GLBEC GAZETTE
The Monthly Newsletter of the Great Lakes Bay Early College
Program Coordinator's Corner with Mr. Summey
Happy Holidays GLBEC Family! As we near the end of Fall Semester, this newsletter is being sent to keep you apprised of the various things that are going on in our program. We look forward to having a positive and productive new year.
Grades
GLBEC Courses
You can find grades for the students in the high school portion of our program in skyward. We will also send a report card in the mail over the winter break.
College Courses
Once posted, grades for college courses will be available in a student's portal.
Skyward
Parents/Guardians can enter student attendance through the Skyward parent portal. Please notify the office at (989) 686-9146 or email GLBEC@sisd.cc if a student is absent. Students and parents can log into Skyward regularly to check the status of attendance, academic history, graduation requirements, and administrative messages.
If you have not logged into Skyward, contact Mrs.Kushion at kushions@sisd.cc to get started.
Inclement Weather
In the event of school closure at GLBEC due to inclement weather, we will share information on the TV and email. An automated phone message will be issued, as well.
Those students taking college courses, pay attention to the college/university website for updates. It is a good idea to sign-up for the school's campus alerts (see links below) so that you are aware of campus delays or closure due to inclement weather.
Delta College
https://www.delta.edu/news/2018-emergency-alerts.html
SVSU
https://www.svsu.edu/universitypolice/campusalert/
Academic Support at Delta and SVSU
Both Delta and SVSU offer free tutoring to students taking at least one college course. (Locations below):
At Delta-The Learning Center-first floor of Delta's Library
At SVSU-The Gerstacker Learning Center-second floor of SVSU's Library
Services are offered in-person (by appointment) or virtually.
Additional assistance will continue on Friday's to all students in the GLBEC program during strategies for college success class.
Accommodations:
Students taking college courses that need accommodations must complete the necessary paperwork and schedule a meeting with the respective school's Office of Disability Services. If in need of assistance with this process, contact Mrs. Gloss at sgloss@sisd.cc
Program Graduation Requirements-from the student/parent handbook
At the end of a student’s final year, GLBEC holds a Completion Ceremony where the student will receive the GLBEC completion certificate. At the same time, a student’s home high school will be notified to award a high school diploma based on the culmination of work done by a student to fulfill requirements of both the Michigan Merit Curriculum and the GLBEC program requirements.
To earn a high school diploma through GLBEC, students must complete the following:
- Michigan Merit Curriculum
- College Readiness Curriculum
- A minimum of 15 transferable college credit hours (non-remedial courses)
- Communication 105 (A, B, or C) at SVSU or Communication 108W, 112W, 114W or 202W at Delta College
AND one of the following options:
- 100 hours of verified community service
- A minimum of 40 hours of verified career exploration, internship, job shadowing, or clinical experience
- A combination of the two that equals 70+ hours Up to 35 hours may be carried over from previous experience with appropriate documentation.
Fulfillment of a high school diploma also fulfills the requirements for the Michigan Early/Middle College Association Technical Certificate (MEMCA) which is a national accredited organization for some early colleges.
12th Graders Participating in Enrolled School's Graduation Ceremony
If you are in the 12th grade and interested in participating in the school district's graduation ceremony that you enrolled in to attend GLBEC, please contact the school directly to get more information.
GLBEC Information Sessions
If you know of anyone interested in learning more about GLBEC, please encourage them to attend one of the following information sessions. The sessions will held in Room J131 at 6:00 pm on Delta's main campus.
- December 9
- January 13
- February 10
- February 24
- March 17
- April 7June 2
Connections with Literature and Writing with Mrs. Kojak
We are in our final unit of the semester: research writing! Students are hard at work on their career research papers. They have been looking at many aspects of their chosen career, including the required education, job market availability and earning potential. Students have been focusing on organization, transitions, and clarity in their writing. As students prepare to take college classes next semester, this provides them a nice focal point to remind them of why they are here at GLBEC.
Students are also continuing their independent reading books, so make sure to ask them about what they are reading. Showing interest in their choices and modeling good reading habits are two great ways to encourage them to be lifelong readers and learners. It has been a pleasure to see students excited about reading this semester, and many have finished multiple books. Let’s encourage them to keep up these great habits!
Mathematics with Mr. Christensen
...10...9...8… the end of the semester always comes so quickly!
With two weeks remaining, I hope that students are thinking deeply about the growth they have made and the goals they have set, met, and revamped. We are all proud of each achievement and encouraged by the eagerness that students are sharing with us in their exit interviews.
In some ways the second semester in the Great Lakes Bay Early College is the true “beginning” after the first semester of preparation. How that looks going forward now will look different for each student. Specific to math, some students will continue their current course (Algebra II) while others will move to a new course with me (Algebra and Geometry moving to start Algebra II) and another set heads off to a wide variety of college math courses. What they all have in common is a greater knowledge of what they are capable of, whether in traditional math content or in critical thinking and communication.
I encourage all students to put in a finishing kick these last weeks before the well-earned and hopefully revitalizing break.
Science Methods with Mr. Conklin
We are finally here. All of the knowledge and skill gained has led to this moment in science class. For the remainder of this semester and into the second semester we will be quantitatively exploring all of the various concepts we learned about throughout the duration of the last 14 weeks. Sciences often discuss various “Laws” of nature. In the weeks to come, we will be exploring these laws in the laboratory so that student understanding might coalesce beyond existing as mere content written within their notes, and more into mastery level understanding.
Traditionally, this new direction is very difficult for students at first because of the heavy mathematical emphasis. As a result, the pace of the course slows a bit until their understanding of the math and its purpose materializes. Some of the material that will be covered in the second semester are deeper insights into bonding and the chemical origins of complex life on earth. Art and science will overlap into the second semester culminating into a capstone project. There are so many more great things to come both in class and in the lab. My advice to students is to finish strong the first semester and rest up over break for the journey to come.
Career Navigation with Mrs. Gloss
Winter break is near and there is so much you can complete during this time if you are in the +1 year of the program.
If you haven't already, please complete your college admissions application. I want you to have this done by Jan 1st. I'd also like you to have the Free Application For Federal Student Aid completed by Jan 1st. The State deadline is March 1st. We are going to be ahead of the game. This is also the time to complete the Saginaw, Bay and Midland Community foundations scholarship application. I have been told that it is okay to apply to all three applications, although you will probably receive the most funding from your local foundation.
Job Shadowing/Community Service Hours:
Winter break is also a great time to set up a job shadow or perform some community service at a local shelter.
City Rescue Mission- (989) 752-6051 ext. 122
Mustard Seed Shelter- Contact Amy at (989) 295-8392
Restoration Community Outreach- Must be 18, Contact Tamika Martin (989) 75-1886
Student Schedules Reminder
Important Dates
December 15-Textbook return at Delta College-10:00-12:00 pm and 1:30-3:30 pm
December 16-Textbook return at SVSU-9:00-11:30 am and 1:00-3:30 pm
January 5-Delta College Winter Semester Textbook Pick-up-10:00 am-12:30 pm and 1:30-3:30 pm.
January 6-SVSU Winter Textbook Pick-up-9:00-11:30 am and 12:30-3:30 pm
January 10-Winter semester classes for GLBEC, Delta College, and SVSU begin.
January 17-(No classes at GLBEC and SVSU, in recognition of MLK Day). Delta classes are in session.
January 24-College course verification form due. The instructors of the students taking college courses sign this document.