Dear Parents,
At Howell Public Schools we are committed to excellence and providing the best possible educational experience to our students. To that end, we have engaged the services of EPIC-MRA, an established survey research firm, to conduct a survey of our current families as well as families who reside within our district but have decided to enroll their children in another district. The results of this survey will help inform myself and the Board of Education as we work to make Howell Public Schools the first, best, and only option for our families. Please take a few moments to complete the survey which can be found at https://goo.gl/JN7qQk. Thank you in advance for taking the time to respond to the survey.
January is School Board Recognition Month, and I would like to take a moment to thank our seven Board of Education members for their hard work and dedication to Howell Public Schools. In addition to attending monthly Board of Education meetings, our board members spend countless hours reviewing materials in preparation for each meeting, attending subcommittee meetings and visiting our schools. Being a board member is often a thankless job; however, it is a very important job, and I am honored to work with a group of individuals who share my passion for Howell Public Schools and public education. To read more about School Board Recognition Month, please visit https://goo.gl/9akOi1.
While we are speaking about the Board of Education, I would like to share that the Board of Education meeting schedule for this year has changed a bit. In some months the Board will only meet once, rather than hold two meetings as it has in the past. I have added the dates for upcoming Board of Education meetings to the calendar on the right. You can also view the full Board of Education meeting calendar at https://goo.gl/MIA2IW.
As I shared in a previous message, a Transition Team has been formed to implement the consolidation of Southeast Elementary and Three Fires Elementary. The first meeting of this team was scheduled for Tuesday, January 17. However, due to the snow day, that meeting has been moved to Thursday, January 26. This team will provide updates to the Board of Education on February 27, April 24, May 22, and June 26.
Today, we celebrated the grand opening of the newest student-run LOC Federal Credit Union in our district. Last weekend, Parker Middle School seventh and eighth-grade band students attended the school’s annual Winter Band Camp. This year’s Kindergarten Registration event will be held on Tuesday, March 7. I have shared additional information on each of these below.
Hutchings Elementary Student Run Credit Union Opens
Today, Hutchings Elementary celebrated the grand opening of its new student-run credit union. The credit union is run in partnership with LOC Federal Credit Union and allows students to open a real bank account while saving for their future. This is an outstanding program that teaches students real life job skills as well as important financial literacy skills. To learn more about this program, please visit https://goo.gl/xsUdH5.
Parker Middle School Winter Band Camp is Fun for All
Last weekend Parker Middle School seventh and eighth-grade band members spent the weekend at their school during Winter Band Camp. Winter Band Camp is a unique opportunity created by Jeff Stimson. Over the course of the weekend, the students work with a guest conductor to learn two pieces of music and instrumental coaches to work in small groups to master their instrument. The students also learn about different areas of music and have some fun at a dance. To read more about this neat program, please visit https://goo.gl/WIilMk.
Save the Date: Kindergarten Registration
Our annual Kindergarten Registration event will be held on Tuesday, March 7. This is a special day when our incoming kindergarten students can visit and tour their new school, meet our outstanding kindergarten teachers and school principals and explore a school bus. Kindergarten Registration will be held at each elementary school from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 4 to 6:30 p.m.. Students who reside in the current Southeast Elementary attendance area should register at Three Fires Elementary. Additional information about Kindergarten Registration will be posted on the district’s website in the coming weeks.