There will be a half-day of school for Monroe Public Schools students on Wednesday, January 25. Pre-school at Riverside, along with Kids Club at Riverside and Custer, will operate on a regular schedule.
In honor of the Martin Luther King holiday, there will be no school on Monday, January 16. In addition, the Monroe Public Schools Administration Building will be closed. Classes will resume and the administration building will reopen on Tuesday, January 17.
Three experienced Monroe Public Schools Board of Education members were elected by their colleagues as officers at the January 10 organizational meeting.
The Board elected Lawrence VanWasshenova as president, Floreine Mentel as vice president, and Cynthia Taylor as secretary. Katherine Eighmey, MPS Business and Finance Director, was re-appointed as treasurer.
Mr. VanWasshenova, who has served on the Board since 2003 and as vice president since 2013, will preside over regular and special meetings.
The board voted Tuesday night to continue to hold its regular meetings at 7 p.m. on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month. Workshops, which generally precede board meetings, will continue to start at 5:30 p.m.
January 2, 2017
Dear Monroe Public Schools Students, Staff, Families, and Community Members,
Happy New Year! I hope this finds you, like me, eagerly anticipating the entrance back into our school routines tomorrow, Tuesday, January 3rd, after a wonderful holiday season. It is a treasure when we have the opportunity to pause, become refreshed, and think about the wonder and promise all around us. This is especially true for me, as with the New Year, I am honored to begin serving our school district as Superintendent. I would like to thank Dr. Martin for his service and leadership over the past years and wish him all of the best in his retirement.
For over twenty years, I have witnessed our talented staff, involved families, dedicated Board of Education members, and invested community organizations in their relentless pursuit to provide the best possible experiences for our Monroe students. When I speak to others about our district as my home, where my own children go to school, and where I have invested my career as an educator, I am proud to share the many memories and opportunities within Monroe Public Schools. Whether it be in academics, arts, athletics, leadership, technology, or volunteerism, our students have access to the programs and initiatives that support them in meeting high expectations and becoming successful lifelong learners and global citizens.
With the New Year, in addition to our rigorous plans to enrich student opportunities and achievements, I also think about the important role that each of us holds as a champion for our students and the school district. Our words are powerful, and for every positive story that we share, there is a person or an entire group of people, young and old, working harder and feeling a deeper sense of pride because of it. In daily routines, it is easy to overlook the influence that these positive stories bring to our students, our work as a school district, and ultimately, our legacy as a Monroe community. Please join me in this daily commitment to share and celebrate our children and our successes!
Thank you for your ongoing support. Monroe Public Schools is stronger because you are a part of it. Feel free to contact me through email at everly@monroe.k12.mi.us or by phone at 734-265-3000. Together, we will embrace questions, address issues, and engage in conversations to make Monroe the best it can be every single day. Here’s to a prosperous 2017, and wherever you go -- beam that one-of-a-kind Monroe Trojan Pride!
Believe. Engage. Excel. As always,
Julie M. Everly
Superintendent
There will be a half-day of school for Monroe Public Schools students on Wednesday, Dec. 21. Kids Club at Riverside and Custer will be closed in the afternoon.
Monroe Public School students have been busy this holiday season helping their fellow man, classmates and even animals.
The Arborwood Campus partnered with the Thrift Shop Association to adopt more than 60 families to help with Christmas gifts this year. They school referred families to the Shop with a Cop event held earlier this month. Staff members participated in the Arborwood Giving Tree where they adopted families at the school to buy gifts for this Christmas. Throughout the school year, Arborwood hosts food and clothing drives to help those in need. The school received support from several organizations and individuals. During the holidays, Elevate Church provided holiday meals for three families. Midway Products and the UAW also pitched in to help families have a happy holiday season.
Students at the Custer Campus have made Christmas cards for the troops while others were made for a sick child. The fifth and sixth grade choir will visit surrounding neighborhoods singing Christmas carols. Families were adopted through the St. Nick gift program and through community and private organizations. Custer student council hosted a food drive. Students made holiday placements and Christmas cards for residents at Wellspring Lutheran home. Students in Kelly Lake’s class have been doing Random Acts of Kindness throughout the school and in the community. Ms. Lake’s students have made cards for the Lutheran Home, ornaments for school bus drivers and blankets for the Monroe County Humane Society. The Parent Teacher Organization adopted a family at Custer 2. The Custer Sodexo group adopted a family. Staff at both schools also adopted families for the holidays. The school also received some kindness from the Knights of Columbus who donated more than 50 winter coats to the school for students.
At Manor Elementary, the school had a Good Deed Tree, which encouraged students to participate in good deeds at home and throughout the community. Students created Christmas cards for residents at Medilodge. The school hosted pajama day fundraiser with the money benefitting a Manor family. Students wrote cards to soldiers stationed overseas. The school also collected coats for a coat closet.
Raisinville Elementary students hosted a canned food drive, which was sponsored by teacher Mary Vincent. The food was delivered to the Salvation Army of Monroe County to be distributed to folks in need. Raisinville’s BFFs, or Birthdays for the Future collected money in lieu of presents, which was donated to a 9-year-old named Jose who lives in Quito, Ecuador through the Children’s International Charity. The money is used for school supplies, clothes, health care products and other items. In two months, the school collected nearly $400.
Waterloo Elementary students planned to go door-to-door Dec. 21 singing holiday carols to folks in the neighborhood. The school’s Parent Teacher Organization partnered with ProMedica to provide 11 Waterloo families with a holiday turkey dinner.
Students at Monroe Middle School crafted more than 500 letters to send to troops overseas. The school collected winter gear for the Trojan Closet, a clothing boutique inside of the school where students can select gear. Several groups hosted a penny war to benefit the Monroe Public Schools Promise Fund.
Monroe High School students helped more than a dozen local organizations through a variety of collections and drives during the holiday season. Each Trojan Family Time group hosted an activity to help their fellow man. Students collected food, toiletries, clothes and household goods to be donated to places like Oaks of Righteousness Christian Church/Oaks Victory Village, the Salvation Army of Monroe County, Family Counseling Services, Goodwill, Paula’s House, Philadelphia House and Monroe County Opportunity Program. Students collected food and toys to give to the Monroe County Humane Society and the Devoted Barn. Another room collected stuffed animals which were donated to Mott Children’s Hospital, Ann Arbor. One room made fleece tied blankets. Other rooms brought in canned food items to help stock the newly-created Trojan Food Closet, which benefits Monroe High School students and families. A number of rooms created holiday cards, which were sent to troops overseas. Others made cards for local nursing homes.
Orchard Center High School hosted a mobile food pantry Dec. 10 in conjunction with Monroe County Opportunity Program and Gleaners. With the help of volunteers from the district, food packages were donated to more than 125 families living in the community. For the past three years, Orchard Center High School has hosted a mobile food pantry prior to winter and spring breaks. On Dec. 21, the school’s choir group planned to visit a nursing home to sing Christmas carols. The students also created holiday cards, which will be delivered by the choir group that day.
Sixty students will receive scholarships for the first trimester of the 2016-17 school year for hard work in the classroom.
Students in the Allies in Monroe, or AIM, program at Monroe High School will receive $200 scholarships for a 15 percent increase in their grade point average.
The program launched during the 2014-15 school year to provide an academic incentive to students who worked hard in the classroom. AIM pairs selected students with a mentor, or ally, to work on and achieve agreed-upon academic goals.
Students who achieve their trimester goals are invited to attend a banquet with their allies and families where they are recognized. This year’s trimester banquet will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. Monday, Dec. 19 at St. George Cultural Center in Monroe.
AIM is the only program of its kind in a Monroe County high school. This trimester, 130 students signed up and 60 achieved the scholarship money.
The program also relies on angels, which are people, foundations, businesses and organizations that provide financial support to award the financial incentive to students.
AIM is open to all students. Through the program, students can earn up to $2,400 during their high school years to assist with post-secondary goals.
“All of us mentors here at Monroe High School are extremely proud of our students’ success this year,” said David Henry, AIM coordinator. “We are very proud to see our students get fired up about their learning, motivated to rise up and overcome challenges, get excited about their future and where they are headed. That’s what AIM is all about.”
Henry said as a mentor, allies are building relationships with the young men and women and are seeing them flourish.
“Even more importantly, they see it in themselves,” Henry said. “That is what we are proud and excited to be able to be a part of… success!”
First trimester scholarship recipients include seniors Enique Adams, Shane Adrian, Clayton Bomia, Madisen Boylan, Ryenne Braden, Amanda Brooks, Marcus Carey, Hunter Chorkey, Ryan Ernest, Chadd Farrand, Mikal Farris, Tyson Grant, Jovan Johnson, Katelyn Kaschynyc, D’Angelo Logwood, Samantha Long, Orlando Matos-Cruz, Katie McHugh, Bailey Meadows, Kaysie Pancone, Desiree Russell, Jordan Scheuer, Skylar Sortor, Danielle Villarreal, Kaylee Watters and Mariah Wilkes.
Juniors include Dakota Bascom, Kristen Bolster, Troy Laidler, Alexis Miller, Roman Senavanh-Smith and Kayla Shankleten.
Sophomores include Mercedes Beavers, Stephanie Britton, Nick Bunch, Gabrielle Burks, Drake Byrd, Elise Christian, Nya Davis, Devin Flynn, Madison Hardy, Eric Helberg, Ashlyn Hojnowski, Ali LaFountain, Sekura McCarter, Anthony Mora, Madison Rubenshtein, Bailey Shipe, Anna Traver, Allie Walter and Tyrese Watkins.
Freshmen include Casey Caplin, Henry Germeroth, Thomas Grant, Colton Hirst, Calley Johnson, Jack Longfellow, Kylie Miller, Gracey Smiley and Davis Washington.
Cindy Flynn has been named Executive Director for Human Resources with Monroe Public Schools.
Her appointment was approved Tuesday by the Monroe Public Schools Board of Education during its regular meeting.
“Cindy Flynn has been with the district for a number of years and is very familiar with our staff,” said Dr. Barry Martin, superintendent of Monroe Public Schools. “She will make a fine executive director for our human resource office.”
Prior to her new position, Ms. Flynn served as principal of Monroe Middle School since June 2010. Before leading the middle school, she was assistant principal at Custer Elementary School for 10 years.
Ms. Flynn served as teacher media specialist at Monroe Middle School from August 1994 to August 2000.
Ms. Flynn graduated with a bachelor’s in science from Eastern Michigan University. She earned a Master of Educational Leadership from Wayne State University.
She is a member of a number of associations including the Michigan Association of Middle Educators, Michigan Association of Computer Related Technology User in Learning, the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, Association for Middle Level Education, American Federation of School Administrators, Michigan Federations of School Administrators, Monroe Federation of School Administrators. She is also a member of the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Workers- Local 59- Monroe/Lenawee County.
Jeff McVeigh, currently an assistant principal at Monroe High School, has been named principal of Monroe Middle School.
Plans to fill the assistant principal position at Monroe High School are still under consideration.
Monroe Public Schools Board of Education said farewell to three of its members.
Board President Robert Yeo presided over his final meeting Tuesday. He has served on the school board for nearly 10 years. He also served as vice president.
“It has been a pleasure working for Monroe Public Schools,” Yeo said.
He thanked the community for their support during his tenure and offered well wishes to the new board members.
“My only hope is the district continues on a positive path,” Yeo added.
Ryan Philbeck, board secretary and Dr. Tedd March, parliamentarian, joined Yeo in celebrating their final meeting. Philbeck has served on the board since 2012. Dr. March was elected to the board in November, 2008.
A new board will be seated in January with the first meeting, an organization meeting, taking place at 6:45 p.m. Jan. 10 at the district office, 1275 N. Macomb St.
Returning board members include Lawrence VanWasshenova, Floreine Mentel, Cynthia Taylor and Matthew Bunkelman.
Robert Nichols, Rosalie Pasko and Cheryl Sweeney were elected to the board in November and will begin their terms in January.
The Monroe Public Schools Board of Education approved the purchase of mobile devices for teaching staff.
The board unanimously approved the technology purchase of a cost not to exceed $120,000. The majority of the purchase, $105,000, will be covered by rebates from previous technology expenditures.
Mobile devices will be purchased from Apple Education. Computers will be purchased from Dell.
“The devices we are looking to purchase are a blend of Apple iPads, Dell Chromebooks and Dell laptops,” said David Payne, director of technology.
District staff is working with the district technology committee and building staff to determine which device will be purchased for each staff member.
“By working with the staff, we can make sure we are purchasing the right equipment to support their curriculum and not just one blanket purchase.”
Teachers for Young 5’s through second grade will receive the first round of devices, which will be iPads.
“Our goal would be to have all new devices purchased in this plan over the next two months,” Payne added.
It has been about five years since the district upgraded staff technology.