Shorian Nation eNews
January 23rd, 2022
INTRODUCTION
Cup of Joe
Newsletter Overview
Within this Shorian Nation newsletter, you will hear a Cup of Joe video message, stay informed about upcoming events, review our Positivity Project character focus strengths, and read stories that feature inspiration, innovation, and celebration.
Our 2nd annual Mental Health Matters (MHMW), taking place on January 31st-February 4th, is a week-long campaign to spread awareness about the importance of mental health and to celebrate the resilience in you.
Students, teachers, staff, and alumni were invited to write how they take care of their mental health on a flag, which will become part of a Lake Shore Public Schools display at the Saint Clair Shores Public Library. Look around the shelves to discover these flags tucked inside mental health books and materials.
During the November election, our Shorian Nation voted for their favorite P2 character strengths. We are celebrating the “winners” during this P2 Wildcard on behalf of MHMW.
What is something someone has done for you that changed your entire day for the better? The following activities will show how our students display the #MaddyMatters #PositivityInAction philosophy.
Maddy Matters is a Pay It Forward, random acts of kindness movement to honor Madisyn Renee Baldwin, one of the Oxford High School victims. Learn more about #MaddyMatters by visiting this link.
Thank you Michigan Insurance and Financial Services Gives Back Program for sponsoring this week! We also appreciate EOS for doubling our $100 pay it forward cash as well as providing the hot chocolate and ACE Hardware for your hand sanitizer donations!
Upcoming Events
Save the Date: Virtual Open House
Positivity Project
People with the character strength of prudence plan for the future and achieve their goals by making careful everyday choices.
Lake Shore Public Schools is joining 537 local and 56 intermediate school districts across Michigan to celebrate January as School Board Recognition Month. Serving as a link between the community and classroom, school board members are elected to establish the policies that provide the framework for public schools, making prudent decisions on behalf of our stakeholders.
“In another year full of challenges for public education, our school board members persevered through the adversity of 2021 to provide the best possible education for our students,” said Superintendent Dr. DiPonio. “Celebrating School Board Recognition Month is one of the very small ways to express appreciation for all they do.”
The Board includes President Kurt Ziegler, Vice President Susan DeLong, Secretary Elizabeth Munger, Treasurer Joshua Denzler, and Trustees Sharon Bartl, Daniel Colling, and Amy Thomas-August.
Join us to celebrate these extraordinary leaders who work tirelessly for kids at our next board meeting scheduled on Monday, January 24th at 7:30pm. To learn more about our Board of Education, visit http://lakeshoreschools.org/our_district/board_of_education.
No matter what challenges lie ahead for our district in 2022, our school board members will continue to govern to improve student achievement and provide exceptional education for all our community’s children.
Note: On MLK Day, Board members were visited by several students at their homes and delivered certificates and tokens of appreciation! We wanted them to feel special and for our students to be known for their kindness.
People with the character strength of perseverance complete what they start despite obstacles. They never give up.
Our students, at all levels, are engaged in STEM Literacy, high-interest science, technology, engineering, and mathematics activities.
In Ms. Stanley's IND Algebra II class at Lake Shore High School, 12 students completed a series of STEM Breakers including card stacking, paper chains, and pen-string-bottle.
Mario Berry's team won the card stacking challenge and was awarded extra credit for their efforts. Mario credited the strategy of building a strong base first for his win. After many failed attempts, the team never gave up on the goal of finding a right way to lead to the win.
In Mrs. Fowler's 4th grade class at Violet Elementary, students had this STEM Challenge: 10 minutes to make the longest paper chain with 1 piece of paper. The winner’s chain reached from the ceiling to the floor!
In Mr. Feldman's GIS exploratory class at Kennedy Middle School, students are learning about latitude and longitude lines that will be used as plot points on a map.
Liam Vanassche signed up for this class because he enjoyed traveling and desires learning more about maps. The data analytics can be tricky so it is important to keep working through problems.
In Ms. Pearl's Science class at North Lake High School, 12 students answered the question, "When you hit rock bottom, what do you do?" They used plastic pollution in the world to build their solution around the importance of pushing yourself up to the surface.
Terry "TJ" McCrimmon self reflects about tough times in his life. However, he perseveres by "building a team with similar goals that will help get me through."
There are so many problems that were addressed in these capstone presentations, but overcoming socio-emotional obstacles, through perseverance, is the ultimate lesson.
Looking forward, our upcoming character strengths are OPM - Supporting others when they struggle (1/23-1/29) and MENTAL HEALTH MATTERS (1/30-2/5).
Inspiration
Medical Assistants
Our certified Medical Assistants work in partnership with our exceptional staff to create a climate of health and well-being in the school environment. Their duties include: conducting temperature screenings; maintaining medical records; administering first aid and medications according to instructions; and monitoring students’ condition. Medical Assistants also perform routine clerical duties. Say hello to the following:
-Jodie Bommarito, stationed at Masonic Elementary
-Rachel Klein, stationed at Violet Elementary
-April Trontl, stationed at Rodgers Elementary
-Krystal Merschel, stationed at Kennedy Middle School
-Jennifer Wilson, stationed at Lake Shore High School
Please welcome Jodie as she recently joined the team. She started working for schools in 1997, served as a paraprofessional for 20 years, and also held the role of an office assistant. Her hobbies include thrifting and spending time with her children ages 18 and 14; Her daughter graduated from Lake Shore High School in 2021 and her twin boys are current students at Kennedy Middle School.
Bonus: Karen Jones, COVID Support Liaison, provides updates to our school community about the novel coronavirus as well as communicates district's procedures and plans. She works with the Macomb County Health Department to help us maintain awareness of our health, generates and shares self-reporting forms, and is the calming voice on the other end of the phone when a student has exhibited symptoms of COVID-19 or have been in close contact with a person who is presumed-positive. She also supports our MAs and transports assignments to homes, when needed.
Innovation
Lake Shore's Macomb Mathematics Science Technology Center Research
At Lake Shore's Macomb Mathematics Science Technology Center, Jalen Awosika, Noah Baier, Alex Bonello, and Sarah Showers, our 4 Lake Shore seniors, delivered a 15-20 minute scientific research presentation this week on a topic of interest from the biology, physics, or chemistry fields.
Noah Baier from Lake Shore High School and his partner Nasif Zaman from Warren Mott High School researched how a magnet's volume and the current supplied affects the voltage output of an electromagnetic generator. As you can see in this video clip, Noah explains their problem statement and hypothesis, important components of any scientific research.
Mary Doppke, mother of Noah, described her son as "a gift from God." She said, "He is ranked 2nd in his graduating class, participates in cross country, swimming, and track, and is self motivated." It is obvious from his work ethic that he is and will continue to be a star.
His slide deck, filled with his research, can be accessed here.
Because of the caliber of their research, several MMSTC students will present their findings with the community at the "People's Choice" Science Symposium on Thursday, January 27th from 5:30-7:30pm at the Butcher Community Center.
Lake Shore currently has 21 MMSTC students spanning grades 9-12.
Welcome to Mrs. Legato's classroom
Today's classrooms are constantly evolving to meet the needs of our learners. Our teachers continue to ensure that these hang out spots are welcoming and brain friendly for all who enter.
Welcome to Mrs. Legato's classroom.
As you enter, there is a clear Harry Potter theme. Current student Jennica showed us the Help Dobby wall of student jobs which gives the class a chance to demonstrate their leadership skills. One of these jobs is herbology, prompting students to water and prune their collection of indoor plants. The Lumos font, a typeface inspired by the chapter titles, is used as labels for bulletin boards and displays across the room. Mrs. Legato even casts magical spells, referenced on the whiteboard. She looks forward to learning about fractions, decimals, explorers, and the life cycle.
Former student Alexis referenced that this was a calming classroom for several reasons. She loves how organized the space is, pointing to the cabinets and cupboards which were neatly packed with school supplies. She also showed us the fidget collection with special attention to the acupuncture ring. Her teacher always says, "Raise your hand if you have any questions before I move on." This phrase was a favorite because it made Alexis feel assisted and cared for.
Two strangers, Jennica and Alexis, met and bonded in Mrs. Legato's class in 4th grade because of the prioritization of team challenges and warm environment. Luckily, Mrs. Legato and her students were able to move up together for a repeat experience in 5th grade.
Thank you, Mrs. Legato and student tour guides Alexis Daile and Jennica Zablocki, for sharing your 5th grade classroom at Masonic Heights Elementary with all of us!
Real World Building Renovation Skills
In Mr. Mazzola's Introduction to Building Renovation, students began the electrical unit where they learn how-to put wiring onto the electrical outlets properly.
21213 is the house number, a place where students dedicate hours to service learning every year. Now in its 10th year, students have completed several DYI projects which require electrical knowledge for lighting, heating, cooling, and operation of appliances.
From eco-friendly and trendy to labor-intensive and dirty, students are learning home improvement trades that will save them both time and money in the future. They have installed electrical, plumbing, patio brick pavers, doors, and fences. They have learned the interior painting process which includes preparing the surface, using a primer, taping, and the paint color selection process. They have knowledge of fixing common home problems such as a leaky faucet or cleaning up cabinetry.
Young Scientists Take a Closer Look
Science lab equipment allows students to interact directly with the data gathered. They get a first-hand learning experience by performing various experiments on their own. In both Mrs. Kemner's Forensics class at Lake Shore High School and Mr. Heier's Science 7 class at Kennedy Middle School, students used microscopes to magnify an object to look at it in detail.
Middle school students looked at frass, also called caterpillar poop, under the microscope. The little dark green blobs looked like tiny black specs. Learning how-to use this instrument is important for more complex investigations.
High school students looked at human hair, animal fur, and clothing fibers under microscopes to see similarities and differences. They also conducted fiber burn tests to see how various natural and synthetic fibers react to a flame.
Junior Mya Husted analyzed pet hair and determined that, what stood out to her, was what appeared to look like water droplets on the animal fur. Mrs. Kemner applauded her observation and shared that it was probably pet dander. Observation is essential in science.
Mrs. Szymanski's 7th grade science classes completed a digestion lab. They started with basic observations of putting crackers in their mouths and proceeded to digest them to the end where stool is produced.
Bonus: Mrs. Fergusson and Mrs. Kemner leave fate in the hands of their students when it comes to assessment. They require students to choose from a deck of cards and respond to that question. Genius idea!
Celebration
Nominate a Graduate
When you enroll at Lake Shore Public Schools, you not only join a prestigious school, but also become part of a family. And when you graduate, your experiences create the launching pad for a successful career. Periodically, we spotlight on our graduates, sharing their accomplishments because we are loud and proud of them. Please review the following stories of exemplary alumni:
Class of 1974's Robin Kutney
https://www.facebook.com/myLSPS/posts/3245456465470308
Class of 1979's Pam Lavers
https://www.facebook.com/myLSPS/posts/3011345955548028
Class of 1987's Craig Lipscomb
https://www.facebook.com/.../a.13299558.../3277575998925021/
Class of 1996's Marc Platt and Class of 1998's Ryan Platt
https://www.facebook.com/.../a.13299558.../3303461416336479/
Class of 2004's Cassandra Rusie and Class of 1999's Candice Rusie
https://www.facebook.com/.../a.13299558.../3146209888728300/
Class of 2005's Joe VanderMarliere
https://www.facebook.com/.../a.13299558.../3011382185544405/
Class of 2013's Eva Smith and Class of 2017's Divine Mathes
https://www.facebook.com/myLSPS/posts/2462687870413842
Class of 2013's Matt Chambers
https://www.facebook.com/.../a.13299558.../3154039451278677/
Class of 2015's Mackenzie Nemitz
https://www.facebook.com/myLSPS/posts/2647803621902265
Lake Shore recognizes alumni who bring honor to our school district through work in their career or community. Nominate a graduate to be recognized for significant professional/personal achievements, discoveries, or creative work and exhibiting our core values by sending us an email at social@lsps.org.
Shorian Babies
We are excited to introduce the key to happiness: Cuteness overload.
And the only thing better than one cute baby named Vada Lynn whose mother, Kristy Kisskalt, is a 2005 Lake Shore High School graduate?
A bunch of cute Future Shorians dressed in Halloween costumes!
Bonus: Baby Madelyn Paige officially arrived, with credit to her mom and current Kennedy Middle School teacher Meghan Bishoping, on January 3rd at 7 lbs 4 oz and 21 inches. We cannot wait to see her dressed in a LS onesie, too!
Ben Augustitus signs with LTU
Freeze Frame
eNews
Lake Shore Public Schools will provide an exceptional education for all 3,327 students in a safe and nurturing environment.
Our guiding principles, Inspiration, Innovation, Celebration, are woven into the fabric of everything we do and will be the focus of every update. Expect an eNews email biweekly update as a reliable way to communicate with our stakeholders.
Connect With Shorian Nation
Email: social@lsps.org
Website: http://lakeshoreschools.org
Location: 28850 Harper Avenue, St. Clair Shores, MI 48081
Phone: (586) 285-8481
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/myLSPS/
Twitter: @myLSPS