Three more elementary schools found their best spellers in contests Tuesday, February 16, and Wednesday, February 17. Now those students will begin preparing for the countywide spelling bee.
At Schickler Elementary, fifth-grader Kylee Roberts won the bee Tuesday when she correctly spelled “enfranchise.” Second place went to fifth-grader Paul Gregor. Both will represent their school at the county level. Sixth-grader Kaylee Fenslau was third and will compete if Kylee or Paul are unable to attend.
Jocelyn Jones was named top speller at Elba-Seaton Elementary School after she correctly spelled “suburban” in a competition with 11 of her classmates. Fifth-grader Alex Craig was named alternate for Elba-Seaton.
Jocelyn said she studied the word list provided by her teacher to prepare for the bee. While she felt ready for the competition, she said she was still nervous, especially about spelling in front of an audience of other students.
“It’s harder for me to spell out loud than it is to write it down,” she said. “So I wasn’t sure what letters were coming out of my mouth.”
Alex said she has a trick for calming her nerves: “When I get nervous, I just go to my happy place.”
At Murphy Elementary at Rolland-Warner Middle School, sixth-grader Jessica Pantone won her school’s bee Wednesday when she correctly spelled “patience.” She and fifth-grader Lydia Bontrager will represent their school at the county bee. Fifth-grader Isabella Mirza was named alternate.
Jessica said she studied for the bee by writing words from a study sheet onto index cards. Her plan to prepare for the county bee? “More index cards.”
Lydia said she also studied, but spelling wasn’t the difficult part of the contest — speaking in front of an audience was. “If you look at the crowd it makes you even more nervous,” she said, adding she focused on the judges instead.
The students join those already selected at other schools to attend the countywide bee. Sixth-grader Cody Cruce and fifth-grader Hope O’Neill will represent Mayfield Elementary. Allison Vestbjerg will represent Lynch Elementary. Maple Grove holds its bee today, February 17.
The countywide competition will be Thursday, March 18 at Rolland-Warner Middle School.
The spelling bees, occurring in schools across the country, eventually will determine the competitors for the National Spelling Bee to be held in June in Washington, D.C.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Student efforts to help Haitian earthquake victims paying off in big donations
Efforts by Lapeer students to help people devastated by the earthquake in Haiti are paying off in the form of significant donations to relief efforts.
The February 5 “Helping Haiti Heal Benefit Concert!” and silent auction, organized by Lapeer East High School students Katherine Baeckeroot and Rebecca Wright, raised $1,785.28 that will be donated to the relief effort through the Healing Hands International Organization.
The concert featured East junior Tate Robinson playing the guitar and singing, East Social Studies Teacher Al Margrif offering his brand of acoustic rock and a performance by Rick Samano, owner of Lapeer Music in downtown Lapeer.
Students also conducted a silent auction before the concert. Auction items included gift certificates and merchandise from local businesses and handmade items.
At Zemmer Middle School, students helped the cause recently with a “Hats for Haiti Day.” Sponsored by the Student Council, students paid $1 to wear hats to class for the day. Students and staff raised $513.
Students at Mayfield Elementary School raised $391.95 for relief efforts during their recent fundraiser. Students in Ms. Shellie Forgione’s third grade and Ms. Maja Burris’s sixth grade raised the money by collecting $1 dollar for students to add their names to a Hearts for Haiti wall.
The February 5 “Helping Haiti Heal Benefit Concert!” and silent auction, organized by Lapeer East High School students Katherine Baeckeroot and Rebecca Wright, raised $1,785.28 that will be donated to the relief effort through the Healing Hands International Organization.
The concert featured East junior Tate Robinson playing the guitar and singing, East Social Studies Teacher Al Margrif offering his brand of acoustic rock and a performance by Rick Samano, owner of Lapeer Music in downtown Lapeer.
Students also conducted a silent auction before the concert. Auction items included gift certificates and merchandise from local businesses and handmade items.
At Zemmer Middle School, students helped the cause recently with a “Hats for Haiti Day.” Sponsored by the Student Council, students paid $1 to wear hats to class for the day. Students and staff raised $513.
Students at Mayfield Elementary School raised $391.95 for relief efforts during their recent fundraiser. Students in Ms. Shellie Forgione’s third grade and Ms. Maja Burris’s sixth grade raised the money by collecting $1 dollar for students to add their names to a Hearts for Haiti wall.
Daddy-Daughter Dance at Lynch Elementary a big hit
The Daddy-Daughter Dance on Friday, February 12, at Lynch Elementary School was a sparkling affair with lights and balloons and lots of beautiful dresses.
Pistons assembly at Lynch Elementary gets students fired up
A Pistons assembly at Lynch Elementary School taught the students about integrity, passion and success followed by a lot of fun when staff members were made to do push-ups after losing a game of free throw to a couple of students.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Schickler Elementary School spelling bee
Fifth-grader Kylee Roberts won the Schickler Elementary School spelling bee on February 16 correctly spelling "enfranchise."
Monday, February 15, 2010
School officials plan public hearings on updates to Family Life program
Lapeer Community Schools officials are proposing two updates to the district’s Family Life program and are offering the public a chance to learn about them before they are adopted.
The district has scheduled public hearings to review a new DVD about STDs, an updated resource for the ninth-grade Family Life program. The 20-minute DVD, entitled “STDs: Lifetime Consequences,” will replace the current, outdated video now used in the program. The DVD provides current statistics and methods of contraction while examining why risks are so often ignored.
The district also is proposing a new Personal Safety Awareness program to be offered to second-graders as part of the Family Life program. The program was developed by the Child Advocacy Center of the United States and teaches students how to respond in potentially dangerous situations, particularly those involving strangers. It will be presented by teachers, police liaisons and a Child Advocacy volunteer in four, one-hour sessions in the classroom.
The first public hearing will be at 4 p.m. Tuesday, February 16. A second hearing is scheduled for 5 p.m. Tuesday, February 23. Both will be in Meeting Room B of the Administration and Services Center, 250 Second St., Lapeer.
The district has scheduled public hearings to review a new DVD about STDs, an updated resource for the ninth-grade Family Life program. The 20-minute DVD, entitled “STDs: Lifetime Consequences,” will replace the current, outdated video now used in the program. The DVD provides current statistics and methods of contraction while examining why risks are so often ignored.
The district also is proposing a new Personal Safety Awareness program to be offered to second-graders as part of the Family Life program. The program was developed by the Child Advocacy Center of the United States and teaches students how to respond in potentially dangerous situations, particularly those involving strangers. It will be presented by teachers, police liaisons and a Child Advocacy volunteer in four, one-hour sessions in the classroom.
The first public hearing will be at 4 p.m. Tuesday, February 16. A second hearing is scheduled for 5 p.m. Tuesday, February 23. Both will be in Meeting Room B of the Administration and Services Center, 250 Second St., Lapeer.
Lapeer East student Jerome Strawser takes to stage in Flint Youth Theatre production
When Jerome Strawser was in the seventh grade, Lapeer school officials enrolled him in a Theatre Arts class.His teachers knew him well. Jerome, now a Lapeer East High School ninth-grader, enjoyed the class so much that he wants to become an actor as an adult. He is pursuing that goal by performing this month in a Flint Youth Theatre production of “The Andersonville Trial.”
Jerome plays the ghost of a Union soldier who died in a notorious prisoner of war camp in Andersonville, Georgia, during the Civil War.
“I’ve been drawn to acting for awhile,” Jerome said. “I started at age 12 in the seventh grade. I want to eventually move to Hollywood and try to get into acting. You just never know.”
“The Andersonville Trial” is based on transcripts from the 1865 trial of Confederate Captain Henry Wirz, who was tried after hundreds of Union soldiers detained in the camp under his command died of disease, starvation and neglect. Wirz claimed that because he was following orders as a soldier, he had no personal responsibility in the case.
The play’s heavy subject matter did not deter Jerome from his role as a victim of the prisoner camp. To prepare, he watched a movie about it.
“I watched the movie to learn what prisoner life was like,” he said. “Then it really just came to me.”
He also said he does not suffer from stage fright.
“I just tell myself, ‘Hey, we’re all buds here and it’s all fine,’” he said.
Jerome also has worked in behind-the-scenes technical positions on other productions. While he enjoyed that, he said he prefers to be a performer. He already knows what kind of role he would like to play next.
“I’d like to play a villain, I think that would be fun, more of a main character,” he said.
Performances of “The Andersonville Trial” are set for Friday, February 19 and 26, and Saturday February 20 and 27 at 7:30 p.m. Matinees are scheduled for 2:30 p.m. Saturday, February 20 and 27. Performances are at the Flint Youth Theatre, 1220 E. Kearsley St., on the campus of the Flint Cultural Center. Advance tickets are $14 for adults and $12 for children and are available at the Theatre, by calling (810) 237-1530 or online at flintyouththeatre.org. Tickets purchased at the door are $16 for adults and $14 for children. The play is recommended for ages 10 and up.
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