Pictured Above: Plymouth staff celebrate Halloween!
Midland Public Schools District Vision Statement: Lead with respect, trust and courage. Ensure an equitable, collaborative and inclusive culture. Enable all to achieve success.
November 6, 2023
Volume 11 Edition 13
Reminder: There is No School for Students Tomorrow, Tuesday, November 7th
MPS Multicultural Calender - November
Dates of Interest for November:
- National American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month - for more information click here
- November 11 - Veterans Day (also celebrated as Armistice Day or Remembrance Day)
- November 12 - Diwali (may be a multi-day celebration) – Festival of Lights for the Hindu, Jain, and Sikh and all across India - for more information click here
- November 13 - World Kindness Day - for more information click here
- November 16 - International Day for Tolerance - UN holiday founded to encourage respect among various people regardless of culture, language, religion, or ethnicity
- November 20 - World Children's Day - for more information click here
- November 23 - Thanksgiving -also known as National Day of Mourning, has a broader history and multiple points of view surrounding the Pilgrims and settlements on idigenous lands - for more information click here
Congratulations to our Cross Country Athletes for representing MPS this past weekend at the State Finals at Michigan International Speedway!
Midland High senior Mateo Reyes finished as one of the top individual cross-country runners in Mid-Michigan! In the Division 1 regional meet held at Shepherd on October 27th, Mateo beat out another runner by 0.6 seconds to earn a state-qualifying spot. Mateo competed this past Saturday in the state finals and finished with an impressive time of 16:53 to cap off his MHS cross-country career. Way to go Mateo!
The Dow High Girls Cross Country Team had a historic weekend! They traveled to Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, MI to compete in the MHSAA Cross Country State Championships, having earned their team entry by scoring third in the Regional meet the week before. The Dow High Ladies came in 11th in the Division 1 race. This is the second-highest team ranking in Dow High Girls Cross Country history! The Chargers were led by Victoria Garces who ran a 17:29.1, crushing the school record by 37.2 seconds and earning 5th place overall. Finishing next for the Chargers were Katie Watkins in 42nd and Sydney Roberts in 46th, both securing spots in the top 50. Also scoring for Dow were Allison Nussear and Sydney Lambert.
"It was an exciting day, and amazing to watch the girls show up ready to compete amongst the best in the state for their team and individual goals," said Coach Jamie Haruska. "I am incredibly proud of the efforts these girls put in throughout the season in order to be ready at the start line on Saturday. We had big goals and we met them - that feels amazing. Our season's success was a whole team effort, and I am so thankful for the tenacity and dedication all the girls put in this season."
Great job, Chargers and Chemics!
Engineering Capstone Students Present Project Proposals
Students from the Engineering Capstone course presented their project proposals on October 25th and October 30th, in the Media Center at Dow High School. The class this year is composed of students from both high schools and the research they have performed is impressive! Thank you to these Engineering students for sharing their projects with the community!
Northwood Go MAD Day Volunteers Visit MPS Schools!
On November 3rd, Northwood University volunteers participated in Go MAD Day ("Go Make A Difference Day"). This is an annual Day of Service that brings together Northwood University students, staff, and faculty to engage in community service and acts of kindness, making positive impacts in the surrounding community. Hundreds of community members and dozens of local organizations are aided by this single day of service. For this year's Go MAD Day, Northwood volunteers visited Adams and Siebert Elementary Schools as well as the Carpenter Pre-Primary Center, completing projects such as landscaping and refreshing outdoor spaces. Thank you, Northwood volunteers, for sharing your time with MPS!
Congratulations to Dow High and Midland High for representing MPS in the top 23 teams selected for the 2023-24 A.H. Nickless Innovation Award!
Orchestra News
Grove Music Festival Masterclass
On October 27th, all Dow High and Midland High orchestra students attended the Grove Music Festival Masterclass. The clinicians this year were Bayberry String Quartet Members Gabriel Bolkosky and Steffani Kitayama. A few performers were able to play their prepared pieces for the clinicians, and they received feedback/critique in front of the whole group. In addition to the masterclass, students were able to attend the Bayberry String Quartet’s performance as part of the Grove Music Festival for free that evening.
Midland Community Orchestra’s 8th Grade Side-by-Side Concert
On November 5th, eleven orchestra students from Northeast and Jefferson performed in the Midland Community Orchestra’s 8th Grade Side-by-Side Concert. Students prepared music in advance and then participated in three rehearsals before joining the orchestra on stage at their fall concert. They played "Blue Water" by Yukiko Nishimura, "Hornpipe" from Water Music by Handel/arr. Emil Kahn, and "The Little Mermaid" by Alan Menken/arr. Ted Parson.
Check this section of the Communique for updated scholarships, open houses, and other opportunities! Here are some upcoming events:
You're Invited: Dual Enrollment Info Session
Prospective students, parents, and counselors are invited to the Delta College Dual Enrollment Info Session on November 16th at 3:30 pm. You can register for this Zoom event using this link. We will cover benefits, resources, transferability, steps to applying and much more.
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.
- November 4th, starting at 9:30 am - Northwood University fall open house - must register in advance here
- 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!
2nd Semester School of Choice Applications
School of Choice applications for the second semester (January 3 - May 31, 2024) will be available via your ParentVue account beginning November 6, 2023. Applications must be submitted by Wednesday, November 22, 2023. All applications must be completed online through a ParentVue account. If you do not have a ParentVue account, please visit www.midlandps.org/enrollment and select 23-24 School of Choice Application, you will then be prompted to log in or create an account.
Applications for non-resident students and in-district transfers will be available, but availability will be limited based on current enrollment numbers for each building and grade. A list of buildings and grades that are available for School of Choice will be listed on the first page of the application. If you apply for a building/grade not listed, your application will be denied. Families will be notified via email of their application status by the end of the day on December 8, 2023. Please contact Becci Longstreth at enroll@midlandps.org or 989-923-5024 with any questions.
Halloween Happenings from Around the District!
MPS students and staff showed off their Halloween spirit last week! Costumes, parades, and parties were part of the festivities around the district on Tuesday. Looks like everyone had a boo-tiful time!
MPS Staff Inspiring Excellence!
MPS Staff Part of Prestigious Gertacker Fellowship Program
The Gerstacker Fellowship Program was established in 2005 with a $1.5 million endowment from the Rollin M. Gerstacker Foundation of Midland. Its purpose was to create a cadre of educational leaders, The Gerstacker Fellows, through a leadership development program that would expand the vision and leadership capability of a select group of premier teachers and administrators. The 17th cohort of pre-kindergarten through grade 12 education leaders committed to professional growth joined the Saginaw Valley State University Gerstacker Fellowship program for 2023-24 and were inducted at a ceremony on November 2nd at SVSU. Congratulations to Kara Stark, Principal at Central Park Elementary, who was inducted as part of this year's cohort, as well as to Jessica Brunsell, Assistant Principal at Dow High School, who just completed her experience in the 16th cohort. Thank you for your exemplary leadership and for representing MPS in this esteemed program!
MPS Staff in CMU Alumni Spotlight
MPS staff and Central Michigan University Alumni Bridgit Sova and Mary Laures visited the CMU campus to speak to over 150 students at the CMU College of Education and Human Services Teacher Candidate Conference. Every semester, the conference serves as a celebration of the final phases of the CMU teacher education program. Thank you for representing MPS and supporting teacher education in our community! To read the full article, click on the button below.