East China School District News
Every Child.Every Day
Week of June 7, 2021
Upcoming Important Dates
June 9 Half Day All Students
June 10 Half Day All Students
June 11 Half Day All Students - Last Day for students
June 28 Board of Education meeting 6:00 p.m.
Message from the Superintendent
The end of the school year is here and it is a good time to reflect and remember a school year that challenged us all. I am thankful for our students and families that remained positive and adapted to every change and I am also incredibly thankful for the entire ECSD team, everyone pulled together to create the very best school year possible for our students. It is now time to enjoy the calmer warm summer months. We may not yet have all of the answers for next school year but whatever circumstances we are given, the ECSD team will make it great!
Have a great summer,
Suzanne Cybulla
Happenings Around the District!
Pine River Elementary News
Virtual First Grade Classes Take a Virtual Field Trip to the Detroit Zoo
On a cold and rainy Friday in May, the district's virtual first grade teachers presented a mystery field trip for their students on Google Meet. Mrs. Beth Trudeau and Mrs. Julie Gunderson surprised the students when they presented a live tour of the Detroit Zoo. Braving wind and rain, Mrs. Trudeau and Mrs. Gunderson showed the students various animals, shared many interesting facts, and even interviewed some of the staff at the the zoo. The students were very excited as they watched and learned about the animals in the comforts of their own homes. Thank you to Mrs. Trudeau and Mrs. Gunderson for making virtual learning so much fun!
Pine River Retirees
With heavy hearts, we are saying goodbye to two iconic teachers. Mrs. Petra Koprivica and Mrs. Terri Williams are retiring. Both teachers are beloved by hundreds of students that were fortunate to be in their classes over the years.
Petra Koprivica - Third Grade Teacher at Pine River
Petra Koprivica has taught for 30 years. During that time, she taught Kindergarten, first grade, and Resource Room classes over the course of five years in Ontario, Canada. Then, she taught for 25 years in Michigan with 24 of them being third grade at Pine River.
Over the years, Mrs. Koprivica has accumulated many accomplishments. She is especially proud of the school business, Just Write, Ink., that she began with her class and some very dedicated parent volunteers. This stationary company grew to include all of the third grade classes, teachers, and parents at Pine River. Mrs. Koprivica was also featured as the Times Herald “Teacher of the Week” after being nominated by a parent. More recently, she is proud of how she overcame a fear of learning so many new things in order to learn to successfully and confidently teach her students virtually during this school year. Whenever a student returns to Pine River to visit or “friends” her on Facebook, Mrs. Koprivica takes joy in knowing that she was a special teacher in their educational journey.
Mrs. Koprivica is looking forward to traveling more with her husband and visiting their Godchildren. She will also have more time to work on her "Vedder Lady" YouTube videos!
For 24 years, second grade students in Terri Williams class have experienced the joy of learning in a hands-on, nurturing environment. When peaking into Mrs. Williams’ classroom, you might see students reading in the dark with headband flashlights, curious scientists huddled around a hands-on investigation, and young mathematicians creating their own 3D models. Each year, Mrs. Williams decorates her classroom with a distinct theme that sets the tone for the year. Some of the themes have been construction workers, Americans, busy bees, and sunflowers.
Terri Williams - Second Grade Teacher at Pine River
Over the years, Mrs. Williams has been a leader in planning events at Pine River and she has served on the Pine River School Improvement Team, the Pine River Council, and the district elementary Social Studies committee. She is also the Pine River PTO teacher representative. Mrs. Williams is both a leader and cheerleader for students, staff, and parents and supports every activity during and after school through volunteering her time and creativity.
Mrs. Williams is looking forward to spending time with her family, especially her beautiful granddaughter, Emma who will turn two in July. She will miss her Pine River Family, but she is excited for her new adventures to begin.
Calm Classroom
The district received a grant through St. Clair County Community Mental Health to implement Calm Classroom at Pine River. Calm Classroom is a program that uses simple research-based mindfulness techniques to help students and staff develop self-awareness, mental focus, and inner calm. The program provides tools for effectively managing stress, regulating emotions, and being more productive. These tools include breathing, stretching, relaxation, and focusing techniques that last about three minutes at a time.
Mrs. Amy McNeill and Mrs. Beth Trudeau were formally trained in Calm Classroom, and they have been training our teachers to implement the techniques in our classrooms. The students are enjoying the scheduled times when teachers lead them in Calm Classroom practices to help them get into a mindset to be better learners.
Register at the link below.
WXYZ Brightest & Best
Marisa May will graduate from Marine City High School ranked first in her class. During her time at Marine City, Marisa has been committed to community service. She was a member of the National Honor Society for three years and served on Student Government for four. She volunteered as a tutor for elementary and middle school students and served as her class Treasurer for two years. Marisa has also been heavily involved in extracurriculars at her school. She has been a member of the varsity tennis team for four years, currently playing first singles as team captain. She was a member of Science Olympiad throughout high school as well, serving as the captain of her team. Marisa has played varsity golf, junior varsity volleyball, and has been part of the crew in drama. In school, Marisa had a flair for art. Her work was submitted to the Beatrice Thornton Student Art Exhibition and the Saint Clair Art Association Student Feature. This year, Marisa had the great honor of being selected as her school's Daughters of the American Revolution Good Citizen. Next year, she will attend the University of Michigan, where she will major in mechanical engineering and minor in materials science. In the future, Marisa hopes to work on a Formula One racing team.
Virtual Art
ECSD Summer Programming
Middle School Summer Learning Program
Have you checked out ECVA?
You can also contact the ECVA by email ecva@ecsd.us or phone 810-676-1300.
Contact Information
Email: info@ecsd.us
Website: www.ecsd.us
Location: 1585 Meisner Road, East China, MI, USA
Phone: 810-676-1000
Facebook: facebook.com/EastChinaSchools