“Our Schools” News Family, Community, Excellence March 2020 alleganps.org
L.E. White Middle School Teacher is one “Cool Teacher” Congratulations to L.E. White Middle School teacher, Mrs. Mary Hunziker, who was named 2019-20 WGVU Cool Teacher. Mrs. Hunziker was nominated by sixth-grader Summer Jones. Summer said she likes that Mrs. Hunziker makes learning fun and encourages them to work with partners. In addition, Summer has learned the importance of being kind to others. “She has taught us what kindness is, and I feel like I am more kind because of her,” Summer said. Mrs. Hunziker is a proud graduate of Allegan High School and has been teaching for 31 years. She loves to teach writing and instills a love of literature in her sixth graders. Mrs. Hunziker works extremely hard to create a classroom atmosphere that is welcoming, while also challenging her students academically. She has built a substantial classroom library that includes genres that represent the voices of the ethnicities and cultures in her classroom. She believes it’s important that students see literary characters like themselves and that they learn about the world around them. WGVU visited Mrs. Hunziker’s class to present the award to her on February 5. The WGVU crew even learned something from its time in her class. “We will definitely be using the awesome informational text reading skills we learned today with this class,” WGVU posted on its Facebook page. Awesome work, Mrs. Hunziker! (Pictured right: Summer Jones presenting Mrs. Hunziker with her award.)
Alternative High School Science Teacher wins Science Innovation Hall of Fame Award Allegan Alternative High School Science teacher Mark Mattox (pictured above) has been selected as one of the Air Zoo’s Science Innovation Hall of Fame Educator Excellence Awardees. He is being recognized for his project-based approach to teaching engineering including underwater robots, remote-controlled cars, coding, gardening, hydroponics, aquaponics, and more. The Science Innovation Hall of Fame (SIHOF) Awards are focused on recognizing and further encouraging southwest Michigan high school students and K-12 level educators who have innovated and excelled within, or shown exceptional support of, education in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics (STEAM). Each spring, the Air Zoo bestows the Science Innovation Hall of Fame Awards at a highly publicized, red carpet gala and dinner that draws notable Michigan luminaries from all corners of industry - education, government, and the arts. This year’s event will take place on April 18, 2020, at the Air Zoo. Congratulations, Mr. Mattox!
Allegan Public Schools
In This Issue:
Telephone Numbers
Administration Office........................... (269) 673-5431 James Antoine (superintendent) Hillary Baker (director of instruction) Amy Christman (director of finance & operations) George Mohr (state and federal programs) Allegan High School ............................ (269) 673-7002 Jim Mallard (principal) Justin Hudson (assistant principal) L.E. White Middle School...................... (269) 673-2241 Erin Hafer (principal) Chris Reeve (assistant principal) Dawson Elementary.............................. (269) 673-6925 Rebecca Shuper (principal) North Ward Elementary........................ (269) 673-6003 Becky Corbett (principal) Pine Trails Elementary.......................... (269) 673-5379 Kari Luckett (principal) West Ward Elementary......................... (269) 673-7000 Melanie Cassar (principal) Allegan Alternative High & Adult Ed..... (269) 673-5433 Laura Feffer (principal) Special Education.................................. (269) 673-5431 Brady Chestnut (director) Athletic Office....................................... (269) 673-7002 Ron Orr (director) Pool/Aquatics........................................ (269) 673-7002 Chris Madill (ext. 5507) Maintenance Department................... (269) 673-2085 Jamie Collier (supervisor) Transportation Department................. (269) 673-2203 Marty Mendell (supervisor) Food Service ....................................... (269) 673-7002 Barb Elenbaas (supervisor) ext. 5517 Allegan Online/Adult Ed ..................... (269) 673-5431 Brenda Nyhof (director) ext. 3022 School Website: alleganps.org
Contact Information: Page 2 Superintendent’s Message: Page 3 New Staff: Page 4 Allegan Online/Adult Ed: Page 4 Performing Arts: Page 5 Middle School Matters: Page 6 High School Highlights: Page 7 Allegan Athletics: Page 8 Allegan Alternative High School: Page 9 Aquatics: Page 9 Elementary Buildings: Page 10-11 Other information: Page 12
Allegan Public Schools Board of Education The public is invited to attend all Board of Education meetings.
2019-20 Board Members
Front l to r: Jennifer Nicholson, Nathon Kelley, Troy Carns, Lane Sturman Back l to r: Vicki Knuckles, Mary Kasprzyk, KD Lake
►Most regular meetings are scheduled for the second Monday of each month. ►Regular meetings during school year are scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. ►Regular meetings during the summer (June, July, August) begin at 6 p.m. ►Workshops are held the fourth Monday of the month, excluding summer months (May, June, July, August) and begin at 6:30 p.m. ►Special meetings will be posted at the entrance and on the district website. ►All meetings to be held at the Allegan Public Schools’s Administration Building, 550 Fifth Street, Allegan MI 49010, unless otherwise posted. ►Interested citizens are invited to attend meetings. There is an opportunity for public comments of a general nature at the beginning of every board meeting. Persons with disabilities who need special accommodations should contact the Superintendent at (269) 673-5431 or at 550 Fifth Street, Allegan, MI 49010, ten days prior to the meeting. ►For a complete list of dates visit alleganps.org/board-of-education.
The “Our Schools News” is a publication of Allegan Public Schools. It is published at least four times annually and mailed to all residents of the Allegan area. If you know of someone who is not receiving this publication that would benefit from receiving it, please contact Laura Sullivan, editor, at (269) 673-5431 or email lsullivan@alleganps.org.
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From the Desk of the Superintendent “All in for Allegan” Families and Friends of Allegan Public Schools, Superintendent
On Monday, February 10th, the Allegan Board of Education voted to accept the Antoine administrative recommendation to reconfigure our elementary school buildings from four K-5 buildings to three K-5 buildings (Dawson, Pine Trails, and West Ward) and one Early Childhood Center (North Ward). This decision impacts many stakeholders in our district and allows for the next level of planning to occur. Here is a partial list of some of the next steps in the process: • Create and send welcome letters to North Ward families notifying them of which elementary school will be their new home school based on the newly drawn boundaries • Publish in-district school of choice information and timelines for families interested in exploring that option (Current in-district school of choice students and siblings are grandfathered into their current school - they do not need to reapply) • Create welcome plans designed to create a sense of belonging and ease the transition to a new school • Finalize the positions and the process for staff members that will be moving • Formalize and publicize our partnership with the childcare learning center organization • Incorporate this decision into our early childhood roundup planning for March 25 at the High School Conference Center so that all eligible families get registered for the appropriate program As more information becomes available, we will be adding content to our website related to the reconfiguration at: alleganps.org/reconfig. The in-district school of choice window for the 20202021 school year will be from March 25-May 29 and applications will not be accepted until that date. As always, there must be room at the grade level and the family must be able to transport to be eligible for in-district school of choice. Applications will be considered in the order in which they are received. Moving forward, the priorities will be to ease the impact of the transition on our staff, caregivers, and most importantly, our students. A sense of belonging to a school has a proven impact on a student’s success and we will continue to work to create that sense for all of our Allegan Public Schools students. The decision to make a recommendation of this nature was a difficult one, and I want to thank all of the community members for the supportive and positive comments as well as the challenging and tough questions that were presented along the way. These questions and comments deepened our thinking and increased our awareness of the needs of our community. I am always available to speak with families in person, over the phone, or via email. Please do not hesitate to reach out if needed. We are all Allegan Tigers. Page 3
Welcome! New Faces to the Allegan Public Schools Family
Mandy Bird Custodian Middle School
Brandi Brennan Instructional Assistant Dawson
Courtney Buskard Custodian High School
Alyx Hart Instructional Assistant North Ward
Sarah Paro Noon Hour Supervisor West Ward
Cheryl Piippo Noon Hour Supervisor Dawson
Brittney Ross Noon Hour Supervisor Pine Trails
Colleen Salzer Custodian High School
Congratulations to our Allegan Online and Adult Education Graduates! Allegan Public Schools Online and Adult Education Program celebrate with the 17 high school students who graduated already this year! Our students continue to make great progress to reach their goal of completing high school. A graduation celebration is planned for June 18, 2020, to honor all of our 2019-20 graduates. In January, we expanded our GED classes to the Dorr area. These classes are located at the Dorr Township Library from 1 to 4 p.m., Mondays and Wednesdays. Our goal is to make the GED accessible to as many students as possible. APS now offers Free GED classes at three locations, Allegan, Dorr and Pullman. Free GED Testing is available in Allegan to students who attend at any of these locations weekly. Contact us for information on classes at these locations as well as CNA training and construction classes. Join our graduates as they open doors to new careers and educational opportunities while completing their high school education. These programs are open to students ages 18 and older. “Learn More, Earn More� Graduate! Brenda Nyhof, Director 269-673-5431 x3022 or Sue Chappell 269-673-5431 x3054 bnyhof@alleganps.org schappell@alleganps.org
Allegan Performing Arts “Notes” Sleeping Beauty
On January 24, Allegan Choirs 7/8 grade choir, in collaboration with TrebleMakers (4/5 grade youth choir from Allegan’s 4 elementary buildings), presented Disney's "Sleeping Beauty Kids" to a packed audience. The cast combined included over 100 choir students ranging from 4-8th grade. Special congrats to the TrebleMakers on an amazing job!!
Singing Telegrams
Love is in the air! Members of the 7th and 8th-grade choir delivered over 50 singing telegrams on Valentine’s Day singing "Lollipop" to various students and teachers.
MSVMA Solo & Ensemble
Congrats to the choir members who participated in the Michigan School Vocal Music Association (MSVMA) Solo and Ensemble at GVSU on February 2. Soloists included Megan Kleehammer (1), Thomas Langschied (1), Harmony Goodman (2), Alida Letts (1), Liljani Forsman (1), and Olivia Clearwater (1). Special congratulations to the Men of Chamber for receiving a Division 1 rating (Ensemble included: Jake Durocher, Davis Meiser, Thomas Langschied, Eli Leece, Lucas Sauceda, Izaak Schans, Hunter Weeks, and Owen McClelland).
MSVMA Choral Festival
Congrats to both Treble and Chamber Choirs for receiving all 1s in performance and sight reading at the MSVMA Choral Festival qualifying them for State Festival in May.
MSBOA Band Festival
On February 8, the following students participated in the Michigan School Band and Orchestra Association (MSBOA) District 10 high school Solo and Ensemble Festival and earned a Division II rating: Kassidy Bright, Benjamin Kolhoff, Mia Kolhoff, Justine Lytle, Cameron Pierce, and Lillian Voetberg.
Brass Quintet
The Brass Quintet of Noah Festerling, Mia Kolhoff, Luke Kaylor, Brody Keely, and Zechariah Huizenga, earned a Division I rating and a bid to perform at the State Solo and Ensemble Festival on March 14th at Portage Northern High School.
Upcoming Dates
• Thursday, 3/12 - Southwestern Michigan Vocal Festival at Miller Auditorium • Tuesday, 5/5 - MSVMA State Choral Festival • Tuesday, 5/12 - Middle School Choir Concert in the PAC at 7 p.m. (6, 7, 8 grade choirs) • Friday, 5/15 - Special Guest Composer David Brunner and Treble and Chamber Choirs in collaboration with the Lakeshore Community Choir Performance at 7:30 p.m. in the PAC. Page 5
Middle School Matters Sewing for a Cause
Sewing I students delivered fleece hats and read books with the kindergarten students of Pine Trails. Students in Sewing I learn to hand-stitch and then move on to using the sewing machine for various projects.
Where in the World?
Students at L.E. White Middle School participated in the National Geography Bee sponsored by National Geographic and Google. 6-8th-grade students participated in the challenge. Pictured above are finalists Damien Davis, Isabella Giovannuci, Shelby Honeycutt (winner), Nick Aalderink, Brandon Rawson, and Kammden Raab. Shelby will take an online test for a chance to earn a top position in the state and also be eligible for the national finals and substantial prizes, including a $25,000 college scholarship. Good luck, Shelby! The L.E. White LINKS At Large groups took their first-ever field trip to Snowden's Sunset Lanes for a fun afternoon and an opportunity to spend more time together with their peers. LINKS is a program that pairs a group of supportive students with another student who benefits from additional peer support. Typically, they get together to eat lunch or play games. This program offers a wealth of leadership skill development, paired with the opportunity for learning how to work with students with a variety of disabilities. Pictured left (l to r): Ellie Wooster, Isabella Giovannucci, Amy Shepherd, Zoey Phillips Pictured right (l to r): Odessa Barnhart, Abigail King, Ellie Ziemelis, Hailey Clarke
School Notification System / Emergency Text Alerts:
Allegan Public Schools will be utilizing SchoolMessenger for district announcements, school closing, and emergency information. This will replace our former system “Remind.� APS will be able to send messages via phone calls, emails, and text. Text Y to 67587 to opt-in for text alerts. Please make sure your contact information is correct for your student(s). Thank you for your patience as we implement this new system. We continue to use the APS app as well. For information on how to sign up for the APS app, see page 2.
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High School Highlights
Read to Me
Mrs. Fries and Mrs. Conrad’s 12th-grade Children's Lit classes recently visited Dawson Elementary to read popular children’s books to their Young 5s and Kindergarten classes.
Snowcoming Royalty
Ulrik Windingstad and Abigail Waite were recently crowned king and queen for Snowcoming 2020.
Front row: Megan Kleehammer, Ella Gillies, Hannah Joynes, Liljani Forsman, Tyler Montgomery Back row: Caleb Smith, Zach Southwell, Alivia Childs, Drake Caldarona Not pictured: Owen McClelland Page 7
Allegan Tiger Athletics By: Ron Orr, Athletic Director alleganps.org/athletics Tiger Athletic teams are wrapping up winter competitions. There have been many great performances by our studentathletes this season. The girls' bowling team had a strong season which ended with the team winning the Wolverine Conference Championship. This is the first Conference Championship in bowling in program history. Great job, team! Tyson Emmons and Zakary Foster qualified for state in wrestling and Titus Smith qualified in swimming. They will represent Allegan at the State finals in their sports. Both girls and boys' basketball continued to develop their programs and saw steady growth. Alison Bishop became the girls' all-time 3 point shooter in school history. Competitive Cheer had a fantastic season. They competed for the top of the conference and placed in many invitationals this winter. Spring sports are underway as of March 9. There are many opportunities to get involved with Tiger Athletics. Get out and be a part of the fun and excitement of Allegan Tiger Athletics. Go Tigers!
The Allegan All-Sports Booster Club supports ALL high school and middle school athletic teams through the following activities: TRI-Allegan, raffles, concession stand sales, selling spirit wear, 50/50, and hoop shoot. Proceeds pay for uniforms, team equipment, weight room equipment, cheerleading mats, swim & dive equipment, refurbishing the baseball & softball fields, track hurdles, to name a few; as well as Tiger Athletic scholarships, team awards, Scholar-Athlete recognition, and the Hall of Fame event. Student-Athlete Ambassadors were a welcome addition to the Sports Boosters last year. The Ambassadors volunteered their time to help make APS and the community a better place. These students commit to volunteering for a minimum of 10 hours during the school year and do not have to be an athlete to be considered. Contact Mindi Smith at: minime3674@gmail.com for more information.
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Allegan Alternative High School Sensory Support
Project-Based Learning
Allegan Public's second sensory event was a huge success! This time Alternative High School students led their middle school friends through stations that included making sensory putty, calm down jars, and racing cars. Making connects while making sensory tools is a win-win for APS!
Mark Mattox's project-based engineering class at Allegan Alternative has built underwater robots and are coding remotecontrolled cars. They have been taking trips to the AHS pool and the APS bus garage to test them out prior to competitions. Pictured below Dani Rankin tests out her under-
water robot at the high school pool.
Pictured left: Elisa Sakon and Ayden Kintgen showing off their calm down jars.
Alumnus Success
We love it when alumni come back to visit. It’s extra special when they are thriving. One year after graduating and being directly hired into Perrigo, Tyler Davis (pictured right with principal Laura Feffer) has received multiple promotions and is now in a leadership role training others.
Allegan Aquatic Center
Memberships, Registration and Information at WWW.ALLEGANAQUATICS.COM
Lifeguard Classes March 20,21,22 (Full Class) April 11th (Recert) May 15,16,17 (Full Class) Register @ alleganaquatics.com
ALLEGAN SWIM SCHOOL
AQUAGLIDE Inflatable Obstacle Course
Proud Provider of SwimAmerica Swimming Lessons
WE ARE HIRING: We help build comfort and compeAdult Supervisors and School-Age tency in and around the water. Lifeguards. Free training for adults!
Run the Course @ Open Swim or Rent It for your Private Party
Contact cmadill@alleganps.org
Aquatic Center Closed
Apr 4, 5, 11, 12, 18 May 10, 23, 24, 25
CHECK THE CALENDAR For live up to the second updates on programming and times, please check out our calendar.
Alleganaquatics.com
POOL RENTAL & PARTIES
Group Lessons (ages 4 and up): Mar-Apr 2020 6:00-6:30 pm or 6:40-7:10 pm Monday and Thursday Parent/ Child Lessons (up to age 3) Multiple Sessions Mar-Apr 2020
5pm-5:30pm
Register Online
Click the “Programs” tab
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DATES ARE GOING FAST During open swim:
Exclusive use of the Party Room. Pay per swimmer at facility For Private Pool Rentals: Both pools + Party Room AquaGlide Course included <More information? Look under the programs tab on our website or Call: 269-673-7002 x5504 Email: skeen@alleganps.org
News from Dawson, North Ward Healthy Kids
Mrs. LaHuis's 1st grade class at West Ward Elementary had a special visit from Miss Greater Kalamazoo Alaina Cook. Alaina visited music class and showed students how to dance their way to a healthy lifestyle through Zumba.
100 Days Smarter
Kindergarten students at North Ward recently celebrated the 100th day of school. Families created projects with 100 items, such as creating a t-shirt or a poster. There were multiple parents who assisted with various centers in the classrooms including counting to 100, doing 100 exercises, making a hat, a book, and much more. Students wrote about what they would buy with $100, what they would eat one hundred of, and what they didn’t know one hundred days ago. A few popular answers were, “If I had $100, I would buy a puppy.” “If I could eat 100 of something, it would be cookies.” “100 days ago, I didn’t know how to read my sight words.” Pictured above Harmony Johnson and Sawyer Watkins celebrating 100th Day.
Reading Rocks!
Pine Trails hosted students and families for their annual Family Literacy Night. Students and families had fun playing, learning, and reading throughout the night. Students enjoyed making “comprehension cootie catchers” among other literacy-based activities.
Healthy Hearts, Healthy Kids
North Ward participated in raising over $2,500 for the American Heart Association and they learned about heart-healthy foods and activities. All 3rd and 4th-graders across the district went to the field house to participate in many heart-healthy challenges. Thank you to Mr. Bishop and Ms. Jennings for organizing a great learning experience for our students while also raising money to help people who need assistance paying for heart problems.
Pine Trails and West Ward Valentine’s Day Fun
Mrs. Morgan’s 3rd grade class at Pine Trails Elementary joined up with their first-grade buddies in Ms. Koens’s class to celebrate Valentine’s Day. They completed a science experiment to explore how candy hearts react to different liquids (water, 7up, and vinegar) and predicted if the hearts would sink or float. Following their learning, they played some fun Valentine-themed games.
Full “STEAM” Ahead
West Ward held its annual STEAM night on February 4. Over 100 students and their families enjoyed a night filled with Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math activities. The most popular event of the night was the egg drop challenge with the Allegan Fire Department. Students created a container to protect their eggs from breaking. A fun time was had by all.
Be Kind
The Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) class at Dawson participated in “Random Acts of Kindness” week. They made sensory slime for each of Mrs. Sieber and Mrs. Carroll’s students. The students learned how to be kind and to make other people happy. In addition, elementary students and staff across the district participated in Spirit Week. Page 11
MARK YOUR CALENDAR IMPORTANT APS DATES
MARCH 18 Early Release APRIL 3 - 10 Spring Break APRIL 29 Early Release/
Spring Conferences
MAY 22 Early Release MAY 25 Memorial Day No School MAY 29 Seniors’ Last Day
ECRWSS TO: Current Resident
The Allegan Public School District complies with all federal laws and regulations prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, religion, national origin, sex, age, height, weight, familial status, marital status, political belief, disability, handicap, or any other legally protected characteristic —in all of its programs and in employment. Inquiries or complaints should be directed to the Superintendent of Schools, 550 Fifth Street, Allegan MI (phone (269) 673-5431).
Five Allegan educators were chosen to receive a 3D printer and participate in a 2-day professional development at Allegan AESA. Mark Mattox, Brian Price, Louise Williams, Julie Eckwielen, and Karen Jalbert built their own 3D printer and learned how to use and maintain the printer for their classrooms. This opportunity was funded by an Innovative Educator Grant from the Michigan Department of Education and is a partnership between Michael Miller, Computer Science Teacher in Otsego Public Schools and the Allegan AESA.
JUNE 2 AAHS Graduation JUNE 4 March 25, 2020 AHS Graduation JUNE 9 Last Day JUNE 18 Allegan Online/ Adult Ed Graduation
Non-Profit U.S. Postage PAID Allegan MI PERMIT 192
FROM: Allegan Public Schools 550 Fifth Street Allegan, MI 49010
*Mortgage/Rent paperwork or household utility bill. *Vision Screening is available during both sessions
The Educational Foundation of APS Presents:
The 17th Annual
Cash Party at The Lynx
(900 Lincoln Road/M-89)
March 14, 2020
(6:00-8:30 pm)
Hors d’oeurves Cash bar Music & Dancing Prizes & Raffles
Cash prizes of $1000, $500, and $100 (x5) Miscellaneous raffles
Ticket Price - $50
(includes food and cash prize drawing entries)
For tickets or information call (269) 673-5431 or see any Educational Foundation member
Proceeds to fund teacher mini-grants and scholarships for AHS seniors. Need not be present to win cash prizes!!!
AHS Safe Celebration Committee would like to thank the businesses that have donated to Post Prom and Grad Bash events. If you’d like to make a donation to help support these causes please send check made out to: AHS Safe Celebration to Allegan High School, 1560 M40 North, Allegan, MI 49010 c/o AHS Safe Celebration Committee.