Tim Zeeman named Principal at Lapeer West

Tim Zeeman was named the new Principal of Lapeer West High School on Friday. Mr. Zeeman had been serving as acting principal of Lapeer West High School since August.

“Tim Zeeman has done a wonderful job at Lapeer West and I am pleased to remove the ‘acting’ title from his position,” said Superintendent Debbie Thompson. “Tim has a wealth of experience in the District, in the community and at Lapeer West High School.”

Zeeman joined the District in 1996, taught English at Lapeer East until 2005 when he was appointed assistant principal and athletic director at Lapeer West. He has a Bachelor’s degree from Albion College and a Master’s degree from Marygrove College.

“I am very humbled and honored to be named Principal at Lapeer West High School. I feel very fortunate to be a part of the Lapeer West family, and I look forward to leading our school toward excellence despite the economic turmoil our state is facing. I am very proud to be a Panther.”

2010-2011 Budget cuts subject of discussion at Board of Education meeting Thursday

School budget cuts were once again the focus of a January Board of Education discussion.

A projected State foundation grant cut for school year 2010-2011 of $268 per student, will result in a loss of $1.7 million to the District based on the current student population. That cut is added to a $165 per student reduction, a $1 million loss in the current 2009-2010 school year.

With mandatory increases in retirement and health care costs for 2010-2011, the District is facing a $3.6 million shortfall even without the additional $1.7 million loss. The District faces further cuts if a new All-Day, Every-Day kindergarten program is started. The additional cost for that program is $500,000.

The discussion at the Thursday, January 21, Board meeting was led by Kevin Rose, Assistant Superintendent of Business and Finance. Information was presented, that led to questions and a productive dialogue at the meeting.

“While extremely unfortunate, Michigan’s economic woes continue and we are faced again with trimming a budget that frankly is already cut to the bone,” said Mr. Rose. “Our efforts, and I include the many sacrifices made by all our employee groups, have positioned us in many ways better than most, but it still leaves us with some hard decisions this year.”

The District has worked ahead of the downward curve to make cuts and preserve a fund balance of about $6.6 million, or about 13 percent of the District’s $52 million budget. The prospects for Michigan’s economy remain bleak for one or more years in the future and the District must continue to guard those funds, while using them carefully to preserve vital academic programs.

Potential retirements and possible federal stimulus funds could lessen the impact on the budget shortfall, but those decisions have not yet been made.

As in past years, the District will review all expenditures and prioritize all its options to trim as much as possible outside the classroom for the 2010-2011 school year.

“Everything is on the table and we will work together with all our employee groups,” said Board President William Laidlaw. “We are going to do this as a team.”

The administration will again meet with all principals, department heads and union groups, who will then work with their respective staff to decide where belts can be tightened to realize savings.

Lapeer East High School Wrestling Team hosts "Meet and Greet" spaghetti dinner

The Lapeer East High School Wrestling Team will hold its 2nd Annual “Meet and Greet the Wrestlers” spaghetti dinner at 6 p.m. Wednesday, February 3, at the National Guard Armory, 2140 W. Genesee Street.

Tickets for the dinner are $5, which includes chances at prize drawaings. Children 5 and younger are free and families of more than 4 people are a maximum $20.

“We hope to see everyone there,” said Lapeer East Wrestling coach Al Lalonde.

Lynch Elementary fourth-graders visit Suncrest

Lynch Elementary School fourth-graders in Mrs. Jewett's class paid a visit Thursday, January 21st, to residents at Lapeer County Medical Care Facility. The students sang songs and played games with the residents.

Lapeer East yearbook students help promote new individualized high school yearbooks

Yearbook students at Lapeer East High School will become part of the national face of a new program for personalized high school yearbooks in a commercial that was shot Wednesday, January 20, at the school.

A camera crew begins filmed Ms. Laura Grieco Matthews, Lapeer East teacher and yearbook advisor, and several yearbook students for the commercial.

Jostens, a national yearbook publishing company, chose Lapeer East as one of five schools nationwide currently participating in the "Yearbookthis.com" program.

Photo above: Shelby Saelens waits for her turn to be interviewed about the new yearbook program. For more photos go to the District photo gallery.

Lapeer East Financial Aid night provided college info

About 100 parents and students attended a Financial Aid Workshop presented by Ms. Lori Vedder, Director of Financial Aid at the University of Michigan-Flint Tuesday night, January 19, 2010 in the Lapeer East High School Auditorium. Ms. Vedder is at the far left, an associate from UM-Flint is in the center and Mrs. Susan Wilmers introduced the two women at the opening of the session.

Mayfield Elementary School first-graders turn weather lesson into snowman building

Mayfield Elementary School first-grade teacher Mrs. Debbie Daley turned a weather and science lesson into a little fun.

After learning about winter weather, Mrs. Daley took the students outside for a little snowman building. Only a certain kind of snow works for building find snow figures.

Several photos are available on the District's photo gallery.

Rolling art makes debut at GLTA bus garage

Two Lapeer Community Schools students, Cameron Myers, a Lapeer East student, and Mya Bates, a Lynch Elementary School student, won a Greater Lapeer Transportation Authority art contest.

The students’ designs were chosen as two of the four designs that will be painted on four new GLTA buses due for delivery this month. This is the second year Lapeer students have had winning designs in the contest.

Last week the two students posed with their rolling handiwork at the GLTA bus garage.

Frosty makes lawn appearance at Lapeer West

This 7-foot-tall Frosty showed up on the lawn near the north parking lot of Lapeer West High School today. The creators of this fine example of frozen art remain unknown. To see larger photos of the snowman head to the photo gallery.

African Drum and Dance performs for Lapeer East and Lapeer West students

Kevin Collins, of Flint, brought his African Drum group and two dancers to the Lapeer East High School auditorium stage last week to perform for Lapeer East and Lapeer West High School students.
Mr. Collins and his drum group and dancers will be heading to perform in Washington, D.C. this spring.

African drums are used for communications between villages in remote parts of Africa and students from both schools had the opportunity to experience playing the drums. A number of female students had the chance to learn an African dance.

Several photos are available at the District's photo gallery.

Walk-in Census job testing slated for tomorrow

All-day, walk-in testing is available on Wednesday, January 20, 2010, for census jobs. There are a number of sites available for that testing, including Lapeer.

Lapeer's testing site is at the Mott Community College campus, 550 Lake Drive, in Lapeer.

Tests will be given at 9 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 2 p.m. and the final test will be at 4 p.m. No appointments are necessary, but tests will start exactly on time.

There are several jobs that are open. Enumerators, those who will follow-up on residents who didn't send in Census forms, will make in the range of $10.75 to $16.50 per hour. Crew leaders will make from $12.25 - $18 an hour, Crew Leader Assistants will make $10.75-$16.50 an hour and Field Operations Supervisors will make $13.75 - $19.50 an hour.

Not exactly school related, but we understand that many people are looking for jobs and we want to help get the word out.

Lapeer East High School Travel Club plans Mexican dinner fundraiser for Valentine's Day

A Valentine’s Day Mexican dinner, a fundraiser for the Lapeer East High School Travel Club trip to France and Spain during spring break 2010, will be held from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday, February 13, in the Lapeer East cafeteria.

Tickets are $10 a person and include a taco dinner, coffee or punch, dessert and entertainment provided by the Lapeer High School Drama Club and Lapeer East Jazz Band. A prize drawing will also be held.

To purchase tickets see Mr. Duane Machesney or Miss Jennifer DeWitt at Lapeer East.