In this Issue... Early Childhood Party School Board Members VISIONS Recognized VISIONS Volunteering WINTER 2013 ACTS OF KINDNESS Superintendent’S CORNER Wayne Petroelje What an Act of Kindness Can Do A couple my wife and I know chose to share their home with a man who was homeless with a lot of debt. Living with them allowed him time to pay off these debts and again find a place to live for himself. I know they felt privileged to be able to do this for him and this gesture brought the family much joy. Likewise, our daughter and son-in-law committed to a year of feeding several homeless individuals. So, along with their two young boys, they packed lunches at least every two weeks each month and distributed the lunches to these homeless individuals. This was a way of giving back for all they have (even though they have a tight budget themselves). So much of life needs to be about others, not just ourselves. We feel COMING FROM THE HEART a high and are energized by these acts and want to continue to provide acts of kindness. In light of the tragic events at Sandy Hook Elementary, NBC News Correspondent, Ann Curry, Continued on page 3 1 Board of Education Nancy Hawkins President Blaine Lentz Vice President Rick Fedewa Secretary Patti Jandernoa Treasurer FOCUS Thomas White Trustee Wayne Petroelje Superintendent, Ex-Officio Administration Early Childhood Party - Wayne Petroelje Superintendent Dr. Robert Fall Director of Special Education Lee Kleinjans Business Manager Labor of Love Christine M. Callahan Innovative Projects Director Dr. John VanWagoner II Associate Superintendent The 2012 Early for Instructional Services Childhood Holiday Party Patricia K. Jackson Career Education Director was a huge success this VISIONS year with over 140 peo- Is a publication of Clinton County Regional Educational Ser- ple attending. 79 chil- vice Agency published three times yearly. The newsletter is a vehicle to communicate to our educa- dren were able to visit tional partners the current information and activities as they with Santa, decorate and relate to the support of our Mission Statement. eat cookies, make antler CCRESA constituents include: Bath, DeWitt, Fowler, Ovid- Elsie, Pewamo-Westphalia, St. Johns and non-public schools. headbands, make hand- For more information, contact: print memory pages, Julie Banfield, Consultant for Special Projects play in the sensory table, 13109 Schavey Rd., Suite 4, DeWitt. MI 48820 decorate a mural, and ph.517.668.0185 fx.517.668.0446 email: [email protected] website: www.ccresa.org climb through the gross CCRESA is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Auxiliary aids motor playground. The and services are available upon request to individuals with volunteer support was disabilities. AMAZING this year with CCRESA Vision the Kiwanis Club baking over 200 cookies for the It is the vision of CCRESA to create an children to frost, then environment where everyone is continually learning. providing members to In pursuit of this vision, CCRESA will: help run stations at the • Deliver high quality educational programming and support party. Our Early Child- • Lead the pursuit of educational opportunities for learners of all ages hood Career Connec- • Model and encourage lifelong learning tions class from CCRESA • Continually challenge the status quo provided help at the sta- Mission Statement tions as well and then led the best caroling It is the mission of CCRESA to lead and support learning. we have ever had at our In pursuit of this mission, CCRESA will: party! Every child that at- • Prepare learners to be successful in a competitive, global economy tended left with a gift bag, • Continually enhance student achievement and if the child was part of Early Childhood programming they also received a brand new book. Books and • Employ a competent, enthusiastic staff that provides exemplary customer service door prizes were donated by various people including many CCRESA staff - a special thank you to the Main • Collaborates with schools and other agencies CCRESA Office staff, the Turning Point staff, Dean Transportation staff and EOT&TA staff for so many won- • Continually assess the effectiveness and efficiency of CCRESA programs and services derful donations. Other special thank yous go to our main man in red, Dave Stark; our faithful photographer, Steve Cameron; and our organizational specialists, Jan Ridenour and Pat Chapko. This annual It is the policy of the Clinton County Regional Educational Ser- vice Agency (CCRESA) that no discriminatory practices based party is put on through a collaboration between Early On, Great Parent Great Start, Early Head Start, on gender, race, religion, color, age, national origin, disability, and MSU Extension. It is always a wonderful opportunity for many of the families that we work with that height, weight, marital status, sexual orientation, political affili- ations and beliefs, or any other status covered by federal, state are dealing with lots of different stressors to just relax and enjoy their children. The smiles of the kids or local law be allowed in providing instructional opportunities, is what it is all about! programs, services, job placement assistance, employment or in policies governing student conduct and attendance. Any person suspecting a discriminatory practice should contact the Director of Special Education, 1013 South US-27, St. Johns, MI 48879, or call 989.224.6831. 2 STAFF NEWS Introducing Royce Humm, Technology Director The Technology Department is excited to share the addition of Royce Humm as the Director of Technology. Royce started on January 16th. He will be sharing his time with Shiawassee Regional Education Service District. Royce has over 12 years of experience in educational technology at the local, regional and higher education levels. Welcome, Royce! NEW AND INNOVATIVE APPROACHES POSITIVE BEHAVIORAL SUPPORTS In September 2006, the Michigan State Board of Educa- tion established that “it is the policy of the State Board of Education that each school district in Michigan implement a system of school-wide positive behavior support strategies.” Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) has developed into a framework that can be used by any school to help improve the social and learning behaviors of stu- dents and decrease disruptions that interfere with instruc- tion. Many schools in Clinton County are creating a more respectful culture for students and staff. Through this PBIS work, teachers and administrators are acquiring the strate- gies needed to create a system which promotes student en- gagement in learning. These school leaders are helping to create common expectations, lessons and a blueprint for respectful behavior in their buildings. CCRESA schools that are implementing these systems are using data to develop a school wide plan for responding to problem behaviors and creating a plan for improving classroom management. What an Act of Kindness Can Do Continued from page 1 challenged us all to perform 20 acts of kindness to honor the children lost kindness every day. We hope you enjoy reading about some of them that (and now 26 to include the heroic teachers) of Newtown, Connecticut. On have been highlighted in this Winter 2013 edition of the CCRESA Visions Twitter people are tweeting Ann Curry with photos and descriptions of other Newsletter. acts of kindness such as paying parking meter fees, tolls and layaway bills. I invite you to take up Ann Curry’s challenge and perform acts of kind- Curry notes the memorial “is a way to help heal us all.” ness in our community and let us see what we can accomplish as we try to Many Clinton County Regional Educational Service Agency (CCRESA) honor the memory of a sister school district during their time of tragedy staff, students and Clinton County community members perform acts of and try to make a positive contribution to the future of our own community. 3 GRANTS available FOR K-12 EDUcatiON AND NONPROFITS ATHLETICS For more information visit http://www.nassp.org/ or home school under the supervision of a full or The Easton Sports Development Foun- Awards-and-Recognition/Principal-of-the-Year. part-time school employee dation (ESDF) supports activities which Funding Level: Scholarships up to $50,000 for promote archery. 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