#HighlanderNation 11.2.18

2018 Competitive School Safety Grant Program (CSSGP) - we were informed by the Department of State Police that we were awarded $244,915.00 for the grant we submitted in September. The funds can be used for door access control systems, a visitor management system, and emergency management software. 

For perspective on this news, here are some interesting points...

• there was a total of $10 million available statewide for the Competitive School Safety Grant Program (CSSGP) Program 1 which were direct funds for districts;
• there was an additional $15 million available through Program 2 which was a matching grant structure;
• requests for grants exceeded $69 million;
• 140 school districts received funds from Program 1;
• out of the 140 districts, only seven received more than us.

I am very proud of the team who worked so hard to submit such a high-quality grant proposal on behalf of the district. Special thanks to Liza Kelly and Tom Gould for leading this effort. While this does not address all of our safety concerns, it provides a solid foundation while also allowing us to immediately initiate the work.

Congressman Bishop and Representative Vaupel Visit the District - our students had an opportunity to visit with elected officials this week. Congressman Bishop visited Abby Aldred's classroom at Challenger after her student sent letters to elected officials about important issues. Representative Vaupel visited Highlander Way as they prepare for their mock election on Monday. 

HHS Girls Cross Country Team to Compete in State Meet - best of luck to our girls who will be competing in the MHSAA State Meet on Saturday, November 3 at MIS Speedway. The last time the team qualified for the state finals was 1985. We are so proud of you! 

FIRST Tech Challenge Competition - a robot invasion is coming to Parker on Saturday, Nov. 3 as the Howell Highlander FIRST Robotics organization hosts a FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) Qualifier competition. More than 30 FTC teams from around Michigan will compete at the action-packed event. This year’s FTC competition is Rover Ruckus. In Rover Ruckus, the student created and operated robots will work in a three-team alliance as they try to a higher score than the opposing alliance by descending from the Lander, collecting Minerals from the Crater and sort Minerals into the Cargo Hold of the Lander.  All four of Howell’s FTC teams will compete at the event. The Howell FTC Qualifier Opening Ceremonies will begin at 10:30 a.m., with the qualification, matches starting at 11 a.m. Following the qualification matches, alliance selections will begin at 4:45 p.m. and the elimination rounds will begin at 5 p.m. The closing ceremonies are set for 6:30 p.m. The Howell FTC Qualifier is free to attend and open to the public.

Support and Service Persons of the Year Nominations - we are now accepting nominations for the Support and Service Person of the Year awards. These awards honor our outstanding office staff, maintenance employees, computer technicians, special needs aides, general education aides, and hall monitors. You can submit nominations online at https://goo.gl/forms/tmIKmc6faRLSN1DB2. All nominations must be received by Tuesday, November 20 at 4 p.m.

Securing Our Future Sinking Fund Proposal - please help spread the word to vote on November 6. For more information on the Securing Our Future Sinking Fund Proposal click here.

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#HighlanderNation 10.12.18

Teacher of the Year - Congratulations to Mary Villarreal, our 2018/19 Teacher of the Year. Mary is a math teacher at the Freshman Campus. As I read the nominations and talk to her students and family members, there are two things that stand out to me. First, Mary is incredibly committed to students. She captures her lessons on video and posts them on Google Classroom as a resource to students, she is always available, and she has an innate ability to allow all students to access the curriculum. Second, Mary is motivated to help students due to her own experiences as a student. This has allowed her to empathize and relate to the challenges many of our students have on a daily basis. Bottom line, Mary is a champion for students. I am so proud to have her represent the district with this much deserved honor. 

Securing Our Future Sinking Fund - we have a very important proposal on the November 6 ballot. To share information regarding this request, please reference the website at howellschools.com/securingourfuture. We just added a video to the site that provides a brief summary of the request. You can view the video by clicking here. 

Bridges Out of Poverty Workshop - as a reminder, we have partnered with the Oakland Livingston Human Service Agency (OLHSA) to provide the Bridges Out of Poverty Workshop (based on Ruby Payne's work) on October 27. For more information and to register click here. State Continuing Education Clock Hours (SCECH) hours will be provided to those who are eligible.

Vaping Ordinance Adopted by Howell City Council - as you are aware, vaping and e-cigarettes are a growing challenge in our schools, the community, the state, and across the country. We have been exploring a number of strategies to address this issue. Last spring, we partnered with St. Joe to provide a informational workshop for our parents on this issue. We have also revised our district policies and Student/Parent Handbook to include an educational component for our students. In my experience as a high school principal, the recent trend in vaping reminds me of when we were trying to address smoking and chewing tobacco. One of the strategies we implemented was to partner with local law enforcement to issue tickets/citations, resulting in a fine, possible community service, and an appearance in front of a magistrate. In turn, I initiated discussions with the City of Howell to discuss the possibility of the adoption of an ordinance to help address the issue of vaping. I am happy to report that at its October 8, 2018 meeting, the Howell City Council adopted Ordinance No. 919, amending Chapter 656 to include prohibition of the use of Alternative Nicotine Products by minors within the City of Howell. View the City Manager’s memorandum and Ordinance No. 919 here. In turn, we will be revising the Student Code of Conduct to include this update and I will be informing parents of this information in this week’s MacGregor’s Message. 


Explore the Illusion, Facts, and Reality of Fear in the Modern World with Dr. Patrick Mead - Cleary University is hosting this event on October 28, 29 & 30 2018 from 6:30-8:00 p.m. and they have extended an invitation to our team. For more information and to register for the free event, click here. 

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#HighlanderNation 6.11.18

On separate occasions this past month, I had the pleasure of meeting two retired HPS educators who now volunteer in our buildings on a regular basis. After thanking them for their support, each of them had the same response, "It's what we do." This simple statement emphasizes the awesome responsibility we have to serve our students, families, and community. I believe very strongly that there is no profession more significant than education. There is truly nothing more important than the bond we make with a student in order to support their growth. The path to developing these bonds can often times be trying, exhausting, thankless, and stressful. Thank you for embracing the "it's what we do" attitude and committing to each and every child in our district. They are fortunate to have you!

2018 Commencement - on June 2 the Class of 2018 walked across the stage at the Breslin Center to receive their diplomas and head off to the next chapter of their lives. This class enjoyed so many collective and individual accomplishments, including raising an amazing $89,000 for the Friedreich’s Ataxia Research Alliance and our local LACASA Center, a National Merit Scholarship Finalist, an Air Force Academy Appointment, numerous sport and club championships, a future Harvard graduate, and so much more. The most moving message of the afternoon was shared by Class of 2018 graduate, Jack DeWitt. Jack has Friedreich's ataxia and is an inspiration for the entire Highlander community. You can view Jack's message by clicking here. Thank you for all you did to contribute to the success of each student in this class. I am proud to be a Highlander!

Staff Perception Survey - To provide the highest quality service and support for staff, please take a few minutes to complete a brief survey to provide feedback to our leadership team. The survey can be accessed by clicking here. It will close on Friday, June 15 at 5:00 PM. All responses will remain strictly anonymous. Thank you in advance for devoting your time to providing this feedback. It's brief, I promise.

2018/19 Opening Week Information - WARNING - if your first reaction to seeing anything related to next school year is something along the lines of, "really MacGregor, can't we just enjoy some downtime before you start talking about next year?", then stop reading now and come back to this blog post at a later date. If you would like to have a basic framework for opening week, please proceed.

As you know, we’ll be joining several other districts in shifting our school year a week earlier.

Tuesday, August 21 will be New Teacher Orientation; we’re inviting all teachers who are in their first 3 years with Howell, and planning a new format to allow for collaborative work around launching effective instructional practices and learning routines early in the school year.

Wednesday, August 22 will be Opening Day. We’re excited to announce that Jessica Minahan will be our keynote speaker. She is a nationally known educator and author who helps public schools work with students struggling with mental health issues and challenging behavior. She specializes in training staff to combine behavioral interventions with a comprehensive knowledge of best practices. To help tailor Jessica’s work with our staff, Opening Day will be split into two separate half day sessions:

• Elementary teachers will report to Parker MS in the morning (registration and light refreshments at 8 AM, session is 8:30 - 11:30 AM). Open Houses (1-5) are Wed. 6:00 - 7:30 PM
• Secondary teachers will report to Parker MS in the afternoon (registration and light refreshments at 12:00 PM, session is 12:30 - 3:30 PM).
• CPI training will be available at Parker in the opposite half day (secondary morning, elementary afternoon)
• FMX training for building secretaries and clerks will be available at the Freshman Campus

Thursday, August 23 will be a full day of District-Provided Professional Development:

• All teachers will report to Parker MS in the morning (registration and light refreshments at 8:00 AM, sessions run 8:30 AM - 3:30 PM). Open Houses (BK-KG) are Thurs. 6:00 - 7:30 PM.

The day will be dedicated to building-level meetings (4.5 hrs) and school culture (1.5 hrs) including school safety training provided by our local law enforcement partners, Deputy Marino of the Livingston County Sheriff’s Department and Officer Banfield of the Howell City Police Department. We appreciate their support in helping us build a safe learning environment for our students.

Lunch is on your own; however, we will be hosting a Food Truck Rally in the Parker MS parking lot. To accommodate the trucks, lunch times will be staggered; specific building staff will be given specific schedules for Thursday’s DPPD as we approach Opening Week.

Thank you for all you do on behalf of our students; we look forward to an exciting launch next fall!

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#HighlanderNation 5.22.18

1:1 Opportunity Presented to the Board - with the completion of Phase 1 of the district's technology bond, we are now taking steps to launch Phase 2. The primary intent of Phase 2 was always to increase the number of devices for our students. At last Monday's board meeting, we provided the board with an overview of our plan related to this commitment. Specifically, beginning in the 2018/19 school year each 3rd - 5th grade classroom will receive an additional 15 Chromebooks (and a charging station). This will provide one device for each student while they are in the classroom. At the middle and high schools we will provide a Chromebook to each student to use in the classroom (when necessary) and to take home. With this long-term investment, we are striving to enhance teaching and learning by fostering a culture of student engagement. Through our research, partnerships with other districts who have launched similar models, and our own experiences and feedback from you, we have found a 1:1 model provides personalized learning opportunities, increases ownership of learning, expands access to learning beyond the classroom, strengthens collaboration within and outside of school, and prepares students for real-world experiences. For the full presentation to the board, click here. We plan to bring a recommendation to the board on June 11 to purchase these devices. This is an exciting opportunity for the district! We look forward to providing you with the resources necessary to enhance teaching and learning and to further empower our students in the learning process. With anything new, I know there will be a number of questions. We have launched a website, developed a Student Chromebook Care & Usage Handbook, and started an FAQ. There is a form on the website to submit questions. We will add questions/answers as we receive them.

Senior Survivor 2018 - another year, another record broken for Senior Survivor! This year our students, the HPS team, and community raised over $88,000 for the Friedreich's Ataxia Research Alliance (FARA) and LACASA. FARA is special to us as one of our seniors is affected by this rare disease. This event has grown every year and embodies the #OneHowell spirit. Our elementary schools even got involved this year in various ways such as the Junior Survivor event at Southwest. 

Long-Term Capital Improvements - at last Monday's meeting, I presented a long-term capital maintenance and improvements summary to the board. Pursuant to the district's Adaptive Plan, the intent is to develop a plan and identify funding options to address these needs. At the conclusion of the presentation, I recommended we pursue asking our voters to support a sinking fund in November 2018 as one source of funding to address the long-term capital needs of the district. To view the full presentation, click here. The board did not take action, but they did express interest in exploring this concept further. I will update you on this item accordingly.

Howell Education Foundation (HEF) Golf Outing - please consider forming a team and golfing in the annual HEF golf outing. The HEF provides amazing support to our teachers and students, and so often either provides seed money to launch an innovative idea or fill the gaps in areas that we may not be able to support. To register for the golf outing, click here. If you or anyone you know is interested in being a sponsor, click here.

Howell Rotary Exchange Program - one of the things I have been so impressed with in Howell are the opportunities for both hosting exchange students as well as our students participating in exchange programs. In turn, I wanted to share some information from the Howell Rotary about both opportunities.

Outgoing - high school aged students are invited to consider applying for a Rotary Scholarship valued at $25,000+ to be a foreign exchange student in one of over 30 countries stretching from Asia through South America and into Europe. For an exchange experience in the 2019-20 school year, the application window opens on September 1 and ends in early October. For pre-application information contact Howell Rotarian Steve Manor at teach34@comcast.net.  This is a great opportunity for Howell High School students.  The application process is supported and sponsored by the Howell Rotary Club.

Incoming - the Howell Rotary Club is seeking host families for an Exchange Student from France (a boy) for the 2018-19 school year.  This student would arrive in mid-August and depart sometime between mid-June and mid-July.  If you have an interest in hosting or know of someone within the Howell Public School District who may be interested, please contact Steve Manor, Howell Rotary Youth Exchange Officer, at teach34@comcast.net. The Howell Rotary Club has hosted many exchange students over the years as well as sponsored outbound students.  It is a richly rewarding experience for the students and for the host families.  Don’t miss this opportunity to contribute to both your family’s international understanding but also a foreign student’s understanding of America and Americans.  This exchange program is supported and approved by the U.S. Department of State as part of their international understanding diplomacy program

Expanding Capstone Experiences for Our Students - I wanted to thank #teammiddleschool for embracing the opportunity to explore a capstone experience for our 8th grade students. When the combined Highlander Way and Parker staff met during a recent PD to discuss these types of opportunities, teachers expressed a high interest in bringing back the 8th grade trip to Washington D.C. The board approved this trip for next spring. Thank you to the middle school team for creating powerful and unique learning opportunities for our students.

United Way Day of Caring - last year, 1,375 volunteers participated, and 471 of those individuals were youth.  Over 134 work site/community projects were completed including the collection of two tons of food, the distribution of 1,100 school backpacks w/supplies, and the completion of 62 school and non-profit agency building improvements.  In addition, over $7,000 in grant dollars was distributed to local high school groups participating in the event through the Citizens Insurance Day of Caring High School Youth Challenge. The 2018 Day of Caring is scheduled for August 15, 2018. You can register to volunteer by clicking here.

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#HighlanderNation 4.19.18

MASSP Principal of the Year - at Tuesday's HHS Staff Meeting, Jason Schrock was surprised with the announcement that he has been selected as the 2018 Michigan Association of Secondary School Principals (MASSP) High School Principal of the Year. We are all thrilled for Jason and appreciate that his hard work, commitment to our students, and support for his staff are being recognized at the state level. Please join me in congratulating Jason for this very deserving award.

Little Mermaid - beginning this evening, and continuing through Friday and Saturday Parker Middle School will be performing the Little Mermaid at the Rod Bushey Performing Arts Center. For a sneak peak of some of the action, click here. Please consider attending and supporting our amazing performing arts programs. 

S.C.O.T.S. Bots Moving on to Worlds - our HHS S.C.O.T.S. Bots team earned a Regional Chairman’s Award at the FIRST Robotics State Championship this past weekend. The Chairman’s Award is the highest honor a FIRST Robotics team can achieve. It recognizes a team that best represents a model for other teams to emulate and best embodies the purpose and goals of FIRST Robotics. Earning a Chairman’s Award at the state event automatically qualifies the team for the FIRST Robotics World Championship where they will once again be invited to compete for the Chairman’s Award. The World Championship event is in Detroit and will begin next week and go throughout the weekend. 

Annual State of the District - I will hold the annual State of the District on Tuesday, April 24 at Three Fires Elementary (4125 Crooked Lake Rd.).  I will provide an update on enrollment, the budget, current initiatives, and future plans. 

Livingston County Career and College Access Network (LCCAN) Road Rally - over the past few years, there has been a very concerted effort at HHS to provide an expectation for students to pursue post-secondary educational opportunities. Lisa O'Connor's (HHS AP) leadership of the Highlander Career and College Council has provided a framework and system for this work. This effort has been strengthened through a partnership with the Livingston County College and Career Access Network or LCCAN. To support this work, LCCAN is hosting a fundraiser on Thursday, April 26. The Championing Futures Road Rally is an exciting scavenger hunt that will take participants to locations along Grand River from Brighton to Fowlerville. All of the proceeds from the event will be used to fund scholarships for Livingston County students entering a skilled trade program in 2018. To learn more, please visit https://goo.gl/UvRu5f. If you are available, please consider participating.

Ryan and Brian Show - I encourage you to listen to the latest podcast episodes of the Ryan and Brian Show. In Episode 3 Marci Adams discusses the pedagogical shift (to a more comprehensible input) she made in her instruction. In Episode 4 Jay McDowell and Brian McCarthy join the show to discuss the foundational ideas behind the Innovation Academy (to launch in fall 2018). Episode 5 invites HPS Instructional Coach, Kate Rossetter to share the great work she is engaged in throughout the district including Project-Based Learning and an emphasis on a framework for literacy. Enjoy!

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#HighlanderNation 3.6.18

HPS Team,

In the wake of the recent school shooting in Parkland, Florida, I am sure many of you are aware of national efforts to coordinate student walkouts. The goals of these walkouts include showing support for the lives lost at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida as well as creating a peaceful statement against school violence. 

We have learned that some high school students plan to participate in a walkout on March 14. Please know we are neither promoting nor opposing this walkout. However, our principals are actively discussing this issue with student leaders to ensure that it is used as a learning experience and lesson in civic engagement. While we have not heard of any middle school students planning to participate, our middle school administrators are ready should this change. As part of the planning, each building has designated a safe location for the students to assemble during the walkout.

Please remember that during school hours, our top priority is the safety of our students. During the time of the walkout, classes will continue on their regular schedule. To this end, staff should remain in their classroom with any students not participating in the walkout. We also ask that staff members be extra vigilant during this time. While we do not believe it will be needed, we have also met with our local law enforcement agencies to discuss what support we may need from them.

As a district, I feel that it is important to engage our students in meaningful conversations around the topic of school safety. I have scheduled meetings with student leaders to hear their thoughts on this topic and to share ways that the district is working to ensure that we are providing a safe and secure learning environment. Additionally, we are continually looking for areas of improvement in relation to school safety. 

Sincerely,

Erin

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#HighlanderNation 2.26.18

HPS Book Bus

I wanted to share some details about an exciting initiative that the district is undertaking. Currently, there is a team working to transform an old school bus into a mobile library/book bus, that will travel around this district this summer bringing books to our students. The goal of the book bus is to promote summer reading to elementary students, especially those who may benefit most from access to books in the summer months and those who may find it difficult to access the Howell Carnegie Library. The plan is to have the book bus ready to launch by June. It is an ambitious goal, but I know we can make it happen. 

Our students and staff will be involved in the transformation process. We have high school students who will assist with the design of the interior of the bus and removal of the seats. We are launching a bus naming contest with our elementary students and hope to have our high school digital imaging students create the design for the exterior of the bus.

We are actively applying for grants and seeking community support for this project and have committed to the Board of Education that we will not use any general fund dollars to fund the bus. LESA has pledged their full support of this project as has the Howell Carnegie Library.

In the coming weeks and months, we will share additional details about the work and provide updates on the progress of the bus.

Early Childhood Collaborative with LESA
At the February 13 meeting, the Board of Education approved an early childhood collaborative with the Livingston Educational Service Agency (LESA) to be located at the former Southeast Elementary School. The purpose of the collaborative is to increase access to high-quality early childhood education for the children in our district. The research is clear regarding students who have high-quality early childhood learning experiences. It provides early brain development which boosts literacy skills as well as critical social and emotional skills, all to be prepared for kindergarten. The collaborative will house Great Start Readiness, Head Start, and tuition-based classrooms, along with wraparound support services. In addition, we will be leasing space to Child Connect, providing access to on site professional development for our staff. We are excited to launch these opportunities this fall for our families.

Innovative Learning Initiative
Also at the February 13 meeting, the Board of Education approved the Secondary Innovative Learning Initiative (ILI) to be located at the former Southeast Elementary School. The purpose of the ILI is to create a school to serve the needs of our students who have historically underachieved. We will open the doors for students in grades 9-12 next year and look to expand to students in the middle schools in the future. With input from future students, we will be naming this school in the coming months. 

The HPS Adaptive Plan identified both early childhood as well as expanded learning opportunities for our secondary students as critical needs in the district. I want to thank the board for their support of both initiatives. There is a lot of work to complete as we prepare for a 2018/19 launch. 

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#HighlanderNation 2.20.18

HPS Team,

This has been a terribly sad couple of weeks. First, we lost one of our own. I only met Julianna once, but I remember it vividly. I try to meet with a group of students on a regular basis. I enjoy hearing about their hopes, their dreams, and their experiences, as a student, a daughter/son, as a person. This is how I met Julianna. I remember her kindness, her enthusiasm for life, and mostly, I remember her smile.

During this time of mourning, it is comforting to know our team is there for the family and friends of Julianna. We need to celebrate her memory, support those who will continue to grieve, and do all we can to help our students reach their hopes and dreams. It seems more important now than ever before.

Then, tragedy struck Parkland, Florida last week. I have to be honest, I am still reflecting on and processing this incident. At my core, I am an optimist. I see the best in people and I assume positive intent. However, I fully recognize the significance of keeping our schools safe. There is nothing more important. This is what drove me to request our board to reinstate our district resource officer. It will continue to drive me to improve all aspects of our safety protocols, including staff training, building modifications, and partnerships with our local law enforcement. However, our most effective strategy is for us to build strong relationships with our students as well as to remain vigilant with recognizing and reporting warning signs. Moving forward, I will keep you updated on all of the essential items related to our school safety strategies. I am also aware that our students may choose to exercise their voice in this process through organized movements. I look forward to engaging them in dialog and providing them an opportunity to share their concerns and ideas for improvement. Our kids deserve safe and secure learning environments. This means continuing to adjust to a new “normal.” However, I will not allow this to compromise my core values of hopefulness and confidence about the future.

Thank you for doing what you do for our students, families, the community, and our Highlander team.

Sincerely,

Erin

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#HighlanderNation 1.12.18

I hope that in this year to come, you make mistakes.

Because if you are making mistakes, then you are making new things, trying new things, learning, living, pushing yourself, changing yourself, changing your world. You're doing things you've never done before, and more importantly, you're Doing Something.

So that's my wish for you, and all of us, and my wish for myself. Make New Mistakes. Make glorious, amazing mistakes. Make mistakes nobody's ever made before. Don't freeze, don't stop, don't worry that it isn't good enough, or it isn't perfect, whatever it is: art, or love, or work or family or life.

Whatever it is you're scared of doing, Do it. Make your mistakes, next year and forever.

― Neil Gaiman 

HHS Student TEDx Event

In my last post, I informed you about the TEDxHowellHighSchool event scheduled for November 9, 2017. The first ever TEDx event in Howell was amazing! All of the students involved took a huge risk and put their stories out there for us to enjoy, reflect on, and learn from. Through humor, happiness, sadness, and enthusiasm, these students shared their unique story by engaging the audience through real emotions. The students who presented at the event were John Seck, Ashley Dunn, Gwyneth Labine, Allison Mitter, Jordan Chantaca, Jakob Ferris, Andrea Spisak, Mikayla Norton, Jenna Wincher, Jared Osborne, and Emmaly Badgett. The topics discussed ranged from overcoming the challenges posed by dyslexia to the importance of community service and celebrating diversity. One talk even covered geckos and their role in nanotechnology development. I am so proud of all of them and for laying the foundation for future events. Special thanks to Jason Schrock (HHS Principal) and Brian McCarthy (HHS Assistant Principal) for their leadership and support of this event. All of the stories were captured by our Video Production Program and can be viewed by clicking here. 

Telling Our Story
In the spirit of the TEDx event, the importance of "telling our story" cannot be emphasized enough. I have the opportunity to travel to our buildings and observe, and sometimes participate in, the amazing things going on across the district. We have taken intentional steps to share these stories with our students, staff, families, and the community. Most recently, a couple of our talented and amazing teachers have started a podcast to share innovative "out of the box" instruction and other practices occurring in the district. Ryan Horne and Brian Riordan launched their first podcast on January 8. To listen to this podcast, visit ryanandbrianshow.com and click on Episode 1 - What's This Show About Anyway? In addition, I encourage you to nominate a guest by using the tab on this website. Let's all take part in telling our story!

K9 Sweep
I received a few questions from staff members about the recent K9 sweep at the high school. In our efforts to support a substance-free school environment, each year we partner with our law enforcement agencies and conduct a K9 drug sweep of the high school campus. These sweeps are unannounced and occur after the campus is put into a shelter-in-place. Any hits by the dogs are investigated and followed up by both school administration and law enforcement. We will continue to utilize this approach as part of our overall strategy to address substance abuse in our community.

Coffee Chats
This year I am hosting quarterly Coffee Chats. The intent is to update participants on district work as well as answer questions. The next Coffee Chat is scheduled for Thursday, January 18 at 6:00 p.m. at Crosswinds Aviation (3308 W. Grand River). The location will allow us to highlight one of our unique programs at the high school, Private Pilot Ground School. Coffee Chats are open to anyone in the community.

United Way Campaign
Thank you so much for your support of the United Way campaign. Jeanne Clum, Development Director for the Livingston County United Way, sent us a thank you note that I wanted to share with you.

Thanks so much for all the great effort!

Following up with our conversation earlier today, I wanted to share stats from this year’s Howell Public Schools United Way campaign. You have MUCH to be proud of!

Looking at the HPS outstanding campaign, here is a little data:

2017 Campaign Success - $10,728, 178 employees giving (27%!), 60 employees gave online
2016 Campaign Success -  $5,368.49, 102 employees giving (15.5%)
Congratulations to you and your entire team!

Jeanne Clum
Development
Livingston County United Way

Thank a Teacher
We asked students and parents to write thank you notes to our teachers. We received more than 1,700 notes! I hope these notes provided a little insight into the impact you have on our students. You can view a short video of some of our teachers receiving these notes by clicking here.

FIRST Robotics
At the January 8 board of education meeting, the board took action to approve robotics clubs at all schools in the district. While robotics clubs already exist in several buildings, this formal support provides a stronger partnership with our parents who have been so instrumental in building the foundation of these programs. In addition, we can begin to increase access to these opportunities since we will now have a club at each school. I look forward to seeing our FIRST Robotics Programs continue to flourish.

Secondary Innovative Learning Initiative
At the December 11 board of education meeting, the Innovative Learning Initiative Team provided a report to the board regarding the alternative learning opportunities we plan to provide for some of our secondary students. For more information on this process, you can view the presentation by clicking here. The passion and commitment of this team is amazing, and I look forward to continuing this process.

Expansion of Early College Model
As you know, in partnership with the Livingston County Educational Service Agency (LESA), we launch an Early College this year with two pathways (Health Sciences and Manufacturing). We plan to expand these pathways next year to include such opportunities as Construction Management, Information Technology (IT), and Hospitality Management.

Twitter Chat
The HPS leadership team started a Twitter chat series as means to engage in some "out of the box" professional learning. We just finished discussing Innovator's Mindset by George Couros and will now be focusing on some specific district-related work. On January 15 at 9:00 p.m., Melanie Post and Julie Morrish will facilitate the next Twitter chat, a discussion on cross-curricular inquiry. Please feel free to join this chat at #highlanderchat.

Board of Education Organizational Meeting
At the January 8 board of education meeting, the board elected its officers for 2018. The following positions were filled:

President - Stacy Pasini
Vice President - Brent Earl
Secretary - Marcus Wilcox
Treasurer - Courtney Tarara

Gregg Gilligan, Grace Trudell and Mike Yenshaw are trustees for 2018. I am very thankful for the leadership provided by Mike Yenshaw as board president these past three years. 

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