algonac reporter - algonac.k12.mi.us algonac october, 2014 inside this issue ... 2014 election what...
TRANSCRIPT
Letter from Superintendent 2
Service Award 2
Algonac Elementary 3
Millside Elementary 4
Fair Haven Elementary 5
Pte. Tremble Elementary 6
Algonquin Middle School 7
Algonac High School 8
Hall of Fame Induction 9
Education Enrichment Fund 10
Teacher & Support of the Year 11
Dual Enrollment/Closing Info. 12
Volume 14, Issue 2
A newsletter for the residents of Algonac Community Schools
Reporter
Algonac
October, 2014
Inside this issue
District looks at Proposal for Consolidation Plan
Algonac administrators are in the
process of collecting data related to a
possible consolidation of ACS facilities
toward a two-campus school district.
The district is still in the process of ana-
lyzing data to determine the feasibility of
such a plan. After meeting with several
parent groups, Superintendent John
Strycker said, ―I am very proud of our
school community for their concern and
support looking to the future of our
facilities. There are many positive
advantages to becoming a K-6 and 7-12
two-campus district. In such we would
embrace becoming a
closer school family,‖
Strycker concluded.
PROPOSAL
A Proposed Two-Campus School District
K-6 Millside and Algonquin:
The goal of the K-6 campus would be
to house the K-1 students in Millside
and 2-6 students in Algonquin.
7-12 Algonac H.S. and Pte. Tremble:
The goal of the 7-12 campus would
be to house the 7-12 students and
Central Office primarily in the High
School with Pte. Tremble housing
current programs and ―overflow‖
from the High School as necessary.
Why Transition? Necessity
We are projecting a critically low
ending 2014-2015 fund balance.
Once the fund balance is gone, the
State of Michigan could take over our
school district.
We have a ―structural deficit‖ mean-
ing ―one-time fixes‖ will not solve the
problem. Our structural deficit is
around one million dollars annually
and will compound if nothing ―major‖
is done to alleviate the problem.
Our buildings are estimated at 70%
capacity or less at this time. It would
be hard to justify staff pay reductions
of 8% to 10% with such capacity. We
are working with an architectural/
engineering firm to get a more accu-
rate capacity number.
Following are some figures to illus-
trate the district‘s steady decline in
enrollment.
1980 3200 students
1995 2582
2000 2546
2005 2364
2010 1917
2014 1713 (unofficial count)
Operating Millage Renewal—November 4, 2014 Election
What is the November 4,
2014 Operating Millage
Renewal Proposal?
Currently, the district
has 18 operating mills that
will expire December 31,
2015, This proposal is for
renewal of the 18 operating
mills currently assessed on
all “non homestead” prop-
erty. If approved, this will
simply continue the current
non homestead levy. If the
operating millage is not re-
newed by December 31,
2015, the district would lose
approximately $3,700,000
beginning in 2016.
How would this affect my
property taxes?
This millage does not
apply to a homeowner‘s pri-
mary residence. It applies
only to non homestead prop-
erties (businesses, second
homes, etc.). Homeowners
will see no operating millage
increase in local school taxes
for their primary dwellings if
the proposal is approved.
What difference will this
operating millage make for
ACS Schools?
If voters approve the
operating millage renewal,
ACS will continue to receive
full funding for daily operation
at approximately $3,700,000
per year beginning in 2016.
Key Points
The District‘s per student
funding assumes the full 18
mills is levied. The State of
Michigan will not make up
the $3,700,000 in state as-
sumed school revenue for
2016 and 2017 if the vote
were turned down.
This millage is a renewal
levy for non homestead
properties (businesses, sec-
ond homes, etc).
This millage is not paid on
primary residence property.
Page 2 Reporter
Dear Residents:
Amidst our challenges ahead, I ask each
member of our school community to please
take a moment to read and take to heart the
following passage:
Several times my daughter had
telephoned to say, ―Mother, you must
come to see the daffodils before they are
over.‖ I wanted to go, but it was a two-
hour drive. ―I will come next Tuesday,‖ I
promised a little reluctantly on her third
call. Next Tuesday dawned cold and rainy.
Still, I had promised, and reluctantly I
drove there. When I finally walked into
Carolyn‘s house I said, ―Forget the
daffodils, Carolyn! The road is invisible in
these clouds and fog, and there is nothing
in the world that I want to see badly
enough to drive another inch!‖ My
daughter smiled calmly and said, ―We
drive in this all the time, Mother. I‘m used
to this. It‘s all right, I promise. You will
never forgive yourself if you miss this
experience.‖ After about twenty minutes,
we turned onto a small gravel road and
there was a small church. On the far side of
the church, there was a hand lettered sign
with an arrow that read, ―Daffodil
Garden.‖ We got out of the car, and I
followed Carolyn down the path. Then, as
we turned a corner, I looked up and
gasped.
Before me lay the most glorious sight.
It looked as though someone had taken a
great vat of gold and poured it over the
mountain peak and its surrounding slopes.
The flowers were planted in majestic,
swirling patterns, great ribbons and swath
of deep orange, creamy white, lemon
yellow, salmon pink, and saffron and
butter yellow. Each different colored
variety was planted in large groups so that
it swirled and flowed like its own river
with its own unique hue. There were five
acres of flowers. ―Who did this?‖ I asked
Carolyn. ―Just one women,‖ Carolyn
answered. ―She lives on the property.
That‘s her home.‖ Carolyn pointed to a
well-kept A-frame house, small and
modestly sitting in the midst of all that
glory. We walked up to the house.
On the patio, we saw a poster.
―Answers to the Questions I Know You
Are Asking,‖ was the headline. The first
answer was a simple one. ―50,000 bulbs,‖
it read. The second answer was, ―one at a
School Board member Sharon Stiltner
recognized for 25 years of service
At the Regular Meeting of the
Algonac Board held September 22,
2014, Sharon Stiltner was recognized
for having served 25 consecutive
years as a member of the Algonac
Board of Education.
Mrs. Stiltner was elected in 1989.
She has served as Secretary for 20
years, Vice-President three years, and
President for one year. Throughout
her years as a member of the Board of
Education, Mrs. Stiltner has continued
to expand her knowledge regarding
her role as a board member by
earning CBA credits and attending
educational and legal workshops and
conferences through the Michigan
Association of School Boards.
In 1995, Mrs. Stiltner earned the
MASB Master Board Member
Award. In 2010 she was awarded
MASB‘s highest individual honor—
the President‘s Award of Recognition.
The award recognized her continuing
efforts to improve leadership skills
and become a more effective school
leader by completing MASB Level 7
coursework consisting of 29
advanced level classes and 1,383
education credits.
Congratulations, Sharon Stiltner!
time, by one woman. Two hands, two feet, and one brain.‖ The third
answer was, ―Began in 1958.‖ For me, that moment was a life-changing
experience. I thought of this woman whom I had never met, who, almost
fifty years before, had begun, one bulb at a time, to bring her vision of
beauty and joy to an obscure mountaintop. Planning one bulb at a time,
year after year, this unknown woman had forever changed the world in
which she lived. One day at a time, she had created something of
extraordinary magnificence, beauty, and inspiration. The principle her
daffodil garden taught me is one of the greatest principles of life.
That is, learning to move toward our goals and desires one step at a
time—often just one baby-step at a time—and learning to love the doing,
learning to use the accumulation of time. When we multiply tiny pieces of
time with small increments of daily effort, we too will find we can
accomplish magnificent things. We can change the world.
―It makes me sad in a way,‖ I admitted to Carolyn. ―What might I have
accomplished if I had thought of a wonderful goal thirty-five or forty years
ago and had worked away at it ‗one bulb at a time‘ through all those years?
Just think what I might have been able to achieve!‖ My daughter summed
up the message of the day in her usual direct way. ―Start tomorrow,‖ she
said.
-Source Unknown
The words in the above passage sum up my message in a direct way. We
must work together to accomplish great things in the best interest of our
students. We will succeed in becoming the best family friendly, student
centered community one could ever ask for, “one bulb at a time.”
Take care,
John, Superintendent
The Fire Safety Smoke House is pro-
vided by the Algonac Fire Department to
give children within Algonac Elementary
School a general idea of what to expect dur-
ing a fire and how to get out alive. Reinforc-
ing a lesson with hands-on educational ac-
tivities plays an important role in our fire
safety program. Our Safety Trailer, com-
monly referred to as the ―Smoke House‖, is
used as one of these activities. Each student
in the fire safety program receives a demon-
stration within the Safety Trailer during
their fire safety experience. The "house" is
equipped to teach lessons in:
NED Show visits Algonac Elementary
Page 3 Volume 14, Issue 2
Algonac Elementary School
1300 St. Clair Boulevard
Algonac, MI 48001
810 794-4991
Melissa Hanners, Principal
October is Fire Safety Month
On September 10, 2014, The NED show
came to visit the students at Algonac
Elementary. The NED show is an innovative
character education assembly. Using humor,
storytelling, audience participation and
amazing object lessons including yo-yo and
magic tricks, students learn through the
adventures of NED—an acronym for:
Never Give Up, Encourage Others and
Do Your Best.
Fourth grader, Dylan Brabaw stated, ―I
think it is a good path to follow. Being mean
does not get you anywhere and I loved the
cool yo-yo tricks‖.
The NED Program uses a multi-sensory
learning model to motivate, encourage and inspire students to become
Champions at school and in life. ―If you encourage others, you feel happy and
they feel happy too!‖ summed up Alexandra Ward.
Home Escape Plans
Dial 9-1-1
Crawl Low Under
Smoke
Smoke Detectors
The Safety Trailer has been utilized
to teach fire safety skills at Algonac Elemen-
tary School. It provides a safe, real-to-life
experience that helps simulate the dangers
associated with a fire.
Mrs. Flanagan, elementary art
teacher, is excited to announce that the
Detroit Institute of Arts is currently
featuring an original painting by Claude
Monet. In kindergarten, students use
water colors to recreate the ―Japanese
Bridge‖ by Monet, and first grade
students use watercolor to paint tranquil
landscapes, also inspired by Monet.
Students study famous authors during art
class as well.
Please take the time to check out
this special event at the Detroit Institute
Monet comes to town
Shown at left is 3rd grader, Cameron Welchko, as he
helps demonstrate during the NED show:
Never give up, Encourage others and Do your best!
of Arts. Information is
as follows:
The DIA welcomes one of Claude
Monet's most famous paintings as a
"guest of honor." Waterlily Pond, Green
Harmony is on loan to the DIA from the
Musée d'Orsay in Paris. The painting
will be the only work on display in a
gallery adjacent to Rivera Court. The
exhibit is free with museum admission
and will be available for all to see
October 1, 2014 through January 4,
2015.
Shown above are pre-school students
Branden McCullen and Sophia Clark,
proudly displaying their water bottle
after completing the Smoke House visit.
Millside's 4th grade students were able
to experience the engineering process while
learning about the different forms of energy.
During the month of September, Mrs.
Erica Diss, Millside and Fair Haven's STEM
teacher, focused on teaching the students the
difference between potential and kinetic
energy . The fourth graders worked through
the engineering design process to design
and create a rocket that would use one
method of storing energy to launch their
rockets. The methods they could choose
from were: Seltzer tablets and water,
baking soda and vinegar, rubber band
rockets, straw rockets, and stomp-bottle
rockets.
Once again, STEM has proven to be a
wonderful addition for students in Algonac.
Engaging students in STEM
(Science, Technology, Engineering and Math)
Page 4 Reporter
Millside Elementary School
1904 Mill Street
Algonac, MI 48001
810 794-8880
Brooklyn Lestage
Principal
October is Fire Safety month. Once
again the Clay Township Fire Department
volunteered their time to spend the day at
Millside. The main focus for this special
visit was the Smoke House trailer. The
trailer is designed to look like a home. Stu-
dents watched a fire safety video, and then
participated in a simulation experience that
had them practice exiting a home engulfed
in smoke. This is a valuable experience for
our students, and we are lucky to have the
Clay Township Fire Department bring this
to us every year.
October is a good time to make sure all
of your smoke detectors are working. If you
haven‘t done so already, discuss with your
children a fire safety plan in your home.
This should include exits and where to meet
once outside.
Fire Department
promotes fire safety
Millside Elementary
School has been awarded Re-
ward School Status for stu-
dent performance during the
2013-2014 school year.
Reward School Status is a
very prestigious ranking. Students should
feel very proud to have earned such recogni-
tion. This is a great way to start off the new
school year! The staff is looking forward to
reaching new goals this year!
Congratulations students and staff!
Millside is a
„Reward School‟
Shown above is Mrs. Diss supervising the
4th graders as they use different methods
of storing energy to launch their rockets.
Fifth grade students at Millside Elementary campaigned for Student Council
electronically this year. Students who were interested in obtaining a board position
created their presentations in a variety of ways. Some students made Power Points,
recorded a speech, video recorded them-
selves making their pitch for office, and
used presentation apps like Flipagram.
The students learned how the election
process worked and applied it to their
student council election. Ballots were
even designed in the same format as
those used in actual Michigan elections.
And we are proud to announce that
voter turnout was an incredible
100%.
Way to go 5th Graders!
Student Council gets creative
At left is Secretary Sloan Johnson, in the center
are Presidents Jaiden Musson and Maria Simpson,
and at right is Vice-President Katy Campolong.
Students at left pose under
the REWARD SCHOOL
banner: Phoebe Brody,
Lilly Danielson, William
Howard, Owen Jacobs,
Rachel Smith
Page 5 Volume 14, Issue 2
Fair Haven Elementary
8361 Broadbridge Road
Box 260670
Fair Haven, MI 48023
586 725-7911
Tamie Rawlings, Principal
Students take summer reading challenge
How does the school help those
students who are missing a specific
skill? Maybe they were sick the
week the class learned about silent
―e‖ or maybe the child just needs
some extra help with adding two digit
numbers.
Response to Intervention (RTI)
is the answer. RTI is a research based
practice that targets individual needs,
focuses on
remediation, and
increases the
student‘s reading
and math
achievement. At
Fair Haven
Andrew Ellul, third grader from Fair
Haven Elementary, has been selected as a
Junior Senator. He will be visiting Lansing
for a tour of the Capitol Building and will
be officially sworn into office on the
Michigan Senate Chamber floor as a Junior
Senator for the day.
Andrew will take part in a committee
hearing about wearing school uniforms.
After hearing pros and cons on the issue,
he will have a chance to ask questions,
give opinions, and vote on the issue.
District 25 Senator Phil Pavlov and his
staff will be hosting Junior Senator Ellul
and his guest for the day.
Mr. Ellul goes to Lansing
Fair Haven welcomes
new teacher
RTI—Response to Intervention
Fair Haven
Elementary recently
welcomed a new reading
teacher. Mrs. Jodie
Bargowski comes to us
with eight years of
teaching experience. She
has a Master‘s Degree in
teaching from Aquinas
College, with a Language Arts and Social
Studies endorsement.
Mrs. Bargowski says she enjoys being at
Fair Haven Elementary and helping children
to improve their reading skills.
Above, RTI parent volunteer, Mrs. Wehby,
helps fifth grade students with their content
based reading project.
Andrew Ellul
Junior Senator for the Day
Pictured here are a few of the
Fantastic Fox Haven Super Summer
Readers. These super students read
for twenty minutes a day all sum-
mer. Pictured are Tyler Gabriel, Clare
Karczewski, Jena Dusenberry, and Cal
Meleski.
Super Summer Readers received a
medal and a certificate recognizing
their hard work and accomplishment.
Congratulations to all!
Elementary we have
devoted the last hour of
the school day to helping
all students develop the
specific skills needed to
succeed. For example,
kindergarteners are
practicing naming and
writing letters in shaving
cream. First graders may
be spelling three letter
words by jumping to the
letters. Plans are
developed by the RTI
team and teachers based on data. Student
progress is reviewed every two weeks and
adjustments are made as needed.
Algonac Childcare has fall fun Pte. Tremble Elementary School
9541 Phelps Road
Algonac, MI 48001
810 794-3022
GSRP Ext. 1617
Childcare 794-8895
Page 6 Reporter
Great Start Readiness
is back
The Great Start Readiness
Program is off to another fantastic
start!
In our first few weeks of
school, our young learners have
already begun to embrace impor-
tant school readiness skills. We
are making new friends and learn-
ing classroom routines. We are also learning to wait,
take turns, and use important school tools like pencils
and scissors. In addition, our budding scientists are
using a variety of classification skills to explore new
materials and take in all the wonders of fall.
We are pleased to celebrate such fun learning as
our year has only just begun!
Above, GSRP students Havanna
Greene, Chloe Woutkiewicz,
Alysa Champion, and Hayden
Luke work with plastic numbers
and shapes.
October is a busy and fun
month for the Algonac Childcare
Program. During October the chil-
dren are learning about nutrition
from MSU extension
teacher, Carol Bublitz.
Ms. Bublitz has a very
interactive program that
the children love; they get
to color, hear a fun story and make
food with her. They will learn
about the importance of hand
washing, nutrition, and physical
activity!
Also during October the stu-
dents will have a field
trip to the Clay Town-
ship Fire Department
where they will learn
about fire safety. The
children will be able to work the
fire hose with the fire fighters, try
on fire fighter gear and go
through the smoke house. The
smoke house will teach them how
to react in a fire situation and how
to exit the building safely.
And of
course at the
end of October
the students will
dress up in cos-
tumes for their annual Halloween
party. The children will parade to
the high school where they will
go trick-or-treating with the ―Big
Kids‖! They love to visit the high
school, and the high school stu-
dents are always so much fun!
Shown above and below are ABC Preschool and Daycare students as they
learn about washing their hands with Carol Bublitz of the MSU Extension
program, “Cooking with Carol”
Above, this little guy learns
how to make pudding in a
bag in the “Cooking with
Carol” class.
Page 7 Volume 14, Issue 2
Algonquin Middle School
9185 Marsh Road
Algonac, MI 48001
810 794-9317
Abraham Leaver, Principal
AMS welcomes
new staff
Algonquin Middle School welcomes new
staff members for the 2014-2015 school.
Pictured at right from left to right are Brian
Ranger, Social Studies, Tammi Jury, Title I,
Cheryl Steward, Title I Paraprofessional, and
Robert Braun, Science.
New staff members not pictured are Melanie
Bokano, ELA, and Sam Dobbs, Discipline
Officer
We extend a warm welcome to all!
AMS is Cruising with Careers
AMS named 2014
„Reward School‟
As a part of the school
accountability information
released to the public in
August, we are extremely
proud to announce that
Algonquin Middle School has been
designated as a Michigan Department of
Education ‗Reward School‘.
Congratulations to the students, staff and
parents of our Algonquin Middle School
family for their hard work and dedication.
We are proud to be named 2014 Reward
School!
On October 6th & 7th the AMS
Computer Lab was buzzing with con-
versations on careers that could be suit-
able options for students when they
graduate. Students were engaged and
excited about their future and planning
away! State law requires 7th graders in
public schools to begin developing an
EDP, which is a career and college
readiness student profile, and that is
exactly what these days entailed. Both
days were tied together with a state
endorsed program called Career Cruis-
ing. Career Cruising is an Internet-
based career exploration and planning
tool available to students in grades 6-12
to explore career and college options,
connect them with scheduling classes,
and is meant to help students develop
an overall career plan. Career Cruising
is in the form of a user-friendly website
that can be accessed from school,
home, or any Internet available.
At AMS we extend the develop-
ment of EDP‘s by making it mandatory
for 8th graders to revisit their Career
Cruising profiles and update them by
making connections to particular cur-
riculum interests while also thinking
about high school classes that will be
effective in connecting them to real-
world careers. Program oversight by
staff member Stephanie Ford allows
our students to achieve 100% participa-
tion and completion of each EDP. With
Mrs. Ford‘s help, 7th & 8th grade stu-
dents logged into the site and took an
interest inventory
that matched them
up with ―just right‖
careers based on
their likes and dis-
likes. For example, if a student has
creative ideas about designs and likes to
use technical and creative skills of pho-
tography, then an animator could be a
great career fit!
The program brought up excellent
discussions, gave students the opportu-
nity to research and reflect on real-
world careers, and allowed students to
visualize career paths for their future.
Many students commented on how
much detail was included with each
career, also noting how shocked they
were to discover some of their favorite
careers (ex: professional singer & ath-
letes) may need backup plans due to the
salary and/or percentage of people
hired for those positions. The students
really enjoyed Career Cruising and
said it was very easy to use, introduced
a variety of career choices to them, and
included a ton of information and ex-
periences including personal interviews
from people working in those careers
today. It was a fun and informative day
for all!
AHS Marching Band receives “all 1‟s”
Page 8 Reporter
Algonac High School IB World School
5200 Taft Road
Algonac, MI 48001
810 794-4911
Ryan Melrose, Principal
Mitchell Landrum, Athletic Director
Algonac H.S. has
Muskrat of the Day
On Tuesday, October 7th the Algonac
HS Marching Band participated in the
MSBOA District 16 Marching Band
Festival at Memorial Stadium in Port
Huron. Over 900 musicians from 9 bands
participated on this night at this location.
The bands presented their halftime
shows for a panel of three judges. They
were judged in the areas of Music,
Marching, and General Effect (which is a
measure of how effective the show is at
entertaining the audience.) Each judge
gives letter grades in various sub-
categories, which are converted to a
Roman numeral for the final rating from
each judge. The three Roman numeral
ratings are averaged to produce an overall
Final Rating from 1 to 5, with 1 being the
highest ranking possible.
Once again the Algonac Marching
Band received a final rating of 1 for the
9th consecutive year, earning the band a
Students help with
native wild flower
seed collection
On Sunday, September 28, 2014,
AHS Biology students participated in a
Volunteer Work Day at Algonac State
Park. The students helped collect native
wild flower seeds to help restore and
preserve our rare Lake Plain Prairie
habitat in the state park.
plaque and each member a blue ribbon
medal. The band presented their halftime
show, music from the movie ―Grease‖, to
an audience of over 2,000 people.
Leaders in the band this year include
Nick Todino, senior drum major; Yvonne
Tirakian, junior drum major; Ciera
Gennette, color guard captain; Jayson
Turner, drumline section leader; Julia
Heim, flute soloist and section leader;
Bess Girtman and Kelsie Fett, clarinet
section leaders; Trevor Burgett, alto
saxophone soloist and section leader;
Kaitlyn Fuhrman, tenor/baritone
saxophone section leader; Tina Ponessa,
trumpet section leader; Kayla Hopkins,
horn section leader; Joshua Pace, baritone
section leader; and Jake Puskar, tuba
section leader.
This year the band has 89 members
as follows: 15 seniors, 18 juniors, 21
sophomores, and 35 freshmen.
Staff members and students are be-
ing recognized on a daily basis for going
above and beyond to support our school
and all the people in it. Anyone can sub-
mit a name for Muskrat of Day. That
person is then recognized during daily
announcements, their picture is placed
on the Kiosk in the hallway, and their
name and actions are tweeted out for all
to see.
Most days we have multiple people
in the positive spotlight. It just goes to
show what great students and staff we
have here at AHS.
Go Muskrats!
The AHS Math Department is
offering open tutoring/homework help
sessions Monday through Thursday after
school. If your student‘s math teacher is
unavailable after school due to coaching
or other duties, students can bring notes
and other materials to the teachers listed
below to get some help after school
until 3:20.
Mondays: Ms. Burns (room 150)
Tuesdays: Mr. Zimmerman (room
146)
Wednesdays: Mr. Kiehler (room
140) or Mr. Koch (room 144)
Thursdays: Mr. Lucka (room 145)
HS to Offer
Math Tutoring
Page 9 Volume 14, Issue 2
Hall of Fame has induction September 19
On September 19th, three individuals and two teams were
inducted into the ACS Hall of Fame. Dr. John Berryman, Class
of 1953, was a member of football, basketball, baseball and
track teams. He moved to Algonac from Lincoln Park and in his
two years here, he won eight letters and was a member of five
championship teams in football, basketball and baseball. He
received All County and All State honors. He went on to play
football and baseball at Western Michigan University. He spent
most of his career in suburban Chicago as a teacher, coach,
counselor, Director of Guidance and Student Affairs, Principal,
and for 22 years Assistant Superintendent. He shared this mem-
ory of Coach Pippel: ―Trueman Pippel and Jack Greenstein were
the head coaches for all the sports. They were tireless workers. I
remain, today, grateful to Coach Pippel, who personally drove
me to WMU, assisted in my enroll-
ment, introduced me to the Director
of Athletics and helped secure finan-
cial aid for me. Having spent my life
working in schools, I know this dedi-
cation is not always typical.‖
Raquel Tuma Demeter, Class of
1989 was a standout in Track, Bas-
ketball and Volleyball. She was the
first freshman to qualify for the state
meet in track and placed 8th in the
long jump. She continued to excel
and set school records including
placing 3rd in the state in the 100
hurdles her sophomore year. During her junior year, her family
moved to Montana. There she set school records in track and
was 2nd leading scorer in basketball in Western Montana. She
returned to AHS her senior year and set school records in the
100m hurdles, 400m and 800m relays. She also set a SCAL re-
cord in the 100 hurdles. She qualified for the state meet in four
events: 100 and 300 hurdles, 400 and 800 relays. She placed
second in the state in 100 hurdles. Each year she was All SCAL,
All Area and All State. She had scholarships to play basketball
and track in college and chose to run track at the University of
Montana. Track coach, Dan Shafer, said: ―She became the cor-
nerstone of our success. During the three years Raquel ran for
us, the team won 24 meets, two SCAL championships, a Re-
gional title and numerous Invitationals. She still holds the record
in the 100m high hurdles at the Blue Water Meet of Champions.
Her 15.01 seconds has withstood numerous challenges for the
past quarter century, which arguably makes her the greatest hur-
dler this area has ever seen.‖ Raquel is married to Michael De-
meter, lives in California and has two sons, Eric and Ethan.
Sam Dobbs, Class of 1999, was a 3-sport athlete competing
in Football, Basketball and Track. He earned nine Varsity letters
and was named to the All State Academic team as a senior with
a 3.7 GPA. Sam‘s football coach, Mark Simms, said, ―Sam was
the best kind of leader. He was a leader by example. His hard
work and dedication inspired his teammates.‖ In basketball, he
scored 10+ points per game, was an outstanding rebounder and
earned All League and All Area awards. In track, he competed
in the 110m high hurdles, 400m and 800m relays
and pole vault. He held school records, regional
championships and was All State in the 110m high
hurdles. His track coach, Mike Taylor, said: ―In 28 years of
coaching, you were the most talented sprinter and field events
competitor I ever coached.‖ Sam is married to Sandy
(Harrington) and they have two daughters, Jenna and Kylie.
The 2000 Varsity Girls Basketball team was an outstanding
team. They were League Champions, District Champions and
Regional Finalists. In addition, team member Rachael Petre was
named All State player and coach Al Latosz was Class B Coach
of the Year (Associated Press) and Times Herald Coach of the
Year. Coach Al Latosz
said: ―This team
achieved all of the
goals they set out to
accomplish for the
season. They won the
league, the district and
went to the regional
finals. Most impor-
tantly, they were the
foundation for a pro-
gram that has gone on
to flourish since they
graduated. Simply
stated, they put
Algonac Girls Basketball back on the map.‖ Rachael Petre
shared this: ―The best memory for us is winning districts. It was
really something surreal. Everything had been set up for the
perfect match up; the perfect story: a Friday night final against
St. Clair, the game going into overtime, winning on our home
court, and the amazing crowd. It was the first time in 25 years
that the Algonac Muskrats had won a district championship and
lifting that trophy on our home court was absolutely the most
amazing feeling in the entire world.‖
The 2004 Varsity Football Team was the first team to ad-
vance to state playoffs. Not only did they advance, they won
their first game against New Haven 35 – 7. New Haven domi-
nated the league. Every Times Herald writer but one predicted
New Haven would win. However, that late October game played
in the fog showed the Muskrat strength. This team united the
community. Throughout the season, the team played strong and
put the Muskrats on the football map. Coach Jamie Thiede said:
―All that changed in 2004. No more would Algonac be the
laughing stock of the area. No more would Algonac play as indi-
viduals. No more would losing be the only tradition Algonac
would know for 30 years. They played with passion and most
importantly they came together as a team. They were the first
team to make the playoffs in the history of Algonac High
School.‖ The team‘s record was 8 – 3. In addition, team mem-
bers Sam Bishop, Zac Idzikowski, John Vance and Dan Schroe-
der were All Blue Water Area First Team. Jesse Barnes was
Honorable Mention and Jamie Thiede was Blue Water Area
Coach of the Year. The team set a single season rushing record
with over 2,900 yards.
Shown at left is Raquel Tuma
Demeter, and Dr. John
Berryman at right.
Education Enrichment Fund 2015
raffle tickets are available
Tickets are now available and
selling fast for the 2015 series of
Algonac‘s Education Enrichment
Fund travel raffle.
The first drawing in the new
series will take place on January 13,
2015, when a trip
to Punta Cana
valued at $3,100
will be given
away. Tickets are
$100 each and
entitle the
purchaser to be eligible in 12 monthly
drawings. Many new and exciting
trips are being offered this year—
Puerto Vallarta, Traverse City,
Caribbean Cruise, Las Vegas, and
New York City to name a few. Second
prize each month is $125 in cash, and
third prize is dinner for four at Johnnie
Lega‘s Restaurant and Tavern valued
at $100. Don‘t forget, only 300 of
these tickets for the
2015 travel series
will be sold. Be
sure to call soon
while they are still
available! Call the
Board of Education
office at 810 794-9364 to get your
ticket now or contact any building
principal.
Remember, all proceeds go to
the Education Enrichment Fund to
support teacher grants for
educational opportunities not
normally available through regular
general fund expenditures.
As always, thank you for your
support!
Even though the opening-of-
school breakfast festivities planned
for August 27 were modified by an
unexpected power outage at the high
school, staff members congregated
in the auditorium at Algonquin Middle School
to hear a welcoming address from the new
superintendent, John Strycker. Dr. Strycker
introduced board members in attendance,
Sharon Stiltner and Andrew Goulet. Newly
appointed administrators were introduced:
Ryan Melrose, Algonac H.S. Principal, Mitch
Landrum, H.S. Assistant Principal/Athletic
Director, Brooklyn Lestage, Millside
Elementary Principal, Melissa Hanners
District Curriculum Director (along with
current duties as Algonac Elementary
Principal), and Eugene Osieczonek,
Maintenance Supervisor. Building Principals
then introduced all new staff members in their
buildings.
To honor perfect attendance for 2013-
2014 staff members Amanda Gibson, Karen
Rochon, Deanna Welch, and board
members Beth Engel and Andy
Goulet received $25 Barnes & Noble
gift certificates.
Opening of school
festivities move to AMS
Page 10 Reporter
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act
(FERPA) affords parents and students over 18 years of
age (―eligible students‖) certain rights with respect to the
student‘s education records. They are:
1) The right to inspect and review the student‘s educa-
tion records within 45 days of the day the Algonac
Community School District (the ―District‖) receives a
request for access. Parents or eligible students should
submit to the school principal a written request that
identifies the record(s) they wish to inspect. The
principal will make arrangements for access and
notify the parent or eligible student of the time and
place where the records may be inspected.
2) The right to request the amendment of student‘s
education records that the parent or eligible student
believes are inaccurate, misleading or in violation of
the student‘s rights of privacy. Parents or eligible
students should write the school principal, clearly
identify the part of the record they want changed, and
specify why it is inaccurate, misleading or a violation
of their privacy rights. If the District decides not to
amend the record as requested by the parent or eligi-
ble student, the District will notify the parent or
eligible student of the decision and advise them of
their right to a hearing regarding the request for
amendment. Additional information regarding the
hearing procedures will be provided to the parent or
eligible student when notified of the right to a hearing.
3) The right to consent to disclosures of personally
identifiable information contained in the student‘s
education records, except to the extent the law author-
Annual Notification of Rights
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
izes disclosure without consent.
The District will disclose personally identifiable
information contained in education records without
consent as permitted or required by law, including
under the following circumstances:
(a) To school officials with legitimate educational
interests. A school official is a person employed
by the District as an administrator, supervisor,
instructor, or support staff member (including
health or medical staff and law enforcement per-
sonnel); a person serving on the School Board; a
person or company with whom the District has
contracted to perform a special task (such as an
attorney, auditor, medical consultant, or therapist);
or a parent or student serving on an official com-
mittee, such as a disciplinary or grievance commit-
tee, or assisting a school official in performing his
or her tasks. A school official has a legitimate
educational interest if the official needs to review
an educational record in order to fulfill his or her
professional responsibility.
(b) Upon request by the parent or eligible student, to
officials of another educational agency or institu-
tion in which a student seeks or intends to enroll.
(c) Directory information will be disclosed unless a
parent or eligible student notified the school princi-
pal in writing within 10 days from the date of this
notice that he/she wishes to exercise his/her right
to refuse to let the District designate any or all
information about the student as directory informa-
tion. Directory information is defined as informa-
tion which would not generally be considered harm-
ful or an invasion of privacy if disclosed, and in-
cludes, but is not limited to the student‘s name,
address, telephone listing, electronic mail address,
photograph, date and place of birth, major field of
study, dates of attendance, grade level, enrollment
status, participation in officially recognized activities
and sports, weight and height of members of athletic
teams, degrees, awards and honors received, the
most recent previous educational agency or institu-
tion attended and other information that is generally
found in directories, yearbooks and athletic pro-
grams.
(d) Names addresses and telephone numbers of high
school students will be made available to recruiting
representatives of the armed forces and service
academies of the United States to be used to inform
students of educational and employment opportuni-
ties unless a parent or eligible student notifies the
school principal in writing he/she does not want this
information to be accessible to such recruiting
representatives.
(4) The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department
of Education concerning alleged failures by the Dis-
trict to comply with the requirements of FERPA. The
name and address of the Office that administers
FERPA is:
Family Policy Compliance Office
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, S.W.,
Washington, DC 20202-4605.
At the opening of school gathering
at Algonquin Middle School on August
27, Superintendent John Strycker,
assisted by School Board President
Andrew Goulet, introduced nominees
for Teacher of the Year and Support
Person of the Year for 2014.
Nominated for Teacher of the Year
were Laurie Agosta, Amanda Gibson
and Mary Ruhlman. Receiving the
honors as Teacher of the Year was
Amanda Gibson of Algonquin Middle
School.
The Teacher of the Year program
honors outstanding educators who have
exhibited creativity, enthusiasm, and a
genuine desire to make a difference in
the lives of their students.
Nominees for Support Person of the
Year were Vanessa Rice, Sherry Stone
and Cathy Wenz. Receiving the honors
as Support Person of the Year was
Sherry Stone, Kitchen Helper at Fair
Haven Elementary and Latchkey
Caregiver for Algonac Childcare.
Page 11 Volume 14, Issue 2
Annual Notification of Rights
Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA)
PPRA affords parents certain rights regarding our
conduct of surveys, collection and use of information
for marketing purposes, and certain physical exams.
These include the right to:
Consent before students are required to submit to a
survey that concerns one or more of the following
protected areas (―protected information survey‖) if the
survey is funded in whole or in part by a program of the
U.S. Department of Education (ED) –
1) Political affiliations or beliefs of the student or
student‘s parent;
2) Mental or psychological problems of the student
or student‘s family;
3) Sex behavior or attitudes;
4) Illegal, anti-social, self-incriminating, or demean-
ing behavior;
5) Critical appraisals of others with whom respon-
dents have close family relationships;
6) Legally recognized privileged relationships, such
as with lawyers, doctors, or ministers;
7) Religious practices, affiliations, or beliefs of the
student or parents; or
8) Income, other than as required by law to deter-
mine program eligibility.
Receive notice and an opportunity to opt a student out
of –
1) Any other protected information survey, regard-
less of funding;
2) Any non-emergency, invasive physical exam or
screening required as a condition of attendance,
administered by the school or its agent, and not
necessary to protect the immediate health and safety
of a student, except for hearing, vision, or scoliosis
screenings, or any physical exam or screening
permitted or required under State law; and
3) Activities involving collection, disclosure, or use of
personal information obtained from students for
marketing or to sell or otherwise distribute the
information to others;
Inspect, upon request and before administration or use –
1) Protected information surveys of students;
2) Instruments used to collect personal information
from students for any of the above marketing, sales,
or other distribution purposes; and
3) Instructional material used as part of the educa-
tional curriculum.
These rights transfer from the parents to a student
who is 18 years old or an emancipated minor under State
law.
Algonac Community Schools developed and
adopted policies in 2005, in consultation with parents,
regarding these rights, as well as arrangements to protect
student privacy in the administration of protected informa-
tion surveys and the collection, disclosure, or use of
personal information for marketing, sales, or other distri-
bution purposes. Algonac Community Schools will
directly notify parents of these policies at least annually at
the start of each school year and after any substantive
changes. Algonac Community Schools will also directly
notify, such as through U.S. Mail or email, parents of
students who are scheduled to participate in the
specific activities or surveys noted below and will
provide an opportunity for the parent to opt his or
her child out of participation of the specific activity
or survey. Algonac Community Schools will make
this notification to parents at the beginning of the
school year if the District has identified the specific
or approximate dates of the activities or surveys at
that time. For surveys and activities scheduled after
the school year starts, parents will be provided
reasonable notification of the planned activities and
surveys listed below and be provided an opportunity
to review any pertinent surveys. Following is a list
of the specific activities and surveys covered under
this requirement:
Collection, disclosure, or use of personal
information for marketing, sales or other
distribution.
Administration of any protected information
survey not funded in whole or in part by ED.
Any non-emergency invasive physical exami-
nation or screening as described above.
Parents who believe their rights have been violated
may file a complaint with:
Family Policy Compliance Office
US. Department of Education
400 Maryland Ave. SW
Washington, D.C. 20202-5901
Teacher of the Year and
Support Person of the Year Named
Shown above L-R are Board President
Andrew Goulet, Teacher of the Year
nominees Mary Ruhlman, Amanda Gibson,
and Laurie Agosta, and Superintendent
John Strycker.
Above L-R are Andrew Goulet,
Teacher of the Year Amanda Gibson,
and Superintendent John Strycker.
The Support Person of the Year
program honors outstanding support
personnel for the job they do every day to
make our school district a better place for
everyone—students, staff, and the public
we serve.
We congratulate all our finalists and
thank them for their dedication and
professionalism!
Shown above is Support Person of the Year,
Sherry Stone, with Fair Haven Latchkey kids
Natalie, Hadley and Camden.
Information regarding emergency
school closings is available every day
on the homepage of the district website
or by calling the School Closing Hot-
line at 810 794-8882.
All major television and radio sta-
tions will also broadcast information
regarding emergency school closings.
Announcements usually start at 6:30
a.m. In the event weather conditions
are questionable, please do not call your
child‘s school, but use the Website or
Telephone Hotline:
www.algonac.k12.mi.us
School Closing Hotline
810 794-8882
Algonac Community School District
1216 St. Clair Blvd.
Algonac, MI 48001
Algonac Community Schools
Board of Education
Andrew Goulet ............ President
Tim Idzikowski . Vice-President
Sharon Stiltner ............ Secretary
Michael Baranowski ... Treasurer
Charles Busuttil ............. Trustee
Beth Engel ..................... Trustee
Susan Trebilcock ........... Trustee
John D. Strycker
Superintendent of Schools
Phone: 810 794-9364
FAX: 810 794-0040
Website: www.algonac.k12.mi.us
School Closing Hotline 794-8882
Athletic Hotline ............ 794-4913
Transportation .............. 794-3555
Food Service ................. 794-8875
Special Education ......... 794-9337
Childcare/Latchkey ..... 794-8895
Postal Patron
Algonac Community School District
Local
Notice of Nondiscrimination
The Algonac Community School District
does not discriminate on the basis of race,
color, national origin, sex, age, religion,
height, weight, marital status, political affilia-
tion or belief, or disability in its programs
and activities. All inquiries regarding nondis-
crimination should be directed to Alan Latosz,
Assistant Superintendent, 1216 St. Clair
Boulevard, Algonac, Michigan 48001 (810 794
-9364).
Non Profit Organization BULK RATE
U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 38
Algonac, MI 48001
This edition of the Algonac Reporter
was published by the Algonac Community
School District, communicating important
information of concern to all citizens in our
community. For additional information,
please call 810 794-9364, extension 1006.
Historically, school districts have allowed students to attend courses at local colleges or universities
in addition to their own high school in an effort to meet students‘ needs and interests. This is called dual
enrollment. The Michigan Postsecondary Act (P.A. 160 of 1996) and its amendments provide for local school
district assistance to students covering tuition and fees for courses at Michigan public or private colleges or
universities. Students are required to meet eligibility requirements in order to qualify. To be eligible, students must:
Be enrolled in a high school class in a school district in this state
Be in at least 11th Grade or, if in a lower grade, be approved by the district Have taken and achieved a qualifying score in:
o All subject areas of the Michigan Merit Exam or other state approved readiness assess-
ments, OR
o In the subject area of the eligible course a student would like to take
Not be enrolled in high school for more than 4 school years. Under the law, adult education
students are not eligible.
Eligible students may take courses in subjects for which there are no endorsements such as history, political science, psychology, computer science or foreign language, as long as they have taken all sections
of the MME, ACT PLAN, or College Board PSAT. State endorsement is not required in any specific area
for this participation.
Approved assessments and qualifying scores are:
Michigan Merit Exam – students who score at levels 1 or 2 (Exceeded the Standard or Met the Standard) in Mathematics, Reading, Writing or Science
ACT & PLAN Assessments
o Mathematics 18
o Reading 17
o Science 19
o English 21
PSAT Assessment
o Critical Reading 44
o Writing Skills 49
o Math 45
Eligible dual enrollment courses include:
A course offered by an eligible postsecondary institution that is not offered by the school dis-
trict including Advance Placement and online courses A course offered by the school district but determined to be unavailable to the eligible student
because of a scheduling conflict beyond the eligible student‘s control
Courses that are a hobby, craft, recreational or a course that is in the areas of physical education, theology, divinity, or religious education are not eligible for tuition support.
For further information regarding dual enrollment, please contact your high school counselor.
Sincerely,
John D. Strycker
Superintendent of Schools
Dual Enrollment information—
For all parents of students grades 8-12
Emergency School
Closing Information
Remember, roads are driven and assessed by school
personnel as early as 4 a.m. and a decision to close must be
made by 6 a.m. Please understand that our decision is made
with the best interests and safety of all students in mind.