Wyoming Park High School

By Erin Albanese

“Dream big, work hard and make it happen”: That’s the mantra of Craig Hoekstra, a familiar face in the district, who this week was selected as the new superintendent.

Hoekstra is an example of turning that philosophy into reality. After deciding to leave his job as a linen delivery driver to pursue college, the 1990 Wyoming Park High School graduate worked as a night custodian at the former Newhall Junior High. He also took classes to get his associate’s degree at Grand Rapids Community College. From there he worked up the ranks as an educator and administrator, most recently as Wyoming’s associate superintendent for instructional services.

He knows his background resonates with the young people he encourages to aim high.

“It goes to that life lesson of how if we persevere we can achieve everything we have in front of us,” Hoekstra said.

Hoekstra is set to begin in his new role July 1, following Superintendent Thomas Reeder, who announced his retirement last month after serving in the position for seven years.

Hoekstra was interviewed by the Board of Education last week in an open meeting before an audience of staff, administrators parents and community members. The board did not conduct a superintendent search, but considered internal candidates. Hoekstra was the only applicant interviewed.

Hoekstra turned his days of studying all day and working all night into a bachelor’s degree in elementary education, and eventually a master’s degree in educational leadership from Grand Valley State University.

He then began his career in education, starting as a second-grade teacher for Hamilton Public Schools, then serving as principal at three elementary schools before being promoted to assistant superintendent for instructional services in 2015.

He then served as a second-grade teacher at Hamilton Elementary School, in Hamilton Public Schools, for five years; principal at Oriole Park Elementary School, in Wyoming for two years; principal at Hamilton Elementary where he also working as kindergarten-through-fifth grade curriculum director for three years; and principal at Gladiola Elementary, where he was also put in charge of district grants, from 2012 until he was promoted to assistant superintendent for Instructional Services in 2015.

“Every move I’ve made, I’ve been fortunate to have been able to grow my skill set,” he said.

It’s an exciting time to take the district’s head job, as plans for a major high school renovation and investing in district facilities over the next seven years take shape.

“I’m very excited on many ends with all the great things coming up,” said Hoekstra, who credited Reeder for “amazing leadership” during his tenure, which included consolidating schools and creating new community.

“Because of what (Reeder) was able to do to bring the district together, to carry on after him is an absolute honor,” Hoekstra said.

In a press release, Board of Education President Craig Popma said the district and community are fortunate to have Hoekstra take the reins.

“To have Craig’s dedication, drive and passion for our community will provide great leadership for many years to come,” he said. ”I am excited to begin this new chapter, working closely with Craig and driving Wyoming to our next positive chapter.”

Check out School News Network for more stories about students, schools, and faculty in West Michigan.

Wyoming High School inducted five student athletes, some from Rogers and some from Wyoming Park high schools, into its athletic Hall of Fame. (WKTV)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

When cross-town athletic rivals Wyoming Park and Rogers high schools combined to form the current Wyoming High School, two athletic traditions were combined and a new one was born.

That shared past and unified present was honored early this month as five one-time students athletes were inducted into the Wyoming High School athletic Hall of Fame.

The ceremony was held Feb. 10, between home boys and girls basketball games. Those inducted included Andy Vavere, Laura Erdmans Readle, Doug Chappell, Kim Blouw Norden and Eric Taylor.

For many of the inductees, it was not only night to be honored but to remember high school athletic careers and experiences still remembered fondly — including one where cross-town athletic competition led to a union of a different kind.

Andy Vavere, Rogers High Class of 1980, was not only a standout football, basketball and baseball athlete — highlighted by the basketball team’s deep runs into the state tournament in 1979 and 1980 — but he also met his future wife during his high school years.

“My favorite (athletic) memories were our tournament runs we had in 1979 and 1980. We were regional finalists in ’79 and semifinalists in ’80,” Vavere said. Rogers was 21-4 the first year and 21-5 the second.

During those years, Vavere was an OK Red all-conference baseball player in 1979, an all-conference quarterback in 1980, and a all-conference basketball player in both years. He was also the 1980 Adrian Allen Athlete of the Year Award winner.

But the longest lasting memory was meeting his wife, Margaret, who attended his school’s arch rival.

“I was a senior at Rogers High School in 1980 and she was at Wyoming Park, a competitive school, and we met through competition,” he said. “I started dating Margaret in 1979 and we got married in 1989.”

And, Vavere admitted, it was always a challenge to face Wyoming Park on the field: “Absolutely, those guys were great,” he said.

Running into the Hall of Fame

One of those “great” Wyoming Park athletes was cross country and track runner Kim Blouw, Class of 1990.

Blouw, who later graduated from Central Michigan University, was track all-state each of her four years of high school, and was an all-state cross country runner her junior and senior years. She held school records in the 800, 1,600, 3,200-meter runs as well as in the 2-mile relay run. And she was part of a state champion 2-mile relay team one year.

But, maybe, the highlife of her high school career was spring track practice after a 16-hour bus ride to Myrtle Beach, S.C.

“I guess my favorite memories about high school would be my two coaches, Mr. (Frank) Grimm and Mr. (Dick) Locke, and traveling to South Carolina to go to Myrtle Beach, becoming a team, but not only a team but becoming a family,” Blouw said.

She also credits her family, both at home and on the Wyoming Park athletic teams, for keeping her focused and successful in her high school years.

“What made me do that was that I had two great parents who instilled a really good value system in us, myself and my brother,” she said. “I had really great coaches that really emphasized the importance of never giving up. I had a goal, and my goal was to go to college. And I was blessed with the ability to run. … So many people believed in me, encouraged me to excel in my career as a track and cross country runner. I embraced that.”

Three more honored with induction

Eric Taylor, Wyoming Park Class of 1988, had a basketball career that not only brought success to his high school, but to his college and professional teams as a player, and then carried him back nearly to full-circle as a high school basketball coach.

Taylor was an all-conference and all-state player his last two years at Wyoming Park, then played basketball and earned a degree at Oakland University. He went on to play professionally in Europe, winning multiple championships, and earn his masters degree from Grand Valley State University. He now coaches varsity basketball at Grand Rapids Christian High School.

“My passion is giving back to students and to influence their lives in a positive way everyday,” Taylor said in supplied material. “It’s about the legacy to reach, teach, love and support all students and be an example and a role everyday for all students.”

Doug Chappel, Rogers Class of 1979, died in 2012 but left a mark on the basketball record books both at his high school and at University of Detroit. He was a multi-sport athlete but starred on the basketball court in high school — including being all-conference three years, all state two years including being one of the top five players in the state his senior year, and scoring 1,300 points while grabbing more than 700 rebounds. He then played four years of college ball at Detroit, scoring nearly 1,200 points and gaining all-league honors.

Laura Readle, Wyoming Park Class of 1981, was a multi-sport athlete, including all-conference honors multiple years in volleyball, basketball and track. She was a rebounding machine on the basketball court, averaging 29 rebounds a game one year, and a record-braking sprinter on the track. She went on to gain her bachelors and masters degrees from Aquinas College, coached AAU basketball for 10 years and is now the track coach at Tri-County High School.

She also still runs, and runs and runs — including finishing marathons, ½ marathons, triathlons and the 25K River Bank run spread out over 30 years, and recently participated in a 5-hour adventure race. And the track for Wyoming Park, at Godwin High School, is still one of her favorite memories.

She remembers “when the only track that was ‘rubberized’ not cinder, in the late ’70s, at Godwin High School … every track meet all 8 schools in our conference would be there,” Readle said in supplied material. “I met many wonderful friends from all the other schools in our conference and I am still friends with many of them today. It is also where I met my husband. Many, many happy memories!”