BOARD MEETING SUMMARY
DECEMBER 19, 2011
The following Gwinn Middle School students were named “Students of the Month” for December: Mr. Gavin Blandford – 7th grade; Ms. Mikayla Kunde – 7th grade; Ms. Reghan Lakomowski – 8th grade; Mr. Samuel Soto – 8th grade.
Ms. Kara Wixtrom was named Gwinn High School’s “Student of the Month” for December.
Claims in the amount of $537,743 were approved for payment.
District News
Gilbert Elementary School
The following were chosen as Students of the Month for November: Drew McAlpine & Jessica Jerome (K); Izabel Barber & Melodee Dunham (1st); Gabriella Hammond & Caleb McLean (2nd); Ethan Lemoyne & Raven Runstom (3rd); Jennifer Jerome & Kadie LaRock (4th); Mallory Delmont & Brooke Mannor (5th); McKeller Hutchens & Samantha Duvall (6th). Congratulations on a job well done!
Thanks to Coach Sinnaeve and the boys’ basketball team for visiting Gilbert with their annual “kick off” assembly. They got our kids so fired up my ears are still ringing!
Thank you to our PTO for purchasing document cameras and projectors for all the teachers who need them. These tools are becoming standard parts of how lessons are presented and help us to be competitive technologically with other schools.
The PTO also helped do the “Mitten Tree” and “Secret Santa”.
Our Christmas Concerts will be held on Tuesday, December 20th at the following times: K-1 @ 9:00 a.m.; 2-3 @ 10:30 a.m.; 4-6 @ 2:00 p.m.
Finally, here are the names of winning classrooms for the “Golden Awards!” in November: The “Golden Whistle” Award for best behavior on the playground: Miss Noel, Mrs. Dunham, Miss Lantagne, & Mr. Harrison ; The “Golden Spatula” Award for best behavior in the lunchroom: Mrs. Sather, Mrs. Girard, & Mrs. Dunham; The “Golden Plunger” Award for the neatest classroom: Mrs. Dunham, Mrs. Girard, Miss Noel, & Mrs. Lorens
KI Sawyer Elementary School
Congratulations to the following Students of the Month: Ava Turpeinen & Natalie Babieczko (Kdg.); Noah Iery & Hunter Chenail (1st); Caleb Stieler & Starlet Shannon (2nd); Tyler Belongia, Krissalyn Johnson & Jimmy Hunnicutt (3rd); Megan Hebert & Bryan Bleckler (4th); Amanda Anderson & Josh Jacobs (5th); Noah McConnaughey & Cassidy Johnson (6th).
Our Christmas Programs were held on December 13th, to a packed house each of three performances. It is nice to see parents and families at school.
Our “Secret Santa Workshop” was a huge success! We sold out in three days. The students were excited to shop for their family members. A big thanks to the high school students who came to help wrap presents!
We have had an outpouring of generosity from local organizations, churches, and individuals, who all contributed gifts, food baskets, and gift cards for several of our families. It is great to see people care about others this time of year.
Our annual “Sing-a-long” will be held December 20th, at 10:00 a.m. Everyone is invited!
Gwinn Middle School
Congratulations to our Quiz Bowl Team who recently placed 2nd at a competition in Newberry with a 3-1 record.
Good luck to our boys basketball teams whose season gets underway December 20, with a game at Superior Central.
Our Towner Time classes engaged in “penny wars” the week of December 12. The class that generated the most money was awarded with a treat at the end of the “war”.
On December 20, GMS students will again travel to Gilbert and KI Sawyer Elementary Schools to help “Spread the Cheer”. Students will be working on holiday decorations in the following classes: Sawyer – Sheltrow, Belpedio, Paulsen, LaJoie; Gilbert – Dow, Lorens, Anderson, Gill, Sivula, Girard, Dunham, Sather.
We had our first PERK trip of the year on December 16 with a trip to the GKC Theater in Marquette where students got to see either “Jack and Jill” or “The Muppets”. To qualify for this trip, students had to have no tardies, no late homework assignments, no failing grades and no referrals. Congratulations to the 140+ students who qualified to participate.
Gwinn High School
Congratulations to Kaleb Kangas, GHS senior, on being selected as the guitar player for the MSBOA HS All-State Jazz Ensemble. Kaleb was chosen based on recorded auditions from high school guitar players residing across the state to be the only guitar player for the ensemble. Kaleb traveled to Escanaba in October to record the rigorous audition that included a prepared etude, many scales, sight reading, and a jazz improvisation component. Kaleb Kangas is also the only member of the ensemble from the Upper Peninsula. The All State Honors Jazz Ensemble will convene in Grand Rapids, Michigan, January 19-21, culminating in a final gala concert at the Michigan Music Conference at the Marriott Hotel International Ballroom at 4:00 p.m. on January 21, 2012.
Congratulations to Jacob Wells who has been selected to play in the UP All Star football game on June 30, 2012, at the Superior Dome in Marquette. The game is sponsored by Xcel Sports Training.
The National Honor Society recently sponsored another successful blood drive which collected 25 pints of blood from 40 students. Another drive will be held in April.
The Spanish Club sponsored a Talent Show on November 22nd in the cafeteria. Taking 1st place singing an original song was Bella Wedig. Aidan Anderson and his band “Middle of Nowhere” took 2nd place, and the vocal trio of Naria Ford-Thompson, Laura Thompson and Kaileena Harelson placed 3rd.
The recent GHS Book Fair brought in $470 for new library books. Combined with the $599 from the previous book fair held in May, we have received $1,069 in new library books. A big thanks to Annie Boote for coordinating these events.
The Board heard public comment from the following:
1. Steve Peffers – thanked both Board President, Walter Maki, and outgoing Superintendent, Michael Maino, for their years of service to the Gwinn District and wished them well in their future endeavors.
Students from Meghan McLeod’s GHS Life Skills Class served homemade treats in honor of the holiday season.
The Board of Education participated in a demonstration of the One Call Now automated messaging service that the District will be using beginning in 2012. The One Call Now system will be used to remind parents of Parent-Teacher Conferences, notify parents of report cards or student absences, alert parents of a lockdown situation or safety concern, announce school closings/delays due to inclement weather, notify parents of early dismissals for various reasons, and remind parents about their child’s lunch balance.
The Board took action on the following:
Accepted the 2010-2011 financial audit report presented by Mr. John Blemburg from the firm of Anderson, Tackman & Company, P.L.C. The 2010-2011 audit showed the District with a $2,147,260 General Fund balance as of June 30, 2011. All funds ended the year with a positive balance.
Accepted, with great appreciation, the following gifts and donations:
1. Dan Turecky & Family – hats, gloves and scarves donated to Gilbert Elementary School
2. Alvin Gustafson – 2 swivel stools donated to the GHS food service department
3. DonorsChoose.org – various donations including a Canon Digital Rebel camera, a NOOK Color e-reader and accessories, 80 young adult novels and poetry books, a classroom news magazine subscription, microphone, spotlight, book-making materials, and more (total value of over $4,000) donated to Heather Hollands’ classroom at GHS
4. Don St. Aubin – labor donated to repair the ceiling in the staff restroom at GHS
5. Gwinn United Methodist Church – “seat covers” (boys and girls undergarments) and $500 in Kohl’s gift cards to purchase snow pants and winter coats, donated to Gilbert and KI Sawyer Elementary School
6. Shunk Furniture – twin mattress, box spring and headboard (and free delivery) donated to a family at KI Sawyer Elementary School
7. NMU Academic and Career Advisement Center Students – various toys donated for families at Sawyer for children in need
Presented a plaque of recognition and gift of appreciation to outgoing Board President, Walter Maki,
thanking him for his 16 years of service to the Board of Education.
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