By Zach Fanko, WKTV Contributing Writer
Sparta (3-3) defeated Godwin Heights (2-4) 25-16 in OK Silver action on Friday night.
Our Game of the Week airs every Friday night on WKTV Comcast Channel 25 & AT&T U-Verse Channel 99 at 11 p.m. with a rebroadcast on Saturday at 11 a.m. If you don’t have cable, visit our website at WKTV.org to watch the livestream. Watch at home on your Smart TV in brilliant HD.
By WKTV Staff
joanne@wktv.org
Note: some of these stories took place before the governor’s official closing of schools with education moving online. These are just some of the unique and interesting ways are teachers are working to bring creative ways to the classroom. For more stories on local schools, visit the School News Network website, schoolnewsnetwork.org.
Some have put cursive writing in the category of lost arts. Not true at Kentwood’s Crestwood Middle School, where language arts teacher Anne Brown is keeping the the flow of writing alive. For more, click here.
Kelloggsville High School Rick Jackson puts a new spin on trigonometry by having his students get hands on in the construction of a popsicle Ferris wheel. To learn more, click here.
Before the mandated school closure, the classroom was in the middle of a 10-week artist residency offered by Artists Creating Together (ACT). Each week Annalise Hammerlund, the artist-in-residence who worked with Lisa Kotarski’s Godwin Heights class, visited the classroom to lead students in an art lesson that challenged them to learn a bit more about themselves and to express themselves through art. To learn more about this program, click here.
In the first-ever Student StartUp Day, which took place the week before the school shutdown, area students got a lesson in what it takes to start your own business and a chance to pitch ideas to area business leaders. To learn more, click here.
By K.D. Norris
Michigan’s, and so both Wyoming’s and Kentwood’s, voting process for the upcoming May 5 local school funding proposals may — or may not — be foreshadowing how the hugely important 2020 election cycle will play out in August if not also in November.
But one thing for sure, the Kent County voting process, put in place in the aftermath of current COVID-19 restrictions and Michigan Secretary of State directives, will be unlike any the cities of Wyoming and Kentwood city clerk’s offices have ever seen.
The bottom line, according to the Kent County Elections Office, is that registered voters within the precinct boundaries of two local school districts with funding measure requests — Kelloggsville Public Schools and Godwin Heights Public Schools — should have automatically received absentee ballot applications.
(For more information on the Kelloggsville Public School District funding request, see a WKTV story. For more information on the Godwin Heights Public Schools funding request, see a story by our media partner School News Network.)
While applying for absentee ballots, and using them, is the “preferred” voting means May 5, “each jurisdiction is required to have one polling place open where individuals can vote in-person,” Robert J. Macomber, Kent County Chief Deputy County Clerk, said to WKTV. “It won’t be a typical polling place as it would operate on election day normally.
“Anyone who walk-in on election day will be given a ballot and an envelope to put it in and it will be grouped in for counting with those that voted absentee prior to election day. It’s essentially in-person absentee voting.”
And it is up to local clerks, such as the city clerks of Wyoming and Kentwood, to receive and county the absentee ballots on election day — including the ones dropped off at or walked into the clerk’s on that day.
This voting process “is certainly different, because all ballots will be processed as an absentee ballot,” Kentwood City Clerk Dan Kasunic said to WKTV, whose office has posted specific May 5 voting process information on the city’s website.
And while both Wyoming City Clerk Kelli A. VandenBerg and Kasunic will be busy on that day counting ballots, VandenBerg also hopes to have few people actually needing to walk in to register and/or vote.
“We have seen a steady stream of ballot requests and a return of voted ballots,” VandenBerg said to WKTV. “While ‘day of’ voting is an option, we are strongly encouraging voters use the absentee process as much as possible.
“We have received guidance from the (state) Bureau of Elections and we continue to working closely with both county and city staff to ensure we have a safe election for voters and workers. … Anyone entering a public building will need to have a mask, so we will be prepared to address that. One feature we look forward to is a new drop box that will allow voters to drop off ballots without having to leave their vehicle.”
VandenBerg also pointed out that “While some voters have experience with absentee voting, this concept is new to many others. I often hear concerns from voters about whether absentee ballots are counted. And absentee ballots are absolutely counted. They are not held in case there is a tie, they are counted each and every time.
“Also, I would ask that voters have patience if they do need to visit city hall on election day. My staff and I want to help any and all voters who wish to vote, but we also want to do so while maintaining safety for everyone.”
She also urged voters to check their registration status at mi.gov/vote, where they can verify registration, view a sample ballot and check the status of their absentee request.
Highlights of Kentwood’s voting process includes confirming that “All registered voters in Precincts 1-4-5 (Kelloggsville Schools) have been mailed an application for an absentee ballot,” according to the city website page.
Also, the registration process, if absentee ballot requests were not received, include the person wishing to register prior to the May 5 election day should make an appointment at the city clerk’s office and provide proof of residency.
In person voting — dropping off absentee ballots — and voter registration on May 5 will be at Kentwood City Hall, 4900 Breton Ave SE, with the office open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. After registration, voters will be given absentee ballots to fill out and hand back — but “in person interaction will be conducted in adherence to social distancing and health safety measures,” according to the city website page.
By Bridie Bereza
School News Network
Oh, Marcus! He’s always crushing or dropping his cell phone, and now he’s broken another one. His parents won’t buy him a new one, unless he can convince them he will keep it safe.
Renae Hackley, sixth grade science teacher at Godwin Heights Middle School, asked her students to help the fictitious Marcus, and over the last several weeks they’ve been hard at work designing protective gear for his phone.
“We’re trying to make a cell phone case that makes it easy for the phone to come out, and it won’t break from dropping it from 70 centimeters or be crushed with seven books on top,” explained Higinio Rolon-Rosado who, along with partner Juan Granados, demonstrated how their foam and fabric design met the challenge.
Tinkering Thinkers
The activity was part of the class’ eight-week physics unit using Mi-STAR, a science curriculum that incorporates real world challenges into every unit. It introduced force and motion, and then let students get their hands dirty — dropping raw eggs on different materials to see if they’d break, for example — before designing the case.
Experimentation involved dropping, crushing and trying to understand the effects of forces on different objects. Weeks of tinkering and observation led to the final challenge of creating the case.
During the experimentation period, Higinio said, his team noticed that an egg did not crack when dropped on a sponge, so they looked for sponge-like materials to use in their design.
For more stories on area schools, visit the School News Network website, schoolnewsnetwork.org.
By Bridie Bereza
School News Network
Rose are red,
Violets are blue,
These students didn’t like poetry,
But now, they do.
Until recently, this kind of rhyming verse was what most eighth graders in Betsy Berry’s Language Arts class at Godwin Heights Middle School thought of when they heard the word “poetry.” Now, they are seeing poetry in a whole new light — and sharing their original poems — after their teacher took a new approach to teaching the unit this year.
For Travis Reister, poetry has become an outlet for grief following the death of his mother to cancer. For Nazaria Spears, it’s a way to articulate the pain of a tumultuous family situation. Kierra Stimoff’s poetry with a beat addresses social injustice, and Julian Maysonet shares how racial profiling has impacted his family.
Only a month ago, Travis thought poetry was boring. Kierra thought it was “sad and depressing – it didn’t feel like a good vibe,” she said.
Now, they’re loving it, writing it, and performing it. What gives?Share your story idea with School News Network.
A Bloom from Concrete
To get students interested in poetry, Berry found culturally-responsive writers who she knew would resonate with students.
“We pulled Langston Hughes, Sandra Cisneros, Jason Reynolds. And we did ‘The Rose that Grew from Concrete’ by Tupac [Shakur]. That was the shift,” said Berry. “They were liking the unit up to that point and I felt like I had a high level of engagement. But we did that poem … and all of a sudden they were so moved, because it was relatable.”
Seeing how the poem moved them, Berry assigned her students to write their own version of “The Rose that Grew from Concrete.” They results were raw and powerful.
“They talked about themselves, they shared their stories, they talked about their trauma. It was beautiful,” said Berry. “Then we had an opportunity to present — even more healing. It was just very, very powerful for them to have an opportunity to express themselves.
“A lot of them told me, ‘I’ve gone to therapy before. This feels like therapy.’”
Julian said he had been grappling with feelings of injustice after his father was racially profiled by police. He didn’t have words to express this before delving into poetry.
“It’s a way to express how you feel without being judged, and it’s just a good outlet. I probably never would have wrote this poem if I wasn’t in this class,” said Julian.
Grand Slam Finale
At the end of the unit, Berry held a poetry slam in each class of about 25 students. She showed her classes YouTube clips of spoken word performances, and gave them plenty of leeway: They could perform a poem that was three lines or 30 lines. It could be one they wrote, one they had studied, or something else.
“That’s when they blew the roof off,” said Berry. “They performed their poems, they performed Tupac’s poems, some did their haiku. For many, it was their first time performing.”
The synergy around poetry in the middle school has continued, Berry said. Recently, performing artists The Diatribe held a student assembly in the school, and many of her students are now participating in a workshop with the group. Kim Urbanski, who teaches art at the school, worked with students to create artwork based on “The Rose that Grew From Concrete” and students’ poems.
Many students now keep journals, where they jot down new poems. Berry said they were sad to see the unit end, but she has promised them a monthly poetry slam, giving them more reasons to keep the verses flowing.
For more stories on local schools, visit the School News Network website, www.schoolnewsnetwork.org.
By Erin Albanese
School News Network
As a first-grader last year, Carlos Ortiz was one of the younger students at North Godwin Elementary. Now he’s top dog.
“Last year at North, I was in school with a lot of big kids, but this year I’m in school with kids my age,” said Carlos, a second-grader at West Godwin Elementary.
Last year, North Godwin and West Godwin elementaries housed students in kindergarten through fourth grade, while the middle school housed students in fifth through eighth grade. When the school year commenced Monday, West Godwin opened its doors as a kindergarten through second-grade building, North Godwin as a third- through fifth-grade building, and Godwin Heights Middle School as the place for sixth- through eighth-graders.
While he’s had to get his bearings in the new building, Carlos said he likes the new setup — and he’s not alone.
A Welcome Change
West Godwin Principal Mary Lang said the change has been a welcome one. While the main objective was to move fifth-graders out of middle school, she said, there have been benefits at all grade levels.
“We really felt strongly that it was going to be great for our learning environment to have all of our grade level teachers under the same roof, collaborating and working together,” said Lang, who was principal at North Godwin before moving to West Godwin this year. “Also, it allows for our student population to be together from kindergarten through 12th grade. They’re not making that awkward transition to a different group of peers at sixth grade.”
Last spring, Kristen Socha packed up her classroom at North Godwin, where she taught for 12 years. This summer, she unpacked that classroom at West Godwin, where she now teaches second grade.
“The feeling in the building — the attitude in the building — is very positive,” Socha said. “I think our students feel calmer, the teachers feel calmer and we have a greater opportunity to work together for the better of all the second grade students.”
Socha said that a recent professional development day highlighted this benefit: some teachers had been trained in a certain curriculum and others had not. Being together allowed those teachers who had been trained to share what they had learned.
“Having all the second grade team there, hearing exactly the same thing at exactly the same time lets us work together,” she said. “And it’s not long distance; it’s next door.”
Taking the Fifth
Perhaps the biggest difference is at Godwin Heights Middle School, where Bradley Tarrance is principal. Last year, the logistics of housing fifth- through eighth-graders were tricky at best with fifth- and sixth-graders on different times and class schedules than the older students. Certain hallways and staircases prohibited older students in an attempt to keep the oldest and youngest students separate.
Now, said Tarrance, there is unity: the sixth, seventh and eighth grades are on the same class schedule, the student body shares student leadership, classrooms are clustered by content rather than grades and there are no prohibited areas for the older students.
By minimizing the logistical and social challenges, Tarrance said, “we can have a laser-like focus on content.”
Seventh grader Liyah Laseur said she likes the new setup, even though the halls are a bit busier during class switches, with three grades switching at the same times.
“I feel like fifth grade is more toward elementary anyways,” Liyah said.
For more stories on area schools, visit the School News Network website, schoolnewsnetwork.org.
By WKTV Staff
joanne@wtkv.org
School may be in session but for Denise Kooiker, aka School Supply Santa, collecting school supplies does not stop just because the bell has rung.
“Once school starts, people can bring supplies right to Byron Ministries for the following year,” Kooiker said. “Our main part we tried to do before school starts, but we receive items throughout the year.”
School Supply Santa’s main push for collections takes place in July and August when donation boxes are put out at many area business. Staff from 36 area schools are invited to an event in August where they can pick out items for students in their school.
Almost 1,100 backpacks were handed out along with about 46,000 school supplies at the 2019 event. Schools serviced by the program include Byron Center, Godwin Heights, Godfrey-Lee, Kelloggsville, Kentwood and Wyoming.
It was 12 years ago when Kooiker, a hair stylist, had a client tell her about the needs for her students.
“I was naive,” Kooiker said. “What do you mean kids don’t have school supplies?”
She started School Supply Santa by filling her car and now has a storage facility along with the space at Byron Ministries for donations.
So as area residents hit the stores for sales throughout the year, keep in mind of the needs of area students, Kooiker said. Items most needed are dry erase markers as many schools do not use chalkboards but dry erase boards.
“Backpacks are always a big thing,” Kooiker said. “It is such a confidence booster. It is hard to come to school without one or one that is old and frayed.”
For a complete list of school supplies, visit the School Supply Santa website, schoolsupplysanta.com
WKTV Staff
joanne@wktv.org
Believe it or not but those rare large yellow vehicles will be back on the road in only a couple of weeks as students return back to school.
Curious when your school is going to start? Well here is a quick rundown.
Aug. 19
Godfrey-Lee Public Schools
Godwin Heights Public Schools
Kentwood Public Schools
West Michigan Aviation Academy
Aug. 20
Kelloggsville Public Schools
Wyoming Public Schools (half day)
Caledonia Community Schools
Calvin Christian Schools
Aug. 22
Catholic Central High School
Aug. 26
South Christian High School
The Potter House School
Forest Hills Public Schools
Aug. 27
Tri-Unity Christian School
Byron Center Public Schools
Sept. 4
Grand River Preparatory School
As for the first football games, most schools will have those either the Thursday or Friday (Aug. 29 or 30) before Labor Day.
By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
joanne@wktv.org
A school ad shows a student larger than life because of all the new school supplies and clothes she got. But for some local residents, just purchasing the basic school supplies can be a momental task.
“In one of the places I recently volunteered, I talked to families who stated ‘My next paycheck would have to go toward school supplies,’” said WKTV Journal host Donna Kidner Smith.
It is the reason that Denise Kooiker created the School Supply Santa more than 10 yeas ago.
“I am hairdresser and I was at work one day and one of my clients was telling me about the need for school supplies and how much teachers spend on their classrooms and to help their students,” Kooiker said. “I was totally unaware of the need for school supplies.”
Kooiker discovered that more than 94 percent of teachers spend an average of $500 of their money on classroom supplies, she said. She created School Supply Santa to help teachers help those students who need it, Kooiker said.
Through Aug. 7, various locations throughout the Wyoming, Kentwood, Byron Center ,and Grand Rapids area are serving as collection sites. Some of the Wyoming locations are Amethyst Beauty Bar, Beltline Bar, Edward Jones, For the Kids Gymnastics, Maple Hill Golf, Peach Wave, Shape Your Life, and the YMCA – Spartan on Gezon Avenue. In Kentwood, some of the drop off sites are Breton Garden Family Dentistry, DJ’s Landscape Management, Grand Coney Diner, Fast Signs, and the Omelette Shop. For a complete list of locations, visit schoolsupplysanta.com.
Area residents are encouraged to bring donations to those locations. Items needed are backpacks, crayons, colored pencils, dry erase expo markers, ear buds, erasers, solid color folders, glue sticks, Post-it notes, Kleenex, pencils, markers notebooks, three-ring binders, composition notebooks, and headphones.
Kooiker said some of the school supplies, such as backpacks, do take a beating over the course or a year, so buying the cheapest item is not always the best option.
“Some of the less quality backpacks will rip fairly quickly,” Kooiker said.
Financial contributions also are accepted at schoolsupplysanta.com.
Staff and teachers from Kentwood Public Schools, Wyoming Public Schools, Godwin Heights Public Schools, Godfrey-Lee Pubic Schools, Kelloggsville Public Schools, and Byron Center Public Schools will attend a special event in August to pick up the school supplies. The staff from the schools then distribute it to students who have a need, Kooiker said.
Last year, School Supply Santa collected 1,219 backpacks, more than 38,000 school supplies, which supported 34 local schools, grades K-12, and more than 2,500 students.
And while the 2019 season for collections is coming to a close, the School Supply Santa does collect year around, Kooiker said. If you are interested in donating or volunteering for School Supply Santa, visit schoolsupplysanta.com or the Facebook page, School Supply Santa.
By Bridie Bereza
School News Network
Step into Andrea Donovan’s freshman English classroom at Lee High School for a minute, and listen. You’re going to hear a lot of Spanish. This is not surprising in a district where roughly half of all students are English-language learners.
“I receive all the newcomers when they come into the high school — they all take English 9, regardless of their grade or where they finished in their home country,” said Donovan.
She has a new set of skills to serve those students, thanks to a National Professional Development grant from the U.S. Department of Education. Donovan is part of a 15-teacher cohort that completed English Language Certification in May through the grant, administered by Aquinas College’s School of Education. The grant covered tuition for eight courses required for a K-12 English as a Second Language endorsement onto an already existing teaching certificate.
“It’s one of the best things I’ve done educationally and professionally,” said Donovan. “There is such a need in our district.”
Her cohort included four other teachers from Godfrey-Lee, as well as teachers from neighboring districts who have been meeting regularly since fall of 2017 to take classes toward certification. Donovan said that in her experience and from what she’s heard from others in her cohort, the work is paying off.
“Teachers now feel more comfortable working with English-language learners,” she said. “At the end of the day, these are really good strategies.”
Strategies that help students like Vidaura Pavlo.
Vidaura came to the district two years ago from Guatemala by way of California. She took a break from Donovan’s class, where she was studying “Romeo and Juliet,” to share that it wasn’t uncommon when she first arrived in America to have people get impatient with her due to her difficulty understanding English.
But her English has improved greatly in the last few years, due in large part to the help of Donovan and her teaching partner, Brenda Caballero.
“When I’m with my parents, at the store or when we’re traveling, I translate for them,” said Vidaura, who is quickly gaining confidence with her English.
Donovan said a huge strength of the certification program is that it helps teachers see English-language learners as an asset, not a burden.
“They’re walking the path to bilingualism, and it will make them more successful,” said Donovan. “I think oftentimes maybe in populations where they don’t have a lot of experience working with ELLs, they do view that as a deficit because they might struggle in their second language, which is English. However, we have to realize that they’re bringing so many skills from their culture and of course their native language to the classroom.
The program has also equipped Donovan with a model known as Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol or SIOP — a way to make material more understandable to ELL students. Donovan has been following the model for her lesson plans.
“My intention is not to water down the lessons, but to make them more comprehensible,” said Donovan, who has already seen improvements in grades when comparing unit assessments from this year to last.
Successful Students, Community Assets
Briana Asmus is an associate professor of education and ESL/Bilingual program director at Aquinas College’s School of Education. Asmus said every local school district has been affected, although to varying degrees, by an influx of immigrants and migrants to the area. In Kentwood, she said, 87 languages are spoken in the district.
“Teachers aren’t necessarily equipped with the skills to help those students. That’s why this work is so important,” said Asmus.
Aquinas has partnered with Godfrey-Lee, Godwin Heights, Kelloggsville, Kentwood, Grand Rapids, and Wyoming schools as well as with the Diocese of Grand Rapids to train in-service and pre-service teachers through the five-year grant, awarded in 2015. When all is said and done, about 140 teachers will have completed the program.
Without the training, Asmus said, “We run the risk of teachers seeing the students as a burden. They actually have incredible assets, and if teachers know how to utilize them, they can benefit their district in a lot of ways. But if they don’t, (students) are going to fall behind, and struggle to catch up and unfortunately, in some circumstances, drop out. That works its way out in to the community as well.”
Asmus said that, as part of the grant, she is collecting data to better understand the impact of teachers who have the endorsement on students.
“What we’re hoping to see is that the students will be achieving higher and better under the direction of a teacher who has ESL certification,” said Asmus.
For more stories on area schools, visit the School News Network’s website, schoolnewsnetwork.org.
Ninth-grader Rodolfo Castillo, who came to Lee High School from Mexico with no English last August, said he has felt supported by Donovan in his path to bilingualism since arriving at Lee.
“Maybe as an adult I can find work easier than if I didn’t have two languages,” he said.
By City of Wyoming
On Tuesday, May 28, the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) announced an award of $945,000 in 21stCentury Learning Center grant funds to operate seven elementary after-school programming sites in the city of Wyoming through the TEAM 21 after-school program, a consortium of the City of Wyoming, Wyoming Public Schools, Godfrey-Lee Public Schools and Godwin Heights Public Schools.
Currently, TEAM 21 serves 1,542 students, 900 of which were at risk of losing services should this grant have not been funded. Schools impacted are: Wyoming Public School District – Gladiola, Oriole Park, Parkview and West; Godfrey-Lee Public School District – Godfrey-Lee Early Childhood Center and Godfrey Elementary; and Godwin Heights Public School District – North Godwin Elementary. TEAM 21 provides academic support, enrichment, health and fitness, life skills, service-learning, and recreation opportunities in the after-school and summer hours.
“TEAM 21 is a testament of community collaboration resulting in high quality programming that is making a proven difference in the academic performance of children,” stated Craig Hoekstra, Superintendent of Wyoming Public Schools and grant fiduciary agent.
This funding brings the total number of TEAM 21 sites to 12 for the 2019-2020 school year with an annual investment exceeding $1.2 million by the MDE and leveraged by local municipal and school district in-kind resources.
“We are thrilled at the opportunity this provides for TEAM 21 to continue serving youth and families in the Wyoming community,” said Rebecca Rynbrandt, Director of Community Services. “We are blessing, investing in and mentoring our next generation of leaders.”
In addition to the seven schools awarded, TEAM 21 has continuation funding secured for five additional schools (WPS – Wyoming Intermediate and Wyoming Junior High; GLPS – Lee Middle; GHPS – West Godwin Elementary and Godwin Middle) through a separate 21st CCLC grant. For more information about the TEAM 21 program, please visit www.wyomingmi.gov/team21 or contact the Wyoming Parks and Recreation Department at 616-530-3164.
By Bridie Bereza
School News Network
Two weeks before the start of her freshman year at Godwin High School, Ahnaka Ortiz-Rodriguez landed in the emergency room with abdominal pain. Her mom was with her while they awaited test results. Ahnaka believed she was experiencing some stomach issues, something she dealt with as a child. When the doctor walked in, Ahnaka and her mom heard the unexpected: “Your daughter’s pregnant.”
Ahnaka cried. Her mom cried. They were scared, worried. As the oldest of three siblings, Ahnaka felt she had disappointed her family. She was a good student with a bright future. She was supposed to be a role model. She texted her boyfriend, Joseph Torres, who thought she was joking. It took her mom calling his mom to convince him it was true.
“I had all these thoughts running through my head: ‘Is my boyfriend going to stay? Is he going to help? Can I do this? Am I going to be able to finish school?’”
For Ahnaka, the answer to all of the above was “yes.” But for many teens, that is not the case. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, pregnancy and birth contribute significantly to high school dropout rates among female students, with about 50 percent of teen mothers receiving a high school diploma by age 22, compared to 90 percent for those who do not give birth.
Not only is Ahnaka raising her daughter, but she’s also slated to graduate 34th in her class this May with a 3.4 GPA and a recent induction to the National Honors Society to her name. The journey has not been easy, Ahnaka said. Sleepless nights awake with a teething baby followed by a full day of school is not for the faint of heart. But it has been worth it.
Fitting Trimesters into Semesters
Ahnaka remembers how torn she felt as she prepared to begin high school.
“At first, everyone was disappointed– which is normal. I was 14 when I found out. A 14-year-old who’s just going to school, who hasn’t even had her teenage years yet. I feel like my family thought I would would just throw the baby on them. That’s what happens sometimes (with young moms), I never wanted them to feel like she was their responsibility.”
Some friends suggested adoption, but Ahnaka knew it wasn’t for her. She would figure out a way to raise her baby and, she decided, graduate with her class.
“I created her, I had her. It’s my and her dad’s responsibility. I wanted to give her the best life possible.”
Ahnaka completed her first half of freshman year at Godwin. Then, wary of both the social ramifications of being pregnant at 14 — the looks, the comments — and the thought that she might miss too much school to stay on track for graduation, Ahnaka chose to spend the second semester of her freshman year learning via the online platform MySchool@Kent, offered by Kent ISD.
School counselor Tish Stevenson has known Ahnaka for four years. She said she was impressed with the way Ahnaka and her mother requested a meeting early in her freshman year to hatch a plan for Ahnaka to stay in school. She was unsure, however, if the plan would work.
“Up to that point I had not had good experiences with online learning. Very few kids had the self-control and family support necessary to work independently,” said Stevenson. “I worried because not only would this girl have to work on her own, but it was also her first year in high school and she had plenty of other things to concern herself with.”
But Ahnaka had school staff and her family in her corner. “My mom was a big supporter and so was my grandma.”
On March 4, 2016, Izabella, or “Izzy” as she is called, arrived — 7 pounds, 12 ounces and sporting a head of dark hair. That’s when everything changed.
“As time went by, it was getting more exciting and the sad part was over. When she came, I feel like that’s when everybody wasn’t upset anymore. How can you be upset when you have a gift right here?” said Ahnaka, referring to Izzy.
Ahnaka completed her freshman year through MySchool, impressing her counselor.
“I was delightfully surprised at the fact that she passed all her classes but one. She was able to independently complete her work, mostly unsupervised and at a very difficult, intense time in her young life,” said Stevenson. “I knew right then that Ahnaka was an exceptional individual.”
Ahnaka knew that being in the classroom would motivate her to succeed. She returned to Godwin in the fall, relying on family and friends to watch Izzy for the first few years.
Bringing Up Baby
It didn’t take long for Ahnaka to realize the enormity of the sacrifice she was making.
“At first, after I had her, I was very depressed and a little sad and lonely,” she said. “All my friends are going out, hanging out at the mall, having fun. And I’m inside and I don’t ever leave. It was upsetting at first.”
Looking back, she said, “I wouldn’t change it. I would want to be with my daughter. I spent most of my time with her and that’s time that I can’t get back.”
Once school was under way, the work was relentless. Sometimes, Ahnaka would be awake almost an entire night, especially when Izzy was teething or sick, then she would spend almost eight hours at school followed by time with Izzy, homework and another sleepless night.
Whenever friends would tell her it would probably be OK to stay home after a sleepless night, she disagreed. “I can’t miss school because I am tired. If I do, what will I do when I need to miss classes to take her to the doctor or because she’s sick? That’s not a reason for me. It’s not an excuse. You always have enough time; you just have to manage it wisely.”
Jasmine Gonzalez has been friends with Ahnaka since they were in sixth-grade. She said she gives her friend lots of credit for all she does, and is inspired by her ability to juggle everything on her plate. “She makes it look way easy,” said Jasmine.
“No excuses,” is something Ahnaka says often.
Teacher Kelly Gray taught Ahnaka in 10th- and 11th-grade Spanish, and watched her blossom. She showed up consistently, asked good questions, and conquered her fear of public speaking to present in front of the class like a pro, said Gray.
“Ahnaka had a full plate with raising a daughter, who at the time was less than a year old. Sometimes Ahnaka would come to school tired due to lack of sleep,” said Gray. “However, she never used being too busy as an excuse.”
As Izzy grew, Ahnaka became concerned with her daughter’s learning. She says she often feared that Izzy would be behind because she wasn’t with her all day. They’d spend their evenings together singing songs, learning letters, counting stairs. Izzy would see Ahnaka doing homework and would “help” — in the form of scribbles.
“Izzy left you a note,” Ahnaka would tell her teachers when turning in her work.
Ahnaka said it’s those little interactions that mean so much: “Even if it’s not five hours that I could give her – even if it’s just two minutes counting the steps as you go down them – they remember that.”
While learning all she can in school, Ahnaka credits her mother, Danniele Lucchesi, for teaching her how to be a mom. Her support, said Ahnaka, helped make raising Izzy and getting a diploma a reality.
Meeting Deadlines, Heading to the Finish Line
While infants live on their own terms, students do not.
“I’ve never had a teacher who told me that I ‘couldn’t’ – or try to pity me,” said Ahnaka. “I have the same due dates as everybody else. I want to be treated like everyone else. I’m grateful that my teachers treated me equal and pushed me harder.”
As she finishes the last few weeks of high school, Ahnaka is staying focused. She drops Izzy, now 3 and potty-trained, off at her new daycare at 7 a.m., then picks up Joseph, her boyfriend of nearly five years, and they head to school together. In the evenings, Ahnaka works at Chow Hound, where she was recently promoted to supervisor. Again, there’s always the fear of missing out on time with Izzy, but she knows her daughter is in good hands.
“When I leave for work, she’ll wave and say, “Bye mom, I love you!’” said Ahnaka.
Ahnaka plans to enroll in Grand Rapids Community College, a choice she made because it will allow her to live at home with her daughter. She has already earned credits toward college through dual enrollment, and intends to study nursing, a decision influenced by her experience of having many compassionate and supportive nurses when she had Izzy at Spectrum Health.
“Ahnaka’s claim to fame is her consistency and the very high standards she has always adhered to for herself,” said Stevenson, citing her straight-A and A- record for 10th, 11th, and 12th-grades. “She is dual-enrolled at GRCC and always, always, always takes care of business. Plenty of others would use early motherhood as an excuse to take it a little easier at school. And rightfully so! But instead, Ahnaka has used motherhood as motivation to excel.”
Ahnaka said her drive to succeed comes from many place — from the people who she felt she had let down, and who doubted she’d graduate. It comes from the people who were by her side, and encouraged her to succeed. Mostly, it comes from Izzy.
“Going home and seeing her smile motivates me,” said Ahnaka. “I want to do everything I can for her.”
“She does an amazing job of what she does,” said boyfriend Joseph, who is also graduating this year.
Ahnaka is excited to think that when she walks across that stage May 22 and flips the tassel on her mortarboard, Izzy will be there to see it.
“I know she doesn’t have the words to say it, but I know she can feel that I am doing this for her.”
By Bridie Bereza
School News Network
A group of 20-some kindergartners at North Godwin Elementary sat on the floor in front of Susie Poliski last week, eyes fixed on the book she was reading about Dr. Martin Luther King. Afterward, they took turns eagerly volunteering to point out which words identified which parts of a worksheet featuring the civil rights leader.
A lot has changed in education since Poliski started her career in 1992.
“Kindergarten has evolved from ‘letter of the week’ activities — a play/interactive curriculum — to full-on reading and writing,” she said.
While incorporating the best parts of the old way and the new way can be challenging, it’s a joy for this teacher, who has found her niche with kindergartners.
“I like that they are beginning to take letters that some of them didn’t even know on the first day of school, and now they’re putting them together to make words,” she said. “It’s a fun adventure to watch them discover what they can do.”
Relationships Matter
Poliski began her career as a kindergarten teacher in Cedar Springs in 1992. Since then, she has taught in Wyoming, Hudsonville and Godwin Heights schools, holding her current position since 2011.
Poliski has an elementary education degree from Michigan State University and a master’s in early childhood education from Grand Valley State University. But the basis of her teaching philosophy wasn’t necessarily learned in a textbook.
“The foundation of my teaching really has been based on relationships. I’m watching students that I had my first year grow up, and I stay connected with students — many of whom now have families of their own,” said Poliski, who is friends with many former students and families on Facebook.
Those lasting connections pop up everywhere: While attending the Red Flannel Festival in Cedar Springs last October, Poliski ran into her own kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Clark, with whom she stayed in touch through the years. That same night, she went to see a band. One of the musicians had been her student as a kindergartner.
“Relationship-building for me really began during my years in school from the teachers I had at Cedar Springs, so that really helped form what I do today,” she said. “The connection my teachers had with students really made a difference by showing they cared and wanted to push us to do our best. They took time to get to know us, and our families.”
Those teachers along with her mother, who has an education background, and the book “One Child” by Torey L. Hayden, inspired her to teach. She recalled the words of her high school government teacher, Dave VandePanne: “Whatever you do, go out and make a difference.”
“That’s why I like being a teacher – you are making a difference.”
The Difference
Poliski is modest about her work. She shared how she invited a couple of special students, who struggled in school, and their families to a Thanksgiving feast with her family last year, bringing the spread to school. North Godwin Elementary Principal Mary Lang said that while many teachers go above and beyond for their students, Poliski goes further.
“As a kindergarten teacher, she makes our families feel extremely welcome in our school,” Lang said. “Susie often will take students on special outings, take students out to dinner, or go visit them at their home. She co-coaches our Girls on the Run program, is a teacher leader in our Leading Educators program and can be found at almost every family night or event our school holds.
“Susie Poliski is the definition of a rockstar teacher.”
When Poliski isn’t teaching, you can find her making the rounds on the Irish music scene, attending festivals, spending time with family or visiting with friends in South Haven.
For more local school news, visit the School News Network website, schoolnewsnetwork.org.
Editor’s note: Aliya Hall, a sophomore at Godwin Heights High School, is one of two local students who was invited to attend the International Congress of Youth Voices in San Francisco this year. Maeve Wilbourn, a senior at Grand Rapids Public Schools’ City High/Middle School, attended as well. Here, Aliya shares some of the highlights of the experience in her own words. Story coordinated by Bridie Bereza
The International Congress of Youth Voices came to be after the Parkland shooting, when a man named Dave Eggers decided that youth needed an international platform to make their voices heard. This platform was specifically for young writers in writing groups such as The Creative Youth Center in Grand Rapids and 826 National. Here, we could come together and talk about issues like gun control laws, police brutality and bullying. Mr. Eggers and ICYV co-founder Amanda Uhle reached out to the heads of the 826 National and CYC programs and asked them to send two of their best youth writers to the Congress in San Francisco this past August. The head of our local CYC, Mrs. Brianne Carpenter, nominated Maeve Wilbourn of Grand Rapids City High/Middle School and me.
The first night in San Francisco, we went to The Embarcadero waterfront district and had dinner on a boat with Rep. John Lewis. He talked to us about what he does and why it is important to take a stand even if no one else is standing with you.
I heard a lot of inspiring things but the one thing that stood out to me the most was what Congressman Lewis said during his speech on the boat: “When you see something that is not right, not fair, or not just, we have a moral obligation to say something and not to be silent; you have to speak out, lead the way and get in good trouble – necessary trouble.”
For me this means that when there is a problem in the community, school, or world, I have a right to use my voice and stand up for what I believe, even if I am the only one standing.
In addition to Rep. Lewis, I met many inspiring people: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, author of “We Should All Be Feminists”; Chinaka Hodge, poet and writer of “All Power To The People”; Bob Bland, national co-chair of the Women’s March; and Tabitha St. Bernard-Jacobs, one of the women who spearheaded the Women’s March Organization and the coordinator of Youth EMPOWER!
One of the most memorable things from the Congress was meeting youth from all over the world and having a chance to hear their stories and learn what their lives are like. There was a student delegate by the name of Rohnny Vallarta, who shared her story about what it’s like to be homeless. She and her family lived out of a car for two years. She talked about how discourteously the people treated her family and other people who were homeless.
Rhonny said, “It is messed up that you would walk past someone asking you for food or money, or speed walk past them like they will harm you.”
She then went on to talk about how being homeless affected her and her family and how she is overcoming it. As she spoke her voice would shake and she would get nervous and start to breathe heavily. At one point she broke down crying, and at that same moment a tear fell down my face and the faces of many others who were up on stage with her. My heart just went out to her. I could hear all the pain in her voice and the anger that she had when she talked about the mistreatment of the homeless.
I was angry because we as a society take things that seem so simple to us for granted: We complain about the kind of food we eat, the clothes we wear, the places we live and more, instead of being grateful that we have a roof over our heads, shoes on our feet, and food in our mouths, never having to worry about where we are going to get our next meal! At the end of the program I went straight to Rohnny and hugged her tight and said, “Thank you for sharing your story!” She is a high school student who is determined to educate the public in understanding the “why” in why someone is homeless by looking at the factors and issues that lead to homelessness.
I’m using all the lessons I learned at ICYV by bringing them back to Grand Rapids so I can talk to and educate people here about the issues from our world, and bring awareness to problems in our community.
WKTV Staff
All five public school districts in the Wyoming and Kentwood areas have school board elections on Nov. 6. Of those districts, only two have contested races, Godwin Heights and Wyoming. School board elections will be towards the end of the ballot.
There are two candidates seeking six-year terms, which are incumbents Eric Mockerman and Jacklyn Hernandez. Josephine Coleman was appointed by the board in May to fill a seat vacated by Rebecca Kibbe until the election. Coleman is seeking to fill the remainder of that seat’s term, which ends in 2022. All of these candidates are running unopposed.
There are four candidates seeking to fill three seats on the Godwin Heights Public Schools Board of Education. These seats are all six-year terms. Two of the candidates are incumbents, David Drake, who was elected in 2013, and Richard Hamilton, Jr., who was elected in 2017. There are two challengers, Joseph Januska and David Rodriguez. All candidates were contacted and invited to participate in sharing their message to the voters.
https://youtu.be/WanUWhge64c
Occupation: Retired
Why did you decide to seek election to the Godwin Heights Public Schools Board of Education?
My interest in the schools and what I have been seeing has been growing the past 11 years. I owned and ran a small business which I believe gave me great insight into financial aspects of doing this. I believe this strong financial background will help me analyze and make decisions on the budgeting and spending that the school board oversees in the district.
If elected, what issues do you want to focus on and why?
I am a father and grandfather to five beautiful grandchildren. The youth of today is the future of our country. Education can not be wasted. Students today – leaders tomorrow. Our children need to learn the true history of our country, both the good and the bad, while also learning to respect it as well as everyone they encounter throughout their lives. They need to learn to live by rules and laws everyone of us are required to. I believe all this will help our students to learn and live side by side with their peers.
For Kelloggsville Public Schools, incumbents Jane Ward and Donald Scott are seeking re-election to the board. The two spots each are for six-years. The candidates are running unopposed.
The district is also seeking a $19.2 million bond issue. The bond would be a continuation of the current bond. The current millage rate is 7.32. The issue will appear at the bottom of the ballot and is part of a long-term plan to update and modernize the district’s elementary schools, according to school officials. The bond cannot exceed 30 years.
There are three seats, all four-year terms, up for the Kentwood Public Schools Board of Education. Three incumbents, all running unopposed, are seeking re-election to those seats: Pete Battey, Sylvia A. James, and James Lewis Jr.
For the Wyoming Public Schools, there are two six-year board seats with three candidates running, non of whom are incumbents. The candidates are Adriana Almanza, Brian D. Jirous, and Jennifer Lewis. All candidates were contacted and invited to participate in sharing their message to the voters.
https://youtu.be/K-IyscCHQSE
Brian Jirous – Candidate
https://youtu.be/yt8PtTMVXJo
Many residents may remember me from when I was campaigning for the dedicated millage for our schools. The community invested in our schools and children by passing that millage. That dedicated millage plan is a good plan and I want to make sure that the plan is well executed. I also want our kids to be successful and I want to be a part of helping them to achieve that.
https://youtu.be/b2i3ftKyLHQ
By Bridie Bereza
Years ago, while teaching automotive service at Kent Transition Center, Mark Larson helped one of his students find employment, and the student loved that job, he recalled.
About a year after he graduated, he visited Larson and told him he lost the job. “They said I missed too much work.”
But it wasn’t that much, the student insisted: “Just like in school: every other Friday.”
It’s that sort of chronic absenteeism, defined as 10 percent of missed school time or 18 missed days per year, that Larson, now Kent ISD’s truancy and attendance coordinator, hopes to target with the recently launched “Strive for Less than 5” campaign.
All Kent ISD school districts have come on board with the campaign which, as the name implies, encourages students not to miss any more than four days of school per year. It was adapted from successful work already done by Grand Rapids Public Schools in conjunction with Attendance Works and the Doug & Maria DeVos Foundation.
GRPS and the foundation shared its materials with Larson and Kent ISD colleagues, who then created the ISD-wide campaign. The foundation also contributed funds toward the materials.
Absence Makes the… Grades Founder
Larson said “Somewhere along the line, the perception of school attendance changed from one of primacy — you attend school unless there’s a reason not to — to one of ‘Well, it really doesn’t matter if you miss school, as long as it’s for a good reason.’
“And that’s not true. What we’re learning is any absenteeism, for any reason, is harmful to the learning process.”
Last year, 12.1 percent of students in Kent ISD schools were chronically absent, down from 13.9 percent the previous year. Statewide, 15.6 percent of students in public school districts were chronically absent last year.
The harm from school absences is measurable, said Larson, whose work has become increasingly data-driven. Every 10 days of absence, he said, equates to a drop in one full letter grade. In as little as five absences, Larson said, there can be a drop in standardized test scores. Declines in grades and graduation rates are evident at 10 percent.
“ANY TIME THERE’S CHRONIC ABSENTEEISM FROM SCHOOL, IT’S TYPICALLY A SYMPTOM OF SOMETHING ELSE. OUR APPROACH IS, ‘HOW CAN WE HELP?’”— KEVIN POLSTON, SUPERINTENDENT OF GODFREY-LEE PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Kevin Polston, superintendent of Godfrey-Lee Public Schools, said that a few missed school days here and there may not seem like a big deal to a family, but it can quickly put a student on track for truancy.
Bill Fetterhoff, superintendent of Godwin Heights Public Schools, stressed the need for what he called “bell-to-bell teaching.” It goes beyond absences, he said: “To start late or leave early can be devastating to learning.”
A Symptom of Something Else
“It’s not new information that kids need to go to school,” Polston said. “Our parents say the same thing.”
But, he said, issues such a transportation and physical and mental health can be barriers to attendance. Whatever the problem is, Polston said, chances are he’s heard it before. That’s why districts are connected with wraparound services such as mental health services or bus passes — whatever meets the need.
“Any time there’s chronic absenteeism from school, it’s typically a symptom of something else. Our approach is, ‘how can we help?’”
Polston said that with a few exceptions, unless a student has a sustained fever of more than 100 degrees or is vomiting, they need to be in school
Spreading the word
Getting the word out about Strive looks different, depending on the district. Kent ISD created communication plans and materials — stickers, videos, posters, and billboards, for example — to help schools spread the message.
At Godwin Heights, Fetterhoff said, some schools are using those materials and others are using novel tactics to increase attendance. North Godwin Elementary, for example, is targeting families with a history of absenteeism with a rewards program that awards gift cards for attendance. Polston said teachers throughout Godfrey-Lee have offered incentive and recognition programs to students for attendance.
While the coordinated public information campaign is new, absenteeism has long been a focus for the region’s superintendents, Fetterhoff said.
By Dianne Carroll Burdick
Hundreds of parents with their kindergarten through fourth-grade students gathered recently at In the Image, a clothing and furniture ministry at 1823 S. Division Ave. in Grand Rapids, to receive a free pair of new back-to-school shoes. In the Image’s annual “Shoes Help Our Elementary Students” program put shoes on the feet of 1,700 students from more than 39 elementary schools this year. Qualifying schools, which have a high percentage of low-income students, included Kentwood, Grand Rapids, Godfrey-Lee, Godwin Heights and Wyoming schools.
WKTV Staff
Kelloggsville Public Schools woke up to good news this morning as voters approved a $19.2 million millage request that will construct a new third-, fourth-, fifth-grade building in the district.
The millage was approved with 2,318 yes votes to 1,535 no votes. The millage is actually a continuation of an existing millage. The school’s current millage rate is 7.32.
Kent County also received good news as its proposal, Ready by 5, passed with 142,875 yes votes to 109,513 no votes. The proposal is a 0.25 mill property tax levy that would provide an estimated $5.7 million a year to agencies and programs that support early childhood development programs.
For other city, county, and state election results, click here.
As for board of education elections, there were only two districts that had contested races: Godwin Heights Public Schools and Wyoming Public Schools.
In Godwin Heights, the top three vote getters will join the board. Newcomer David Rodriguez was the top vote getter with 1,847 followed by incumbents David Drake (1,564 votes) and Richard Hamilton Jr. (1,493 votes). Joseph Januska received 1,158 votes.
Wyoming’s Board of Education had one candidate and two write-in candidates running for two six-year term positions. Candidate Brian D. Jirous had 9,255 votes. The two write-in candidates are Adriana Almanza and Jennifer Lewis. Write-ins have to be counted by hand. School officials said they are waiting for the county to count the ballots and should know the results within two weeks.
School Board elections that were unopposed were:
Godfrey Lee Public Schools Board of Education (2 Seats)
Kacklyn Hernandez 1,144
Eric Mockerman 857
Godfrey Lee Public Schools Board of Education partial term ending in 2022 (1 Seat)
Josephine Coleman 1,249
Kelloggsville Public Schools (2 Seats)
Donald Scott 2,169
Jane Ward 2,681
Kentwood Public Schools (3 Seats)
Pete Battey 11,469
Sylvia A. James 15,053
James Lewis Jr. 12,468
By Erin Albanese
Jeanette Mukampabuka doesn’t like to talk about what led her to flee Africa as a child refugee. But she will talk about what it’s like to arrive in a foreign country and start school when everything is new and different.
“It’s so hard here. It’s so hard,” Jeanette said. “When you come here you don’t even know the culture or how to approach people. You don’t know where to start from or what you have to to say to people. Most of the time I was quiet.”
She said things have gotten easier since she arrived in Michigan in 2015 without her parents, whom she also declined to talk about. She’s made friends, gotten help from teachers. She’s also learned that other people are unsure of how to approach her, but that doesn’t mean they don’t want to get to know her.
It took a while to get used to verbal and non-verbal cues in English and feel comfortable enough to interact with other students. “Coming here and learning everything new is so challenging,” she said, noting that she came from an African tribe that is very close-knit.
In the fall, Jeanette will begin studying for an engineering or nursing degree at Western Michigan University and wants to eventually pursue her master’s degree.
To get through high school in three years, she completed 10th and 11th grades at the the same time, taking some courses online. She graduates with a 3.3 GPA.
Tish Stevenson, Godwin Heights guidance counselor, said Jeanette has shown amazing perseverance.
“When I first met her everything was difficult and, through time, by doing the right things working really, really hard, she has opened so many doors for herself,” Stevenson said. “I see a spectacularly future because of her hard work and character. Many people who have been through such difficult things would be crushed, but it’s just made her strong and vibrant.”
Finding Her Way
Jeanette, who lived in the Democratic Republic of Congo until age 9 and then in Kenya for five years, graduated from Godwin Heights High School May 23. It marked a significant milestone for a young woman who came from a troubled homeland.
In the DR Congo, displacement of people has occurred due to widespread militia activities, unrest and violence fueled by ethnic and political conflict affecting many areas. She speaks generally about the conflicts that uprooted families in Africa. “It was a war between tribes,” said Jeanette, who is from a tribe that was being attacked.
She arrived in Michigan three years ago with her sister, older brother and niece. She started ninth grade in Bloomingdale, Michigan, and came to Godwin Heights last year. She was supported by two refugee programs: Refuge Point, formerly Mapendo International, which focuses on saving lives, protecting rights and building a better future for refugees, forcibly displaced communities and stateless people; and Heshima Kenya, which specializes in identifying and protecting unaccompanied and separated refugee children and youth, especially girls, young women, and their children living in Nairobi, Kenya.
Jeanette lived in foster care for two years and has lived independently with her sister, Mamy Ganza, 27, for a year.
“I like it here but I still miss my country. I miss it a lot,” said Jeanette, who speaks English, Swahili, Kinyarwanda, and several other tribal languages.
While she has excelled academically, Jeanette said she now sees the benefit in becoming involved in other ways. Advice she gives other newcomers: “Join clubs and sports because then you make friends.”
While her strength in math draws her to a career in engineering, Jeanette said she also is interested in nursing so she can help others.
Stevenson said she sees Jeanette in the future giving back to others, “because that’s just the kind of person she is.”
“I see her having a spectacular life full of friends and love.”
Check out School News Network for more stories about students, schools, and faculty in West Michigan.
By Erin Albanese
In Deanne Basse’s classroom, portraits, paintings and drawings – serious, whimsical and thought-provoking – cover the walls. Sculptures rise from desks and countertops.
They were created by students who have learned to go deep with their feelings and experiences, to make art a reflection of themselves and their journeys.
“I encourage them to use art as a vessel for their voice,” said Basse, a 10-year Godwin Heights High School art teacher.
As a result, students sometimes put heavy themes into their work, Basse said, pointing out pieces that express their struggles with education, family, anxiety and other issues. One student used surrealism to express his conflict between going to college in the U.S. or returning to Mexico to reunite with his family.
“I do try to give them a good solid skill base, and then show them how to get out what they’re thinking,” Basse said.
Students, though, say Basse’s method of teaching goes beyond art and into making them feel good about themselves and able to grow their abilities.
“She is joy!” said senior Stephanie Lam. “She will fill your bucket if you are empty.”
Basse sees talent emerge from her students, including how they infuse their work with music and drama, or passion for advocacy or activism. Some have loose, free styles, others are very deliberate. All are reflective, a result of learning to think of art as more than lines, colors or clay.
Perfecting Portfolios
Eighteen seniors, most of whom have had Basse as a teacher since ninth grade, showcased their portfolios recently at the school’s senior art show. They curated their own spaces, gallery-style, to display their work and growth as artists over the years. Though they had already completed final exams, several visited Basse’s classroom every day prior to the show to perfect and polish their work.
Basse is proud of how far her students have come and excited about what they will do next.
“This group in particular has a genuine thirst for more,” she said. “They are unafraid to experiment and they are unafraid to fix and try to reach out of their own comfort zones. Their work ethic is really outstanding.
“I am humbled by how advanced they are, and how much they push themselves and learn on their own by doing and doing and doing.”
At the back of class, two days before the show, senior Dino Celahmetovic worked on a drawing of a villain from Spider-Man. Being creative in Basse’s class always felt natural because of her “encouraging eye,” he said.
“With Mrs. Basse, it’s not just about having the tools and environment; as a teacher she gives encouragement and compassion toward art. She helps nurture your art.”
Basse, who earned her bachelor’s degree at Wayne State University and master’s at Western Michigan University, has been an art teacher for 15 years. She taught for three years in Detroit and two in Battle Creek before starting at Godwin Heights.
“I got hired on Friday, married on Saturday and started on Monday,” she said. “So I say Godwin has been my honeymoon ever since.”
She teaches drawing, painting, ceramics, 3-D and calligraphy classes, as well as an introduction to art class. One of her goals is to write and illustrate children’s books.
“Ms. Basse has to be one of the most highly bright, influential teachers,” said senior Paul Kuchnicki, who is working on a graphic novel and hopes to become an animator. “She has very expressed ideas and knows how to lift someone up when they have a stormy cloud above them. She really knows how to brighten the room up… She seems to love her job and she seems to love her students.”
Basse starts assignments with personal-reflection questionnaires. She asks students to focus on vivid memories and feelings, even small things that have somehow shaped perceptions. They write and talk through their thoughts, considering how to symbolize them.
Walking the Walk
Her effort to bring students’ experiences into art has spanned the district. She collaborated with other district art teachers last summer for students to create a mural for the annual Grand Rapids art competition, ArtPrize. Their entry was comprised of 70 individually painted shoes in an art piece titled, “You Can’t Know Who We Are If You Don’t Know Where We’ve Been.” Students decorated shoes to share their unique walks through life.
Godwin Heights has a diverse population, with the majority of students coming from economically disadvantaged families. Their stories are filled with hope, grit, heartbreak and everything in between.
“These kids are so full already, and I think it gives them a sensitivity to each other… a sense of family, beyond their immediate family, which is what Godwin becomes,” Basse said. “They genuinely will show they care if you open up. They hold you, just as much as you would hold them.”
Basse shares her own personal stories with her classes, creating a safe place for them to reflect. For example, she had a longtime struggle with infertility. But her students were like her own children, she said. “They fulfilled that part of my family for nine years.”
Then one of them changed her life forever.
She recalled the day a student came to her and shared that she was pregnant, asking if Basse and her husband would be open to adopting her child. It was an easy yes, she said.
The young woman miscarried, but the situation started Basse and her husband, Matt Basse, on a new path.
“It changed our mindset, and from that day forward we had adoption in our sights. Godwin changed our lives that way.”
They adopted their daughter, Emily, 4, one year ago.
Along with art, Basse is passionate about baking. Each year, she leads students in an apple pie-making session so they can each have one to take home to their families for Thanksgiving.
“I love to entertain,” she said. “I am happy if people around me are fed, taken care of and healthy.”
While she has endless pride in the seniors who leave school with a portfolio of years’ worth of art, Baase said some of the best moments are reaching the reluctant art students. She finds inspiration when they first walk into her classroom and say they don’t like art and didn’t want to take the class.
She’s ready to encourage them, to open doors, to give them the chance to be successful and take pride in their work, To those students, she has a message:
“I say, ‘You are exactly where you need to be.”
Check out School News Network for more stories about students, schools, and faculty in West Michigan.
By Erin Albanese
Jeff Wainwright was quick on his feet. In the Godwin Heights High School lunchroom, just after getting a hug from sophomore Krystal Jackson and a chat with senior Elizabeth Lemos about gardening, a fight broke out between two boys.
Within seconds of fists flying, Wainwright intervened, separated the boys and led them to the office to meet with administrators. Wainwright looked distressed. The boys are good students and athletes, he said, glad he was steps away to break things up.
For certain, Wainwright would rather be passing out tidbits of advice or catching up with students about spring sports and prom. But once in a while springing into action is necessary and — more often than that — settling verbal disputes is his on-duty job.
“What we do more than anything is put out the fires,” said Wainwright, who is the district’s safety supervisor, about the security team he heads.
Usually students don’t get to the point of a physical altercation, he said. The school’s 600 students, 500 of whom Wainwright estimated he knows by name, often come to him when things are boiling up. Usually, he can help de-escalate by serving as an intermediary while students work things out.
“Here at the high school, we like to build that strong relationship,” he said. “The better the relationship, the less likely we have to get physical.
“Our relationship is what saves us 90 percent of the time.”
‘He’s Chill with Everybody’
But that Monday morning was eventful. Along with having to deal with the sudden scuffle, Wainwright was keeping in close contact with North Godwin Elementary Principal Mary Lang. A fourth-grader brought to school a round of .45-caliber ammunition, which he told school officials he had found in his yard. The child’s mother arrived to help address the situation and confirm his story.
From his desk in the second-story office of the high school, Wainwright, who has worked security in the district since 2006, constantly scans who’s in the buildings on the security monitors, which he can also bring up on his phone. That day, he was also busy doing paperwork, making sure potential volunteers passed background checks.
On top of everything else, he had a tornado drill planned at North Godwin Elementary that afternoon, one of the scheduled fire, tornado and lockdown drills this school year that he and his security team leads.
He also helps track things down, like senior Austen Veloz’s missing baseball glove. The senior stopped in the security office with his friend, senior Angel Torres, to ask for help finding it. Angel said Wainwright is easy to approach.
“He brings a good vibe,” Angel said. “He’s chill with everybody. He does his job right, but he tries to chill at the same time. He creates a bond with us.”
Added Austen: “He keeps things organized. He’s the sheriff around here.”
The Face of Security
The district has extensive security at the high school, middle school, North Godwin and West Godwin elementary schools, the Learning Center, where students attend to complete their GEDs, and South Godwin, which houses preschool programs. Wainwright and six other security officers make up the safety team, making sure all exterior doors are locked at all times, checking them at least twice in the morning and twice in the afternoon. About 275 security cameras are constantly monitoring the school buildings and grounds.
Wainwright is a Godwin Heights employee, while his team is employed through DK Security, a Grand Rapids-based firm. Wainwright trained through the National Association of School Resource Officers, of which he is a member. He has also had active shooter, FEMA, First Aid, CPR and AED training, as well as in several other areas.
DK Security officers hone their skills monthly through the company and Wainwright. Two officers have trained with local law enforcement, and all have criminal justice degrees. Wainwright also is a certified firearms instructor and trains the security staff here monthly at various shooting ranges.
Officers observe lunch and hallways during passing times, and check the bathrooms. On camera monitors, they watch for students gathering at times they shouldn’t be, look out for doors cracked open and anything else out of the norm.
“We want to be, first off, a deterrent for outsiders, a peace of mind for parents and community members and a caring staff member for our students,” Wainwright said.
And while he is filling the role of a school resource officer in nearly every regard, he is unarmed. He carries handcuffs and is in close contact with local law enforcement. After the Feb. 14 Parkland, Florida school shooting, the idea of arming staff members in schools made headlines nationwide, with a proposal to allow certain, specially trained teachers to voluntarily carry weapons drawing both criticism and support.
But at this point, Wainwright said he and his team plan to remain unarmed.
“Everybody on our security staff has been trained and has the ability to become armed if our district sees it necessary,” he said. But during previous conversations, Wainwright and administrators decided against it. He said there hasn’t been the level of threatened violence at the schools to justify being armed.
“It was going to send the wrong message, because our kids looked at me so much that it was like, ‘If he’s afraid, what is he afraid of?’”
Reassurance after Parkland
The Parkland school shooting had everyone on edge, Wainwright said, but they had proper security practices in place.
“The only thing we increased was our vigilance and our awareness. Now you have people approaching you to ask questions they should have asked eight or nine years ago. After an incident on a national scale, you get a million questions.”
Another part of Wainwright’s job is calming students and parents, sometimes when the rumor mill kicks into high gear.
Recently, two students at the Learning Center led to one leaving and saying he was “going to get his stick,” Wainwright recalled.
The district went on lockdown. Police searched the man’s belongings and determined there was no threat, but by the next day the story had morphed and people believed someone had threatened to shoot up the high school.
“This particular student had never been inside the high school,” he said. “A lot of our parents freaked out. … I had to explain that story about 15 times.”
Building Trust is Key
Wainwright said a big piece of keeping schools safe is getting to know students. They stop by his office or talk to him in the hallways, referring to him as “Jeff.”
“I’m more than a shirt and tie,” he said. “For most of our students, I convince them ‘I used to be you’ and they trust that. Once they start to trust that, our relationship can grow from there. But they have to trust you.”
He’s gotten to know many of them over the years. “Watching our students grow from first or second grade all the way through high school is the biggest reward I think I could ever have,” he said.
That kind of compassion isn’t always part of the narrative of communication between youth and those in uniform, but Wainwright said it’s what makes things go smoothly.
He and other staff members recently raised money for senior Jadah Jackson, a teenage mother who couldn’t afford a ticket for prom. He handed her an envelope with $50 inside when she visited his office.
“I wasn’t expecting it, to be honest, but he’s kind of like a second dad to me,” she said. “It feels good. I’m very grateful.”
Jadah said it’s nice to know Wainwright is in the building. “There are a lot of students who know they can say anything to him and it won’t get out, unless they are harming themselves. I feel like I can talk to him about anything. … He gives the best advice.”
Like Family or Friend
Wainwright said he knows what life is like for children living in harsh circumstances. He grew up on the south side of Chicago. “Most of the things I’ve seen here are nothing compared to growing up there.
“I thought it was normal, but it was really rough,” he said, referring to the area he grew up in. “I didn’t realize that wasn’t how life had to be until I got out of there, until I came to Grand Rapids.”
He wanted to make his mother proud and didn’t find success in Chicago. So Wainwright moved to Grand Rapids and started working in security, first at Grand Valley State University and then in Godwin Heights. He was contracted through DK Security until they created the district safety supervisor position for him.
Principal Chad Conklin said Wainwright’s presence diffuses stress.
“Obviously, the most important thing is his appearance around the building,” Conklin said. “It gives everybody a general calm to have someone as high character as Jeff, who’s always looking after things in the building to make sure it’s a safe and secure learning environment. It certainly keeps students and staff at ease.”
English teacher Jessica Molloy said Wainwright provides the assurance she needs concerning safety.
“From a student perspective, the thing Mr. Wainwright does best is makes himself more of a family member rather than a resource officer,” Molloy said. “He’s more of a dad or an uncle or a friend, or just someone they feel comfortable with. That gives him the opportunity to really get to know our kids at a different level and keeps him in the loop with what’s going on in their lives, so he can step in long before things become problems.”
After the Parkland incident, Molloy eased fears by assuring students that Wainwright was more than capable.
“A lot of our students were scared because there are a lot of unknowns, and when there are those unknowns, that’s where our fear comes from.
“The one thing I always told students was that if Mr. Wainwright says the school is safe, then the school is safe.”
Check out School News Network for more stories about students, schools, and faculty in West Michigan
By Erin Albanese
“I am Godwin,” said parent Kristina Berry.
“I am Godwin,” said parent Glenn Tran.
“I am Godwin,” said parent Serida Scott.
“Soy Godwin,” said parent Veronica Soto.
Parents’ voices unite in an uplifting video that shares their experiences in the district and encourages others to get involved.
Godwin Heights is celebrating parents’ involvement in everything from helping their children with homework to volunteering in schools and in athletics. The district’s Parent Action Council, which includes parents and staff members, recently created the video for the district website.
Goals of the PAC are to engage parents in their children’s education, increase achievement among English learners and connect families and children with school and community resources.
“We want to be able to support parents and for them to feel empowered. We value that relationship,” said Director of Instruction Michelle Krynicki.
Soto, mom to Marla, a senior; Carlos, a seventh-grader; and Valeria, a third-grader; is happy to help spread the message.
“We, as parents, are mirrors and we reflect the importance to our kids in setting examples,” she said, translated from Spanish by Lysette Castillo, the district’s parent and community liaison. Soto is known as a “star volunteer,” regularly lending a hand at the high school, middle school and North Godwin Elementary School.
Parents are encouraged to volunteer even if they don’t speak English, which is a common barrier that can cause parents to feel intimidated, Krynicki said.
“You don’t have to be here every day, but can you be a reading buddy? Can you make copies and put packets together? Could you put labels on fliers? There are lots of ways to be involved.”
Powerful Voices
With filming by Duane Bacchus, high school Kent School Services Network community coordinator, and Noah DeSmit, who works in the Grand Rapids Community College media department, parents in the video speak about the benefits of being involved, for themselves and their children. A diverse group, they represent the multi-cultural district.
“We have some parents who are very involved. We feel like they experience a great benefit from being involved,” Bacchus said, about the idea for the video. “The discussion came up, ‘What can do to get more parents to experience what these parents now do?
“Someone spoke up: ‘We need to get those parents to speak out. We need to get them to share their stories. … Let’s get parents to have a voice.”
“I’ve benefited because I’m more involved with what’s going on in school,” Soto said. “I know what’s going on and I’ve been able to collaborate and get to know the staff and the people in the school.”
Castillo said Soto serves an important role for the district as a conduit to other Spanish-speaking parents. “She is the informed that informs the rest,” Castillo said. “The parents talk to her and she brings it to us.”
Martha Ibanez, mother of Jose, a sophomore; Emma, a fourth-grader; and Kevin, a third-grader, is also a great example of a parent who makes a difference in the schools, staff members said. While too shy to be in the video, she helped plan it as a member of the PAC.
“My children are aware I’m present, and even though I don’t speak English the school finds a way to communicate everything going on,” she said. “It has benefited me to be more informed about what’s going on in their education.”
Check out School News Network for more stories about students, schools, and faculty in West Michigan.
By Charles Honey, Erin Albanese and Allison Kaufman
Wednesday’s shooting in a Florida high school that killed at least 17 people sent shudders through students, staff and parents in West Michigan, as the nation once again deals with a mass shooting in a school. The massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Broward County brought to more than 400 the number of people who have been shot in more than 200 such shootings since the 2012 murder of 20 first-graders and six adults in Newtown, Connecticut, according to the nonprofit Gun Violence Archive.
Expelled student Nikolas Cruz, 19, was charged Thursday with 17 counts of premeditated murder using a semi-automatic rifle legally purchased. His rampage revived issues of school security, mental health and access to deadly weapons and brought to mind the horrific Columbine massacre of 1999.
School News Network asked local superintendents to reflect on two questions: what their schools have done to protect students and staff from the possibility of a shooter; and what else needs to be done at the state and national levels to reduce the incidence of mass school shootings. They responded in interviews or prepared statements.
Ron Caniff, Kent ISD
“As a response to the first question, the issue requires a two-pronged approach: prevention and preparedness. What’s the root cause of the action or behavior? School districts in our area are doing a great job with addressing underlying mental health concerns of students. Resources are best invested in strengthening relationships with all students and building connectedness, but for those who need extra assistance, it’s essential to provide that for them on a proactive basis.
“Preparedness is also absolutely critical. School staff undergo training for active shooter scenarios but obviously hope and pray that they will never have to experience that crisis. In these situations, mere seconds have the opportunity to save lives, so staff members need to know how to react and respond ahead of time so their training kicks in. Schools are also addressing security issues through design and protocols, such as secure vestibules, surveillance cameras, and restricting visitor access.
“As for the second question regarding state and national policy, in Michigan, it seems policy makers believe that the solution may in part rest with allowing open carry of pistols in schools. I wholeheartedly disagree with that approach.
“It’s common knowledge that these tragedies are occurring in America at a rate that far, far exceeds other countries. Why is that? Based on what I’ve read and heard, the biggest contributing variable is the abundance and accessibility of guns. If you don’t believe this statistic, just Google it.
“So for me, the answer is simple: we need fewer guns, not more of them.”
William Fetterhoff, Godwin Heights Public Schools
Fetterhoff said security and training in the district are consistent with what many schools have implemented, including secured entrances, security cameras and mandated school lockdown drills.
But he doesn’t think facility preparedness is at the center of the issue. “First, prayers to the families,” he said, in reaction to Wednesday’s shooting. “That’s 17 more mothers who lost their babies.”
This and other school shootings should no longer be a matter of politics, Fetterhoff said.
“We need to not politicize this and instead look at it as a moral issue in our country,” he said.
Fetterhoff said schools need more financial resources to build relationships in communities, and provide students with access to mental health support and counseling. Youth are faced with huge amounts of pressure and mental illness is rampant, he said. He said the Florida shooter showed many disturbing behaviors.
“The schools need to become a platform for providing and acknowledging support for students to know it’s OK to talk about how you are feeling and what you are thinking,” he said. “We understand that necessity as our communities lean on us.”
Teaching today requires much more than instruction and schools need financial support in attracting “the best teachers that understand teaching today is a holistic endeavor.”
“And for the goodness of society we need to identify individuals (with mental health issues that could pose a danger to others) and pass laws and legislation so they cannot accrue weapons,” he said.
Teresa Weatherall Neal, Grand Rapids Public Schools
“First and foremost, our thoughts and prayers go out to all the students, parents, staff, and the entire Broward County community.
“Any time there is a tragic incident like this, it is good to reflect on all the training, technology, policies, procedures, and facility-related measures that our district has in place to ensure safe and secure school environments.
”We at GRPS take great pride in being a national leader on school safety and security. Our own chief of staff and executive director of public safety and school security, Mr. Larry Johnson, is the chair of the board of directors for the National Association of School Safety and Law Enforcement Officers. In 2008, Mr. Johnson helped secure a federal grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to implement a comprehensive training on critical incidents and crisis management.
“The trainer model led GRPS to host a series of trainings for staff from public and private districts throughout the region. This grant also led to an assessment of egress points at our schools, complete with installation of new entryway identifications. GRPS conducts multiple school safety trainings and school safety drills throughout the year.
“Additionally, thanks to the voter-approved bond (for $175 million in 2015), GRPS is in the process of implementing more than $10 million in facility and security improvements including renovations to main offices/entryways, security cameras, and other security technology.”
Michael Shibler, Rockford Public Schools
Shibler sent an open letter to district staff and families (as did other superintendents) noting the many steps the district has taken to increase safety. Those include the Developing Healthy Kids initiative supporting mental health awareness and suicide prevention; student peer listeners to help classmates; and the statewide OK2Say system for reporting suspicious behavior or bullying. The district’s nine security personnel vigilantly monitor school buildings, he said.
Shibler also pointed to the $11 million spent on security upgrades from a 2014 bond approval, including first-floor shatterproof glass and entryway vestibules that require visitors to be buzzed into the main office. He said the vestibules would have prevented the Florida incident from happening here because a shooter would not be allowed into the building.
“If this guy came into our vestibule, he would certainly be recognized as a person who was expelled from our school” and therefore not admitted, Shibler said.
Nor would anyone be allowed into a building carrying a weapon, as Rockford schools are designated gun-free zones, he said. He supports a complete legal ban on carrying weapons into schools or other public arenas by anyone other than law enforcement, and testified before a Senate committee before the full body in November approved a bill allowing concealed-carry in schools. The bill is now before the House of Representatives.
“We have certainly contacted our representatives to let them know this is unacceptable,” he said. “I can’t imagine they’ll bring it up now.”
However, he sees the No. 1 issue behind school shootings as mental health, which he called an illness that “needs to be treated, just like heart disease.” For students, he added, the problem has been exacerbated by technology.
“Kids today can be bullied and harassed through a cell phone, by people who have no respect for dignity, or courage.”
Check out School News Network for more stories about students, schools, and faculty in West Michigan.
By Erin Albanese
Though some may think it’s crummy, 10th-graders Madalyn Austin and Rebekah Hoyle said The Snacky Sleeper is the perfect lazy-evening, popcorn-munching luxury: a “comfortable, supportive memory foam pillow” with a pouch for snacks.
“The Snacky Sleeper keeps your snacks in great, undamaged condition,” said Madalyn as the duo delivered a slideshow presentation including different views of the product they developed.
“Our pillow is easy to use, it saves time. It’s not only good for kids and teenagers, but it’s also helpful and comfortable, and it’s safe for sleeping,” Rebekah said.
But did their product really have teeth? That would be up to the Sharks to decide. The
Sharks, a panel of Godwin Heights High School educators who took on the persona of business-savvy millionaires, evaluated the pillow, circling in closely on math the students used to estimate potential profit.
They did the same for products like Toasty Toes, a battery operated toe warmer; The Boomer, a Bluetooth-enhanced cell-phone case; PakTele, a backpack-phone combination that works to contact 911 in an emergency; and the Diskinizer, a video-game organizer that uses a robotic arm.
Let’s Talk Numbers
Students used math to develop their pitches to the Sharks, seated in front of them in the style of TV show “Shark Tank.”
Algebra 2 teacher James Rex started the game last year to provide students a lesson in business, while learning the math involved in bringing a product to market. Students developed the products, brainstormed materials, researched all costs and came up with estimates.
“Sometimes they come up with things that are super-creative, and sometimes they come up with things that are super-unrealistic,” Rex said. “You want to encourage that creative element of it and give them the freedom to explore their ideas and think through it, but also to ground them in the math and the feasibility of some of those things.”
During presentations, Rex based his offers on the math. “I feel like I trick them into talking about their numbers,” he said. “That’s where I get the bang for my buck in terms of their learning. They are up there talking about math in a high-pressure situation. I try to keep it light, relaxed and fun for them.”
Snacky Sleeper: Sink or Swim?
Showing their work through algebraic equations and graphs, Madalyn and Rebecca calculated each Snacky Sleeper would cost $15 to produce; monthly rent for manufacturing space would cost $30,000; and monthly wages for employees at $10 per hour for a 40-hour week would cost $16,000. By selling each pillow at $25 they would profit $10 per pillow.
“When we break even it will be at 5,500 pillows sold (per month),” Rebekah said.
Their request for the Sharks: $60,000 in investment for 40 percent of the company.
While Principal Chad Conklin said he has an aversion to food in his bed and would not invest for that reason, Rex took a bite at the offer, though he questioned if the company could sell enough pillows to make a profit.
“I see potential. I see this as being something millennials would use,” he said. “My offer is $80,000 for 50 percent of the company.”
Math coach Molly Mosketti also made an offer: $60,000 for 45 percent of the company. “I’m thinking this might be a covert way for parents to enjoy a snack,” she said.
Students said the project allowed them to learn how to do calculations in a fun way and have a real-life experience in pitching a product.
“I liked debating with the sharks,” said Jalisa Lopez-Longoria, who helped pitch PakTele. “I like how we got to pick our product and find our own numbers to figure out the prices we want to use.”
Check out School News Network for more stories about students, schools, and faculty in West Michigan.
Kent District Library announced the launch of the Library Card Challenge, giving 2,000 students at Godwin Heights Public Schools their very own library card.
The first program of its kind in Kent County, the Library Card Challenge will incorporate the library’s resources into every student’s learning experience. Library card-holding students will receive access to Kent District Library’s online research databases, materials from all 18 branches as well as computer and Internet access.
Teachers will be able to participate in the library’s education-based programming to enhance learning in the classroom, such as Leap into Reading, Lit Lunch and Storytime. Additionally, when school isn’t in session, students can still participate in KDL’s many summer offerings, including its popular summer reading program.
“Godwin Heights has been a wonderful partner as we launch the Library Card Challenge program,” said Lance Werner, Kent District Library executive director. “Our mutual goal of advancing literacy and lifelong learning has inspired us to join this national movement with a local collaboration.
“Our goal is to make sure that every public school student, from kindergarteners to high school seniors, in our county has a library card – and with it, the keys to unlock learning.”
The Library Card Challenge is part of a national effort to ensure every child enrolled in school has access to the valuable learning resources available at public libraries. Launched in 2015, the Library Card Challenge includes more than 100 communities nationwide dedicated to improving education outcomes, close achievement gaps and create a framework for an integrated approach to education.
“Providing our school community access to a full range of KDL educational databases and resources enhances our ability to meet 21st century learning goals,” said William Fetterhoff, Godwin Heights Public Schools superintendent. “The Godwin Heights teaching community will have access to high-quality resources to plan and deliver engaging lessons which will enable our students to extend and deepen their knowledge of content through exposure to non-fiction/informational material.
“The end goal culminates in allowing today’s student to be a successful, self-directed problem solver, better prepared for career and college readiness.”
Encouraging early childhood literacy has long been an objective of Kent District Library. In Kent County, third grade literacy rates remain low with, only 48.6 percent of students reading at the proficient level, according to KConnect, a network of organizations focused on ensuring all children in Kent County have a clear path to economic prosperity.
“Our community takes responsibility for ensuring our students have the skills they need to succeed in life,” said City of Wyoming Mayor Jack Poll. “The Library Card Challenge is an excellent way to provide open access of information to all students in our community.
“We are appreciative of our partnership with KDL and its commitment to the Wyoming community. As a municipality, we are continuously looking for ways to collaborate with our partners to enhance services and opportunities for our residents.”
Kent District Library is committed to increasing library card holders and granting access to valuable learning resources to every child. This first-of-its-kind partnership in Kent County highlights the local network of committed leaders and educators working to make library resources accessible for all.
KDL hopes to roll out the Library Card Challenge to the more than 120,000 students in Kent County over the upcoming years.
“This is a big undertaking, but we are ready for the challenge,” Werner said. “Literacy starts at the library, and we’re proud to be with students and families as children take the first exciting steps into a lifelong love of reading and learning.
“We have a wonderful community in Kent County and want to ensure that each student has the tools he or she needs to excel.”
Diane Kallemeyn prefers to work as a substitute bus driver for Wyoming Public Schools, but is now covering a permanent route. She arrives at 6:30 a.m. to transport hundreds of students across the district and to Kent Career Tech Center, racking up about 80 miles each day she drives. With a few breaks in between, she finishes driving after school in the afternoon.
“Right now, we are short drivers so I am on a run every day,” she said.
So are many other subs. Area schools are experiencing the nationwide shortage of bus drivers, putting transportation departments in a pinch to get students on the bus in the morning and back home after the final bell at a reasonable time. In Kent County, subs like Kallemeyn are covering routes, dispatchers are driving, and retirees are filling in to transport thousands of children every day. They’ve also consolidated runs and are constantly seeking applications for new hires.
“We’ve tried to be creative,” said Don Hebeler, Wyoming director of operations and support services, who advertises job openings with yard and marquee signs and district-wide emails. He recently had three new drivers going through the training process for four open routes.
Countywide, Dean Transportation is looking to hire 50 drivers to serve Grand Rapids, Sparta, Cedar Springs and Kent City public schools as well as Kent ISD programs. The Lansing-based firm contracts with those school districts and others statewide. Statewide, Dean needs to hire 100 drivers total.
“We’ve seen this for a few years now,” said Ashleigh Wright, Dean hiring specialist. “We are working toward closing the gap by increasing advertising and increasing flexibility with training. We will train non-credentialed drivers and pay for training.”
Why a Shortage?
School officials named several factors at play. More positions in the job market are now available than a few years ago, plus there are strict requirements and fewer perks for drivers than in the past.
With the national unemployment rate at 4.1 percent, people are more easily finding full-time work without frequent split shifts.
‘We are still in need of five drivers. We could use more subs too.’ — Laura Tanis, Kentwood Public Schools transportation supervisor
New hires don’t receive traditional pensions as they did years ago, Hebeler said: “When a lot of my drivers started they got full benefits and a pension.”
In Godfrey-Lee Public Schools, one of Kent County’s smallest districts, they don’t have enough drivers cover field trips and athletic events, said Scott Bergman, supervisor of operations, transportation and custodial services. The district, which parks its fleet at the Wyoming Public Schools bus garage, often uses drivers from Wyoming, Kelloggsville and Dean Transportation to cover needs.
“There needs to be increase in compensation for both custodians and bus drivers,” Bergman said. District driver pay starts at about $14 per hour.
The biggest challenge, Wright said, is finding candidates that meet all requirements: a good driving record including no history of driving under the influence or careless driving; at least seven years experience driving commercially; a valid Michigan license; a passed background check and fingerprint clearance. Candidates must pass a federal Department of Transportation physical and drug and alcohol screening.
“The number of folks who apply and get through the process is one or two out of 10,” Wright said.
Kentwood Public Schools began the school year with 10 open bus driver positions, of 36 total positions in the district. Since then, five were filled. “We are still in need of five drivers. We could use more subs too,” said Transportation Supervisor Laura Tanis.
Enticements for Recruits
Starting driver pay from district to district ranges from about $14 to $18 per hour. A minimum of hours is often required to qualify for insurance. Dean Transportation wages start at $16 an hour and guarantees a minimum of four hours per school day. Dean also offers full benefits, including health, dental, vision, a 401(k) plan and paid time-off to all drivers.
Caledonia Public Schools, a district covering more than 100-square-miles, has recruited drivers with the offer of a $250 referral bonus and $500 sign-on bonus. The effort led to hiring five part-time substitute drivers who cover field trips, vacation and sick days and after-school athletic events. Two more substitute drivers are still needed, said Transportation Director Brenda Witteveen.
Godfrey-Lee’s Bergman pointed out another issue may be contributing to the shortage. “It’s an awesome responsibility to be a bus driver,” he said. “You are responsible for the safety of those children from the the time you pick them up to when you take them home.”
In today’s fast-paced society, people are commuting in a rush. “We’ve had two dozen people go through our red lights (on buses) since school started and they came within feet of our kids,” Bergman said. “Everyone is in such a hurry these days.”
By Erin Albanese
Every weekday at about 1:30 p.m., Sheila Gurd arrives at West Godwin Elementary School to deliver hundreds of sack suppers from Kids’ Food Basket to classrooms, making sure no kindergartner through fourth-grader will go hungry at night.
By the time she arrives, Gurd’s likely already been volunteering at the Godwin Middle School, helping with fundraisers or Popcorn Day. At West Godwin, she recently popped 200 bags of popcorn for Family Night.
Gurd, whose children are second-grader Camblouw and eighth-grader Aidan, is the “go to” parent volunteer at West Godwin, which currently lacks a Parent Teacher Organization, said secretary Kristi Bast. At the middle school, Gurd is on the PTO.
A humble person who said she doesn’t ever want a title, Gurd just likes to help out.
“I love seeing the kids’ faces every day. I love to help and deliver the Kids’ Food Basket food,” she said. “I’ve been here from Day One, very involved. I want to show other parents I want to be involved. I like to do it.”
She also likes to be present in her children’s school day. “Knowing that they know I’m in the building, if they have the problem, I’m right there to assist them.”
Gurd, a Wyoming native who graduated from Wyoming Rogers High School (now Wyoming High School) in 2000, is also a gold medalist in the pentathlon for Special Olympics Michigan.
Bast said Gurd is filling a big need at the school, which has a high percentage of economically disadvantaged students.
“(Without Sheila) we would not be able to get by, honestly,” Bast said. “We don’t have enough staff members. There’s not extra money or extra people. She’s been very good about coming in and being a volunteer with us.”
Check out School News Network for more stories about students, schools, and faculty in West Michigan.
Kids’ Food Basket has recognized a large need to begin serving more students in West Michigan. Their goal is to raise $60,000 to build enough capacity to take three schools off their immediate waiting list, one in each of their West Michigan locations.
For the third year in a row, Kids’ Food Basket staff and their families will be personally matching online donations made on #GivingTuesday dollar for dollar, up to $5,000. Their goal is to inspire enough people to donate this #GivingTuesday so that they will have the ability to begin servings hundreds of students here in West Michigan. Kids Food Basket serves several schools in the Kelloggsville, Godwin Heights, and Godfrey Lee public school districts.
“Removing three schools from our waiting list means hundreds of children – hundreds of children that are currently waiting for their sack supper. Hundreds of children that leave school to homes that simply do not have adequate food. Hundreds of children who eat lunch as their last meal of the day,” Bridget Clark Whitney, Executive Director, shared.
“The need for our services is tremendous, and we know firsthand the impact that Sack Suppers can make. Data proves that children who have access to consistent nourishment have higher test scores and better academic achievement, less truancy, less sickness and less behavioral issues,” Clark Whitney explained. “The Kids’ Food Basket team and our families so deeply believes in this work that we are coming together again to provide a Staff Match for the third year in a row.”
Occurring on Nov. 28 this year, #GivingTuesday is an international day of giving fueled by social media that was born as a result of well-known shopping days, Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
Kids’ Food Basket currently serves 7,500 children at 42 elementary schools in Grand Rapids, Muskegon and Holland. More than 240 volunteers each day help prepare, pack and deliver Sack Suppers, a well-rounded evening meal that provides nutrition critical to the development of the brain and body.
Kids’ Food Basket is a nonprofit organization empowering communities to attack childhood hunger so young people can learn and live well. Through the Sack Supper program, kids get well-balanced evening meals, filling a gap that schools and families often can’t meet. To learn more, or see how you can make a difference, please visit www.kidsfoodbasket.org.
By Erin Albanese
Maria Aguirre likes to help other people’s dreams come true: making sure a child has presents wrapped under the tree on Christmas morning, doing her part to fund cancer research, helping distribute grants to organizations doing good in her Wyoming community.
Through extensive giving back and taking a leadership role in doing so, she reveals the good in people and the community, making places and people’s days brighter. She’s a leader at Godwin Heights Public Schools, the newly-named president for Student Leadership Council, and continually organizing programs and pitching in on school-wide efforts.
“I like trying to get the better out of the community, and putting forward that good. It makes you feel good about yourself, bringing out what’s better in the world,” Maria said.
Maria is a scholar, a worker, a leader, and a Dreamer.
‘It Makes me Feel Torn’
The 17-year-old senior arrived with her parents from Mexico when she was 3-years-old, and hasn’t been back there since. She doesn’t remember their home in Monterrey, the capital of the northeastern Mexican state of Nuevo León, or what it’s like there.
At age 15, she paid the $495 application fee for protection from deportation and a work permit through the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals policy, created under the Obama Administration. She enrolled as a Dreamer, along with her brothers, among 800,000 individuals in the program.
Now, with doubt cast on her permanent status in the U.S. by the Trump Administration, who rescinded the policy in September, Maria’s dreams are hazy. Trump’s decision officially ends the program in March and halts new applications, but those whose permits expire before March 5 can apply for a two-year renewal, which Maria did. (Trump called on Congress to pass immigration legislation to replace it, and tweeted that he will “revisit this issue” if Congress does not act.)
“It makes me worried if in the future I won’t be able to qualify for a replacement of DACA. Would I have to go back to a country that isn’t my country – that I don’t know anything about?
“It makes me feel torn. It makes me feel depressed.”
But Maria is the kind of person who keeps forging ahead at her school and in the community, despite what her future holds.
Beginning each November since her freshman year, she has been collecting as many toys as possible with the Student Leadership Council for DA Blodgett St. John’s Home. The Council invites Godwin teachers to adopt children at the foster-care facility and have them encourage students to bring in gifts.
Annually, she works with fellow members of National Honor Society to clean up nearby Hillcroft Park. She raises funds for Relay for Life, the annual 24-hour walk to raise money for cancer research. She’s planning an Unsung Heroes Dinner at school to recognize support staff, like janitors and paraprofessionals, who make a difference at the school. Maria gets to church early to help with Sunday School.
An ambitious student, Maria is dual-enrolled at Grand Rapids Community College, where she’ll tally up a year’s worth of college credit by the time she graduates in May. She has a 3.8 grade-point average.
She just joined the Wyoming Community Foundation Youth Advisory Council to help allocate grant money to local nonprofits and works part-time at McDonald’s.
“Maria is a great role model for her peers and is a positive presence in the school,” said Student Leadership Council advisor Katie Hoffman. “She stands out as someone who wants to make a difference and is willing to go above and beyond to make our school and community a better place to be.”
Maria is always looking for new ways to influence and encourage others, Hoffman said. “I know that she will be successful in whatever field she chooses to go into and we are lucky that she has been a part of our Godwin family.”
Still Dreaming
Maria’s dreams are to go to Aquinas College or Grand Valley State University to pursue a degree in sociology and become a social worker. She dreams of making life better for people, and first and foremost, helping support her parents financially.
“Ever since I was little, I grew up struggling economically. I want to be able to, in the future, not have my parents have to work anymore,” she said. Her father is a dishwasher and her mother a stay-at-home mom.
She said growing up with limited financial resources made her passionate about doing what she can to get to college. “It was difficult, but you proceed through it and realize you need to get the education to do better.”
Godwin Heights staff members have been supportive, she said. During visits to college campus, counselors ask for any information pertaining to DACA students.
“I feel pretty confident that I am going to start college here. It feels unknown that I am going to finish it here,” Maria said.
When the DACA decision was announced, Maria’s parents were concerned for their children, who they raised as Americans. The family had already taken in children of a deported friend who wondered when their mother would be back. “They were really heartbroken. They were mostly sad.”
Encouraging Others and Getting Things Done
While leading the Leadership Team meeting on a recent Wednesday during lunch in Hoffman’s classroom, Maria told peers the details of the Christmas donation event for D.A. Blodgett-St. John’s Home. The collecting will kick off next month.
Team members said Maria stands out as a leader. As president of the Leadership Council, Maria knows how to get things done, said junior Luz Parada. She is a good example of how to lead a big group and be a positive influence on people. She is very supportive.
“I’ve known Maria for six years. She is my best friend,” said senior Kamille Martinez. “She stands out because she stands up for people no matter what the issue is. She stays ahead of her work. She is an encouraging person to others. She is an amazing person.”
After participating in discussion about popcorn sales and a new idea to greet students in fun ways as they arrive to school on Monday mornings, Maria wrapped up the meeting and prepared to head to GRCC for a college course. Despite what the future holds, she’s choosing a path for her dreams to become reality, being involved, pursuing education and helping others.
“You see all the bad that’s going on and all the suffering and you just want to get away from that and bring out the good that’s still left in the world,” she said.
Check out School News Network for more stories about students, schools, and faculty in West Michigan.
By Morgan Jarema
Superintendents from five Kent County school districts got the chance on Tuesday to tout their school improvement initiatives, when State Superintendent Brian Whiston and the eight-member State Board of Education visited Kent ISD.
Presenting superintendents were Michael Shibler of Rockford Public Schools; Gerald Hopkins of Kenowa Hills Public Schools; Thomas Reeder of Wyoming Public Schools; William Fetterhoff of Godwin Heights Public Schools; and Kevin Polston of Godfrey-Lee Public Schools.
Each presentation included what those districts are doing around one or more of the goals of the State Department of Education’s “Top 10 in 10” initiative to make Michigan a premier education state in 10 years.
Luke Wilcox, this year’s Michigan Teacher of the Year, also took part as a representative of Kentwood Public Schools.
Kent ISD was the first stop in the state BOE’s new plan to visit two intermediate school districts each year. The board will visit Wayne RESA in February.
Here is a brief summary of the superintendents’ presentations.
Rockford Public Schools: Action Model for Success
Since 1989, Rockford has involved the community, businesses, staff and students to help shape the district’s direction and priorities, resulting in three-year strategic plans. The district is currently finalizing its Rams X report for the next three years.
Key to that level of community engagement is accountability, said Superintendent Michael Shibler.
“This is, quite frankly, the reason we are an outstanding school system,” Shibler told board members. “And it fits your plan, the fact that you need to have stakeholder input to accomplish your goals.”
He shared that if an employer tells him an employee who is a Rockford graduate doesn’t have a skill he or she should have gotten in high school, “I’ll bring that student back free of charge to get those skills.”
Wyoming Public Schools: Reading Now Network, Early Literacy and Literacy Coaching
The three components are key to district efforts to improve reading proficiency for all students. Highlighted for the board was the importance and purpose of early literacy work and literacy coaches throughout the buildings.
The district increased its reading scores through its participation in the Reading Now Network, a collaborative effort involving 100 districts to boost reading proficiency to 80 percent in 13 counties. Wyoming’s partnership with RNN also led to a $10,000 grant from the Herman Miller company, to help get more books into classrooms and create a more consistent book-leveling system.
“We all need to own that our students need to be reading much better than they are,” Superintendent Tom Reeder said.
Godwin Heights Public Schools: Fostering Shared Responsibility in School Improvement
After establishing a clear purpose and message about sharing the work of improvement, administrators and instructional coaches lead teams in highly focused learning. That begins with thoroughly understanding a district instructional goal and visiting classrooms to see it in action. Debriefing sessions within groups lead to possible steps for new improvements toward the goal.
Participants walk away with better understanding, new ways to explore meeting the goal, and a renewed sense of shared responsibility for all students to be career and college ready, said Superintendent Bill Fetterhoff.
Fetterhoff said the strategy has three elements: learning labs, where teachers observe, interact with and learn from one another; and administrators are exempt; learning walks, where administrators and instructional specialists create a consistent “lens” to support teaching staff; and school improvement, where participation is a blend of the other groups.
“So we see it in three different ways, but all the ways are there to enhance student achievement — to make our principals, our teachers, our coaches better,” Fetterhoff said. “It’s all about the learning communities and how the different cycles overlap. The greatest part about it is the feedback, and that’s been that they have confidence that we are doing this for the right reasons.”
Godfrey-Lee Public Schools: A Broader Definition of Student Success
The district’s design thinking process led to a redesign of its model of student success that addresses the needs of the whole child instead of simply providing content. This includes responding to research that indicates students need the 6Cs — communication, collaboration, creativity, critical thinking, confidence and content mastery – for success in the 21st century.
Educating the whole child also means fulfilling needs to ensure students are healthy and ready to learn, through programs like Kent School Services Network.
“First, we determine our values, and then we develop goals around those values,” Superintendent Kevin Polston told board members. “When we think about our traditional way of doing school, we’ve maxed out just about all the ways of tweaking how we’ve done that. We need to look at education through a different lens if we are going to significantly transform what we’re doing.”
Kenowa Hills Public Schools: Competency-based Learning
This paradigm-shifting approach to learning is part of a growing national trend in helping all students reach college and career readiness. In this approach, students move ahead individually as soon as they learn the material, and not together as an entire class. This allows some to move more quickly, while others get the support they need, enabling all to master the content.
The district began this shift in 2012 with K-8 mathematics, and has now implemented it districtwide. Administrators say they consistently see students who are more engaged, learning at deeper levels, and taking more ownership of their learning.
“It’s the reality of what all schools face: students who are not engaged, are not meeting the rigors and demands of school and they don’t know why,” Superintendent Gerald Hopkins said. “We don’t have all the answers, but we want to continue to learn and to keep looking for them.”
State Board members seemed to appreciate being able to meet superintendents on their own turf.
“This is the first time we’ve taken our meeting on the road,” said Eileen Lappin Weiser. “You folks are setting a horribly high standard.”
Check out School News Network for more stories about students, schools, and faculty in West Michigan.
By Erin Albanese
Got those backpacks ready?
The first day of school is two weeks earlier than the traditional post-Labor Day start for many districts, and administrators are working to make sure families are aware of the change.
First days vary across Kent ISD’s 20 public school districts, with the earliest beginning Monday, Aug. 21. Kent ISD received a waiver from the state for its member schools to begin prior to Labor Day, and districts set their own start dates. They are as follows:
Monday, Aug. 21: Grandville Public Schools, Comstock Park Public Schools, Godfrey-Lee Public Schools, Godwin Heights Public Schools, Kent Career Tech Center and Kent Innovation High
Tuesday, Aug. 22: Wyoming Public Schools, Thornapple Kellogg Schools, Lowell Area Schools and Kentwood Public Schools
Wednesday, Aug. 23: Kent City Community Schools
Monday, Aug. 28: Caledonia Community Schools, Forest Hills Public Schools, Grand Rapids Public Schools, Kenowa Hills Public Schools, Northview Public Schools and Rockford Public Schools
Tuesday, Sept. 5: Byron Center Public Schools, Cedar Springs Public Schools, East Grand Rapids Public Schools, Kelloggsville Public Schools and Sparta Area Schools
By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
The second Tuesday of the month is always the primary election and while this year is certainly not as busy as the 2017 primary election, there is one issue on the ballot that Godwin Heights Public Schools is rallying voters in its district to get out and vote on.
The school district is seeking a renewal of its operating millage. The proposal would allow the district to continue to levy a rate not to exceed 18 mills on all property, except primary residences and other property exempted by law, required to receive the state per pupil foundation allowance.
According to school officials this is not a new tax and it is not a tax on primary residences. If you can answer no to owning commercial/industrial property, vacation property, rental property or a second home in the Godwin Heights area, then the non-homestead property tax does not apply to you, according to school officials.
The proposal does include an additional three mills to help recover reductions from the Headlee rollback. The Headlee rollback was approved in 1978 by Michigan voters and provides provisions on state and local taxes.
The request is for 10 years. The estimated revenue in the first year for the district is about $2.94 million.
Those voting on the Godwin Heights proposal are in the following city precincts: Precincts 1 and 2 are voting at the Godwin Physical Education Building, 31 36th St. SW; Precinct 3 are voting at Gethsemane Lutheran, 3152 Clyde Park SW; Precinct 5 are voting at the Grand Valley Armory, 1200 44th St. SW; Precinct 9 are voting at the Kentwood Community Church, 2950 Clyde Park SW; and Precinct 19 are voting at the KDL Wyoming Library Branch, 3350 Michael Ave. SW. Polls for the primary election will be open from 7 a.m. – 8 p.m.
By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
As children play at the splash pad and on the playground, the Wyoming City Council hosted its second outdoor meeting for the summer at Southlawn Park.
About a dozen residents attended the meeting with many echoing what Pastor Wayne Ondersma, from The Pier Church, said just before giving the invocation.
“Thanks for coming to my neighborhood,” Ondersma said.
“I have loved seeing all the different folks,” said Council Member Dan Burrill. “I enjoyed the meeting at Lamar Park and I have enjoyed being at Southlawn. Having these meetings has allowed us to see a lot of folks we normally wouldn’t see.”
Residents attending the meeting brought up several items of concern for their community including promoting the annual leaf pick up in December more to adding more playground equipment to Southlawn Park. Godwin Heights Board Member Rick Hamilton asked the city to consider transferring the north parking lot area of the Site 36 area to Godwin Heights Public Schools, which would use the area for school parking. If the school had ownership over the lot, it could push for no parking on the neighborhood streets, Hamilton said.
“As any of the fire personal knows, driving a fire truck down through the neighborhood for a fire during a football game is virtual impossible,” Hamilton said, adding that the city has allowed the district to use the parking area and the district has been very grateful for that but he does believe the school could maintain the area better.
The council’s regular meeting agenda also included an item that had direct impact on the neighbor, the restoration of the pedestrian bridge just south of Bellevue Street on Division Avenue. Two other pedestrian bridges just south of 36th Street already have undergone the same process. Cost for the restoration is $24,700.
Other agenda items included the purchase of seventeen replacement vehicles for the police, parks and public works departments and two law mowers for about $580,955 and the replacement of an electric switchgear at the Water Treatment Plant Low Service Station and Gezon Booster Station at cost of about $2.4 million. The current switchgears have been in service for more than thirty years said Public Works Director Bill Dooley. The switchgears are essential in the operation of the plant with the one at the Water Treatment Plant pumping more than a 100 million gallons a day. Work on the switchgears would be done during the plant’s non-peak season which is the winter months, Dooley said.
The council also placed a tentative approval for a preliminary plat approval for Reservoir Ridge located on 56th street near the city’s water tower. Mayor Jack Poll noted that the lots for the plat are some of the largest the city has seen in awhile with plans calling for seven homes to be placed on almost 15 acres with some of the homes having more than an acre of land.
“The development of Metro Health has created interest in having larger lots in the area,” Poll said. The council will review the preliminary plat at its next meeting set for Aug. 7.
The council meets every first and third Monday of the month at 7 p.m. at its chambers in Wyoming City Hall, 1155 28th St. SW. The meetings are broadcast live on WKTV Channel 26 and rebroadcast at 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday.
The last Wyoming Council outdoor summer meeting is scheduled for Aug. 21 at 7 p.m. at the Metro Village, located in front of Metro Health on Byron Center Avenue. For more information about city activities, meetings, and events, visit www.wyomingmi.gov.
By Erin Albanese
School News Network
Just after the morning school bell rings, West Kelloggsville Elementary School teacher Joy Howard calls up her kindergartners one-by-one to hand them breakfast. They settle back in their seats to sip milk and juice, nibble cereal, crunch apples and devour muffins.
“It makes us healthy,” said kindergartner Jerez Prebble, after polishing off his morning meal.
Following spring break, six teachers at West served breakfast in the classroom as a way to make sure their students not only had the option to eat at school, but that a meal was put right in front of them every morning. It’s a way to get more children eating; while free breakfast has been available to all students before school through the School Breakfast Program for years, the number of them arriving in time to eat was lagging. At West, 79 percent of students qualify for free or reduced-priced lunches.
“The percentage of students at West eating breakfast was way lower than you’d expect the need to be,” said Principal Eric Schilthuis. “We want them to have a nutritious meal to get them through the morning.”
It’s a common scenario. Nationwide, 21 million U.S. children get free or reduced-price school lunch, but only half of those students get breakfast even though they are eligible. That’s according to No Kid Hungry, a campaign of Share Our Strength, a Washington D.C.-based nonprofit that connects children with healthy food offered through federal programs such as the School Breakfast and Summer Meals. In Michigan, offering breakfast is mandated in schools with a free and reduced-lunch population of more than 20 percent. Some low-income districts offer free breakfast to all students.
Research shows starting the day with breakfast has long-term benefits. According to the report, “Ending Childhood Hunger: A Social Impact Analysis” by Deloitte and the No Kid Hungry Center for Best Practices, students who eat breakfast attend an average of 1.5 more days of school; average 17.5 percent higher on math tests; and are 20 percent more likely to graduate high school.
Since serving it in the classroom, breakfast participation at West jumped from about 35 percent to 68 percent building-wide. That should increase more when more teachers offer it next school year. “It’s been a great success here,” said Brenda Jansen, food service director.
The Big Picture
The story is bigger than breakfast: it’s about ending childhood hunger. Amy Klinkoski, breakfast coach for Michigan No Kid Hungry, is working with Kent County districts, including Kelloggsville, to make breakfast more accessible.
Klinkoski recently coached food service directors on implementing a “Grab and Go” option at Union and Ottawa Hills high schools and C.A. Frost middle and high schools. The option allows students to grab prepackaged breakfasts from mobile carts in high traffic areas, such as hallways, entryways or cafeterias. Since starting the option, the number of Union High students eating breakfast has increased by 250 to 300 students per day, she said.
Wyoming, Godwin Heights, Godfrey-Lee Public Schools, and Alpine Elementary in Kenowa Hills Public Schools have had breakfast in the classroom in place for several years.
In Wyoming’s Oriole Park Elementary School, second-grade teacher Danielle Terpstra said eating breakfast in the classroom is part of the routine for at least 50 percent of students. She keeps leftover breakfast items around for snacks later, so nearly every student in her room eats something.
“Some of the kids eat the food as breakfast, morning snack, some at lunch, and even ask to take some home,” Terpstra said. “I believe it gives the kids the necessary start to a healthy body and brain for learning that day.
“I am thankful that we can fill that basic need for so many of them,” she added. “I don’t have any test scores to back my claims, but I really believe that the breakfast is one thing we can do to get our kids just what they need at the start of the day.”
Klinkoski reminds hesitant educators that offering breakfast at the beginning of instruction time is the same type of interruption as having snack time later — and keeps hunger in check earlier. Also, increased revenue from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to pay for more breakfasts offsets the cost of labor and food.
Why it Matters
According to the report “Ending Childhood Hunger” from The Lunch Box, a network supporting healthy school food programs, 48.8 million Americans — including 13 million children — live in households that lack the means to get enough nutritious food on a regular basis. As a result, they struggle with hunger at some time during the year. The average Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program monthly benefit is $1.46 per meal, and nearly half of SNAP recipients are children. Three out of four teachers say their students regularly come to school hungry.
In her kindergarten classroom, Joy Howard agreed starting the day with breakfast in class helps her students be more ready to learn until lunchtime.
“Some of the children who needed it the most were missing it,” she said. “There’s a comfort knowing that if they haven’t eaten, they can get it here.”
By Erin Albanese
Lazevious Steele sat snugly in a barber chair as Duane Bacchus used a razor to perfect his fade. The next day, Lazevious and other seniors walked across the stage sporting fresh haircuts to receive their high school diplomas.
Bacchus, a Kent School Services Network community coordinator, had opened the high school’s new barbershop — inside the men’s dressing room attached to the high school auditorium — for the first time the day before graduation, sprucing up seniors with free haircuts before their big send-off.
Next school year he plans to open twice weekly for boys to come in for a trim, and to participate in the ages-old style of barbershop banter that occurs when men gather for haircuts. Bacchus, whose job is to connect students and families with resources, has always included his own style of conversation and counseling in his duties. With the shop he’s adding a cool spin on how he serves Godwin Heights: a “neighborhood” barber where all are welcome, just like those he is used to.
“The barbershop has always been a place where nothing is off limits,” said Bacchus, who remembers “dying of laughter” from the conversations he heard in barbershops as a child. “There was a lot of wisdom and honest talk.”
Talking (Barber)shop
Bacchus, who cut friends’ hair in college for money, said he already regularly cuts several of his students’ hair. He had the idea of opening an in-school barbershop as a way to incentivize good behavior and build relationships.
With full support from the administration, he recruited his own barber, Chris Turner, from Ace of Fades in Grand Rapids, and another local barber, Miguel Estilo, who works at Maily’s Beauty Salon, to volunteer. Masonic Grand Rapids Lodge No. 34 donated three barber chairs.
Bacchus said he hopes to get more barbers to offer services, as well as a stylist for girls to get their makeup, nails and hair done for dances and special events.
“A haircut means so much to a kid in terms of confidence and your outlook on life,” he said. “You feel better about yourself, and it tends to make everything else easier.”
Turner’s also on board with helping students feel good and building up their self-esteem. “For some reason, people open up in a barbershop. It’s kind of reminiscent of a counselor. I listen and give feedback. Mostly, that’s what people need.”
‘Makes Me Feel Loved’
While Bacchus added the finishing touches to his hair, Lazevious reflected on how it felt to have someone care enough to give him a free haircut before graduation.
“It makes me feel loved and cared about,” he said. “I know Mr. Bacchus is a good barber. For him to take time out of his day to do this, it really means a lot to me.”
Part of his job is developing trust, Bacchus said.
“To sit down and have somebody take machines and run them through your hair, there has to be established trust,” Bacchus quipped. “That trust goes across the board. If you trust them to cut your hair, you trust them enough to talk to them as well.
“For me this project kind of embodies what KSSN is, making the school the center point of a kids’ life scholastically, bringing them community.”
Kent School Services Network is a countywide program that brings social and medical services to students’ schools and homes. It is run through a partnership with local districts and Kent ISD.
As they hung around the shop, students chatted.
“He’s a friend,” senior Gregory Sloan said of Bacchus. “He’s there if you need someone to talk to.”
“I don’t have to go to graduation with all this wild stuff on my head,” said senior Cameron Gray, touching his hair.
“(A barbershop) is a good environment. I think it makes everybody bond,” said senior Jamail Clark.
Next school year, students will be able to buy haircuts with Godwin Bucks, earned for good behavior through the school’s Positive Behavior Intervention Supports program.
