From the A Community Comes Together Superintendent... Parents, teachers and students share their Everyone here is so friendly Robert S. Monroe stories on how they are moving forward Junior high school student Kendyll Paul has Welcoming students during a global pandemic while working learned that self-reliance and time manage- together, developing different daily routines ment will be keys for her success. back for in-person and focusing on continued communication. “Being at home all day, every day is a big instruction Patience and grace are so important change,” she said. “I had to balance my time Over the past few weeks, we have been celebrating the return As a teacher and parent, Sara Jozefiak has between getting my schoolwork done and of students to our classrooms for in-person instruction. seen the remote learning environment from spending time with my family. I also learned Through a deliberate process, we have been welcoming back “both sides of the computer screen.” better self-reliance. I would say having the students in small groups using specific grades or programs. “Education looks extremely different and time by myself was a positive thing in the We began the year in a remote environment for all things are changing by the minute. Your long run.” students due to late summer surges in COVID-19 in our communities. As we were putting the remote plan teacher is working numerous hours to help The Eppler Junior High School student in place, we were already looking at how we could safely your child succeed. This is out of everyone’s believes the difference in succeeding this year bring students back to in-person instruction – our control. Patience and grace are so import- is to be more active in class participation and ultimate goal. ant.” asking for help if you need it. The following are the three guiding principles we are The Jozefiak’s three children are third gen- “Everyone is new to being completely online,” using to inform this return: eration UCS students who are excited about she said. “Talk to new people because every- Health and Safety the possibility of returning soon to in-person one here is very friendly.” We recognize that this global pandemic is a very real instruction. presence in our community and a potential spread has Keep the lines of communication open a broad impact. We rely on health data from the county Until that day, she said the family is estab- What advice does teacher Karen Forsyth have and our communities as we make the transitions. lishing routines as the key to meeting the for families who may be struggling with challenges of remote learning. Academic Excellence and Access the remote learning part of their child’s education? We are a school district with a strong educational mission. “We have found that as a family we do Continued on page 4 Academic success for all students remains a focus of our better with things being predictable and our planning. children appreciate a routine,” she said. Photos top to bottom: The Jozefiak’s, Kendyll Paul, The Ability to Effectively Implement our Plans Karen Forsyth and Trinity Lupu. With the transition to in-person learning, we are also re-engaging the related operations that support students in Michigan’s second largest school district. These Wellness Resources Provide Support to Families include transportation, food services, and extensive In UCS, the socio-emotional, or mental health, of services that are available to all area residents cleaning and disinfecting of our buildings. our students is always a priority, however finding during these difficult times. Remember we are in Our careful return to the classrooms ensures our ability ourselves in the midst of a global pandemic has this together. to meet all three essential goals. Across the country and only reinforced this focus. If you need assistance, please know that someone throughouot our state, we have seen examples of districts Nearly every daily activity has disrupted routines is always someone there for you. Visit the UCS starting in-person instruction only to be forced back to and forced some of us to make difficult choices Wellness page weekly for updated resources: remote due to outbreaks. while adapting to our new reality. www.uticak12.org/UCS_Wellness It is critical that we work to avoid disruption for our students, We know that students learn better, when they feel safe, and have a sense of belonging in their school staff and families. Through a deliberate return focused on community. Strong, positive relationships are smaller groups of students, we remain committed to the inherent to student success. health and safety of our students and the adults who are there to care for and support them in the classrooms. Putting a focus on staying healthy and prioritiz- ing well-being benefits us all. The good news is At each stage of our reopening, there are eager teachers, there are resources and services available, many at administrators and support staff waiting at the school no cost, which provide supports for children and door and bus stops to greet our children. This is what we adults. want for all of our students and, working together, we will We are pleased to have a webpage dedicated to succeed. this endeavor. Created by district counselors, the UCS Wellness page offers links to professional PERMIT NO. 618 NO. PERMIT Residential Customer Residential ROYAL OAK, MI OAK, ROYAL PAID POSTAGE US ***********ECRWSSEDDM*********** NON-PROFIT ORG. NON-PROFIT 2 FOCUS Points of Pride Nine UCS students are among Nearly 500 UCS students honored by College Board 16,000 seniors nationwide to Nearly 500 Utica Community Schools students have earned top honors through the rigorous college-level be named 2021 National Advanced Placement (AP) program. The College Board, which administers the AP tests, Merit Semifinalists has announced that 497 UCS students have received UCS National Merit Semifinalists are: Jamie national scholar designations. Greenwood and Allison Klimek, of Eisenhower Honors earned by UCS students this past school year include: High School; Aedan Sherwood, of Henry Ford II High School; Rohit Ray, Elena Serra and • National Scholar status to 14 students who received an average score of at least 4 Rohit Tattitali, of Stevenson High School; Ryan on all AP Exams taken, and scores of 4 or higher on eight or more of these exams. Boring, Ethan Gertsch and Alexander Hughes of • AP Scholar with Distinction status to 129 students who received an average score the Gene L. Klida Utica Academy for Interna- of at least 3.5 on all AP Exams taken, and scores of 3 or higher on five or more of these exams. tional Studies. • AP Scholar with Honor status to 97 students who received an average score of at least Ray, Serra, Sherwood and Tattitali also attend 3.25 on all AP Exams taken, and scores of 3 or higher on four or more of these exams. the Utica Center for Mathematics, Science and • AP Scholar status to 257 students who received scores of 3 or higher on three or more AP Exams. Technology. National Merit Semifinalists are In addition, two UCS students were recognized for submitting research as part of an AP Seminar course. among the top one percent of the nation’s high In the 2019-2020 school year, 2,457 UCS students took a total of 4,071 AP exams. school seniors. More than 1.5 million stu- Two UCS coaches have been inducted into the Michigan Hall of Fame dents of the Class of 2021 entered the National Merit Utica High School Varsity Tennis Coach AnnMarie Michol and Ste- Program by taking the venson High School Varsity and JV Bowling coach Tom Stockton 2019 Preliminary SAT/ have been selected for induction into the Michigan High School National Merit Scholar- Coaches’ Association Hall of Fame. ship Qualifying Test. The nationwide pool Coaches are selected for making a difference in the lives of student of semifinalists includes the highest scoring athletes and for their overall service to the community. entrants in each state. AnnMarie Michol Tom Stockton To move from semifinalist to finalist status, students must submit a detailed scholarship Teacher named national Microsoft expert application. The applica- A Utica Community Schools teacher has been recognized by Microsoft Corporation as a leader in the tion includes information effective and innovative use of technology in education. about their academic Trapper Hallam, a districtwide Instructional Technology Coordinator, is among 20,000 educators across record, participation in the country to be named a Microsoft Innovative Educator (MIE). school and community activities, demonstrat- As a MIE expert, he has access to a national network of educators who are ed leadership, an essay, sharing best practices on the integration of technology in the classroom. record of consistently high Hallam, who has been with UCS for more than 20 years, was selected for academic performance, demonstrating innovation in his leadership role to promote the effective use of a recommendation by an official of their high technology in the district. school, and SAT scores that confirm their Hallam supported a group of 35 teachers known as “The Gang of Geeks” PSAT/NMSQT performance. formed shortly after COVID-19 caused schools to move to a remote learning envi- Finalists have an opportunity to continue in the ronment. The group effectively supported UCS teachers in re-aligning their curriculum to online instruction. competition for one of 7,600 National Merit Microsoft notes that MIE experts constantly seek new and innovative ways to incorporate 21st-century Scholarships next spring. learning into their classrooms and professional development. They go beyond their own schools and orga- Photos top to bottom: Jamie Greenwood, Allison nizations by working with other educators in professional learning networks that impact students across Klimek, Aedan Sherwood, Rohit Ray, Elena Serra, their region and the world.