Spring 2015

There was no beach vacation this Spring Break for Lake Orion High School’s Winter

Percussion ensemble, but the 46 talented students and their advisor Paul Loos had

plenty of fun, capturing the World Championship at the Winter Guard International

(WGI) World Championships in Dayton, Ohio.

The Dragons competed against 57 other top scholastic marching percussion groups

from across the country and even as far away as Sweden. Their score in the preliminary

round was the highest of all ensembles and qualified them for the semi-finals, where

their score was the second highest. In the finals, the Dragons outclassed the opposition

with their Spartacus-inspired show entitled "The Shield," winning the World

Championship title by almost two points, a huge spread in this competition.

See Percussion Ensemble on page 3

LO Winter Percussion Ensemble Battles to World Championship Title

High School Receives Coveted Accreditation from AdvanceED

New Transportation Director Battle of the Books Winter Sports Page 3 Page 5 Page 8

This past winter AdvanceED, the non-profit group which conducts rigorous on-site

evaluations of schools and districts across the country, provided Lake Orion High

School with its stamp of accreditation after a team of seven scrutinized the school

over multiple days.

Principal Steve Hawley said the coveted recognition reflects the high school staff’s

commitment to continuous improvement and helping students reach their full

potential. He added the accreditation is considered by college admissions offices

when evaluating freshman applications.

The AdvanceED team was most impressed with the amount of choices students

have, both from an academic and extracurricular standpoint, Hawley said. The

team’s follow-up report noted Lake Orion offers “something for every child”.

AdvanceED also highlighted the school’s effective management of limited resources,

which included materials available to students in the classroom, as well as structure of the staff.

The evaluators were complimentary of the work the high school instructional staff has done using student achievement data as a tool to

enhance the teaching practice. Along with this focus area, the staff has also committed to further growth in differentiating learning

opportunities for all students.

“This type of external feedback is very important,” said Hawley, who noted the last such external review was in 2009. “The review

provided our staff with a fresh perspective and affirmation of the great work that they do.” See LOHS Accreditation on page 3

LOHS accreditation team leaders, left to right: Darin Abbasse, Jim Haugh, Melissa Middleton, Steve Hawley and Chris Bell.

Percussion Ensemble members celebrate their world title in Ohio.

2

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Transportation

Team Members

Receive Oakland

County Award

Congratulations are in order for

transportation team members Elizabeth Guzman and John Clark (pictured), who

were recently selected to receive the 2015 Oakland County Excellence in Transporta-

tion Award for the Lake Orion School District. The award exemplifies excellence in

providing or supporting the safe transportation of students to school. They were

honored at a special banquet hosted by Oakland County earlier this spring.

District News

From cooperative bidding with other school districts, the township and village, to using third parties to secure best pricing on energy, the Lake Orion school district’s Operations Department has successfully reduced and/or avoided millions of dollars in costs, without compromising the quality of service it provides. This effort has ena-bled the district to lower its annual opera-tional budget by more than $2 million ($6 million over the past three years).

As an example, according to Director of Operations Wes Goodman, each school building in the district purchased its own cleaning supplies up until 2012 . Now Lake Orion uses a more centralized approach, including cooperative bidding with other districts in Oakland County, including Clarkston. This multiple-district approach has lowered the prices of cleaning prod-ucts/consumables, fire safety systems, snow plowing, garbage hauling and other services by up to 15 percent.

“Even if we end up using a different ven-dor, the cooperative bidding process helps secure best pricing,” Goodman said.

On the energy management front, Lake Orion – like many other districts - uses a

third-party procurement process to buy natural gas and electricity for its buildings, versus purchasing it through the utility companies directly. This enables them to secure fixed pricing over the length of the contract, rather than be subject to fluctua-tions in the cost of these energy sources, Goodman said. Since 2011, the district has reduced its energy costs by $942,000 through this approach and reducing con-sumption.

Over the past four years the district also has installed new computerized building management systems in all of the school buildings to increase the efficiency of heating and cooling systems, as well as

parking lot and athletic field lighting. The improved scheduling has helped reduce energy costs by another 10-15 percent, the district estimates. In addition, the monitoring and managing of other control systems internally – rather than relying on an outside vendor – is saving the district $300,000 annually, Goodman said.

Lake Orion has replaced inefficient lights in several schools over the past year. The new technology includes more efficient light bulbs, occupancy sensors that turn off lights when nobody is in a room and daylight harvesting technology, which turns off lights where there is enough nat-ural light in a room. In addition to saving at least 20 percent in energy costs through these lighting technologies, DTE Energy provided a rebate of $115,000 to the dis-trict as an incentive for installing the mod-ern equipment. Since a district bond failed in 2013, the lighting retrofit was funded through energy bonds secured early last year, which are now being paid back through energy savings.

“All of these programs initiated by the Operations Department have enabled the district to keep money in classroom in-struction,” Goodman said.

Operations Department Finds Variety of Ways to Reduce/Avoid Costs

Facilities Manager Andy Fountain and assistant Sue Tumey monitor energy usage.

3

New Transportation Director

Joins Lake Orion Schools Jamie Stottlemyer has joined Lake Orion Community Schools as Di-

rector of Transportation. He comes from Warren Woods Public

Schools, where he spent nearly ten years as both Director of Opera-

tions and Transportation. Earlier in his career, he worked in con-

struction management. Stottlemyer replaced Dale Goby, who re-

cently retired.

A resident of Clarkston and father of three school-age children,

Stottlemyer is not only excited about the shorter commute, but the

opportunity to work in one of Oakland County’s top districts.

“Lake Orion has a strong reputation as a well-run school district,” he

said. “Our top priorities in the transportation department are to pro-

vide safe, reliable and on-time bus service to all of our students in as

an efficient manner as possible.”

This is no small task, considering Lake Orion’s fleet of 68 buses

transport 4,000

students daily,

covering

800,000 or more

miles each year

on district roads.

Stottlemyer un-

derstands the

critical role that

school buses

and drivers

play in the educational process, getting students safely to and from

school. He welcomes parents to share their thoughts and concerns

with him at any time.

Teacher Melissa Middleton, who co-chairs the high school’s

improvement team with colleague Jim Haugh, said prepara-

tions for the AdvanceED visit started about a year in advance

and involved virtually every staff member. The evaluation

team interviewed students, staff, parents and community

members, as well as conducted observations in 90 classrooms.

“The external review process has really changed over the

years. With the in-classroom observations, they really see

firsthand what a school is doing,” Middleton said.

During the evaluation a school is measured based on several

standards, including its purpose and direction; governance

and leadership; teaching and learning; resources and support

systems; and how it uses the results from such evaluations to

assure continuous improvement.

In their verbal and written feedback, AdvanceED team mem-

bers praised the high school and its staff. One said, “This is

the type of school I would want my grandchildren to attend”,

while another added, “This school is really a gem, not only in

Oakland County, but the state.”

Principal Hawley said he is proud of the recognition, but this

does not mean it’s time to rest, stressing there is always plen-

ty of room to get better.

“I’m very proud of our staff and how much time they contrib-

ute to the process of continuous improvement, which was

clearly recognized by the external team,” he said. “Of course,

I expect the same over the next five years, before we look to

renew our accreditation again.”

LOHS Accreditation Cont’d from Page 1

New Transportation Director Jamie Stottlemyer

Trivia Night Raises More Than

$20K for Blessings In A Backpack

The Knights of Columbus Hall was packed one night this winter for

Trivia Night benefiting Blessings in a Backpack - Lake Orion. The local

non-profit organization provides food to district students of all ages

who may otherwise go hungry on the weekends. More than $20,000

was raised for the organization, enough to feed 200 students for a

year, making the night a huge success! Persons interested in making

additional tax-deductible donations can send checks payable to Bless-

ings in a Backpack Lake Orion, P.O. Box 321, Lake Orion, MI 48361.

In late March, both Lake Orion’s marching percussionists and

concert percussion ensemble brought home State

Championship titles. In fact, the marching percussion team

earned its second state title while claiming the highest score

of any group in the competition, regardless of classification.

Not to be outdone, the concert ensemble took its second-

straight state title.

According to Band Director Mike Steele, the students and

their instructors showed incredible determination and

dedication, with many long hours of rehearsal to achieve

these historic accomplishments. He also noted the

tremendous support of parent volunteers, who helped with

costumes, props, transportation and countless other details.

Percussion Ensemble Cont’d from Page 1

4

I have always been a big fan of Dr. Seuss and his whimsical look at the world. His unique

rhymes and stories are favorites of mine. I recently spoke before a group of youth volun-

teers in our community and, as I was thinking about what to say, I remembered a quote

from Dr. Seuss on volunteerism that seemed very pertinent. It was not a rhyme from A

Cat in the Hat, but rather straightforward: “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful

lot, nothing is going to get better.”

Those words don’t rhyme much, but they hit

home. Caring for someone or something can

truly make a positive difference in a person’s

life or impact our great community. It doesn’t

matter who you are or your age – we all have

the power to change lives for the better. And

I’m pleased to say volunteerism amongst our

young people, in particular, has exploded in

recent decades. Our senior class at Lake Orion

High School alone has accumulated more

than 35,000 combined hours of community

service over the past four years. They each only need 40 hours to graduate.

I am so impressed with our young people’s willingness to make a difference, from volun-

teering at our schools to helping local charities flourish, to contributions of their time and

talents at churches, nursing homes, food pantries, youth sports programs and other or-

ganizations. Our youth play a key role in making Lake Orion such a great place to live.

They also make places far away much better, with many of them going on mission trips

around the country and the world. Over the past couple of years, our students have trav-

eled to Appalachia and other parts of the United States, plus Honduras, Peru and Greece,

to help build homes for the poor. One of our students even traveled to Israel recently to

help rebuild a playground that was destroyed by a bomb. A group is heading to Haiti soon

to help the impoverished there.

I also want to give credit to our teachers who guide many of these charitable activities. I

can’t tell you how many thousands of food items are gathered through organized food

drives at all of our schools each year? Last holiday season, students at our elementary

schools collected nearly 20,000 cans and boxes of food for pantries across the region. This

year’s elementary schools penny war raised another

$13,000 for local food banks.

Let me close by saying Dr. Seuss would be very proud of

our young people here in Lake Orion. In fact, he would

be amazed. I know I am.

Key Dates

LOHS Senior Academic &

Awards Ceremony

June 1, 2015

6:30 – 10:00 p.m.

LOHS Junior/Senior Prom

Palazzo Grande – Shelby Twp.

June 5, 2015

6:30 – 11:00 p.m.

2015 Learning Options

Graduation

LOHS Auditorium

June 8, 2015

7:00 – 9:00 p.m.

2015 LOHS Graduation

DTE Energy Theater – Clarkston

June 10, 2015

7:00 – 9:30 p.m.

Last Day of 2014-15 School Year

June 12, 2015

ACT Testing

LOHS

June 13, 2015

8:00 a.m.

Superintendent’s Message

A Willingness to Make a Difference

Volunteers at the Mother’s Wish race.

5

Students at Lake Orion High School turned out en masse to participate in Cell Out for Soldiers earlier this year. The event, organized by the high school’s Leadership Workshop class, drew 80 percent participation, with more than 1,750 kids turning in their phones for the day. For each cell phone turned off, $1 was donat-ed to Cell Phones for Soldiers, plus individual donations were accepted. More than $2,600 was raised for the national charity that provides prepaid phones to servicemen and women overseas so they can call home. Lead-ership students carefully collected and tagged the phones, then deliv-

ered them back to students at the end of the day – with none lost! With their phones locked up, students

had to communicate with each other the old-fashioned way without mobile devices or social media. Television news crews from WDIV and WJBK covered the Cell Out that day and the event was showcased throughout Metro Detroit. A number of students commented that engaging their classmates face-to-face was fun, while many parents commented on the district’s Facebook page that it was a great idea for a great cause. Cell Phones for Soldiers sent a per-sonal note to the Leadership Workshop class thanking them for the impressive event. This spring, the Cell Out for Soldiers event won the Michigan Association of Student Councils (MASC) State Service Project of the Year Award and was named Best in Show at the state student leadership conference.

Special

Olympics

Hoopsters

Compete at

LO Fieldhouse A packed house of students and fans watched Lake Orion's Special Olympics basketball

team take on Oxford in March at the LOHS Fieldhouse. Both teams made great shots and the Wildcats came out on top, 26-23, avenging a loss to LO earlier in the month. Judging by the rolicking noise and excitement, it was a fun time for everyone in attendance. Congratu-lations to all the players from both schools who continued the great tradition during the high school’s Charity Week, organized by the student Leadership Workshop class. A variety of events involving the entire student body raised more than $3,890 for the Oakland County Animal Shelter.

Student leadership members and military representatives at Cell Out.

1,750 students turned in their phones.

Lake Orion and Oxford split two games this year.

High School Engineering

Students Visit

General Dynamics Facility Lake Orion pre-engineering students toured the General Dy-namics Land Systems (GDLS) maneuver collaboration center (mc2) in Warren, Mich. this winter. STEM program advisor Jim Stuef took 16 “Intro to Engineer-ing” students to the facility, where they had an opportunity to learn more about the advanced mili-tary vehicles and weapon systems developed there, as well as ask plenty of questions about po-tential career oppor-tunities in this area.

School News LOHS “Cells” Out for Soldiers

Engineering students met with professionals in Warren.

6

Art students from all three Lake Orion middle schools and the high school, recognizing the healing power of art and nature, created sev-

eral beautiful seven-foot tall glass mosaics this winter for the new Children's Hospital of Michigan, opening in Troy later this year. The

intricate mosaics feature colored glass tiles arranged in pictures along with words of inspiration for young patients. Lake Orion students

selected the season of spring as their theme. The project was led by district art chairperson and Waldon Middle School art teacher Jes-

sica Kropog, who said students began designing their murals in late fall. She said one of the most gratifying aspects of the project was

watching the students take ownership of their work and recognize their efforts were part of something big involving art students from

around the region.

District Students Create Glass Mosaics for New Children’s Hospital

Waldon Middle School Oakview Middle School Scripps Middle School

33 teams from Lake Orion’s middle schools and Oakland

Christian converged on Waldon Middle School for the

annual Battle of the Books this winter. A running count

was kept of each team’s correct answers to questions

about a number of books the students read and, after

more than three hours of intense competition, a new

champion for 2015 was crowned. Scripps Middle School

swept the event, with Team H.A.A.S taking first place,

NeNeJoJaMa & the Intern finishing second and the Scripps

Scholars taking third place. Chicas de la Biblioteca from

Scripps was recognized for the best team name, while

Waldon’s Nerd Herd won for the best team costumes.

Scripps Sweeps Middle

School Battle of the Books

Elementary School Battle of

Books Champs Crowned!

An epic Battle of the

Books competition took

place amongst elemen-

tary school students in

the packed Scripps Mid-

dle School gym this win-

ter. In the end, two

teams tied with a total

of 94 points: the Book-

worms from Paint Creek

and the Greek Geeks

from Stadium Drive.

There was a three-way

tie for second place -

the Restless Readers

from Stadium Drive,

The Paint Creekers

from Paint Creek and

The Spitfires from Web-

ber all finished with 92

points. Congratulations

to all of the teams that

participated!

Scripp’s Team H.A.A.S took the title.

Paint Creek’s Bookworms

Stadium Drive’s Greek Geeks

7

Believe it or not, an estimated 40,000 cardboard lunch trays were

thrown in the garbage each school year by students at Stadium

Drive Elementary. To reduce this waste, the school implemented

a reusable

plastic tray

program

that the

children

and cafe-

teria staff

have em-

braced.

Principal

Rob Mur-

ray thanks

everyone

involved who

have made the

recycling effort a success, especially the food services staff at the

school.

Teachers of the Year

Stadium Drive’s lunch tray recycling program started this winter.

Stadium Drive Launches Lunch Tray

Recycling Program

Elementary: Orion Oaks Principal Ken Nuss with teacher Teresa West.

Middle School: Scripps Principal Dan Hass with teacher Matt Moede.

High School: Principal Steve Hawley with teacher Julia Dalrymple.

Jerry Brazeau, the talented art teacher at Scripps Middle

School, was named Artist of the Year by the Orion Art Center.

He was honored at the Art Center’s Dragon Fever Disco Ball in

March. Brazeau’s passion for art began in elementary school

and he pursued art education in college. He has volunteered at

the Orion Art Cen-

ter since he start-

ed at Scripps in

2000. Over the

past 15 years,

Brazeau has pro-

duced and dis-

played his own art

work and that of

his students at the

gallery located in

downtown Lake

Orion.

Scripps’ Brazeau Named

Artist of the Year

Art teacher Jerry Brazeau works with students at Scripps Middle School.

8

Athletics

Dragon Swimmer Sets State Record, Grabs Two State Titles

Lake Orion's varsity competitive cheerleading team took fourth

place in the 2015 Division 1 State Finals with 783.84 points.

Grandville, whom Lake Orion beat in the Regional competition

the week before, took the crown - scoring a mere three points

more than the Dragons over three rounds. It was Lake Orion’s

second straight trip to the finals and second consecutive fourth-

place finish.

Dragons Finish Fourth at State at D1 Cheer Finals

Lake Orion senior swimmer Devon Nowicki set a new state rec-

ord for the 100 breaststroke at the D1 Swimming Finals in

March, plus a second state championship in the 100 butterfly.

The Oakland University-bound Dragon was named the Michi-

gan’s high school co-swimmer of the year.

Lake Orion’s varsity boys’ski team just missed winning a title in the

classroom. The Michigan High School Ski Coaches Association

named their All-State Academic Teams and Lake Orion finished sec-

ond in the state with a combined grade point average of 3.7051. The

Lady Dragon ski team also placed among the state’s top academic

performers, with a combined GPA of 3.5552.

Boys’ Ski Team Finishes Second in Academic Prowess

A total of eight Dragon athletes, many of whom have excelled both

in academics and athletics, signed scholarship acceptance letters to

attend a number of colleges and universities throughout the Mid-

west and play for their respective teams.

The high school recognized five soccer players: Richard Doll, who will

be playing at Indiana Tech (Fort Wayne); Jason Inglis, Albion College;

Hannah Cady, Western Kentucky University; Marisa Engel, Western

Illinois University; and Madison Ham, Grand Valley State University.

Dragon football players who will be playing at the next level include

Matt Krause, Central Michigan University and Zach Serzo, Lake Erie

College. Tori Basso is attending Alma College as a dual-scholarship

recipient, playing both golf and lacrosse.

Dragon Athletes Commit to Play at the Next Level

9

At the MHSAA Division 1 State Ski Championship Meet in February,

Lake Orion’s varsity girls ski team finished in fourth place. Top Drag-

on performers were freshman Grace Stetsko; sophomore Emily

Hewett; junior Makayla Kyre; and seniors Samantha Swiss, Katie Tyr-

rell and twins Madison and Sydnee Reid. The Lady Dragons qualified

for the state meet by winning a Division 1 Regional Championship. In

addition to their strong postseason performance, they completed an

undefeated dual meet season and captured the Pine Knob Division

Championship. Lake Orion also finished in second place at the

Southeast Michigan Ski League Championship Meet. Varsity ski

coach Derek Delzer was named Regional Ski Coach of the Year.

Lake Orion Girls’ Ski Team Competes at D1 State Championship Meet

In March, Lake Orion wrestlers senior Logan Shadaia (215) and

junior Brendan Thompson (285) competed in the MHSAA Indi-

vidual

Wrestling

State

Champion-

ship at The

Palace of

Auburn

Hills. Sha-

daia had a

31-7 rec-

ord going

into the

event, while Thomson carried a 28-11 record. Neither quali-

fied for the championship round, but it was a major accom-

plishment for both. To qualify for the state championship,

Thompson finished second in regional competition and Sha-

daia third in their respective weight classes.

Dragon Wrestlers Compete in Individual State

Championship Matches

Lake Orion’s girls’ varsity bowling team qualified for the MHSAA

D1 State Championship Tournament in March after finishing

third in regional competition. Earlier this year, the Lady Dragons

rolled impressive wins in the Oakland County Bowling Tourna-

ment; the Tri-County Tournament, featuring the best high school

bowlers in Wayne, Oakland and Macomb Counties; and the OAA

League Championship. Junior Tryna Gladstone also qualified for

the individual state tournament.

Girls’ Varsity Bowling Team Qualifies for State

Championship Tournament

The 7th grade boys basketball team at Scripps Middle School went

undefeated this year, posting a perfect 12-0 record, including three

tough overtime wins. This was the first time a boys team finished

with an unblemished record at Scripps. Congratulations to Coach

Kelly Stalions and the entire team!

Pictured,

back row,

left to right:

Coach

Stalions,

Jack Cum-

mins, Kyle

Varney, Zach

Hay, Max

Menig, Ma-

son Slocum,

Kaidin Beck,

and Peyton Preiskorn. Middle row, left to right: Kadin Collie, Teddy

Hirschfield, Casey Coltrin, Willy Houser and Cameron Maupin. Front

row: Amaru Abdullah-Raheem.

Scripps 7th Grade Boys Basketball Team Goes Undefeated!

10

Spotlight

LAKE ORION’S BAND PROGRAM Lake Orion High School band

director Mike Steele fondly re-

members his days as a high

school percussionist and has

always tried to give his band

students similar experiences to

the ones he had growing up.

Based on the program’s ongo-

ing success, today’s students

also should have plenty of posi-

tive memories of making music

in high school.

The percussion ensemble’s re-

cent World Championship, pre-

ceded by a state championship,

is just the latest in a string of

impressive performances by the

band students. Lake Orion’s

highly acclaimed wind ensem-

ble, symphonic band and concert band each received top ratings at this

year’s Band and Orchestra Festival held here. The school’s concert

band, made up of underclassmen, received the second-highest rating

possible at the event.

Lake Orion’s marching band, featuring students in all grades, has placed

among the top five in the state for the past eight years, including sever-

al runner-up finishes. The Dragons also have qualified for the Grand

Nationals band competition in Indianapolis the past two years.

The school’s

winter color

guard program also has grown considerably in recent years and enjoyed success.

This year, it finished fifth at a regional competition in Pittsburgh, competing

against schools from six states.

“Our bands always seem to be the ones the judges want to hear,” said Steele, who

has been at Lake Orion for 15 years. “People in the audience at these events often

say they perform like a symphony. Rarely have we had a year where the students

have not been exceptional.”

The Dragon marching band performs during the annual Homecoming Parade.

Band Director Mike Steele works with students.

Lake Orion musicians at the 2015 Band Festival.

11

“I love it when they play for our community, so people can see just

how talented our students are,” Steele said. “I think they are

shocked at just how good our seniors are and how much time it

takes to get to that level.”

Steele said a big thanks also must go to the band’s booster pro-

gram made up of incredibly dedicated parents. The group provides

some of the uniforms and instruments used by the students. It

also coordinates transportation of the band equipment used at

competitions.

Steele is quick to give credit to the district’s middle school band pro-

gram for preparing the young musicians for the rigors playing in high

school.

“We’re really fortunate to have three outstanding middle school

band directors who produce tremendous bands that are respected

by judges around the state,” Steele said. “Kids come to the high

school with a lot of ability and love for music thanks to their middle

school experiences.”

In addition to the middle school programs, the high school band di-

rector says the program’s success also is due to the dedication of the

270 kids who take band classes or play in the marching band. Not

only do they practice daily in school, but the students can be heard

playing throughout the summer and on many Saturdays during the

fall leading up to their competition season. They come from all walks

of life, he said, but the camaraderie of the band students is great.

Earlier this year, five of Lake Orion’s outstanding choral musi-

cians performed with the 2015 State Honors Choirs in front of

thousands of people at the Devos Performance Hall in Grand

Rapids. This is quite an honor, considering a student must be

one of the top 30 choral musicians of their voice part in the

state to be named to the group. Representing Lake Orion, pic-

tured below from left with high school choir director Bryce

Thompson: Julia Donaven, Laura Pavliscak, Tyler Dick, Spencer

Walters and Kathryn Linehan. Thompson noted the students’

attitude, work ethic and excellence in craft.

Choral Musicians Join

State Honors Choir

Oakview students perform at their band festival.

Lake Orion’s state championship percussionists celebrate.

The Dragon Winter Guard at the state championships.

12

Around the District