Rockford High School honors All State Honors Choir members.

The 2012 MSVMA All State Choir list has been published and Rockford again boasted one of the largest school groups in the state when the choir met at the Michigan Youth Arts Festival at Western Michigan University May 10-12. This is one of the state’s highest honors for a chorister. Out of the thousands who audition across Michigan in October, only the singers with the highest of audition scores at Regional Honors Choir are selected for this honor; the audition must be nearly flawless to be considered for All State Choir.

Congratulations to the following six students who represented themselves, Rockford High School and the Rockford community at this most prestigious event: (pictured, l–r) Ben Reitemeier, Hannah Schroeder, Sarah Ombry, Jill Nelson, Emilee Bodien, and Michael Sunday.

A bill to move back the kindergarten start date in Michigan is moving forward after the Senate Education Committee approved a three-year plan to phase it in.

Sen. Darwin Booher, the bills’ sponsor, told The Rockford Squire that the five-member panel ended up split over the decision after hearing extensive testimony from educators on Wednesday, March 21. Kindergarten teachers statewide have supported the measure overall, while some school administrators voiced opposition to the plan.

Rolling back the eligibility date means fewer students starting kindergarten and the state saving millions in per-student allowances that are provided to public schools.

Booher said he is in support of using the savings as an opportunity to restore support and invest in early childhood programs that have been underfunded.

Four-year-olds have been eligible to start kindergarten in Michigan as long as they turn five by December 1 of the school year they begin. After concerns were voiced by school districts, a phased-in plan that staggers the cut-off for kindergarten eligibility was approved.

During the 2012-2013 school year, the cut-off will be November 1. It will be moved back to October 1 for the 2013-2014 school year and the cut-off by the 2014-2015 school year would be September 1.

The original bill had an exception, but that language has since been taken out, but some administrators are pushing for that in the final bill.

“A large part of kindergarten is learning how to adapt socially,” said Farwell Superintendent Carl Seiter. “When students struggle with the social aspect, the academics suffer.”

“From an education standpoint, I think the shift will help student achievement in the long run,” Seiter said. “Academically, it’s going to be a good move.”

“Financially, this could impact schools,” Seiter said. “I would choose the academic aspects over the financial aspects at this point.”

Locally, Rockford Superintendent Dr. Michael Shibler said parents have the most information about whether students are ready for school.

“I really think the people who are most qualified to decide if students are ready for kindergarten are the parents,” Shibler said. “I really think the parents and the school district should make the decision.”

Shibler said he likes the idea of allowing for testing to appeal the decision if the age is a factor. “As long as the law allows a phase-in period, I think that would be fair as well,” he said.

This allows parents to plan for their students’ education and districts to prepare for the loss of students over time rather than just having it happen in one year.

While many administrators considered that they would eventually see these students, Shibler pointed out that parents could opt for private education if they felt their young child was ready for school.

“If a parent disagrees with the age requirement, they could send their child to a private school. This means the public school would lose the opportunity of enrolling that student,” Shibler said.

Administrators statewide also have raised concerns about whether the funding the state saves from the age difference will help make universally accessible preschool programs. This means have free or affordable preschool programs as well as having options for students who will turn five during the early part of the year.

“I’m very concerned we don’t leave a portion of our kids out of early childhood,” said Harrison Superintendent Tom House.

Shibler said he also would have a concern that developmental kindergarten and young five programs not be phased out. With all kindergarten students being five when they start, he said he could see these programs being something that is cut in tough economic times.

“I think some of these are decisions that parents and schools should make the decision together. I have always been a strong supporter of local control,” Shibler said. “Lansing should not be making some of these decisions, the parents and school districts should be.”

Clare Superintendent Doniel Pummell echoed her colleagues’ sentiments from around the state about funding for the schools and for early childhood as well as voicing opposition to legislation that makes a mandate rather than allowing schools flexibility.

Pummell said the real issue is the school readiness piece not age. “Readiness is readiness,” Pummell said. She said mandating an age is not addressing whether students are ready.

“Let’s talk about school readiness and address issues concerning that. They’re taking away the opportunities for students who are ready and the flexibility of school districts,” Pummell said.

“They’re making a mandate and changing a policy to address a different issue. Assist parents in readiness rather than changing a calendar date,” Pummell said. “We look at a variety of aspects to make sure they’re ready. Don’t just look at a date on the calendar.”

Booher said the change is estimated to save the state $50.4 million in the first year, $100.8 million the following year and $151 million by the third year. The savings are based on the foundation allowances of $7,200 per pupil.

Booher said he also testified on Wednesday, March 21 reiterating his support to use the savings to restore funding for early childhood education. “Get all kids ready so they are better prepared,” Booher said.

The matter next goes before the full Senate before going to the state House for committee review and action. He said a similar bill has been proposed in the House.

Booher, a Republican representing the 35th District which includes Clare County, said 36 other states have already made the change to the later kindergarten start date.

“Studies are clear that children will do better if they are older when they start,” Booher said. “Statistics show that mentally four-year-olds may be ready but not behaviorally or socially.”

Booher said he would have preferred that it would start with the age requirement during the 2012-2013 school year, but “it will be phased in” at the request of school administrators and the Michigan Education Association.

“Funding is one of the issues. What we’re hearing the most from administrators is about funding,” Booher said. “Policy is what the bill is about not financial.”

Booher said the per-pupil funding is a concern to some districts. “It is a lot of money,” he said. “The money will still be in school aid.”

Booher said there are a lot of requirements kindergarten students need to meet to pass to first grade so being able to focus is important.

“We think this is the right thing long term in education for students,” Booher said. “I believe they’ll do better. There are studies that show that as well.”

The original bill had an exception, but that language has since been taken out.

by LION MIKE WESTGATE
Assistant Principal
Rockford Freshman Center

Lions Clubs International is the world’s premier community service organization, with over 1.3 million members around the world dedicated to helping people in need. Leo clubs are part of the Lions international network with over 5,500 Leo clubs in more than 130 nations. The Rockford Lions Club is proud to sponsor our new Leo club.

On February 29, 2012, over 100 students from North and East Rockford middle schools, the Rockford Freshman Center and high school were officially inducted at a ceremony in the Rockford High School auditorium. It was an impressive ceremony with esteemed speakers including Dr. Mike Shibler, superintendent of Rockford Public Schools, Lion Rock Wood, the vice district governor, Lion Ken Frary, the district governor, and Lion Dr. Gary Anderson, the Lions Club International director. It is the largest Leo club ever chartered in the state of Michigan.

The Rockford Leo club will be a service-minded organization that will provide assistance to the Rockford schools and community and give its members a global identity. The Leo club motto, “Leadership, Experience, Opportunity,” says it all. Leos develop skills as project organizers, time managers and team leaders. They discover how teamwork and cooperation can bring exciting changes to the community. And most importantly, Leos make friends and feel the rewards of community service.

Several Rockford Public Schools administrators are Lions and serve as advisors and mentors to the Leo club students in their buildings. The Leos have already been involved with many positive service projects such as:

•            planted over 200 trees on school grounds;

•            volunteered with seniors at Bishop Hills Elder Care;

•            donations/toy drive for Toys for Tots;

•            raised funds for Thirsting to Serve and Kids Food Basket;

•            volunteered in third-grade classrooms at Meadow Ridge;

•            cleaning up Rockford’s oldest cemetery, Pioneer Cemetery.

Future community projects include working at the Start of Summer Celebration, the Farmer’s Market and helping to reclaim the old Rum Creek Mill Pond skating rink.

If you or your teenager are interested in getting involved in an outstanding organization, please contact your building assistant principal.

Students from Belmont Elementary, Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Our Lady of Consolation schools enjoy an end-of-the-year party after participating in a Student Run Credit Union program.

Rockford Community Federal Credit Union (RCFCU) just finished their ninth year of facilitating student-run credit unions in the Rockford area schools. RCFCU would like to say thank you to all the volunteer Student Run Credit Union employees in the 2011-2012 school year. The 65 student employees helped their peers save $5,300 by processing over 700 transactions!

Belmont Elementary, Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Our Lady of Consolation schools participated this year. RCFCU enjoys partnering with the local schools to help students be more dedicated to financial literacy.

“I enjoy helping students understand more about the importance of saving and budgeting their money. They don’t always need to spend, spend, spend!” said Josh Fortuna, Student Run Credit Union facilitator.

A program like the Student Run Credit Union allows students to be taught real life skills of financial banking in a safe and secure school environment.

Every now and then, as a teacher when you introduce a new class project, students don’t always react with the great joy and excitement you picture playing out in your mind. However, when you share with the kids that it is a contest, and that the top winners take home $1,500 for their school as well as $250 gift cards for each winning team member, well, things change.

Students of Rockford High School (RHS) TV Studio’s Beyond The Rock team recently took home a first-place finish in a statewide public service announcement (PSA) contest put on by the Michigan Rural Water Association (MRWA), a nonprofit organization. This competition is the second annual high school video contest put on by the MRWA. The task given to school groups was to create a 30-second PSA that promoted the importance of preserving our water, and being socially responsible stewards of this life necessity. The MRWA created this project in order to get the younger generation to understand the importance of this topic, and to spread the word to their peers, their families and their communities.

The group consisting of RHS juniors Molly Doren and Jenna Severson and sophomore Mitchell Peterson took home the first prize and were extremely thrilled upon hearing the news.

“I was thrilled beyond belief when I heard we won,” Doren commented.

Severson shared in the excitement, but was also taken a bit off guard. “I was completely surprised we won, because there were so many great entries.”

All three students gained a respect for the proper care of this limited and life-sustaining resource. “I believe strongly that humanitarian issues need to be brought to attention in our society. This PSA gave us a chance not only to learn, but too show why safe water is so vital,” Severson shared with a concerned heart.

The students were also quite excited to be receiving quite a hefty gift card.

“Jenna had a plan for the money within minutes. If I remember correctly, much of it involved clothes and food,” instructor Kris DeYoung chuckled. “It was a great project, and a great reminder to us all not to take our clean water for granted, and to do our part in being proper stewards of this valuable resource. So many in the world go without clean drinking water, we need to not only be thankful, but also look to how we can help those who aren’t as fortunate.”

For more information on the MRWA, visit www.mrwa.org. For more information on RHS TV Studio, visit “Beyond The Rock” on Facebook.

“I support the vast majority of reforms and programs in the education budget, but I will not support a plan that will cost our local schools more of their limited funding without providing any financial savings to the state. We should not be essentially mandating full-day kindergarten, which is why I voted against this budget as currently written.”

by SHARON WELLS
Principal, Meadow Ridge Elementary School

What happens when you take 185 developmental kindergarten students and all of their teachers and put them in one school for the first time? Amazing collaboration and magical results! The 2011-2012 school year was the maiden voyage for having all of our youngest learners come together at Meadow Ridge Elementary School in the newly formed Early Childhood Center.

Our year was filled with exciting opportunities for our developmental kindergarten (DK) students. All of them participated in our school walk-a-thon last fall and our mileage club this May, focusing on being healthy in the process. We had monthly whole group celebrations around academic themes such as the study of penguins, Dr. Seuss and his wonderful rhyming books, the “Polar Express,” and learning about water filtering systems used in undeveloped countries. Speakers were brought in to talk to the classes and special assemblies were held for the interest of our DK students.

The DK teachers had the gift of being able to collaborate with each other in one building for the first time as well. Previously being in seven separate buildings, it was difficult to get together and share ideas and provide each other with support. The teachers met in monthly Professional Learning Community meetings, often ate lunch together to brainstorm new ideas, and had curriculum planning meetings throughout the year to develop and create an inspirational and effective program to best prepare their students for kindergarten.

A new program doesn’t go without the need for problem solving. A critical part of our new journey was the transportation of students from all Rockford elementary schools to and from Meadow Ridge. Special identification tags were used to identify students in the DK program and buses were labeled with animals that coordinated with the tags. Paraprofessionals worked at each school to help transfer students to appropriate buses. Special thanks to the Rockford Transportation Department for the creativity, patience and coordination efforts for this to all happen with safety as a top priority.

As our first year wraps up, we are looking forward to yet another opportunity for positive change and success when next fall our DK program moves to an all-day, everyday schedule (this change is pending Board of Education approval). We will be giving our youngest learners even greater learning opportunities. The staff of the Early Childhood Center will be developing a daily schedule that will include more time to elaborate on skills, individualize instruction, provide purposeful exploration and play, and meets the needs of our students in an unhurried setting. We are so grateful for the successes of our first year and look forward to meeting the newest members of our Early Childhood Center in a few short months.

Commencement exercises were held Sunday, May 6.

Hope College is a four-year, co-educational, liberal arts college with an enrollment of 3,249 men and women, and is affiliated with the Reformed Church in America.

This honor is a cash award given to a deserving senior who has demonstrated academic excellence and who is committed to teaching mathematics at the elementary or secondary level.

6th Grade
Fine Arts Magnet

Anna’s parents are Erik and Diane. Her brother, Matthew, is in the third grade and she has a dog named Pablo. Anna attended Crestwood Elementary. She plays flute in the band and also likes to participate in after-school activities, like Snack Attack. She also enjoys drawing and spending time with friends. Anna’s favorite classes are Art with Mr. Vandenberg and Team Time with her magnet teachers, Mrs. Curtis and Ripley. Her favorite food is “anything with sugar” and her favorite movie and books are Hunger Games. Anna would like to become a teacher and possibly attend Michigan State University. Anna admires her parents, who motivate her and are always there for her. She is proud of earning good grades and finding success after her family moved to Michigan.

Asa Huffaker

6th Grade
Communications Technology Magnet

Asa is the son of Miles and Linda. He has a sister in eleventh grade named Charlotte and a brother in eighth grade named Wyatt. He also had a dog named Penny and a cat named Earl. Asa plays saxophone in the band and also plays soccer with Scor. His favorites include Math with Mrs. VanLare, candy corn, MSU, movies Avatar and Dodgeball, and Harry Potter books. Asa admires his dad, who is just funny and a good person. He is proud of being recognized as Student of the Month.

Jessica Herried

7th Grade

Jessica’s parents are Dean and Kim. Her siblings are high school student, Dylan, eighth-grader, Mitchell, and seventh-grade twin sister, Amanda. She also has a bunny named Ella. Jessica attended Lakes Elementary. She currently participates in the ERMS Writer’s Circle and is also highly active with Alliance soccer. Her favorites include Math with Mrs. Bryant, MSU, filet mignon, The Blind Side, and Hunger Games book series. If she could take a dream vacation, Jessica would travel to Alaska. She would love a career as an ecologist. Jessica admires her dad, who inspires others in his personal and professional life. She is proud to have earned a spot on a soccer team and the opportunity to compete for the state cup.

Andrew Haid

7th Grade

Andrew is the son of Christopher and Susan. His siblings are eighth-grade student, Daniel, and third-grade student, Matthew. Andrew attended Cannonsburg Elementary. His family will be moving to Switzerland this summer, but he is planning to return as a senior and graduate from Rockford High School. Andrew participates in track, cross country, and swim for ERMS. He is also active in soccer, club swim, Faith Formation, and running. In fact, Andrew will be running the 25K River Bank Run this year. His favorites include Rock Eastern Hemisphere with Mr. Posont, ice cream, the movie Avatar, and books from the Maze Runner series. Andrew would love to attend UNC and become an architect. Andrew admires his dad and his soccer coach, Alex. He is proud of participating on the regional Olympic development team for soccer.

Jaime Richardson

8th Grade

Jaime is the daughter of Brian and Caroline. She has a brother, Jack, in fifth grade as well as two cats and a dog. Jaime attended Crestwood Elementary. She participates in volleyball and track at ERMS, as well as Scor soccer. She also likes to run. Jaime’s favorite class is Art with Mrs. Appleby, favorite food is fettucini alfredo, the movie Courageous, and country music. She would love to become a dolphin trainer and Sea World. Jaime admires her dad, who is a teacher and coach. She says that she admires him because he helps kids and is a good Christian role model, as well as a great friend to her. She is most proud that she has earned a black belt.

Connor Hartley

8th Grade

Connor is the son of Kristina Hartley and the late Scott Hartley. Connor’s siblings are senior Ryan, sixth-grader Collin, and third-grader Taylor. He also has a dog named Cody. Connor attended Crestwood Elementary. He is active in lacrosse and also loves to be outside. His favorites include US History with Mrs. Ohlman, pizza, the movie Stepbrothers, and U of M. Connor admires his mom, who is a single mother that takes good care of her four children. He is most proud of working hard and showing discipline in sports.