Pictured above: Midland High's Varsity Baseball Team were buddies to athletes participating in opening day of the 2024 Miracle League Season. The Miracle League allows kids and adults of all ages with disabilities the chance to play baseball in a fully accessible baseball diamond. Way to hit the ball out of the park, Chemics!
Midland Public Schools District Vision Statement: Lead with respect, trust and courage. Ensure an equitable, collaborative and inclusive culture. Enable all to achieve success.
April 29, 2024
Volume 11 Edition 35
MPS Multicultural Calendar - May
Dates of Interest for May:
Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month: May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. May was chosen to commemorate the immigration of the first Japanese to the U.S. on May 7, 1843, and to mark the anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental railroad on May 10, 1869—an achievement that relied on the labor of Chinese workers. For more information, visit the link here.
Jewish American Heritage Month:A time to commemorate and celebrate the contributions and achievements of American Jews while also acknowledging the struggles. For more information, visit the link here.
National Mental Health Month: This includes May 9 which is designated as National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day. For more information, visit the link here.
- International Workers' Day / Labor Day: May 1 - Many around the world celebrate Labor Day on this day instead of in September. For more information, visit the link here.
- May Day / Beltane: May 1 - Spring Festival celebrated in a variety of traditions marking the renewal of nature after winter. For more information, visit the link here.
- Cinco de Mayo: May 5 - While the date falls on the anniversary of the Battle of Puebla where the Mexican army and citizens defeated the French invaders, it is not a day that is widely celebrated in Mexico. It can be a wonderful day to highlight the many contributions of Mexican-Americans to our society as a whole and the shared history between our two countries. For more information, visit the link here.
- National Teacher Appreciation Week: May 6-10 - including National Teacher Day on May 7: Celebrates teachers and public school educators and how much we support, respect, and admire them. For more information, visit the link here.
- Mother's Day: May 12 - Here is a link to a resource about being more inclusive when celebrating families.
- Memorial Day: May 27 - A day to commemorate and honor those lost while serving in the US Armed Forces. For more information, visit the link here.
Midland High Team Takes Second Place in A.H. Nickless Innovation Competition
Following the finale event for the 11th annual A.H. Nickless Innovation Award competition on April 20 at Saginaw Valley State University’s Alan W. Ott Auditorium, three teams of students went home with a combined total of $22,000 in scholarships for themselves and another $35,000 in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education grants for their schools. Each winning team also will receive a customized plaque. Winning teams were:
- First place: Find My Firefighter from Nouvel Catholic Central High School in Saginaw (Catholic Diocese of Saginaw) Prizes: $5,000 scholarship per student team member and a $20,000 STEM education grant for the school
- Second place: CyberAI from Midland High School (Midland Public Schools) Prizes: $2,500 scholarship per student team member and a $10,000 STEM education grant for the school
- Third place: The STEMatic Duo from John Glenn High School in Bay City (Bangor Township Schools) Prizes: $1,000 scholarship per student team member and a $5,000 STEM education grant for the school
Congratulations go out to the Midland High team of Grace Riddle, Isla McCubbin-Green, Rori McCubbin-Green, and Jacob Rudisel for earning 2nd place in the competition. Their team created real-time call-monitoring software with artificial intelligence to protect users from scam callers. Great job!
To read the full press release from the competition, click on the button below.
Pictured left to right: Grace Riddle, Isla McCubbin-Green, Rori McCubbin-Green, Jacob Rudisel
Culture Club Celebrates Holi
Holi, the Hindu "Festival of Color" that celebrates the beginning of spring, is celebrated March 25th in India and Nepal. Since it was spring break for Midland Public Schools, the Adams 5th Grade Culture Club learned about India and the Holi Festival a little late, on April 12th. Dow High students Tara and Shree Singh (of the DHS Dear Asian Youth) presented the history of the Holi Festival and how it is celebrated today, with throwing of color and water. They also showcased the traditional Indian Odissi dance, and the 5th graders were excited to try some of the dance moves!
On April 25th, the Culture Club took a field trip to further their learning of Indian culture. Selvan Alphonse, owner of local Indian restaurant Veedu, hosted the Culture Club. “Veedu” is the word for “home” in Tamil, one of the world’s oldest languages still used in India today, and was chosen to represent what the restaurant will offer - a place where people feel at home. Mr. Alphonse is an Adams’ parent, and was kind enough to offer a private room and discounted buffet with many different Indian dishes for the students to sample. Culture Club members, their parents and their siblings were invited and enjoyed the delicious food, some trying Indian food for the first time! We are thankful to Veedu and to the Singh twins for sharing their culture with us!
Earth Day at MPS
Across the district, students and staff celebrated Earth Day with various projects and activities:
Second graders at Plymouth Elementary worked to clean up the playground and woods area on Earth Day!
Girl Scout Brownie Troop #50474 celebrated Earth Day by planting a small flowering plum tree in the courtyard of Siebert Elementary. Special thanks to Midland Walmart for donating the tree, and to Taylor Trophy and Awards for donating a small sign at the base of the tree. Check out their handiwork the next time you are passing through the courtyard-hallways of Siebert!
Ms. Cochran’s 3rd-grade class at Siebert Elementary joined Steve Frisbee, Chippewa Nature Center’s Camp Director, for a morning of outdoor hands-on science learning. The students became ecosystem engineers and built a forest in a terrarium after collecting living and non-living specimens from the nature space beyond the play areas at Siebert Elementary. Some animal highlights of what they found were firefly larvae, also known as glowworms, millipedes, centipedes, and many earthworms. Afterward, they discovered the spring ephemerals blooming on the forest floor, which led nicely into lessons about bees and their lifecycles and ended with an epic pollination simulation game. The students enjoyed their hands-on learning experience, being outdoors, making discoveries, and playing together, all while learning life science.
Chalk drawings celebrating Earth Day at Jefferson Middle School
MPS CTE Advisory Committees: Champions for Career Readiness
Midland Public School’s Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs are proud to recognize the invaluable contributions of their Program Advisory Committees. Established by the federal Perkins V law, these committees are essential for ensuring our CTE programs deliver the skills and knowledge students need for high-demand careers.
Comprised of industry professionals, educators, parents, and post-secondary representatives, Program Advisory Committees provide crucial guidance on:
- Curriculum development: Keeping programs aligned with industry standards and emerging technologies.
- Equipment needs: Ensuring students have access to the latest tools and equipment used in the field.
- Workforce trends: Understanding the skills employers are seeking, preparing students for a smooth transition into their chosen careers.
MPS is incredibly grateful for the time and commitment of our Program Advisory Committee members. Their insights are instrumental in shaping our CTE programs and guaranteeing we remain relevant and responsive to the ever-evolving needs of the workforce. The following CTE programs at MPS have advisory committees that meet twice per year: Automotive; Business Administration/Management; Construction Trades; Engineering; Finance; Marketing; and Welding. Their expertise helps bridge the gap between the classroom and the workplace, preparing students for a seamless transition into their chosen fields.
Graduation is Quickly Approaching!
As we move closer to the end of the 2023-24 school year, we look forward to celebrating with our graduating class! Graduation ceremonies will be held at Dow Diamond on May 31st, 2024 as follows:
Midland High School - 4:15 PM
H.H. Dow High School - 7:15 PM
In the event of inclement weather, the graduation ceremonies will move to their respective buildings and take place at 5:30 p.m.
2024-2025 Enrollment
Online Enrollment
Online enrollment for the 2024-2025 school year is now available by clicking the link below.
If you do not already have a ParentVue account, you will be prompted to create one, and then you will be able to complete the 2024-2025 New Student form for grades DK-12.
If you have any questions or issues with the enrollment process, please contact the enrollment office at 989-923-5024 or enroll@midlandps.org.
Once school has ended for the year, Midland Public Schools will once again offer the Summer eLearning Program. Through this program, online courses are available to high school students who wish to earn initial credit in select courses. The Virtual Summer Program is separate from the Credit Recovery Summer Programrun by the buildings. Please contact your school building administration for their Credit Recovery Summer Program information.
While being on site 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 9:00 AM and 12:00 PM Monday through Thursday unless other arrangements are made. Students should expect to invest 45-60 hours to complete each course, but they may work on their course anywhere they have an internet connection.
Courses will begin on June 3, 2024, and must be completed by August 8, 2024. 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 $250 for Edgenuity Instructional Services courses (EDGIS - Edgenuity Instructional Services on course list) for Midland Public Schools students and $175 or $265 for students outside of the MPS district. Registration begins April 22, 2024. For more information, visit the eLearning webpage on our website here.
Nominate Exemplary MPS Staff for Gerstacker, Distinguished Service, and NEW Administrators Inspiring Excellence Awards!
It is the time of year again when we look to recognize our amazing MPS staff with selection for the annual Gerstacker and Distinguished Service Awards. In addition to these two long-standing awards, MPS, with the support of the Carl and Esther Gerstacker Donor-Advised Fund at the Midland Area Community Foundation, will recognize an Adminstrator who inspires excellence in the MPS Community with the first annual Administrators Inspiring Excellence Award!
Please see the nomination announcements for these three awards as well as links to the nomination forms below. Thank you for your help in recommending our MPS staff who go above and beyond each day to support our staff, students, and community! The deadline to submit nominations is Friday, May 24th, 2024. Awards will be presented to the winners at our opening staff meeting in August.
Attention: Incoming Jefferson Students!
MPS Operating Millage Renewal
The MPS Board of Education recently voted to place a millage renewal proposal on the May 7, 2024, ballot. This renewal provides a significant source of revenue to the school district’s operating budget, including salaries, utilities, and educational programming for students. You can find more detailed information by visiting our Operating Millage webpage, linked here, as well as in the Frequently Asked Questions document linked in the button below.