PPPS Pride & Progress-Spring 2017

Paw Paw Public Schools MARCH • APRIL • MAY
2017
PRIDEProgress
&








119 Johnson Street, Paw Paw, MI 49079 (269) 657-8800




























































PP



P S PRIDE IN WHAT WE ACCOMPLISH

A MESSAGE FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT Technology at Home

Building Blocks of High-
Performing Schools - and at School
Frequent Monitoring of By Jeremie Coplin
The PTO presented a special event for parents that was
Teaching and Learning
geared around technology use. The topics for the “Tech Talk”
By Sonia Lark where Social Media, Internet Security, and Your Digital
SUPERINTENDENT Footprint. Technology is around us everywhere, from watch-
One of the aspects of a high-performing school is the es that can be placed on your belly to hear your baby's heart-
practice of frequent monitoring of teaching and learning. As beat, to depositing a check using your phone's camera. We
professional educators, it is our responsibility to work collab- live in a world where your fingerprint and passwords are just
oratively with teachers and parents to establish routines that as sacred as your social security number. However, technolo-
promote a good review of ongoing student achievement and gy isn’t an advancement if you didn't grow up with it.
data-rich collegial conversations about instructional strate- For example, parents do not think light bulbs and colored
gies used to promote academic growth. Paw Paw Schools television are advancements. Why? They grew up with that
accomplishes these tasks in a variety of ways. technology, they did not have to learn how to use either of
them, and it came natural. Now, look at the example of photo
ASSESSMENTS depositing a check. The same parent that was comfortable
• Daily classroom projects and assessments - Well- with colored televisions thinks photo depositing of a check is
designed lessons have rubrics for evaluation and these are an advancement and may not be comfortable using it. Why?
used give scores which are recorded in teachers’ gradebooks. They need to learn how to use the new technology, it is not
• Interim assessments - Our Star assessments are short natural. Let's look at millennials. Millennials have grown up
test that provide teachers with learning data. They are given with photo depositing as a way to deposit their checks. Why?
on the computer and are adaptive, which means they adjust to It is natural, no change or learning is needed. This is also the
each answer provided by a student and then become easier or case for social media, it is natural for a millennial.
harder to determine a student’s achievement level at that In this day and age data has proven if you give a 3-year-old
time. The interim assessments for early literacy, math, and a mobile device they will begin navigating it without any
reading are given three times a year. The the assessments are assistance. The iPad comes with no directions or user man-
researched to be both norm-referenced (results compared to ual, therefore, one must learn by using it. The philosophy of
thousands of peers across the country who take the test dur- learning by doing applies to most technologies today. As par-
ing the same time period) AND criterion-referenced (results ents there is no user manual on how to parent cell phones,
compared to the standards set that determine proficiency on tablets, and iPods. With that being said, we need to make sure
state assessments - MSTEP). parents lead by example.
• State Assessments - Currently MSTEP, SAT, and
SOCIAL MEDIA 101: ARTICLE
WorkKeys assessments are given once a year in the spring to • No texting while driving!
designated grade levels. • No phones/tablets at the dinner table!
RESULTS AND INSTRUCTIONAL PLANNING • No phones/tablets at restaurants!
• GradeBooks - Our Synergy online gradebook system • No email or social media 13 and under
allows parents and students to see their ongoing achievement. (It is against the law)
Paying close attention to these grades helps teachers, stu- Parents, you must be allowed full access to your son or
dents and parents to work together as a team to build inter- daughter’s device/s. That means passwords to games, logins,
vention strategies when student learning gaps are deter- (Continued on page 3...)
mined.
• Star Reports - The Star results are distributed in report district are available at the website www.mischooldata.org.
forms to parents to see the progress of their student. The At Paw Paw Public Schools, the building principals and
reports are also given to teachers who meet in grade level and their teachers work collaboratively during staff meetings and
department teams to pour over data, identify learning gaps professional learning days to accomplish the important work
and trends and establish plans for the use of instructional of data analysis. By frequently monitoring teaching and
strategies to close the learning gap. learning, these professionals can support students with core
• MSTEP Reports - These reports are typically available in instruction and supplemental inter-
the summer after spring testing in finished. Student reports ventions for ON-TIME learning as
are sent to parents and the aggregate results for a school or the school year progresses. PP

2 FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT www.ppps.org P S

A Memorable Experience:
Creating Portraits for

Syrian Refugee Children
By Erica Holter, PPHS Senior
In art class I was asked to participate in this thing called
the Memory Project. It was pretty straightforward: paint a
portrait of a Syrian refugee. My art teacher introduced it to
my class but we had no idea what it was about, so she had us What is the Memory Project?
investigate the project ourselves to learn what the purpose of The Memory Project is a charitable nonprofit organization that
the project was. I found out that this was a project much invites art teachers and their students to create portraits for youth
around the world who have faced substantial challenges, such as
greater than what I had previously neglect, abuse, loss of parents, violence, and extreme poverty. We
anticipated. The portraits were a want the portraits to help the children feel valued and important, to
part of a global effort to give chil- know that many people care about their well-being, and to act as
meaningful pieces of personal history in the future. For the art stu-
dren faced with substantial chal- dents, we want this to be an opportunity to creatively practice kind-
lenges (i.e. loss of parents, war, ness and global awareness.
extreme poverty, etc.) a piece of To do this, we receive photos of children and teens from global
charities operating residential homes, schools, and care centers in a
personal artwork to remind them number of different countries every year. We then provide our par-
that they are both valued and ticipating art teachers with full-page color prints as well as digital
important. copies of those photos, along with plastic sleeves to protect the fin-
ished portraits. The art teachers then work with their students to cre-
There was something so simple about this project that ate the portraits, and we hand-deliver them to the kids. We always
made it refreshing. Politics, global affairs, religion, all of these try to have several different portraits for each child,created by differ-
things were left at the door. I had a picture, and all I had to do ent art students and based on different poses. Paw Paw High School
Advanced Art teacher, Sarah Bentley, chose to include this as a class
was paint it. We received a small profile; I received a girl’s project for her students first semester.
name, age, and favorite color. As I began working on the proj-
ect, it was funny because I would run into all of these small different task. I gained a lot more from this project than just
problems. For instance, I was trying to incorporate her painting experience; it was a very eye-opening and informa-
favorite color (red) into my painting by recoloring her hijab tive experience: culturally, artistically, and personally.
from black to red but I started asking myself, “Is it okay to The girl I was assigned to paint was 12, her favorite color
recolor her hijab? I’ve only ever seen black ones… what does was red, and she wore a very dignified and serious expression
Islamic scripture say about stuff like this?” So, I was natural- for her age. I am glad to say that I’ve been almost like her
ly led to do research. It’s strange now to think that a simple partner in this project alongside of her. It was a simple act of
portrait led to me looking into countries and religions and giving: I was given a photograph and she was given a portrait
lifestyles that were so foreign to me. of herself. In a way she gave me a lot more; she gave me
And this is all without even mentioning the artistic skills insight, allowing me to look into the life of someone very dif-
I gained from this project! I’ve painted flowers, I’ve painted ferent from myself. I am very happy to say that I have partici-
spheres and cylinders, but painting a human being was a very pated in the Memory Project.


TECHNOLOGY (Continued from page 2.) ficult. Make passwords fun and you will remember them. For
and on screen codes. That also means adding a fingerprint to example, ieatdirt4lunch, or mom&dadr#1. For younger chil-
access their device. dren use family share programs that force Mom and Dad to
approve and enter passwords.
SAFETY: Watch for apps that your son and daughter wouldn't Parents, do not share your best or favorite password with
be using every hour every day. Example - calculator apps are your children as they could use it and jeopardize your pass-
not all actually calculators, some can be hidden camera rolls word.
- pictures that are hidden and cannot be seen unless a pass- If you have a favorite password and you use it for every-
word is entered in on the app. thing STOP! Instead, keep that password and put the first two
Think twice about allowing location turned on. Does that
app really need to know where my son or daughter is located? letters of the site/tool in the beginning. For example:
Facebook password: faMom&dadr#1. Just put fa in front of the
The camera app is a good example. Do you need to provide the password. Another example for Amazon is amMom&dadr#1.
exact location to whomever the
See the entire presentation by typing goo.gl/FOAHRJ in your
images are shared to?
PP SECURITY: Passwords need to be dif- browsers URL bar. Another great resource is common sense
media. (commonsensemedia.org)
P S PRIDE IN HOW WE TEACH 3

TEACHER SPOTLIGHT:
CEDAR STREET CAMPUS




657-8831 update

Jeannine Koeneke
COMMUNITY EDUCATION DIRECTOR
Elizabeth Patckak
Please join us in wel- Radically Different Discipline Program
coming the newest addition at Cedar Street
to the Adult Education
teaching staff! Originally Cedar Street Alternative Education has they are asked the questions again. The stu-
from West Michigan, Eliza- recently implemented a new discipline pro- dent will then work with the SRC Monitor,
beth Patchak received her gram that is radically different from other Warner Offord, to create a plan that the stu-
bachelor's degree from behavior management programs. This pro- dent will bring to the teacher to negotiate
WMU with a double-major cess was developed by Edward E. Ford and is and earn their way back into the classroom.
in math and science, and called the Responsible Thinking Process Cedar Street’s discipline program does
earned a master's degree in (RTP) . It is based on Perceptual Control not try to control students or do something
®
mathematics in 2016. Theory (PCT). Cedar Street believes that to make them change the way they behave.
Previously, she taught finite students have the right to learn and teachers There are no rewards and no punishment.
mathematics, pre-algebra, have the right to teach in a safe and respect- There is no step approach to detentions or
and probability and statis- ful environment – free from disruption. suspensions and students actually decide the
tics at WMU and KVCC. When a student makes a disturbance in amount of time they are away from class or,
Elizabeth will be overseeing the classroom, or breaks a rule in any part of in the case of serious misconduct, away from
the Van Buren County Jail the building, the student is asked questions school. The ultimate goal is to keep kids in
GED Program, as well as like, “What are you doing? What are the the classroom.
helping out in the Adult Ed rules? How do your choices affect others? Within the first month of the new disci-
Lab at Freshwater Church. What will happen if you break the rule pline program there have been no detentions
Here's what she had to say again?” By asking these questions students or suspensions. With the mutual respect
about her time in Paw Paw are allowed to accept responsibility for their created since using the RTP, teachers are
so far: actions. spending more time teaching and students
"There is a holistic ap- If a student chooses to break the rule a are spending more time learning!
proach to education here. It second time, the student then goes to the
is so much more than just Student Responsibility Classroom where More Cedar Street Update on pages 15 & 16...
memorizing information
and passing tests. I have Mind Mapping
been so impressed by the
dedication and hard work Alternative Ed students
collaborate to make com-
of the students.Paw Paw
mon notes for their science
Adult Education is truly a
class at Cedar Street Cam-
perfect fit for me, and I feel
pus. After reading a pas-
very fortunate to have this sage, each student writes
opportunity." on the board what they
When she isn't spend- thought the main idea was.
ing her free time renovat- Then, the class reads what
ing her new "fixer upper" is on the board, discusses
house in Otsego, she enjoys which elements are similar
and makes connections.
reading, traveling, and
Students update their indi-
spending time with her two
vidual notes throughout
cats, Hank and Taco.
the process. PP
Welcome, Elizabeth!
4 CEDAR STREET UPDATE www.ppps.org P S

GREAT START READINESS PROGRAM
CEDAR STREET CAMPUS ALTERNATIVE EDUCATION

YOUNG FIVES • OPTIONS • CHOICES




657-8831


Project 50:

The Pencil

Grip Project

The Young Five classes
at Cedar Street are so excit-
ed to share their very first
drawings from Project 50:
The Pencil Grip Project.
The program was developed
by Wendy Anderson Halper-
in. The curriculum works on
developing strength in fin-
ger muscles that will help
students increase their fine warm ups that strengthen
motor abilities. finger and thumb muscles.
The program uses 50 Students are reminded to
different colored crayons “bring their thumb to
which expand student’s vo- school” and most important-
cabulary as they learn the ly learn how to properly grip
names of the colors such as their pencils. The students
scarlet, carnation and ceru- are proud of their accom-
lean. plishments and love to share
Every lesson starts with their pictures.
Exploring diversity


The preschool curricu- Americans. Students were In January, Ms. Sarah
lum at Cedar Street explores interested to learn Native and Ms. Sandy’s class ex-
a variety of topics and activi- Americans lead lives similar plored diversity using brown
ties, striving to develop stu- to theirs. and white eggs. Eggs were two types of eggs. After the
dent knowledge and appreci- In December, the GSRP passed out to several stu- eggs were cracked students
ation of the surrounding classes studied families. dents. Some students didn’t compared the two yolks.
community and world. In Each student created a get eggs. Ms. Sarah asked Many were surprised the
November, students in Ms. poster about his or her fam- students if it was fair for yolks looked the same. The
Sarah and Ms. Sandy’s GSRP ily. Posters included family only some kids to get eggs. egg conversation was fol-
class read a Native American members, pets, traditions Students expressed lowed up by a short video
legend. They painted Indian and holidays. Students were things that have happened about Dr. Martin Luther
corn and discussed Native excited to present their to them that were unfair. King Jr. and a class discus-
poster to the class and learn Then students looked at the sion on treating everyone as
PP about traditions each family eggs with a magnifying a friend because each person
is special.
follows.
glass. They compared the
P S PRIDE IN STARTING EARLY 5

EARLY


ELEMENTARY SCOOP



657-8810

Matthew Turner
EARLY ELEMENTARY PRINCIPAL













Second grade teacher Riann Thorpe with students
on stage for Jump with Jill. GALLOPING IN
For Kindergarten Round-Up
Making Learning about PAW PAW EARLY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Nutrition Fun! March 22 • 6 p.m. - 7 p.m.
Parents or guardians of children born on or before
We at the Early Elementary are on a mission to look for September 1, 2012 (5 years old by September 1, 2017), you
ways to inject fun into learning. When learning is fun, stu- are cordially invited to attend our Galloping In for
dents are excited about their school, teachers, and classroom Kindergarten Round Up event! Our Kindergarten Round Up
experiences. In January, Paw Paw Early Elementary was event will be held at Paw Paw Early Elementary, 512 W.
given an amazing opportunity from the Michigan Dairy North Street on March 22, 2017 from 6:00-7:00 pm in the
Farmers in partnership with the United Dairy Industry of Library. Come meet our teachers and learn about our pro-
Michigan. Through those two organizations we were award- grams, typical schedule and curriculum. During our Round
ed a free performance from the talented nutrition show Jump Up event we will be registering students for Kindergarten
with Jill. classes and collecting required forms (official copy of birth
Jump with Jill is the world’s only rock & roll nutrition certificate (no hospital forms please), immunization
show using music and dance to celebrate healthy habits by records, registration form, and proof of residency). The
transforming nutrition education into a live concert. Our school must have these forms to register your child. Class
students learned the importance of milk in the daily diet. The lists for Fall 2017 will be made in June, so all paperwork
students learned about other important dairy foods such as should be turned in by May 31st to ensure registration. This
yogurt and cheese. Additionally, our students learned about event is an information meeting for parents only, but day-
how food fuels our body and the difference between fuel from care will be available if needed.
junk food and fuel from healthier choices, such as fruit. If you are unable to attend our Round Up, please call
The students were taught that making healthy choices 657-8810 to have a registration packet mailed to you. You
when eating helps build a stronger and healthier body. This may also stop by the Early Elementary to
in turn helps build a healthy brain. Our students were so pick up a registration
excited by this learning opportunity, the cafeteria was trans- packet on school days
formed into a dancing and singing learning festival! As part from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00
of the Jump for Jill program teachers were given a link to pm.
free resources to continue teaching nutrition in the class-
room. This is where learning becomes fun and leads to stu-
dents being invested in making healthy choices for them-
selves. PP

6 EARLY ELEMENTARY SCOOP P S

Second graders tell their own tall tales


By Amy Koehn’s Second Graders practicing using story structures, like a beginning, middle
and end and characters and a setting. We used the elements
For Fairy Tale Friday, we learned about the elements of
a fairy tale. Also we learned about the parts of fairy tales that of a fairy tale in our writing.
By Sophia Resman
we could use in our story next time. We read different kinds
of fairy tales like fractured fairy tales. Also we compared a lot
At Fairy Tale Friday we made cardboard castles for fun
of different versions. We read fairy tales, tall tales and frac-
and to show our creativity. We also used technology to
tured fairy tales. It made reading more fun. Also it made
understand some castle words and hung them in the hall-
writing fun for us and we liked it. It also made one way eas-
way. We read our fairy tales in front of lots of people we had
ier to write for us. By Benny Flanders
an option if we were nervous we could ask a friend to give us
courage so we would not be nervous but no one did and as a
Part of our fairy tale unit is Reader’s Theater. Reader’s
reward we got cake! Some people dressed up for Fairy Tale
Theater helps us by building up teamwork. It helps us by
Friday Natalie and Olivia dressed up as fairies Karleigh and
reading words we don’t know. It also helps us read better.
Kami dressed up as princesses, Alex dressed up as a prince
Reader’s Theater also helps us to not read like robots and to
and Jackson dressed up as a king. We did Fairy Tale Friday to
have fun. By Christian Gorzelanny
show off what we know. By Jude Webster
We wrote
The authors of this article were chosen by our class.
fairy tales and
The class used a tall tale writing example to judge quality
tall tales because
of work. These four students were voted on by the class to
this helped us by
write the article for the Pride and Progress.
helping us prac-
tice spelling,
capitals, punctu- MISSION OF PAW PAW PUBLIC SCHOOLS
ation and hand-
writing. Also all Paw Paw Public Schools will provide every student
jobs need to with the opportunity to maximize his or her learning
write. It was fun potential in a spirit of cooperation and shared purpose
among students, parents, community, staff and the
PP Board of Education.

P S PRIDE IN CREATIVITY 7

2017 Father-Daughter Dance is a HUGE success!

MEMORIES and FUN! The annual Father-Daughter
Dance, held on February 4, 2017 for girls in grades K-5,
revealed adoring smiles all around. Hosted by the Paw Paw
Elementary PTO, the event drew a crowd of over 600 guests!
The Paw Paw Elementary PTO transformed the cafeteria and
gym of the Later Elementary building into “Boots ’N Bling,”
which was the theme of the night. The guests were dressed
to impress, from jeans and cowboy hats to beautiful gowns,
the theme “Boots ’N Bling” allowed everyone to come how
they felt most comfortable.
Dancing began with an oversized game of musical chairs
followed by some dance instruction from Kindergarten
teacher Mindy Brennan for grades K-2 and Middle School
teacher Lindsay Hiler for grades 3-5. The event also includ-
ed activities to go along with the theme including lasso,
horseshoes and refreshments.
A Father-Daughter Dance wouldn’t be complete without
a special photo memory and the guests enjoyed decorating a
wooden picture frame to keep their special photo from the
evening in. This event helps create memories that both
fathers and their daughters will treasure forever.
The Paw Paw Elementary PTO will be hosting the annu-
al Mother-Son Fun Day on March 4 for boys in grades 3-5
and March 11 for boys in grades K-2.

ELEMENTARYbulletin
LATER





657-8820

Jeremy Davison
LATER ELEMENTARY PRINCIPAL
The staff at Paw Paw Later Elementary decided at the Gardner of the GoodPlay Project at the Harvard Graduate
beginning of the school year that we were going to raise the School of Education. These resources have been invaluable
expectation of all students in the building in the area of dig- in teaching our students to become responsible digital citi-
ital citizenship. We have become committed to making our zens at school and at home.
students aware of their unique, digital footprint that gets We are now proud to say that Paw Paw Later Elementary
created online through the choices that they make in their is now one of the more than 100,000 schools across the
on-line decisions. country that use Common Sense Education's groundbreak-
Paw Paw Later Elementary has worked diligently in the ing education resources. As a result, our students are bet-
classroom with our teachers and through our computer lab ter equipped to navigate the digital world and use devices for
with the support of Mrs. Catherine Bolton to complete a learning. Common Sense Education has now recognized
wide range of lesson plans and activities to boost the digital Paw Paw Later Elementary as a Common Sense Certified
literacy of our students. School in Digital Citizenship. To learn more about the crite-
Common Sense Education is a national nonprofit ria Paw Paw Later Elementary met to become certified as a
organization dedicated to helping kids and families thrive in Common Sense Certified School,
a world of digital media and technology. We have been visit http://www.commonsenseme
using Common Sense Education's program and resources, dia.org/educators/certification. PP
which were created in collaboration with Dr. Howard

8 LATER ELEMENTARY BULLETIN www.ppps.org P S

Elementary students plug in for an Hour of Code


REPRINTED FROM THE COURIER-LEADER
Intrinsic in the goals of education is that today’s stu-
dents be employable adults. Curricula at all levels are con-
stantly changing to accommodate a trending or evolving
workforce. Computer literacy is becoming increasingly nec-
essary in all careers, and teachers here, across the country,
and around the world, this week, have been plugging in
their young charges.
As a part of Computer Science Education Week,
December 5-11, educators engaged their students in “Hour
of Code” activities. The campaign to expand access to com-
puter science to all children is teacher-driven. Resources are
available and supported online.
“It’s fun, I think!” said Catey Bolton, Instructional
Assistant in the computer lab at Paw Paw Later Elementary
School. “Even more fun to watch the kids work through it.”
This Tuesday morning in December, Michelle Schantz’ computer science, organizes the
third graders started their day “coding” in the computer lab. annual Hour of Code event, now
The students were offered a variety of activities with which in its fourth year, providing K-12
to experiment. For the most part, they are gaming; but, curricula to reach students of all
almost without realizing it, they are coding -- using algo- backgrounds and skill levels. This
rithms, or step-by-step instructions, to make the computer, group of classmates, as any pub-
a machine, accomplish a specific task. The process teaches lic school classroom might, rep-
them the basics of programming, and this generation of stu- resents the children Code.org and its global army of educa-
dents clicks through the lesson “blocks” quickly. These third tors is hoping to engage.
graders each tried and/or completed several activities during “They’re so quiet!” notes Bolton just a few minutes after
their time in the lab. the class has burst through
The Hour of Code experiences are designed to make cod- her door. Each student has
ing accessible to all kinds of learners. Bolton has given Paw taken a seat, plunked on a
Paw students their own URL and “secret words” so that they headset, and plugged in.
may “code” on their own - at home or the public library, on They are quiet; but in the
their tablets or phones. She encourages parents to “play” silence, Bolton can hear the
and be involved. kids’ gears turning, and that
Code.org, a non-profit dedicated to expanding access to - to her - is exciting.

The Community-Wide Reading Program
The goal of the Paw Paw Community-Wide friends, then attend the Community-Wide Read event May
Reading program is to bring the community 16, at 6 p.m. at Paw Paw High School’s Performing Arts
together through a shared reading experi- Center.
ence, promote literacy and build relation- Copies of the book have been donated to the Cedar
ships with adults and students in the com- Street Campus English curriculum in memory of Maureen
munity. Through the efforts of Jeannine Koeneke, Foune, thanks in part to a financial contribution by Foune
Community Education Director-Cedar Street Campus, John Well Drilling, Paw Paw. According to Koeneke, Foune was a
Mohney and the Paw Paw District Library, Paw Paw attorney supporter of the Reading is Fundamental (RIF) program.
Matt Cooper, and Foune Well Drilling, Paw Paw area resi- Copies of the book are available to purchase locally at
dents will have a chance to talk with Cooper about his book, Shampoo Hut, Walt and Marie’s, and Lakes and Country
A Soldier’s Home, which was released in July of 2016. The Realty, all of Paw Paw, and Kazoo Books and Michigan News
book deals with the plight of Bangor soldier, James Hurley. Agency, Kalamazoo. The book may also be purchased on
Starting now, students and adults Amazon (go to books and search, A Soldier’s Home); and
PP are encouraged to read the book, may be checked out at the Paw Paw District Library or at the
Cedar Street Campus.
and discuss it with family and
P S PRIDE IN BUILDING FUTURES 9

MIDDLE SCHOOL


REPORT






Jerry McDaniel
657-8870 MIDDLE SCHOOL PRINCIPAL


Google Classroom isn’t just for students


The students and staff at the middle school began using ify you are a parent or guardian).
iPads in all classrooms this year. A few ways students have The last feature of Google Classroom that has made it
used iPads include to take notes, create posters, make videos one of the widely used apps in the middle school is the ver-
and songs, create original artwork, practice skills using edu- satility of the app. For example, the weekly announcements
cational games, and complete research. Everyone has are posted on a Google Classroom page for all students. To
learned tips and tricks for using the iPad and staff and stu- reduce the number of copies, students and staff use Google
dents have had the opportunity to explore many education- Classroom to view schedules, lunch menus, upcoming
al apps. events, and student handbooks. While students have used
One app that is quickly becoming a middle school the app to submit work in a variety of ways, teachers have
favorite amongst students and staff is Google Classroom. So been using the app for learning too! Important messages,
just what is it about Google Classroom that makes it stand meeting notes, and upcoming events are shared through the
out as one of the best apps for middle school? First, organi- Staff Classroom page. Teachers have also been using the app
zation is an important feature of Google Classroom. to complete a book study by submitting comments and
Teachers can post assignments, quizzes and tests, or ask questions on a document posted in the classroom feed.
questions in the classroom feed. Students submit their work To learn more about Google Classroom and how it is
digitally. The work can be graded and returned through the being used at the middle school, ask any 6th, 7th or
app, giving students feedback more quickly. All of the work 8th grader...they are quickly becoming the experts!
assigned, collected, and graded remains in the student feed
and in the teacher feed. Organizing work in this way helps
eliminate lost homework too!
Privacy protection is another important feature of the
Google Classroom app. Teachers create classes and students
must join using a code provided by the teacher. All of the
classes are private to the teacher and class members. Parents
can receive a weekly summary of their student’s work (you
need an invitation from your child’s teacher via email to ver-


This year, our choir program has a new leadership team
that was elected by the students in the fall. This group of
dedicated students is called Choir Council. Choir Council
is comprised of students acting as President, Vice
President, Secretary, Choir Room Managers, 6th Grade
Choir Representative, 7th Grade Choir Representative,
and 8th Grade Representative. These students created
posters and prepared campaign speeches in order to
get votes. Now that they are assembled, they meet regu-
larly after school to solve problems, plan choir activities,
decorate the choir room, and discuss any concerns the
choir students might have. You'll see in the photo that the
choir students recently decorated the classroom for
Valentine's Day. PP

10 MIDDLE SCHOOL REPORT www.ppps.org P S

Fit for Life 7th Grade students spin during PE on the
new spinning bikes.



The Robotics club finished its first competition and fin-
ished 13th out of 24 teams in their inaugural season. We
are looking for a volunteer coach for the 17-18 season!


The PRIDE Store

As the middle school
continues to work on
learning and exhibiting
expected behaviors in
the common areas of
the school setting, stu-
dents who are caught
showing their PRIDE earn
Eighth grade ELA classes wrote their own poems last tickets that can be used
week and presented them to their classes this week. Their to “purchase” items from
poems showed understanding of the various forms and the new PRIDE Store.A
elements of poetry, the use of sound devices, and great wide variety of items are
creativity. Visual representations were also part of the available in the store,from pencils to t-shirts,a jersey
grade. We were impressed to find out that we have a to a stylus. The PRIDE Store has it all! Ask your stu-
good many poets in our midst. Watch the 8th grade hall-
way for an opportunity to see many of our students’ writ- dent to show you the store on their iPad.
ings.





















PP school in Mr. George’s classroom.
Strategy club students battle in a game of Risk after

P S PRIDE IN ALL KINDS OF LEARNING 11

LEOs




The 7th Grade Leos have been
very busy this year, both in and out of
the classroom. This has included an
exciting trip to the Kalamazoo K-
wings annual Education Day on November 9th. Students
traveled to Wings Stadium in the morning and were treated
to a regulation game between the Kalamazoo K-Wings and
the Toledo Walleye. Though the K-Wings lost, our students
had a blast watching the game, learning fun facts and, as
always, showing their Paw Paw Pride!
On November 11th, 2016, Paw Paw Middle School
celebrated local and community veterans. The middle Did you know that Paw Paw is the only school district
school history department organized a breakfast, school within the entire state of Michigan to have a Leo's club at
day activities, and an assembly to honor the service of BOTH the middle school and high school? Our Leo's strive
veterans to the United States. Over 50 veterans attended to build community partnerships and provide worthwhile
with their students. Thank you to all veterans in our com- service projects to the school and surrounding area. Some of
munity. We appreciate your service. the current projects being facilitated by the Middle School
club are making/delivering valentines to nursing homes, a
'Crayon drive" and much more! Check back for exciting
updates and if you are interested in being an active Leo, con-
tact Mr. George at [email protected].






























Ms. Laurian and Mrs. V’s classes are studying classic
fairytales and point of view. The picture below, shows an
assignment recently finished called “Fractured Fairy-
tales”. Students were asked to take a classic fairytale and
re-write it switching the point of view. They then antiqued
their projects using tea bags and left them to dry. They
truly showed creativity and put
Officer Carlsen from the Paw Paw Police Department forth a TON of committed effort!
has been instructing in our classrooms for the SMART pro- We were proud of their results!
gram. PP

12 MIDDLE SCHOOL REPORT www.ppps.org P S

HIGH SCHOOLHEADLINES




Mike Dahlinger
657-8840 HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL Paw Paw High School Free Store
At Paw Paw Public Schools, 42% of our students qualify
for free and reduced lunches. Which means almost 1/2 of
our students are in need and may not have adequate access
to food and other necessities from the time they leave our
building to the time they return. At the beginning of the
school year, these same families are choosing whether they
are going to buy back-to-school supplies and clothes, or pay
bills. When the cold weather comes, these students may
not have coats, hats, or gloves. It
becomes more difficult to succeed
in school when you are worrying
about food, supplies, or clothing.
This fall, PPHS Student Council
decided to create a “free store” in
our building. The store has basic
DECA Chapter to send resources including school supplies,
19 members to State event food, hygiene and clothes available
at no cost for underprivileged stu-
The Paw Paw High School DECA chapter attended the dents. In order to access the store,
District 3 Conference at KVCC January 20th and finished a student can discreetly talk to any teacher or staff member
with another great showing. Twenty of the 25 members who in the building and the student will then be allowed to shop
attended received medals in their events, and nineteen of the store in private.
those students qualified for the State Career Development So far, we have stocked our store
Conference to be held in Detroit on March 10th-12th. Ryan with donations from teachers, staff
Brennan, Trey Brennan, Kelsie Imus, Erica Schafer, Major and other individuals from the
Stevens, Connor Wilson, Jake Brousseau, Jonah Matthews, community. We have also pur-
Charlie Tapper, Hailey Emmons, Emily Malcolm, Trevor chased some items with funds
Lewis, Jim McCaw, Lizzy Congdon, Brooklyn Smith, Claire donated by the Paw Paw Student
Pelletier, Alec Schlotterback, Mackenzie Newell, and Tommy Council and the National Honor
Otten all qualified for the State Conference in their respec- Society. We have a good stock of
tive events. school supplies and some food and
In addition, Kayla Rose received medals for her fine per- hygiene. However, we are still work-
formance in her role play. This is the highest percentage of ing on more hygiene, food and have very few clothing items.
Paw Paw students to ever receive medals at the District Anyone interested in making a donation to the PPHS
Conference!! Free Store should contact Student Council Advisers Ann
Schultz at [email protected] or Troy Schultz at
A couple students from Paw Paw High School have [email protected]
taken the initiative to start a Fellowship of Christian Ath-
letes club. This group meets every Tuesday morning at 7:00
in Mrs. Odziana’s room. These students meet each week to
grow in faith and community with their peers. Although
this club is nationally hosted for athletes, all are welcome,
athlete or not, Christian or not! Food, games, and friends
will all be present to make sure you start your day on the
right foot. If you have any questions
or would like more information, feel
PP free to contact Lucas Schupbach or
Hope Kline!
P S PRIDE IN WORKING TOGETHER 13

Noteworthy News

It has been a very exciting and successful school year so
far for the Paw Paw Music Department. Students have been
participating in a variety of activities including Marching
Festivals, All-Star Bands, community parades, home football
and basketball games, Musical Theater Solo & Ensemble and
holiday concerts.
This fall, the Paw Paw P.R.I.D.E. Marching Band earned
a Division 1 (Superior) Rating at District Marching Band
Festival and took 3rd Place at the Lakeshore Marching
Invitational. The band also had students participate in the
MSBOA District 6 All-Star Band, the Meyer Music Honors
Band, and the Meyer Music Honors Orchestra.
In November, the High School Choirs sent 17 events to
Music Theater Solo & Ensemble… 16 events earned a First
Division Rating and 1 event earned a Second Division
Rating.
December was an extremely busy month for the music
department. Performances included the Paw Paw Christ-
mas Parade, HS and 7/8 Grade Band Concert, MS Choir and
6th Grade Band Concert, and HS Choir Concert. The band
students also performed for the residents at Maple Lake
Assisted Living and Voices of the Future performed for the
Van Buren County Swearing In Ceremony as well as the
Before a full house in the Paw Paw gym Friday night,
Consumers Credit Union Christmas Party. On top of all the
seniors Trey Brennan and Lian Glomski were crowned
performances, the band and choir students raised money for Paw Paw High School’s 2017 Snowfest royalty at halftime
their annual Adopt-A-Family project and worked in conjunc- of the varsity boys basketball game with South Haven.
tion with the Paw Paw Lions Community Food Baskets to The king, son of Mindy and Patrick Brennan, is a member
help make the Christmas season a joyous one for a local fam- of the varsity football and basketball teams and National
ily. Honor Society. He is president of the PPHS Distributive
On Friday, January 20, 2017, Voices of the Future gave a Education Club (DECA), and plans to at-tend a four-year
performance at the Michigan School Vocal Music Associ- university to study business or engineering. The queen,
daughter of Kathy and Chris Glomski, plays travel and
ation Choral Hour concert at the Michigan Music Confer-
varsity soccer, and is a member of the National Honor
ence. The group was selected to perform by a blind judging
Society and Science Olympiad team. She plans to attend
panel in June of 2016. The judges listened to recordings of
Bethel College to continue playing soccer and pursue a
Voices of the Future from the 2014-2015 and 2015-2016
degree in biology. Hot Shotz Photography/Matthew Day
school years. Voices was one of only four high school choirs
from around the state asked to perform during the Choral
Hour performances. Upon learning of their selection to per-
form at the Michigan Music Conference, Voices of the Paw Paw Public Schools
Future began the rigorous journey to prepare quality choral STATEMENT OF COMPLIANCE
literature at a high level. The program was received excep- The Paw Paw Board of Education complies with all federal laws and regula-
tionally well, and the group garnered high praise from edu- tions prohibiting discrimination and with all requirements and regulations
cators from all over the state and country. of the U.S. Department of Education. It is the policy of the Paw Paw Board
February is another busy month for the music depart- of Education that no person on the basis of race, color, religious creed,
national origin, age, sex, marital status, disability, or political beliefs shall
ment. On February 8, the HS Choirs will be performing their
be discriminated against, excluded from participation in, denied the bene-
Pre-Festival Choir Concert. February 11, 11 events, 7 fits of, or otherwise be subjected to, discrimination in any program or activ-
soloists and 4 small ensembles from the HS Bands will be ity to which it is responsible or for which it receives financial assistance
performing at District Solo and Ensemble Festival. On from the U.S. Department of Education. This institution is an equal oppor-
February 18, 14 soloists and 6 ensembles from the HS tunity provider. Questions should be di-
rected to Barb Khaja, Assistant Superin-
Choirs will be performing at District Solo and Ensemble.
tendent of Business & Operations, 119
On February 22, the HS and 7/8 Grade Bands will be per- Johnson Street, Paw Paw, MI 49079,
forming their annual Pre-Festival Concert. 657-8800. PP

14 HIGH SCHOOL HEADLINES www.ppps.org P S

High School Counseling Department

Offering More Services to Students and Parents


The high school is excited to be able to offer an academ- emotional needs. As the academic advisor, Mrs.
ic advisor to support students and parents on the journey to Derhammer monitors students who are not already being
graduation. Tracy Derhammer has stepped into this role supported with individual education plans. She has regular
after ten years in the classroom teaching English. The pri- communication with these students, teachers and parents to
mary responsibility is to support students who are strug- help determine what interventions could be put in place to
gling to meet the necessary requirements for graduation, help these students be more successful.
but Mrs. Derhammer also supports students in preparing for As schools are asked to use more and more data to ana-
college entrance exams and generating new data that is lyze student achievement, the addition of this position is
being used to create school improvement goals. helping to generate valuable data on our students which will
While her office is in the counseling office, Dave Kenyon be used to set goals. The new reports are already providing
and Kim Sinke, still provide students with counseling serv- staff and students more focused direction to be sure all our
ices related to their class schedules, college searches, and students graduate on-time and college and career ready.

Turtles, Volcanoes and Rainforest, OH MY!

During Spring Break of 2018, high school staff members Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, home to 6 ecological
Dave Kenyon and Laura Howell will conduct a study tour to zones, over 2,500 plant species and hundreds of species of
Costa Rica. This joint venture will emphasize learning birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians.
objectives for the Science and Spanish programs. The Other experiences include a visit to a Costa Rican
group will start out in San José, and travel to Tortuguero on school, a local cooking class and a folkloric dinner complete
the Atlantic Coast to visit the enormous national park which with dancing. If you or your student are interested in mak-
is the most important breeding ground in the Caribbean for ing the trip, please attend a launch meeting for parents and
the green sea turtle. From there, the group will continue students on Tuesday, February 28, 2017 at 6:30 p.m. in room
north to Arenal, stopping along the way to visit a banana 206 at the high school.
plantation. If you are unable to attend, please contact Mr. Kenyon
After a tour of the plantation, they will continue on to [email protected] or Mrs. Howell [email protected] for
visit Arenal, one of the ten most active volcanoes in the more details. There is a discount for travelers enrolling
world. While there, students will have the opportunity to before March 30, 2017 so be sure to act soon in order to get
soak in the volcanic hot springs. Moving on, they will visit the best pricing!
the La Fortuna waterfall and eventually wind up in the


MORE FROM CEDAR STREET (Cedar Street Update starts on pages 4 and 5)

STAFF SPOTLIGHT:
Warner Offord, III Warner is a graduate of Western Michigan University
where he studied organizational communications. He
Warner Offord III, is a 1999 graduate of played collegiate tennis at Kalamazoo Valley Community
Paw Paw High School and was a member College where his teams were in the top 15 in the nation
of the soccer team that won state for Paw both years. In, 2001, while at KVCC he was awarded as the
Paw’s first championship team in 1998. In team’s most dependable player.
2013, he along with his soccer teammates, Warner is a dedicated and passionate coach and is
was inducted into the Paw Paw High enthusiastic about the development of his players not only
School Athletic Hall of Fame. Warner has been a fixture in on the court but in life too. Warner Offord III, has been
the Paw Paw Public School System as a tennis coach and hired at Paw Paw Cedar Street Alternative Education as
substitute teacher for over 10 years. His 2003 girl’s tennis their Student Responsibility Classroom Monitor. This
team won regional and finished 10th in state at PPHS. opportunity allows Warner to help students think responsi-
Several of his players that he mentored ended up receiving bly and to start taking ownership for their educational
all-conference, regional champion path. Warner loves this position because he’s able to work
PP or all-state honors. Three of his with a diverse group of students and it allows him to use
teams earned academic all-state.
his coaching skills to better help students.
P S PRIDE IN NEW ADVENTURES 15

EVERY GRADUATE: NON-PROFIT ORG.
U.S. POSTAGE
College... PPPS PAID
Career... .org PAW PAW, MICHIGAN
Community Ready! PERMIT NO. 88
POSTAL PATRON
Paw Paw Middle School PRIDE for parents


P – PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY assignments contact teacher to discuss arrange-
Demonstrating personal responsibility at home will increase ments for completion).
your child’s ability to demonstrate personal responsibility in • Develop and implement meaningful rewards for
life. work completed to the best of your child’s ability
• Follow through on your commitments to your child • Develop and implement meaningful consequences
and to others. for missing assignments and/or work done quickly
• Be on time when you go places. and carelessly.
• Bring your child to school on time every day.
• Hold your child accountable for completing their D – DEMONSTRATE SAFE BEHAVIOR
homework. Demonstrating safe behavior at home will increase your
child’s ability to demonstrate safe behaviors in life.
R – RESPECT • Children will try your patience. When you are angry
Demonstrating an attitude of respect for others in your or frustrated, state “We’ll talk about this later” and
home will increase your child’s ability to be respectful of walk away from the situation until you can calmly
others in life. discuss it and problem-solve.
• Always speak respectfully to your children and to • Protect the value of work completion by creating a
others. designated space in your home for your child to
• Regardless what you may think or feel about your complete homework (one that works best for your
child’s teacher(s), always speak respectfully about child – quiet, well-lit, distraction-free, etc.).
them. If you have an issue with a teacher, arrange
for a meeting to calmly discuss it and problem-solve. E – EXCELLENCE IN ATTITUDE
Demonstrating a positive attitude at home will increase your
I – INVOLVED ACADEMICALLY child’s ability to demonstrate a positive attitude in life.
Involvement in your child’s academics will increase his/her • Give your best in every situation and expect your
academic success. child to give his/her best in every situation.
• Check google homework document for specific • Offer frequent words of encouragement/praise when
information about daily assignments. your child gives his/her best.
• If needed, check Synergy often WITH YOUR CHILD • Attend your child’s extra-curricular activities as
to ensure work completion (if you see missing often as possible – be his/her best cheerleader!

ROTARY STUDENT OF THE MONTH
The Paw Paw Area Rotary Club has honored Tyler Stoken, an
Alternative Education student at Paw Paw Public Schools' Cedar Street
Campus, center, as the December 2016 Student of the Month. He
received a certificate of recognition and a $50 check from the Rotary.
Stoken was nominated by Cedar Street teacher Joy Porter, left, and was
joined by his mother, Elizabeth Mendoza, right, for the presentation.
Porter noted that Stoken “is respectful and has a different way of looking
at the world sometimes. His grades are good and he almost always does
his best. He is kind and considerate to his teachers and others. He is
helpful and friendly. He likes to help people, especially children in the
Youth Group at Freshwater Church.” Stoken has also worked as a coun- PPPS
selor at Camp Kidwell the last two summers. He hopes to graduate this PP
year and attend college to study psychology or MRI technology. 657-8800

16 PRIDE FOR PARENTS www.ppps.org P S