Pictured above: Midland High Student Council hosted the Saginaw Valley League Leadership Summit in November, with approximately 150 students from 11 area schools participating.
Midland Public Schools District Vision Statement: Lead with respect, trust and courage. Ensure an equitable, collaborative and inclusive culture. Enable all to achieve success.
February 12, 2024
Volume 11 Edition 25
MPS Multicultural Calendar - February
Dates of Interest for February:
Black History Month: This month celebrates the history and achievements of African Americans. For more information, click here.
- Carnaval / Mardi Gras / Fat Tuesday: February 13 - This feast day before the Christian tradition of Lent begins is celebrated in many distinct ways around the world. For more information, click here.
- Susan B. Anthony Day: February 15 - Commemorates Susan B. Anthony and the women’s suffrage movement in the United States. For more information, click here.
- International Mother Language Day: February 21 - UNESCO day that promotes awareness of heritage languages and celebrates multilingualism. For more information, click here.
MPS Our Schools Publication
The latest edition of Our Schools is here! Click on the button below to view the February edition, which includes information about the upcoming millage renewal on May 7, 2024.
"The Rainbow Fish and Other Stories"
On February 5, 361 students and 63 educators and parents from Carpenter, Plymouth, Central Park, and Adams Elementary enjoyed a performance of The Rainbow Fish and Other Stories, from the Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia at the Midland Center for the Arts. Based on the popular book series, students saw the Rainbow Fish stories come to life with beautiful glow-in-the-dark puppets, and met the puppeteers afterwards during a Q&A. For many students, it was their first time attending a live performance event!
This show was part of the Center’s "School Matinee Series", which provides daytime live performance experiences for thousands of students throughout the school year at a reduced ticket price across different artistic mediums like theater, dance, and music in various curriculum areas. The joint efforts of MPS and the Center made such experiences equitable and accessible for our young learners from all economic backgrounds.
MPS String Clinic and Concert
On February 6, over 200 Midland Public Schools orchestra students participated in the Midland Public Schools String Clinic and Concert at Central Auditorium. The students spent three hours in workshops and sectionals with coaches David Angelotti, Heather Humm, Christopher Landis, Susan Mercy, and Linda Ryden, who worked with students on techniques specific to their instruments. The main workshop was given by Rodney Page. Mr. Page is a violinist, teacher, and clinician. He has performed with ensembles ranging from the Midland Symphony Orchestra to the South Shore Symphony Orchestra in China. In 2006, he won the MSBOA District 5 Teacher of the Year. In recent years, he has turned his attention to serving as a clinician and providing entertainment services as a freelance musician and DJ. Students worked with him on their concert music in addition to some improv exercises with pop music. Mr. Page then conducted the students for their evening concert. All around, it was a great day for middle school orchestra students in Midland Public Schools.
MSBOA District 5 Solo and Ensemble
Congratulations to the Midland Public Schools band and orchestra programs! On February 10, over 120 Dow High and Midland High band and orchestra students participated in MSBOA District 5 Solo and Ensemble at St. Johns High School. They performed over 117 solos and chamber ensembles in front of judges who scored them on a scale of 1 to 5. Students who earned first and second-division ratings earned medals, and students who earned a first division are now eligible to participate in State Solo and Ensemble. In total, 75 events earned first-division ratings, and 29 events earned second-division ratings. State Solo and Ensemble will be at Midland High School on Saturday, March 16.
Celebrating Black History Month
DHS Black Student Association Visits Jefferson Culture Club
On February 9th, the Black Student Association from Dow High visited students from the Jefferson Culture Club, to parcticipate in interactive discussions and play games. They shared knowledge of Black leaders, authors, and celebrities across our history and popular culture. Inquisitive students from all grades at Jefferson actively participated, and thoroughly enjoyed their fun and educational interactions with the presenters. Stay tuned - this is one of the many school visits our high schoolers planned with their younger peers across our district!
MHS Black History Month Exhibit
In honor of Black History Month, Midland High created an exhibit that highlights African American athletes, authors, movies, and musicians to provide an opportunity for students to learn more about the lives and achievements of African Americans.
Lunar New Year Celebrations
Students at Woodcrest Elementary, taught by Chinese Teachers Jingcheng Wang and Lifang Qiu, celebrated Lunar New Year with activities such as making and decorating Chinese paper cuts (a Chinese folk art), making Chinese dumplings, and enjoying a visit from members of the Dear Asian Youth Club. During the visit, they talked about how the Lunar New Year is celebrated and recent trips to China, tasted Chinese snacks, and learned more about Chinese culture. Jessica Chai, a member of the Dear Asian Youth Club, also played a traditional Chinese instrument, which students were able to try.
MHS Hosts Saginaw Valley League Leadership Summit
In November, the Midland High School Student Council hosted The Saginaw Valley League Leadership Summit where student leaders from across the Valley had the opportunity to collaborate on a service project, share ideas, have fun, and listen to a motivational speaker. Including Midland High, 11 total schools from the Valley participated in the event with approximately 150 students. The schools that attended were: Bay City Central, Bay City Western, Carman Ainsworth, Davison, Grand Blanc, H.H. Dow, Heritage, Lapeer, Mt. Pleasant, and Traverse City West.
For the morning session, students were divided into groups and assigned a task, rotating to the next task after 45 minutes so that all students could participate in each one. The first station was an "idea harvesting" session under the facilitation of the Midland High School Student Council Officers (Heather Herron, Addison Birchmeier, Keara Banks, and Avery Shepard), where the groups shared activities and campaigns that they held in their schools. The second station was a service project held in conjunction with the Midland County Food Assistance Network. Students sorted, packaged, and distributed food to 270 members of the community. The funds for this activity came from collections held during MHS Varsity football games. The final station was a time of fun and team building where students played various games, followed by sharing a lunch of sub sandwiches and an ice cream bar. The afternoon session was a leadership workshop facilitated by Andy Thibodeau from Ontario, where the students were inspired to improve their schools by providing activities to involve all students. A special thank you to our friends at H.H. Dow High School that helped us to clean up at the end of the day.
MHS JV Leadership Card Making
The Midland High School Junior Varsity Leadership class sponsored a card-making event after school in the MHS Media Center on Thursday, February 8, 2024. The purpose of the event was to encourage the students to create and give cards to their peers, parents, or any loved ones. The class provided stickers and card-making supplies to help them with their creations. They also enjoyed snacks and listened to music in a relaxing atmosphere while conversing with their friends. Thank you to Mr. Edelbrock, who brought his students for a break from their biology studies!
Happy School Resource Officer Appreciation Day to our MPS SROs!
In honor of School Resource Officer Appreciation Day on February 15th, we would like to say thank you to our MPS School Resource Officers! MHS - Officer Ryan Baxter; JMS - Officer Jose DeLeon; DHS - Officer Gunner Wright; NMS - Officer Morgan Sundberg. We appreciate all that you do for MPS and for the Midland Community!
The SAT & PSAT Are Going Digital!
The College Board SAT and PSAT 8, 9, and 10 examinations, which are part of the Michigan Department of Education’s (MDE) mandated spring testing will be all digital beginning this spring.
WHAT’S CHANGING?
- Shorter tests
- Fewer questions; on average, more time per question
- Reading passages much shorter
- Calculators available throughout math test; option of built-in calculator or handheld calculator
- Built-in reference sheet on math test
WHAT IS STAYING THE SAME?
- SAT uses same 1600-point scale as paper/pencil version
- Measures same College and Career Ready (CCR) benchmarks
- Tests are still timed
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS?
- The overall SAT test experience is approximately one hour shorter
- 90% of international students who took the test last year said the changes are favorable
- Major security advancements are built into the new test
- The tests are adaptive, so questions are tailored to student’s achievement
- Midland Public Schools 11th graders took the digital PSAT/NMSQT this past October, so they have experience taking a College Board online test
- Students will test on MPS-issued Chromebooks using the Bluebook app
If you have questions regarding the digital testing format, please reach out to the building principal.
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.
School of Choice
School of Choice applications for the 2024-2025 school year will be available beginning February 1, 2024, through March 31, 2024 by visiting the link below.
Availability will be based on current enrollment information for each building and grade. Families will be notified via email of their application status by the end of the day on April 24, 2024. Please contact Becci Longstreth at enroll@midlandps.org or 989-923-5024 with any questions.
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!