelings. Imagine, if you will, the equinox, before humankind existed. Close your eyes. Can you see it? Right over there, smiling in its ignorance, living in peace, perhaps even unaware of its own existence, but in a state of bliss nonetheless.
So, there’s the blissful equinox, just minding its own business when humans appear on the map. These people make up stories about Easter. Eager to harness something—anything—people tie Easter to the spring equinox. This seemingly harmless—and certainly thoughtless—act has far-reaching consequences. No longer does the equinox exist unfettered, and it is not amused.
Yet even this did not satisfy humankind. Over time, the date kept “drifting,” so the Roman Catholic Church promulgated a fateful rule—the full moon preceding Easter would not precede the equinox. Ever. Thanks to this rule, the equinox now remains fixed at March 21 for computational purposes, and the earliest date for Easter is fixed at March 22.
To further compensate for the drift, the Gregorian calendar also removed 10 days. If you lived back in 1582, you went to bed one night and woke up 10 days later. There is much more to all of this, but alas, space in this context—according to my editor—is finite. Go here to learn more.
As expected, the equinox resented—heck, still does—being stuck in place, forever. But the equinox was not the only thing to suffer—people suffered, too. We’re talking about 10 perfectly good days—poof!—just gone.
Things still aren’t perfect.
So, here we are, in the year 2016, accustomed to a 365-day year and a leap year of 366 days. We have scheduled the leap year day, February 29, to occur every four years to help synchronize the calendar year with the solar year (the length of time it takes the earth to complete its orbit about the sun), which is about 365¼ days. It sounds so cold and calculated because it is.
The length of the solar year is slightly less than 365¼ days—by about 11 minutes—and this cannot go unpunished, so we “compensate” for this discrepancy. Until the advent of the next calendar—whenever that may be—the leap year is omitted three times every four hundred years. What this means is that a century year cannot be a leap year unless it is divisible by 400. Thus 1700, 1800, and 1900 were not leap years, but 1600 and 2000 were—and 2400 will be—leap years.
Ha! Surely you see the quandary. The universe will not be outfoxed.
*Where does nesting material go to live when Easter is all said and done?
The beat of Godfrey-Lee Early Childhood Center students’ drums mixed with jangling tambourines, clanging blocks and sounds made by hitting sticks on household items recycled as instruments.
“Let’s all start a beat. … Here we go. … Let’s all start a beat,” said Lori Fithian, whose program Drummunity gets people pounding, tapping and grinning everywhere she goes.
Second-grader Jalyhia Reid bangs on the drum
As part of music class, students at the preschool-through-second-grade school gathered in a circle with Fithian in the middle, to use bongo and hand drums and other percussion instruments and to play simple drum-circle games.
Together, they made music, playing in unison. Later that evening, parents participated in a community drumming event.
Fithian, an Ann Arbor resident and artist who has studied different drumming traditions, said her concept is simple. “I help people make music together,” she said. “We basically just learn how to cooperate and come together. … It’s not really a musical thing. It’s more of a community-cooperation exercise, though we are using music to learn about all of that.”
First-grader Latrese McFerrin said she learned how to “make echoes” using instruments. “We got to switch instruments like drums and a plastic block,” she said.
Everyone Can Drum
Drummunity brings drumming to schools, libraries, community centers and other locations. Fithian’s visit was paid for through a grant from the Michigan Humanities Council.
Isabel Deleon-Magana smiles as she plays
Every culture has its own drum tradition and all ages can participate, she said. Getting students to drum with her is different from teaching other instruments.
“Everybody knows how to play drums; even babies can play drums. It’s a really natural thing that people can do together,” she said.
Students learn to keep a steady beat, and a whole lot more.
“They get a little bit of everything,” Fithian said. “They get to pound on something, play something, just explore the different sounds or learn what a drum is and how we can make music together.”
With older kids, Fithian teaches the concept of improvisation, creating new beats as they play. “We are not reading any music here; we are able to make something up with our own creativity.”
Tami Nelson, ECC music teacher, said she planned the event for her students to have the chance to make music with other people.
“This is a very good way for them to interact and see what they can do,” Nelson said. “One of the things about percussion instruments is various ability levels can easily access them. … They get to freely experience their music-making.”
Students said it was an experience they enjoyed. “I liked playing the drum,” said first-grader Taclara O’Bryant. “I like the music.”
Be sure to check out School News Network for more stories about our great students, schools, and faculty in West Michigan!
Colorful slime gelled and circuits connected recently during Rocket Family Night at Kelloggsville Middle School.
Five classrooms were set up with hands-on science experiments for students of all ages to experience. Each allowed youngsters to create something to bring home, such as paper airplanes and slime. Rocket Family Night is a district initiative to offer the community a free meal and an evening tied to academics.
“We want parents to get into the buildings and the district. We also want our students to know how fun some of the subjects can be if you give them a chance,” said Middle School Principal Jim Alston.
Along with going through lots of science supplies, staff served more than 250 plates of food.
Be sure to check out School News Network for more stories about our great students, schools, and faculty in West Michigan!
West Godwin Elementary first- through fourth-grade students spent an evening working as mini-entrepreneurs at the T21 Marketplace, selling candy and other goodies, masks and chances to shoot hoops and bowl.
The event, hosted by the after-school program Team 21, introduced students to real-life concepts of buying and selling goods or services, said Betsy Berry, West Godwin Team 21 coordinator. While Berry purchased materials, students cooked, created their products, advertised and cashed out at the end of the evening. Each good or service cost one Berry Buck, fake money students had earned for good behavior.
“The purpose of learning about being a consumer as well as a producer was beyond achieved,” Berry said.
From Wednesday, March 9 through Friday, March 11, thousands of educators will take over the DeVos Place Convention Center. It’s not an invasion. It’s the Michigan Association for Computer Users in Learning’s (MACUL) 40th annual Conference for Educational Technology.
One of the nation’s largest conferences for educational technology, the event will gather more than 5,000 teachers, administrators and school board members from Michigan, neighboring states and Canada. National leaders and classroom teachers will present more than 350 sessions on best practices and trends in educational technology, along with special events and featured speakers planned to meet the needs of every attending educator in Michigan.
“The MACUL Annual Conference is the highlight of the year for educators who strive to explore and utilize innovative teaching tools and strategies,” said Kevin Clark, president of the MACUL board of directors. “With the constant influx of new technology, it can be a challenge for teaching professionals to keep their practice relevant. The MACUL Annual Conference provides the opportunity to see ideas in action, get hands-on professional development, and make connections with colleagues from around the state.”
Kent County school districts attending and participating in MACUL include Grand Rapids Public, Godwin Heights, Wyoming, Grand Rapids Catholic Central high school, Forest Hills, Kentwood, Kenowa Hills and East Grand Rapids. The Student Technology Showcase, highlighting he projects of K-12 students from across Michigan, will be held on Thursday, March 10 from 11:00 am to 1 pm. The showcase will feature some of the top technology projects being used by students in their classrooms. Students and teachers will be available to discuss and share their projects.
The exhibitor section of the MACUL conference will feature more than 200 booths, representing nearly 150 companies. Displays of the latest and greatest in hardware, software, and services will highlight how technology can enhance teaching and learning. Exhibit days and times at DeVos Place will be Thursday, March 10 from 9:30 am – 5 pm and Friday, March 11 from 8:30 am to 1 pm. The exhibits are open to the public with a $20 admission charge at the door.
For more information, including a complete list of exhibitors, go here.
U.S. Senator Gary Peters payed a visit to the Kendall College of Art and Design at Ferris State University campus on February 22 to announce the Making Education Affordable and Accessible Act (MEAA). The MEAA is a new bipartisan legislation intended to expand options for high school students to obtain college credit, making higher education more affordable and accessible while improving high school and college graduation rates.
“The escalating cost of higher education should not deter hardworking, motivated students from obtaining a quality higher education,” said Senator Peters. “I am pleased to introduce this bipartisan bill to help reduce the price tag for higher learning by allowing students to complete college-level courses while they are still in high school. Students will save time and money as they kick-start their careers through a personalized curriculum.”
The MEAA would expand access to dual and concurrent enrollment programs and early/middle college programs by providing grants to institutions of higher education. The National Alliance on Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships estimates 1.9 million high school students enrolled in a college course during the 2014-2015 school year.
Peters was joined by Ferris State University President David Eisler, Rockford Public Schools Superintendent Michael Shibler, and students enrolled in Rockford High School’s concurrent enrollment program with Ferris State University.
Currently, Ferris State has partnered with 20 schools across Michigan to give high school students a jump on their college requirements.
Ferris State president David Eisier
“We can help make college more affordable and more accessible by offering expanded opportunities for students to earn college credit while in high school in a cost-effective manner,” said Ferris State University President David Eisler. “I thank Senator Peters for his efforts to support dual and concurrent enrollment and early college programs that will give students in Michigan more opportunities to start their college careers.”
Concurrent enrollment provides high school students the opportunity to take college-credit bearing courses taught by college-approved high school teacher, while dual enrollment involves students being enrolled in two separate institutions. These high schools and programs are located on college campuses or within schools, and they allow students to begin working towards an associate’s degree while they complete coursework for a high school diploma. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, early college students on average earn 36 college credits, and 30% of early college students earn an associate’s degree. There are 23 early/middle college high schools and 67 early/middle college programs in Michigan alone.
“Earning college credit in high school prior to graduation is a life changing experience for our students,” said Rockford Public Schools Superintendent Michael Shibler. “The opportunity to experience the rigor of college coursework, as well as prepare students to make more informed decisions about their postsecondary path, is invaluable.”
Senator Peters
The Making Education Affordable and Accessible Act allows for money to be used to provide grants to institutions of higher education. These grants can be used to:
• Carry out dual and concurrent enrollment programs as well as early/middle college programming
• Provide teachers in concurrent enrollment programs with professional development
• Support activities such as course design, course approval processes, community outreach, student counseling and support services
Senator Peters introduced the legislation alongside Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy, Colorado Congressman Jared Polis, and New York Congressmen Tom Reed.
“This legislation will help motivated students customize their coursework to create the learning environment that works best for them,” said Steven Ender, President of Grand Rapids Community College. “By introducing students to the academic expectations of college while still in high school, we can dramatically improve college preparedness and significantly boost graduation rates.”
Feel Like You Belong is focused on helping migrants fit into America and feel like they belong.
Language is a barrier for many people. Not only is it tough for those learning English as a second language, but think of the many conversations you’ve had with others that just didn’t seem to click. Better yet, think of the conversations you have with your best friends and why they flow so freely. It’s because you both GET each other, right? Cultural references roll off the tongue, slang flows freely, and you both truly understand exactly what the other is trying to communicate.
For those new to the English language, it can be difficult to learn all the nuances that come with being fully immersed into a culture. That’s why Feel Like You Belongis trying to help. In this segment, Alan untangles 10 commonly mispronounced words that English has adopted from other languages.
Praised as “an excellent documentary… about basic human value” by The New York Times, Angela Peavey’s heartrending documentary, Our Beautiful Secret, follows the remarkable story of her brother Jonathan who has Cerebral Palsy and how he overcomes his medical and social issues through road racing, family, and his faith in God. You can view the docudrama on WKTV Saturday, Feb. 27 at 7 p.m. More information can be found at www.ourbeautifulsecretmovie.com or on the films Facebook page.
Our Beautiful Secret has received international exposure with red carpet premieres in India, Canada, Taiwan, Europe, South Africa, and the United States. The film also beat box office numbers in its one-week run at Celebration Cinema theaters in West Michigan. Beating out major Hollywood movies such as Despicable Me 2, World War Z, and Grown Ups 2 (note: local numbers, not national).Our Beautiful Secret was also featured on Real Sports with ByrantGumble on HBO and seen nationally on PBS. In the last year the film has gone viral in Japan and South Africa. “We’ve gone so viral we’re now providing resources to organizations in Japan and South Africa on topics that are in the film,” Peavey said. “It’s humbling to know how this film has been seen all over the globe, but what really pleases me is the lives that this film has changed through telling Jonathan’s story.”
“People have told me to separate myself from being Jonathan’s sister while directing and producing this film. I don’t agree. Who else could be the best advocate for people living with disabilities than someone who lived right along side a family member struggling with it?” Peavey said. “I was there when my family got turned away from restaurants because of Jonathan’s disability. I was there when Jonathan was mocked and bullied. I was there when doctors told my family Jonathan’s value of life isn’t worth the procedures we wanted for him. I understand and that voice will not be silenced.”
The film stars cast members Scott Goudie (Transformers 2,3, & 4, Real Steel, Machine Gun Preacher, Detroit 1-8-7), Carrie Foster (A Dog for Christmas), Sophie Bolen (A Christmas Bunny, Mary’s Buttons, A Dog for Christmas, Rodeo Girl), Paul Tierney (Thirty Minutes or Less, A Dog for Christmas), Elonzo Peavey (Ralph & Me, The Redeeming Duck), and Elizabeth Foster (A Dog for Christmas, Mary and the Fox). “This is a story that the Peavey family has lived through,” said actor Scott Goudie. “The story is real, the characters are real, the emotion is real, and those tears on your Kleenex – they’re real.”
Our Beautiful Secret was filmed and produced in its entirety throughout West Michigan with production assistance from WKTV.
West Godwin Elementary fourth-graders stood in line taking turns shaking a bag filled with a Valentine’s Day treat of Chex Mix and powdered sugar.
To the tune of singer Taylor Swift’s “Shake it Off,” students vigorously shook the bag, while instructor Di Szczesny, “Ms. Di,” told them what they would be doing next. “We are going to take our chocolate and pour it over our Chex Mix. Pour it all in there. Shake it all in there. Everybody can stir and everybody can shake.”
Soon, things got even sweeter with red M&Ms and sprinkles.
“We’re making it red for Valentine’s Day because you’re the loves of my life,” Szczesny told students.
Students dance, giggle, grin and, perhaps best of all, feast when they learn to cook with Szczesny, who hosts cooking classes for the after-school program Team 21, which is run through a partnership with the City of Wyoming. Over the side dishes and desserts they create together, Szczesny gives attention to each student, doling out kind words and lots of silliness with instruction. Somehow everyone stays on task.
“It’s my passion. I love kids and I love food,” Szczesny said.
Jermaine Haley shakes the puppy chow
Meals, Manners and Measurements
Retired after 14 years working in food service for Wyoming Public Schools, Szczesny now spends her evenings teaching elementary students to cook. She leads classes for Team 21 at Godwin, Wyoming and Kelloggsville schools and in many Kent County schools through Artists Creating Together, a Grand Rapids-based non-profit organization that provides artist-in-residency grants for students with special needs across Kent County.
During Szczesny’s classes, students make kid-friendly dishes. The 14 West Godwin students stuffed and wrapped veggie spring rolls and mixed Chinese chicken salad in honor of Chinese New Year. They dipped marshmallows in melted chocolate and shook the cereal and powdered sugar-laden snack known as puppy chow. It was the first of four visits planned, so students from all grade levels get a turn cooking.
Students learn about nutrition and the value of homemade meals, Szczesny said. They learn etiquette, food safety and math skills as the measure ingredients, reading skills as they follow recipes. They must have good teamwork to hustle and get several dishes ready at the same time.
“The main thing is to eat what they make,” she said. “I focus on good nutrition and healthy habits. I would like them to be able to start dinner at home, to learn the basics.”
She also wants them to learn hospitality, what to do when you hate your great aunt’s cooking and to remember to chew with your mouth closed. “I teach them manners, to open doors for a lady, how to set a table and just to be kind to each other.”
Betsy Berry, West Godwin Team 21 coordinator, said cooking with Szczesny is students’ favorite activity.
Aryanna McCrary gets ready to eat
“Di has a unique approach to connecting and bonding with all of the students in all the grade levels. They love this class more than any other they do in Team 21,” Berry said.
Aryanna McCrary said she learned tips on how not to burn food from Szczesny. “She is a very good cooking teacher and kids can learn from her,” said the fourth-grader. “She introduces me to new foods too.”
Between chopping, mixing, cooking and presenting, students say being a good cook involves a lot. “It’s amazing the work you have to put into it,” said fourth-grader Adrien Rochelle.
After the cooking was done and lemonade poured, students settled down to eat before heading home. “I like everything,” Aryanna said. “The salad was the best.”
Be sure to check out School News Network for more stories about our great students, schools, and faculty in West Michigan!
CJ Killingham can certainly be proud of his Nana not because she happens to be the Superintendent of the Grand Rapids Public Schools but because Teresa Weatherall Neal was named the 2016 recipient of the Giant Among Giants Award at this year’s annual Giants Awards & Banquet.
For more than three decades, 13 African-American individuals and/or organizations have annually been honored for their exceptional contributions that shape the history and quality of life of Greater Grand Rapids. Originating from a proposal from Dr. Patricia Pullman and Cedric Ward, the first awards banquet was in 1983 in the “G” Building of the then Grand Rapids Junior College.
This year’s Giants Awards & Banquet were at DeVos Place’s Steelcase Ballroom Feb. 6. WKTV will be rebroadcasting the presentation which was recorded by Grand Rapids Community College, Feb. 23 at 9 p.m. and Feb. 27 at 10 p.m.
Neal received the award for not only her commitment for increasing the quality of the public school system but also for improving the community by fostering partnerships that promote engagement, collaboration and teamwork.
According to Neal’s bio on the GRPS website, she has been with the district for 40 years, starting as a student worker as a teenager. She has worked in the district in various capacities with her last position before being named superintendent in 2013 as assistant superintendent of community and student affairs.
The other recipients, who represent a staggering commitment to the betterment of the Greater Grand Rapids community, range from Grand Rapids Bar Association Executive Director Kimberly A. Coleman, who received the Floyd Skinner Justice Award to Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated Theta Chi Omega Chapter’s Ivylette/Rosette Program, which received the Phyllis Scott Activist Award.
Proceeds from the event are contributed to the Grand Rapids Community College Foundation’s Milo M. Brown Memorial Scholarship Fund.
The Milo M. Brown Memorial Scholarship Fund was established in 1987 by Michael Johnson and Mylece Brown Wilson through Grand Rapids Junior College Foundation. The scholarships are presented to African-American students as perpetual memorials to Brown, who was a businessman involved in various civic and social activities. This year’s recipients are Micah Rupert, Shawn Cummings and David Msema, who each received a $1,000 scholarship.
Click here for complete details on the Giants Awards, including the entire list of those honored.
Crestwood Middle School sixth-grader-turned-builder Roshan Kami and his business partner classmates scrambled when their clients said they wanted an already-installed window moved from the east side to the west side of their new house.
The Kentwood Public Schools students were tasked with building the LEGO house on a $76,750 budget using architectural renderings. “We had to figure out all of the parts of this building,” Roshan said after a partial demolition and rebuild. “We had to all work together and get it done really fast.”
Students were learning what it’s like to be a project manager like Tim Johnson at Erhardt Construction in Ada. The last-minute change was to be expected. “Clients do that to us all the time,” Johnson said. “We constantly have to move and shake and figure out how to make it work. It obviously costs money.”
Hands-On Career Exploration
The activity was part of Crestwood’s sixth grade Career Fair, during which 120 students explored construction, healthcare, information technologies and aviation with local professionals.
The goal was to get them thinking about careers and what to do to prepare for them, said Nancy McKenzie, Kentwood Public Schools STEM coordinator.
Aviation professional Dan Douglas talks about working with airplanes
“This is just to give them a little nibble, to plant a seed, so they can explore on their own,” McKenzie said. “It’s a nice overview of a nice variety of careers.”
Students met an airline pilot and mechanic, an IT consultant, health-care professionals and the construction company representatives. Bethany Capra, marketing specialist for Erhardt, said taking part was a chance to let students know potentials in the industry and the careers that await them.
“A lot of people don’t realize all the options in construction and the skilled trades,” she said. “These are areas that will be in high demand when they graduate.”
Carolyn Blake, Kent ISD’s Health Sciences Early College Academy diagnostics instructor, taught students blood-typing (with fake blood), glucose testing and phlebotomy. Health care is another in-demand industry.
Sixth-grader Hana Kamber said she wants to be a doctor, and was happy to learn how testing works. “You might be in an emergency and need to be prepared,” she said.
Sixth-graders Adonis Hughes and Mayson Clark learn how glucose testing works at Crestwood Middle School’s career fair
Crestwood Principal Omar Bakri said the main thing that determines whether a child will be successful is motivation, and exposing them to possibilities is the key.
“To me this is the make-or-break stage,” he said of the middle-school years. “It’s very important we introduce them to careers at this age.”
McKenzie plans to follow up with a visit from high school counselors to talk about how students can plan classes aimed at career pathways and a trip to a college campus.
“We want them to get a broad picture of what high school might look like through a counselor’s eyes, and looking at a college and then backing that up with what they’ve seen today,” she said.
Be sure to check out School News Network for more stories about our great students, schools, and faculty in West Michigan!
As the dreaded V-Day draws ever nearer, it’s time for us–and I’m speaking for all three of me–to take stock of our current state of affairs. V-Day does not discriminate. The day is significant for those coupled and singled alike, if for no other reason than to keep capitalism alive and well.
Just how much was spent on this “holiday” last year? The answer is $18.9 billion. This bears scrutiny and a bit of a breakdown: $52.2 million for flowers (a grand time for the floral industry and much deserved); $50 million in jewelry; $38.3 million on apparel (surely not woolen socks); $18.6 million on specialty gifts (use your imagination); $7.2 million on movies; $7.1 million on restaurants; and $1.2 million on salons and spas.
This last item I daresay I do indeed covet.
As for poundage and number of items, there was and will be plenty of that: 58 million pounds of chocolate, 36 million heart-shaped boxes of chocolate and 8 billion Sweethearts will be purchased for the big day. All added up
that’s $1.7 billion spent on candy. Billion. Translated into calories… well, let’s not spoil things. In fact, let’s change the subject: Pets like V-Day, too, because their people will spend more than $700 million on gifts for their furry family members.
Clearly, I am in the wrong business.
How was this allowed to happen?
Someone was asleep at the wheel and then things got out of hand and now it’s too late to take it back. Suffice it to say, the industry was born and now we are left to deal with it.
What’s so special about Valentine’s Day? First off, it’s St. Valentine’s Day, and this romantic tradition has its roots in the Middle Ages when people chose a romantic partner on that particular day because they believed birds started mating. On that particular day.
I’m as confused as you are.
Actually, I have led you astray–the tradition dates back way earlier than the Middle Ages; it took root in the late 3rd century. The historical Saint Valentine was an early Christian martyred by the Romans. St. Valentine was a Roman priest during the reign of Roman emperor, and church persecutor, Claudius the Second–also known as Claudius the Cruel.
Claudius believed that unmarried soldiers made better fighters than married ones; single fighters were less likely to become distracted by wives and children back home. True to his name, Claudius the Cruel decided to ban all marriages and engagements in Rome. St. Valentine refused to be a party to this injustice, so he disobeyed the emperor’s orders and secretly married young couples. Once Valentine’s illegal acts were discovered, he was imprisoned, tortured and beheaded.
I’m a fan of do-gooders just like the next guy, but what did Valentine think would happen? He must have known that no good deed goes unpunished. Still, here’s a really key fact: Legend has it that while in prison, St. Valentine befriended the jailer’s daughter and left her a note signed “From your Valentine.”
But why February 14? Hint: It has to do with the Feast of Lupercalia, a pagan festival of love celebrated by the Romans in the third century.
The Feast of Lupercalia honored, in part, Lupa, the she-wolf who suckled the infant orphans, Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome. That explains the name of the festival, Lupercalia, or “Wolf Festival.” Pagans observed the holiday on February 13 through 15, and believed it averted evil spirits and purified the city, releasing health and fertility.
Young men in ancient Rome celebrated Lupercalia by running naked through the streets and slapping young women with “shaggy thongs.” Sadly, this custom didn’t survive the ages and you won’t find a contemporary equivalent.
Plutarch expounded on the custom: “[M]any women of rank also purposely get in their way, and like children at school present their hands to be struck, believing that the pregnant will thus be helped in delivery, and the barren to pregnancy.”
Why did the Catholic church make such big deal out of this centuries later? Sure, hands were struck. But nobody was hurt or Plutarch surely would have written about it. Can you blame the upper-class women? Certainly naked youths running through the streets wasn’t a common sight, and you know how out of shape noblemen allow themselves to get.
A more disturbing festival ritual involved putting the names of young women in a box. Men drew the names and, as fate is wont to do, forced matches that often ended in marriage.
In 496 AD, in an effort to rid the country of the pagan festival and replace it with Christian goodness, Pope Gelasius declared that February 14 be celebrated as St. Valentines Day.
(By the way, did you know the Ides of February is the 13th? I didn’t even know February had an Ides.)
Is it in the cards?
Which brings us to contemporary times. Remember when you were in grade school and your teacher had you make a valentine for each kid in class–even someone you really, really hated–so that no one would feel left out? That custom began in the 1700s among adults, only back then, people were more discriminating about to whom they expressed their undying love and devotion. People back then took this shit seriously. They wrote special notes and letters–some of which were quite long–each one handwritten on regular writing paper. They used cursive, by the way.
Later, in the 1820s, papers were made especially for Valentine greetings. These became fashionable in the U.S. and Britain; in the 1840s commercially produced Valentine cards surged in popularity when Britain standardized its postal rates. These cards were flat paper sheets with colored illustrations and embossed borders. Fancy, yes, but functional, too: When folded and sealed with wax, the sheets could be mailed.
But what would a sweet, innocent tradition be without exploiting it? New England resident Esther Howland received an English Valentine one year and thought, “Hmmm.” She then began making her own cards and sold them in her father’s store. Daddy was a stationer.
The rest is history. If you really want to know all the details, go here. Fascinating stuff. Too many fun factoids to include in one essay.
Leaplings, rejoice!
Now, a little bit about Leap Year Day because it’s important, may be the answer to many a spinster’s wishes and it also falls in February.
Leap Day was introduced more than 2,000 years ago to keep the calendar year synchronized with the seasons. The Earth turns roughly 365-and-a-quarter times on its axis by the time it has completed a full year’s orbit around the sun. That means periodically the calendar has to catch up. A Leap Y
ear contains one extra day—February 29—for a total of 366 days.
Not very romantic, but it gets the job done, plus it gives people an excuse to celebrate yet another thing during dreary February.
Indeed, what is a once-in-four-years day without something special attached to it? Some countries have a tradition—quite popular, I understand—called Bachelor’s Day, which gives women the opportunity to propose marriage to men on February 29. The hitch is that if the man refuses, he has to buy the woman a dress or give her money. The European upper-crust had different consequences: If a man refused marriage, he was obliged to purchase 12 pairs of gloves for the woman.
I can see great potential in this custom for the entrepreneurial female, especially if she knows for certain the man will not accept her proposal, but only if he pays her handsomely or she gets to pick out the dress. Gloves I (er, she) can do without.
On the flip side, people in Greece considered marrying on leap day unlucky because they believed the couple would be likely to get divorced. I’ll let you in on a little secret: Greeks are overly superstitious. As I am of Greek descent, I can say this with impunity. While it is part of our charm, it can–and often does–wear thin. (But to be doubly safe, I do have an evil eye destroyer at home always at the ready.)
Those sneaky Victorians
The Victorians have a bad rep for being repressed and prudish. Nothing could be further from the truth. There is much to be said about playing coy and leaving everything to the imagination. One Victorian courting custom in particular allowed a woman to signal various emotions without making a fool of herself. Yes, a woman was allowed certain liberties: She could flirt with her fan, as this behavior was within the protocol of accepted behavior. Here are what different signals meant aka Exhibit A:
Fan fast–I am independent
Fan slow–I am engaged
Fan with right hand in front of face–Come on
Fan with left hand in front of face–Leave me
Fan open and shut–Kiss me
Fan open wide–Love
Fan half open–Friendship
Fan shut–Hate
Fan swinging–Can I see you home?
The last one implies that the woman will see the man home, a true role reversal if I ever saw one. Could it be–indeed, dare I hope–that equality among the sexes was evident at least a little bit during Victorian times?
About Wyoming High School sophomore Bryan Rosello Lizardo: “His peers describe him as someone who helps other students when the teachers are busy… dedicated, kind and a helper… He gives the greatest gift one can give. The gift of time.”
About sophomore Gabriel Pulaski: “Genuinely empathetic, this person is always a listening ear, and not just for his friends, but for anyone who might need someone just to be there.”
About junior Ryan Huizinga: “He approaches life putting others before himself, which has not gone unnoticed by his classmates.”
About junior Lexi Pearson: “One teacher said it is hard to put into words how much she has contributed to Wyoming Public Schools. Her volunteer hours have to be in the thousands.”
About senior Brendan Berg: “He exerts a quiet authority in his leadership, yet at the same time, shows great humility and respect for others.”
About senior Cindy Ochoa: “Attention must be paid to this 12th-grade recipient who exemplifies the actions of kindness by offering advice. She serves as a reminder that positivity and compassion are traits of a leader.”
Junior Ryan Huizinga celebrates with his family
An Alpha Wolf 11 has nothing to do with grades, sports or test scores, but everything to do with being kind, compassionate and gracious to each other, said Principal Nate Robrahn. These descriptions explain why six Wyoming High School students are Alpha Wolf 11 Champions of Character. Awarded at the inaugural ceremony for the new program, students wept as they were named supreme pack leaders of the Wyoming Wolves in front of an audience of staff, administrators, Board of Education members and City of Wyoming officials. U.S. History teacher John Doyle read lengthy narratives about each student before revealing them as winners.
“On a scale of 1 to 10, they’re an 11,” he told students. “It has everything to do with what you do here at Wyoming High School. This has to do with what people you are on the inside, and making us a better community inside the walls and outside this place as you spread what this is. You all here, all 1,000 of you in this gym right now, are great young people and you have the chance to make a difference.”
Putting Character First
Doyle approached Wyoming staff with the idea for Alpha Wolf 11 after his son, Ian, received a similar award through Grandville High School’s “Ryan Fischer Be an 11” program. The Grandville program is named after student and hockey player Ryan Fischer, who died of a heart condition 2014.
Doyle was so moved he wanted to bring a similar program to Wyoming. “I was just like, ‘We’ve got to do this. It is so impactful. We are going to pull this off bigger and better. We wanted to give it back to the kids and community.”
Sophomore Gabriel Pulaski reacts to being an Alpha Wolf 11
Doyle said he wants students to realize character is the most important thing in life. “We’ve got all these awards for athletics, scholarships, band, this and that. How about just the regular kids. How about kids getting an award for simply being good?”
Doyle told students that he sees great things happening. “This school, when facing adversity, just continues to impress me. I love it here. A lot of people love it here. Continue to be kind, compassionate and gracious… It will all work out.”
His voice boomed. “That’s why this school rocks. That’s why this school is a good school!”
Robrahn, who began as principal in 2013, said he’s constantly impressed with his students. In nominating each other, students wrote incredibly powerful things.
The first six Alpha Wolf 11s are honored on the gymnasium wall
“These are the nicest kids, the kindest kids I’ve had in my career,” he said. “That’s the piece we want for kids. All the academic content is important, but if we can help kids take care of each other, it’s a better world we live in.”
Six students, two from each grade at the 10th through 12th-grade building, will be named Alpha Wolf 11s each semester.
Be sure to check out School News Network for more stories about our great students, schools, and faculty in West Michigan!
Two decades ago, millions of readers worldwide thrilled to the story told in the international bestseller Not Without My Daughter—subsequently made into a film starring Sally Field—that told of an American mother and her six-year-old child’s daring escape from an abusive and tyrannical Iranian husband and father. Now the daughter returns to tell the whole story, not only of that imprisonment and escape but of life after fleeing Tehran: living in fear of re-abduction, enduring recurring nightmares and panic attacks, attending school under a false name, battling life-threatening illness—all under the menacing shadow of her father.
This is the story of an extraordinary young woman’s triumph over life-crushing trauma to build a life of peace and forgiveness. Taking readers from Michigan to Iran and from Ankara, Turkey, to Paris, France, My Name Is Mahtob depicts the profound resilience of a wounded soul healed by faith in God’s goodness and in his care and love. And Mahmoody reveals the secret of how she liberated herself from a life of fear, learning to forgive the father who had shattered her life and discovering joy and peace that comes from doing so.
Godwin Heights High School senior Cameron Gray overheard a classmate telling Kent School Services Network community coordinator Duane Bacchus that he needed new shoes. Cameron stepped up, offering a brand-new pair of Nikes he had at home.
That kind of compassion is what Bacchus sees all the time in his job. While Cameron’s gift came unexpectedly, Bacchus regularly links students with resources they need, from glasses to clothing to food and housing needs, even mental health services. He also acts as a sounding board for students who are stressed, depressed or struggling with a problem at school or home.
“This room is sacred,” he said, of his office located in the school’s media center. Students popped in and out on a recent Monday morning. One wanted a letter of recommendation. Many just wanted to talk.
“I have a very strong open-door policy. You are welcome anytime in this room,” Bacchus tells his students. “A lot of the time it will be just kids stopping in to say, ‘Mr. B, today is crazy.'”
But sometimes it’s more serious.
“At the high school level, you definitely have the behavioral and mental health component that’s way more prominent,” Bacchus said.
The high school in September implemented the KSSN model, which includes Bacchus and site clinician Rob Conrad, to serve as a school-community link. It is funded by way of a $250,000 three-year Steelcase grant. Specific points of focus are attendance, reducing discipline referrals and suspensions, Principal Chad Conklin said.
“One of the main impacts we’ve had so far is just the opportunity to refer students and their families to services,” Conklin said. “That’s a huge impact for our students.”
Many Godwin Heights students have received new glasses through connections made by Kent School Services Network
KSSN, a countywide program, brings social and medical services to students’ schools and homes. It is run through a partnership with local districts and Kent ISD. North Godwin Elementary is also a KSSN school, along with more than 30 others in Kent County.
Most resources come from local churches, organizations, clinics and businesses. It’s Bacchus’ job to connect students with resources, and Conrad, a licensed social worker, links them to health-care organizations, doctors and counselors.
Someone to Talk To
Though he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Inter-American University in Puerto Rico, Bacchus’ career took a turn toward education after he and his wife had triplets. He worked as an intervention specialist at the high school for three years before the KSSN role became available. “I already had many great relationships here,” he said. “I wanted to maintain those relationship with kids.”
Much of Bacchus’ time is spent just talking to students who open up about stress in academics and social life. He teaches coping skills and refers them to Conrad if they need outside evaluation.
“This is the most stressed-out demographic,” Bacchus said of teenagers. “There are so many pressures, and social media makes it 10 times worse. You have societal pressures. They are coming from low-income, poverty-stricken areas…They just don’t know how to cope with all these pressures.”
Senior Romeo Edelen said Bacchus “knows how to talk to kids… He makes them feel comfortable. If they have a problem, he’s easy to come to.”
Added senior Carlos Martinez: “Students are always in here if they have an issue. I come in here when I get pissed off. He’s the teacher almost every student likes.”
If a student needs more, Bacchus refers them to Conrad.
“There’s a lot of anxiety and depression, stress over school and friends, and home life is tough,” Conrad said. “There are body image issues like anorexia and bulimia and self-harm.” After determining the level of care needed, Conrad refers them to counselors and other healthcare services.
Creating Lasting Links
A big mistake is to dismiss outside circumstances in students’ academics, Bacchus said. That’s why wrap-around services like KSSN are so important.
Senior Cameron Gray donated shoes to a classmate
“I’m so passionate about the KSSN model,” Bacchus said. ” One of the biggest mistakes we’ve made our in education system over the years is to separate what happens in these four walls and cut it out of what happens in everything else. It’s so connected.
“I truly believe in the product. I truly believe in what we are trying to do here.”
Bacchus works to create resources unique to Godwin, tapping into community agencies and organizations. A native of the U.S. Virgin Islands who has also lived in Puerto Rico, he also helps the districts’ high number of Spanish-speaking students and their families with communication needs. He plans to add a room for parents who speak English as a second language to help them stay abreast of their children’s academics.
Being part of Godwin has revealed to Bacchus the amazing love and energy in the district, he said.
“The heart of these kids is just amazing,” Bacchus said. “These kids are constantly thinking about how they can help each other. They see themselves as a family in many ways.”
Be sure to check out School News Network for more stories about our great students, schools, and faculty in West Michigan!
An Alpha Wolf is someone who stands out from the pack in everything they do. Not only is the Alpha Wolf a power by themselves, but they’re at their strongest when they can impact others. An Alpha Wolf is always proactive in helping others and strives to set the standard for those around them. On a scale of 1 to 10, the Alpha Wolf is an 11 in everything they do.
This Thursday – January 28 – for the first time, Wyoming High School will be honoring six students in an assembly as ‘Alpha Wolf 11 Champions of Character’ for their exemplary character inside the school walls. Every student is eligible for the award.
The award recognizes students for character and treating others with kindness and compassion at Wyoming High School. Being an Alpha Wolf 11 has nothing to do with what a student does in extracurriculars after school, but instead focuses on what they do during school hours, as people, to make the school a better place.
Wyoming High School faculty, support staff and administration all have a say in selecting six students, two from the sophomore, junior, and senior classes, to honor with the award. During the ceremony, the six winners will be introduced with a personal description of why they were selected. A banner will then be revealed in the gymnasium recognizing the Alpha Wolf 11 Champion of Character winners.
The Alpha Wolf 11 Champion of Character award will be presented in front of the entire student body, special guests from the Wyoming community, school administration, and the Wyoming Board of Education Members in a ceremony at the end of each school semester. A special guest speaker will be there to commemorate the event.
Not only will the students be given recognition in front of their peers and school administrators, but each student will receive a framed Alpha Wolf 11 Champion of Character certificate, lanyard, and their name placed on two large banners that will be displayed in the gymnasium and near the main office entrance of the building.
It’s a way for students to be celebrated for the little things they do to make a school environment friendly and something fun to be a part of. When the world asks for a 10, step up and give an 11.
WKTV will carry full video coverage of the assembly.
Taking the PSAT left Kent Innovation High School sophomore Anna DeBraber feeling stressed, frustrated and as if the years of work in class and the community didn’t matter.
She became so emotional about it that she created a 7-minute Facebook video to vent her concerns. Her score doesn’t reflect the real-world skills she’s developing at the non-traditional school where she gets to focus on group projects and presentations for a professional audience, she said.
“I’ve been thinking for a long time and seeing the effects testing has on the schools I’ve been to and schools around me,” she said, noting that the high school she previously attended was very ACT-focused.
The PSAT left her feeling that U.S. education has become very superficial, she said. “It gave a sort of sense that this test score, whatever you got, purely demonstrated everything you’ve done in your four or six years of upper education. It was the end all, be all. ‘Here is what you’re worth.'”
Anna’s perspective sheds light on what students face in U.S. classrooms, where they take an average of 112 state-mandated tests during their K-12 education, and high-stakes consequences are impacting them, their teachers and schools, said Bob Schaeffer, public eduction director for the The National Center for Fair and Open Testing (FairTest), based in Massachusetts.
Schaefer and other educators believe it’s time for change.
Tests, Tests, Tests
Those words carry a weight much greater than they once did. Fifteen years ago, when Godfrey-Lee Public Schools Superintendent David Britten was principal at a fifth-and-sixth-grade school in Wayland, he and his staff used standardized test data to find patterns and to set goals.
The tests provided information, but weren’t tied to rewards or penalties. “They were not high-stakes tests by any means,” he said.
Now it’s a different story. Discussion on schools — whether affluent or poor, urban or suburban, traditional or non-traditional — quickly circles back to testing.
The U.S. upped the ante for schools, beginning with the No Child Left Behind era of the Bush administration and continuing through the Race to the Top initiatives started during Barack Obama’s first term. Scrambling to grab national incentives and avoid penalties, states have created their own ranking systems and penalties.
“I don’t have a problem with standards and accountability at all,” Britten said. “It’s this belief that putting all our nickels on the table for a once-a-year assessment like this causes us to narrow the curriculum and teach only at service level. We need to dig deeper.”
A high percentage of teachers’ evaluations are determined by testing. Schools are ranked according to scores. Students are drilled from an early age on what will be on a test, whether it’s the upcoming state assessment or the SAT, and they’ve learned to prioritize tests over other things.
Curriculum has been modified to align with the tests. Teachers are afraid to take risks and try different ways of teaching, Britten said.
“We’ve tried in the past to teach more on an interdisciplinary scale or project-based learning approach. Teachers feel that if they can’t cover the content they are going to be the ones on the carpet for how the kids perform, so they are afraid.”
Britten said there’s no doubt the testing shed light on gaps in learning and the inequity present in low-income urban schools, but it’s had negative effects which have affected teachers, students and the quality of content being delivered. With most of the focus on math and reading, science and social studies have often been set on the back-burner.
“It’s created an environment where people feel they are being solely evaluated as an organization and individuals based on one test a year,” Britten said. “You see when you walk in classrooms the sense of urgency to get things done by the end of the bell, to cover it all and hope the students retain it. The pressure is on them to make sure the test is aligned with what the state mandates.”
That urgency is misplaced for reasons greater than getting everything covered. There is research that indicates that a student’s emotional intelligence is a better predictor of future success than standardized test scores, said Northview Public Schools Superintendent Scott Korpak.
“This isn’t to say that standardized tests don’t have a place in a student’s education. They do. But they are not the primary indicator. An analogy would be of a well-balanced meal. Every part of the meal is necessary for proper nutrition. Just like our students need to be safe, physically and emotionally healthy, engaged, supported and challenged,” Korpak said.
There’s another thing to consider as well, a fact that doesn’t always make it into discussions. “I think a lot of our legislators have been sold a bill of goods by the big testing conglomerates like Pearson and others who have made billions off this test market since 2002,” Britten said.
U.S. students will take an average of 112 state-mandated tests during their K-12 education
Curriculum Dictated by The Test
Cedar Springs High School teacher Larry Reyburn is concerned that schools aren’t meeting the needs of all students. “There’s a portion of our student population we aren’t serving very well: the top and the bottom,” he said.
A long-time biology and agriscience teacher, Reyburn said students would be much better served if education was tailored to their individual needs, different from one student to the next
“We throw them together and give them all the same test,” he said. “We are so focused on getting kids ready to take the SAT and MME (which all juniors have to take) that it’s distracting…We seem to be giving up more and more of our autonomy at greater levels concerning what is being taught at Cedar Springs High School.”
Also the school’s Future Farmers of America advisor, Reyburn teaches students to grow food, tap trees and cultivate a community garden, things that are hands-on and real-world. He wants all of them to know about global issues regarding food and agriculture, and to be able to thrive in a professional environment, adapt to change, work with people, solve problems and figure things out.
“To a point, you have to teach to the standardized tests. It dictates a lot of what you spend time on. You spend a lot of time aligning things to the test,” he said.
Are Things Starting to Shift?
There are some indicators that education is beginning to lessen its intense focus on testing.
The Obama administration recently said schools need to minimize time spent on testing. New Michigan State Superintendent Brian Whiston has said he wants to cut down on the amount of time schools spend on taking standardized tests, and discussions have centered around dropping the M-STEP in lieu of a type of test educators feel is more valuable in helping students in the classroom. M-STEP results, like its predecessor MEAP, are not available until the next school year. The Michigan Department of Education recently modified its schedule for the M-STEP test to reduce the number of hours spent on the test taking and preparation.
“We have to have multiple measures and we need to change to a growth model,” Whiston said at a fall retreat for Kent ISD superintendents. “Where did I as a teacher get a student at any grade level, and where did I take them? That’s where the conversation needs to be.”
He said teachers need to assess every day how students are learning.
“And certainly, when we spend $13-$14 billion on education, we have a right to see if we’re getting value for that investment. But that assessment has to make sense, and it has to be multiple measures, not just one test, one day.”
Korpak agreed that tests like Measure of Academic Progress (MAP), administered through the Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA), provide better data for schools. “This test provides almost immediate feedback, and provides information to the student, their family and the teacher,” he said. “With this option, it makes me wonder why the state of Michigan has to develop their own test, the M-STEP.”
State Rep. Thomas Hooker (R-Wyoming, Byron Center) a former Byron Center High School teacher, echoed Reyburn’s thoughts.
“I think we are putting way to much emphasis on testing,” he said, noting that standardized test don’t take into account children with different needs. “The amount of hours we are taking the kids out of the classroom to test is a problem as well.”
Also, No Child Left Behind was replaced in December when Obama signed The Every Student Succeeds Act, which loosens the federal grip on education. Under the law, schools are still required to assess students annually, but there is added focus on college- and career-ready standards. It puts assessment of student performance and school rankings into the hands of the state and is based on multiple measures. Interventions for schools in the bottom five percent will also be identified and developed by the state with dedicated funding for the lowest-performing schools.
In terms of evaluating teachers, a Michigan bill passed in November, Senate Bill 103, creates new standards to evaluate teachers and administrators. Districts will have to weigh many factors, including student-growth data based on state and local tests and in-classroom observation of teachers. Though 40 percent of the evaluations will be based on state and local tests, that is down from 50 percent.
Sophomore Anna DeBraber created a video to vent about her concerns with standardized testing
‘Make School More Meaningful’
Anna, the frustrated Kent Innovation High student, would like to see an education system where students can excel at what they love and become more than just good test-takers. She wants all students to be able to develop skills not recognizable through bubble tests.
“Overall, I think it should be recognized that students aren’t all the same based on the year they were born. They have individual skills that aren’t necessarily measured by the test,” she said. “If people don’t feel so boxed in, if they feel more passionate about their education, they will take the opportunity to learn more, We don’t have an environment right now where that’s the case.”
She said she likes Kent Innovation High, where she feels she is learning skills she will use in her career. “There’s a real-world audience and a way to connect with the world. It makes the work more meaningful.”
Anna thinks the state needs to recognize the individuality of every child and create diversity in learning. “One size doesn’t fit all.”
SNN Reporter Charles Honey contributed to this article.
Be sure to check out School News Network for more stories about our great students, schools, and faculty in West Michigan!
Who knew Kindergarten has a history? Revolutionary German methods for teaching young children were adopted in Grand Rapids when members of the Ladies Literary Club (LLC) founded a Kindergarten Training School in 1894. The Froebel Foundation’s Scott Bultman will use his vast collection of photographs and documents to report on how LLC women lured the country’s best teacher here from Chicago and how the daughter of Grand Rapids’ first architect devoted her life to the movement.
Kindergarten became both a calling and a career opportunity for local women from varied socio-economic levels and racial backgrounds. Built by dedicated women reformers and philanthropists nationwide, the movement spawned settlement houses and the YWCA, as well as temperance and suffrage initiatives. Grand Rapids’ fascinating story will illustrate the overall national history.
History Detectives will be held from 9:30 am-4 pm. “Kindergarten and ‘Radical’ Women in 1890s Grand Rapids” by Scott Bultman kicks off the day at 9:30 am. Sponsored by the Greater Grand Rapids Women’s History Council, this event is FREE.
Other session topics include:
Kindergarten and “Radical” Women in 1890s Grand Rapids
When “Everyone Knew Everyone”: Forming a Latino Community in Mid-Century West Michigan
Retail Icons: Shopping Downtown in 1950s Grand Rapids
New-Car Smell: Nostalgia and the Story of Grand Rapids Car Dealerships
Modern Design Leader: The Story Behind Herman Miller
The Intoxicating History of River City Brewing
Each session will last 45 minutes and will be presented by a local author or historian. From 4:30-6 pm participants are invited to an after-party at Mitten Brewing Company to talk about the day over a beer or two.
*Limited Seating – Space is limited and seating is offered first come, first served.There will be an overflow room available with a simulcast video presentation. History Detectives will be held from 9:30 am-4 pm on Saturday, January 23 in the Ryerson Auditorium at the Grand Rapids Public Library, 111 Library St. NE. The program is free and open to the public. For more information, call 616.988.5400 or visit our website at www.grpl.org. The Grand Rapids Public Library connects people to the transforming power of knowledge. Click here for a brochure.
Partnering organizations for the day include the Grand Rapids Historical Society, the Grand Rapids Historical Commission, the Western Michigan Genealogical Society, the Grand Rapids Public Museum, the Kutsche Office of Local History at GVSU and the Greater Grand Rapids Women’s History Council. A box lunch is available for $10 and must be ordered in advance by calling 616.988.5492 or by emailing rsvp@grpl.org.
By the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (with a little help from Victoria Mullen)
Hey! Happy New Year, Grand Rapids! We start out the year by making it onto yet another top-20 list, but this one’s nothing to brag about. According to the Huffington Post, Grand Rapids ranked 19th among the 20 cities most likely to experience the worst cold and flu season in 2016.
Great job, guys. Way to go. (Well, at least we weren’t #1 but still, among millions of cities, coming in at 19th?)
Both dreaded and dreadful, flu season can begin as early as October, but most of the time it peaks between December and February. Sometimes it can last as late as May. That’s what the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) say, and they’re the experts.
Wash your hands!
Suffice it to say that the exact timing and duration of each flu season varies. About half of the U.S. population gets a flu shot each year, but those nasty little viruses can still pack a punch. Flu is responsible for nearly 17 million lost workdays and costs the U.S. more than $87 billion annually. Tens of thousands of people get sick enough to be hospitalized, and thousands die from flu-related illnesses each year in the U.S.
Children are the most likely to become infected with flu, and children younger than five years of age are among those who are at high risk of serious flu complications.
Think about that the next time you go to hug your sweet little petri dish.
How to spread the flu
It’s easy! Just cough, sneeze or merely talk, and those nasty viruses will spread through itty-bitty, teeny-tiny little droplets. Flu also spreads when people touch something with the virus on it and then touch their nose, mouth or eyes.
Here’s the thing: if you’re infected with flu, you can infect others beginning one day before symptoms develop and up to 5-7 days after becoming sick. That’s right, you can spread the flu to someone else before you even know you’re sick (in addition to doing so while you are sick).
Young children, people who are very ill and those with severely compromised immune systems can infect others for longer than 5-7 days.
We needn’t go this far… unless there’s a pandemic.
Symptoms of the flu
How do you know you have the flu? Uh, you’ll feel lousy. Specifically, you may have:
– Fever or feeling feverish (note that not everyone with flu will have a fever)
– Chills
– Cough
– Sore throat
– Runny or stuffy nose
– Muscle or body aches
– Headache
– Fatigue
– Some people may have vomiting and diarrhea, but this is more common in children than in adults
Most people will recover in a few days to less than two weeks, but some may develop complications (such as pneumonia, bronchitis, sinus and ear infections) as a result of the flu, some of which can be life-threatening and even deadly.
The flu can make chronic health problems worse. For example, people with asthma may experience asthma attacks while they have the flu, and people with chronic congestive heart failure may experience worsening of this condition that is triggered by the flu.
When to go to the emergency room:
In children
– Fast breathing or trouble breathing
– Bluish skin color
– Not drinking enough fluids
– Not waking up or not interacting
– Being so irritable that the child does not want to be held
– Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough
– Fever with a rash
In adults
– Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
– Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen
– Sudden dizziness
– Confusion
– Severe or persistent vomiting
– Flu-like symptoms that improve but then return with fever and worse cough
In addition to the signs above, get medical help right away for any infant who has any of these signs:
– Being unable to eat
– Has trouble breathing
– Has no tears when crying
– Significantly fewer wet diapers than normal
Isn’t it pretty? Looks like an art project, but it’s not.
The best way to prevent flu
Get your annual flu shot every fall, say the CDC. Their statistics show that during the 2012-2013 flu season, an estimated 45 percent of the U.S. population got vaccinated and helped to prevent an estimated 6.6 million flu-related illnesses, 3.2 million flu-related mediation visits and 79,000 hospitalizations. (How they came up with these numbers is a mystery, but there you have it.)
People at high risk (such as children younger than 2 years, adults 65 and older, pregnant women, people who have medical conditions) or are very sick (such as those hospitalized because of flu) should get antiviral drugs
The flu vaccine protects against several different flu viruses, providing protection all season long. Flu viruses can change from season to season and immunity declines over time so it is important to get vaccinated each year.
CDC plays a major role in deciding which flu viruses the annual flu vaccine will protect against, so be nice to them.
How to protect yourself from the flu:
Stay away from sick people (not a problem for introverts) and don’t be offended when they stay away from you when you’re sick (tit for tat)
Wash your hands to reduce the spread of germs
If you or your kid is sick with flu, stay home from work or school at least 24 hours after the fever is gone to prevent spreading flu to others (one exception: you may go out to get medical care or for necessities but keep your distance from others). No cheating: The fever should be gone without the use of a fever-reducing medicine.
Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze and throw the tissue in the trash after you use it
Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth (germs love to spread this way)
Clean and disinfect surfaces and objects that may be contaminated with germs (such as doorknobs, phones, and computer keyboards/iPads, you get the idea)
If you begin to feel sick while at work, go home as soon as possible
Follow public health advice, which may include information about how to increase distance between people and other measures. (I would think that if we ever reach this point, it wouldn’t hurt to wear a necklace of garlic.)
Fun Fact:
The title of ‘peak month of flu activity’ is bestowed upon the month with the highest percentage of respiratory specimens testing positive for influenza virus infection. February is typically the top peak month, so happy birthday out there to all you Aquarians!
For more information, visit www.cdc.gov, or call 1-800-CDC-INFO.
Here’s an eye-popping number for you: 1.3 trillion dollars. That’s higher than America’s car loans and credit card debt combined. It’s also the amount of student debt in this country–student loans comprise the second-highest form of consumer debt in America. No wonder student debt is raising waves in the community and rising higher of politician’s priority lists.
Today, in a morning conference call, U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow initiated the #InTheRed campaign with Michigan State University student Tina Reyes to raise awareness of the staggering burden of student loan debt for college graduates and the need to focus on college affordability.
“Too many people in Michigan are saddled with decades of debt just because they wanted a fair shot to go to college and get ahead,” said Senator Stabenow. “Making college affordable will improve the lives of millions of Americans and boost our economy by giving graduates the ability to spend their money on a home, a car, and the needs of their families.”
The #InTheRed campaign is focused not only raising awareness of college debt, but also addressing the problem. Senator Stabenow introduced the proposals intended to curb the problem of student debt and to lessen the burden of being #InTheRed.
• Allow all federal student loan borrowers to refinance their high-interest loans down to the rates offered to new federal bowers in the 2013-2014 school year (3.86%)
• Index Pell Grant awards to adjust for inflation
• Create new partnerships among the federal government, states, and Indian tribes to help them waive resident tuition in two years of community and technical college programs for eligible students
The costs for these proposals, including the $120 billion needed over 10 years to cover the costs of community college and technical school, would be covered by closing corporate tax loopholes.
For students like Tina Reyes, a senior majoring in political science and public policy, the focus on the student debt problem is a long time coming and a beacon of hope for thousands of students burdened in debt.
“I am a first generation college student from Flint, Michigan, and without federal and private student loans I would not be able to attend Michigan State University,” explained Tina. “Even working multiple jobs, I am concerned about how I will be able to pay my student loan bills which will arrive within a year after my graduation.”
While shouldering a full class load at school, Tina has continually worked 30-40 hours a week to help cover her expenses. However, she will still graduate this upcoming spring with $100,000 in student loans, before interest.
“I support the #InTheRed campaign because it will shed light on how much student loan debt students like me will be struggling to pay,” Tina further added. “A lower interest rate on loans would mean thousands of dollars, and not only for me, but for other people as well.”
Currently, Michigan ranks ninth in the country on average student loan debt. 62 percent of students in Michigan graduate with student loan debt. A student who graduated from a 4-year Michigan college or university in 2014 owes almost $30,000 in loans on average.
The student debt bubble will continue to grow unless something is done. The #InTheRed campaign is striving for just that, “There’s been a fundamental lack of investment from both state and federal levels,” exclaimed Stabenow. “We haven’t seen a bipartisan support to address the problem and refocus on education. We hope there is bipartisan support for the #InTheRed campaign and that higher education sees the reinvestment it desperately needs.”
January is Cervical Cancer Awareness Month and serves as a reminder to all women to talk with their physician about the risks of developing cervical cancer, what causes it, and what they can do to prevent it.
According to the American Cancer Society, in 2016 an estimated 12,990 women in the U.S. will be diagnosed with cervical cancer and 4,120 will die from the disease. With access to vaccination and regular screening, most of these cases could be prevented.
The death rate from cervical cancer, which was once one of the most common causes of cancer death for American women, has dropped by more than 50 percent over the past 30 years, thanks in large part to screening with the Pap test.
“The majority of cervical cancer cases in the U.S. could be prevented with HPV (human papillomavirus) vaccines, which have been recommended for a decade,” said Richard C. Wender, M.D., chief cancer control officer for the American Cancer Society. “In fact, about 90 percent of all cervical cancers could be prevented with screening and HPV vaccination.”
According to Dr. Wender, despite the enormous potential to reduce suffering and death from cervical cancer, millions of women who should be screened are not getting screened. The HPV vaccination rate among youth has been widely underutilized.
The American Cancer Society recommends the HPV vaccine to be given to girls ages 11 to 12. Cervical cancer screening with a Pap test should start at age 21. Women between the ages of 21 and 29 should have a Pap test every three years. Women aged 30 to 65 should have an HPV test with a Pap test every five years. Another option is to have just a Pap test every three years. Women over 65 years who have had regular screening with normal results should not be screened. Women who get the HPV vaccine still need to get regular screening for cervical cancer.
Uninsured women or those without a regular health care provider are significantly less likely to receive cervical cancer screening. Still, studies show about seven in 10 women who had not been screened in the previous five years had a regular doctor and health insurance.
“Cancer is a disease that can affect anyone, but it does not affect everyone equally,” said Dr. Wender. “Statistics show that some minority populations and people who lack health insurance are more likely to develop cancer – and die from it – than the general U.S. population. The opportunity to prevent death and suffering from cervical cancer is real. Screening can find changes in the cervix before they turn into cancer, and vaccination can prevent most cervical cancers. If we can apply what we know today, it is possible we may see a day when cervical cancer is virtually eliminated.”
For more information, call the American Cancer Society at 800-227-2345 or visit cancer.org.
Punxsutawyney Phil isn’t the only one who will emerge with great expectations on Groundhog Day.*
On February 2nd, area high school students will participate in Groundhog Shadow Day 2016 (#GSD16), an event that allows young people to follow (aka ‘shadow’) professional mentors at a number of local workplaces.
Sponsored by Kent Intermediate School District (Kent ISD) Career Readiness, students will get an overview of their selected company’s industry, the day-to-day operations of specific departments, positions available and requirements for successful employment, such as level of education, career pathways and the like.
“The event gives students the opportunity to ‘pull back the curtain’ on the world of work and to experience ‘a day in the life’ at a job that interests them,” said Amy Pierce, Kent ISD Career Exploration Coordinator – Engineering, Advanced Manufacturing, and Construction, who spearheads the event. “Last year 143 students participated; this year we are poised to have 269 students at 45 companies mentoring under 136 community members.”
In 2015, 87.5% of participating students said that the event increased their understanding of career options. Some found that they are already on the right track to pursue the career field that they shadowed. Many made connections that they believe will prove beneficial later on.
“My career aspirations were further strengthened, and I am more confident about how I will go about pursuing these goals,” said one student.
“I learned that my career field is very team based, which I
like,” said another.
A third student replied, “I really like how ‘real’ it was. It wasn’t like the TV shows that center around a profession; this was a real-life experience.”
This year, students will explore such fields as Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources; Architecture and Construction; Arts, A/V Technology and Communications; Marketing; Finance; Health Sciences; Engineering; Business Management and Administration and many more.
“The aim is to help students make educated decisions as they contemplate their post-secondary career and academic choices,” said Pierce.
There will be opportunities to interact with a variety of professionals with different levels of responsibility, education and experience, and students may engage in a hands-on activity or demonstration that reflects the skills needed in that sector. Also on the docket is a preview of current or recent projects so that the students can understand some of the potential work demands required.
Participating organizations and businesses include John Ball Zoo, Spectrum Health, Erhardt Construction, FOX 17, City of Grand Rapids; Grand Rapids Opportunities for Women (GROW), Resurrection Life Church, Priority Health, Grandville Public Schools, Grand Rapids Urban League, West Michigan Flight Academy, Amway, Steelcase and others.
*You know the drill: Each year on February 2, Phil emerges from his temporary home on Gobbler’s Knob, located in a rural area about 2 miles (3.2 km) east of the town of Punxsutawyney (do not ask me how to pronounce that). According to tradition, if Phil sees his shadow and returns to his hole, he has predicted six more weeks of winter-like weather. (What is not clear is what happens if Phil does not return to his hole.) However, if Phil does not see his shadow, he has predicted an “early spring.” The date of Phil’s prognostication is known as Groundhog Day in the United States and Canada, and has been celebrated since 1887. Source.
It’s win-win, kids. Hidden in the fabric of the lore is the fact that the first day of spring is March 20, which is nearly eight weeks from February 2. So, people complaining about Phil seeing his shadow should just chill. If he sees his shadow, spring is still early by nearly two weeks. If he doesn’t see his shadow, we’ll have an early spring, although just how early is not specified. Even Phil has his limits.
Hidden Pain: Bringing Youth Mental Health Out of the Shadows is a series on students’ mental health, the sources of their distress, and how schools and communities can help. Photos from School News Network
For students battling anxiety and depression, sometimes the greatest stress comes from seeking success.
In today’s culture of high-stakes testing, high-cost college and all-everything excellence, getting anything less than an A on an exam can push a student’s panic button. So say local students who work to help their peers suffering from mental-health issues.
“A lot of people feel pressure to be the best – that all-star student, athlete, child,” said Bri Houle, a senior at Rockford High School, where 21.5 percent of her classmates have 3.9 grade-point averages or higher. Even though she is a trained peer listener for students having problems, she admits she puts some of that pressure on herself at test time, causing her anxiety.
“If I got a B, my mom would be like, ‘That’s great, that’s fine, it’s just one test,’” Bri added. “But I can’t physically, mentally be OK with that.”
Lucas Buck sees similar anxieties at Grandville High School: students putting pressure on themselves because of test stress, worries about college and careers and balancing their busy schedules. The Grandville senior also sees pressure on his generation coming from social media and hyper-vigilant parents.
“One friend got a B on an AP calculus test and she freaked out,” said Lucas, president of the City of Wyoming Teen Council, which works to get students involved in their communities. Helping students deal with anxiety and depression is a priority for the group this year.
From these student leaders’ perspectives, the relentless push to excel is a major challenge to many students’ mental well-being. But they say problems at home or with their friends, feelings of social isolation and the invasive power of social media also pile onto students’ daily lives, leading some to depression, self-harm and suicidal thoughts.
Students Helping Students
Bri Houle and Nick Ignatoski head a group trained to listen to and support students with their problems.
That’s why Lucas, Bri and other students are involved in student organizations that reach out to classmates who need extra support – and, increasingly, professional counseling.
“It’s a huge issue for us,” said Nick Ignatoski, co-president with Bri of a student advisory board for Rockford Public Schools’ Developing Healthy Kids program. “One is too many – one suicide or one person with a mental-health issue is too many. If we can find that one person, that’s our goal.”
Students are pursuing that goal along with school counselors, administrators and agency therapists who say they’re seeing a rise in student mental-health problems. As part of SNN’s continuing series on the issue, educators say they’re making more referrals to mental-health agencies, some of which have had to add beds for teens and children.
Interviews with students in Rockford, Grandville and Wyoming show they share their school administrators’ concerns about the trend – and are trying to do something about it.
At Rockford High School, Bri and Nick are part of a Peer Listeners group trained to meet with students having problems, and refer them to counselors if necessary. They also serve as advisers to the district’s Developing Healthy Kids series, which focuses largely on mental health. At the next public assembly on Jan. 19, students will talk about their pressures and preoccupations, while a therapist will discuss how teen minds work.
So far this school year, 19 students have had meetings with Peer Listeners, who fill out feedback forms about the encounters. Many of those have documented students struggling with depression, said school counselor Sarah Young.
Fitting In, Standing Out
Some of the problems that Young and the Peer Listeners see derive from being in a big school of about 2,000 students. That can breed a sense of isolation in some students, or unintentionally leave a new student sitting by herself at lunch, Young said.
“Especially at a place this big, it’s hard to make a name for yourself or stand out,” said Nick, who competes in baseball and plans to study bio-engineering at Michigan State University. “Students try so hard to do that, whatever they can to find that spot. I think sometimes that is too much.”
This is in a school culture that prides itself on excellence – where “mediocrity is not OK,” as Young put it, and where many students compete to be the top academic achievers. Further, social media can add another kind of competition waged on students’ smartphones.
“Some people definitely care how many ‘likes’ they get on things or ‘favorites’ compared to their peers,” Bri said. “If they don’t get a certain amount of ‘likes’ on Instagram within a certain time, they’ll take it down.”
Worse are subtle forms of cyberbullying. A popular one is “sub-tweeting,” where students post mean messages on Twitter about another student’s tweet, but without naming the person. For the target of the sub-tweet, it can be embarrassing or humiliating.
Bri insisted she doesn’t dwell on her social-media popularity.
“I have my select group of friends,” said Bri, a lacrosse player who plans to study athletic training in college. “What do I care if somebody else doesn’t like the picture I posted?”
Taking Its Toll
At Grandville High School, Lucas Buck said the toll mental-health issues take on students can affect their whole outlook.
Grandville senior Lucas Buck is president of a teen council concerned about student mental health.
“It’s an important subject because someone’s mental health can really dictate how their life is and how they see the world,” Lucas said.
It’s one of his prime concerns as president of the Teen Council. The group partnered earlier this year with the Wyoming Community Foundation’s Youth Advisory Committee to survey Grandville, Wyoming, Kelloggsville and other area high school students about concerns facing teenagers today. One of the biggest was mental health.
Teen Council members plan to choose a cause this year to help students with anxiety, depression and other concerns. Last year, members participated in a three-week Mental Health Series at Wyoming Junior High School to link families with resources and get students involved with positive activities.
“Depression is a big problem at our school,” said Wyoming High School senior Candice McKenzie, a Teen Council member.
She’s also noticed students with tendencies to self-harm — cutting their skin — since she was in middle school. Some hide the cuts and others call attention to them, she said.
Candice said teens face myriad problems in their home lives and get caught up in portraying an unrealistic image glorified by the media. Social media interactions only compound that pressure.
Lucas said there’s still stigma behind getting help for mental illness, but programs like the Be Nice campaign, which is very active in Grandville, are making a difference. Be Nice, started by the Mental Health Foundation of West Michigan, educates people about mental well-being, anti-bullying and the importance of treating others with civility.
Student Support is Key
Candice McKenzie says depression is a big problem among her Wyoming High School classmates.
Rockford also has programs in place to support students and spot bullying, such as the OK2SAY state reporting system. It also offers a broad range of clubs and activities, from a Gay Straight Alliance to a women’s empowerment club. These can help students find friends and motivation for school, Bri and Nick say.
Above all, students need involvement – and other students to care about them – in order to feel good about themselves, Nick said.
“Everybody’s different, so it might be a two-person club,” he added. “But if those people are good support for each other, then that’s perfect.”
Karsten Creightney, ‘Crossroads’ 2010. Collage, water, acrylic, oil and wax on wood panel. Flint Institute of Arts
By Victoria Mullen
Treat yourself to a visual feast! Common Ground, an amazing exhibition of African American art, is a collaborative effort between the Flint Institute of Arts, the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts, and the Muskegon Museum of Art. The exhibition showcases the best of each museum’s renowned collections of African American works dating from the 19th century to the present–60 paintings, sculpture, and works on paper that chronicle a cultural history of nearly 200 years.
Five thematic areas—Examining Identities, New Self-Awareness, Towards Abstraction, Gaining Access and Political and Social Expressions—give a broad overview of African American art history from the talent and determination of the earliest artists to internationally acclaimed work by leading contemporary artists.
Charles Henry Alston, ‘Untitled (Couple)’ 1945-50. Oil on canvas. Kalamazoo Institute of Arts
Artists represented include Charles White, Elizabeth Catlett, Henry Ossawa Tanner and Jacob Lawrence. Works by Michigan artists are included as well, among them Richard Hunt, Senghor Reid, Hughie Lee-Smith and Charles McGee.
The Muskegon Museum of Art is located at 296 W. Webster Ave., in downtown Muskegon. Hours are Sunday 12-5pm, Tuesday through Saturday 11am-5pm, Thursday 11am-8pm, closed Mondays.
General admission: $8 adult, $5 adult student with I.D, free for ages 17 and under and for MMA members. Free admission Thursdays, from 4pm to 8pm only, compliments of Meijer. More visitor information may be found here.
Games were getting heated in the Wyoming Intermediate School classroom. Ace and king battles popped up in the card game, War; jacks were smacked silly in Slapjack and things got a little wild in Crazy Eights.
It was cards day in Game Club at the fifth- and sixth-grade school. Sixth-grader Eric Moras and fifth-grader Thomas Austin took turns laying down their cards, gasping at a war of aces. “I joined because I wanted to relax after the school day,” Thomas said.
Red Rover, Twister, birthday-game relays, Scrabble and Hungry, Hungry Hippos are just a few of the games a dozen students are playing. The weekly hour-long club was started by school counselor Christine Karas.
In the techie world of video games and social media, Karas wanted to introduce students to the beloved time-worn games generations before them enjoyed.
Fifth-grader Thomas Austin and sixth-grader Eric Moras play war
“Kids don’t interact with each other as much as they used to,” she said. “There’s a lot to be said for working together and having good, old-fashioned fun.”
After passing out a deck of cards for each student to bring home to play with their families, she explained her other motive in running the club. “Kids are having fun without realizing they are learning important skills because, with games, you are in a position that you have to use those skills.”
Karas was referring to the character-building skills she helps instill in students every day when they come to her office struggling with a range of personal issues. Games require students to take turns, learn to be good winners or losers, be patient, face frustration, problem-solve and take risks.
Sixth-grader Michael Lynch deals cards during Game Club
Plus it requires lots of face-to-face interaction for shy students who like to hide in the back of the classroom, she said.
Sixth-grader Illiana Valdez-Ortega, a fan of chess and checkers, said she enjoys Game Club. “I like a whole bunch of games. They are really fun and when you get bored you can always play them again and again.”
Be sure to check out School News Network for more stories about our great students, schools, and faculty in West Michigan!
It’s hard to imagine driving your car with a flat tire or an airbag that doesn’t work, right? Having either of those problems would make your car significantly more dangerous to you and your passengers. Since both of those seem like a no-brainer, why is it so difficult to properly protect our most precious cargo, our children, in a properly secured child safety seat?
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, four out of five car seats are improperly installed. To add to the concern and need for a properly fitting car seat, government statistics show that motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for kids aged 2-14.
So, it’s time to make sure your child’s car seat is properly fitted! As part of the Safe Kids of Greater Grand Rapids program, Fire Station No. 1 in Wyoming will be inspecting car seats on January 7 from 5 to 8 p.m. The fire station is located at 1500 Burton St. SW.
Car seat installation errors range anywhere from an incorrect recline angle (especially for young infants) to problems with the vehicle safely belt being too loose, not locked, or not correctly routed through the child seat.
Here are some tests from Safe Kids to make sure your car seat is installed correctly:
• Inch Test – Once your car seat is installed, give it a good tug at the base where the seat belt goes through it. Can you move it more than an inch side to side or front to back? A properly installed seat will not move more than an inch.
• Pinch Test – Make sure the harness is tightly buckled and coming from the correct slots (check your car seat manual). With the chest clip placed at armpit level, pinch the strap at your child’s shoulder. If you are unable to pinch any excess webbing, you’re good to go.
• For both rear and forward-facing child safety seats, use either the car’s seat belt or the lower attachments, and for forward-facing seats, use the top tether to lock the car seat in place. Don’t use both the lower attachments and seat belt at the same time. They are equally safe, so pick the one that gives you the best fit!
You can pre-register for a car seat inspection by calling Safe Kids of Greater Grand Rapids at 616-391-7233 ext. 2. It’s important that your kids are safe!
Long before the advent of written language, storytellers used the spoken word to preserve a record of past experiences from one generation to the next. Oral history was transmitted in song or speech and took on many forms: chants, folktales, ballads, sayings, or songs–knowledge shared without a writing system. This was especially key where people of a society were denied access to education or were afraid to leave a written record of their knowledge.
It is the rich, local history that Grand Rapids African American Museum and Archives (GRAAMA) now seeks to preserve by interviewing the elders of a bygone era–the ’40s, ’50s, and ’60s. It doesn’t really seem that long ago, but once the keepers of the stories are gone, the histories will be lost forever.
The new organization has recently launched a multimedia project called ‘Grandma’s Voice.’ Made possible in part by a $25,000 grant from The Michigan Humanities Council through funding from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, the acronym is a play on the word, ‘Grandma,’ which conveys the museum’s core mission: to document the oral history from some of the area’s oldest living people–particularly women–who can offer insight into their long-ago experiences. Some people are 80 to 100 years old, so time is of the essence.
GRAAMA has teamed up with the Grand Rapids Urban League and the Kutsche Office of Local History at Grand Valley State University. The organization is looking for elderly folks who can tell the story of early Grand Rapids or the surrounding area.
You don’t have to be a grandma to share your stories. GRAAMA encourages families and individuals to inspire others by sharing skills, experiences, and knowledge with other creative minds. Call the elders of your family, and then email george@graama.org. The organization says that those who are interviewed will receive a small stipend. The finished audio/video disk will be the main attraction at Museum once it opens in 2016.
Marshmallow-y, chocolatey Snowman Soup, Tic-tac-toe games packaged in burlap bags, colorful ornaments, glass magnets and other crafty items will fill the stockings of parents and siblings of Gladiola Elementary students, thanks to some business-savvy students.
The school recently was transformed into the “Wolves Warehouse” Christmas marketplace, as students from kindergarten to fourth-grade classes sold items they created to students and parents.
Homemade crafts for sale covered tables at the marketplace
It was a school-wide lesson in economics as well as a way to share holiday cheer, said fourth-grade teacher Mindy Harris. Rather than offer an adult-run holiday gift shop, students learned grade-level concepts of running a business, like producers and consumers, supply and demand and opportunity cost.
“It’s a real-world connection to economics instead of just spending money,” Harris said.
Each class chose an item to make, set the price and created advertising. Donations and teachers covered initial costs, and each class got to choose how to spend its profits.
Harris’ fourth-graders very quickly sold out of the glass magnets they made and peddled for 50 cents each. Student Dion Idrizi was excited.
“It feels good because everyone wants to buy our magnets, and we will get some money and make a profit,” Dion said.
Be sure to check out School News Network for more stories about our great students, schools, and faculty in West Michigan!
Nope. Even if you’re not a fan of the cold or ice or snow, there is absolutely no reason to be bored this winter. These offerings from the Grand Rapids Civic Theatre will have you enjoying the season in no time.
Unarmed Stage Combat Workshop (age 18 and up):
Ever wonder how actors perform realistic-looking actions like falling, punching, kicking, pulling, pushing, rolling, or choking without killing each other? OK, maybe you already know but haven’t given it a try yourself. Well, here’s your chance. This three-weekend series gives participants a chance to work with a professional stunt choreographer to explore basic safe practices in performing staged combat.
Class meets from3-5 pm three Saturdays in January: the 16th, 23rd, and 30th. Space is limited (4-12 people). Invite your friends and family to the “In-Formance” for the final 30 minutes of class on January 30th and show off what you’ve learned.
This one’s popular folks, so register today. To sign up for the workshop go here. FEE $125.00
Single Sword Stage Combat Workshop (age 18 and up):
Errol Flynn and Inigo Montoya are just two famous members of the swashbuckling legacy, and you can follow their fancy footsteps by taking this class. Presented by a certified professional instructor, this three-weekend workshop explores basic techniques within the Hollywood style of swordplay. You’ll learn the principles of footwork, spacing, protocol and safe technique. Invite family and friends to the final presentation to show off your new skills. Space is limited (4-12 people), so register now.
Class meets three 3-5 pm Saturdays, February 6, 13 & 27 (NO CLASS February 20). Classroom In-Formance: February 27th — The student may invite family and friends for the final 30 minutes of class! To sign up for this workshop go here. FEE $125.00
On a musical note (Ha! See what we did there?), Civic Theatre offers Musical Theatre Audition Prep Workshops with some presenters who have some serious cred, so you’ll be working with some of the best in the biz.
Broadway Actress, Laurie Veldheer, an alumni of the Civic School of Theatre Arts, has appeared on Broadway in Mamma Mia! as Sophie Sheridan and Newsies (Original Broadway Cast). She graduated from Penn State University with her B.F.A. in Musical Theatre and continues to study in NYC while pursuing her professional career.
Julia Freyer
Julia Freyer, a Grand Rapids native and Alumni of Civic School of Theatre Arts, is a proud graduate of Penn State University’s Musical Theatre Program. Freyer’s national tour credits include: A Chorus Line (Judy) with Michael Bennett’s original choreography set by Baayork Lee. Regional favorites: Paper Mill Playhouse in A Chorus Line (Judy) directed by Mitzi Hamilton, Sacramento Music Circus in A Chorus Line (Judy) directed by Stafford Arima, Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera (The Producers, Curtains), Atlanta Theatre of the Stars (The Producers), Pennsylvania Centre Stage (The Apple Tree, She Loves Me, Pop!). Julia is also a featured dancer with the American Pops Orchestra in Washington DC. Julia currently teaches dance to children and adults in the New York City.
Triple Threat Prep: Vocal, Acting & Dance with Laurie Veldheer and Julia Freyer:
Looking to perfect your vocal, acting and dance skills before Winter and Spring auditions? Let Broadway Actress, Laurie Veldheer and NYC-based audition coach, Julia Freyer take the mystery out of auditioning for musical theatre. Whether you are a beginner, or a veteran performer, Laurie and Julia will help you reach new heights and get the most out of your audition experience.
Session 1 (ages 8-12): Tuesday, December 22, 10am-3:30pm. Session 1 will work on Music first, then have an hour break for lunch and to change into dance clothes for the dance portion of the workshop. To sign up for Session 1 of the workshop, go here. FEE: $225.00
Session 2 (ages 13-Adults): Tuesday, December 22, 11:30am-5:00pm. Session 2 will work on dance first, then have an hour break for lunch before working on the musical portion of the workshop. To sign up for Session 2 of the workshop, go here. FEE: $225.00
Vocal Intensive with Laurie Veldheer
Laurie Veldheer
Want to focus on the vocal portion of your audition? Well, this is the workshop for you! Broadway Actress Laurie Veldheer will help students choose appropriate material, maximize their vocal potential, and make strong acting choices. Anyone is welcome to register for this workshop, and students who have already taken the December 22nd workshop will benefit from added coaching and one-on-one time. Session 1 (8-12 year olds): December 29th, 10am-1pm To sign up for session 1 of the workshop, go here. FEE: $150
Session 2 (13-Adults): December 29th, 2pm-5pm To sign up for session 2 of the workshop, go here. FEE: $150
College costs and career options being what they are, students heading toward higher education would do well to keep a few basics in mind. After all, even President Obama’s daughter Malia has big decisions to make as she chooses which college to enroll in next fall.
Sure, you should scope out possible scholarships well ahead of time, and make sure to fill out that FAFSA form. But do you know how to study properly so you don’t bomb out of Intro to Western Civilization halfway through first semester?
Those are a few of the thoughts offered by area higher-education officials who agreed to provide School News Network with advice for college-bound students. We asked admissions officers to name three things they wish more students knew about college in order to be better prepared for it.
Following are their responses, on everything from making the most of your campus visits to getting your academics up to snuff. Happy college hunting!
Jodi Chycinski, director of admissions, Grand Valley State University
So often students who do well in high school get to college and find the environment very different from the environment in high school.’ – Jodi Chycinski, GVSU
1. Many colleges and universities provide academic scholarships based on the student’s cumulative high school grade-point average and standardized test scores. Beginning with the student’s freshman year, they should be focused on achieving academically as well as they can to give themselves as many opportunities as possible for college in the future.
2. Successful students in college take advantage of resources available to them. So often students that do well in high school get to college and find the environment very different from the environment in high school. It is really important to use services such as tutoring, writing centers and talking with faculty before you feel like you are struggling!
3. Many freshmen share that they do not know how to study when they get to college. They were able to successfully get through high school, but the demands of college quickly make them aware of their own limitations. High school students should spend some time understanding about their own personal learning style. There are many quick assessments online to help them figure it out. Once they know their learning style, they should begin to adjust their study habits in high school and utilize techniques specific to that style that they can carry into college.
Eric Mullen, associate dean of enrollment management and financial aid, Grand Rapids Community College
‘Many eligible students mistakenly believe they won’t be eligible for financial aid.’ – Eric Mullen, GRCC
1. Complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid)! Too many students don’t. Many eligible students mistakenly believe they won’t be eligible for financial aid because their families make too much money. Big mistake! In 2013, students who didn’t fill out their FAFSA missed out on over $2.9 billion in available Pell grant funds — over $90 million in Michigan alone. In addition, many colleges and universities use FAFSA data to make both merit and need-based awards. Not completing it can mean not being considered for these awards. Need help filling out the form? Just ask the institution you’ve applied to!
2. Is a four-year degree right for all students? Not necessarily. However, having a post-secondary credential is important for all students. Our regional economy requires skilled training and a strong knowledge base. GRCC offers many one- and two-year programs that equip students with the in-demand skills needed to fill great jobs. Also, having a post-high school credential greatly increases your lifelong earning potential and quality of life. Our Career Coach tool can help you explore your options.
3. The basics still matter! No matter what kind of degree or career you want to pursue, being able to read, write and use math will serve you well. Make sure you work with your high school counselor to select classes all the way through your senior year that will help you build this foundation. Need to brush up? A new partnership between Kahn Academy and The College Board provides free SAT preparation and can help boost your academic skills to college-ready levels.
Jessica Simon, coordinator of communications and visitor services, Ferris State University
‘Most importantly, you figure out if a campus feels enough like home to make it yours.’ – Jessica Simon, FSU
1. Ferris does a good job of letting people know that our application is completely free. But we wish students knew just how much other free help is available to them. From tutoring and student groups to counseling and helping you get a job, Ferris and most other institutions offer great resources to help you be successful.
2. You have a lot of choices when figuring out where to go to school, so we always tell students to visit as many of their options as they are able. Ferris offers an admissions presentation, a campus tour and free lunch during our visits, and we also can help schedule a meeting with a program adviser. You get so much out of a campus visit, but most importantly, you figure out if a campus feels enough like home to make it yours.
3. In terms of financial aid and scholarships, we wish parents and students knew to be as proactive as possible. There is a scholarship for just about anything — for example, being left-handed can qualify you for scholarships! Ferris has some great internal academic scholarships, and also has plenty of links to outside scholarship search engines.
Be sure to check out School News Network for more stories about our great students, schools, and faculty in West Michigan!
When members of Wyoming-based Christ Lutheran Church approached Gladiola Elementary School Principal David Lyon about “adopting” the school, Lyon filled out a wish list of possible ways the church could support them. Instead of choosing one community service project, they wanted to fill all the requests, which were as diverse as helping out at Math Night to providing emergency buckets for classrooms in case of a long-term lockdown event.
“It really gives us a sense of community and of someone understanding needs that are not necessarily apparent,” Lyon said. “They asked, ‘What do you need done?’ and said, ‘Let’s make that happen for you.'”
Church member Nancy Heidrich, a retired Grandville High School teacher, helps second-grader Zoey Winship with math
Now church members regularly volunteer to help students in reading and math; they shelve books in the library. Their presence is felt throughout the Wyoming Public Schools building.
“We wanted to reach out to our neighbors and be of assistance,” said church member Kathy Reister, a retired pastor.
Church members of all ages have contributed. Middle school members assembled “Germ-free Buckets” for classrooms so students can easily access hand sanitizer and tissues. A Boy Scout troop made up of church members plans to spruce up the school courtyard. Members made homemade bags filled with school supplies and donated them.
On a recent Tuesday in the school hallway, church member Nancy Heidrich, a retired Grandville High School teacher, showed second-grader Zoey Winship cool addition tricks. She often reads to the students and offers a listening ear when they want to talk. “I enjoy it. I enjoy coming. I enjoy the kids,” she said.
Zoey likes it too. “She helps me with my work,” she said.
Being Prepared in Case of Emergency
Emergency buckets are stocked with items for classrooms to use in the events of a long-term shutdown
The emergency buckets were recommended during a training offered by the Wyoming Police Department on emergency preparedness. They are something the school probably wouldn’t have purchased on its own, Lyons said, but they add a safety measure he’s thankful for.
In response to national school shootings, Gladiola, like schools nationwide, have lockdown drills, during which students practice what to do in case of an emergency.
The buckets, stocked with first-aid equipment, a flashlight, toilet paper, snacks, bandages, drinking cups, water and a fire extinguisher, will be stationed in all 24 classrooms for use in case of a real lockdown.
“It’s not a critical need until it’s a critical need,” Lyon said. “Hopefully we will never need to use them,” he said.
Be sure to check out School News Network for more stories about our great students, schools, and faculty in West Michigan!
By KCAD
By WMDW
By: Erin Albanese – 
‘Boom, He Was Gone’
Of moons and equinoxes and rotation
To further compensate for the drift, the Gregorian calendar also removed 10 days. If you lived back in 1582, you went to bed one night and woke up 10 days later. There is much more to all of this, but alas, space in this context—according to my editor—is finite. Go 
“Drummunity” Encourages Cooperation Through Music
By: Erin Albanese – 
By: Erin Albanese – 
“The purpose of learning about being a consumer as well as a producer was beyond achieved,” Berry said.
tsche Office of Local History
![puc2-320[1]](https://i0.wp.com/www.wktvjournal.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/puc2-3201.jpg?ssl=1)
