AUGUST BOXHOLDER Coleman MI NONPROFIT ORG U S POSTAGE

AUGUST 2008 BOXHOLDER Coleman, MI 48618 NONPROFIT ORG U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 18 COLEMAN, MI 48618 Coleman Schools From the Desk of the Superintendent Keely Mounger, Superintendent Welcome to the 2008/2009 school year! We begin the year with several exciting changes in progress and with a staff that has returned from summer vacation refreshed and renewed. We are ready to welcome students and families to another great year of learning! Our expanded partnership with Coleman Community Network has officially been implemented. CCN has done a marvelous job creating new early childhood, after school and teen rooms for the community. The fitness center is scheduled to open very soon. Please stop by and visit the new family center. I am certain you will be pleased with the retooling of the wonderful middle school building. The new classrooms at the Junior/Senior High School are completed and ready for opening day. They are as large or even larger than other rooms in the building. We are excited to have the seventh and eighth graders move into their new space. Please feel free to contact Principal Pitchford if you have questions regarding the new Junior High. We have plans to organize a marketing committee this year to celebrate the great things that go on in Coleman Schools! If you have ideas, please contact me anytime. News CES Receives Books The America Reads program is provided to Coleman Elementary School second and third graders through the Volunteer Center at CMU. Seven America Reads tutors worked at CES during the 2007-08 school year. Last spring CES was selected by the America Reads tutors as the recipient of $150 of Scholastic K-3 books for our library. It was a great feeling to have been selected by the college students who work with our students and students in the surrounding schools. Our students make great ambassadors! The books were delivered by Sara Millerov, the Graduate Assistant who organized the America Reads program, Megan Connaghan who will be in charge in 08-09 and CMU professor Shawna Ross. Academically, all three of our schools met or exceeded the necessary requirements for Adequate Yearly Progress. Our school report card was also very good. We will continue to strive for improvement in all academic areas with specific emphasis this year on Math and Writing. Great news! We have redesigned the school website. Please visit our website frequently. There will be up to date information, articles and pictures throughout the school year. I would like to extend my thanks to Business Teacher Mr. Kevin Koelbel and to Board President Mr. Ben Tigner for their efforts on the new website. Mr. Koelbel and his web design class students will be working on the site throughout the school year. Your comments and suggestions will be appreciated. I look forward to working with you, your children and the entire community this year. It is my pleasure to serve as the Superintendent of this fine District. Please do not hesitate to contact me with questions, comments or concerns. Also, please plan some time to volunteer in our schools this year. You are always welcome! COLEMAN COMMUNITY SCHOOLS…. WHERE KIDS COME FIRST! 2008-2009 School Calendar Coleman Community Network http://www.colemannetwork.org 989-465-2079 Fall Programs Flag Football Preschoolers (F100) When: Mondays, September 15-November 3 Where: Elementary Playground Who: Preschoolers Time: 5:00-6:30pm Cost: $45.00, T-shirt included Flag Football Dk-1st (F102) When: Tuesdays, September 16-November 4 Where: Elementary Playground Who: Dk-1st Grade Time: 5:00-6:30pm Cost: $45.00, T-shirt included Flag Football 2nd-3rd (F103) When: Wednesdays, September 17-November 5 Where: Elementary Playground Who: 2nd-3rd Grade Time: 5:00-6:30pm Cost: $45.00, T-shirt included Flag Football 4th-6th (F104) When: Thursdays, September 18-November 6 Where: Elementary Playground Who: 4th-6th Grade Time: 5:00-6:30pm Cost: $45.00, T-shirt included Beanbags, Hoops & Parachutes (BHP100) When: Mondays, September 15-November 3 Where: CCN Building Who: Ages 0-6 Time: 11:00am-12:00pm Cost: $40.00 After School Activities (FAS200) When: Tuesdays, September 16-October 21 Where: Elementary Playground/CCN Building • Floor Hockey • Dodge Ball • Basketball • Baseball/Softball • Kickball • Soccer Who: 2nd-3rd Grade Time: 3:00-4:00pm Cost: $30.00 After School Activities (FAS201) When: Wednesdays, September 17-October 22 Where: Elementary Playground/CCN Building • Floor Hockey • Dodge Ball • Basketball • Baseball/Softball • Kickball • Soccer Who: 4th-6th Grade Time: 3:00-4:00pm Cost: $30.00 Senior Work Out Classes (SW100) When: Tuesdays & Thursdays, September 16-November 6 Where: CCN Building Who: Seniors Time: 11:00am-12:00pm Cost: $40.00 Circuit Training/Pilates (CTP100) When: Tuesdays & Thursdays, September 16-November 6 Where: CCN Building Who: Everyone is Welcome Time: 6:30-7:30 Cost: $45.00 Scholarships are available to every qualifying participant. If you are interested please contact us with any question or concerns. Our scholarships are handled with complete confidentiality. If you have any questions about CCN programs call: Kristina Haring 989.465.9854 kharing@colemannetwork.org Welcome Back CES! Mary Jo Fachting, Principal I hope you have all had a wonderful restful summer. Soon it will be time to get back to work. Your work is putting forth your best effort in school! Effort is really the key to success in school. Never, ever tell yourself “I can’t do this.” If you need help, ask. If you are stuck, try again. The more effort you put into school the better grades you will earn and the smarter you will become. No, it’s not fair that some students just seem to learn without trying. We are all different. Some things come easier to others, other things take a lot of time and practice and effort! You won’t get to be a really good pitcher without pitching the ball over and over again! The same its true for school subjects. You can’t learn if you don’t practice. Second through eight grade students will use a new Accelerated Reader program. This version is web based. The students will have access to 3,260 quizzes. They will be able to read books from home and books they check out from other libraries. Just make sure and check to see that the quiz is in the collection before you read the book! New AR point clubs and prizes are in place for 08-09 too! There is a parent component with this new version. Parents will be able to log on and see what books their students are reading, how many points they have earned toward their minimum requirement for the marking period and what score they earned on each quiz. That piece is currently being installed. Students in grades 5-8 will be using a program called My Writing Web two days per week. This program is web based also. Students will write an essay every week and do paragraph edits as well. The program will prompt students to make corrections and add details to their writing. Writing is one area we will be concentrating on this year. Barton Tutoring– Very Successful! Two years ago Becky Manning and Ann Roeseler began the Barton Reading and Spelling Tutoring program at Coleman Elementary. The program is provided to us through the Midland Literacy Center. This program has been a wonderful asset to our students who are not yet reading quite at grade level. Students in the early grades, primarily, are identified by their teachers as a student who would benefit from some additional one-on-one tutoring. The student is then given a pre-test to determine if they would benefit from the Barton program. If it is determined that they would benefit they are assigned a tutor. Tutors commit to the training which takes about five-six hours over a two-day period. Once they are trained they are assigned a student. Tutors work with their student twice each week for 30 minutes. The next session for new tutors or those who would like a refresher is planned for Wednesday, September 10 and Thursday September 11, from 8:15-11:15am in the Literacy Room at the elementary school. If you are interested please call CES at 465-6179 to pre-register or ask questions. This is a valuable volunteer opportunity! Please consider giving some of your time to help a child become the best reader they can possibly be! Emergency School Closing Call Numbers Keely Mounger Superintendent – Board of Ed Office The 5th and 6th graders will use a new science lab on the south end of the 5-6 hall. There will be three 6th grade homerooms instead of two which will allow the 6th graders to spread out a bit. They are our largest CES class! Mrs. Aimee Servis will be a 6th grade homeroom teacher. She will teach writing, spelling and guided reading to all 5th and 6th graders. 989-465-6060 989-465-6171 989-465-6179 989-772-2137 Mary Pitchford Jr. & Sr. High Principal – High School Office Mary Jo Fachting WCFX TV-12 WMPX TV-5 Elementary School Principal – Elementary School Office There will be a “split” classroom this year at CES. This classroom will house two grades of students in the same classroom. Mrs. Rose Marie Benjamin will teach the new 2nd/3rd grade classroom. Students selected for this class were recommended by their teachers. There will be a total of 24 students in this class. Mrs. Benjamin is looking forward to teaching this group of youngsters. Student will go to grade appropriate music and physical education classes. Everything is clean and new! It is a special time of year. I am looking forward to having our students back. It will be a good year! WPRJ TV 9 & 10 WHNN, WIOG, WKQZ, WYOZ 989-465-9775 800-782-7910 989-775-2175 989-631-2220 877-894-7669 877-844-6240 TV-25 989-249-5452 WSGW, WCEN, WGER & New Mix 100 989-752-3451 or 989-776-6518 Welcome to Coleman Junior-Senior High School! Education & Training Connection Adult Education and GED Programs • High School Diploma • GED Preparation/Testing • Adult Basic Education • English As a Second Language (ESL) • C.R.O.P. • Certification Programs • Supportive Environment • Flexible Scheduling • Individual Learning Plans • Day and Evening Classes • Childcare • Transportation 888.3U.LEARN • www.etc-1.com Mary Pitchford, Principal I look forward to the 2008-2009 school year where we welcome the Class of 2013 and 2014 to what has been our high school building. We are now officially Coleman Junior-Senior High School. I know change can be hard but I truly believe we are making a move that will benefit our students in many ways. I can assure you that we have listened to the concerns of our parents and I will continue to closely monitor the students. The best part of the move is we have great kids and teachers in Coleman and we will all work together to make this a positive change. The building will be open to visit on Thursday, August 28 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. We will have schedules available for all students to pick up, which include locker assignments. I want to remind our senior class, we allow you to pick your locker assignment but you must stop in the school the week of August 18th to sign up. High school students: Mr. Cone, our counselor, is available on August 18, 19, 20 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and again on August 25, 26 and 27 from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. If you have any concerns regarding your class schedule, please stop in and talk to Mr. Cone. Academic and Career Education Academy (ACEA) The Academic and Career Education Academy (ACEA) provides innovative educational opportunities for achieving individual success through discovery, exploration, and the pursuit of student potential. Our unique, challenging, and flexible curriculum inspires excellence and confidence in academic and career endeavors. • High School Diploma • Small Class Sizes • Career & College Preparation • Athletics • On-Line Courses • Supportive Environment • Multimedia, Computers, CAD, & Art • Individualized Instruction • Day and Evening Classes • Sports & Entertainment Marketing Programs 888.3U.LEARN • www.ACEAofMidland.org ALL DAY-EVERYDAY KINDERGARTEN Mr. Kevin Koelbel has worked this summer to update our school website. You can visit at www.colemanschools.net to find up to date information regarding what is happening in the building. Also, you will find a parent link which will lead you to the grade check program we will have in place for this school year. This program will allow you to check your student’s grades in each of their classes. This is an excellent way to monitor progress each of the six week marking periods. School will open for all grades on Tuesday, September 2nd. Seventh and eighth graders, please go to the auditorium for your opening assembly. High school students, please report to the gym for your opening assembly. Each group will have an introduction to the changes in the building, we will hand out any schedules that have not been picked up and then classes will begin! Again, I welcome you to Coleman Junior-Senior High School. The 2008-2009 school year will be a great year! Coleman and surrounding area parents who have children who will be 5 years old on or before December 1, 2008 and have not yet registered your child to start kindergarten this fall, please come into the elementary school to register. At the time of registration you must bring with you his or her completed shot record, live birth certificate, results of their vision and hearing test, social security card, and proof of residence. School of choice applications will be available. If you have any questions please call 465-6179. Thank you! Breakfast at School Mornings can be really crazy! The alarm doesn’t go off, the kids don’t want to get up, there’s no time to eat breakfast before the bus comes or they’re just not ready to eat. Or maybe your teenager grabs a can of soda and a candy bar on the way to school. If this sounds like your house, we have good news for you. Breakfast is now available at school! Take advantage of this option to ensure your child eats a nutritious breakfast. Recent studies show a link between nutrition and learning. A nutritious breakfast helps students be more alert so they can actively participate in class. Breakfast has vitamins and nutrients for a strong and healthy body. Breakfast at school is affordable, too. A full breakfast costs less than convenience store items. If you qualify for free and reduced price meals, you also qualify for the breakfast program, with no additional paperwork. If you must pay, you’ll find that breakfast often costs less than a dollar. Nowhere else will you find a balanced breakfast at such a low cost. So take advantage of this opportunity to start the day on the right foot. Your child will find breakfast at school provides not only a nutritious meal but also a relaxed atmosphere for socializing with friends and siblings. School Breakfast Information Price: $1.25/1.10 paid, $ .30 reduced*, free* (*if qualified). No advance registration necessary! All students are welcome every day! Coleman Community Schools Board of Education Regular Monthly Meeting Dates 2008-2009 Third Monday of Each Month (unless noted) Date July 9, 2008 August 18, 2008 September 15, 2008 October 20, 2008 November 17, 2008 December 15, 2008 January 19, 2009 February 16, 2009 March 16, 2009 April 20, 2009 May 18, 2009 June 15, 2009 July _, 2009 (Day to be set in June) Phone Name Place High School Cafeteria High School Cafeteria High School Media Center High School Media Center High School Media Center High School Media Center High School Media Center High School Media Center High School Media Center High School Media Center High School Media Center High School Media Center High School Cafeteria Time 7:00 p.m. 7:00 p.m. 7:00 p.m. 7:00 p.m. 7:00 p.m. 6:00 p.m. 7:00 p.m. 7:00 p.m. 7:00 p.m. 7:00 p.m. 7:00 p.m. 7:00 p.m. 7:00 p.m. Coleman Board Members Office Secretary Trustee Trustee Trustee Address Elect Expires 2008 2008 2010 2012 465-9397 (H) Karen Bressette 948-4612 (C) Abby Haggart 465-6882 (H) Lorie Peters-Fox V-President Coleman, MI 48618 465-6481 (H) Mike Stremlow 615-6546 (C) David Mossner 465-9262 (H) Donna Babcock Treasurer Coleman, MI 48618 Coleman, MI 48618 Coleman, MI 48618 Coleman, MI 48618 Coleman, MI 48618 Coleman, MI 48618 2008 2009 Appointed 2005 2009 2008 2007 2007 2011 2011 2009 859-1159 (H) Benjamin Tigner President Enclosed please find the Free & Reduced Applications for the 2008-09 school year. The first day back for students is Tuesday, September 2nd, but we would like Free & Reduced Applications before school resumes. A FREE prize will be given for every application returned by Wednesday, August 27th. Also, along with following all the instructions regarding how to fill out the application, please note: 1. Before filling out an application your child may automatically be eligible for free meals if they receive State Assistance (Food Stamps, FIP, FDPIR). Please call Debra Piechowiak at 989-442-1997 to find out if your child is listed on the Direct Certification Report. Hot Lunch Program Free & Reduced Meal Applications Due to the rising cost of our economy, lunch prices had to be raised from $1.75 to $1.85 at the Secondary level, and from $1.50 to $1.60 at the Elementary School. 2. Fill out only ONE application per family (even if students attend different buildings). 3. For any qualifying Free or Reduced student wishing to participate in any of the sports programs, they will only pay half of the required “Pay to Participate” fee (see additional information in newsletter). 4. All applications need to be received and approved before students can begin receiving Free or Reduced meals. Please return applications ASAP. Breakfast Due to the rising costs in our economy lunch price had to be raised from $1. 75 to $1.85 at the Secondary level and from $1.50 to $1.60 at the Elementary School. Breakfast = The Key to Academic Excellence It is imperative that every student have a well-balanced and nutritious diet. Food is the fuel that provides energy for the task of leaming. Eating breakfast helps assure that the energy is there for leaming, physical growth and development. Evidence is increasing to support the view that kids who eat breakfast perform better at school. Breakfast is a KEY to academic excellence and a healthy balanced diet. Breakfast literally means “breaking the fast” and as this may be up to 16 hours there is no doubt that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. This is particularly true for active, growing school children who have high energy, vitamin and mineral requirements. Eating a nutritious breakfast helps children get the daily nutrients they need and can help develop good eating habits. From an education perspective: • Studies have shown that eating breakfast improves children’s problem-solving abilities, their memory, concentration levels, visual perception and creative thinking. From a health perspective: • Eating a healthy balanced diet is crucial to everyone’s health, especially children. • International studies have shown that punctuality and school attendance improve when breakfast is provided. • It has been suggested that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, yet surveys reveal that up to 1 in 10 children regularly miss breakfast. • Breakfast provides the ideal opportunity for children to begin the day by eating bread, other cereals, fruits and vegetables, which are all important elements of a healthy and balanced diet. (Surveys persistently show, for example, that we don’t eat enough fruit and vegetables, and fruit at breakfast may be a good opportunity for children to eat more). • An appetizing and nourishing breakfast may mean that children are not tempted to eat sweets as frequently– eating sugary foods often can increase the risk of dental cavities. If you child does not eat breakfast at school, we encourage you to consider having him or her do so. If you have any questions about this program, or would like more information about our breakfast menus, please contact Debra Piechowiak 989-442-1997