SUPERINTENDENT COMMUNIQUÉ MIDLAND PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Pictured above: As we prepare to celebrate the graduating class of 2024, Dow High is already preparing for the incoming Freshman Class - graduating class of 2028! DHS hosted their Incoming Freshman Orientation night on May 21st.

Midland Public Schools District Vision Statement: Lead with respect, trust and courage. Ensure an equitable, collaborative and inclusive culture. Enable all to achieve success.

May 28, 2024

Volume 11 Edition 39

Class of 2024 Takes a Trip Down Memory Lane

Graduates from H.H. Dow High and Midland High walked the halls of their former Elementary Schools on Friday.

Students from each building clapped and threw confetti for the Chargers and Chemics adorned in their caps and gowns.

Congratulations to the Class of 2024! We are so proud of how far you have come and look forward to seeing all the great things you do!

PYP Exhibitions Wrap Up the Year with Global Awareness

Woodcrest, Chestnut Hill, Siebert, Plymouth, and Adams held their annual PYP Exhibitions within the last week. Students worked within several transdisciplinary themes including Sharing the Planet, Who We Are, and How We Express Ourselves to research worldly topics to make an impact. Great job to all!

Jefferson 8th Grade Orchestra Attends Detroit Symphony Orchestra

On Saturday, May 25, the Jefferson 8th Grade Orchestra took their annual field trip to the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. Students were able to watch one of the best orchestras in the country perform the Brahms Violin Concerto and Bartok Concerto for Orchestra. The performance featured guest soloist Veronika Eberle and guest conductor David Afkham. Pictured are the students waiting for the concert to start at Orchestra Hall in Detroit.

Midland High Hosts Viloshinee Murugan, MPS Secondary Curriculum Specialist

This past week, Viloshinee Murugan, our Secondary Curriculum Specialist here at Midland Public Schools, visited Ms. Beson-Steger's Freshmen World History Classes to speak about her experiences growing up in the Apartheid Era of South Africa. The World History Curriculum includes the legacy of imperialism, decolonization, independence movements and formation of new nations in the Indian Subcontinent, Africa, Eastern Europe, and Southeast Asia. Ms. Murugan grew up in the Indian Province of KwaZulu- Natal (home to Indians and the Native Zulu people). Students were enthralled to hear about her firsthand experiences growing up in segregated communities (including White, Indian & Asian, Mixed Ethnic Groups, and Native South Africans). Apartheid was the systematic segregation of the races that lasted for 46 years until internal and international pressure led to the dissolution of Apartheid. Students were interested in learning about life growing up in South Africa.

"I was surprised by how unfair schooling is for non-whites and I realize how blessed I am to have a free education." (Sam Grachek, 9th grade). "I learned that everyone had to learn Afrikaaner (Dutch-German language) in order to graduate in high school. I think it's amazing that you speak Afrikaans, and I loved when you spoke to us in Afrikaans in class." (Danika Wallace, 9th grade) I enjoyed learning about the "passes" that you had to carry around all the time." (Jalen Houze, 9th grade) It was such a great opportunity to connect learning in the classroom to real-world experiences- Thank you, Ms. Murugan! We so appreciate your time!

Northeast Middle School CSOs Honored at SVSU Event

MPS is proud to be a part of the Chief Science Officer program, which is a student-led initiative to increase interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). All secondary buildings have CSOs who are charged with influencing a wide range of STEM opportunities in their schools and communities. At the end of each year in May, CSOs from around the Great Lakes Bay Region gather for the annual CSO Celebration held at SVSU where CSOs, advisors, and community members celebrate a successful year of action plans, as well as a chance to honor outstanding participants.

This year, Xinying Lee and Sophia Mika, the Northeast Middle School CSOs, were presented with the “Outstanding Action Plan” award for their incredibly hard work organizing a STEM-azing Race for all 8th grade students at Northeast. The race included stops at stations where students learned about STEM careers from STEM professionals in the community. Xinying and Sophia organized the event entirely, which included coordinating with teachers and community members, and making sure that the races ran smoothly. Great job, Xinying, Sophia, and CSO advisor Jen Lenon!

Northeast Culture Club Celebrates "Taste Around the World"

The Northeast Culture Club celebrated the end of the school year with a "taste around the world" multicultural event. Businesses and families from many different backgrounds donated traditional dishes for the students and teachers to try. 7 different cultures were represented in the food tasting ranging from French pastries to Indian cuisine. The Culture Club was newly established this year at Northeast to help promote cultures and different identities throughout the world. They created various displays, announcements, activities for classes, and shared experiences throughout the semester.

Chinese Martial Arts Demonstration

Last Thursday(5/23), local Kungfu Master Henry Chung and his wife Yolanda were invited to the 5th Grade Chinese class taught by Jingcheng Wang. They talked about and demonstrated some Chinese martial arts. Students learned more about Chinese culture by sharing what they know about Chinese martial arts and discussing questions.

Chinese Music Appreciation at Jefferson Middle School

On May 21st, guest speaker Dr. Yunzhou Chai, scientist at Dow Chemical and Chinese musician, introduced four Chinese musical instruments to students in the Mandarin 1 Class taught by Lifang Qiu. Through Dr. Chai’s explanations, performances, and hands-on practice, students gained a deeper understanding of Chinese musical instruments.

In addition, Dr. Chai also shared his experiences of living in China before moving to the United States. Special thanks to Dr. Chai for providing such a great opportunity for the students in Mandarin class for three consecutive years!

Focus Student Publication Receives Accolades from Michigan Interscholastic Press Association

The Focus newspaper - the student publication of Midland High School - won 53 individual awards from the Michigan Interscholastic Press Association. The awards covered a variety of categories for newspaper writing, photography, news design and social media coverage. Congratulations to all! To see the entire list of awards, click here.

Focus Staff: Design Editor Michaela Quinn, Photo Editor Avery Shepard, News Editor Keara Banks, Sports Editor Hayden Purvis, Arts & Entertainment Editor Drey Applegate, Features Editor Madalynn Emeott, Opinion Editor Sophia Vidergar, Exchange Editor Haleigh Rouech, Ad Coordinator Kathy Doan, Digital Media Editor Brooke Russell, Copy Editors Brigid O’Malley and Callum Palmiter. The journalism classes are taught by Jim Woehrle.

Graduation is this Friday, May 31!

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.

MCTV Network will Live-Stream MPS Graduation Ceremonies!

Viewers can watch the ceremonies live on MCTV's cable channels, popular streaming services, online, and via the MCTV YouTube channel.

Kindergarten Camp!

For the 2024-2025 school year, our Kindergarten teams are excited to share a new approach to the start of the school year! The first two weeks of school will be referred to as CAMP! Students will be placed in a small group, or cabin, and will rotate and explore all Kindergarten classrooms for the first two weeks of school. Once camp is concluded, classroom assignments will be shared with parents. Here is our WHY and some of the benefits of Kindergarten Camp:

  • The Kindergarten Camp approach embraces a whole-child education, prioritizing the full scope of a child’s developmental needs to ensure that every child reaches their fullest potential. The whole child approach encompasses cognitive, physical, behavioral, social, emotional, and academic development.
  • An opportunity to build a community culture and develop relationships with all students and staff.

This approach is a new concept for Kindergarten teachers in Midland Public Schools, but it is becoming a commonly used practice in our county and surrounding areas in the state of Michigan. Last year, our Developmental Kindergarten teachers used this approach to kick off the school year and had extremely positive results. As a team, we’ve spent the last few months learning about this new approach, and we are excited to implement this in Kindergarten for the 24-25 school year. From what we’ve gathered, camp is a lasting memory for many students and something that they continue to talk about and reference all year long. You will receive more information about camp as the start of the school year approaches. If you have any questions, please contact your home school.

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 Program run 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.

Community Resources

Free Summer Meal Program

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