East Boys Tennis Team Earns State All-Academic Honors

The Michigan High School Tennis Coaches Association has honored the 2010 Lapeer East Boys Tennis Team with the 2010 All Academic Tennis Team Award.


The award honors student athletes for their many hours of work and dedication in maintaining high academic achievement, as well as recognizing their athletic talents and competitive spirit.

With this accomplishment, they have brought honor to themselves, their school and our community.

Please congratulate East Boys Tennis Coach Oscar Rodriguez and the following athletes:

Henry Peabody
Matt Wagner
Aaron Marietta
Drake Lamphere
Ryan Herderich
Justin Townsend
Tyler McCleery
Brad McCully
Brad Bessette
Alex Apfel
James Apfel
Brandon Kelts

Middle schools treated to Milk Rocks concerts

The gyms at Rolland-Warner and Zemmer middle schools rocked last week as students were treated to concerts by national recording artist Britney Christian.


The November 9 concerts were part of the “Milk Rocks” tour that visited Michigan last week to promote the benefits of milk as a healthy alternative to less-nutritious beverages. The singer and her band set up for a morning concert at Zemmer, followed by an early afternoon concert at Rolland-Warner.

The concert was presented by Prairie Farms Dairy, Chartwells School Dining Services, which serves breakfast and lunch to students in the Lapeer Community Schools, and Evergreen Packaging, the nation’s largest producer of school milk cartons.

Christian is the official spokesperson for “Milk Rocks,” which stresses the benefits of a healthy, active lifestyle and promotes milk.

Christian says she is very pleased to represent a product and a cause she believes in. “I’m really excited to be able to promote my music in a healthy way, and set a good example for others,” she says.

Premier banjo and guitar manufacturer Epiphone is a sponsorship partner in the campaign. The company presented custom Milk Rocks guitars to the music programs at both Zemmer and Rolland-Warner. Ten selected students also got a chance to get an inside peek at the Gibson tour bus that is used for the Milk Rocks concert tours.

Christian is a 20-year-old singer/songwriter from Southern California. She has more than 92,000 fans on MySpace and a tour schedule that takes her across the country as the spokesperson for the national "Milk Rocks" campaign. She is the winner of the Next American Star and her songs have been featured on MTV, Laguna Beach, Ghost Whisper, The Biggest Loser, Guiding Light and Radio Disney. She was seen on Disney's High School Musical: Get in the Picture and the Dreamworks/Nickelodeon film Hotel For Dogs.

For a look at photos from the concert, please visit: http://picasaweb.google.com/LapeerCS/MilkRocksAtMiddleSchools#

Gymnast from Lapeer East will attend Northern Illinois

Lapeer East Senior Amanda Stepp has signed a letter of intent to attend Northern Illinois University, where she has received a full-ride scholarship for gymnastics.


Amanda has been involved with gymnastics for the last 12 years and for the last five years has worked out with coaches at All American Flames Gymnastix in Port Huron.

“Northern Illinois is going to get a very good athlete” said Joe Scheible, one of her coaches at the Port Huron training facility. “Her determination in and out of the gym has been a trademark of her successful career, and we know it will serve her well deep into her bright future,” Scheible added.

Amanda says she’s pleased to be able to continue with gymnastics at the college level, noting that her favorite exercise is the vault. She plans to study nursing at Northern Illinois.

On Monday, Amanda joined with her parents and coaches for a signing ceremony in the Lapeer East High School Media Center.

Photo cutline:
Amanda Stepp (seated) signed her national letter of intent to attend Northern Illinois University Monday surrounded by (from left) her father, Mike Stepp, coaches Sarah Morgan, Joe and Melinda Scheible and mother Robin Stepp.

Schickler teacher has A Day Made Better

Classroom is presented with $1,000 in supplies

Schickler Elementary teacher Nancy Abeare got a very pleasant surprise when she showed up for class on Oct. 5.

Waiting for her was a crew from Office Max in Rochester Hills, who brought with them $1,000 in school supplies for her classroom. The award was given to her as part of the company’s A Day Made Better event. “The award is given out to teachers because Office Max knows how important teachers are and what they do to support students,” said an Office Max spokesman.

“What a surprise! I felt honored and embarrassed to be singled out from the Schickler teaching staff. Many teachers spend extra hours and dollars to assist their students. We all want our students to reach goals and feel successful in school. It is so wonderful that Office Max is recognizing the teaching profession!”

The gifts included pencils, paper, staplers, tape, highlighters, dry erase markers, storage boxes, planners, pens, pencil sharpener, a digital camera and a whole raft of supplies to keep the classroom humming.


Office Max began the A Day Made Better program in October 2007, and since that time each year has surprised 1,000 teachers at 1,000 schools around the nation by donating approximately $1,000 worth of supplies to each of their classrooms. “We did this because it is estimated that teachers, together, spend about $4 billion of their own money to make sure their students have the supplies they need to learn. OfficeMax feels this is a problem that we can help solve,” said an Office Max spokesman.

This year about 30,000 OfficeMax associates surprised and honored more than 1,000 teachers at Title 1 schools across the nation with $1 million worth of classroom supplies. Nominated by their principals, teachers receive this honor for their exceptional contributions as an educator, demonstrating passion, innovation and dedication in the classroom.
Photo captions:
Top photo: Teacher Nancy Abeare.
Lower photo:
Schickler Elementary teacher Nancy Abeare (center) is joined by Principal Ken Janczarek (left) and is flanked by the Office Max team from Rochester Hills.
###

Mayfield honors Veterans

Students at Mayfield Elementary School hosted their annual Veterans Day observance on November 11 with members of the American Legion Post 16 in Lapeer.

Legion members and students took part in the morning flag-raising ceremony and sang patriotic songs.

Special guest State Rep. Kevin Daley offered his thoughts on the meaning of Veterans Day.

Additional photos from the special observance are available online in the Lapeer Community Schools photo album at http://picasaweb.google.com/LapeerCS/VeteransDayAtMayfieldElementary#

Annual Education Reports are available online

Lapeer Community Schools are excited to communicate the progress of Lapeer Community Schools, and we are proud to report that all of our teachers meet highly qualified status as defined in No Child Left Behind.

Individual school and district-wide Annual Education Reports that are required through No Child Left Behind are available online. Please visit our District website at www.lapeerschools.org and click on the “Annual Education Report” icon located directly under “Welcome to Lapeer Community Schools.” Select from the list to view a building or district Annual Education Report for 2009-2010.

A printed copy of the district report and individual building reports also are available from any school building within the Lapeer Community Schools District or Administration and Services Center.

If you have questions regarding any information contained within the Annual Education Report, you may contact (810) 538-1644 with questions.

Final week to order R-W Wolves spirit gear

This is the final week to place orders for Rolland-Warner Wolves hats, shirts, scarves and sweatpants.

The durable school spirit garb comes in a variety of sizes for both students and adults.

The Rolland-Warner PTC is taking orders through Wednesday, November 17.

An order form is attached below. If you click on the order form it will open in a new window, and you can print it out.

Please make checks payable to the Rolland-Warner PTC.

All-State soccer honors for East quartet

Lapeer East AD Sharon Miller will need to expand the school's All State Trophy Case. For the first time ever, the Lapeer East Boys Soccer team advanced to the Final Four. Winning the regional title paid off for he Eagles, who ended the season with the program's highest ranking ever, 6th in the state! http://www.mihisoccer.org/boysrankings.htm.

Individually, Lapeer East also did well. A quartet from the East squad earned All-State Honors.

Those honors were awarded to:

Junior starting midfielder Justin Henderson was second team All-Metro League. He was the lone goal scorer for East in the State Semi-Final game. He earned Honorable Mention All-State.

Junior starting goalie Colin Owen earned second team All-Metro League. He had 12 shutouts this year to raise his career total to 30 shutouts. Owen made 14 saves in the state semi-final game. He earned third team All-State.

Junior starting forward Alex Podolski was named to the first team All-Metro League. He led East in scoring with 19 goals. Alex earned second team All-State.

Senior Starting midfielder Clayton Tomczyk, a 4-year varsity player for East., also earned first team All-Metro League. He was recognized as one of the State's best players, and earned first team All-State. Tomczyk joins elite company as he is the third player in East's history to earn this accomplishment, the highest honor a soccer player can get. Dan Elliott did it in 2007. Niila Arajuuri was the first to do it in 2005.

East Coach Chad Kenny noted, "I am very proud to coach this team. Collectively they are committed to winning with character and class. These four guys are great representatives of our whole program. They were all honored to be selected to the All-State team. They would be the first ones to tell you that soccer is a team sport. These four were recognized at the All-State level, mainly because as a team we did very well. All 17 letter winners on our varsity played an important role in these four being recognized at the highest level."

East golfers begin holiday wreath fundraiser

The Lapeer East Golf teams are brightening the season with a Holiday Wreath Fundraiser.

The brightly colored Holiday Wreaths are made with balsam cedar and pine greenery decorated with pine cones and a velvet bow.

The wreaths are greenhouse-quality, and there are two sizes to choose from with a
red or burgundy bow. The 18-to 22-inch wreaths are priced at $18, and the 24- to 28-inch wreaths are $25. All proceeds benefit the Lapeer East Golf program.

To place an order, email coach Steve Stearns at sstearns@lapeerschools.org or call 810-338-4976.

Orders are due by November 23, and expected delivery is by December 4.

Suspicious incident reported

The following is a letter regarding a suspicious incident that took place near Zemmer Middle School this morning (November 9). This letter is going home with all elementary and middle school students today.

Dear Parents,
We became aware of a suspicious incident near Zemmer Middle School that was reported to school officials and the Mayfield Township Police Department this morning.

A female student was walking on Oregon Road near the east side of school property at Zemmer Middle School at about 8:45 a.m. and was approached by a man in a red minivan who asked her if she needed a ride. The girl reported the incident to school officials, who contacted the police.

The man was in his 50s or 60s with grey hair, a pony tail and beard. He was wearing a flannel vest.

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

Middle School PTCs meet November 11

The Middle School PTCs for both Rolland-Warner and Zemmer Middle Schools have scheduled evening meetings on Thursday, November 11th..

The Zemmer Middle School PTC will meet in the Zemmer Media Center at 6:00 pm. The Zemmer PTC executive board will meet at 5:30pm.

The Rolland-Warner Middle School PTC will meet in the Rolland-Warner Media Center at 6:30 pm. The Rolland-Warner PTC executive board will meet prior to the general meeting.

The PTCs at both schools encourage any interested parents to please consider coming to see what the PTC is all about. This is a great way to stay involved and be a part of your child’s school.

At the conclusion of the Zemmer PTC meeting a Parent Advisory Council meeting also will be held in the Zemmer Media Center at 7:00pm. The purpose of the PAC is to both educate parents on topics that are important to them as well as provide a forum for our parents to talk directly with school administration regarding current issues.

The PTC welcomes any interested parents wishing to attend to join them.

Superintendent search firm hired

The Lapeer Community Schools Board of Education agreed at its regular meeting on November 4 to contract with School Exec Connect in its search for a new superintendent.

The board will meet in a work session November 18 to discuss the timeline for the search. School board President Bill Laidlaw said the board hopes to have a candidate selected by March of 2011.

Laidlaw added that the process will have a lot of input from both the staff and the whole community.

Current LCS Superintendent Debbie Thompson is retiring at the end of the 2010-11 school year in June. She has served the district as its superintendent since August 2005.

High School parents to host Lapeer County Prosecutor

Lapeer County Prosecuting Attorney Byron Konschuh will be the featured speaker at a meeting of the Lapeer East and West High School Parent Advisory Councils at 5:30 pm Tuesday, November 9, at the Lapeer East High School Media Center.

Konschuh’s discussion will focus on several topics that affect high schoolers, including bullying and hazing, the use of cell phones, texting and social media such as Facebook and MySpace.

After the prosecutor’s presentation, East and West parents will split into separate building PAC meetings.

Lapeer East High School and Lapeer West High School host combined PAC Meetings throughout the school year. Mr. Roper, Principal at Lapeer East, and Mr. Zeeman, Principal at Lapeer West, look forward to parent involvement at these meetings.

Future meetings are set for January 11th at West; February 8th at East; March 8th at West; April 12th at East; May 10th at West.

Enrichment for Kindergarteners and Early 5's

Kids and Company still has openings in its Kinder Kids Plus Friday enrichment program for Kindergarteners and Early 5's.

Kinder Kids Plus is staffed with certified teachers. It is part of Lapeer Community Schools Kids and Company, which offers a variety of programs including pre-school and school-age latchkey programs.

Kinder Kids Plus is especially designed for Lapeer Kindergarteners and Early 5's children. It is an enrichment program taught by certified elementary education teachers. The teachers extend the kindergarten curriculum to give children that extra help they may need in their first year of school.

Kinder Kids Plus is available on Fridays from 8:00 am-3:00 pm. at three sites in the District. Transportation is provided for the program through Lapeer Community Schools.

Kinder Kids Plus is available at Turrill, Mayfield, and Murphy Elementary. It is open to all children in Lapeer Schools. Students from Maple Grove and Seaton are shuttled to Turrill. Lynch and Schickler students are shuttled to Mayfield.

Kinder Kids Plus is tuition-based, and a full day (5 hours or more) costs $25 per day. A half day (5 hours or less) costs $15 per day. There is also a $40 registration fee.

Please contact Kids and Company at (810) 667-2454 for more details or to register your child in the program.

Lapeer East student wins 5 Golds in Scotland

Lapeer East Senior Austin Dudley grabbed 5 gold medals in an international martial arts competition in Scotland last week. The 17-year-old also grabbed a silver and bronze medal to earn medals in seven of the eight competitions he entered.

His huge medal collection came in the WKA (World Kickboxing and Karate Association) World Championships at the Meadowbank Sports Centre in Edinburgh, Scotland, Oct 23-29. Austin was one of more than 1,000 athletes from 27 countries competing at the event.

His medal count included golds in Weapons with music, Weapons/no music, Freestyle with music, Traditional Korean Forms and Traditional Hardstyle Forms. He also grabbed a silver in Extreme Freestyle Forms and a bronze in Extreme Weapons. Austin brought home 7 medals for Team USA in the 13-17 junior male division.

He is very dedicated to his sport and trains for several hours daily and says he loves what he does. Austin has been studying martial arts for the last 10 years and recently earned his 3rd degree black belt through Dragon Karate in Lapeer, under Master Dan Cousineau.

Seven students from Dragon Karate participated in the international competition, including Annthony Cotton, 13, a student at Rolland-Waner Middle School. Anthony captured a bronze medal in Extreme Weapons in the Edinburgh competition in which teammate Austin Dudley won the gold.


Austin has competed on the Michigan Sport Karate Circuit and has held state titles in weapons and forms consecutively since 2005. Austin also has competed as a member of the US National Karate Team and has attended three WKA World Championships in which he brought home medals for the U.S.

In 2007 he won a Bronze medal in weapons with music at Karlsruhe, Germany, and in 2008 in Orlando, Fla., was a Gold medalist in Weapons with music, a Silver medalist in Open Forms with music and a Silver medalist in Traditional Korean Forms.

While in Scotland last week he was offered an all-expense paid trip to Germany to conduct a martial arts seminar for the German National Karate Team.

Austin loves teaching martial arts and currently teaches at GLE gymnastics in Oxford, MI. He hopes to have continued success and open his own karate school one day.

Lapeer West featured for Spirit Cup broadcast

Lapeer West High School was the featured school Oct. 29 on the ABC-12 Spirit Cup Challenge.

The honor brought with it a live broadcast from the West gym, beginning at 5 am.

Lapeer West is in the lead in the Spirit Cup Challenge. The efforts of 143 West athletes to harvest squash at an Almont Farm last week alone brought in more than 30,000 pounds of food.

Last year students across Mid-Michigan helped raise more than 673,000 pounds of food to help the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan through the ABC-12 Spirit Challenge.

Students collect canned food and other non-perishable items. Cash donations also are welcome. Each dollar donated can be used to buy nine pounds of food. The students’ efforts last year provided food for people in 22 counties.

At the end of the school year, the school that donates the most food gets to claim the ABC-12 Spirit Cup trophy and keep it for a full year.

For a look at photos from the spirited Friday morning rally at Lapeer West, go to: http://picasaweb.google.com/LapeerCS/WestSpiritCupChallenge#

The broadcast segments from ABC-12 are available at: http://abclocal.go.com/wjrt/video?id=7753190

Lapeer East Boys advance to state soccer semifinals

THe Lapeer East Boys Soccer team will make its first trip to the state semifinals when it takes on Bloomfield Hills Lahser at 6 p.m. Wednesday at Bloomfield Hills Andover High School.

East downed Dearborn Divine Child Friday, 1-0, in the Division 2 Regionals to advance to the state semis.

The Eagles scored the only goal of the Regional final game Friday afternoon at St. Clair’s East China Stadium when Nate Kolvek took a cross from Alex Podolski with three minutes to go in the first half and put it past the Divine Child goalkeeper.

"It was obviously a huge emotional lift going in 1-0. We knew they would really bring it in the second half," East coach Chad Kenny told the Flint Journal after the team victory.

The Eagles are now 18-4-1 on the season and will meet ninth-ranked Bloomfield Hills Lahser (19-4-1).

"We're thrilled to be there," Kenny said after the game. "Our kids have come together and played hard. They wanted to do something the program had never done, and I'll be darned if they didn't do it."

East keeper Colin Owen made 10 saves and notched his 13th shutout of the season for the Eagles.

"It speaks volumes about our league," Kenny said of Friday's win. "We finished second in our league and here we are in the final four in Division 2."

West athletes pitch in to harvest for the Food Bank

The Food Bank of Eastern Michigan needed a little help.

This year produced a bumper crop of squash, and there were thousands of them sitting in the fields of the Wiegand Farm in Almont with no one to harvest them.

Athletes at Lapeer West answered the challenge, and 143 Lapeer West athletes spent a good part of the day Tuesday collecting the remaining vegetables for donation to the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan.

The gleaning is part of the high school’s participation in the Channel 12 Spirit Squad which will be at the school Friday for a live broadcast at 5 a.m.

"They're gathering. They're collecting. There's a spirit and excitement about it," West Athletic Director Mary Haslinger told a reporter from WJRT-TV Channel 12.

"You get to be with all your friends and help the poor," added senior Beau Allen.
"I put out a call to all of my athletes, and 143 of them are here today," Haslinger said.

The 35-acre field was owned by George Wiegand, who died this spring. His daughter Cheryl Wiegand Stanek told the television reporter he would approve of the donation. "I just believe this is a gift from my dad from heaven to feed the poor. He always cared for the poor. He gave so much to the poor."

"Every week we're feeding close to 50,000 to 60,000 people. Right now in the fall, with the harvest, you can make squash soup. There are any number of ways the clients are going to use it. It's nice to have fresh produce," said Tracy Fowler-Johnson from the Food Bank.

"We're going to feed a lot of people who couldn't get food anywhere else," senior Jalen Houston told ABC12's Randy Conat.


To view the TV report of the Lapeer West gleaners, go to:
http://abclocal.go.com/wjrt/story?section=news/local&id=7745806

Preschool workshop

Have fun and learn along with your preschooler at "ABCs, Activities, Books and Cookies!"

This fun, interactive workshop is presented by the Family Literacy Center at no cost to you! The workshop focuses on pre-reading and reading activities for preschool children 3-6 years old and a parent or caregiver.

Participate in learning activities that will help develop reading skills. Enjoy a snack and take home a free book as well as valuable resources from the Family Literacy Center! Siblings are welcome!

Wednesday, November 3, 2010
10:00 am - 10:45 am
Metamora Library
4081 Oak Street
Metamora, MI 48455

To register, call the Family Literacy Center at 810-664-2737, or email ican@readlapeer.org. Give your name, phone number and the Workshop you wish to register for.

Visit Family Literacy Center on the web at: www.readlapeer.org. Family Literacy Center and the Lapeer District Library are Partners for Literacy in Lapeer County.

Creative Seaton kids raise money for United Way

Seaton Elementary students put their creativity to work last week to raise money for United Way. Their efforts raised $75 to support United Way programs in Lapeer County.


The contest highlight was the judging on Oct. 22 for the Most Creative, Funniest, Scariest and Best Animal in each grade, Kindergarten through 5th grade.

There were smiles aplenty, and two dozen pumpkins emerged as the best in the crop.

The Pumpkin contest winners included:


Most Creative
Kindergarten-Alexis Collick, 1st Grade-Hunter Moore, 2nd Grade-Avery Suffel, 3rd Grade-Melina VanDever, 4th Grade-Morgan Pierce, 5th Grade- Renee Fromwiller.
Funniest
Kindergarten- Frank Barber, 1st Grade- Katie Underhill, 2nd Grade- Immanuel Martin, 3rd Grade- Ellie Greene, 4th Grade- Brent Walker, 5th Grade- Adrianna Demsky.
Spookiest
Kindergarten- Makenzie King, 1st Grade- Justin Pollum, 2nd Grade- Gabby Collick, 3rd Grade- Hannah McQueen, 4th Grade- Sebastian Daniels, 5th Grade- Lauren McCaffrey.
Best Animal
Kindergarten- Bryan Rouse, 1st Grade- Carson VanDever, 2nd Grade- Hailee Rix, 3rd Grade- Devyn Kabelman, 4th Grade- Robert Martin, 5th Grade- Jordyn Paul.

Photo caption:
Students gathered in front of Seaton Elementary on Oct. 22 to show off the two dozen winning pumpkins.

East girls raise funds in cancer fight

For the third year in a row the Lapeer East Volleyball team hosted its “Volley For A Cure” in a home match against Linden on October 19th.


Donned in “Volley For A Cure” T-shirts, the girls won all three of their games with Linden, 25-10, 25-12 and 25-20, and clinched third place in the Metro League.

The fundraiser collected nearly $1,000 to help two families that had daughters play on the Lapeer East volleyball team who have suffered a loss to cancer in the last year.

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.

The team honored both families and the memory of each of their parents at the game.


The girls raised the bulk of their funds through the sale of Volley for a Cure T-shirts. Sponsors of the fundraiser included 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.

It’s Lotza Pasta time!

Murphy Elementary School is hosting its 4th Annual Lotza Pasta dinner on Friday, November 5th, from 4:30-7:30 pm at Murphy Elementary School in Metamora. This all-you-can-eat pasta dinner will be catered by Italia Gardens in Davison.

The funds raised at this event enable the PTC to pay for assemblies, busing for field trips, student scholarships, classroom allowances, science and art fair awards, magazines, supplies and equipment for our students throughout the school year.

The menu includes all-you-can-eat mostaccioli (with buttered, meat or marinara sauce), salad, bread, beverage and dessert.

Advance tickets are available until November 3rd, $7 for adults, $5 for kids, and children 3 and under eat free. Tickets at the door will be $9 for adults and $7 for kids. There will be a drive-through carry-out again this year.

The Murphy PTC hosts its dinners to eliminate the need for door-to-door sales for fundraising. “We love having the community get together at our school for a fun night out.”

Along with an amazing dinner, the evening includes a raffle, silent auction table and a 50/50 drawing. Many local businesses have been very generous and donated some great items! Raffle and 50/50 tickets will be available at the dinner.

For more information, please visit Murphy’s website at www.lapeerschools.org/murphy and click on “School Events” or call Debbie Bridges at 810-441-3023 or Alysia Easton at 810-797-2046.

West hosts girls basketball clinic

Lapeer West's girls basketball program will host a clinic for all elementary school girls who want to improve their basketball skills.

The clinic will take place on Saturday, Oct. 23, and Saturday, Oct. 30., at the Lapeer West gym. The cost is $20.

For details, contact West Girls Varsity Basketball Coach Bill Kinzer at bkinzer@lapeerschools.org.

A workshop on friendship

Is it difficult for your child to make and keep friends? Does your child struggle to get along socially?

Family Literacy Center will presents the workshop "It's So Much Work to be Your Friend" on Wednesday, November 2, from 12:30-2 pm or 6-7 pm at Mott College Lapeer Campus, Room 206, 550 Lake Dr., Lapeer.

Children who suffer with a learning disability often have difficulty in social situations. Whether your child has a learning disability or not, the information in this DVD presentation is priceless.

Educator, administrator, and consultant Richard Lavoie provides powerful strategies for teaching friendship skills in the classroom, home, and community. This workshop is offered at no cost. Registration is required.

To register, call the Family Literacy Center at 810-664-2737. Give your name, phone number, and the time of the session you wish to register.

Parent volunteers needed for 'Your Time'

Parent volunteers are needed for the "Your Time" After School study hall at Lapeer East High School.

The program runs on Tuesdays and Thursdays after school from 2:15 to 3:15 pm.

National Honor Society students are available to help with any issues that a student needs help with, and students have access to all elements of the East media center including books and computers.

Any interested parent may contact Parent Vounteer Bill Gavette at wmgavette@gmail.com, or call 810-417-1559.
Please note: Parent volunteers must go through a background check at the Lapeer Community Schools Administration Building.

Suspicious incident in Metamora Township

The following is the text of a letter sent to parents today from Superintendent Debbie Thompson about a suspicious incident yesterday in Metamora Township.

October 21, 2010

Dear Parents,
Today we became aware of a suspicious incident that was reported to the Metamora Township Police Department yesterday.
A female student was walking near Sutton Road and Metamora Road at about 2:25 p.m. on Wednesday afternoon and was offered a ride by a man in a newer, light-green pickup truck with an extended cab. The girl went to a nearby home and called 911.
The man was reported to be a clean-shaven, chubby white male in his mid-30s with short brownish-blond hair.
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

Mayfield 1st graders do some learning in the woods

First grade students at Mayfield Elementary School took their classroom research outside to gain a little experience in the field.

The students visited the woods at the R. Michael Supernault Environmental Center on Oct. 13 to gather woodland plants and animals to create their own mini habitats.


Under the guidance of Environmental Education Teacher Al Hoppe, Teacher Debbie Daley and some dedicated parents, students carefully gathered twigs and leaves to provide the needed environment for the bugs and critters they found living on the woodland floor.

The science lesson for the day included a review of the plants and animals that are found throughout the woods as well as building habitats – in clear plastic containers – to house the plants and animals they uncovered in their search.

The Supernault Nature Center is an 80-acre District-owned property in a beautiful, rural setting in Oregon Township. It is primarily used for science field trips for students from Lapeer and other area districts.

For a look at more photos from the field trip, go to:
http://picasaweb.google.com/LapeerCS/Mayfield1stGradersAtSkinnerLake#

A fresh, new look for the Seaton playground

Anthony Novick takes parental involvement seriously. His son, Joey, is a student at Seaton Elementary, and he wanted to do his part to help brighten the learning environment.

His crew from Color Wonders Painting rolled up to Seaton on Saturday, Oct. 16, to freshen up the playscape at the school.


With a bit of scraping and sanding and a healthy application of paint sprayed carefully from a large bucket, the Saturday-morning volunteer efforts brightened up the playground equipment and the basketball courts.

The paint company owner was joined by his wife, Jody, daughter Katie and employees James Keyes and Nathan Surbrook, as they added a bit of flair to the playground structures, recoating them in a popular “Seaton orange” color.

Novick’s crew was joined in the effort by Seaton parent Laura Fromwiller and daughter Renee.

For a look at before and after photos from the painting party, please go to:http://picasaweb.google.com/LapeerCS/AFreshLookForSeatonPlayground#

Mayfield Kids’ Boutique Oct 26 & 28

Mayfield 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!

Parents can help by donating clean, gently-used children’s clothing. Bring the clothes to Mayfield 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, on October 26 and 28 from 5-7:30 pm, for Mayfield families to shop for items that their children need.

For details or to volunteer, please contact Kids’ Boutique Coordinator Cheryl Shifflett-Smith, Mayfield Learning Coach, at 810-667-2442.

Get fit: Winter Walking begins Nov. 1

The annual Lapeer Community Schools FREE winter walking program begins on Monday, November 1.

Join us at Lapeer West on Monday through Thursday nights from 5:30 to 7:30 pm as we walk for fitness and fun! Our quick registration is easily completed the first night you attend.

ALL walkers will wear a name badge (provided) while walking. Children under age 16 must walk with an attending adult. SORRY, no power walking, running or jogging. Please enter the high school using the door by the band room on the south side of building.

No walking on November 24 & 25, December 22 – January 2, January 17 & 20, February 21or “snow days.” If school closes earlier in the day because of inclement weather, the walking program is cancelled.

The walking program concludes on Thursday evening, March 31st.

The walking program is part of the Lapeer Community Schools Enrichment Program. Please do not call Lapeer West regarding this program. Questions can be directed to the Enrichment office at 810-538-1622.

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.