Lapeer West sewing students combine learning with service in sewing projects

Lapeer West High School sewing students stitched a little love and caring into class requirements with a community service project to help children at a Flint area medical clinic and Lapeer third and fourth grade students who will be participating in a summer reading program.

Teddy bears of various designs were created by the students in Charlotte Cornell’s sewing class to be given to youngsters at McLaren Specialty Clinic located in Flint, which provides forensic exams for sexually abused children in Genesee, Lapeer and Shiawassee Counties, to help ease their apprehension.

Like the teddy bears, students in Ms. Cornell’s class picked individual designs for the backpacks, which will be presented to students in the summer reading program to carry books home.

“It’s good for the students to know that their work will be put to such a positive purpose,” said Ms. Cornell. “It’s more than just a class assignment, it is something that will comfort a child or encourage them to read.”

The backpacks will be used by students reading below grade level for a Super Summer Success Reading Program, which was an idea adopted from Oakland schools. Students will return in July for breakfast, a book talk and to swap books with other reading students. Later they will come back to return the books and celebrate their summer reading success.

“Research shows that students who continue reading over the summer will maintain, or exceed, reading levels if they read at least six books over summer,” said Lisa Houk, Supervisor of Language Arts/Social Studies. “We are very grateful to Ms. Cornell and her students for this service project.

Lapeer East, Zemmer students participate in Watershed study of area creeks and rivers

Students from Lapeer East High School and Zemmer Junior High School joined students from 21 area school districts in collecting water samples as part of a Watershed STEM Initiative to investigate the health of area streams, creeks and rivers. STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math.

The Zemmer students took samples from Farmer’s Creek and the Lapeer East students took their samples from Hunter’s Creek. Back in the classrooms, students analyzed the data from the collections.

Students from Mrs. Karen Hale’s class at Zemmer and from the Lapeer East 8th grade classes of Mr. Chad Kenny and Mrs. Cheryl Butterfield’s 11th and 12th grade Forensic Chemistry classes took part in the river study.
Students will identify issues in the local watershed and develop a project to address it under the program.

In Genesee, Lapeer, and Oakland counties, the work done in Flint River GREEN compliments the on-going monitoring project that the Watershed Coalition has conducted for several years. It also provides information for use by the Genesee County Drain Commissioner in fulfilling responsibilities relative to storm water runoff concerns and abatement.

The Watershed Coalition currently has over 30 classrooms in a number of Genesee County school districts involved in Flint River GREEN.

The Watershed STEM Initiative (WSI), is an extension program of Earth Force’s GREEN (Global Rivers Environmental Education Network) program. Earth Force is a national nonprofit organization focused on engaging young people as active citizens to improve the environment and their communities now and in the future.

Earth Force is partnering with the Lapeer Intermediate School District, the Flint River Watershed Coaltion and the Clinton River Watershed Council to deliver the WSI in Lapeer County.

Through the WSI teachers will become skilled at combining STEM and civic education into service learning projects and using community resources in the classroom. Students will become adept at using their study of science, technology, engineering and math to investigate watershed problems and civic skills to engage community members to solve those problems.

Professional mentors from agencies across the watershed contribute to student learning and awareness. Prior mentors have come from General Motors, the Genesee County Drain Commissioner’s office, City of Flint, the Center for Applied Environmental Research at UM-Flint, TetraTech, Flint River Watershed Coalition, Sierra Club, and Delphi.

Rain forces cancellation of most athletic contests

All scheduled athletic contests, except for Lapeer East girls’ soccer and an away LaCrosse match for Lapeer West have been cancelled today. Athletic practices will be held or not held at the discretion of the coaches.

Lapeer East cancels athletic events today

Please note that these Lapeer East games/matches have been CANCELLED today, May 11, 2010:

JV Girls Softball at home

Varsity Girls Softball at Carman-Ainsworth

JV Girls Tennis at Davison

Freshman Baseball

Lapeer East senior Samantha Kazor taking academic, athletic skills to LCC

Samantha Kazor has been a strong middle hitter for the Lapeer East High School volleyball team, but Dennis Richardson thinks she has great potential as an outside hitter.

Samantha is happy to make the switch because it means she gets to continue playing volleyball and study sonography at Lansing Community College.

Samantha, an East senior, signed a commitment letter on Friday, May 7, 2010 to accept a scholarship to LCC and play for its volleyball team. Coach Richardson said he is thrilled to have her join the team.

“She’s very talented on the volleyball court with her skills of defense, hitting and blocking,” Richardson said. “With her demeanor and character, she’s the whole package. She’s the kind of kid who is going to push up to the top. We’ve been third and fourth the past several years and she’s going to help us move up.”

Dan Purvis, her coach at East, said he is happy for Samantha.

“I’m real excited to see our players move on to the college level,” he said.

East Principal Kelly Paige praised Samantha for her work on the court and in the classroom.

“Sam is the type of athlete I like to talk about because of her grades,” she said. “She’s nearly a straight-A student and my hat goes off to her.”

Samantha, who said she is studying sonography so she can one day perform diagnostic ultrasound tests, said she plans to get an apartment in the Lansing area while attending LCC.

Lapeer West's Nate Smith signs with Concordia University to study, play football

Nate Smith always dreamed of attending college on a football scholarship.

With some hard work and a little twist of fate, the Lapeer West High School senior’s dream has come true. Nate signed a commitment letter on Friday, May 7, 2010 to accept a football scholarship to Concordia University in Ann Arbor. He will play quarterback for the university.

“It’s kind of crazy,” Nate said at the signing ceremony. “Two weeks ago I thought I was going to Alma (College).”

That was before fate stepped in. Anthony Pratley, Concordia’s Offensive Coordinator, said he was watching a game tape for another team when he saw Nate quarterbacking West’s team.

“I said, ‘We have to get a hold of this kid,’ ” Pratley said. Pratley called Nate’s coach, not then knowing that West Coach Mike Smith also is Nate’s father.

Nate is happy that Pratley called. “I’m glad to be going to a good place with good people to play and study,” he said.

His dad and coach, Mike, also is happy for him. “And maybe just a little bit proud,” he said.

Nate’s mother, Lila, and sister, Maddison, a Lapeer West sophomore, also attended the signing ceremony.

In 2009, Nate was named to the Flint Metro League First Team and led West to a 9-2 record, passing for 1,612 yards and 10 touchdowns. He rushed for seven touchdowns. He also lettered in football, basketball, golf and track.

West Washington, D.C. photos are in, and up

We have received our first set of photos from the Washington, D.C. Lapeer West 8th graders in Washington, D.C. If we receive more today, they will go up later tonight.

Lapeer West Washington photos are coming

There has been a small technical glitch (in D.C.) in getting Lapeer West photos back to put up on the website. We anticipate that tonight we will be able to get at least a few West photos up, or at least by early Sunday. Sorry for the delay, but we're working on it. We are assurred from those on the ground in Washington, D.C. that everyone from West is having a great time, however.

Panthers on the prowl in Washington, D.C.

We received word that the West buses have arrived in Washington, D.C. with its precious cargo of 8th graders and that they are having breakfast.

Eagles have landed, in Washington D.C.

Photos updated Saturday, May 8.

The long bus trip is over and the students are in Washington, D.C.

To follow along (as time permits posting) click on this link to the photo gallery as it will be updated throughout the weekend.

East 8th graders head to Washington, D.C.

The first photos are in from the 8th grade students traveling to Washington, D.C. We will post photos through the weekend, as we receive them.

Murphy Elementary students travel to Safetyville for important lessons

Murphy Elementary School first-graders traveled to Safetyville on Thursday, May 6, 2010, and left with lessons on how to stay safe every day.

Students from the classes of Denise Beachum and Elizabeth Kopchick took a field trip to the National Guard Armory in Lapeer to meet with Lapeer County Deputy Stacy Stimson and his team in Safetyville, a realistic, miniature town with streets, sidewalks, traffic lights, railroad

crossings and buildings. Stimson led the students through a series of fun exercises with a serious goal — keeping them safe in a variety of situations they encounter daily.

Stimson taught students to look both ways before crossing streets and to be aware of and observe traffic signals and signs for vehicles and pedestrians. He taught them what to do if a stranger tries to get them into a car, the importance of wearing a helmet when riding a bicycle

and about the dangers of playing with matches.

Safetyville’s lessons also address gun safety, with Stimson giving the children a four-step plan of action: “Stop, don’t touch it, leave the area and tell an adult.”

After the instructions, students got to put some of the advice into action. Climbing on toy tractors, they rode through town while obeying a working traffic light and traffic signs and learning to watch out for pedestrians at intersections. As some of the students rode through

town, others walked along the sidewalks, learning to watch for vehicles that might not be watching out for them.

Stimson said Lapeer County Sheriff Ron Kalanquin implemented the Safetyville program 30 years ago and that it is presented to every district in the county, with about 1,200 first-graders attending every year. Stimson has presented the program for 25 of those years and said he still uses the original equipment and buildings. “These tractors each have 100,000 miles on them,” he jokes.

Deputy Bill Bishop, Reserve Deputy Alex Romig and volunteers Amy Hoffman, Diane Pier, Margaret Smith and Sandy Evach assist Stimson in Safetyville.

“They are all angels,” Pier said of the children visiting Safetyville. “We need to keep them safe.”

Little Shop of Horrors comes to East Stage this weekend

A man-eating plant intent on ruling the world may sound like an old science fiction movie, but it’s actually the star of this Broadway musical, “Little Shop of Horrors.”

To see photos from dress rehearsal visit the photo gallery.

The Lapeer High School Drama Club will present “Little Shop of Horrors” at the Lapeer East Auditorium at 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, May 7th and 8th and 2 p.m. on Sunday, May 9th. Tickets are $8 for adults and $5 for students, seniors, and children.

The Lapeer High School production is directed by Jennifer DeWitt and Bill Spruytte, who have co-directed for the past two years. Student assistant director is Kyle Schmude. “Little Shop of Horrors” features fantastic music by Howard Ashman and Alan Menken, the same duo that created “Beauty and the Beast” and “The Little Mermaid” for Disney.

However, make no mistake; “Little Shop of Horrors” is not exactly Disney. The Lapeer High School version of this production carries a PG-13 rating.

Timid, Seymour Krelbourn discovers an exotic plant with a strange appetite for blood and brings it to the florist shop where he works. As the plant begins to grow quickly, so does its hunger for human flesh and blood. Seymour, who is secretly in love with his co-worker Audrey, names the plant Audrey II and strikes up a deal to feed the plant (flesh and blood) in exchange for fame and fortune.

The Lapeer High School production features Matt Schneider as Seymour. Audrey is played by Wei Li Crawford. Audrey II is voiced by Kevin Roach. Orin, Audrey’s sadistic boyfriend, is played by Lucas Cosens. Dylan Dahring plays the role of Mushnik, Seymour’s boss. Audrey II’s backup singers are played by Monique Morris, Leyna Burel, and Liz Smith. Rounding out the cast are, Brandon Turcott, Paul Eastman, Victoria Mullins, and Miranda Sanborn as Skid Row residents.

Music Director for the show is Cheryl Burnside, Ben Motter is technical director, and Becky Prohaska is choreographer.

Lapeer East Volleyball standout to sign to play with Lansing Community College

Lapeer East High School senior Samantha Kazor will sign a letter of commitment to attend classes and play volleyball for Lansing Community College at a ceremony in the East Media Center at 2:30 p.m. on Friday, May 7.

Her high school coach, Dan Purvis and her new college coach are scheduled to attend.
Samantha was an All-Flint Metro Honorable Mention selection this fall.

Her scholarship is the second for a member of the team in 2009-2010. East’s Ellery Owen previously accepted an offer to play for St. Clair Community College next year.

Lapeer East collects more than 40,000 pounds of food for Food Bank of Eastern Michigan

Cash donations of about $4,000 and non-perishable food donations of 3,000 pounds for the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan at a Channel 12 School Spirit event Friday, April 30, put Lapeer East High School in the running for the “Spirit Cup.”

Each Friday, the television station sends a crew to an area high school to feature on the morning newscast. As part of the program students are asked to bring a donation of food or cash to the event for the Food Bank.

More than 400 students, including a few who camped out overnight, attended the 4 a.m. event in the Lapeer East High School gym.

“I’m proud of our students and the effort they put behind making this food drive a success,” said East Principal Kelly Paige. “We had a lot of fun and helped meet a tremendous need at this time in our community.”

Each $1 raised buys 9 pounds of food at the Food Bank, making the total poundage of the East event about 41,000 pounds. The total was more than double what the school collected in 2009, said Marc Jacobson, Channel 12 reporter.

The winner of the “Spirit Cup” event will be announced later in May. See previous post for photos and link to Channel 12 video.

Former Lapeer East student seeking help to finish scholarship goal

A former Lapeer East student is close to a goal, if you can help, please do, here is her note:

“I have recently entered a scholarship contest.To enter, I had to create a poster showing what I hopemy future will be – hence the name “Frame Your Future.”My entry made it into the top 24 out of over 9,000 entries.The top 5 vote getters will receive a $1,000 scholarship.

I would appreciate it if you would click on this link and vote for my entry. I was also hoping you would forward this email on to others to get the word out. The voting stops May 5th.

Thanks- I would appreciate your support!

Bree DeMeyere

Family Literacy Center offers a free look at learning disabilities

The Family Literacy Center sent along the following opportunity:

Is school a frustrating experience for your child? Does he often experience anxiety, stomach aches, or other difficulties? Family Literacy Center offers a workshop to help you better understand the frustrations students have and gain techniques to help your child.

This 90 minute workshop is offered at NO COST to you! We will view an outstanding DVD by Richard Lavoie, educator, administrator, author, and consultant. This nationally known expert on learning disabilities will take us on a journey of discovery through his workshop called, “F.A.T. City”.

We will experience first hand the “Frustration, Anxiety, and Tension” a child with a learning disability goes through every day. Two sessions will be offered.

Tuesday, May 25
12:30-2:00 PM

OR

6:00-7:30PM

Mott College, Lapeer Campus Room 204

Mott is located at 550 Lake Dr., Lapeer (SW corner of Genesee and Demille).

To register, call the Family Literacy Center at 810-664-2737

Family Literacy Center and the Lapeer District Library are partners for literacy in Lapeer County.

Lapeer East High School bands "Excellent" at State Band Festival in Perry

Two Lapeer East High School bands scored “Excellent” ratings at the State Band Festival on Friday, April 23 at Perry High School.

The East Concert Band and the Symphony Band each received first division ratings at the Festival.

In addition to playing selected pieces of music, students are also required to perform a sight reading challenge in which they are given two pieces of music and a limited amount of time to practice and then perform in front of judges.

“I am very proud of all the students,” said East Band Director Lyniece Fenner.

Zemmer Middle School construction update - April 2010

New current photos of the construction work at the future Zemmer Middle School are up on the photo gallery.

Stop by and see the progress being made for the exciting opening of two new Middle Schools in the fall.

The photo gallery album is here.

Lapeer East students up early to support Food Bank of Eastern Michigan

About 400 Lapeer East High School students showed up at 4 a.m. to fill the gymnasium with bodies, spirit, food and donations to assist the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan. Between cash and food donations the students and Lapeer East High School donated more than 33,000 pounds of food to the Food Bank, nearly double the amount from last year's event.

Talent show winners and the East teachers "Mock Rock" group warmed up the crowd for the television show.

The edited 7-minute version can be found here at the Channel 12 website.

Photos of the event can be found at the District photo gallery.

Two Lapeer West Choirs score well at State Festival at Rochester High School

Two Lapeer West High School choirs attended the State Choir Festival on Tuesday at Rochester High School with one achieving an “Excellent” rating and the other a “Good” rating.

The Mixed Chorus received a one rating or “Excellent,” which is equivalent to a “Superior” rating at Regional competitions.

Judges made many positive comments about the choir, and one offered the opinion that the West choir was “one of the top five choirs musically he heard all day.” Many high schools from around southeastern Michigan were at the event.

The second choir, the “After School Concert Choir,” which meets Tuesday and Friday after school, achieved the “Good Rating.”

“I am very proud of the choirs today,” said Mr. Thomas Kaiser, West Choir Director. “They were among the best of the State yesterday. The students continued to show why Lapeer is and has been a place where great music is being made.”

Lapeer West hosts Metro League schools at "Kids Against Hunger" food packing event

A few dozen students from nine Flint Metro League schools were hosted in the new Lapeer West High School auxiliary gym for a food packing project to benefit hungry people locally and around the world.

Working as a food packaging assembly line, the high school students from Brandon, Lapeer East, Lapeer West, Clio, Fenton, Holly, Kearsley, Linden and Oxford, packed 10,000 nutritious meals in about an hour Tuesday morning for the “Kids Against Hunger” project.

“A third of the meals will be used locally for people in need, a third will be sent to struggling nations overseas and a third will be kept in storage for use during natural disasters,” said Michael E. Burwell, Executive Director of “Kids Against Hunger.”

The meals combine dried vegetables, rice, soy and chicken flavoring into bags that contain six meals.

Before beginning the students, all members of their home schools’ student councils, watched a film on how “Kids Against Hunger” works to stem hunger internationally.

“It is a worthwhile program and we were proud to be the host for this year’s food packaging event,” said Ms. Hollie Marcola, high school guidance secretary at Lapeer West. “Our students appreciated the opportunity to be part of this community service project.”

To see more photos go to the District photo gallery.

Three Lapeer East 8th graders capture top prizes in Farm Bureau essay contest

Three Lapeer East High School students won first, second and third prize in the Farm Bureau Insurance 41st Annual America & Me Essay Contest.

Katelyn Hom won the first place essay, Katielynn Long was second and Jordan Gettel was third in the contest. All received certificates for their achievement. All the students are in eighth grade.

Katelyn’s name will also be engraved on a plaque to be displayed at the school and her essay will move to the Statewide competition.

Students who place in the top ten in Michigan receive a plaque, a medallion and a $1,000 cash award.

The topic of this year’s essay contest was “My Personal Michigan Hero.” Lapeer East’s participation in the contest was sponsored by Farm Bureau Insurance agent Craig VanNorman, of Lapeer.

Several thousand eighth grade students from nearly 500 Michigan schools participated in the 2009-2010 contest.

Started in 1968, the contest is open to all Michigan eighth grade students and encourages Michigan youngsters to explore their roles in America’s future. Farm Bureau Insurance has earned 11 national awards from the Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge for its sponsorship of the essay contest.

"Eddie West" concert at Country Club set to help Lapeer High School Drama Club

Eddie West, a music group mainly made up of Lapeer West current and former teachers and their families, will perform its musical magic in support of The Lapeer High School Drama Club at the Lapeer Country Club, 3786 Hunt Road, from 7:30-11 p.m. Saturday, May 22.

Tickets are $10. A light food menu will be offered and the Country Club has a cash bar. There will also be prize drawings.

Students will be selling tickets at the May 7-9 performances of “Little Shop of Horrors” in the Lapeer East High School Auditorium.

Tickets are also available in the offices at Lapeer East and Lapeer West High Schools and will also be sold at the door on the night of the performance.

Money raised at the event will go to fund future sets and productions of the combined theater arts students at Lapeer East and Lapeer West High School.

Lapeer Police Officer Larry Taylor talks safety to Turrill Elementary students

Students in four classes at Turrill Elementary School are learning about safety from someone who deals with safety issues as part of his job, Lapeer Police Officer Larry Taylor.

Officer Taylor talks to students weekly about various safety areas that directly impact on children.

This week, Officer Taylor talked to the first/second grade split class of Mrs. Hayden, the second grade class of Mr. Mark Estelle, the fourth grade classes of Mrs. Lisa Gonzales and Ms. Aneta Lawrence, about Internet safety.

The officer also handed out copies of his “Police Officer” trading card.

Deadline extended for two scholarships

The Lapeer County Community Foundation is extending the deadline for its Ronald C. Warner Scholarship and the Irma Gelhausen Scholarship to Friday, May 7, 2010.

The Warner Scholarship Fund, named for long-time local educator Ronald C. Warner, was established in 2008 to assist students in pursuing a career in agriculture or education. The student must be a resident of Lapeer County and in his or her third or more year of study with a cumulative GPA of 2.4 or higher. Annual award: $1,000.00

The Irma Gelhausen Scholarship, also named for a long-time local educator, is awarded to students pursuing a career in elementary or secondary education. The student must be a resident of Lapeer County, in his or her third or more year of study with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher. Annual award: $1,000.00

More information and applications can be found on our website at www.lapeercommunityfoundation.org or by calling the Lapeer County Community Foundation at (810) 664-0691.

Host families needed for French, Spanish students visiting Lapeer this summer

Want a summer you and a foreign student will never forget? Host families are needed for Spanish and French students traveling to Lapeer this summer as part of a summer foreign exchange program.

French students will be here from July 7-30 and Spanish students will be here from June 26-31.

The exchange students all speak English well and are looking for an opportunity to stay with an American family and improve their language skills.

Students from Spain are: Maria Medrano, 17, who likes basketball, dancing, movies, being with friends, reading, snow ski, horses and hiking; Ana Palacios,17, who likes basketball, swimming, computers, being with friends and music; Susana de la Rosa, 17, a fan of swimming, windsurfing, computers, dancing, movies, being with friends and music; and Carlota Izuierdo, 17, who likes basketball, movies, being with friends, reading and music.

Students from France are: Pierre Desflaches,17, who likes bicycling, camping, swimming, music, ice skating, soccer and tennis; Lucas Bernard, 16, a fan of basketball, plays guitar and languages;
Tudal Legrand, 17, an enthusiast of fishing, hunting, going out with friends, reading, music, water skiing and swimming; and Stanislas Banaszuk, 15, who likes animals and enjoys going out with friends.

Anyone interested in participating in this exciting program is asked to contact Mrs. Jeanine LeMieux at Lapeer West at (810) 667-2423 or at jlemieux@lapeerschools.org.

Lapeer East, Lapeer West athletes honored as All-League athletes in Flint Metro League

A total of 50 Lapeer East and Lapeer West High School winter athletes were named to All-League Flint Metro League teams.

Ten of the selections were for the first team, 13 were second team picks, 3 were third team selections and the balance were honorable mention selections.

First team All-FML selections were: Competitive Cheer – Lapeer East, Meagan Lloyd; Lapeer West, Alyssa Ruhlman, Leah Seaman, Paige Smith and Crissy Wills. Swim (combined East-West) Alexander Hart (100 butterfly). Wrestling – Lapeer West, Aaron Secrest. Girls’ Basketball – Lapeer West, Marisa Liburdi. Boys’ Bowling – Lapeer West, Jeff Acton. Boys’ Basketball – Lapeer East, Payton McCallum.

Second team All-FML selections were: Hockey – Lapeer East, Jason Collins and Steve Tadazak. Competitive Cheer – Lapeer West, Katilynn Anderson and Ashley Kennard; Lapeer East, Cassie Ciaravino. Girls’ Bowling – Lapeer West, Hannah Gauthier. Boys’ Bowling – Lapeer East, Bradley Whittaker. Wrestling – Lapeer East, Isaac Joseph, Cameron Myers and Justin Green. Girls’ Basketball – Lapeer East, Cassie Diaz; Lapeer West, Lindsay Thams. Boys’ Basketball – Lapeer West, Joe Lerma.

Third team All-FML selections were: Wrestling – Lapeer West, Dean Somers and Dakota Carie. Girls’ Bowling – Lapeer West, Brie McGrath.
Honorable Mention selections were: Boys’ Basketball – Lapeer East, Anthony Hunt and Cullen Turczyn; Lapeer West, Brian McGeary and Anthony Sisson. Boys’ Bowling – Lapeer East, Cody Crump, Tyler Graham, Matthew Hitchcock and Tyler Lemieux; Lapeer West, Josh Carbone and Mike Plociniak. Girls’ Basketball – Lapeer West, Yazmin Dababneh; Lapeer East, Shelby Wagner. Girls’ Bowling – Lapeer East, Jessica Aubert, Jennifer Eskridge, Victoria Mullins, Justice Schihl and Dawn Wesley. Competitive Cheer – Lapeer East, Molly Nelson; Lapeer West, Katie Smith. Hockey – Lapeer East, Nate Herr, Spencer Hill, and Nick Pullano; Lapeer West, Patrick Chouinard, Brad Deane and Mike Fearson.

Two Lapeer West High School sports teams honored in State for classroom performance

Two Lapeer West teams were honored for performances outside of athletics.

The Lapeer West Wrestling Team was recognized by the Michigan High School Coaches Association as an Academic All-State wrestling team with a combined 3.25 grade point average. The West wrestling team is coached by Mr. Matt Nowak. A total of 14 members of the team were counted for the honor.

“Our wrestlers know that academics and team are the keys to success,” said West wrestling coach Matt Nowak.

Lapeer West’s Boys’ Basketball Team was named to the Academic All-State Honorable Mention team with a 3.396 grade point average and the 13th best grade point average among all Class A high schools in Michigan. The basketball team is coached by Mr. Andy Roberts.

Members of the West basketball team are: John Amboy, Josh Francis, Zeshawn Jones-Parker, Joe Lerma, Brian McGeary, Zach Orr, David Price, Dakota Resop, Anthony Sisson, Nate Smith and Landon Warren

"Being Academic all-state is something the players should be very proud of,” said Lapeer West basketball coach Andy Roberts. “It is a reward for their hard-work in the classroom.”

“We are proud of the work done by our students and coaches, both on the mat, court and classrooms,” said Ms. Mary Haslinger, Assistant Principal/Athletic Director at West. “We are very proud of our coaches, Andy Roberts and Matt Nowak, as well as our scholar athletes.”

East, West, Community students win honors, awards at State vocational events

Vocational students from Lapeer East, Lapeer West and Lapeer Community High School have scored well in State competitions and some of the students will compete nationally.

Lapeer East and Lapeer West High School students participating in vocational courses at the Lapeer County Intermediate School Education and Technology Center placed in 14 competitions at the Skills USA State Conference the weekend of April 16-18.

To see photos of the top winners at the Skills USA contest go to the District photo gallery.

Two students from Lapeer East, Joshua McDonald (Computer-aided Design) and Colin Hile (Culinary Arts) and one student from Lapeer West, Mark Wells (Welding and Machining) will compete at the Skills USA National Conference as a result of first place finishes at the State event.

One other East student, Corey Uren, placed first in Residential Electrical and HVAC, but will not go onto the national competition because there is no similar competition at the nationals.

Also placing at the State conference was: Lapeer East; Mollie Brennan (2nd -Culinary Arts); Steven Hoffa (2nd-Culinary Arts); Dylan Anderson (3rd-Diesel Technology); Myranda Jenks (3rd-Early Childhood); and Justin Ferguson (3rd-Electronics). Lapeer West students who placed were: Joe Gingiloski (3rd-Collision Repair); Ashlynn Balmer (2nd-Culinary Arts); Deanna Childress (2nd-Culinary Arts); Jessica Gary (3rd-Early Childhood); and Luke Woolner (Welding and Machining).

Competitions included a variety of areas within each discipline, such as events like Team Banquet and Commercial Baking within the Culinary Arts section; and Preschool Teaching Assistant and Prepared Speech in the Early Childhood area.

Students won prizes and scholarships ranging from t-shirts and pins to scholarships worth up to $17,000 at vocational institutions.

Jordan Ging, of Lapeer West, placed second in Personal Care at the Health Occupations Students of America competition at the Grand Traverse Resort last weekend and will now compete nationally at a Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort in Orlando.

Kaitlyn Brennan, of Lapeer Community High School, Cora Lenneman and Marissa Powell, of Lapeer East were part of a first place team in the floral category at the State FFA competition.

Students from East, West win high honors at FML Math/Science event at Holly High School

Performances by Lapeer East and Lapeer West math and science students added up to success at a Flint Metro League Math/Science Competition held at Holly High School on Wednesday, April, 21.

To see photos of the top finishers go to the District photo gallery.

Ten teams participated in the event with Lapeer East finishing fourth as a team and Lapeer West also exhibiting some great individual performances.

Individual students from each school won medals in math and science competitions.
Math winners from Lapeer West High School were Scott Essenmacher, junior, who placed first in Pre-Calculus and senior Brad Deane who placed third in Calculus.

At East, Kaleb Elwert placed first in Chemistry Lab; Ben Moyer placed first in Biology; Nick McHardy finished second in Physics Lab; third place finishes were scored by Brianna Banowski in Physics; Austin Johnson in Physical Science; and Aaron Moskal in Biology Lab.

East students who finished out of the medals were: fourth place; James Apfel, in Chemistry, Emily Roberts, in Algebra I; Andrew Schroeder, in Algebra II; seventh place; Lindsey Weisler in Trigonometry; eighth place; Dayton Harmon in Geometry, Tom Nichols in Statistics, Michael Puskar in Calculus; ninth place; Alexis Nichols in Pre-Calculus.

Board of Education candidate forum set for Tuesday, April 27 at Metamora Masons Hall

Learn more about candidates running for the Lapeer Community Schools Board of Education at a forum at 6:30 p.m., Tuesday, April 27 at the Metamora Masons Hall, 32 High Street in Metamora. Audience members can submit questions for the three candidates running for the Board of Education at the forum. The event is sponsored by the Lapeer County Tea Party Patriots and hosted by the Metamora Masons.

Michigan State Police inspection results in clean bill of health for District bus fleet

It’s not just students getting good grades at Lapeer Community Schools.

A recent Michigan State Police inspection of 63 District school buses resulted in a pass rate of 99.999 percent. Four new buses were inspected prior to arrival here two months ago and did not require inspections.

Inspectors check more than 200 items on each bus and at the end of the inspection only three red tag items were found in the entire fleet. Those three red tags were addressed, re-inspected and buses approved for the road the same day they were issued.

It’s a pass rate 50 percent better than the three previous annual inspections.

“Brian Colosky, Mike Bastien, Paul Downey and Chad Wideman combine their efforts to keep our fleet in great shape all year long so we don’t have to struggle to bring the buses up to standard when inspection takes place,” said Jerry Podzikowski, Director of Transportation. “Of course, the number one reason we work diligently on our buses is for the safety of our students and drivers.”

Lapeer school buses average about 5,500 miles per day and more than 1 million miles per year in service. Lapeer is one of the largest geographic school districts in Michigan and often travel over unimproved roads.

Lapeeer East 2009 yearbook staff and advisers honored for excellence

Lapeer East’s High School’s 2009 yearbook – “The Aerie” – was recognized for excellence and featured in the 2010 “Gotcha Covered Look Book, Volume 8.”

“The Aerie” was one of only 518 yearbooks selected from more than 3,000 submitted to a panel of judges that included nationally recognized scholastic journalism professionals and award-winning yearbook advisers.

The “Gotcha Covered Look Book” features the extraordinary work of yearbook staffs and advisers from around the world and is a popular resource for yearbook advisers and staffs seeking creative design and coverage ideas, trends and inspiration.

The Aerie was created by 50 students under the direction, of Ann Owen and Jan McKeachie, the Lapeer East yearbook advisers.

“Yearbook staffers exemplify the incredible design, photography and journalistic talents of today’s students and their ability to capture once-in-a-lifetime stories that will be relished for generations,” said Gary Lundgren, Jostens senior program manager/education. “The yearbooks chosen for Jostens’ 2010 Gotcha Covered Look Book reflect the sophistication and relevance of yearbook programs and demonstrate why yearbooks remain so popular among students as a means to capture and share their school experiences and traditions.”

Ann Owen and Jan McKeachie and their yearbook staff received a copy of Jostens’ “2010 Gotcha Covered Look Book” and certificate from Jostens to recognize their outstanding achievement.

“We plan to continue the excellent work of the yearbook staffs who came before us,” said Laura Matthews, the current East yearbook adviser.

Turrill Elementary School students work together to raise funds for endangered animals

A group of Turrill Elementary School students held fund raisers recently and collected $300 for the American Association of Zoo Keepers for the preservation of endangered animals.

Students in Mrs. Cheryl Roy’s fifth grade class and Mrs. Phyllis Van Horn’s split fifth and sixth grade class held a two-day bake sale, a stuffed animal day and an East/West Day to raise the money.

“I’m proud of all the students for taking an active interest in such an important issue and raising money for it,” said Mrs. Roy.

According to AAZK’s website, the organization “supports the promotion and implementation of zookeeper education and strives to make the general public aware of our concern for all deserving conservation projects and the need for the preservation of our natural resources and the species that depend on those resources.”

Applications accepted for 5th Annual Lapeer Community Schools Distinguished Alumni Award

Do you know a Lapeer Community Schools high school alumnus worthy of induction in the Distinguished Alumni Hall of Honor?

Nominations for candidates for the fifth annual Lapeer Community Schools Distinguished Alumni Award program are still being accepted for the fall induction program.

The Distinguished Alumni Award program is sponsored by the District and the Lapeer High School Alumni Association.

To be eligible for the award, a person, living or dead, must have graduated from the Lapeer Community Schools at least ten years ago and be noted in his or her field of endeavor or recognized for expertise and good works.

The person must be considered a role model for youth and demonstrated positive leadership and outstanding achievement, service or contributions to society. Honorees will attend the Distinguished Alumni Induction Ceremony scheduled for 3 p.m. Sunday, November 7, 2010 in the Lapeer East High School Auditorium.

Four previous classes of Distinguished Alumni Award winners included pillars of the education community; a U.S. Navy Blue Angels pilot and other distinguished military men and women; local business owners and executives, a women’s basketball team head coach, a former high altitude balloon test pilot killed testing flight suit equipment for the new astronaut program in the 1960s and a police chief, among others.

Applications are available in District buildings or by calling Mary Linn Voss at (810) 538-1634.
Deadline for applications is Friday, May 7, 2010.

Lapeer High School Drama Club brings "Little Shop of Horrors" to East stage

A man-eating plant intent on ruling the world may sound like an old science fiction movie, but it’s actually the star of this Broadway musical, “Little Shop of Horrors.”

The Lapeer High School Drama Club will present “Little Shop of Horrors” at the Lapeer East Auditorium at 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, May 7th and 8th and 2 p.m. on Sunday, May 9th. Tickets are $8 for adults and $5 for students, seniors, and children.

The Lapeer High School production is directed by Jennifer DeWitt and Bill Spruytte, who have co-directed for the past two years. Student assistant director is Kyle Schmude. “Little Shop of Horrors” features fantastic music by Howard Ashman and Alan Menken, the same duo that created “Beauty and the Beast” and “The Little Mermaid” for Disney.

However, make no mistake; “Little Shop of Horrors” is not exactly Disney. The Lapeer High School version of this production carries a PG-13 rating.

Timid, Seymour Krelbourn discovers an exotic plant with a strange appetite for blood and brings it to the florist shop where he works. As the plant begins to grow quickly, so does its hunger for human flesh and blood. Seymour, who is secretly in love with his co-worker Audrey, names the plant Audrey II and strikes up a deal to feed the plant (flesh and blood) in exchange for fame and fortune.

The Lapeer High School production features Matt Schneider as Seymour. Audrey is played by Wei Li Crawford. Audrey II is voiced by Kevin Roach. Orin, Audrey’s sadistic boyfriend, is played by Lucas Cosens. Dylan Dahring plays the role of Mushnik, Seymour’s boss. Audrey II’s backup singers are played by Monique Morris, Leyna Burel, and Liz Smith. Rounding out the cast are, Brandon Turcott, Paul Eastman, Victoria Mullins, and Miranda Sanborn as Skid Row residents.

Music Director for the show is Cheryl Burnside, Ben Motter is technical director, and Becky Prohaska is choreographer.

Lapeer East's Payton McCallum recognized by Kiwanis Club as a stand-out student-athlete

Payton McCallum, a stand-out student athlete at Lapeer East High School, was named “Donald B. Sark Student-Athlete of the Month” for April by the Kiwanis Club of Flint.

Photo caption (left to right) East varsity head coach Jake Weingartz, Payton McCallum, Joe Hensel, varsity football assistant defensive coordinator coach.

Payton will be honored at a Kiwanis Club meeting later this month.

In his senior year, Payton was captain of both his varsity football and basketball teams and achieved a number of Flint Metro League honors, including First Team All-League and scholar athlete in both sports. He was also named to the “Lapeer County Dream Team” in both sports.

He was honored as Team co-Most Valuable Player in football and Most Valuable Player in basketball in 2009-2010.

In basketball this year he led his team in scoring, rebounding, free throws attempted and made.

Payton carries a 3.3 grade point average and has been a member of the National Honor Society since his junior year. Payton also volunteers with the Lapeer County Historical Society, assists with Sunday School at his church and is a volunteer coach for an elementary school flag football team.

Payton signed a National Letter of Intent to play football at Grand Valley State University as a scholarship athlete and is planning on majoring in engineering or pharmacy.

“Payton is the epitome of a student-athlete,” said Ms. Sharon Miller, East’s athletic director. “He excels both on the field, court and in the classroom. We are proud to have Payton represent Lapeer East.”

Robotics teams at Lapeer West, Lapeer East wrap up successful seasons

The robotics teams at Lapeer West and Lapeer East high schools are looking to the future after lessons learned during productive seasons and competitions this year.

East Robotics had a positive season and put together powerful sponsorship support with CCS Robotics, Cypress Securities and PNC Bank (formally National City Bank). Many other community businesses also provided financial support to the team through this season.

The team competed at Kettering University and while it did not finish high enough to qualify for the State Championship this year, the team is pleased with its progress and looks forward to the State Championship next year, said Lapeer East teacher and Robotics Team Mentor George Mavis. Student involvement has grown and student interest in the team is rising.

The team also has developed alliances with other robotics teams across the state, which is helping to advance East’s program and to achieve its goals for student learning in the First Robotics Competitions and Programs.

The team, which makes presentations about its robot to community groups throughout the year, finished 109th of all the teams in Michigan.

The Lapeer West Chrome Panthers Robotics team finished 91st of the 136 teams in Michigan despite several obstacles this season, said Cory Gutenschwager, Instructor of Industrial Technology & Head Robotics Mentor at Lapeer West.

This year’s team was comprised of Gutenschwager and 18 West students. The team completed its build without any help from outside mentors or parents. The team also experienced a huge material delay for three of the six-week build period, when it tried to order the Mecanum wheels – which move in any direction -- on which its design was based. The students were adamant they would wait for them to become available.

The first competition in week one offered a lot of observation of other teams’ machines, prompting West to realize it needed to adapt its machine and strategy to be competitive at its next competition at Troy Athens High School.

During that competition, the team was chosen during alliance selection to play in the final rounds for the first time and proved it was a versatile asset to any alliance -- a team of three robots -- whether it needed a good defender or a machine to complete a goal.

One of West’s toughest challenges was to program a 15-second autonomous mode to stop an opponent, who turned out to be the event winner, in match 80. Although West didn’t win that match, the team achieved its goal and ruined its opponent’s strategy with the help of an alliance partner. During the selection process, West was asked to join the Troy Athens Hammerheads and The Mech Warriors from Brother Rice. With that alliance, West passed through the quarter finals into the semi finals before suffering a 10-7 loss against another.

The Troy event has some of the toughest competition possible when it comes to robotics – one of them will be the national winner after the Atlanta, GA event.

To view all the State of Michigan team ranks:

http://www.firstinmichigan.org/staticpages/index.php?page=2010_Results_Overall

To learn more about the West Chrome Panthers Team or to watch one of its matches go to:

www.chromepanthers.com

District recognizes five employees for exemplary service to students, staff

Five employees of the Lapeer Community Schools have been honored for their exemplary service to students and the district with Distinguished Service and Distinguished Educator awards.

Superintendent Debbie Thompson announced the awards during the regular Board of Education meeting on April 1, 2010 at the Administration & Services Center.

The awards are given to “non-certified support staff and administrative staff for exemplary job skills, high personal qualities and dedicated service to the District,” according to District officials.

Karen Rowden, secretary to the Board of Education and administrative assistant to the superintendent, was recognized with the Distinguished Service Award. Mrs. Rowden has held the position for eight years but has been with Lapeer Schools for 24 years, starting as a Media Para Pro and serving as a secretary in several departments before moving into her current role.

The Distinguished Service Award recognizes a recipient’s relationship with students and staff, exemplary representation of the District within the community, consistently excellent work performance and integrity and concern for fellow employees.

The District also honored four people with Distinguished Educator Awards. These honor the recipients for their ability to relate to and inspire students, creativity in teaching, genuine concern for students and exemplary dedication and integrity. The recipients of these awards are:

• Steve Kern, a Lapeer West High School business teacher. He has been with the District for 26 years, with 13 years in his current role. He also has been a teacher at Lapeer East High School and Zemmer and White junior high schools.

• Lisa Loachridge, a Seaton Elementary School fifth-grade ELA, science and math teacher. She has been with Lapeer for 16 years, with 12 years in her current position. She previously taught Special Education at Seaton.

• Janis McKeachie, a Lapeer East High School English teacher. She has been with the district for 26 years, with 19 in her current job. She also has taught English with the Lapeer Adult Education and Spanish and English at White and Zemmer junior high schools and East and West high schools.

• Greg Piontkowski, a District school psychologist who has been with Lapeer for 15 years and has spent a total of 30 years in education.

A committee comprised of one member each from the AFSCME, Central Office Administration, L.E.S.P., LSDAA, LTA and SEIU – Cafeteria, selects recipients of the Distinguished Service Award. A committee of eight educators and three administrators selects recipients of the Distinguished Educator Award. Recipients are selected from nominations made by District staff.

Superintendent Debbie Thompson praised by school leaders in annual evaluation

Superintendent Debbie Thompson has provided strong leadership as the Lapeer Community Schools face tough economic times, the Board of Education said.

The Board praised the Superintendent as it presented the results of her annual evaluation during the regular board meeting on Thursday, April 1, 2010 at the Administration & Services Center.

As a result of the evaluation, the Personnel Committee will recommend to the full Board that Mrs. Thompson’s contract be extended another year.

The Board evaluated the Superintendent based on anonymous input from school principals, union leaders, the Central Office Leadership Team and individual Board of Education members.

“After careful analysis of all of the input from the individuals referenced above, I am pleased to announce that Mrs. Thompson has again received high marks in virtually all aspects of her evaluation,” Board President William Laidlaw said as he presented the results of the evaluation. “Thank you, Mrs. Thompson, for continuing to provide the kind of leadership that was again so favorably acknowledged by your peers and contemporaries at all levels of the District.”

The Board of Education reviews the performance of the Superintendent each year to ensure a consistent assessment and maintain accountability.

“I would again like to extend a hand of thanks and praise to each of the bargaining units, members of the administrative staff, principals and fellow Board of Education members for having participated in this necessary and worthwhile process, in this, one of this District’s most challenging and difficult years,” Mr. Laidlaw said.

Zemmer Middle School construction update - March 2010

We've been back over to visit the ongoing construction work at the future Zemmer Middle School. Work is progressing on schedule for a fall 2010 opening. If you'd like to peek over our shoulder at the work go to the District photo gallery for a few more photos.

Photo at right shows a completed skylight in one of the new classroom wings.

Mayfield second-grade students present Billy Goat Gruff play to residents of Suncrest

Students from Mrs. Nancy Lamphere's second-grade class at Mayfield brought their "Billy Goat Gruff Goes Calypso" play to the senior citizens at the Lapeer County Medical Care Facility or as everyone calls it, Suncrest.

The classic tale included some wonderful singing and dancing by the students in a "calypso" style.

Residents enjoyed the play and especially enjoyed the hugs that came after the play. To see a few more photos of the event go to the District photo gallery.

Preschool Round Up set for April 14, info on several programs set for preschoolers

Parents of children 3 and 4-years-old will have an opportunity to talk to teachers and register for Head Start, the Great Start Readiness Program and tuition-based preschool at Lapeer Preschool Round Up on Wednesday, April 14 from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the Rolland-Warner Middle School Cafetorium, 333 DeMille Boulevard in Lapeer.

Teachers and staff will help guide parents through the registration process at the event.

Parents will need the following documents to register children for any of the programs: Birth certificate; immunization records; income verification and proof of residency.

People attending the Round Up are advised to enter the school from DeMille Boulevard, park in the events parking lot and enter through the events entrance of Rolland-Warner Middle School.

For further information on Head Start call Jane Hoover at (810) 245-1206. For information on the Great Start Readiness Program on Lapeer Community School’s Preschool call Bobbie Jo Pins at (810) 667-2454.

Kindergarten Round Up serves up info, fun

Kindergarten Round Up is always a special time at Lapeer Community Schools. It's the first day of a great educational adventure for Lapeer children. The Round Up started Wednesday, March 24 and concluded on Thursday, March 25.

In addition to registering for school next fall, the youngsters were treated to information on lunches, services from area child advocacy agencies, such as the Family Literacy Center, and each child went home with a new balloon.

And anyone who wanted to got their first ride on a real school bus.

See you in the fall!

To see more photos go to the District photo gallery.

'Mary Todd Lincoln' visits West students

Mary Todd Lincoln, the wife of Abraham Lincoln, came to life for Lapeer West students in the person of Mrs. Marie Papciak, a former elementary school library-media specialist, brought her "Women Who Changed America" portrayal to Lapeer West High School on Wednesday, May 24.

She also portrayed Susan B. Anthony, an early advocate for voting rights for women.

Students from Mrs. Amy Ostrander's Women's Studies class and Mr. Bill Anderson's Advanced Placement English 11 class were in the West Library and Media Center for the presentation.

More photos of the event are available at the District's photo gallery.

Lapeer West to host "Kids Against Hunger" food community service program on April 27

The Flint Metro League Student Council’s will host “Kids Against Hunger” at Lapeer West High School on Tuesday, April 27.

Students from all ten Flint Metro League schools, including Lapeer East High School, will be on hand to help package highly nutritious meals for area food banks.

It is anticipated that the students will pack 10,000 meals from 9-10 a.m. in the West gym that day.

“This is a worthwhile event that involves our students in a positive community service project,” said Hollie Marcola, counseling secretary and advisor to the Lapeer West Student Council.

Lynch, Seaton Elementary Problem Solving competitors head for MSU event April 17

Two teams of students from Lynch Elementary and four teams from Seaton Elementary School and several alternates have been invited to participate in the annual Michigan Future Problem Solving Program State Bowl at Michigan State University in East Lansing on Saturday, April 17 and Sunday, April 18.

The Lapeer elementary school team will compete with members of 92 of the top teams Michigan.

Lynch team members, Alicia Birkenhauer, Alexis Mosher, Trey Lubonski, Jacob Schlaud, Allison Johnson, Anastasia Mausolf, Rachel Compton Megan Bopra, with alternates, Abby Horning, Steven Romolino, Paul Ankley, and Shelby Metzger, and Seaton team members, Sam Boddy, James Felton, Sierra Wineman, Brittney Potter, Nicole Tomczyk, Carley Heathcock, Sarah Ridenour, Kara Daniels, Hannah Somerville, Jocelyn Jones, Matthew Brey, Zachary Fritz, Brooklyn Withey, Olivia Card, Greg Schabel, and Katie Sinka, with alternate, Lauren Barber, and their coach, Stephen Larzelere-Kellermann travel to MSU.

The State Bowl is the culmination of a yearlong program where students are taught to creatively seek, attack, and solve problems related to projections into the future. An estimated 1,000 Michigan students worked on three problems during the 2009-2010 school year – Invasive Species, Sensory Overload, and Orphaned Children, which were scored and critiqued by trained evaluators.

Based on the third problem, 92 of Michigan FPSP’s teams across three grade divisions (4-6, 7-9, and 10-12) have been invited to participate in the State Bowl. While teams know the general topic of this year’s Bowl – Food Distribution – they will not know the specific nature of the problem they will attempt to solve until the Bowl begins.

Solutions will be evaluated on clearly established criteria, and the top five teams from each division will receive trophies. State Champions will also be invited to represent Michigan at the 2010 International FPS Conference at the University of Wisconsin in LaCross in May. In the past years, Michigan participants have won 25 championships at the International Conference.

Spring recess office hours announced

Office hours for Administration and Service Center employees working during Spring Recess will by 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, April 6, 7, 8 and 9.

The office will be closed on Friday, April 2 and Monday, April 5.

Regular office hours, 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. will resume on Monday, April 12 with the resumption of classes.

Lapeer West High School teachers honored at MEA state art show in East Lansing recently

Current Lapeer West art and industrial arts teachers and a retired West art teacher were honored by having art work selected for the Michigan Education Association Art Show.

Selected for the show was a photograph (left) taken by Mrs. Julie Fernandez; a wood sculpture and papier mache sculpture created by Mr. Jeff Bolzman (right, below); a wooden sculpted plate by Mr. Steve Hilgendorf and a sculptural piece of glass, metal and wood titled “Balance” by retired art teacher Jeanine Smith.

Only 79 art pieces from around Michigan were selected for the show.

Mrs. Fernandez was further honored by having her photograph selected as a “Purchase Award,” putting it in the top tier of the awards at the show.

To see more teacher art go to the photo gallery.

“Having a piece selected for the show is a nice honor, having one selected for purchased by the MEA is an even higher honor,” said Mr. Bolzman. “We all congratulate Julie on her work.”

Lapeer West High School 8th graders finish high in 2010 Delta College Math Competition

Two Lapeer West 8th graders competed in the 2010 Delta College Math Competition held Saturday, March 20 and both finished among the top contestants. A total of 126 8th graders from around the State competed in the event.

Travis Lusigna finished tied for 23rd in the competition which earned him a medal. Cole Heathcock finished tied for 24th, just out of the medals.

Lapeer West students score well at District 5 Regional Science Olympiad held at Mott

Lapeer West High School’s Science Olympiad team finished 5th overall in the District 5 Regional competition held at Mott Community College on Saturday, March 20. There are 26 teams in Region 5.

A number of West team members had outstanding results, including an overall first place finish by Patrick Martindale and Scott Essenmacher with their mousetrap car. Josh Francis and Rebecca Francis had a first place finish in the Technical Problem Solving event.

At least one medal was earned by each of the team’s members, Ana Tkach, Carson Phillips, Pat Chouinard, Gina Cavanaugh, Thomas Goslin, Brandon Jakeway, David Pless and Kevin Roach in the competition.

Lapeer West High School creative writing class produces book of student work

Students in Lapeer West teacher Dawn Summerlee’s Creative Writing Class receive more than just a grade at the end of each trimester, they end up with a book with the best of the class’s collective works.

The current volume, “Writing from Inside,” includes art work and each student’s favorite poem and short story from the winter trimester.

The books have proven popular with students and a little extra incentive to put in a little extra effort.

“This class challenged me to write in a different way, it challenged me to think in a different way,” said Micah Corlew, a West student who recently took the class. “I developed a few writing skills in that period, but more importantly, I developed character. The best part is the end-of-the-trimester anthology. I hope to see this class offered again and again for years to come. It was one of my best high school experiences.”

Three students, Gabby Koerner, Grace Koerner and Jade Cremer produced a short, emotional video on Haiti for their final exam.

Previous volumes include, “Write from the heart,’” and “All Writes Reserved.”

Murphy Elementary set to "Tee Off for Technology" at annual golf scramble in May

Spring and warmer temperatures signal that it’s time for the 2010 Murphy Elementary School’s 9th Annual Tee-Off For Technology Golf Scramble.

Teams and sponsors are being sought to compete in the event on Saturday, May 8 at the Lapeer Country Club. Early registration is suggested as the event usually ends up with a waiting list. Registration begins at 7:30 a.m. with an 8 a.m. shotgun start.

Last year’s outing enabled the school to purchase online programs for students, helped fund the summer school program, updated Murphy’s studio equipment and allowed the school to continue to purchase age appropriate software to complement curriculum.

Funds from this year’s event will be used to support technology and literacy programs.
There will be plenty of prizes, both on and off the course. Cost of golfing is $75 per person or $300 a team. The price includes 18 holes of golf with a cart, coffee and donuts, a steak dinner and a t-shirt.

Prizes include first and second place money, a Vegas hole, a hole-in-one prize, Skins game, longest drives, closest to the pins, 50/50 raffle and raffles for several great golf courses and other door prizes.

Non-golfers are invited for lunch for $15, or buy a t-shirt for $10. A wide variety of sponsorships are available.

For more information or to receive a registration or sponsor form, call Debbie Bridges at (810) 441-3023, the school at (810) 678-2201 or go to the school’s website for more information, www.lapeerschools.org/murphy.

Lapeer East, Lapeer West choirs 'excellent' at District 3 Choral Festival at FIM, head to State Choral Festival

Two choirs at Lapeer West High School and the Lapeer East Concert Choir received “excellent” ratings at the District 3 Choral Festival at the Flint Institute of Music on Wednesday, March 3 and qualified to sing at the State Choral Festival.

A Lapeer West student, David Smith (photo), who sings with the Lapeer East choir, has advanced from his performance at the State Honors Choir in January to the All-State Choir and a performance at the Michigan Youth Arts Festival in May conducted by the nationally-known conductor, Craig Jessop.

“This is the second time David has been chosen for this honor,” said teacher Mrs. Cheryl Burnside, who conducts the East choirs. “Our students, both East and West, wonderfully represent Lapeer. They are not only ‘excellent’ choirs, but are also very courteous and well-mannered when they visit other schools.”

The State Choir Festival will be Tuesday, April 27, at Rochester High School.

The Lapeer West Mixed Choir and the Lapeer West Concert Choir both received the “excellent” ratings. The Lapeer West Treble Choir also performed and received a “good” rating.

“I’m proud of the students and all the work they put into the choirs,” said Lapeer West teacher Mr. Thomas Kaiser, who conducts the West choirs.

Coach Mandy hopes to expand after school running program to all elementary schools

Successful after school Running Clubs at Murphy and Mayfield Elementary Schools may be expanded to all District elementary schools in 2010-2011.

Currently at Murphy, 61 students participate in the program, which started in October and meets after school each Thursday. The Mayfield program meets on Wednesday and currently has 52 students signed up for its program.

On nice days at both schools, the running is done on a track behind the school and on more inclement days, students run in the front parking lot under adult supervision.

The running program is coordinated by Ms. Mandy Jo Rindhage, who has children at Murphy and Lapeer West.

“I would like to expand the running clubs to all of the Lapeer elementary and middle schools for the 2010-2011 school year,” said Coach Mandy. “With only five days a week and nine buildings, I’m going to need some help.”

Volunteers are being sought to help start programs at all the buildings. To receive more information or to help start a running club at a school, contact Coach Mandy at (810) 449-8340 or at mandyjo@fitnessbymandyjo.com. There will be a small charge for these programs.

A free summer running program will start on June 16. An exact time has not yet been determined but options are for a 4 p.m., 4:30 p.m., 5, 5:30 p.m., 6 p.m. or 6:30 p.m. start time.

The summer running club is open to all students entering kindergarten through 8th grade for the 2010-2011 school year. All District students are invited to this free program.

For information on the summer running club contact Coach Mandy.

Statement on a December incident at Lapeer East High School

Lapeer Community Schools was notified on March 19 that a court prohibition preventing four students involved in a December after-school incident at Lapeer East High School from attending classes at the school was lifted.

While the District cannot, and will not, discuss specific student discipline due to Federal law, the District has been notified that no felony charges, no assault charges and no charges related to sexual misconduct have been issued in relation to these students.

Because of the federal law, the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), the District will not release any additional information.