Pictured above: students from Northeast and Jefferson selected to participate in MSBOA Middle School All Star Orchestra on January 20.
Midland Public Schools District Vision Statement: Lead with respect, trust and courage. Ensure an equitable, collaborative and inclusive culture. Enable all to achieve success.
January 22, 2024
Volume 11 Edition 22
MPS Multicultural Calendar - January
Dates of Interest for January:
- January 27 - International Holocaust Remembrance Day - International Day to honor and commemorate the victims of the Holocaust on the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau. For more information, click here.
MSBOA Middle School All Star Orchestra
On Saturday, January 20, twenty-two orchestra students from Northeast and Jefferson participated in MSBOA Middle School All Star Orchestra. The students were nominated for membership in this honors orchestra by their teachers. They prepared the music for several weeks in advance and then spent the day rehearsing with students from Mt. Pleasant, Saginaw, and St. Johns under the direction of guest conductor Wendy Tenney. The group finished their day by performing together for an audience at Central Auditorium. Great job, Huskies and Vikings!
Robotics Updates
MPS FIRST Lego League Challenge Robotics teams participate in MASTERPIECE Season!
From August - December, twelve FIRST Lego League Challenge (FLL-C) Robotics Teams of students from 4th and 5th grade across all six elementary schools participated in the FIRST Robotics MASTERPIECE season. In this year’s challenge, teams designed, built, and programmed Lego robots that solved missions surrounding the topic of arts and entertainment. In addition, each team brainstormed, identified, and solved a real-world problem of their choice related to their favorite hobby. Students also practiced and developed their skills in the areas of Gracious Professionalism, Discovery, Teamwork, Inclusion, Innovation, Impact, and Fun which are the core values at the heart of the FIRST program. All of our MPS teams participated in the Nexteer Ready, Set, Lego Competition in early December and had a great time! We continue to celebrate having the FIRST Lego League Challenge robotics program in all six of our elementary schools. In FIRST Robotics, we celebrate what we learn. Congratulations to our MPS FLL-C Robotics Teams on a wonderful season!
Congratulations to the Siebert Bulldog Builders for placing second for Robot Performance; the Chestnut Hill Cyberchips for winning 1st Place in the Innovation Award; and to the Central Park Beyond the Brick Team who won the 1st Place Robot Design Award and were very excited to qualify and attend the Michigan State Championship. For the State Championship, the team worked hard to make changes to their innovation project and improved their robot game by 50 points!
Congratulations to all of the MPS FIRST Lego League Challenge Teams on a wonderful season! Although our upper elementary and middle school robotics seasons have come to a close, keep an eye out for our high school and mid-elementary teams to begin their seasons in January. We couldn’t provide these amazing opportunities without the continued support of our MPS Coordinators, Mentors, Parents, Students, and wonderful Sponsors. Thank you for your time, talent, and dedication to our students!
FIRST Robotics Competition 2024 Season for High School Teams!
The 2024 FIRST Robotics Competition Season for our Midland High and Dow High School teams is underway!
The Dow High team, FRC 2619 - The Charge, and the Midland High Team, FRC 5509 - Like a Boss, watched the 2024 game reveal on January 6. The challenge is called CRESCENDO℠ and it is in alignment with the FIRST® IN SHOW℠ theme for all FIRST programs, where the role STEM plays in the arts is spotlighted and young people are empowered to design and build a world of endless possibilities.
Teams have 9 weeks to design, build, and program a 125-pound robot to meet this season’s game challenges. Two competing robot alliances collect and process game pieces to earn points during the 2.5 minute matches. Teams will retrieve their game pieces (notes) and score them in three different places on the field (amp, speaker, trap). In the final moments of each match, alliance robots race to the stage and climb onto a chain with other robots to earn more points.
Save the Date: The 2024 FIRST Midland District Competition will be held at H. H. Dow High School on March 22-23! The event is free and the public is welcome!
Join MPS for Kids Day at the Mall!
Saturday, January 27th from 10 am - 3 pm! Visit the MPS booth for district information, a fun activity and more. We hope to see you there!
2023-24 Guide to Admissions: click on the button below for the Michigan public universities' guide to admissions for the 2023-24 school year.
Students and families looking for help paying for college are encouraged to register for a Virtual Financial Aid Presentation to gather information on FAFSA applications, federal/state financial aid, and scholarships.
- Adults ages 21 to 24 who have not yet earned a college degree can enroll in Michigan Reconnect, a tuition-free community college scholarship program. Governor Whitmer temporarily lowered the age for those eligible from 25 to 21. For more information, click here
Map your future with Pathfinder!
The Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity's Office of Employment and Training created the Pathfinder online career planning tool to connect Michigan residents with high-quality, in-demand careers and credentials. Visit Pathfinder by clicking on the button below!