Inside PPS JUNE 2014
What’s Inside: • PPS in Pictures • Art Lessons at 12th St. • Forensics Teams Dominate • Wolf Apparel Takes Off!
District News Kalamazoo Community Foundation funds first year of “Link Crew” at Northern High School
Nearly 100 Northern High School students and staff are already getting ready for the fall. Through the generosity of the Kalamazoo Community Foundation, NHS is implementing a “Link Crew” for incoming 9th grade students to ensure a successful transition into high school. Crew members will implement a nationally recognized transition program designed by The Boomerang Project intended to create a “great, safe and connected place for kids to learn.” Through training as peer mentors, Link Crew members will provide regular and deliberate contact with freshman starting from orientation through the end of the year. Similar to the CHS Student Ambassadors, the Link Crew will partner with their younger peers to prepare for school social events, how to seek academic or social help and to encourage more involvement in student activities. The NHS Link Crew plans to reduce 9th grade disciplinary referrals, increase positive school climate, increase school activity (club/sport) participation and increase academic performance. Assistant Principal Mike Huber said he sees this program as a way to continue to engage students and inspire them to achieve their dreams.
ON THE COVER Page 2
Portage Central High’s Sarah Casanto was one of the eight seniors to win a scholarship from the Portage Education Foundation.
Artist Conrad Kaufman works on the 12th Street mural. Story on p. 4.
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District News History teacher recognized as “Outstanding Teacher” by the Daughters of the American Revolution Portage Northern history teacher Kimberly Palmer was recently recognized as the 2014 Michigan Outstanding Teacher of American History by the Daughters of the American Revolution. According to the DAR, Mrs. Palmer’s teaching “…exemplifies the values of preserving our national heritage, promoting patriotism and fostering loyal support of our country and constitutional government.” Mrs. Palmer was honored in Lansing in April. Board of Education trustee (and DAR member) Terri Novaria attended the ceremony with Kimberly and her family. Novaria said, “As the parent of a student in Mrs. Palmer’s history class, I can say that Kim Palmer is not only a passionate and creative teacher of American history, but she is a caring and compassionate adult in the lives of each of her students.”
PPS in Pictures
Thanks to Angling Road 3rd grade students, Mrs. Crocker, Ms. Yankovich, and Ms. Frannie for leading the PPS Board of Education in the Pledge of Allegiance both verbally and in sign language.
Everyone at Woodland Elementary had a blast fundraising for the school during the Walk for Woodland event. Right: Author Brian Mott visited several PPS schools to read his book, “Monsters Do Not Know Tae Kwon Do”. The book’s imaginative plot and colorful illustrations were a big hit with students.
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Cover Story
Incredible Art Lessons at 12th Street Elementary
S
tudents at 12th Street Elementary have been getting a very unique series of art lessons this spring.
Critically acclaimed artist Conrad Kaufman has been working tirelessly to transform an enormous blank wall into a beautiful mural and students have been helping every step of the way. The mural, even unfinished, is breathtaking. As students, teachers, and guests pass by Kaufman’s stairway throughout the day, each take an extra moment or two to stare up at the artist’s work with wonder. Covering an area of 31 feet wide by 13 feet tall, the piece contains everything from a depiction of lush, wind-tickled grass to a fully 3D Styrofoam tree that is literally leaping from the wall. A large jaguar (12th Street’s mascot) – also rendered in 3D – can even be spotted lounging in the branches of the great tree. Aside from providing eye candy for many years to come, Kaufman’s presence in the school is playing a pivotal role in the students’ daily activities. Working with a Creative Curriculum (and Creative Minds) All around Kaufman’s impromptu workstation (which includes countless buckets of paint resting on the upper level of a towering scaffold), numerous vocabulary words have been written on different colors of construction paper and posted for the students to see. Words such as contrast, blending, shape, and line, are intermixed with more advanced art terms such as impressionism, analogous colors, and proportion.
Such words have been explored not only in the art room, but in other classrooms as well. At the beginning of the project, Kaufman went into multiple classrooms to explain the mural’s rough concept and theme. He brought in rough sketches and samples, asking for student input for some of the piece’s specifics. Interestingly, the idea behind one of the mural’s major symbols (a tree growing from the pages of a gigantic book) actually came from a fifth-grade student! Several times throughout each day, teachers lead their classes to come visit Kaufman and watch him work. Students are encouraged to ask questions and make observations utilizing the aforementioned vocabulary words. The Importance of Nurturing Dreams Throughout the numerous Q&A sessions, Kaufman smiles and answers graciously. Sometimes he continues to
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Cover Story paint with ease while answering; other times, he is casually resting on the edge of the (seemingly precarious) scaffold. One student asked how Kaufman became interested in drawing and painting. Kaufman attributes his love of art and sculpture to his high school art teacher. According to Kaufman, his art teacher, along with years of schooling and experimentation, led to his career as a full-time artist. Another student asked if painting for a living was fun. “I love it. I’ve been doing it for 20 years, seven days a week,” Kaufman says cheerfully, but points to his back brace, adding, “but it’s a lot of hard, physical work.” Simply watching Kaufman work for just a few minutes is enough to demonstrate the physical demands of his job. He climbs all over his scaffold with the ease of a jungle animal (he told students that he was part chimpanzee), his hands are always full (one is painting with a paintbrush, the other carrying a small bucket of paint), and his body is always bent, stretching, or kneeling to best reach the areas he’s painting at the moment. As Kaufman speaks, the students carefully jot down notes onto their clipboards, hanging on every word. “Never say you can’t do something,” Kaufman’s website states, “instead ask how.” Perhaps Kaufman’s presence in the school (as well as his positive outlook) will encourage a student to pursue a life of art and creativity, just as his art teacher inspired him. Judging by the way that the visiting classes’ eyes lit up upon seeing the mural come to life, it’s safe to say that these lessons will not be soon forgotten. To see more of Kaufman’s work, go to his website: FenceRows.com
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District News
PPS Forensics Teams Dominate During Tournament Runs
T
he forensics teams of Portage Public Schools have been very busy competing (and winning!) lately.
Portage Northern High’s team, under the direction of coach Ashley Bowen, recently claimed a state championship victory at the MSCI Novice State Tournament held in Novi, Michigan. This championship came hot on the heels of the 39th Annual James Menchinger Invitation (which the team hosted at Portage Northern High), where Bowen and Co. won three of the 14 first place trophies.
The Portage Northern forensics team worked hard for those trophies!
Portage Central High’s team, along with coach Theresa Mills, recently left the prestigious Holland Invitational with three top finishes, as well as a third-place sweepstakes trophy, two fourth-place wins, and a fifth and sixth-place win. Both teams received glowing press coverage and social media attention immediately following these impressive victories. However, to Bowen and Mills, competitive forensics isn’t just about the glory of winning. “The victories are nice,” Bowen says, “but in my opinion, secondary to the experiences and reactions from my team when they do better than expected. These kids have been so positive and worked so hard. They have truly surpassed any expectations for this year.” “The best part of a competition is watching the kids interact with one another and truly encouraging each other,” Mills says. “Even when a competitor does not make it to the elimination rounds, they go and watch their friends and colleagues and are truly happy for their successes.”
Hard Work…
Though these teams’ expertise may make one assume that forensics competitions are a walk in the park, nothing could be further from the truth. Described as “electrifying” by Mills, competitions are long, grueling days in which both the team and the individual are relentlessly tested. Such days usually look something like this:
• 6:00 AM...The team’s bus departs from school.
• 7:30 AM…The team arrives at the competition. Unpacking begins (stools, chairs, easels, visuals, blocks, outfits, etc.), immediately followed by a team meeting to disperse information.
• 8:10 AM…Dressed and ready for competition, the team practices vocal warm-ups (led by the seniors).
• 8:30 AM…A general meeting begins with all of the competing teams present.
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District News
• 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM…Competition is in full swing. Hundreds of students are presenting during this time, only to be whittled down in the semi and semifinal rounds.
• 5:15 PM…Awards are presented.
• 6:00 PM…Students pack the aforementioned gear and get back onto the bus for the ride home.
• 7:30 PM…The team’s bus arrives back at the school. The day is over.
After running through just the itinerary of such an exhaustive schedule, Mills simply says, “Whew!”
Goes A Long Way
Forensics demands a lot from participants, but both coaches stress the myriad of lifelong benefits the program offers. “The list is endless concerning what participating in forensics offers a young person,” Mills says, “but learning to speak in front of an audience is an essential element. I had a friend tell me once, when her daughter went away to college, it wasn’t the fact that she was an IB diploma candidate that set her apart from her peers, it was the fact that she could speak in front of her peers without breaking out in a cold sweat or feeling sick to her stomach.” In addition to gaining skills on a personal level, the coaches also stress the importance of growing and learning as a team. “It’s pretty awesome to see how well the team works together,” Bowen says. “They all support each other, they all work hard, and their confidence just soars.”
The Portage Central forensics team is all smiles!
Looking Ahead
So, what’s next for the forensics teams? As you’ve probably guessed by now, these highly motivated students and coaches are unlikely to wind down and rest on their laurels. In fact, after a season full of impressive victories, they are both just getting warmed up. Bowen will be leading her team to the state tournament held at Western Michigan University in May, quickly followed by a national tournament held in Kansas in June. Mills and her team have the same schedule as Bowen’s, as well as an additional tournament held at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island. It’s safe to say that it doesn’t matter whether or not the teams leave the upcoming competitions with trophies. They’ll have practiced invaluable professional and life skills, gained unforgettable experiences as a team, and travelled all over the country doing what they do best.
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Entrepreneurial Spirit
An International Business Born in the Hallways of PPS
I
t all started with a few beanies.
In the fall of 2012, Grace Dueweke (Portage Northern High) and Rachel Weber (Portage Central High) began making beanies as a hobby. When other students began expressing their interest in purchasing the duo’s beanies, Weber recalls, “We took this idea and ran with it, starting what we now call Wolf Apparel.”
Fast forward to spring 2014. In just under a year and a half, Wolf Apparel has become an international business, armed with a number of unique products and an undeniably bright future. Such success can be credited not only to Dueweke and Weber’s entrepreneurial senses and taste in fashion, but also a brilliant social media marketing scheme. The company utilizes common, but invaluable platforms, such as Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook (in addition to an official website) to reach its customers. “Our social media marketing allows us to easily reach our target market and keep people constantly updated on our products and company,” Weber says. Wolf Apparel now regularly creates and distributes a wide variety of new products, including T-shirts, crewneck sweaters, tank tops, scarves, headbands, skullcaps, stickers, phone cases, and, of course, beanies. “We usually play off of each other’s ideas to create the best version of a product,” Weber says of the duo’s relentless production schedule. “Both of us are creative thinkers and have similar ideas on how most products should look.” A Meteoric Rise The ladies’ collaborative abilities have certainly paid off. Weber says that Wolf merchandise has been ordered from all over the United States, including locations as far as California, Texas, and Massachusetts. While that is a massive accomplishment in its own right, Weber says that the company’s proudest moment has been fulfilling international orders to destinations such as the United Kingdom, Germany, and even Australia. “We went from being a company run by two teenage girls whose customers were close friends,” Weber says, “to being an identifiable company that people who have never met us, and most likely will never meet us, invest their money because they love our work.” Both Weber and Dueweke plan to attend college this fall. Dueweke is going to Eastern Michigan University to pursue a degree in Fashion while Weber is attending Michigan State University to earn a degree in Marketing and
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Entrepreneurial Spirit
WOLF APPAREL International Business. Weber says that these degrees will help them gain the necessary information to elevate their company to the next level. However, that is not to say that the young women of Wolf Apparel will be taking a break during their college years. Despite attending different universities (and balancing challenging coursework), Dueweke and Weber plan to continue releasing and selling new products. In fact, the duo has already become quite experienced with balancing schoolwork and creative endeavors: both will graduate this year with IB Diplomas from the prestigious International Baccalaureate program. “We believe that partaking in the IB program has taught us beneficial skills like being able to succeed under stress, multitask, and apply the lessons learned in everyday life to other aspects of our life,” Weber says. No matter where the bright minds behind Wolf Apparel will go, one thing is certain: Portage Public Schools will always be the place where the seeds of success were planted. “Our most loyal customers, from the very beginning, have been the kids we met at PPS,” Weber says. “We have gained publicity from student newspapers and yearbooks and we were also lucky enough to be contracted to make homemade beanies for Portage Central’s school store, mixing both our craftsmanship and our school spirit. It’s been a cool experience.” Check out Wolf Apparel at: realwolfapparel.com Instagram.com/realwolfapparel Twitter.com/realwolfapparel Facebook.com/realwolfapparel
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District Happenings
Top and right: More than 80 IB diploma students were recognized at a special ceremony for their achievement. Our students took a moment to recognize significant educators who helped them along the way. Bravo!
In honor of William Shakespeare’s birthday, Portage Northern High School hosted Poempalooza 2! The student-run poetry festival featured amazing readings and performances by numerous PN students, followed by a delicious banquet.
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Congratulations to a favorite NHS Huskie, our own Chris Riker. He was officially recognized earlier this month by the Michigan Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association as Regional Athletic Director of the Year for his contributions to students, schools, and the community. Chris received his award from Michael Roy (shown), the athletic director at Vicksburg Community Schools.
Here’s an amazing photo of the Portage Northern/Portage Central Student Senate field trip to Washington, D.C.!
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