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.
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.
