Dear parents,

On Monday, April 11 you will be receiving a parent survey from your child’s school. If you have children in more than one school, you will receive a survey from each school that your children attend. These surveys are part of our AdvancED district improvement process and provide important feedback that allows us to evaluate our current practices and identify areas for improvement. When you receive the survey from your child’s school, please take a few minutes to complete it as it pertains to your experiences with that school.

I would like to invite each of you to my first State of the District Address on Wednesday, April 13 at 6 p.m. in the commons at Parker Middle School. During the State of the District Address, I will share updates on our strategic plan, enrollment trends, and the budget process. My plan is to make the State of the District Address an annual event. This will provide another opportunity for me to connect with each of you as we work together to make Howell Public Schools a great district. I plan to share the State of the District Address presentation on my webpage at http://goo.gl/diy5JQ on Thursday, April 14 for those who cannot attend.

The opportunities that we provide for our students to achieve success are endless. Recently, Howell High School senior Jordan Belanger won the 2016 Distracted Driving Awareness Billboard Design Challenge. Jordan entered the challenge as part of his Advanced Digital Imaging class at Howell High School. Jordan’s design will appear on billboards around Michigan during the month of April. Last weekend, the S.C.O.T.S. Bots, our high school robotics team, claimed the FIRST Robotics District Chairman’s Award. This prestigious award honors the team that represents a model for other teams to emulate and embodies the purpose and goals of FIRST Robotics. As the winners of the District Chairman’s Award, the S.C.O.T.S. Bots qualify to compete at the Michigan FIRST Robotics State Championship April 13 -16.

Everyday amazing things happen in our elementary, middle, and high schools. The teaching and learning that occurs is second to none. Just before spring break members of our high school Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) club earned the right to represent Michigan at the National FCCLA Leadership Conference this summer. In a few weeks, Parker Middle School will present their musical Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Recently, fifth-grade students at Hutchings Elementary wrapped up their unique research projects on America’s national parks. I have shared more on each of these stories below.

Howell High School FCCLA Club Members Heading to National Event

Our high school Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) club members recently attended the 2016 Michigan FCCLA Leadership Conference. At the conference, the students participated in the Students Taking Action with Recognition (STAR) competitive events. A team of our students earned the highest score in their category and earned the honor of representing Michigan at the National FCCLA Leadership Conference this summer. You can learn more about this great accomplishment a http://goo.gl/Mg7bNY.

Parker Middle School Presents Chitty Chitty Bang Bang 

On April 21 - 23 Parker Middle School will present its musical production of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Under the direction of Parker Choir Director Kelli Falls, these students have been working for months perfecting the show. While other middle schools put on junior musicals, the staff and students at Parker go the extra mile and present a full-scale musical. This is something that very few middle schools do. You can find details on the show at http://goo.gl/6LXeB4.

Hutchings Elementary Fifth Graders Study America’s National Parks

When learning is fun and relevant, students become more engaged. That is exactly what happened during the Hutchings fifth-grade research project on America’s national parks. The Hutchings fifth-grade teachers introduced their students to a mix of traditional and high-tech research tools that made the project fun and exciting for students. At the completion of the project, students shared their research during a National Park Adventure Trek. You can read more about this unique research project at http://goo.gl/Y3Amlt.