OPS Connection June 2024

From the Superintendent... Jeffery S. Haase

Busy Summer Improving OPS Facilities

As the Class of 2024 completes their education at Otsego Public Schools, I would like to take the opportunity to recognize our staff for going above and beyond in their preparation of these students for post-secondary education, career-ready opportunities or the military service. On behalf of the Board of Education, congratulations to the graduates and we wish you all much success in your future endeavors.

In addition to celebrating our graduates, I would like to honor the fourteen staff members who will retire at the end of June. These individuals have provided over 330 years of combined service to our students and families, and we wish them nothing but the best in their retirement.

This summer will be an extremely busy one in our district as the construction projects from the May 2020 Bond will conclude and most buildings will see upgrades. These improvements will complete the

$22.9 million dollar bond which allowed for most planned projects to be completed. However, due to significant cost increases related to the pandemic, we were unfortunately not able to repurpose the Washington Street Pool Facility into a multipurpose space. We will be looking to address this project, as well as future growth projects for the district in the next school year as we are currently conducting facilities, programs, enrollment and traffic assessments. Further information on these assessments will be shared next fall. (See the summer project list to the right.)

On behalf of the Board of Education, we appreciate your support as we continue to maintain and improve our facilities to optimize the educational environment for our students and staff. We would not be able to provide these improvements and upgrades without your support and approval. I trust the summer will provide many opportunities for you to spend time with family, friends, and enjoy your favorite warm weather activities! Thank you for your ongoing support of Otsego Public Schools!

Summer 2024 Projects:

Alamo Elementary

» Classroom Unit Ventilators

» Roof Replacement

» Cafeteria A/C

» Gym A/C

» Kitchen A/C

» Window Refurbishment

Dix Street Elementary

» Cafeteria A/C

» Gym A/C

» Kitchen A/C

» Roof Replacement

» Window Refurbishment

Washington Street Elementary

» Replace Office Air Handler

» Kitchen A/C

Middle School

» Student Lockers Replacement

» Cafeteria A/C

» Kitchen A/C

» Music Room - Additional Heat

High School

» Athletic Track Resurface

Otsego Earns Rare Honor as a Capturing Kids’ Hearts National Showcase District

Otsego Public Schools is one of only two schools in Michigan, and one of only 40 districts across the country, to be named a Capturing Kids’ Hearts National Showcase District! This is an elite designation given to districts who not only have CKH in their schools, but live it and make it a part of their culture. “This is affirmation from others outside our district that we are living the process across the district and they see it,” says Superintendent, Jeff Haase. “This designation would not be possible without staff supporting and believing in the process. They see the difference it makes in students, parents and their own lives.”

CKH is all about building positive relationships. At Otsego, relationships are #1 and we live by the motto that “kids don’t care what you know until they know you care”. Part of the CKH model is having students help build classroom social contracts (behavior expectations), share good things to start each day or class, and greeting all students at the door to make a quick connection. CKH training is required for all employees.

Along with being named a National Showcase District, all five K-12 buildings were National Showcase Schools. This is the 5th year in a row for Otsego Middle School and Dix Street to be Showcase Schools, the 4th year for Washington Street, 3rd year for Alamo and the 1st year for Otsego High School.

Instructional Insight

Summer Learning and Preparation for Fall

OPS is excited to be offering summer school to those students who qualify and are in need of more time for their learning. Not all students grow and learn at the same rate so summer provides a great opportunity for that to happen. Almost 100 students going into 1st through 5th grade will take part in our “Summer Olympics” - this year’s theme for our summer school led by Mark VanderKlok. We also have a rising 6th grade Jump Start in Math happening later in the summer at OMS as well as one for incoming freshmen at OHS. In addition, OHS and West Campus HS will offer credit recovery opportunities this summer.

In addition to what we can offer, there are lots of ways that kids will continue their academic growth over the summer through summer BASE activities and

Congratulations, Retirees!

family trips. One of the most crucial and effective ways to grow your children (at any age) this summer is to read to them and/or have them reading on their own at least 20 minutes per day. The research behind this is staggering. Just READ.

An idea is to read the same book as your child and then have some “book talks” every couple of chapters. That can be a nice motivation for them to read and a great way to spend time with you. For other curricular experiences that are free, I would recommend Khan Academy courses. Set your child up with either a subject area they need more time in, or one they have a high interest in, and then set up a positive behavior plan showing how much time they spend on their course translating to a reward at home. Tap into the Little Libraries around town, travel through Alamo’s StoryWalk,

Fourteen employees are retiring from OPS this year with a combined 365 years of education experience at Otsego. We wish them all the best - each one will be greatly missed! (pictured from left)

• Julie Tollas, OHS Media Center Aide

• Melissa Koenig, OMS Principal

• Nancy Zyzelewski, OHS Special Education teacher

• Lisa Eldred, OMS Special Education teacher

• Dave McCallum, OMS Tech Ed teacher

• Amy Nieuwenhuis, WSE PE teacher

• Cassandra Boyce, OHS Art teacher

• Paula Back, OMS Special Education Parapro

• Ronda Conner, OMS Math teacher

• Peggy Walker, DSE Head Cook

• Kim Irish, DSE 3rd grade teacher

• Liz Lincoln, OMS ELA teacher

• Julie McMullen, DSE Special Education teacher

• (Not pictured: Matt Eldred, OMS Science teacher)

grab a book on the Bookin’ Bus or visit a public library. All of these have books for all ages. These are great ways to have fun and promote reading.

Doing all of this will help your child prepare for fall. If they are a little behind their peers, they won’t fall further and further behind. It will also help them see that learning should happen all the time and not just “in school”. They will come back in the fall ready to be successful. At OPS, we hope that all of you have beautiful summers full of family learning.

Alumnus, Staff Honored at Spring Ceremonies

Todd Starr, OHS ‘89 was awarded the Outstanding Alumnus Award and recognized at the high school Honors Night. Starr spent his career in the trades as a tool and die maker and engineer.

Otsego honored three educators for the 2024 Outstanding People for Education awards, sponsored by the Allegan County School Boards Association.

• Renee Vaughn, Otsego District Registrar, Facilities Coordinator, Homeless Liaison

• Anna Starr, Otsego District Behavioral Health Support Coordinator

• Kendall Muhr, OHS Science Teacher

Director of Instruction, Heather Kortlandt

Community C ON N ECTION

Rotary Helps Kids Jump Into Summer Reading!

Students are getting a “step up” on reading thanks to the Otsego Rotary! For the 4th year, the Rotary has donated money to purchase books for students to take home and add to their home library!

This year, 190 students got to choose 2-3 books to take home. They also received information on the Summer Learning Adventure challenge. Otsego Public Schools is once again teaming with the Otsego Public Library to encourage summer reading and learning! Did you know that students on average lose about 20 percent of their school-year gains in reading over the summer? Otsego Rotary continues to provide highly engaging books, so our students don’t experience the summer slide!

NHS Takes Tips for Kids, Fights Child Abuse

National Honor Society students continued their tradition in volunteering with Roofsit for Kids, a fundraiser that supports Community Healing Centers to treat and prevent child abuse and neglect in Southwest Michigan. The kids spent several hours at the Shell Station on West Main pumping gas and washing windshields for tips. Customers were very generous and helped NHS raise $1,243 for the cause!

M89 Hosts Personal Career Exploration Day

A special thank you to M89 Theatre for hosting a career exploration experience for our Level 3 students. The owner, Scott Moore, opened up early to show these students and their links how to stock supplies, cook popcorn, sell tickets and clean. The kids even got a tour of the entire theater!

Book Vending Machine Opens at WSE

All three elementary schools now have a book vending machine thanks to the generosity of our local donors. Along with donors through Donors Choose, the Mignon Sherwood DeLano Foundation gave the school an $8,000 grant that helped complete funding for the Washington Street Elementary book vending machine and will provide books for the vending machines now and for years to come!

Michigan State Police Help Educate Students

Above: Level 3 students and their Links gather for a group picture. Left: Mr. Moore shows a student how to use the sales register.

Hot topics can be hard to talk about, but troopers with the Michigan State Police can provide clear information and present some of the dangers of those topics. MSP representatives talked to middle school students this spring about staying safe online, making good choices for their digital footprint and shared potential dangers and pitfalls of social media and online activity. At the high school, they shared information on staying safe and making good choices while driving as a part of our SADD campaign warning students against distracted driving.

Saving Lives at OHS

Teaming up with the Red Cross, OHS Student Council hosted three successful blood drives this year collecting a total of 103 units of blood. This is a long-standing tradition for our student council to give back to the community and help save lives. In this partnership, the Red Cross also provides scholarships to seniors.

Trees Gifted for Arbor Day

Thank you to the Chula Vista Garden Club for providing educational materials and a tree to all of our 3rd grade students for Arbor Day. Each classroom had a special presentation to show their class that talked about Arbor Day, conservation efforts and the importance of our trees. Each student received their own tree, an American Hornbeam, to plant.

Grads Give Back

OHS 2023 graduate, Robert Phillips, is staying connected with his school community be giving back in a meaningful way. Each Thursday this spring, he’s been teaching 4th graders Junior Achievement where they learn about entrepreneurship, financial literacy and more. They specifically got to draw up their own business idea and learned about profit, loss, revenue and more!

FREE Summer Meals, Weekly Events, Bookin’ Bus Highlight Summer Fun!

Otsego is thrilled to be able to offer FREE breakfast and lunch to kids at five locations this summer! The Bulldogs Bookin’ Bus is also back on the road two days a week! In addition, the City of Otsego will host Tuesday night Family Fun Nights at the TOP Pavilion with dinner at 5:30pm (free for kids, $5 for adults) and our Food Service Department is putting on Wednesday afternoon events at Northside Park after lunch at 1pm. Don’t miss out!!

Tuesday Night Events @ TOP Pavilion:

• June 18 - Touch a Truck

• June 25 - OFD Water Night

• July 9 - Youth NightGames/Crafts/Activities

• July 16 - Wishbone Pet Night

• July 23 - Otsego Arts Night

• July 30 - Holland Outdoor Discovery Center

Wednesday Afternoon Events @ Northside Park:

• June 19- Alan KazamMagician

• June 26 - Bulldogs Beautify Clean-up event

• July 10 - Paleo Joe

• July 17 - Mary’s Country Critters Petting Zoo

• July 24 - Back To School Supply Giveaway

• July 31 - Home Depot Build

OUR SENIORS

Class of 2024 Top Academic Students

OHS has 28 students who graduated with distinction, earning a GPA of 4.0 or above

The Class of 2024 chose OHS Social Studies teacher

Darryl Belton to give the Commencement Address.

Joel DeBoer (Valedictorian) will attend Michigan State University to major in Computer Science.

Wybie Burke (Salutatorian) will attend the University of Michigan to major in Engineering.

Aly Aldrich will attend the University of Florida to major in Mechanical Engineering.

Grace Blanchard will attend Glen Oaks Community College to major in Business and will play softball.

Brooklyn Carroll will attend Michigan State University to major in Biology / Animal Science.

Grace Clayton is joining the United States Army to be an Army Aviator.

Andrew Conniff will attend Western Michigan University to major in Engineering.

Avery Davis will attend Kalamazoo College to major in Biology.

Benjamin Ernstes will attend Calvin University to major in Nursing and play football and track & field.

Megan Germain will attend Michigan State University to major in Kinesiology and will be on the MSU cross country and track teams.

Chad Goodrich will attend Western Michigan University to major in Aerospace Engineering.

Sydney Grile will attend Virginia Tech University to major in Political Science.

Reaghan Higgins will attend the University of Michigan to major in Environmental and Earth Sciences.

Carly Jacobs will attend either Kalamazoo Valley Community College or Youth with a Mission (YWAM).

Liliana Koehl will attend Loyola University Maryland to major in Accounting.

Kyle Lingbeek will attend Adrian College to major in Business Administration and will be on the baseball team.

Bryce Meyer will attend the Air Force Academy.

Anna Moore will attend Central Michigan University to major in Dietetics. Zoe Peterson will attend Western Michigan University to major in Marketing.

Kristofer Saucedo will attend Kalamazoo Valley Community College to major in Computer Information Systems.

Stephanie Scott will attend Ferris State University to major in Construction Management.

Chelsea Smith will attend Western Michigan University to major in Elementary Education.

Hunter Sunnerville will attend Western Michigan University to major in Nursing.

Brennon Syers will attend the University of Michigan to major in Mechanical Engineering.

Nolan VanderRoest will attend Grand Canyon University in Arizona and major in Mechanical Engineering.

Saxon Vandervest will attend Michigan Technological University to major in Mechanical Engineering.

Braeden Vorndran will complete the Early College Allegan County program then attend Grand Valley State University to major in Secondary Education.

Landen Yocum will attend Western Michigan University to major in Theatre Tech/Design.

Valedictorian, Joel DeBoer, delivered the Commencement Charge.

Salutatorian, Wybie Burke, delivered the Farewell Address.

Class President, Connor Devine, delivered the Welcome Address and led the class in moving their tassels from right to left signifying their completion of high school.

Front row L-R: Brooklyn Carroll, Sydney Grile, Grace Blanchard, Zoe Peterson, Joel DeBoer, Kristofer Saucedo - Middle row L-R: Wybie Burke, Stephanie Scott, Anna Moore, Lily Koehl, Chelsea Smith, Grace Clayton, Aly Aldrich, Hunter Sunnerville - Back row L-R: Reaghan Higgins, Bryce Meyer, Nolan VanderRoest, Landen Yocum, Andrew Conniff, Saxon Vandervest, Brennon Syers, Megan Germain, Carly Jacobs - Not pictured: Avery Davis, Chad Goodrich, Kyle Lingbeek, Braeden Vorndran

GRADUATION & HONORS

$370,000 Awarded in Local Scholarships

Senior Scholarship Night featured the presentation of 128 scholarships to 66 students totaling more than $370,000 in local scholarships. Thank you to our amazing community for your generosity and support of our students’ futures!

Bryce Meyer and Grace Clayton received red, white and blue cords during Swingout for their commitment in joining the US Military. Meyer will attend the Air Force Academy, Clayton is joining the Army.

Swingout featured several special awards from the Allegan Area Tech Center. They are honored for excellence in performance, employability and attendance.

The Popke Family awarded 38 students with scholarships this year totaling $115,000. The scholarship amounts range from a one-time $500 scholarship to $10,000 ($2500 renewable scholarship). To date, the Popke Family Scholarship Fund has awarded $802,600 to Otsego students. This scholarship endowment fund began with a $2 million donation from the estates of Emil “Bud” Popke, Jr. and his sister, Ruth.

The OPS Foundation is a major contributor to various projects and initatives throughout the district all year. For seniors, their giving continues to grow each year. For 2024, the Foundation awarded $67,500 in scholarships.

West Campus HS Graduation

West Campus High School held its graduation May 5th; WCHS had 17 graduates this year. Pictured from L-R: Marcus Clark, William Merriam, Annabelle Mudget, Logan Balkema, Ryelee Meyer, Patrick Cross, Tessa Cronberg, Riley Morehouse, Greyson Imus, Noah Thomson, Marshall Gerow, Ethan Knight. Not pictured: Sirius Henshaw, Aija Moulder, Neveah Vanderweide, Daniel Andress, Adam Tritz.

A number of scholarships are presented in honor of a graduate or past staff member who has passed away but leaves a legacy behind. These scholarships, including the one above from the Galloway family, honor a student’s character, work ethic, academic dedication, and community service and involvement.

Golf Scores Conference Championship

New School Records, Individuals Honors

Spencer Shearer (Jr) broke the school records for both a 9-hole and 18-hole round in golf.

Alex Robbins (Soph) now holds the school record for shot put, throwing 52’ 3.25”.

Otsego golf was back to its winning ways staying in the top 2 or 3 of the leaderboard throughout the season then coming away with their first Wolverine Conference Championship since 2017. Four players were All-Conference. The team went on to place 3rd at Regionals earning a trip to the State tournament for the first time since 2016. Junior Spencer Shearer had a tremendous year. He broke the school record for both a 9-hole and 18-hole round, placed 3rd at Conference indivdiually and placed 2nd at Regionals. With a roster of all 9-11 graders, our Bulldogs look to be a major contender for more success next year.

Emma Hoffman (Fr) broke the1600m and 3200m school records. She also earned AllState honors for placing 6th in the 3200m run.

Maddie Elkins (Sr) broke the school record for most career triples with 15.

OMS Track & Field Teams Claim Conference and More!

Middle School Track & Field athletes brought home a ton of hardware this season. Both boys and girls once again claimed the Wolverine Conference Championship. Three relays and six individuals were conference champs in their events. At Regionals, the girls team took 2nd place against some very tough competition. Three athletes came away as Regional champs in their events.

• Kaleb Koestner, 400m

• Aly VerHage, 3200m

• Audrey Holmes, shot put

Spencer Shearer

Alex Robbins

Emma Hoffman

Nyla Reed

Nyla Reed (Sr) earned All-State honors for her 6th place finish in the long jump.

Maddie Elkins

Aly Aldrich (Sr) was named Division 3 Miss Tennis. This is a first in school history.

Tennis 3-Peats as Conference Champs

For the 3rd year in a row, Otsego girls tennis won the Wolverine Conference Championship. They placed 2nd at Regionals earning their 3rd trip to the State Finals finishing 9th in the state. This is their 3rd year placing in the top ten. Several girls captured individual Conference titles (see list); Aly Aldrich (1 singles) and Lexi Layman (2 singles) captured Regional championships. Aly made it into the semi-finals at State and was honored with the Division 3 Miss Tennis honor. Four seniors earned All-State honors: Aly Aldrich, Lexi Layman, Sydney Grile, Anna Moore.

Athletes Continuing Their Game in College

Fifteen student athletes will continue their sport at the next level. It’s an exciting time for them to face tougher competition and improve their performance. Best of luck!

Back Row L-R

• Logan Brazee - Cross Country, Track, CMU

• Megan Germain - Cross Country, Track, MSU

• Molly Jackson - Dance Team, GVSU

• Nyla Reed - Track & Field, GVSU

Front Row L-R

• Ben Ernstes - Football, Track & Field, Calvin Univ.

• Gabe Cavazos - Football, Bluffton Univ.

• Lily Jones - Bowling, Aquinas College

• Maddie Elkins - Softball, Lake Michigan College

• Grace Blanchard - Softball, Glen Oaks CC

• Hailey Pueblo - Softball, Muskingam Univ.

• Brooklyn Badders - Triathlon, Calvin Univ.

• Hannah Fitzpatrick - Track & Field, Davenport Univ.

• Kyle Lingbeek - Baseball, Adrian College

• Callum Wesseldyk - Baseball, Glen Oaks CC

Not Pictured

• Olivia Dennis - Volleyball, KVCC

• Alicyn Klok - Bowling, Carthage College

All-Conference

Spring Athletes

BASEBALL

• Kyle Lingbeek - 2nd Team

• Jacob Ray - 2nd Team

• Robert Darrow - Honorable Mention

• Nick Lopez - Honorable Mention

SOFTBALL

• Grace Blanchard - 1st Team

• Hailey Pueblo - 1st Team

• Audrey Lingbeek - 2nd Team

• Cassie Holland - Honorable Mention

• Annabelle Lucas - Honorable Mention

SOCCER

• Peyton Dennany - 1st Team

• Olivia Timmons - 1st Team

• Avery Davis - 1st Team

• Lexi Gross - 1st Team

• Kaylin Proctor - 2nd Team

• Olivia Witteveen - 2nd Team

• Constantine Taylor - 2nd Team

• Grace Gerst - Honorable Mention

• Haylee Dennany - Honorable Mention

TENNIS

• Aly Aldrich - 1st Team

• Lexi Layman - 1st Team

• Sydney Grile - 1st Team

• Anna Moore - 1st Team

• Ellie Korringa - 1st Team

• Hailey Burd - 1st Team

• Cierra Swope - 2nd Team

• Reaghan Higgins - 2nd Team

• Emilia Harainen - 2nd Team

• Dani Sallee - 2nd Team

GOLF

• Spencer Shearer - 1st Team

• Owen Santman - 1st Team

• Landon Eastman - 1st Team

• Jurian Shaffer - 1st Team

BOYS TRACK & FIELD

• Caleb Wesseldyk - 1st Team

• Alex Robbins - 2nd Team

• Holten Mulherin - Honorable Mention

• Matthew Schreiner - Honorable Mention

• Logan VanHouten - Honorable Mention

GIRLS TRACK & FIELD

• Emma Hoffman - 1st Team

• Megan Germain - 1st Team

• Skyler Mejeur - 1st Team

• Logan Brazee - 1st Team

• Hannah Fitzpatrick - Honorable Mention

• Brooklyn Carroll - Honorable Mention

• Rebekah Stachura - Honorable Mention

Spectacular Springtime Concerts

May was a month full of music at Otsego. Our middle school and high school bands and choirs all put on outstanding performances. Each group showed off all they’ve learned throughout the year and our community was once again treated to an outdoor jazz band concert. Jazz band is an after-school opportunity for students to explore a different style of music.

The high school bands, and special guests, put on an incredible Collage Concert and the 6th, 7th and 8th grade bands wowed audiences with their end-of-the-year performances. Our choir students delighted audiences with their Pops concerts, putting their own twists on a variety of songs that the audience recognized.

Students Take in Historic Solar Eclipse

Our return from spring break was one our students and staff won’t soon forget. It was the solar eclipse and everyone had the opportunity to take part. The district purchased special solar eclipse glasses for everyone so kids and staff stepped outside in the afternoon to see this rare occurrence in multiple stages. Totality occurred at about 3:10pm so elementary students and staff were able to see that peak stage, although all students enjoyed catching a glimpse.

The OHS Robotics team - Alotobots #5152 - marked its 10th year with the most successful season yet. They competed at the World Finals in Houston for the 3rd time and just missed the cut for the semi finals. While they would have loved to keep competing, there was so much to gain outside the game for the team.

“At the end of the day, this trip means more than competing to be the best robot. This trip is an opportunity of a lifetime for our students; we gain skills that are normally unobtainable for high school students,” says Michael Miller, OHS Robotics Mentor. “The FIRST community gives students like ours the confidence and tools to be successful in their careers post high school.”

They ended their season ranked 22nd in Michigan, 123rd in the US and 142nd in the world out of nearly 4,000 teams.

DI Team Returns to Global Finals

Destination Imagination meant Destination Kansas City for our Alamo team. The “Brushstroke Buccaneers” placed 1st at the State competition to qualify for Global Finals in Kansas City in May. It was truly a global experience. Students get to meet teams from all over the world and our team was paired with one from Poland. Kids were tapping into translation apps to communicate and learn all about their country and culture.

“It was awesome to watch the kids interact,” says Jamie Siegler, DI Team Co-Advisor. “The kids enjoyed pin trading with different teams from all over the world. DI is a oneof-a-kind experience. It takes hard work, long hours and dedication; we are so proud of our Alamo DI team.”

This team competed in the Fine Arts Challenge where they had to create a short skit and include a number of plot twists and challenges. In the end, the team came home with a 15th place finish and memories that will last a lifetime. The DI Team included Keegan Bates, Raegan Begeman, Danica Devereaux, Harper Higgins, Aubrey Nobel and Carter Lawton-Schwenk.

Let the Race Begin!

Our STREAM school students put their math, science, art, and engineering hats on to design and build a cardboard boat to hopefully withstand a trip from one end of the pool to another. Most boats made it across and duct tape might have been the key! It was a fun race and great learning experience!

Alotobots Show Their Talents at World Finals

Contact Us

Administration/Business Office 269-694-7900

Superintendent Jeffery Haase 269-694-7902

Alamo Elementary 269-694-7600

Dix Street Elementary 269-694-7700

Washington Street Elementary 269-694-7800

Otsego Middle School 269-694-7500

Otsego High School 269-694-7400

Special Education 269-694-7907

Community Education / B.A.S.E. 269-694-7930

Learn ‘n Grow Early Childhood Education Center 269-694-7960

Athletics

High School

Otsego Public Schools

Kalamazoo, MI

269-694-7405

Middle School 269-694-7500

Transportation Department 269-694-7940

Carrie Barnhart-Root, Supervisor

OPS Foundation www.opsfoundation.org

Connect with us!

us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/otsegops

End-of-the-Year Fun!

@OtsegoSchools

www.instagram.com/otsegops

Learn ‘n Grow Preschool held a sweet graduation ceremony for the 4-year-old classes with a stroll down memory lane of the year along their StoryWalk on the nature trail. Then they had tons of fun with water, slime, mud and science experiments!

Field Days are always a hit. The high school even got in on the fun this year with their own field day! All students enjoyed the inflatables, traditional track & field events, crazy games, relay races and more!