Rolland-Warner CC course gets groomed

This parent smoothes out the ruts at Rolland-Warner

A few twisted ankles on the new Rolland-Warner Cross Country Course prompted Mike McClellan to take action.



He brought his Bobcat skidsteer to school Oct. 11 and spent the day working over the Cross Country course with a Harley power rake to get rid of all of the bumps and gullies along the 2-mile course that winds through the woods behind the school. He also sewed a little grass seed to prevent erosion and to help keep the course in shape in the future.

Math teacher Wyatt Stevens and science teacher Anne Prill coach the all-new cross country team. They explain that the power rake chewed up the top couple of inches to remove the ruts and bumps so that students weren't twisting their ankles any more. “We had multiple students down with injuries earlier in the season,” said Stevens.

“We really appreciate Mr. McClellan’s help. It’s made a huge difference in the course,” said Prill.

McClellan’s daughter Meghan is an 8th grader and a member of the R-W Cross Country team. Mike McClellan, the owner of M&M Construction in Attica, said he was happy to put in the volunteer effort to make things better for the 33-member team.


This is the first-ever season for Cross Country at the middle school, so many team members are setting new course records in almost every home meet. So far this year, the girls team has compiled an impressive 4-1 record. The boys stand at 1-4.

With the course improvements, the coaches say R-W hopes to be able to host invitational meets in the future, bringing in competitors from all over the Metro League.

Cutlines:
Mike McClellan (the guy near the left with the hat) gets a thumbs up for his efforts from the Rolland-Warner Cross Country team.
The all-new Cross Country team at Rolland Warner Middle School includes 33 runners in 7th and 8th grade.

Haunted Hallways this Saturday and Sunday at West

The Lapeer West Key Club will be sponsoring its annual Haunted Hallways located at the North entrance of Lapeer West High School.

The dates are Saturday and Sunday, October 23rd and 24th, from 9 am to 4pm. All ages are welcome, and the cost is $2 per person.

All proceeds will go to UNICEF.

Turrill Kids’ Boutique

Turrill Elementary School will host a “Kids’ Boutique” during parent-teacher conferences October 26 and 28.

The “Kids’ Boutique” will be a place to come in and shop for gently-used children’s clothing. Families can stop on the night of their children’s conference and shop for the clothing items their children need. The best part will be that the shopping is FREE!

Here is how the Kids’ Boutique will work: Clean out your closets and donate clean, gently-used children’s clothing. Bring the clothes to Turrill this week (through Friday, October 22).

The school is also looking for a number of parents who would be willing to help sort the clothing and set up on Monday, October 25th and to staff the boutique during conferences. The boutique will be open the night of conferences, October 26 and 28 from 3:15-4:15 pm and again from 5-7:30 pm for Turrill families to shop for items that their children need.

For details or to volunteer, please contact Kids’ Boutique Coordinator Cheryl Smith, Turrill Title 1 Teacher /Interventionist, at 810-667-2418.

Lapeer East girls will ‘Volley for A Cure’

Once again the Lapeer East Volleyball team is hosting a “Volley For A Cure” match against Linden on Tuesday, October 19th, at Lapeer East High School. The game tips off at 7 pm.


This year the team will donate the money to the charities of their wishes: two families that had daughters play on the Lapeer East volleyball team.

Jessica Knapp’s mother, Kathy, lost her battle to breast cancer this past June. Evie, Kari, and Lisa Dinsmore’s dad, Steve, lost his battle to stomach cancer this past August. At the game the team will honor both families and the memory of each of their parents.

Sponsors of the fundraiser include Dr. Aaron Fisher, DDS, Dr. Albert Smith Jr. and family, Dr. John Yap, Lapeer Medical Associates, Mott Community College, Ray C’s and Speedy Screen Printing.

Volleyball team members will sell T-shirts for $10.00 each to raise funds for this occasion.

Sign-up underway for popular Super Babysitter class

The popular Super Babysitter class will be offered next month by the Lapeer Community Schools Enrichment Program in a two-session program for students 12 and older.

Instructor Gloria Sherman and super sitter students, both boys and girls age 12 and older, discuss important safety issues and first aid, nutritious snacks, diapering, bottle preparation, and fun-filled games in this two-week course.

Helpful tips include advertising techniques and how to determine what wage to charge.
The two-week class runs Monday Nov. 1 and 8 from 6:30 to 8 pm at a city school location.

The fee for the class is $20, or 2 students for $30, and it includes a Certificate of
Completion.

For more information or to register by phone, please contact the Enrichment Office at 810-538-1622.

Lapeer Schools breakfast program is a winner

Lapeer Community Schools have been honored with a silver award in the State of Michigan Breakfast Challenge for significantly increasing participation in the District’s breakfast program in 2010.


The silver award brings with it a $2,500 cash prize that will be reinvested in the Lapeer Community Schools breakfast program. The award was handed out by State School Superintendent Mike Flanagan at the September Michigan Association of School Administrator’s Fall Conference in Traverse City.

District officials honored the LCS Food Services staff for its winning ways at its Oct. 7 meeting of the Lapeer Community Schools Board of Education.

“The goal of the program was to increase school breakfast participation by 50%,” said Dining Services Director Scott Smith. “This past school year we increased participation by 64%, which according to the Michigan Department of Education was ‘way up there.’” Twelve school districts earned awards this year for increasing participation in the school breakfast program: 4 overall champions (2-year-awards), 4 gold awards and 4 silver awards.

The Superintendent’s Breakfast Challenge is sponsored by the United Dairy Industry of Michigan. Over the past two years, 206 school districts met Flanagan’s challenge. The 52,145,702 school breakfasts served statewide during the 2009-10 school year marked a 30% increase from the 2007-08 school year.

The school breakfast program is important because research shows that students who eat a healthy breakfast improve their academic achievement, have fewer health issues, behave better in class and are more attentive.

Photo cutline: On hand for the presentation were (from left) Lapeer Community Schools Food Service Director Scott Smith, Assistant Food Services Director Jill McLaughlin, cook helper Emma Bugaski, head cooks Diane Ritter, Mary Holbrook and Jennifer Putnam; Food Services driver Steven Ritter and head cook Edie Hogan. (Photo courtesy Jeff Hogan)

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Lapeer East Girls Golf Coach is Regional Coach of the Year

Lapeer East Girls Golf Coach Steve Stearns has earned Regional Coach of the Year honors after his team finished second Oct. 7 in Regional play hosted by Lapeer West at Lapeer Country Club.


Coach Stearns has led both the girls and boys golf teams at Lapeer East for the last six years, and prior to that was the golf coach at Lapeer West for two years. The honors came from a vote of the 11 coaches whose teams participated in the Regional tournament.

This year’s second-place finish in Regional play is the best showing for the East girls golfers.
“All of the credit goes to the girls. They were the ones who won that. They made me look good by playing well,” said the coach.

“I really was surprised,” said Stearns of the honor. “I had a lot of fun watching the girls play and perform well.”

Stearns, a business and co-op teacher at East, is in his 27th year as a teacher in the Lapeer Community Schools. During that time he also has coached junior high and junior varsity football for 25 years. He is an avid golfer and spends his summers working at Devil’s Ridge golf course in Oxford.

The Lapeer East girls team shot 378 to earn a second-place finish and its first trip the State Finals. The MHSAA Girls Finals Tournament takes place on October 15-16 at Forest Akers West (MSU) in East Lansing.

Host Lapeer West girls golfers shot a 373 to earn first place in the Regional and advance to the state finals for the third year in a row.

Cutline for photo:
Coach Steve Stearns with East golfers Sierra Woodcum, Keely Turczyn, Kelsy Robinson, Meghan Gordon and Audrey Fleming.

Got a spare mini trampoline?

The Motor Moms at Maple Grove are looking for a mini trampoline. If anyone has one collecting dust in their basement that they would like to donate they can contact Julia or Brooke at Maple Grove Elementary. 810-667-2444.

Lynch PTC raises funds with Walk-A-Thon

Sunny skies greeted students at Lynch Elementary as they marched around the school playground throughout the day Monday, Oct. 4, to raise funds for the school’s PTC in the annual Lynch Walk-A-Thon.


The first students to put in their laps were kindergarteners and first graders who hit the “track” at 9 a.m. Students earned funds for the PTC programs for each lap they completed. This year’s theme was “Changing the world with each step we take.”

Parent volunteers and a crew of four helpers from Kohl’s were on hand to help out at the event. The Kohl’s volunteers also came bearing a $500 donation from the retailer.

Students in all grades, from Early-5s through fifth grade, participated in the Walk-A-Thon. The last students finished their laps at around 2 p.m. Grandparents also participated and donated $5 for the chance to put in some laps with their grandkids.
Rain on Sept. 28 postponed the Walk-A-Thon to Oct. 4.

The fundraiser is the biggest of the year at Lynch Elementary, and it helps to provide the bulk of funding for the PTC’s annual programs. The Walk-A-Thon came close to providing half of this year’s $10,000 budget.


Other sponsors of the Lynch Elementary Walk-A-Thon included: Columbiaville Flea Market, Hofman Shoes, Phil’s Tractor Repair, Delynn's Designs, Dinius Trucking, Farm House Family Eatery, Lee's Auto Repair, M3 Graphix, Tattoos At The Red Room, Use It Again Tools, Whispering Pines Adult Foster Care Home, Marz Food Service, Minkler Electric, Alaura's Portrait, Chilly Cow, Kaye Financial, Lapeer Sound Machine DJ Service, Mark Johnson Builder, Michaud Bookeeping, Outback Nails and Tanning, Performance Horses, Side Tracks Bar and Grill, Smith Refrigeration, Thorpe Animal Hospital, Wooden Nickel and Silver Screen.

All of the Lynch PTC funds raised are used in the school for a wide variety of programs, field trips and assemblies for students.

For a look at a photos from the Walk-A-Thon, go to the Lapeer Community Schools photo album at: http://picasaweb.google.com/LapeerCS/LynchElementaryWalkAThon102010#

Lapeer West and East golfers headed to State Finals

Lapeer West girls led the field at the MHSAA Regional Girls Golf Tournament Oct. 7 for the second straight year, followed by Lapeer East who finished second. Both West and East golfers qualified for a State Finals appearance.

The Regional matches were hosted by Lapeer West High School at Lapeer Country Club. West turned in a team total of 373 to finish first in the tournament.

The Panther golfers were led by Senior Kim Brown with an 86 (good for 4th place and a Personal Best), followed by Junior Haley Byard with a 93 (10th place and Personal Best). Lindsay Yateman chipped in with a 96 and Freshman Tori Carlson had a 98. Sophomore Kate Carlson shot a 107.

The Lapeer East team score of 378 earned a second-place finish and earned the team a trip to its first State Finals. The MHSAA Girls Finals Tournament takes place on October 15-16 at Forest Akers West (MSU) in East Lansing.

The Eagles were led by Seniors Keely Turczyn (84 good for 2nd place) and Kelsy Robinson (85 good for 3rd place). Sophomore’s Meghan Gordon (99) and Audrey Fleming (110) each had Personal Best scores. Freshman Sierra Woodcum shot a 115.

Standings in the Oct. 7 Regionals (top to bottom) were: Lapeer West, 373, Lapeer East 378, Swartz Creek 380; Flushing, 387; Flint Kearsley, 400; Midland Dow, 406; Alpena, 412; Clio, 415; Mt. Pleasant, 426; Bay City Western, 433; Bay City Central, 482. The top three teams, all from the Metro League, qualified for the State meet.

Buy 5 punch cards, get one free

Lapeer families who buy five Athletic Punch Cards can get the sixth one free.

The Lapeer Community Schools Board of Education approved the discount at its Oct. 7 meeting.

Athletic Punch Cards provide a 50 percent discount when purchasing tickets to athletic events in the District. Each punch card costs $25 and can be used to purchase $50 worth of admission to middle school and most high school regular-season sporting events.

Buying five passes at one time will earn the sixth one free. The “pay 5, get 6” punch card offer is available at the Operations Department in the Administration and Services Center, 250 Second St., Lapeer. For more information, contact Dawn Betz at 810-667-2401.

Change in school calendar

The Lapeer Community Schools Board of Education and the Lapeer Education Association have agreed to a change in the school calendar that moves the end of the second trimester back a week to March 11.

The calendar needed to be revised because of a change in the Michigan Merit Exam testing dates for 2010-2011. Those exams will be given on March 1, 2, and 3.

The new schedule extends the end of the second term for students to Thursday, March 10. This will move high school exams to March 8, 9 and 10. March 11 is a records day for teachers and there is no school for students. March 4 will be a regular school day for students.

Suspicious incident

Lapeer Community Schools Superintendent Debbie Thompson has sent the following letter to parents today because of a suspicious incident in the Davison area.

Dear Parents:

Today we became aware of a suspicious incident that was reported to Davison Community Schools on October 6, 2010.

Davison Schools reported an elderly man described to be in his late 60s or early 70s was seen sitting in his van observing children playing outside yesterday afternoon in the Chestnut Hills Subdivision on Oak Road, between Davison and Lapeer roads. This incident was reported to Davison Township Police by a resident of the subdivision. Davison Schools also have been in contact with local police agencies regarding this matter.

The man and his vehicle, a red Astro van with black pinstripes and ground effects, matches the description of a suspicious incident that was reported September 16, 2010 by Kearsley Community Schools. In that incident, an elderly man in his 70s was sitting in a red mini-van with black pinstripes and approached a student near a bus stop at Potter and Alcott roads, saying, "Get in. I will give you a ride."

We are committed to protecting our students and know that you, as parents, will continue to teach your children how to best protect themselves and seek assistance if necessary. Please reinforce with your children the lessons about interacting with strangers and, of course, immediately notify the police or sheriff’s deputies if you see or hear anything out of the ordinary.


Sincerely,

Debbie Thompson
Superintendent

Prosecutor Byron Konschuh offers A Warning for Parents

On September 13 Zemmer Middle School hosted Lapeer County Prosecutor Byron Konschuh and Deborah Pascoe of the Child Advocacy Center in a frank discussion with parents about a number of topics that affect adolescents, including the use of cell phones, texting and social media such as Facebook and MySpace. The discussion also outlined the legal ramifications of bullying and hazing.

West student earns National Merit honors

Lapeer West senior Aidan E. Smith has been named a Commended Student in the 2011 National Merit Scholarship Program.

A Letter of Commendation from the school and the National Merit Scholarship Corporation will be presented to Smith by Lapeer West Principal Tim Zeeman for his scholastic accomplishment.

Aidan, a senior at Lapeer West, is the son of Jennifer and Stephen Smith of Lapeer. He has a 3.98 grade point average and is a member of the Symphony, Marching and Jazz Bands at West. He also is a member of the Cross Country team and is an active member of Quiz Bowl. His plans include applying for a Marine NROTC scholarship and to study animal science at a university yet to be decided.

About 34,000 Commended students throughout the nation are being recognized for their exceptional academic promise. Although they will not continue in the 2011 competition for National Merit Scholarships, Commended students placed among the top five percent of more than 1.5 million students who entered the 2011 competition by taking the 2009 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT).

“Recognition of high-achieving students is essential to advancing educational excellence in our nation,” said a National Merit spokesperson. “As demonstrated by their outstanding performance in our highly competitive program, the young men and women named Commended Students represent some of the most academically talented students in the country. We sincerely hope this recognition will enhance their educational opportunities and encourage them in their pursuit of academic success.”

Fourth Wednesday student count

The Lapeer Community Schools reported a student head count totaling 6,113 students in the annual Fall Fourth Wednesday student count on Sept. 29.

The total represents a loss of 154 students from the Fall Fourth Wednesday count in 2009.

“The loss of students was anticipated, based on population shifts within the district and in light of an overall decline in population within the state because of the weakened economy,” said Lapeer Community Schools Superintendent Debbie Thompson.

Revenue for state public school districts is based primarily on the semi-annual student counts. A blend of the September count and a February count are used to determine the amount of state funding the district will receive for the current school year. That formula currently provides the District with $7,316 per student.

“This expected enrollment decline was already factored into the 2010-11 budget process,” Thompson said. The District’s 2010-11 budget is $52,062,330.

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20 LCS students earn AP Scholar honors

A total of 20 Lapeer Community Schools high school students have earned AP Scholar Awards in recognition of their exceptional achievement on the College Board’s Advanced Placement Exams.

The College Board recognizes several levels of achievement based on students’ performance on AP Exams.

At Lapeer West, Anastasia Tkach earned a 4.0 grade in three classes to qualify as an AP Scholar.

At Lapeer East, Nicholas McHardy qualified for the AP Scholar with Distinction Award by earning an average grade of at least 3.5 on all AP Exams taken, and grades of 3 or higher on five or more of these exams.

Four Lapeer East students qualified for the AP Scholar with Honor Award by earning an average grade of at least 3.25 on all AP Exams taken, and grades of 3 or higher on four or more of these exams. These students are Kaleb Elwert, Kyle Griffin, Aaron Moskal and Rebecca Wright.

Fourteen students at Lapeer East qualified for the AP Scholar Award by completing three or more AP Exams with grades of 3 or higher. The AP Scholars are Clayton Burke, Ashley Daniels, Joel Dewey, Jacob Lebel, Bradley McCully, Taylor McGuffie, John Nestor, Katryna Peacock, Michael Puskar, Matthew Schneider, Kathleen Sheldon, Christopher Simpson, Devin Verhulst and Caitlyn York.

Of this year’s award recipients five are juniors: Anastasia Tkach, Bradley McCully, John Nestor, Michael Puskar and Christopher Simpson. Tkach graduated at the end of her junior year, and the other four students have one more year in which to complete college-level work and possibly earn a higher-level AP Scholar Award.

The College Board’s Advanced Placement Program provides motivated and academically prepared students with the opportunity to take rigorous college-level courses while still in high school, and to earn college credit, advanced placement, or both for successful performance on the AP Exams.

Lapeer West students host Supreme Court justice

A group of about 60 Lapeer West students played host Sept. 23 to a visit by Michigan Supreme Court Justice Robert P. Young Jr.

Juniors and seniors in Criminal Justice classes were joined by sophomore Civics students as Justice Young spent an hour or more explaining the workings of the state’s court system and fielding questions about the rule of law.

Justice Young was appointed to the Supreme Court in 1999 by Gov. John Engler and is seeking re-election to the high court in the upcoming Nov. 2 general election.

The visit to Lapeer West was arranged by Metamora attorneys Mike Nolan and Tim Turkelson.

Prior to the visit, students spent time in the media center doing independent research on the state’s court structure, getting background material about Justice Young and reviewing the role of the Supreme Court in the justice system and as one of the three branches of government.

During their research students found a number of topics that interested them. “I was very proud of their efforts and ability to question policies in Michigan,” said teacher Carol Noble.

“It was wonderful to see their enthusiasm in the research process. I particularly enjoyed listening to their private discussions concerning their understanding of a ruling and its enforcement.”

“They were thinking outside of the box,” said Noble. “Because there was no major grade attached to this research, I believe that gave them the freedom to read briefs that interested them without the fear of being wrong or working for a specific grade.”

While in Lapeer, Justice Young also paid a visit to a noontime luncheon with the Senior Citizen Police Academy sponsored by the Lapeer County Sheriff’s Dept. and taped an interview with Lapeer County Prosecutor Byron Konschuh for the Lapeer County Crime Scene program, which aired Friday morning on WLCO-1530 AM.

Before-school program forming for Middle Schoolers

Kids and Company would like to offer a before-school program middle school students.
The program will be hosted at Rolland-Warner (Zemmer Middle School students will be shuttled from Rolland-Warner to Zemmer).

The cost for the program is $7 per day for child care from 6:30-9:00 a.m.

Students will be offered activities based on their interest such as games, crafts or gym activities.

We require a minimum number of 11 registered children in order to run the program. If you are interested, please call Kids & Company at (810) 667-2454 to be put on a program list.

Lapeer West 'clickers' featured on TV-25

Students at Lapeer West High School are excited about the new technology in their classroom that allows everyone to get involved.

A news team from WEYI-TV Channel 25 visited Lapeer West High School Sept. 23 to see the TurningPoint clickers in action.

TurningPoint technologies provides teachers today a way to get all students in the class involved in discussion. Mr. Richard Mayberry's biology class uses the TurningPoint clickers to answer questions in the classroom without having to deal with the embarrassment of giving the wrong answer.

The story aired at 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 23, and on Friday, Sept. 24, morning news programs.
To view the story, go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CkLhwY6KF_U

Rolland-Warner students plant pinwheels for peace

Students at Rolland-Warner Middle School were part of a worldwide celebration of the International Day of Peace on Sept. 21.

Students lined the walkway near the entrance of the school with hundreds of pinwheels to mark the event.

Pinwheels for Peace is an art installation project started in 2005 by two Art teachers, Ann Ayers and Ellen McMillan, who teach at Monarch High School in Coconut Creek, Florida, as a way for their students to express their feelings about what’s going on in the world and in their lives.


The project was quickly embraced by their students and the entire school community and by millions of art teachers, teachers, parents, children and adults who desire peace in our world.

The first Pinwheels for Peace were installed on Sept. 21, 2005. Since then, it has grown from 500,000 pinwheels planted the first year, to three million pinwheels in 2009!

Travel advisory for West football fans

Traffic heading into the Friday night (Sept. 24) Lapeer West football game at Swartz Creek will be impeded by the “Bikes to Bricks” motorcycle caravan, which is scheduled to travel down Miller Road through downtown Swartz Creek beginning at 7:00 p.m. (game time).

The caravan is expected to be 3 to 5 miles long. It begins north of I-69 and will be moving at a slow pace. Fans should plan to arrive at the game early to avoid being held up by this event.

East to host College Fair

Lapeer East High School will host its annual College Fair Wednesday, October 6, from 6:30 p.m. until 8 p.m.

More than 50 representatives from colleges, universities and technical schools will be present to answer questions regarding academic programs, admissions and financial aid. High school students and parents from the area are invited to attend.

You may call the Lapeer East Counseling Office at 810-667-2421, ext 3124, for Susan Wilmers for further information.

East Homecoming tickets on sale now

Lapeer East High School will be pre-selling football tickets for the homecoming football game which is on Friday, September 24, 2010. Tickets will be sold to the community in the Lapeer East Athletic Office from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., starting Monday, September 20, through Friday, September 24.

East students can purchase tickets during lunches starting Monday, September 20, through Friday, September 24.

Middle School PTC meets Thursday night at 6:30

The Rolland-Warner/Zemmer PTC will meet Thursday, Sept. 16, at 6:30 p.m. in the Zemmer media center.

Video: Zemmer Middle School Ribbon Cutting

Video: Opening Day for teachers 2010

Procedure in place for receiving free athletic punch card

Consistent with MHSAA regulations, Lapeer Community Schools is expanding the opportunity to receive a free athletic punch card to all families of secondary students who receive free or reduced lunch.

Eligible families will receive a letter from the Lapeer Community Schools Operations Department informing them of their eligibility to receive one free punch card for the 2010-2011 school year.

Families who are interested in taking advantage of this opportunity will then present the letter to the secretary in the Operations Department, 250 Second St., Lapeer, who will give the family a punch card.

We are happy to be able to extend the opportunity for free attendance at Lapeer Community sporting events to the families of our community who have documented financial needs.


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East tennis coach notches 100th boys win

This is a synopsis of a story that appeared in the Sept. 10 Flint Journal

Lapeer East tennis coach Oscar Rodriguez notched his 100th win as a boys coach in a match with Lapeer West on Thursday, Sept. 9.

“It doesn’t feel any different, it’s like having another birthday," Rodriguez said. "It’s just another day.”

Rodriguez has led East's boys program to a 100-86-7 (.536) overall record since 1995.

He is the 22nd Flint-area tennis coach to reach the 100-win plateau coaching boys, the second from Lapeer.

The area record is held is by Rod McEachern, who tallied 338 dual-meet victories at Lapeer West and its precursor, Lapeer High, from 1958-89.

Rodriguez has an overall mark of 252-189-18 (.569), having led the Eagles' girls program to a 152-103-11 (.592) overall record since 1988.

The Flint native is only the eighth area coach to win 100 or more duals coaching boys and girls.

Thursday, East won three of the four singles flights — Nos. 1, 2, and 4 — and No. 4 doubles in three sets to beat the Panthers, 8-0, and improve to 2-2 overall and 1-1 in the Metro League. West fell to 0-2-1 in the Metro.

Capturing three-set victories for East were Henry Peabody (No. 1), Tony Wagner (No. 2), Aaron Marietta (No. 4) and Brandon Kelts and James Apfel (No. 4 doubles).

"I’m going to be around for a long time," Rodriguez said. "I love the opportunity and 'm having a great team. I'm glad I can say I coach at Lapeer East."

Zemmer hosts evening with Prosecutor Byron Konschuh

Zemmer Middle School will host an evening with Lapeer County Prosecutor Byron Konschuh on Monday, Sept. 13, at 7 p.m. in the school cafetorium.

Konschuh’s discussion will focus on several topics that affect adolescents, including the use of cell phones, texting and social media such as Facebook and MySpace. He also will outline the legal ramifications of bullying and hazing. He will be joined by a representative of the Child Advocacy Center.

The presentation is open to the public and parents of all middle school students. It will include a question-and-answer session.

Visitors are asked to park in the rear parking lot and enter through the events entrance at the north end of the school at 1920 W. Oregon in Lapeer.

New Enrichment Classes for Middle School Students

Lapeer Community Schools 6th, 7th and 8th graders can stay active this fall by signing up for a variety of fun fall activities offered through City of Lapeer Parks and Recreation Dept. in cooperation with Lapeer Community Schools.
Sign-up is underway now for:
Flag Football
Flag Cheerleading
Soccer
Competitive Swim
Splash Swim Club
Competitive Dance
Art @ Gallery 194
Actors’ Gym
Ecology in the Parks
Kids’ Night Out

Call 810-664-4431 for details.

Some students qualify for free athletic Punch Cards

Student athletes in the Lapeer Community Schools who participate in the Free/Reduced price lunch program are eligible to receive one free athletic ticket Punch Card per season they play.

The program is designed to make it more affordable for families with documented financial need to attend school sporting events.

The cards can be used to purchase $50 worth of admission to school sporting events.
Each card provides 50 punches, worth $1 each, when paying for admission at the gate. The Punch Cards can be used at regular school sporting events within the Lapeer Community Schools, including both high school (except hockey) and middle school athletic contests.

Additional cards also are available for purchase by students, parents or community members at the school offices at Lapeer East High School, Lapeer West High School, Rolland-Warner Middle School, Zemmer Middle School and in the Operations Dept. at the Lapeer Schools Administration and Services Center. The cards are priced at $25 and can be used to purchase $50 worth of admission to school sporting events. That’s a 50% discount.

Cheering for Jamie

Just over two weeks ago, the Lapeer East Cross Country coaches, along with several team members and parents gathered at the Lake Orion track on a hot Sunday afternoon.
They were there to do what they have been doing for the past four years – cheering on Jamie Caminiti.

Jamie was there to complete a 1.5-mile time trial, competing for a $10,000 scholarship through the Boomer Esiason Foundation. In spite of the fact that the event had to be moved at the last minute from East to Lake Orion, all of these people made the effort to be there for Jamie.

“We cannot begin to express our deepest appreciation and gratitude to everyone – coaches, team members and parents – for all of the support and encouragement that they have given to Jamie in her years at Lapeer East and for being a part of this special day for her,” noted Jamie’s parents, Joel and Sharon Caminiti.


Jamie won the scholarship by running the mile and a half in 9:32. The scholarship will go toward her studies at Cornerstone University, where she is a freshman this fall. The foundation annually awards this scholarship to two senior athletes across the nation with cystic fibrosis (one male, one female) with the best 1.5-mile time.

New school phone system

Thanks to the 2007 bond issue, the Lapeer Community Schools technology department has been busy this summer installing a new phone system.

Every building throughout the school district is involved in the upgrade, which brings a phone into every classroom. The new system was purchased with proceeds from the bond issue approved by District voters in 2007.

The new phones are connected to an internet-based network, which will allow anyone calling from within the District-wide system to contact any of our 400 classrooms and offices by dialing the 4-digit extension.

The new system also will allow teachers to check their school voice mail messages from home or any other outside location.

Most of the bugs have been worked out of the system in preparation for the start of school on Sept. 7. Normally the volume of calls increases with the start of school, so parents may occasionally have difficulty getting through. We ask for your patience.

The conversion to the new voice over internet protocol (VOIP) system provides greater access by staffers to phone communications and also will save the district thousands of dollars each year on its phone bills, explains Lapeer Community Schools Technology Director Nick Ward.

The upgrades to the phone system required a change in phone numbers for some locations in the Lapeer Community Schools. You can find an updated list of building phone numbers by visiting the District website at www.lapeerschools.org. Click on the Contact Us icon at the upper right.

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Many school starting times change

The school bell will be ringing one hour earlier for students in five of the District’s elementary schools this fall.
The “country” elementary schools (Lynch, Maple Grove, Mayfield, Murphy and Seaton) will now follow the same schedule as the “city” elementaries (Schickler and Turrill) to optimize the busing schedule across the district. All elementary school students, grades K-5, will start the day beginning at 8:07 a.m. and end at 3 p.m.
Middle school students in grades 6-8 at both Rolland-Warner and Zemmer will attend classes from 9:07 a.m. to 3:45 p.m.
The starting times at the District’s three high schools (Lapeer East, Lapeer West and Lapeer Community) remain the same. East and West students attend classes from 7:25 a.m. to 2:07 p.m. Community High School students go from 7:30 a.m. to 1:55 p.m.

Zemmer to be open for student tours

Zemmer Middle School will be open for tours Aug. 26 and 30, and Sept. 1 and 2.
Parents and students will be able to tour the building on August 26 and August 30 after students pick up their schedules at Rolland-Warner.
Students also will be able to tour on September 1st from 4- 7 PM and also again on September 2 from 8 – 3.
State building officials have given the OK for the student visits prior to the opening of school on September 7.

Car Wash for middle schoolers

Rolland-Warner/Zemmer Middle School PTC group will be hosting a car wash fundraiser on Friday, August 27, 2010 from 11:00 am-3:00 pm at The Farmhouse Restaurant on M-24 in Lapeer. In addition to the car wash, The Farmhouse will be donating a portion of their proceeds inside the restaurant during those hours back to the middle school PTC group. Car washes are by donation.

Discounts for athletic tickets

Students and parents can cheer their favorite teams to victory and save money as well by purchasing a Lapeer Community Schools athletic Punch Card.

The cards are priced at $25 and can be used to purchase $50 worth of admission to school sporting events. That’s a 50% discount.

Each card provides 50 punches, worth $1 each, when paying for admission at the gate. The punch cards can be used on any school sporting event within the Lapeer Community Schools, including all high school and middle school athletic contests.

Cards are available for purchase at the school offices at Lapeer East High School, Lapeer West High School, Rolland-Warner Middle School, Zemmer Middle School and in the Operations Dept. at the Lapeer Schools Administration and Services Center.

Zemmer orientation moves to Rolland-Warner

Because of construction complications, plans to open the new Zemmer Middle School to student tours on Aug. 26 and Aug. 30 have been cancelled.

The building will not be open to students until the first day of school on Sept. 7.

Zemmer students will be able to pick up their class schedules and orientation packets from noon to 7 p.m. on Aug. 26 (last names from A-L) and Aug. 30 (M-Z) in the gymnasium at Rolland-Warner Middle School, 333 DeMille Boulevard, Lapeer. (Rolland-Warner students also will be able to pick up their schedules and orientation packets on the same days in the cafeteria.)

Only certified school district staff will be allowed into Zemmer prior to a state fire and building inspection, scheduled to take place on Sept. 2. No students, parents or other members of the public can enter the building until the inspections take place.

Both the state fire marshall and the state building inspector will not be able to visit Zemmer until Sept. 2 because of scheduling conflicts.

“We want to assure parents and all of our students that we will provide plenty of support for students to find their classrooms and navigate our new building on the first day of school," said Zemmer Middle School Principal Matt Olson.


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Elementary school buildings open Aug. 23

Because of ongoing construction in the District, all Lapeer Community Schools elementary buildings will not be open until Monday, August 23.
Thank you for your patience.

New hockey coach at Lapeer West

Lapeer West High School has named Brian Macdonald as its new varsity hockey coach.

The veteran player and coach has been involved with hockey for nearly four decades, beginning as a player on the 1974 State Championship Detroit Catholic Central team, followed by three years of play with the University of Michigan-Dearborn hockey team, which made it to the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) championship finals.

Lapeer West Athletic Director Mary Haslinger noted, ”I am excited that Brian has accepted the coaching position, and I am confident that he is the right coach to lead Lapeer West toward contention for a Flint Metro League Championship.”

His coaching career began at Brother Rice High School, and he has been a coach in the Michigan Amateur Hockey Association (MAHA), coaching young players from Mites through Bantams, since 1996.

Macdonald lives in Lapeer and served as an assistant coach in the Lapeer East hockey program for six years, where his son played for four years.

Macdonald says he is excited about the coming season. “We will have a winning attitude,” he said. “I’m looking forward to working with the kids. I want to see them work hard and help them improve their skills.”
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Ribbon cutting at Zemmer Middle School

Lapeer Community Schools will celebrate the completion of construction on the second of its two new middle schools at a ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house at 6 p.m. August 12 at Zemmer Middle School, 1920 W. Oregon, Lapeer.

Lapeer voters approved a $56.7 million bond issue in 2007, a portion of which financed the renovation of the former Zemmer Junior High School into a new middle school. Construction of the new Rolland-Warner Middle School was completed last fall, expanding the facilities at the former Woodside School. This fall will mark the first time the two new schools will house 6th, 7th and 8th grade students with new, innovative middle school programs.

“We are extremely happy to be able to open these new facilities,” said Debbie Thompson, Lapeer Community Schools Superintendent. “Wired from top to bottom for today’s technology and the technology of the future, these two campuses are ready to serve the students of Lapeer for generations.”

LCS student MME scores show improvement

LAPEER ¬– For the third year in a row, Lapeer Community Schools 11th graders have shown improvement on the statewide Michigan Merit Exam, which includes the ACT college entrance test.

District-wide, scores for the 552 high school juniors who took the test were 55% in Math (up 6 points), 74% in Reading (up 10 points), 67% in Science (up 10 points), 89% in Social Studies (up 3 points) and 46% in Reading (up 4 points). Scores in all subject areas tested were above the state average, and showed continued improvement over the last three years.

“We’re pleased that our student scores have continued to increase,” said Kim Seifferly, Executive Director of Curriculum and Instruction for Lapeer Community Schools. “We remain focused on providing the needed curriculum and teacher development to help all of our students achieve.”

The MME scores were released by the Michigan Department of Education late last week. The test is given each spring to the state’s 11th grade students. Testing takes place over three days. During the testing period, students take the ACT Plus Writing college entrance exam, three portions of the WorkKeys employability skills assessment and additional items in mathematics, science and social studies needed to complete the assessment to meet Michigan standards.

In addition to information provided by the MME to meet state and federal requirements, schools are provided Parent Reports that show a student's performance on the tests. Schools will provide to parents the printed Parent Reports when students return to class this fall.

MME results also provide students with an opportunity to obtain, at no cost to the student, college reportable ACT scores needed for admission to most colleges and universities.

Student scores for individual school districts are available on the internet: https://oeaa.state.mi.us/oeaa/.

Kenneth Janczarek is new Principal at Schickler Elementary

Lapeer Community Schools welcomes Kenneth Janczarek as the new principal at Schickler Elementary School.

Mr. Janczarek comes to Schickler after teaching fourth grade for the last seven years at Waterford Village Elementary in the Waterford School District. He replaces Michelle Bradford, who transferred to Lynch Elementary.

During his tenure in Waterford he was a lead teacher and worked with other teachers to create reading programs for at-risk readers and to realign the district’s science curriculum.

He also served on several teams that focused on curriculum, staff development and scheduling.

He earned his bachelor’s degree in language arts from Siena Heights University and a master’s degree in educational leadership from Oakland University.

“I’m extremely excited to start the new school year and meet all of the wonderful families and students at Schickler,” said Mr. Janczarek.

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Traci Chouinard named Acting Principal at Seaton Elementary School

The Lapeer Community Schools welcomes Traci Chouinard as the Acting Principal at Seaton Elementary School.

Mrs. Chouinard has worked as a teacher in the Lapeer Schools for the last six years and moves to her new job after serving as a second and third-grade teacher at Murphy Elementary School. She has also been a first-grade teacher at Mayfield Elementary and taught early fives and kindergarten at both Irwin and Hadley Elementary Schools.

She replaces Cindi Niblack, who retired at the end of the school year in June.

A lifelong resident of Lapeer County and a graduate of Lapeer East High School, Mrs. Chouinard earned her bachelor’s degree in elementary education from the University of Michigan-Flint and a master’s degree in elementary reading and literacy from Walden University. She also holds an associate’s degree in childhood development from Mott Community College.

Before she began her tenure with the Lapeer Community Schools she co-founded and, for seven years, served as the director of the Little Miracle Early Childhood Center in Metamora.

She and her husband, Chris, live in Metamora with their two children, Emily and Kyle. “As a family, we believe in supporting our community, and we’re involved in many activities.”

Board of Education elects officers for 2010-2011

Next year’s Board of Education officers will look the same as the previous year after Board members selected new officers for the 2010-2011 school year.

Bill Laidlaw is President, Peggy Bush is vice-president and John Nugent is secretary.

The Board also kept its regular meeting schedule of the first and third Thursday of the month. The first meeting is designated as the regular meeting and the second meeting will be the work session. Two exceptions are the July work session will not be held and the regular meeting scheduled in April 2011 will be held the last Thursday of March due to spring vacation.

Board meetings and the locations are available on the District website at lapeerschools.org and are posted at the Administration and Services Center, 250 Second Street in Lapeer.

Budget adjustments approved at Board of Education meeting

To address a $4.6 million budget shortfall caused by rollbacks in State funding for the past years and rising costs in health care and retirement the Board of Education approved a series of budget adjustments Wednesday to balance the budget.

Some of those adjustments will affect high school families with a small increase to high school parking fees, the elimination of family athletic passes and strict adherence to pay-to-play numbers for athletic teams.

Families will still be able to buy athletic punch cards that will allow entry to sporting events at a discount rate.

Strict adherence to minimum athletic participation numbers for teams is expected to save $50,000. In the past, teams with below the minimum number of students were provided but in the future the District will adhere to the minimum numbers based on the pay-to-play receipts on a specific payment deadline.

It will also cost high school students an additional 25 cents per week to park at the high schools as student parking fees were increased to $30 per year.

In addition to a number of budget cuts for the 2010-2011 year, the Board also downgraded an administrative position in the Business Office as part of the effort to eliminate the budget shortfall.

These actions were in addition to savings from teacher retirements, employee contract concessions, elimination of certain support staff positions, the postponement of bus purchases and a withdrawal of $1.7 million from the District’s savings, among other budget saving measures.

Video: Lapeer East Band - Senior Awards

Video: Mr. Steve Burns performs with the Lapeer East Band at Spring Concert

Video: Lapeer West Spring Band Concert - Hightlights

Some highlights from the 2010 Spring Lapeer West Band Concert. Enjoy!

Video: Lapeer West Spring Band Concert and Awards

Enjoy this edited version of the 2010 Lapeer West Spring Band Concert. The full video will be available on Charter Cable at various times during the summer and fall.