September 22, 2023
September 22, 2023
- Observations Around Saline Area Schools
- Curriculum Corner
- School & Family Partnership Series
- Rachel's Challenge Community Event
- District Advisory Boards
- Homecoming Week
- Upcoming Events
Observations Around Saline Area Schools
Weeks three and four meant the first full weeks of school as students and staff settled into their learning schedules and routines. There's a lot of exciting things happening in our school buildings every day!
Harvest
Kindergarten students working on letter sound and formation (Name It! Sound It! Write It! Use It!)
2nd grade Physical Education students practicing their offensive and defensive skills in a team game called SWITCH
3rd graders doing rounding estimates (educated guess and ballpark estimates) in math class
Pleasant Ridge
1st grade students taking a great field trip to Benny’s Bakery to learn pretzel baking skills
1st grade students practicing their morning and calendar routine
3rd grade musicians practicing rhythm during their warm up song
Woodland Meadows
Young 5s students participating in sharing time while answering the question: “What is your favorite toy?”
1st graders working on personal narratives while applying the mini-lesson of “big risks with big words!”
2nd graders recognizing how punctuation influences how we read
Heritage
Art students doing a lesson on “How we use text to express ourselves in art”
Media students doing an introductory lesson on the use of Chromebooks
4th graders using Jamboard technology to express their gratitude by finishing the sentence on "Thankful Thursday"
5th graders working on autobiography skills with “5 things in my paper bag to describe me”
Saline Middle School
6th graders focused on the five themes of geography in social studies class
Art students integrating music into their lyrical drawings
7th grade science students recognizing how changing one variable can impact the results of an experiment
Geometry students reviewing geometry standards
Saline High School
Autotronics students using a mechanical lock on a car hoist to ensure safety
Welding and Fabrication students practicing basic welding torch strategies
Zoology students talking about the process of raising chickens
Senior Capstone students learning about different service learning opportunities
English 10 students practicing how to take a critical lens in literature
SHS Video Production students presenting their video industry research projects
Saline Alternative High School
Students discussing the importance of defining their purpose and direction in their BASE class
Young Adult Program
Students developing their work schedule and food menu for the week
Students learning about current events including North Korea, a space mission and inflation
Pleasant Ridge
Harvest
Middle School
Alternative High School
Thoughtful Thursday discussions
Curriculum Corner
The Teaching and Learning Team provides periodic updates to the Board of Education about items related to curriculum and instruction. Most recently the following topics have been presented. You can learn more about the results of the District's annual quality survey (administered in spring 2022) and review a summary of the District's 2022-23 assessment data as aligned to its Continuous Improvement Plan by reviewing the presentations linked below:
School & Family Partnership Series: Strategies to Support Student Wellness
If you missed the first session on Safe and Secure Schools, you can review the slide deck and speaker notes here.
Rachel's Challenge Community Event
District Advisory Boards
The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Advisory Committee and Wellness Committee are still seeking new members. Applications are always open, and will be reviewed after September 30 in order to fill open positions. DEIAC applications can be found online here and questions can be directed to Laura Washington. Wellness Committee applications can be found online here and questions can be directed to Musetta Deneen.
The Sex Education Advisory Board (SEAB) is a district-wide advisory committee tasked with the review and recommendation of sex education curriculum. You can meet the members of the SEAB during the next Board of Education meeting, Tuesday, September 26 at 6:30 p.m. In conjunction with the Board of Education meeting, the SEAB will provide an overview of the proposed Body Safety Training lessons for lower elementary buildings in Saline. The goal of this curriculum is to teach students about various types of safety, including body safety, as a means of reducing the risk of childhood injury and sexual abuse against young children. More information on Body Safety Training can be found HERE. While the specific topic of “child safety to prevent sexual abuse” does not fall under the law of teaching Sex Education to students in public schools, the SEAB will hold two public hearings to present their recommendations. The second public hearing will be scheduled in conjunction with the October 12 Board of Education meeting.
Happy Homecoming Week, Hornets!
Wishing all of our Hornets a spirit-filled homecoming week next week (week of September 25)!
Upcoming Events
- September 22: Foundation for Saline Area Schools Hall of Fame Party on the Patio, 5:30 p.m., Hornet Stadium
- September 23: Foundation for Saline Area Schools Hall of Fame Induction, 7:00 p.m., Saline High School Auditorium
- September 26: Board of Education Meeting, 6:30 p.m., Liberty School Board Room
- September 29: K-12 Early Release Day
- September 29: Homecoming Parade, 5:00 p.m., Campus Parkway
- October 4: Rachel's Challenge Community Event, 7:00 p.m., Saline High School Auditorium, refreshments served at 6:30 p.m.
- October 5: Foundation for Saline Area Schools Luncheon, 12:00-1:00 p.m., Middle School Gymnasium
I hope you all have a great weekend!
Sincerely,
Stephen D. Laatsch, PhD
Superintendent
Saline Area Schools, The Pursuit of Excellence
7265 N. Ann Arbor St., Saline, Michigan 48176
734-401-4001
laatschs@salineschools.org