SUPERINTENDENT COMMUNIQUÉ MIDLAND PUBLIC SCHOOLS

MPS Teachers Receive Inspirational Teacher Award

On Wednesday, May 3rd, the Midland Rotary Club celebrated Claire's Day. Claire's Day was created in 2002 in Ohio in honor of Claire Lynsey Rubini, who died suddenly on July 6, 2000, as a result of a heart condition. Claire's parents, Brad and Julie Rubini, wanted to pay tribute to their daughter who loved reading, storytelling, and music so they started Claire's Day to celebrate reading. Teachers who inspire and motivate students are nominated by their building principals, and those who are chosen are honored with the Inspirational Teacher Award. MPS Claire's Day 2023 recipients of the Inspirational Teacher Award are:

• Erin Deal - Siebert Elementary
• Dominique Endsley - Woodcrest Elementary
• Ashley Kling - Chestnut Hill Elementary
• Christina Weihl - Central Park Elementary

Congratulations and thank you for inspiring excellence at MPS and beyond!

In honor of National School Nurse Day on May 10th, MPS would like to thank our school nurses for supporting our students and families!

H. H. Dow Swimmers Earn Academic All-State, All-America Honors

Seven members of H. H. Dow High’s girls’ swimming and diving team earned Michigan Interscholastic Swim Coaches Association Academic All-State honors this year, the most for the Chargers in program history. Kate Hudack, Morgan Retzloff, Sophia Sower, Ella Roberson, Katherine Gray, Emily Krzciok, and Natalie Nussear all earned MISCA Academic All-State distinction, which goes to senior student-athletes who have at least a 3.65 unweighted grade-point average. Meanwhile, Hudack, Retzloff, Roberson, and Gray also earned National Interscholastic Swim Coaches Association Academic All-America distinction, which goes to seniors who have at least a 3.75 unweighted GPA. Great job, Chargers!

H.H. Dow High Journalism Awards 2023

The journalism program at H. H. Dow High School was recently recognized by the Michigan Interscholastic Press Association for their work. The Update earned 3 First Place, 5 Second Place, 6 Third Place, and 15 Honorable Mentions for a total of 29 awards. Congratulations to the following students: Allison Sheets, Vlad Vasylyk, Bella Brown, Carter Helmer, Cole Kinney, Eliezer Maldonado, Elisa Costeux, Emma Mertes, Brooke Seymour, Teagan O'Dell, Hailey Deitsch, Hayden Culver, Joe Craig, Katie Hagen, Rachel Erdmann, Lindsay Hart, Ross Hollis, and Kirsten Kenyon.

The Charger Yearbook earned 2 First Place, 5 Second Place, 4 Third Place, and 18 Honorable Mentions for a grand total of 29 individual awards. Congratulations to the following students: Alyssa Pomranky, Lauren Gebo, Madelynn Parks, Paige Barnard, Ashlyn Rutterbush, Hannah Burse, Jorja Massaro, Kaylee Emrick, Kyra Nicholas, Marieke Theuerkauf, Natalie Nussear, and Paige Barnard.

Bolt Media earned 2 First Place, 1 Second Place, 1 Third Place, and 8 Honorable Mentions for a total of 12 individual awards. Congratulations to the following students: Alex Lauderbach, Reece Johnson, Ethan Jordan, Jenna Schaefer, Reagan King, Emma Dodick, Lillian Blohm, Natalie Nussear, Makena Saylor, MaRissa Hall, Otis Hofmann, Bennett Kanitz, Rachel Sisco, Abbey Ieuter, Samuel McNally, Ethan Simon, and Spencer Donnelly.

The Update staff was also recognized for their work from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association earning a Silver Crown Award for the newspaper.

Each year, the Michigan Interscholastic Press Association presents the Golden Pen Award to an outstanding adviser of a scholastic student media outlet. It is the highest honor MIPA bestows on a current adviser. To win the award, an adviser is judged according to documentation and evidence — in portfolio form — provided by students. MIPA launched the Golden Pen Award in 1952 as one of several ways to memorialize Donal Hamilton Haines, a University of Michigan Department of Journalism professor who served as MIPA’s director from its early days until 1950. Haines also advised U-M’s student chapter of Sigma Delta Chi, now known as the Society of Professional Journalists, which was the key organizer of MIPA’s first conference on May 22, 1922. Sigma Delta Chi honored the first Golden Pen winners with a golden “key” or pin of a quill, a tradition MIPA continues. This year’s winner is Cammie Hall from H. H. Dow High School. Congratulations, Cammie!

Once school has ended for the year, Midland Public Schools will once again be offering the Summer eLearning Program. Through this program, online courses are available to high school students who wish to earn initial credit in select courses. If you are interested in Credit Recovery courses this year, please contact your building administration.

While being onsite is not a requirement for daily work or quizzes, tests and exams must be monitored. This can be by appointment onsite or by appointment virtually. Appointments will be scheduled with the teacher on duty between the hours of 9:00 am and 12:00 pm on Mondays - Thursdays unless other arrangements are made. Students should expect to invest 45-60 hours to complete each course but may work on their course at any place where they have an internet connection.

Courses will begin on June 5, 2023, and must be completed by August 4, 2023. Students may only register for one course at a time. The cost for each course is $150 for Standard Edgenuity courses (EDG - Edgenuity on course list) and $235 for Edgenuity Instructional Services courses (EDGIS - Edgenuity Instructional Services on course list) for Midland Public Schools students and $175 or $250 for students outside of the MPS district. Registration opens on April 24th. If you would like additional information or would like to register for a course, use this link: https://www.midlandps.org/district/summer-program

Check out these CTE Summer Camp Opportunities

Questions or concerns? Contact us via the MPS Connect button below.