Dear parents,

On Monday, February 8, I presented our District Strategic Plan to the Board of Education. As I have mentioned before, this plan will guide our district for the next three to five years. You could say that the strategic plan is our roadmap to a better Howell Public Schools. During the presentation to the Board of Education, I shared our revised mission, vision, belief and goal statements, which were approved by the Board of Education. These statements were developed by a team of more than 50 district and community stakeholders during an eight-hour workshop in December. Following the retreat, our district and school administrators met in January to review the goal statements and develop first year objectives that will help us execute each goal. I have uploaded both the Powerpoint that I shared with the Board of Education and a Strategic Plan Summary to my web page at http://goo.gl/afweg9.

The month of February is National Career and Technological Education (CTE) Month. In Howell we offer our students a wide variety of CTE courses that provide a clear pathway to a career or higher education. In many of our CTE courses, students earn articulated college credit which helps offset the cost of college. A few weeks ago I visited our Fire Academy and last week I was at our Construction Trades building site. These are two vastly different programs that both provide amazing opportunities for our students. Students can graduate from the Fire Academy with their Firefighters 1 & 2 certification which is a major step toward becoming a firefighter. The Construction Trades program allows students to gain experience while building a house from the ground up, learning both life and career skills. We also offer programs that focus on Health Occupations, Educational Careers, Culinary Arts, Marketing, Manufacturing and Engineering. Howell High School will host a Course Fair for Students during the school day on February 18 and a Curriculum Night for Parents on Thursday, February 25 from 6:30 - 8 pm. These are great opportunities for our students and parents to learn about the CTE programs that we offer.

As always, there has been no shortage of exciting things happening around our district. This morning, I received a new haircut when I took part in the Howell Interact Club’s Ribbon Warriors Fundraiser and had my head shaved to support those battling cancer. During Monday night’s Board of Education meeting, we honored our school counselors for their dedication to the students of Howell Public Schools. Last week, students at Southeast Elementary attended an assembly on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as part of Black History Month. You can read more about each of these below.

Howell High School Ribbon Warriors Fundraiser

 The Howell High School Ribbon Warriors is a new organization formed by the school’s Interact Club. The Ribbon Warriors goal is to provide financial support to members of the Howell Public Schools community who are are battling cancer. To support this great cause, 11 students and I agreed to collect donations and have our heads shaved during a pep assembly today. To learn more about the Ribbon Warriors, please visit http://goo.gl/jLvWp9. You can watch a short video from the pep assembly at https://goo.gl/BMt1en.

National School Counseling Week

February 1-5 was National School Counseling Week. During the Board of Education Meeting on Monday, February 8, the Board honored our elementary, middle and high school counselors. These dedicated individuals support our students in many ways. Aside from helping students make course selections and providing career guidance, they also provide social and emotional support. Our counselors provide support in times of loss and help students overcome various hurdles on their path to success. Additionally, our counselors plan events like our Elementary Abilities Awareness Day and the high school’s College Application Week. Our counselors are a great asset to Howell Public Schools, and I truly appreciate everything that they do to support each of our students.

Southeast Elementary Students “Meet Dr. King”

 In honor of Black History Month, Southeast Elementary students recently attended an assembly on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. “Meet Dr. King” covered the life and work of Dr. King. The program was designed to be a fun and interactive show that focused on the key moments in Dr. King’s life, from his childhood in Atlanta, Georgia, to the Montgomery bus boycott and his famous march on Washington D.C. “Meet Dr. King” covered topics such as discrimination, segregation and why Dr. King advocated for non-violent protests in an age appropriate way.