#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.