Highlander Nation 05/15/22

Last week, we watched our seniors walk out of the building for the last time. This week, we celebrate the HHS seniors at the Breslin Center and next week we celebrate the IA seniors at the Parker Stadium. We are a part of the greatest and most important profession in the world and each of you have contributed to preparing our seniors for this moment and the next chapter in their lives. Thank you!  

Howell Education Foundation (HEF) Golf Outing 

The annual HEF golf outing is scheduled for Friday, June 10. The HEF supports our students and staff through classroom grants, field trips, and facilitates the procurement of property for our Construction Trades program. The golf outing is a major fundraiser for the HEF. Please consider participating in this event - it’s always a great time. For registration and sponsorship information, click here.

Perception Surveys

In an ongoing effort to get feedback from staff, students, and families, we are in the process of administering our annual perception surveys. This year, we extended these surveys to include all students in grade 5 as well as all students in grades 6 - 12. Please take a few minutes and take the staff survey by clicking here.

Senior Survivor

Wow, what an incredible accomplishment by this year’s Senior Survivor - more than $228,000 raised for the inclusive playground in Genoa Township! In addition to the funds raised, the OneHowell community pride is absolutely amazing. There are so many people that play a part in making Senior Survivor so special. Thank you! This Friday, May 20 there will be a groundbreaking ceremony for the playground. Many of the individuals involved with last year's Senior Survivor will be attending as well.

New Accountant - Marc Mckay

We have been in the process of restructuring our Business Office. Part of the restructuring plan includes the addition of an accountant. We were fortunate to find a great candidate in Marc Mckay. Marc will bring a level of expertise as well as new perspectives to our district operations. Marc lives in Howell with his wife and daughter. Please join me in welcoming Marc to Highlander Nation.

Cognia Accreditation Review 
As most of you know, we recently hosted an external review team for our accreditation process. It’s always a nice opportunity to have educators from outside the district visit to affirm the things we are doing well and to give feedback on the things we can improve. Overall, the visit went well and the team will be recommending we remain an accredited K-12 educational institution. To view the team’s report, click here (the full written report will be submitted to the district in the coming weeks). I would like to extend a special thank you to the Instructional Services Department and the building school improvement teams for their through preparation for the visit.

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Highlander Nation 04/04/22

On Friday, April 22, the high school will be hosting Decision Day. The day celebrates the specific paths of each of our seniors as they look to their next chapter. It's a celebration, but it's also a memory they can reflect on when they think of their high school experience - a defining moment. This is really what it's all about.

What will our students think of when they reflect on their last eight weeks of 1st , 5th, 8th, 11th grade? As we look to these next eight weeks, I recognize we have tasks to complete, and it can seem overwhelming at times. Let's challenge ourselves to think about and focus on the ways in which we can create defining moments for our students - academically, socially, or within a co-curricular experience.

Staff in the Spotlight

This year we had over 150 nominations from staff, students, and families for Teacher and Support Person of the Year. Congratulations to Jeff Klapper and Donna Pompilius for being selected as the 2021/22 Teacher and Support Person of the Year.

John Young was recently recognized by the Michigan Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (MIAAA) as the Regional Athletic Director of the Year for Region 11. John is one of only fourteen administrators state-wide to be honored by the MIAAA.

Christine Schoendorff (Voyager) has been named the 2021-2022 Michigan Veterans of Foreign War (VFW) Elementary Teacher of the Year. 

Programs in the Spotlight

Unified Champion Sports - Our Unified Champion basketball team was invited to play at the halftime of the MHSAA Class A basketball championship game. It was an absolutely amazing experience for the students, staff, and families involved. The Unified Champion Sports Programs continue to grow in the district, providing opportunities of inclusion for so many more student-athletes. 

Howell High School Hope Squad - Hope Squad is a staff facilitated, student run suicide prevention program at the high school that trains and empowers students to be advocates for their peers. It launched in the fall of 2021 and is a tremendous way to make sure student voice is at the center of our mental health conversations. Most recently, representatives from the Hope Squad traveled to Lansing to advocate for suicide prevention legislation. 

District Updates

2019 Capital and Safety Bond Work - we completed a majority of the bond projects the past two summers, however, we have a few remaining large projects planned for this summer. Specifically, new roofs at the Little Highlanders/IA and Operations buildings, asphalt and paving projects including the service drive that runs from Grand River to M-59 on the campus and the service drive on the east side of Parker. In addition, we plan to purchase several new buses and the HHS field house floor will be repaired and refinished. 

Highlander Virtual Update - we plan to offer our Highlander Virtual program to grades 6 - 12 in the 2022/23 school year. We are finalizing a leadership structure for the program and will begin the student registration and staffing process shortly. 

Secure Education Consultants (SEC) Assessment Process - we met with our consultant, Jason Russell, from SEC to review their draft report. Overall, Mr. Russell was very positive about the district's safety and security procedures. Once we receive the final report I will share our comprehensive plan to implement the recommendations. Prior to the assessment being complete, we had already started to develop a plan for their first recommendation - a Behavior Threat Assessment Process. Specifically, I have convened a team comprised of counselors, social workers, psychologists, and administrators to develop a Behavior Threat Assessment and Management process for the district. We have made significant progress and are waiting for some key state agencies to further inform the process. While we have shared our preliminary work with the district's leadership team, we will be waiting to share it with all staff until the state has finalized their work.

#OneHowell Process Update - the #OneHowell team finalized their recommendations for the district's Adaptive Plan. In July, the board charged this team with reviewing the Adaptive Plan and to provide recommendations around the vision and goals, as well as to develop guiding questions for each goal. The board discussed the draft plan at a March workshop, and will consider approving it at the April meeting. I will share more about this after the April meeting.

Policy Review - as we get closer to the primary and general election season, the political climate is only going to get more charged. As we navigate this challenging landscape, I want to remind you of our responsibilities as educators. While Policy 9700 (Relations with Special Interests Groups), Policies 3231 & 4231 (Outside Activities of Staff) and Administrative Guideline 3231A and 4231A detail the standards and expectations of staff in relation to political activity, here is a brief summary from these policies and guidelines:

• Staff cannot use any type of educational material (curricular or co-curricular) if such materials contain partisan political messages. Professional staff may utilize political materials in adopted courses of study with the approval of the principal.
  
  
• School facilities may not be used to disseminate to the community any materials that advertise or promote a political party, a political cause, or the candidacy of an individual for public office. Students and employees of the Board shall not be used to distribute campaign literature within the schools or on school grounds.
  
  
• Staff cannot campaign on school property during work hours on behalf of any political issue or candidate for local, State, or National office.

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#HighlanderNation 07.21.21

COVID-19 & Communicable Disease Protocols

As you know, we implemented a number of COVID-19 mitigation measures last school year pursuant to the MDHHS orders as well as through our partnership with the Livingston County Health Department. Having provided in-person school for nearly the entire school year, we have the unique ability to reflect on our experiences to determine our best path forward for the 2021/22 school year. The following questions/answers are most frequently asked:

Are face masks required?

No. Face masks are not required.

Will ​staff or ​students be required to be tested for COVID-19?

No. The MDHHS and the MHSAA lifted all testing requirements on June 22, 2021.

Will ​students be required to be vaccinated in order to attend school?

No. The COVID-19 vaccine is not listed on the MDHHS School Required Vaccination List. The Livingston County Health Department strongly recommends that all eligible students, teachers, staff, and household members get the COVID-19 vaccination as soon as possible when supported by their medical advisor. Moreover, please keep in mind that the key strategy for keeping in-person learning available is through achieving high levels of COVID-19 vaccination within our community. 

Will staff and student contact tracing and quarantines continue?

Schools are required to report communicable diseases to their local health department. Probable or positive COVID-19 cases will be reported to the Livingston County Health Department following public health laws. When there is a positive or probable case, an exposure letter will be sent home just as we do with other communicable diseases. We are still awaiting detailed guidance regarding contact tracing and quarantine protocols from the Livingston County Health Department, and we will review this when it becomes available.

What will the cleaning procedures be this year? The district will utilize standard daily cleaning protocols using products approved by the CDC to be effective against the COVID-19 virus. The cleaning of desks and furniture after each period is no longer required.

​For the complete 2021/22 Back to School FAQ, click here. We will update this as new information is made available. In addition, the county educational leaders have been collaborating throughout the summer to develop a consistent framework for the 2021/22 school year relative to COVID-19 health protocols. To view the communication from the county educational leaders, click here.

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#HighlanderNation 05.17.21

Celebrating the Class of 2021 - there are a number of events scheduled this week to celebrate the Class of 2021. The celebration begins today with the Senior Walk and picnic and culminates on Saturday with commencement on campus. Whatever role you have on the Highlander Team, please know that you contributed to the growth of each of our graduates. Be proud knowing what this class has accomplished as a result of your guidance and support. A class that that...

• earned over $70,000 in local scholarships 
• has students continuing their education in trade schools, apprenticeships, colleges, universities, and the military all over the country
• continued our outstanding tradition of fine and performing arts accomplishments by most recently bringing back in-person performances
• excelled in co curricular activities with multiple championships in various clubs and athletics, and 14 students earning an opportunity to compete at the collegiate level
• built a culture of inclusion and equity by raising awareness around our students with different challenges, and leaving a legacy with the construction of an inclusive playground in our community

Ultimately, this class met the challenges of the past 14 months. They proved that adversity can provide perspective and appreciation for what's most important. Please join me in celebrating and honoring the Class of 2021. 

Staff Perception Survey 2021 - please take a few minutes to take the staff perception survey. This is the fourth year we have administered this survey and the information is helpful as we seek to improve. The survey will close on Friday, June 4. To take the survey, click here. 

Howell Education Foundation (HEF) Annual Golf Outing - the annual HEF Golf Outing is scheduled for Friday, June 4 at Hunters Ridge. This is always a great way to conclude the year. For more information and to register individually or a team, click here. The HEF provides tremendous support to our students and staff. Please consider participating.

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#HighlanderNation 03.17.21

Portrait of a Highlander - for the past few years, I have been challenging us to reflect on the essential skills and knowledge each of our Highlanders need as they prepare for their careers, college, and life. As our students navigate a pandemic, it seems this conversation is even more important than ever. The Portrait of a Highlander is intended to be our vision - a vision we continuously strive to reach. Whether we are evaluating our curriculum, collaborating around instructional practices, designing our school day, or reflecting on our grading practices, we need to commit to doing this work through the lens of the Portrait. This is a process and I look forward to continuing the work with all of you.

Vaccination Process - as of this past Sunday, all education employees in the county have had the opportunity to receive at least the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, with many staff already reaching full inoculation. To better understand the number of staff who have received a vaccination and to provide any support as needed, please take one minute to complete this survey.

While the Livingston County Health Department has received a limited number of doses of the vaccine, they made the vaccination of public school employees a priority. Additionally, the health department has provided guidance and support to the district throughout the pandemic. To celebrate National Public Health Week 2021, we would like to present the Livingston County Health Department with thank you notes from educators around the county. If you are inclined to do so, please submit your thank you to the health department at https://forms.gle/zYsxnMrX4yedxxyZ9. This form will be open through Friday, March 26. 

Rick Terres - after a long and distinguished career as a school district business official, Rick is retiring in May. Rick has served Howell Schools for 35 years. His knowledge, experience, and stable leadership have guided the district through some very challenging times. Ultimately, his leadership has allowed the district to maintain a strong financial standing while supporting the wide range of needs in the district. Please join me in wishing Rick the very best as moves into this next chapter of his life - it's guaranteed to involve grandchildren and golf. 

Staff Wellness Opportunity - as part of our ongoing efforts to support staff wellness, beginning the week of March 22 the district is providing an opportunity for staff to participate in a weekly yoga and meditation session. We are excited to partner with professionally trained yoga and trauma instructors for this unique opportunity. The sessions will be conducted once per week at each building in the district. While there are benefits to attending each week, you may register to attend as your schedule allows. For more information and details on how to register, click here. Registration is required and is limited to 20 per session. There is no cost to attend these sessions.

Legislative Update:

Senate Education Committee Testimony - yesterday afternoon I provided testimony to the Senate Education Committee relative to our experience since the pandemic started last spring. To view my statement to the committee, click here. 

Public Act 3 - on March 9, 2021, Governor Whitmer signed into law Public Act 3 of 2021(PA 3) to provide supplemental appropriations for fiscal year (FY) 2020-2021. PA 3 appropriates federal funds approved in the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations (CRRSA) Act this past December and state School Aid Fund (SAF) dollars. PA 3 includes a new subsection, which appropriates funds through an equalization formula. To be eligible, districts are required to offer at least 20 hours per week of in-person instruction to all students by March 22, 2021. Eligible districts are also required to confirm adherence to the 20-hour per week requirement at each monthly board meeting. We meet these requirements. All districts receiving these funds are required to submit a plan to MDE that meets the allowable expenses by April 23, 2021. 

The Future of Highlander Virtual - I have received a few questions about the future of Highlander Virtual. We plan to continue this option for our families and currently have an application available to our families. We will monitor interest and determine the programming options available once we have final enrollment numbers. 

Class of 2021 - for your planning purposes, the HHS team is coordinating the Class of 2021 celebrations. Graduation is scheduled for Saturday, May 22 and will again be on our campus. Details to follow. Go Highlanders!

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#HighlanderNation 01.28.21

School Board Recognition Month - January is School Board Recognition Month. I am so thankful for our team of school board members. They are focused on making us better while supporting our students, staff, and families. This year they have been faced with numerous challenges and very difficult decisions. I am thankful for their thoughtful and steady approach during these extraordinary times. 

Jan Stewart - it is with very mixed emotions that I share with the team that Jan will be retiring at the end of this school year. Jan has been an integral part of our district for more than 20 years. Her caring approach, knowledge, professionalism, and attention to detail set the bar for our organization. Quite simply, she is the best. I feel fortunate to have worked with her for these past 5+ years. I am happy and excited for her to begin this next chapter of her life - I know time with grandchildren will be a priority. Please join me in wishing Jan the very best.

Executive Director of Finance - I am delayed with formally introducing Nicole Reinhardt as our new Executive Director of Finance. Nikki comes to us from Lenawee Intermediate School District. She received a BS in Accounting and Business Administration from Houghton College (NY) and an MBA in Finance from Rochester Institute of Technology (NY). She is also MSBO Business Office Manager Certified. Nikki is a great addition to the Central Office team and has already made some great changes with our processes and procedures. Please join me in welcoming Nikki to the Highlander team.

Supervisor of Facility Use - we recently posted and hired for a new Supervisor of Facility Use. To this end, please join me in welcoming John Brennan to the team. John is a 2015 Howell graduate, attended Hillsdale College, and recently completed his Masters in Sports Management. The purpose of this position in the short-term is to get the Highlander Aquatics and Fitness Center back online. After this, John will be coordinating use of all of our facilities by external groups.

Half days moving to distance learning - I continue to meet with the district Task Force to monitor the various aspects of our school operations during this very challenging school year. One of the decisions that came out of this group this week is to transition to distance learning for our two remaining half days on Friday, February 12, and Friday, April 23. These days will now be asynchronous distance learning days for all students while maintaining our flexible PD offerings. Additional details will be provided by Elson and your building principal.

Waiver of Certain Assessment and Accountability Requirements of the Federal Every Student Succeeds Act - recently, our State Superintendent Dr. Rice requested the federal government waive certain aspects of the accountability system (i.e. spring assessments). Given the dynamics of this year, I am hopeful this is approved. For your information, public comment is open on this request - more information is included in this MDE memo. Moreover, it would be refreshing to use this disruption to rethink our current approach to assessing students - from both a state and local perspective. We certainly need to assess how our students are progressing on standards, however, our current emphasis on traditional assessments needs to be reevaluated.

Howell Education Foundation (HEF) Classroom Grants - as a reminder, the HEF is ready to help with your creative instructional ideas that need a financial boost. To this end, please consider applying for a classroom grant. The grant application can be viewed by clicking here. 

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#HighlanderNation 09.13.19 - Friday the 13th & Dirt Cups

This morning, Amy and I were helping our twins make Dirt Cups for their 11th birthday treat. Side note - this is a great 5:45 a.m. project (insert sarcasm). I didn't have the pleasure of having Dirt Cups in my childhood, but for those that don't know, basically, a Dirt Cup consists of pudding, Cool Whip, Oreos, and some gummy worms. As we were making them, I was focused on a precise order of layering the ingredients. I looked over and noticed my daughter just tossing everything together. I leaned over and told her to make sure and put things together in the right order. She looked at me and said, "Dad, I think mine look nice, and anyway, they are all going to taste the same." 

I wish I didn't need Dirt Cups to remind me that there are a lot of different ways to approach life, but this was a good way for me to start Friday the 13th and a full moon.

Whatever way you approached the start of this school year, I hope these first few weeks have allowed you to build the foundation for a great year - developing relationships with your students and colleagues, establishing expectations, and engaging in meaningful teaching and learning. Thank you for being an integral part of a great start to 2019/20.

2020/21 Calendar

As you know, the district and the Howell Education Association agreed to a two-year contract that covers the 2019-2020 and the 2020-2021 school years. Part of this contract is the school calendar for this year and next year. To help our staff and families plan, we wanted to share the details of the 2020-2021 school year calendar as early as possible. We will once again begin the school year before Labor Day. As you may or may not know, the decision to move the start of school to before Labor Day is rooted in a law that took effect for the 2016-2017 school year that increased the number of required instructional days from 175 to 180. When starting the school year after Labor Day, this additional week of school pushed the end of the school year into mid-June, prompting many districts to explore beginning before Labor Day. In fact, out of the 56 intermediate school districts in the state, 43 have waivers to begin before Labor Day.

Our first day of school for the 2020-2021 school year will be Wednesday, August 19. While this is a few days earlier then we have started the past two years, we feel that the benefits are worth making the change. The earlier start date will allow us to complete the first semester of the school year at the December Holiday Break and end the school year on May 27, 2021. This schedule aligns better with the schedules of many of our higher education partners for our students who are taking advantage of dual enrollment opportunities and the Livingston County Early College program. It also aligns better with our various required assessments. Elementary and middle school students will end the school year shortly after M-STEP testing, high school students will conclude the school year shortly after AP testing and before the June SAT administration date. Next year, high school and middle school orientations will be held during the week of August 10, which is the same week that it has been held the past two years. Our elementary school open houses will be held on Monday, August 17, 2020, for grades first through fifth and on Tuesday, August 18, 2020, for Begindergarten and Kindergarten. The full 2020-2021 school year calendar can be viewed by clicking here.

State Budget Process

This year the budget process has been a little bit like watching last week's Lions game - a slow start, some excitement in the middle, and a lot of anxiety as we enter the 4th quarter, and possibly overtime. 

When the state budget is not approved before June 30, it makes budgeting in school districts very difficult. For some background, a board of education in a school district is required by law to pass a budget each year by June 30. While the district budget can be complicated, two of the biggest revenue factors are student enrollment and the per-pupil foundation. In turn, absent a state budget, we are left to develop a budget with some very large assumptions. For example, will the state increase or decrease the per-pupil foundation? How much? Inaccurate assumptions can make for very large swings in a district's budget. 

This week the Conference Committee reported out HB 4242, the School Aid Budget. The bill includes an increase for schools, but it did not include a weighted funding formula as referenced by the School Finance Research Collaborative. Further, the presented budget shifts $150 million away from higher education back to the classroom but falls far short of removing higher education and community college funding from the School Aid Fund completely. This was a shift made several years ago that continues to divert funds from K-12 schools. The budget increases come mostly from this shift of higher education funding and from redirecting online sales tax collections back to schools.

A Conference Report cannot be amended on the floor, so this is the document that legislators are expected to vote on next week. Unless negotiations resume between the House, Senate, and the Governor, this is presumed to be the budget that will be sent to Governor Whitmer for consideration. I am hoping for a little more clarity on her position by the end of the day today.

Opening Day

I enjoyed the student performances, testimonials and learning alongside all of you during the opening week. I have received some follow up questions from some staff. In response, the slides from my opening remarks can be accessed by clicking here. Also, I used Poll Everywhere as the tool to do the audience participation activities. There’s a limit (of 25) to the number of participants for a free account.

SMS Text Messaging is Coming to HPS

We are in the process of adding SMS text messaging to our mass communication system (think snow day calls). This will not replace the emails or calls that we send but will enhance them and provide another method of sharing important information to our staff and families. In order to receive these messages, we need to have your cell phone number on file. Please complete the Notification System Contact Information form at http://bit.ly/2kvZZs5. Even if you already receive our calls on your cell phone, please complete this form. You will also need to opt-in to receive messages. To opt-in, please text “Y” to 67587. You will receive a reply that states, “You’re registered 4 SchoolMessenger notifications.” We will not begin using this service until Thursday, October 31, 2019, so you will not receive any further text messages until after that date.

MacGregor's Message

Beginning this afternoon, all staff members will be receiving a copy of my bi-weekly parent e-newsletter MacGregor’s Message. I know some of you already receive this since you have students in the district. I am including staff so that you are aware of the various updates that your students’ families are receiving. Many times, this is the same information that I share in #HighlanderNation and that principals share in their weekly staff emails, just with a parent lens on it.  

Staff Perception Survey Results

Thank you to everyone who took the time to take the Staff Perception Survey last spring. The results of the survey help us determine progress on goals as well as to focus on future areas of improvement. The results of the 2018/19 survey can be viewed by clicking here. 

Julianna's Wishes 5/10K

On Saturday, September 28 Julianna's Wishes, a 501c3 non-profit charity that was created in honor of Julianna Ward-Brown, a Howell High School student who passed away, will hold its second annual Miles for Smiles 5/10K run/walk. The Miles for Smiles event is to celebrate and honor the lives of children that we have lost too soon. The proceeds from the event will support scholarships for Howell High School seniors and help fund a Celebration of Life Memorial Garden at the Howell Carnegie Library. To learn more about the event or to register, please visit http://bit.ly/2k5Morc.

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