Mariner Memo
March 22, 2019
After a wild winter, we have been back to the regular ways and the steady routine of 5-day weeks and the month of March has flown by. We transition now into a week to refresh with our Spring Break and will return to school on Monday, April 1st. When we do return from school the rest of the year will be packed with activities, events, and ceremonies, so please check the calendars to make sure that you get all of the important information!
This week featured the premier performances from our brand new MCMS Drama. On Thursday, over 300 students took a field trip to the Performing Arts Center to take in the two one-act plays put on by 40+ student actors. Under the guidance of Mariner Drama director Mr. Jay McCulloch and his excellent high school student drama officers, the MCMS crew entertained us with "Appropriate Audience Behavior" and "10 Ways to Survive the Zombie Apocalypse". It was truly impressive to see our students having fun and demonstrating their skills!
As we head into Spring Break, and a week away from Marine City Middle School, I would like to encourage everyone to enjoy the time off. This break is a wonderful opportunity to hit the refresh button and return to school ready for the home stretch of the school year. Parents, I would also like to encourage you to consider some research that is continuing to build on the effects of screen time, especially with younger people. The article linked below from December 2018 discusses some health effects that are only now being discovered tied to screen time of devices, and goes on to say that the lasting impacts are unknown, and won't be known for awhile. I highly encourage you to read this short article and consider monitoring your sons' and daughters' time on devices over the break.
https://bigthink.com/mind-brain/screen-time-nih-study-60-minutes
One last note, before I wish you all well for the vacation. During Spring Break, the school office will not be open and there will be limited access to the building. We encourage you to enjoy the time away and we will see you on April 1st. Just a reminder that our regular office hours are Monday-Friday from 7:00 am - 3:00 pm.
Have a Great Break, see you soon.
-Mr. Ming
School Attendance Matters
Please check out this short video on the importance of school attendance. There are always things that come up, and we certainly understand, this video however brings to light a few of the dangers with missing school.
MC Spanish Project
On March 14th a group of Marine City Spanish students shared their knowledge about the country of Costa Rica with the district's elementary students during the Cultural Festival at Gearing Elementary.
During the festival, students created "Payaso" costumes (Costa Rican clowns), they cooked "Gallo Pinto" (traditional breakfast dish of Rice and Beans with a spicy Lizano sauce), and they created games for the elementary kids to learn about geography, animals, history and traditions of Costa Rica.
This project was a complete success and the students did an amazing job representing one of many countries on display at the annual festival.
New St. Clair County Community Prevention Coalition
The St. Clair County Health Department needs our help. The St. Clair County Michigan Profile for Healthy Youth (MiPHY) data has identified the need for a new community youth prevention coalition. Substance use is at the root of many societal concerns, such as not graduating, behavioral issues, truancy, violence, or family problems. Other communities around Michigan and the nation have adopted prevention coalitions leading to positive outcomes.
The Health Department has asked that all St. Clair County schools have representation from staff, parents, and students at three planning sessions to help map out strategies that improve the health of our youth.
Please see the attached invitation and a graphic that gives a visual of the issue and possible solution for more information.
If you are interested in participating in this Coalition, please RSVP using the link provided on the flyer. The East China School District Administration will also have a representative at each of the planning sessions.
MCMS Drama Performs One Act Plays
Scenes from MCMS Drama
Scenes from MCMS Drama
Scenes from MCMS Drama
MCMS Students supporting one another
MCMS Students supporting one another
MCMS Students supporting one another
Keep saving those VG's receipts!!!
Plan Ahead.......
Positivity Project this Week
We had three more students Caught with Character this week. Our grand prize winner was Matthew Harper who recognized that he had an answer on his homework marked correct that was actually wrong. He took it upon himself to self-report to the teacher, showing amazing INTEGRITY. Make sure you check out Matthew's interview below. Our runners up this week were Landon Frank and Avery Brohl. Well done gentlemen!
After taking a week off for Spring Break, we will return to our character building and strengths with the focus shifting to FAIRNESS.