For Monroe Public Schools students – and students throughout the state – the end of spring break means the beginning of the new Michigan Student Test of Education Progress (M-STEP), the standardized state progress test which takes the place of the former MEAP test.
Testing will be done in three separate, three-week phases by grade in Monroe Public Schools. For instance, testing for students in grades 5 and 8 will start the week of April 13 – the week students return – and be concluded during the week of April 27. Testing for students in grades 4 and 7 starts the week of April 27 and runs for three weeks, concluding the week of May 11. For students in grades 3 and 6, they, too, have three weeks of testing. That span starts the week of May 18 and concludes the week of June 1, the last full week of school.
“Our Monroe Public Schools students will take the M-STEP test on line,” said Mrs. Julie Everly, assistant superintendent, Elementary Education, Monroe Public Schools. “The M-STEP tests are not timed and students may work at their own pace, using a number of tools that are provided within the testing program.”
Each school has scheduled its own testing times within the testing windows for the particular grades.
English language arts will be assessed in grades 3 through 8, science in grades 4 and 7 and social studies in grades 5 and 8.
Mrs. Everly explained that it was critical that children be in school for the testing sessions and she asked parents, if possible, to refrain from scheduling any appointments for their children outside of school during the M-STEP sessions since it is very difficult to reschedule make-up testing. She added that it is easier for students to perform better in their classroom testing environment.
Persons with questions about the test scheduling should contact either their child’s school or the district curriculum office at 265-3080.
Two Monroe Public Schools elementary schools – Waterloo and Custer -- were awarded designation as official Monroe County Healthy Schools as part of the new Healthy Schools Program launched this fall by the Monroe County Building Healthy Communities Coalition.
The goal of the Healthy School Program is to increase health, knowledge, attitudes and skills; increase positive health behaviors and outcomes, and improve education and social outcomes, The three focus areas include physical activity, nutrition and substance abuse.,
The program was developed specifically for Monroe County schools by capitalizing on the resources and assistance that community partners are able to provide. Schools could earn either Bronze, Silver or Golden Apple Awards based on the number of activities implemented.
Waterloo Elementary earned a Golden Apple Award. Custer Elementary won a Silver Apple Award.
All decked out like a clothing store in a mall, the new Trojan Outfitters, has officially opened its doors to MMS students. But you can’t buy anything. It’s not for sale – everything is free, and it is the Eagle Scout Project of Monroe High School sophomore Grant Prater.
Grant, his family and friends, spent time over the last eight months, cleaning out the room, acquiring clothing racks donated by the former Dress Barn store which left Monroe, acquiring and inventorying clothing and making sure everything was ready to open recently.
“My family and friends helped and gave many hours to make this happen,” Grant said at the ribbon cutting. Hundreds of pieces of clothing for boys and girls – nearly all of it name brands that kids go to department stores to get – are displayed throughout the store, which is located in the northeast portion of MMS in room that had been used only sparingly over the years.
Grant and his work crew even built a changing room and have acquired toiletries and personal hygiene items, too. Grant is one of two scouts from Troop 579 sponsored by the Monroe Rod & Gun Club who are pursuing Eagle Scout awards, said Troop Leader Tony Carter. At the recent ribbon-cutting for Trojan Outfitters, every one of the MMS faculty were there to thank and show their appreciation to Grant.
“This is such a wonderful project for a fine, outstanding young man, to come and give back to his former school,” said MMS Principal Mrs. Cindy Flynn. Mrs. Flynn said the clothing would be made available to students when they had a need, allowing them to have the experience of shopping for their needed items, while boosting their self-esteem.
Ten students from Waterloo Elementary School were recognized for top finishes in a poster contest sponsored by Fluid Equipment Development Company (FEDCO.) The contest was held in recognition of World Water Day, and local kindergarten thru 8th grade students participated. Elementary and middle school students were invited to create a color poster illustrating how water is essential in food, health, and energy. Winners received ribbons and prizes, with all students getting a participation ribbon.
Prizes were awarded for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place per grade level (K-8). The Waterloo winners are: Addyson Marlow, Kindergarten, 1st Place; Adyson Quednau, Kindergarten, 2nd Place; Aiden Gray, Kindergarten, 3rd Place; Meah Lee, 1st Grade, 1st Place; Erica Howard, 2nd Grade, 1st Place; Allie Sorter, 2nd Grade, 2nd Place; Savannah Alamo, 2nd Grade, 3rd Place; Viktoria Bloniarz, 3rd Grade, 2nd Place; Autumn Garcia, 5th Grade, 3rd Place; and Michael Wilson-Smith, 6th Grade, 2nd Place.
FEDCO offered an award of a $500 donation to the school with the most submissions. On March 30 Lisa Leachman, Vice President of Finance and Human Resources, of FEDCO presented the donation check to Mrs. Lisa McLaughlin, Principal, at Waterloo Elementary School in an assembly of students.
“FEDCO is so proud of your participation and quality of posters. Your count of 236 submissions was outstanding,” Ms. Leachman stated. A preview of the 733 poster entries was available at a recent Community Open House held March 21, 2015. The winning posters will be permanently displayed at FEDCO headquarters located in the City of Monroe.
FEDCO is a local Monroe business that designs, manufactures, and globally sells pumps and energy recovery turbine equipment used in the processing of water by reverse osmosis desalination. FEDCO supports the education of school children in understanding water scarcity, the importance of water conservation, and careers in the manufacturing industry.
Juniors at Monroe High School will take the new Michigan Student Test of Educational Progress (M-STEP) over five days of testing between April 14 and April 28. The testing with take up the first three hours of the class day.
M-STEP testing for the juniors will be in the mornings of April 14, April 16, April 21, April 28 and April 30. If a student were to miss a testing day, that day’s test will be made up the next scheduled school day. For a student to successfully complete M-STEP, he or she must attend all five testing days.
“What is most important to remember about M-STEP testing is that it is a graduation requirement and juniors must complete it as part of this year’s testing cycle,” said Alex Schukow, Monroe High School assistant principal and testing coordinator.
M-STEP is new this year, replacing the Michigan Merit Examination (MME) which had been used for a number of years. M-STEP measures a student’s progress toward college- and career-readiness by assessing their knowledge in English Language Arts, mathematics, science and social studies.
On testing days, all MHS juniors will come to school at the regular time and test during first-, second- and third hours, take lunch in the third lunch period and then attend their last two classes of the day. On the five testing days, students must check with the teachers of the classes they are missing to make-up any work they may not have gotten.
During testing days, freshmen, sophomores and seniors will attend classes like normal for Tuesdays and Thursdays although there may be some lunch-hour modifications.
“At Monroe High School, all of our testing will be taken on-line, which is a first. We have been practicing and testing on-line during classes so our students are familiar with what is needed to successfully complete tests on-line. Once the testing begins, our proctors cannot assist the students, even if it is on a technical question,” said Mr. Schukow.
All juniors are encouraged to access on-line practice sets at home because it is so important for them to know how to use the on-line tools provided in the tests when they take the M-STEP.
Over the spring break, if students are interested in practicing, they can go to https://wbte.drcedirect.com/MI/portals/mi/ott1. The link must be accessed through Google Chrome.
Parents with questions should contact Mr. Schukow at Monroe High School at 734-265-3460 after April 13.
The Monroe High School Jazz Band earned a Division 1 rating in the Michigan High School Band and Orchestra Association’s State Jazz Festival on March 25 as it participated with jazz bands from throughout Michigan. Division 1, the highest rating possible in a five-point scale, is considered an outstanding performance.
For the MHS Jazz Band under the direction of Mr. James Nuechterlein, this is the fourth Division 1 rating it has received on the state level in the last five years.
The Monroe High School Generations of Sound and Expressions earned excellent – Division 1 – ratings in the recent Michigan School Vocal Music Association District 12 Choral Festival at Lincoln High School, and have qualified to participate in the state choral festival in Mount Pleasant in May.
“Generations, Expressions and the Monroe High School Concert Choir all received excellent ratings – 1s – in the performance category before the judges,” said Monroe High School vocal director Cate Windelborn said. “We are extremely proud of all three groups. The performances were right on.”
In sight reading, Generations of Sound earned a perfect rating. The MHS Concert Choir earned an overall Good rating – Division 2 – when all phases of competition, including sight reading, were figured in.
Members of all three groups now prepare to participate in the Monroe Public Schools Vocal Arts Day on Tuesday, May 31, when all 500 children enrolled in the vocal arts program throughout the district will work all day with two Broadway stars and then present a musical show at night to a sold-out crowd in the Monroe High School auditorium.
Because of their high grades, nearly 900 Monroe High School students have qualified for the initial Trojan Pride Program, which is designed to honor the best and brightest of MHS students. The program honors students who have earned a 3.0 GPA or higher for all three trimesters of the previous school year or who have a higher-than-average ACT score.
Being a member of the Trojan Pride Club qualifies the students for a Trojan Pride Card which entitles them to many different rewards, both in school and in the community. For a student, the higher the GPA, the more rewards they are eligible for.
“When we approached local merchants to support us in this program, we received an overwhelmingly positive response. They wanted to reward our kids as much as we did,” said Valerie Orr, principal of Monroe High School. “We are very grateful to those places that supported our students.”
The program was initiated by the Monroe High School Parent Organization.
The Trojan Pride Club has three card levels – Platinum for students with a 3.8 or higher GPA or a 28 composite score on the ACT; Red for students with a 3.5 to 3.8 GPA or composite score of 26 on the ACT; and White for students with a 3.0 to 3.49 GPA or a 24 composite score on the ACT.
The Trojan Pride Cards rewards are varied. Among the rewards are discounts on flowers, pizzas, ice cream, computer video games, bowling, billiards and clothing purchases in the community. At school, there are discounts on such things as purchases at the school store, parking passes, homecoming tickets, school home athletic events, school yearbooks, or even early release from class to attend pep assemblies. There’s even a free one-year membership to a local health and fitness club.
“Monroe High School has many wonderful students and one of the nicest things about the Trojan Pride Card is that it gets our kids discounts on many purchases they make anyway, like on pizzas, ice cream, bowling and video games. Twenty-percent off on flowers comes at the right time, too, with the prom approaching,” Mrs. Orr said.
Thirteen Monroe High School Band and Orchestra scored either “1”s or “2”s in the Michigan School Band and Orchestra Association State Solo and Ensemble Festival on Saturday (March 21) at Chelsea High School.
Receiving “Division One” ratings at the festival were: Nichols Howerton, flute solo; Grant Prater, trumpet solo in Proficiency 1; Morgan Kline, violin solo in Proficeincy 1; Mary Stehulak, xylophone solo in Proficiency 3; and Mary Stehulak and Kristine Castellese, marimba duet.
Receiving “Division Two” ratings were: Abigail Snow, trumpet solo in Proficiency 2; Jeffery Howard, trumpet solo; Emily Ray and Kristin Guyor, flute duet; and Haley Head, Morgan Kline, Haleigh Bonk and Gillian Cramner, string quartet.
Students perform before a judge who specializes in the particular instrument. Ratings range from “One” to “Five” with a “One” rating being the best. Also, solo proficiency levels range from 1 to 3, with 3 being the hardest.
All of the Monroe High School finalists are students of either Mr. Jim Nuechterlein (winds) or Mrs. Ann Felder (strings.)
More than 8,000 high school band and orchestra students from Michigan high schools participated in the state-wide festival. These students qualified for the State Festival by participating in District Festivals attended by more than 60,000 students from over 500 schools in 16 districts throughout the state.
Up to 180 of these soloists will be recommended to audition to become one of only five soloists at the annual Youth Arts Festival. The highest rated solo entries will be invited to become members of the MSBOA State Honors Band, orchestra, or Jazz Ensemble of the Youth Arts Festival and will perform at Western Michigan University on May 7-9, 2015.
Thirty-two Monroe High School students were honored for achieving their second trimester academic goals as part of the MHS Allies in Monroe (AIM) program. The students were honored at a banquet at the Robert Hutchinson Fraternal Order of Police Hall on Thursday, March 19.
“These students – and their allies – have worked extremely hard for this honor and we are very proud of all of them,” said Monroe High School Principal Valerie Orr. “They set tough goals and they have achieved them.”
AIM is an academic incentive and mentoring program at MHS where students and their mentors, or Allies, work to achieve agreed-upon academic goals, which includes at least a 15-percent boost in their GPA over a trimester. AIM is the only program of its kind in a Monroe County high school.
At the banquet, four students spoke of what they had to overcome to achieve the AIM recognition. The speakers were: a homeless student who received considerable encouragement from his Ally; a student who had a baby during the school year but whose Ally continued to contact her and encouraged her to complete her homework while homebound, even babysitting so the student could study; a student who saw her grades improve because her Ally called her at 6 a.m. every day to make sure she got up for school; and a student who narrowly missed AIM recognition by .01 points last trimester but who was encouraged by her Ally to try again and not give up.
AIM is entirely funded by private donations, which are tax deductible. Monroe Public Schools does not fund the program but is the fiduciary. Donations can be made by contacting either Mrs. Orr or Mrs. Kim Diven, an assistant principal at MHS. The program is open to any student at Monroe High School because AIM believes that every child needs someone to believe in them. The program is based on the premise that in life, when you work hard you are rewarded. Allies are comprised of not only school staff members, but people from the community, too.
All of the students who were honored at the March 19 banquet received checks for $200 from the AIM program as well as assistance from Monroe Bank & Trust in setting up savings accounts to hold the money for college. Students are encouraged to use the company for college expenses. In fact, many will earn up to a full year of tuition at Monroe County Community College.
Students who earned their AIM recognition for the second trimester were: Aja Alamo, Cortney Ball, Taylor Bean, Kyle Cassidy, Jhonathan Childs, Chris Christian, William Conley, Carl Crego, Precious Dafney, Dathan Dickerson, Kylie Fowler, Jalene Frayer, Nathaniel Gaw, Rachael Guimond, Rosemary Guzman, Nicoven Hall, Jacob Hensley, Maurice Hunter, Dominic Johnson, Nicholas Kessler, Brooke Masserant, Joseph Minini, Ryan Nunn, Katelyn Puruleski, Scottie Risden, Arthur Rone, Brendon Russeau, Jared Salliotte, Sammey Shaw, Joseph Sivils, Randi VanBrunt, and Lauren VanKlingeren.