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!
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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