Bear Facts February 2010 (Email3)

8/14/2019 Bear Facts February 2010 (Email3)

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Nonproft OrganizationU.S. Postage PaidBuckley, Michigan 49620Permit #3

Buckley Community Schools305 South First Street PO Box 38Buckley, Michigan 49620

Proudly Serving The Buckley communiTy

February 2010Volume / Issue

305 South First StrBuckley, Mich. 49

Buckley Community Schoolsfound out great news in earlyJanuary. U.S. News & World

Reportidentifed the school districtas one of the best in the nation.

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teacherS are learnerS tooTeachers participated in professional development on January 27. The elementary staff woron AIMSweb. The high school staff worked on student intervention services.

The award came as a result ofBuckleys students achieving better

than expected on standardised

tests. How did they do better than

expected?

Buckleys student population

includes 51% who

are considered

economically

disadvantagedand

a high percentage

of our economically

disadvantaged

students

performed well

on the Michigan

Educational

Assessment

Program (MEAP) or

Michigan Merit Exam (MME).

While the award was certainly

unexpected, said Principal Todd

Kulawiak, the fact that our

students are performing well is not

unexpected.

Kulawiak said the staff is caring

and put students needs rst. Healso cited that BCS offers Extended

Learning Time both during and after

school, which allows students to

complete incomplete assignments.

Buckley staff members are

currently reviewing

current MEAP

data and planning

adjustments in

curriculum and

instruction.

Were

excited about the

honor, but were

looking forward

to continuing to

improve.

Buckley was

the only school in either Wexford

or Grand Traverse counties to earn

an award from U.S. News & World

Report.

Please watchBear Facts for more

information about achievement

levels.

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2 Buckley Communi ty Schools / The Bear Facts

Elementary teacherslearning AIMSweb

Board members honoredat January meeting

Board to hear presentation in February

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Anytime you create a strategic plan, you must involve everyone the plan involves. By

the time youve completed a planning process, you hope that all decisions relate back to

the mission and vision created during the process, said Heitmeyer.

If a plan is created by the board and administration and no one else is included in the

process, the plan will not succeed, he added.

Basically, if we decide on a vision, we want to relate all district decisions back to

the vision, he said. If only the board and administration created them, they will not

succeed.

Heitmeyer said he hopes to include teaching and support staff members, community

members, parents, students, and others in developing 2020 Vision.

The main areas of the plan will include

developing a mission and vision that everyone can

relate to and embrace.

Heitmeyer says that many schools develop a

wordy mission and vision that only makes sense to

a few people and the school cannot live by the ideas

set forth.

We want a mission and vision that makes

sense to our school, to our community, he said.

Decisions have to relate back to our ideals.

Basically, a mission statement states the fundamental reason a school exists. Vision,

on the other hand, focuses on what is possible.

Mission is what you do, Heitmeyer said. Vision is What do we dream of

becoming?

Heitmeyer said he plans to present an outline of the plan to the Board of Education

at its regular meeting on Tuesday, February 23. After board members see thepresentation, the district will begin planning the process and contacting individuals

who may be interested in taking part in the process.

My hope is that we would not bore anyone. Were going to focus on the future of

Buckley Community Schools because

its important. We dont want to

waste anyones time so we will have

focused agendas and outcomes so

we can move through the process

without interruptions and stalls, the

new superintendent said.

In the end, the district hopes

to have a mission and vision that

everyone can identify with, as well as

strategic components and goals that

make sense.

The district will call the process

2020 Vision. The idea behind the

name of the process is that were

already 10 years into a new century

and decade and its gone fast.

So, ultimately, where do we want to

be in three, ve, or 10 years. What do

we believe?

The elementary teaching staff

is participating in continual,

sustained professional

development, learning AIMSweb.

AIMSweb is a benchmark

and progress monitoring system

based on direct, frequent and

continuous student assessment.

The results are reported to

students, parents, teachers and administrators via a web-based

data management and reporting system to determine response

to intervention.

AIMSweb works with English Language Arts and

mathematics and provides teachers with ongoing data to allow

teachers to adjust their teaching to help students learn on the

y.

Traverse Bay Area Intermediate School District (TBAISD)

personnel are providing the professional development.

The Buckley Community Schools Board of Education members

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At the monthly meeting in January, they received certicates

and thank yous for participating in their leadership positions.

Individual school board members face complex and demanding

challenges. They are alternately described as having the most

important volunteer jobs in the country and facing the toughestchallenge in elected American government. Yet school board

members are just ordinary

citizens with extraordinary

dedication to our nations

public schools.

Their job is to establish a

vision for the education program, design a structure to achieve

that vision, ensure schools are accountable to the community an

strongly advocate continuous improvement in student learning.

Yet local trustees sometimes tackle an often thankless job devoid

of any glory. Too often we are quick to criticize school board

members without really knowing all the details that went into a

given decision. Now is the time to thank them!

Although they wear many hats in the workday world, school

board members put on a collective hat when they get down to th

business of leading their school districts. Board members must

pull together as a team toward a common goalhelping student

achieve. Though they may individually disagree on certain issue

their role as a board is to consistently strive toward that goal.

In recognition of the dedicated service, January was School

Board Recognition Month. This is a time to show appreciation

and to better understand how local trustees work together to

provide a better future for our children. Please join with others

from throughout our district to salute the men and women who

provide governance of public schools.

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2020 Vision onthe horizon


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The Bear Facts / Buckley Communi ty Schools

What does it mean to be a21st Century learner?

W

hen people think about learning in the 21st Century, the rst thing that

comes to their mind is technology. And when they think of technology, th

think of computers.Twentyrst Century learning is a buzz word, but learning in todays world is abo

more than computers and technology. The computers and technology available to

teachers and students is incredible and provides many opportunities. Its important

to remember that the technology availablethe

computers, projectors, etc.are tools to help

education happen.,

Twentyrst Century learning is about more

than computers. In fact, the core subjects of

English, math, social studies, and science are still

the basis of education. Plus, elective classes like physical education, health, foreign

language, ne arts, and other classes are important to the development of students.

A 21st Century education focuses on core subjects, innovation skills, life and caree

skills, and information, media, and technology skills. Students in the 21st Century ar

wellrounded. Moreover, they have opportunities that students in the past didnt so

readily appreciate like the career center, dual enrollment, and online learning.

Principal Todd Kulawiak says that students enjoy an unprecedented amount of

education available to them.

Its an exciting time to be

an educator and a student.

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Safety reminderFor the safety of your children, please check in at the ofce when

you come in to school. Please do not go directly to a classroom.

It is also important to remember to call the ofce to report

absences. You can reach the ofce at (231) 2693325.

Oneact play comingBuckley Community School Drama PresentsAnd Then There

Was One, a one-act comedy mystery by Michael Druce. Thedinner theater experience will be held Wednesday, March 24,

2010, featuring a potluck dinner donation from 5:306:45 p.m.,

with the play at 7 p.m.

Third grade studentslearning about historyFor the last month in science, the third grade

students have been working on animal research

projects. Each student researched an animal,

collected information and wrote a rough and

nal draft. Students also learned peer editing

skills. Then, each student created dioramas of their animal andits habitat. The students were very creative with their projects.

Watch for pictures of the dioramas on our school website, http://

www.buckleyschools.com. You can check them out soon!

These students also participated in interesting activities and

crafts for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Groundhog Day, and

Presidents Week.

For Black History Month, students will learn about some

important African Americans and their impact on American

history. The students also learned about

important events and people who were part

of the Civil Rights movement.

The third grade has tied reading, social

studies, and the events of the month

together to make learning meaningful for the

students.

Fourth graders learningabout economicsJoan Mackeys fourth grade students have been

studying life science. Students planted beans

and were surprised how fast they grew. The class

has taken care of each plant, including watering,

measuring, and recording its growth. Next, they will study animal

life and write research papers on animals.

In social studies, students have been studying Michigan

economics. Gina Weber, branch manager from Honor StateBank, talked to the class about how banks use money and how

checking and savings accounts work.

Changes in EnglishLanguage Arts curriculum

4By MarIa turner, englISh teacher

Buckley Junior High students join students across the state

of Michigan in a common learning experience for English

Language Arts.

The Macomb Intermediate School District recently

unveiled its new state aligned curriculum for sixtheighth

grades and I was one of the representatives from our area to

participate in this process.

The Traverse Bay Area Intermediate School District

highly recommends this curriculum. Michigan has rigorous

curriculum standards, and they are continuously updated.

These new curriculum units include the latest updates and

meet the state requirements for the Grade Level Content

Expectations (GLCEs) at each grade level.

Each grade level will also have a focus, just as the high

school classes have to focus their study. This enablesstudents to nd common themes and compare materials that have been studied

throughout the year with a general focus topic and specic focus questions. It is no

longer enough to read just for understanding. Students have to be able to process at

much higher level in order to be successful in our changing world. We need creative

critical thinkers more than ever to tackle the problems of the 21st Century. That is w

so many of the tasks in todays classroom emphasize not only communication skills,

also collaborations skills.

Each grade has anchor texts that will be core texts for the students to read. In

addition to these books, there are also related videos, Internet activities, ction and

non-ction readings; viewing, speaking, and listening activities; and grammar, writin

and research activities. The latest technology is included with these learning units. T

suggested anchor texts and dispositions (big ideas) have been carefully selected.

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School has many components in place to moveforward into the new Century

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Board of Education

Membership 200910PresidentDave Buck

VicePresidentLew ChalkerSecretaryHollianne McHugh

TreasurerKell TysonTrusteeKen Gibler

TrusteeMatt BreithauptTrusteeMatt Simon

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Suprinndn: Rick Himr

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All CONteNt

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The Student Councils Presidents

Committee worked since September

to plan Homecoming. The committeehad everything ordered, shipped and

picked up weeks ahead of time; plus, they

planned out the assemblies, brought ideas

for spirit week to our meetings, and had

the Student Council vote on them.

So, a lot of planning went into a week

that seemed to y by. Each day had a

different theme - c day, Fa

ijy day, Fa day, Tw

day, and B a g day.

The school had assemblies Monday

and Fridayand the classes

participated to earn points. Classes

could also get points by dressingup for the spirit days, and these

points were awarded based on

percentages. At the end of the week, after

the class banners (instead of oats) were

judged, the Junior Class was announced

as the winner of the Homecoming 2010

Spirit Cup.

Friday nights big game was packed.

Our student section

was overowing, and

much of our school

came out to cheer

on the Bears. Thegirls played rst,

losing to Kingsley,

but barely. The guys

Christmas comedy by Buckleystudents successful in December

Buckley Community Schools drama class performed

Marty DuhatscheksI Hate Christmas: A Christmas

Comedy in Three Acts on December 16, 2009.

Director Maria Turner said, While the drama class

only has 11 students, they are all hard working with

several different duties to perform to make the play

work. She added that she appreciated that her husband

Gil Turner and some building trade program students created the staging platform

Moreover, the performance was in front of the largest audience to watch a play at

Buckley, Turner said. Thank you for your continued support, she said.

Cast list: Dingo Glitternat gstafs; Rolly Ringer and costume designer

Fa Wa; Frankie Fine and soundea utt; Jenny and costume

designerSby da; Tia and stage managerAaa Sas; Rose

and lightingdaas Jaysa; Emily and hair/makeupA cay; Miss

Pincer and hair/makeupmaa gsy; Sara and stage manager

ksa m; Birdy and house managerAp gb; student directorma

cta.

ms tass atMusic teacher Laura Steed has applied for the Muzak Heart & Soul

Foundations Music Matters Grant. Steed submitted the application

on Friday, February 5, and hopes to hear soon whether the district

will benet.

The Muzak Heart & Soul Foundations mission is to redene and

support music education. Through music education, a child can

better achieve his/her full potential and stimulate personal and

educational growth.

Steed hopes to acquire a number of band instruments through

the grant, as well as upgrading some other supplies and materials.

The focus of the grant is to increase the number of students who

participate in choir and band, as well as

improve the number of students who attend

performances. Steed said she hopes to raise

the level of appreciation for the ne arts in

Buckley.

There are student, school, and community

components to the application, according toSteed. In the application, we addressed all of

the areas. We hope to raise awareness for the

ne arts through the grant. Its important for

our community.

Buckley Community Schools305 South First Street

Buckley, Michigan 49620T (231) 2693325 / F (231) 2693833

www.buckleyschools.com

School oFFice

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lost by even less

playing an incredibly

close game against

Benzie. At halftimeof the guys game,

the Homecoming

King and Queen

were announced, Jeff

Dreves and Caley

Blanchard. Everything went without a

hitch, all of the reps walked out at the

right time and the music played smoot

On Saturday, the day of the dance,

everyone on Student Council (an

several volunteers) showed up

at 9 a.m. to set up tables, chairs,

pillars, and even a fake garden t

set the atmosphere. People were

also blowing up balloons, painti

the background, setting up the

refreshment tables, bathroom baskets,

and centerpieces. We were at the schoo

for a total of six hours setting up and

nobody complained.

The dance itself was amazing.

Everything from the garden to the pict

area was surreal. All of our hard work

had nally paid off and we were able to

relax and have fun. I cannot express ho

thankful I am to everyone who helped

outincluding the elementary studentwho helped make signs for the game, th

teachers, and to the students, without

whom we never couldve gotten this far

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Documents

Bear Facts February 2010 (Email3)