By Crystal Hayduk
The Chelsea School District Board of Education heard three special presentations at its meeting on May 8 at South Meadows Elementary School.
South Meadows Principal Stacie Battaglia provided a short presentation about the “Positively South” theme, which encourages students to exhibit respect, responsibility, and safety through working collaboratively with the community. She said the school’s teachers are reading and discussing the book “Mindset: The New Psychology of Success” by Carol Dweck.
Dana McClellan of Kingscott updated the board on plans for “transforming the Beach Middle School (BMS) media center into a student-friendly space.” She described collaborative areas with flat screen panels and lighter-weight furniture, along with reusing the current shelving system to stay within the $45,000 budget.
Beach Principal Nick Angel said that an innovation team had visited numerous other schools and researched how to “…remove burdens and barriers to student learning and facilitate collaborative group learning.”
Assistant Principal Matt Ceo said that the main focus for the 21st century learner is “…to work positively and effectively with each other in groups.”
Board Member Dana Durst said that she had learned about future updates to the space while visiting Beach and was pleased with the plans. “The media center still looks similar to when I attended school there, so this [update] is exciting,” she said.
Marcus Kaemming, executive director of instruction, curriculum and human resources, described new and updated curriculum needs for the 2017-18 school year, which includes the Young Fives program, life management, and science. The board is expected to vote on the recommendations at the next meeting.
In other board news:
Families with students who participate in sports should save the date for the district’s annual Sports Physical Day. Physical examinations will be offered at Chelsea High School (CHS) on June 22 from 9 to 11 a.m. in partnership with Henry Ford Allegiance Health. The cost will be $30.
The form and more information are available at http://www.chelseabulldogs.net/sports-physicals.html.
The board approved the purchase of iPads and computers recommended by the North Creek technology review process for a total cost of $214,864.57. The majority will be paid for from the technology bond, but $1,559 is from the Furniture, Fixtures, and Equipment Fund. The board also approved the purchase of math resources for the honors pre-calculus course, at a cost of $4,875.
The board approved hiring David Slusser as a social studies teacher at BMS. He had been hired last fall as a 0.33 social studies teacher at Chelsea High School, and also served as a paraprofessional at BMS.
During the opportunity for public input, two candidates for the upcoming Washtenaw Intermediate School District (WISD) board election introduced themselves: Steve Olsen of Chelsea and Mary Jo Callan of Ypsilanti. Both candidates said that the west side of the county needs a voice on the WISD board. There are three candidates running for the two open seats, with the election to be held on June 5. School board representatives cast the votes for the WISD board.
Student liaison Carly Critchfield expressed gratitude to Principal Mike Kapolka and the community for support and help with the Alumni Arbor. She also thanked the CHS maintenance crew for assisting with the planting, specifically Rob McDowell, Tom Clemons, and Rich Seyfried.
Upcoming dates:
The next school board meeting will be at 6:30 p.m. on May 22 at the Washington Street Education Center.
There will be no school on May 29 in observance of Memorial Day.
