Amidst the swirling flakes of a winter storm and with threats of a February white out, Jenison community members packed the house for their 5th Annual Pink Out!

Superintendent TomTenBrink formally opened the festivities with words of hope:

“Cancer is a six letter word that evokes denial, disbelief, questioning, and anger. And if you’ve ever received this diagnosis, you know these feelings all too well.

…And even though we’ve lost two very special ladies from our community, Brenda Huyser and Lori Stabile, we’re not here to memorialize them. We’re here to celebrate life. We’re here to honor the taken, to encourage those fighting the battle right now, and to continue fighting for a cure!”

With the help of JHS winter athletes bearing pink and white flags, seven Jenison women were chaperoned into the gymnasium in honor of their battle against that “six letter word.” Accompanied by loved ones, the women shared their stories personally or had them read aloud on their behalf.

“If you had told me a year ago that I’d be standing here talking about breast cancer, I would not have believed you. Last August I had my mammogram; an hour and a half later I received a phone call saying I needed a biopsy, and six days later I had a diagnosis. I had breast cancer,” Mary Visser opened.

“But the miracle of my story is that the encologist caught it at 0.05 cm in diameter — that’s equivalent to a grain of salt! The Jenison community was with me through it all. The meals, cards, prayers, and Patty Diekevers‘ monster cookies were medicine to my soul.”

Mary Visser shares her breast cancer story.

Mary’s message of early detection paired perfectly with the presence of the Betty Ford Mobile Mammogram offering affordable services just outside the high school doors. This theme resounded through the night, underscoring the need for self-examinations, mammograms, and timely doctor’s visits, and early treatment.

The Jenison community has always rallied around its own, giving generously at Thanksgiving and Christmas and beyond. How fortunate that our Pink Out game is no different: we are pleased to announce that over the past five years, over $50,000 has been raised to help support families right here in our zip code who are struggling under the weight of oppressive medical bills.

Courtney DeWent spoke on behalf of her mother Tracy DeWent who was recently diagnosed with the disease. Her words captured the feelings of so many women who have walked this road before her:

“Thank you to everyone for all the prayers and for everything you’ve done for us. People we don’t even know have encouraged us. We’re so lucky to be a part of a community like Jenison!”

Thank you to all who came out in support of the Pink Out! Together, we are Jenison!

The Jenison High School Dance Team performs to Rascal Flatts “I Won’t Let Go” in honor of those with cancer and those who walk the road with them.

Last week, a team of five Chinese teachers were welcomed in grand, white Michigan winter style, to the halls and classrooms of Sandy Hill and Bauerwood Elementary Schools. For eight days, these teachers were invited to participate fully in the learning opportunities that Jenison Public School students enjoy each day they walk through our doors.

In cooperation with JIA Director Rebekah Redmer, Bauerwood Principal Crystal Morse, and a team of others, this group of eager professionals observed and taught Jenison students in preparation for a possible partnership between their Beijing school and ours.

“We’re exposing our students to new cultures, giving them a greater global perspective and increasing their understanding of diversity. The kids have been so conscientious while our guests have been here. We’ve seen a greater amount of citizenship because they know that they’re not just representing JPS, but the United States of America! They’re demonstrating a lot of respect for our Chinese friends…it’s been wonderful to see,” said Mrs. Redmer.

Mrs. Redmer first met these Chinese teachers last June when she, Superintendent TenBrink, and a handful of others first traveled overseas. This initial visit was followed by a second trip later in the summer which gave a team of JPS teachers the opportunity to lesson plan, teach, and interact with Chinese students in their environment.

Bauerwood kids learning taekwondo in gym.

Mrs. Morse recalls a very different learning atmosphere in the Chinese schools than what our children experience:

“In China the teachers do not collaborate or work in partnerships, so for them, seeing how we “do school” is very different. They’re learning new systems and methodologies by watching our teachers prepare lessons and differentiate their instruction. 

Chinese teachers in each grade level are instructed (by the government) to teach from the same page on the same day. So for example, if you teach 4th grade, all the 4th grade teachers must be on page 89 together, regardless of the needs of their classes. They typically don’t know the names of their students, either, and instead just point to individuals who want to answer a question. There is a high suicide rate because of the pressure put on children to perform and succeed.”

Mrs. Jun (pictured right) is a teacher determined to change the atmosphere of Chinese schools. Her sweet demeanor and kind smile are hints at the heart she has for children. During the time she spent with JPS host families in Michigan, she and the others enjoyed home cooking, a trip to the symphony, ice skating at Rosa Parks Circle, and more.

“I’ve loved the atmosphere here. People here are very kind and helpful. It is very easy-going. In China it is very serious. We have many more examinations. Children here are happier. They learn abilities and skills — not just bits of information,” Mrs. Jun reflected.

Because many Chinese parents are noticing the same, there is currently a big push to internationalize schools. That’s where JIA comes in: we believe that our schools possess the level of excellence demanded by the Chinese, and in today’s world of information technology, we have a way to bring our expertise to their doorsteps.

Just as importantly, we also believe that the way we seek to capture kids’ hearts each day can revolutionize the classroom experience of Chinese students who are waiting to be transformed by the efforts of personalized education.

We’re excited to see what the future holds!

View from the Jenison Junior High parking lot.

With room for 1,200 seats, hundreds of students, and millions of dreams, the Jenison Fine Arts Center is taking shape despite the roller coaster weather we’ve experienced during the past month, in particular.

“The construction crew has been working diligently through the difficult winter months on the inside of the facility to maintain the schedule.  The team has kept the project on schedule for the grand opening performances in December 2013,” said Owner Rep for the project, Bill Culhane.

With a stage “uniquely designed with the flexibility to convert from a theater to a music hall,” the performance area remains the “heart” of the facility. However, there is much more to look forward to!

The venue will offer a ”Black Box” small performance area, dressing rooms, scene shop, student art gallery, and conference room. It will additionally provide a home for Jenison’s district administrative offices.

“Jenison’s new Performing Arts Center will provide the students at Jenison Public Schools with a world class performance venue to display the hard work and dedication they put into their craft,” said Mr. Culhane.

We look forward to many years of stellar student performances within these new walls! And as always, we thank the community for continuing to value the arts in Jenison.

Future administrative offices

Entry area getting tooled under a welder’s torch.

Future performance seating area.

Future conference room

Our choirs will raise the rafters!

Securing stairwells.

Where will you be sitting next Christmas?

Working rain, shine…or snow storm!

How long would it take you to make a bridge out of straws? And, upon finishing, could your product sustain the weight of a blackboard eraser? Or two?

Those were the questions filling the hallways of Bursley Elementary during their pre-Spring Break Family Science Night. Planned by Grand Valley State University students training to become teachers, each activity found its roots in or was adapted from Science Olympiad events.

Eliana Nichols, mom to 2nd grader Mackenzie (pictured above), enjoyed the evening and appreciated the learning that her daughter was able to do after school.

“My daughter has been talking about this for two weeks! She loves experiments and watching Myth Busters on TV — she’s a science nut!”

The Sanchez family stayed busy at the Cat-a-Pult station.

Activities included a sink or float experiment, reflection relay, barge building, working with magnets, creating paper rockets, and firing “Cat-a-Pults” as pictured above. The Sanchez family enjoyed launching plastic cats at the Cat-a-Pult firing range. Mother Heather was thrilled to have a night out that incorporated learning.

“It’s great to have something interesting and educational to do. We don’t have a lot of science stuff at home, per se, so nights like this are fantastic.”

Nights “like this” began in the mind of GVSU Associate Professor of Physics, Keith Oliver, in an effort to get his education students into real-world teaching situations sooner than they typically would in their program.

“Three years ago we were looking for an opportunity for our students to interact with elementary children before getting to the end of their program. Typically field placements come later on, but this gives our prospective teachers an opportunity early on. So now we plan roughly two Family Science Nights per semester!”

Principal Rané Garcia couldn’t have been more pleased with the effort put forth by Grand Valley’s team of students or the turnout of Bursley families who came to participate in the fun.

“I appreciate the opportunity to work with future teachers — its a win for the GVSU students, a win for the community, and a win for our students!”

How many pennies does it take to sink a tin foil boat?

Rachel Eriks and daughter Erin see how far they can blow a paper airplane from a straw launcher.

(L to R) Language Arts teachers Alana Kooi and Deb VanDuinen

For the past several years, Jenison Junior High Language Arts teachers Alana Kooi and Deb VanDuinen have been focused on a single goal: improving Language Arts instruction for their students and empowering other educators across the state and nation to do the same.

Together they have studied research related to how students learn to read and write, have poured over methodologies, and have applied new instructional techniques in their classrooms. Not afraid to ask hard questions, they have challenged traditional perspectives in favor of approaches that have been proven with data.

Because of their determination to excel, Mrs. Kooi and Mrs. VanDuinen have emerged as leaders in their field, recently receiving certification as consultants with the National Writing Project. They have additionally been awarded a grant in “Leadership and Learning” from the NEA and have completed work with the Lake Michigan Writing Project. 

Working as a team, this duo has presented at numerous conferences and conducted countless workshops to train their colleagues and help them develop a “deeper understanding of how students develop as learners…and use research-driven best practices in the classroom.”

Aside from working locally with West Michigan districts as the Ottawa Area Intermediate School District, Mrs. Kooi and Mrs. VanDuinen have also presented at the Michigan Council of Teachers of English conference (MCTE).

“We’ve been privileged to work closely with teachers in several districts in the area over extended time — it’s exciting to build these relationships and see their enthusiasm about teaching writing!” they said.

Both women say the most important part of their work is the personal growth they’ve experienced along the way. Being well-read and aware of current developments in research gives them the tools needed to individualize their instruction and offer “specific moves” for their students to use in their writing. This also lays the foundation for stronger writers who are able to work more independently in a workshop-style classroom format.

This summer the team will be serving as facilitators for the Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators (MAISA). During the conference, Mrs. Kooi and Mrs. VanDuinen will be part of a team tasked with the enormous undertaking of aligning all of Michigan’s K-12 classrooms with the Common Core standards. They hope to achieve this with a student-centered approach to reading and writing.

“We thoroughly enjoy this work! It has changed how we see teaching and learning, and provided opportunities to work with other professionals on the cutting edge of education.”

Please join us in applauding Mrs. Van Duinen and Mrs. Kooi for modeling life-long learning and for their commitment to excellence in the classroom!

While some might balk at the idea of casting, costuming, and producing an entire play in just one week, the Missoula Children’s Theatre has learned to make it look as easy as a Sunday picnic in July.

With Tour Actors and Directors Mr. Preston-Joseph Woods and Ms. Taylor Peters overseeing every aspect of the production, one hundred and nineteen students from kindergarten to 12th grade tried out for the honor of participating in the late April rendition of Hansel & Gretel.

Tour Actor/Director Preston-Joseph Woods (on right) has been with the Missoula Children’s Theatre for one year.

Thank you to Paul DeBoode & Al DeVol for taking this week’s photos!

Four hours of auditions trimmed the pack of student hopefuls to just fifty, and soon practices stretched through the after- school hours and into the evenings. With song, movement, and hand motions to be mastered, “new campers” and “nasties” prepared for their woodland run-in with the candy-house-dwelling witch. (The adaptation of this 1812 Brother’s Grimm tale expands on the traditional story in order to allow for a greater number of students to participate).

While one might assume that lack of time would be the most difficult aspect of this kind of production Preston-Joseph shares that it is actually the challenge of learning names, working with, and building relationships with a new group of kids each week.

“Every week you get kids with new personalities, likes, and dislikes, and it’s up to you to make the show enjoyable for them… I really like this aspect of the job because by the end of the week you have made a connection through theatre that lasts a lifetime,” said Preston-Joseph.

“Honestly, kids are quite amazing in what they can do with such a small amount of time, and we are so used to only having a week to get the show together that time is really not in issue for me anymore. I think the biggest challenge of only having a week can sometimes be getting the cast to realize that they can do it!” added Taylor.

Jenison is blessed with a robust theatre community that values the arts, and our guests felt that warm reception immediately, making their job all the more enjoyable and meaningful.

“Jenison is a shining example of how theatre is good for kids. It also teaches them so much. Things like ACT and great directors (Todd Avery and Karen Weaver) really help kids realize just how much you can do with creative minds,” said Preston-Joseph.

Taylor adds, “I love the confidence that we are able to help kids find in themselves. We come into a town with no prejudices against any kid, we don’t know their history and we therefore have every confidence in them to be able to do what we ask them to do.

…For the most part, when a kid realizes that you have confidence in them, they get confidence in themselves and realize not only that they can do it, but that they are actually very good at it, and are totally capable of doing incredible things in just one week. And if they’re capable of that, what else are they capable of that they haven’t tried yet?” 

“Theatre teaches us to open our eyes and really see who we are as a person and what we have to offer to the world. That is why theatre is important to me and why I think it’s especially important for the young,” explained Preston-Joseph.

We offer our sincere thanks to Preston-Joseph and Taylor for the creative leadership they provided our young actors; we also express our gratitude to Mr. Avery and Mrs. Weaver for the support they offered to the Missoula Children’s Theatre. Working together, they found magical ways to inspire young minds with the arts.

If you wish to order your own photos of this special night, please visit www.pauldeboode.com and click on “gallery”.

It may have been the bananas and apples that got them going after school, but it was certainly the encouragement they received from Principal Rachael Postle-Brown that kept them moving forward. That’s because these students are staying after school with a goal: to increase reading fluency and mathematical know-how. And they’re doing it with the help of dedicated volunteers from  Grand Valley State University, parents, and their principal.

Pinewood Elementary School’s math and reading support groups offer the additional academic practice some students need to hone skills and solidify new concepts. They explore strategies covered in class but approach them in new ways to increase their staying power. Using dice to conceptualize mixed numbers and working with number cubes to reinforce the significance of numerators and denominators were just two of the activities planned for this session.

Principal Rachael Postel-Brown works with math students after-school.

While students whose learning styles are more tactical and hands-on appreciate the a more creative take on math, Mrs. Postel-Brown says it’s not just the techniques employed that help make the math stick — it’s the fact that parents are involved in supporting the process.

“Our parents are fantastic and so encouraging! We do our best to keep the lines of communication open and work together.”

The other component of the academic after-school program is focused on reading fluency. Mark Boersma, a Master’s Student at GVSU, uses the Read Naturally curriculum to help strengthen comprehension and reinforce the use of expression in reading.

“I’ve noticed a definite change,” Mr. Boersma says. “Right now we’re working on writing summary responses and are focusing on punctuation, capitalization, and spelling. We’re monitoring their progress, and by using a lot of repetition and reading interesting stories, we’re making advances.” 

Mr. Boersma works with a student on reading fluency.

Over in the Pinewood gym, Dee Perry is providing care and individualized attention to kids in the before- and after-school program.  Affectionately called “Mrs. D” by her students, this beloved woman spends her energies not on academics (although they do read many books!), but on  childcare.

With hours of care from 6:45- 9 in the morning and again from 3:45 – 6 after school, Mrs. Perry has spent the last decade loving kids by providing them with a quiet reading space, help with homework, a snack to munch on, and playtime right at Pinewood Elementary. Currently there are forty-two students registered and thirty-eight actively attending. “Mrs. D” says she can’t wait to be with her group each and every day; they have truly become “her kids.”

“I just love interacting with and working with the kids! They make me laugh. I love seeing them grow and advance as people. It’s a great job!”

We applaud the dedicated time and effort that these adults invest in the lives of our students! They are indeed helping to shape our future!

If you thought that brackets and championships were just for March Madness, you’d be wrong. Because while Mr. Zamborsky and Mr. Scott didn’t shoot hoops for these awards, the stakes and the honor that go along with them are just as high, and the applause from the crowd is just as loud.

We are thrilled to share that earlier this month, both Orchestra teacher Dan Scott and Band teacher Dave Zamborsky received word that they had been nominated by their peers and elected as District 10 Michigan School Band and Orchestra Association (MSBOA) Teachers of the Year! 

There are sixteen MSBOA districts in the State of Michigan, and Jenison lands in district 10 which is comprised of roughly 150-200 schools spanning from Northern Allegan to Lowell.

To draw a comparison between music education and athletics, these districts could be thought of as the OK Conferences for music. One distinguishing factor in this situation, however, is that our directors were identified as outstanding by their peers, and voted on to win Teachers of the Year.

“For me, that’s what means the most. I’m really flattered to have been chosen by my colleagues,” said Mr. Scott.

“Winning these accolades speaks volumes about the reputation of Jenison’s program,” added Mr. Zamborsky.

Pushing the significance of this honor to greater heights is the fact that no two teachers from the same school have ever won before! In fact, there are some districts in Michigan (typically the smaller ones) that vote only to honor either one band or one orchestra teacher, but not both.

This year changed everything when the MSBOA members voted to recognize the work of both a band and an orchestra instructor – and both from the same high school. This has never happened before!

“This award really highlights the well-roundedness of our entire program, both in band and in orchestra,” noted Mr. Zamborsky.

Moving forward, winners from all sixteen districts will go to the “state finals” on June 3, where three finalists from each category will be chosen to be presented to the MSBOA membership in the fall. Then, from December 2013 to January 2014, these same members will vote on one orchestra and one band teacher to be recognized –not just as superior in their district – but as exemplary in the state.  Results of the final voting will be made public on January 14, 2014.

If Mr. Zamborsky and Mr. Scott earn this recognition from their peers, they will have the opportunity to conduct the All-State Honors Band and Orchestra at the Michigan Youth Arts Festival in May 2014.

Please join me in congratulating these men on this unprecedented achievement! We are so lucky to have them both leading Jenison’s music program!

Four years ago, ACT students had no idea that their paper peddling would have the potential to change lives and provide warm homes for folks they had never met.

But it was four years ago when Mrs. Karen Weaver’s ACT program moved to Pinewood Elementary School and she was introduced to Blake Watson, a Pinewood Parent who was also a manager at NuWool. Over the course of conversation, the NuWool partnership was born, inviting students to collect unwanted phone books to be donated, shred, and converted into cellulose insulation. Since the project’s inception, ACT donations have also been dedicated for use as insulation in Habitat for Humanity homes.

6th grade ACT students

“Green” since 1949, NuWool is committed to helping homeowners lower their energy bills or work toward LEED certification. They note that insulation made from 100% recycled paper (enter ACT phone books) is manufactured using much less energy than what is needed to make fiberglass insulation — at least ten times less!

These principals of environmental stewardship that govern Jenison’s ACT class are are pillars for Karen Weaver personally, making this project a standout for her and her students alike.

“Our main goal at the time was to keep the books out of the landfill and give them a second life as cellulose insulation.  Then, two years ago, we decided to collect and donate the books for insulation for Habitat Homes. The HUGE collections continued, in spite of the books getting smaller…

…We were always particularly proud of this project, since NuWool is a LOCAL green industry–turning trash into product.  It is located in our neighborhood and employs our parents.  All concepts we endorse,” said Mrs. Weaver.

3rd grade ACT students

This year, NuWool marketer Trisha Henderson perked up with an awesome community tie-in idea: why not use JPS-donated books to create acoustical tiles for our new Fine Arts Center?

In partnership with its sister company, Cellulose Material Solutions, LLC, NuWool helped to manufacture innovative cellulose batts from the recycled phone books. Sold under the name ECOCELL (see photo below), these batts have superior thermal and acoustical properties, making them perfect for concert halls.

Because of their unique properties, dozens of cellulose batts (made from our recycled phone books) will be installed in Jenison’s new Performing Arts Center! They will be suspended like sound absorbing “clouds” in the performance hall as well as installed into adjoining office walls.

[L to R} Jenna Boelkins, Andrew Ferguson, Tom TenBrink, Karen Weaver, Rachael Lyon.

“The phone book drive is a true testament of how recovering waste locally can lead to new products made locally, then installed and used locally in a sustainable facility,” said Ms. Henderson.

CMS employee works on the new acoustic “batts” to be installed in Jenison’s Fine Arts Center.

“Who knew that when our ACT students started recycling phone books years ago that they would some day be used to help insulate our brand new Performing Arts Center! It is exciting to know that the Nu-Wool insulation that is being used throughout our new building is a byproduct of the efforts of our past and present ACT students. What a great story,” commented Tom TenBrink.

Students at Pinewood Elementary collected over 9,000 pounds of phone books this year alone!

We applaud their diligent care of our planet and the way they have ensured that others’ trash … becomes Jenison’s treasure. Bravo!

As if to offer a glimpse of their bright futures, the rain held off nearly completely last week Thursday, allowing the sun to poke through and deliver a gorgeous night for our 2013 graduates.

With a packed stadium filling the evening with applause, over 350 Jenison High School students filed solemnly past moms and dads and grandparents and onto center field for the last time. It was their moment to shine.

Superintendent Tom TenBrink began the evening with a gracious welcome and a reminder of how blessed our students are to attend a school as accomplished as Jenison, with teachers who care deeply, and with parents who are involved and supportive. He went on to outline the notable feats that Jenison has come to be known for, including:

• 13th best high school in the State of Michigan by US News & World Report
• Newsweek’s list of “Best High Schools in America” (only about 6% of all U.S. schools make this list)
• Grand Rapids Magazine’s 3rd best high school in West Michigan (although Mr. TenBrink argues we should be #1!)

Mr. TenBrink went on to encourage all of the graduates to pursue servant leadership in their lives — to think of others and to do more for them than you would for yourself. He admonished them to consider the words of so many great leaders and thinkers of our time, from Ghandi to Martin Luther King Jr., and live in such a way that elevates others while offering love and encouragement over selfish ambition and conceit.

Jenison High School Principal, Dr. Brandon Graham, was moved at the thought of these students beginning a new chapter, and chose to read selections from the children’s picture book, I’ll Love You Forever. He added his own take on the familiar classic with these words:

“I’ll love you forever, I’ll like you for always, as long as you’re living, a Wildcat you’ll be!“

Aside from these emotional words, he shared thoughts on living a disciplined life going forward:

“You can walk away from this high school knowing that you’ve cemented your legacy.  …But know there is always a price to be paid to be great, and it starts with doing what needs to be done, when it needs to be done. If you can keep your eyes fixed on your goals and say no to the quick fix and the easy road, you’ll reap the rewards of discipline.”

Dr. Brandon Graham welcoming Valedictorian Don Lee to the stadium. Don will be heading to Stanford University in the fall to study computer science.

This group of graduates has certainly shown discipline and determination thus far, securing over $2.3 million in college scholarships collectively! Their hard work has garnered the attention of many in our community and across our great state. Please join me in celebrating our 2013 graduates and the future that lies ahead for each of them!

We wish them the best of luck, more sunshine than rain, and the discipline to follow their dreams.

This summer we are privileged to share the thoughts from Jenison families who stand as our most devoted and eager advocates. Please join us each week as we hear from parents with students of all ages.

This week we are honored to hear Rob and Leigh Ann Arnold’s story. They have two children currently enrolled in school: Bailey Arnold in 11^th grade and Taylor Arnold in 9^th grade.  Now, in their own words:

“The girls started attending Jenison at the beginning of the 2011 school year.  We moved from a local private school because we wanted a slightly bigger school for our girls with more opportunities in both academics and athletics.

We have loved how friendly everyone has been.  We really feel like it has a “small” school feel even though it is not as small as our private school.  We have been very impressed with the teachers at both the junior high and high school.   When we went to conferences they really knew our children and had a good vibe on where they were at.   We were not sure we would get this at a little bit bigger school but we have gotten that and more.

While at JPS our children have really developed into leaders.  They are go-getters, have taken honors classes and will be taking AP classes this fall.  Their teachers have instilled confidence in them and they are pursuing things they may otherwise have not.  This spring Bailey ran for class representative and Taylor was accepted into honors English. She additionally just finished her application for AP history.

To identify a teacher or  group of people who went the extra mile is very difficult because there have been so many.  The girls swim and play water polo and the swimming community has been wonderful!  Caroline Clement made the transition easier for us in letting us know if we ever had questions about anything to let her know and she would help. She also asked me several times throughout our first year how their adjustment was going– and this lady is crazy busy, so I was very impressed!

In the junior high Taylor’s English teacher was Mrs. Kooi and Taylor loved her!  Taylor never cared much for reading before and now she loves it and will be taking honors English.  Thank you Mrs. Kooi! 

At the high school we have loved so many teachers but I am going to mention Abram Brosseit because he was Bailey’s history teacher during her first year at Jenison and he had a great way of letting her know, and I am sure all the students, how much potential she had and making her feel like she had been at Jenison for years!  Thank you Mr. Brosseit! 

One last thing I would like to add is that the students who have grown up at Jenison welcomed our girls with open arms!  They don’t seem like outsiders at all, what more could we ask for!”

This summer we are privileged to share the thoughts from Jenison families who stand as our most devoted and eager advocates. Please join us each week as we hear from parents with students of all ages.

This week are privileged to hear from Tanya & Mike Stoll.

The Stolls have three children who have graduated from Jenison: Megan (2008), Cory (2010), and Paige (2013). Here is their Wildcat story:

We started attending Jenison in the Fall of 2002 after moving to West Michigan from Saginaw. We toured several buildings in Grandville Public Schools as well as JPS buildings. We chose JPS because we felt like it was the best fit for all 3 kids in 3 different areas:  academics, athletics and overall size.

Academics was most important, of course, and we felt the curriculum was strong across the board. The new athletic facilities had just been approved at that point, and that was a huge bonus for a family involved in many sports, like ours. Lastly, coming from a small parochial school, we preferred Jenison’s size to the larger schools in neighboring districts.

During out time in Jenison, the one thing that stood out time and time again was the staff. They genuinely care about the student’s education and well-being. I have seen our children grow in more aspects than I can count thanks to the input of caring teachers, administrators, and coaches who took the time to really get to know our kids and impact them for good. They’ve taught them more lessons and made more connections than I’m able to recount or share, but they’re hidden in my children forever.

After we moved in and were transitioning to a new community, we felt welcomed by all. We connected right away with teachers, administration, coaches and families in Jenison. We have many special memories and will be forever grateful for the education our children received as Jenison Wildcats.

Our family moved to Jenison from Farmington Hills, MI in July, 2013.   We have three children; Courtney (college freshman), Andrea (high school junior), and Brett (8th grade).  Andrea and Brett will be attending Jenison schools this fall.

Our journey to Jenison started in February as Dan accepted a position at SAF-Holland located in Holland.  Before we started house hunting, we reached out to some friends that live in west Michigan for recommendations on schools and communities in the area.  We wanted our kids to be part of the selection process, so the whole family spent a few days touring schools and communities.

At Jenison Senior High School, Dr. Graham spent an afternoon providing us information about the school and the community.  Andrea was in the color guard and played varsity softball at her previous school, so we were introduced to the band directors and the softball coach during our visit.   Since Brett plays hockey, we were introduced to the  athletic director and attended the high school hockey game that evening so that we could see the hockey team in action.  We also toured the school, met some students and teachers, and spent a little time observing some classes.

We chose Jenison Schools because they have strong academics, use of technology in the classroom, a positive environment, and they have the extra-curricular activities in which our children want to be involved.  Most of all, we felt very welcomed by the staff and students at Jenison.  We  would like to thank Lorri Gierman for helping us navigate the Jenison school boundaries; David Zamborsky, Mike York, and Jamie Oakley for making Andrea feel welcome during summer marching band rehearsals; the Walczewski family for being Andrea’s host family during the June rehearsals; Kari Kossen and Moni Marlink for keeping us in the loop for softball; and Dr. Graham for answering all of our questions and tailoring our visit to meet the interests of our kids.

We look forward to being part of the Jenison community and the start of the new school year.

Sincerely,

Dan and Anne-Marie Batten

We aren’t switching. We are adding another type of device to our supply of devices available for student learning. With the addition of Chromebooks, we will now be able to offer our K-6 students three different devices to use: iPads, Chromebooks, and MacBook Pros. At the high school, we continue to offer Windows computers too. We are not abandoning the use of Mac computers. We have over 300 Macs for staff use and over 800 Macs available throughout the district for student use.

Our elementary schools have used Discovery Assessment resources as well. The assessment program does a terrific job of providing roadmaps to learning for students. The program is diagnostic and prescriptive, meaning that it shows a students weaknesses AND provides resources that can help a student strengthen those learning areas. In other words, the assessment tells you where students are weak and provides a way to strengthen those specific weak areas.  That is targeted, individualized learning.

This year, the district has adopted the Discovery Science Techbook for our elementary science curriculum. The highly rated Science Techbook is an engaging interactive science curriculum that is built to take advantage of computers, tablets and other mobile technology. Each of the devices we are providing for student use can be used to work with the Science Techbook.

I have been fortunate to work closely with Discovery Education over the last four years as we have increased our use of Discovery products. For each of the past four summers, I have been selected to attend the Discovery Educator Network Summer Institute. This is a weeklong gathering of over 125 Discovery using educators from across the world. During the institute, we work together to develop ways to better use Discovery resources in our districts. That terrific experience helps me to do a better job of supporting our teachers and students when they are using Discovery services.

It’s football season again, and that means at least one thing: area news teams are busy covering high school games around Grand Rapids. This coverage is exciting not only because it gives our kids a chance to show the community their best moments, but also because it provides a captive audience to our new commercial about Jenison.

As we did last year, JPS has partnered with FOX 17 News to craft this commercial which will air throughout the fall during the 10 pm news. Dr. Brandon Graham, principal of Jenison High School, had this to say:

“We’re just trying to show our community the outstanding things that Jenison High School kids are doing. We offer a lot of amazing opportunities and we want more people to know about what options are out their for their own children, especially in an atmosphere that opens the door for schools of choice.”

For 5th graders dreaming of playing the cello like Yo-Yo Ma or the violin like a Juilliard graduate, the annual fall orchestra sign-ups are the first step down a path that is limited only by their will to succeed.

While Jenison 6th graders are eligible for band and have their own fitting and instrument pairing evening, the opportunity to play in the Wildcat orchestra begins in 5th grade with an instrument rental and fitting in the junior high.

But orchestra teacher Carol Johnson explains that the journey to a music career actually begins at the end of 4th grade when she travels to each school with a selection of stringed instruments for the kids to hear and touch. Because this occurs right before summer vacation, students are given time to consider which instrument — if any — they’d like to play.

By the time September rolls around, those same students have begun 5th grade and have reached a decision with the help of their parents. They enter the cafeteria on a mission to find the best fit — and perhaps the best price — for their rental.

This year, three area rental companies were on-site for families to get acquainted with: Aaron’s Instruments, Baroque Violin Shop and Marshall Music Co. Having rental companies come to the school is just one way that the Jenison Music Program strives to support busy families and make it easier to consider trying something new.

Aaron Reiley, of Aaron’s Instruments, says that they started participating in this event five years ago.

“We originally came to JPS because they have a great orchestra program. I’ve known Dan (Scott) for a long time and it was a big factor in our decision to get on board. In fact, our family decided to move to Jenison for that reason! Once we saw the music program we wanted to work with JPS.”

Families and students present for the event were helped by volunteers directing traffic and answering questions. They were also excited for the chance to take home their very own instrument. Ella Uganski, a 5th grader picking up her own violin had this to say:

“I chose the violin because it sounds the best and it looks the most fun to do. I thought about the viola for a couple of minutes, but then I changed my mind. I’m really excited,” Ella said, beaming ear to ear.

Students like Ella will benefit from the early and consistent teaching that Jenison offers. She and her orchestra classmates will receive one afternoon of instruction in her own elementary building (45 minute class) and will also make a personal commitment to travel to the junior high two additional times per week before school. This kind of approach means that kids will play their first song on the first day of class — and be ready to perform a holiday concert by December!

Mrs. Johnson is looking forward to a new group of musicians, as well as the prospect of concerts in Jenison’s new Fine Arts Center.

How about you? Is your student in the orchestra? What do they love most about it? Leave a comment and tell us your story!

When Jenison Junior High School eighth graders opened the door on a new year of science at the junior high, they weren’t expecting to design cars with minty wheels powered with balloons. But that kind of hands-on learning comes standard for lessons in Mrs. Molenkamp’s classroom.

After a summer of relaxing and experiencing the inertia of bodies jumping into water, Mrs. Molenkamp says that beginning the year with an activity like this gets kids to think like scientists again. It helps them get back into the swing of working in groups and problem solving with new classmates in new settings.

“We pick an activity so they’re laughing and creating and getting to know their neighbors at the same time. That’s why we build cars right away–to get them involved and reinforce the message that science is fun,” said Mrs. Molenkamp.

Last year eighth graders also made balloon rockets and Cheerio shooters to encourage problem solving and design elements that are reminiscent of engineering. Jonathan Busard (8th grader), agreed:

“This is so fun! I want to be an engineer someday so this is the best activity for me! I really liked having to problem solve and reevaluate our design. Our first attempt to race our car was a total failure, but we kept going until we had a car that would actually do what we wanted it to. It was fun to see our hard work pay off!”

Students were given just two breath mints, tape, one balloon, straws and a tongue depressor. They were charged with trying to figure out not only how to build a car, but how to build a fast car. They asked questions like:

• Where is the best location to place the balloon?
• Where should the wheels go?
• Does this wheel placement make the car veer off to one side or go straight?
• Do I even need all of these resources?

Aside from team building, the goals of this lesson were for students to persevere during the (sometimes) frustrating stages of problem solving while successfully working together. But perhaps more importantly, students discuss real world applications and connections between what’s happening on the lab table and what’s happening in design firms across the country.

“Problem solving makes its way into all sorts of careers,” said Mrs. Molenkamp. “If you think about it, this is similar to how cars are made in real life: cars are designed and redesigned. They’re built and tested and retested. So mini-projects like this show students that there’s a reason we want them to take ownership of their learning. It’s because they’ll be asked to do these same kinds of things –but on a larger scale– someday in their careers.”

Thanks to all the budding scientists at Jenison Junior High for letting us watch you “race” to science discovery!

It’s hard to believe, but the Central Office Sentinel is marking 100 weeks of sharing Wildcat highlights with the community!

We began by introducing our new high school weight room and celebrating the groundbreaking ceremony of our new Fine Arts Center back in the early winter of 2011. At that time, the dream of a Jenison Public Schools facility for our own musical productions, concerts and plays was no more than a pile of earth that once stood beneath the administration office. Today, we’re just weeks away from the grand opening of this long-awaited venue!

In the spring of 2012 we showed appreciation for our athletic boosters led by a committed group of parents, and we honored teachers who received “Rockstar Awards” from Josten’s Leadership team.

In the fall of 2012 we used our change to change hunger and gave coats and gifts to the community during the holiday season. We praised the students who went above and beyond in our DECA program and praised our ECC for the wonderful care given to the youngest wearing green and white.

In the spring we recognized the teachers among us who make us great and those whose greatness was recognized by the hall of fame.

Our blogging journey over the course of two years has garnered thousands of visitors and has expanded our Facebook community from a couple of hundred to over 1,200 involved parents and Wildcat fans.

But most importantly, this journey has been a weekly “cup of coffee” with you. It’s been our opportunity to tell you about the wonderful things happening in our classrooms, on our athletic fields, in our band rooms and on our stages. It’s been our opportunity to remind you that even though the world sees brick mortar, we’re all heart.

Thanks for joining us. We’re proud to open our (virtual) doors to you!

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