STATE REPRESENTATIVE JON HOADLEY SPECIAL SCHOOL EDITION
Fall 2015 the 60th
DSO
Welcome Back to our Community’s Educators Dear Teachers:
315 N Burdick St., Ste 100, Kalamazoo MI 49007 * 269 -382-4676
60th District Ser vice Of f ice
September 2015
Coming from a family of educators, I know how exciting and busy these first few weeks of the school year have been for you and your students. I enjoyed participating in the Opening Day for the new school year where many of the community leaders greeted our Promise students. As you prepare for your year, I would love to help. Partnering with the Kalamazoo Education Association, enclosed are ways I can be helpful to your educational goals. We all know just how critically important it is in our community to prepare children for receiving and taking advantage of the Kalamazoo Promise; it can literally change a student’s life. As the State Representative covering Kalamazoo Public Schools, I will do my part in making sure that your concerns are heard in Lansing. Furthermore, I will do my best to address these concerns with my colleagues in the House and in the Senate. This newsletter lets you know of ways our office can help, including a survey to hear your top priorities. With your input, I will get a feel as to what you need in the classroom, and how you are feeling about the current state of education in Michigan. I thank you greatly for being an important part of this community. Here’s to a great school year. Sincerely,
State Representative 60th House District
Please return the survey!
Need a new map of Michigan for your classroom? We even have enough for every student to have their own copy of a real paper map to spread out on their table. Please call the DSO at (269) 382-4676 and we can set enough aside for you, or stop by at 315 N. Burdick and check out all of the available publications!
Representative Jon Hoadley Serves the Kalamazoo Area’s Fall 2015—Page 2
Working this school year with Representative Hoadley is as easy as... 1. He’ll come to you & your school.
4. What is a “Tribute?”
For a “once in a lifetime” honor, Rep. Hoadley can provide a special proclamaWhether to read to your students or to talk tion certificate, signed by Governor about how a law is made, Rep. Hoadley Snyder, himself, and potentially other will come to your classroom or school members of the legislature for extremely assembly to speak anytime he is in the high level achievement. District, not just during “Reading Month.”
2. He’ll greet your trip to 5. He’ll run or hike An avid runner himself, consider inviting Lansing. If you are bringing a group to the Capitol this year, please let us know. Rep. Hoadley can meet you on your tour of our historic Capitol and introduce your students on state TV from the House floor to the Gallery, if we are in session.
Rep. Hoadley for your school’s upcoming sports event. How about a nature walk through Kleinstuck Preserve or an architectural walk in your school’s neighborhood?
6. He has free maps & publications to share 3. He can provide special Need “Recycling & Safety” coloring recognition for your books? Maps of the State of Michigan? students. Copies of the State Constitution? See the Rep. Hoadley would love to provide special certificates for your special people. Perfect attendance? Stellar academic achievement? Noteworthy community engagement effort? Please let us help you honor the work of your students.
Yes …. He’d love to come ride the bus.
9. Return the Survey Rep. Hoadley wants to hear from you, the frontline classroom practitioners, about educational policy reforms. He has included a quick survey for you to complete and return to our office.
10. Help you track a bill The status of any piece of piece of legislation progressing through the House of Representatives or the State Senate can be tracked on the Legislature’s website at www.legislature.mi.gov.
enclosed Teacher Resource Guide for a list of the publications you can order, or stop down to the 60th District Service Office on North Burdick Street to browse what is available.
7. He’s a great “Parents’ Night” Speaker As constituents, you and your students’ parents have important opinions Representative Hoadley wants to hear. He is available to speak to groups on any state policy or legislative issue that may be of interest to your group. He is happy to come in the evening or meet a group on a weekend.
8. Need a flag? For a very nominal fee, a Michigan State flag can be acquired through our office.
Photo by Brian Powers
60th House District Page 3—Fall 2015
Loy Norrix Artists Exhibit for the DSO Art Hop Stop!
What is the DSO? Established in 1973, the 60th District
It was a phenomenal night on May 1st together with our neighbors as the entire 300 block of N. Burdick street was closed down and several of our neighboring businesses joined us at the 1st Annual DSO Block Party.
Service Office (DSO) is a non-profit office established for the purpose of providing Kalamazoo area residents with direct access to their government and increasing the responsiveness of state government to their needs and concerns.
Registered as an ART HOP stop, with the Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo, our featured artists were members of the AP Studio Art Program at Loy Norrix High School. These talented ar tists ar e students of LNHS instructor, Cindy Vanlieu.
Services are provided without fee on a non-partisan basis.
Need Help?
What a great night!
Examples of how the 60th DSO can help: (P.S.— We are on the lookout for a talented group to feature as our artists or performers to feature for the 2nd Annual Block Party / ART HOP next Spring 2016. Please call or email us, if interested. We will need to finalize the planning by early January 2016.)
Let’s Read Together! Some of my fondest memories early in my school life were during storytime. And, yes, you can picture me the wide-eyed, overly eager kid in the front row with my hand waving in the air, offering up all kinds of answers to questions. “Ooo, Ooo, Mrs. Rath, I know! I know!”
Both of my parents are educators. I was very fortunate to not only have books and learn to love literature at school, but also at home. My parents instilled in me early what the magic in learning to read was all about. As I grew older and picture books were no longer the order of the day,
I had fun learning the secret codes—all those squiggles on the printed page actually meant something and coupled with a young child’s imagination, I fell in love with the experience of reading. Please invite me to your classrooms this school year. Please don’t wait for reading month to do so. Give Edie Trent in our Kalamazoo District Service Office a call at (269) 3824676 to schedule your visit. What you do is incredibly important and life-changing for your students.
Photos by Jessica Patterson of her son, Jack, with Rep. Hoadley
Tenant / Landlord — provide information, assistance & community resources to residents to help avoid an impending eviction. Housing information — help residents understand how to apply for an appeal hearing with MI State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA). Food assistance — provide referrals to local food pantries for families awaiting a decision for a Dept. of Human Services (DHHS) Bridge Card. Unemployment matters — assist unemployed individuals by providing information regarding extensions that may be available. Human Service — assist affected families with information about the status of the changing DHHS cash assistance benefits.
60th District Service Office (DSO) State Rep. Jon Hoadley 315 N. Burdick St Kalamazoo, MI 49007 (269) 382-4676 or stop by.
No appointment needed.
The Back Page i Page 4 - Fall 2015—Special Teachers’ Edition 60th District Service Office 315 N. Burdick Ave., Ste. 100 Kalamazoo MI 49007 (269) 382-4676 www.60thdso.org Lansing Office N-994 House Office Bldg. P.O. Box 30014 Lansing, MI 48909 Phone: (517) 373-1785 Toll Free: (888) 833-6636 Fax: (517) 373-5762
Jon Hoadley State Representative 60th House District
60th DSO Board of Directors Matthew Lechel, Chair Tracy Hall, Vice Chair Laurie Harbaugh, Secretary Bob Cinabro, Treasurer Kelly Doyle Ken Greschak Janet Jones Millie Lambert Jessica Patterson Mary Roscoe Creed Stegall
Mary Brown Ed LaForge Alexander Lipsey Sean McCann Rep Jon Hoadley Julie Vogel, Staff Edie Trent, Staff
Dedicated to Serving Others
Established in 1973, the 60th District Service Office is a non-profit corporate entity established for the purpose of providing Kalamazoo area residents with direct access to their government and increasing the responsiveness of the government to their needs and concerns. Services are provided without fee through the contributions of supporters to fund the daily operations.
SAVE THESE DATES UPCOMING in 2016 March 2016 — Reading Month, but remember, you don’t have to wait until then to have Rep. Jon Hoadley come read to your class. May 2016 — Spring Brunch DSO May 2016 — ART HOP / Block Party —We need suggestions / nominations for an artist or performance group to feature. August 12, 2016 — Ice Cream Social
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