Ice Skating at Rosa Parks Circle begins Grand Rapids Public Schools News - Section A December 2, 2016 Grand Rapids Parks & Recreation Activities - Section B SeeT B16 for details. -Adult Fitness, Youth Activities, Swim Lessons, and more! City of Grand Rapids & Public Library News - Section B October 2016 | Vol. 16 | Issue 2 | Section A Thanks to the generosity of our advertisers, this newsletter was funded using minimal taxpayer dollars. Great Things are Happening at GRPS! By Teresa Weatherall Neal, M.Ed., Superintendent of Schools Recently, we heard great with students taking college courses, along with high Gerald R. Ford Academic Center news about the Public Museum school classes. Students in the program complete a “13th Gerald R. Ford Academic Center focuses on School. In September, it was year” after 12th grade made up primarily of college character, leadership, and college prep. Thanks to the announced that the school re- courses. The result is that students graduate after year school’s partnership with the Gerald R. Ford Presidential ceived a $10 million grant from 13 with a high school diploma and an associate’s degree Museum, students had an opportunity to hear directly XQ: The Super School Project. with at least 60 transferable credits! Ottawa Hills is also from the late President Ford’s son, Steve Ford. He spent Public Museum School is one proud to have a strong partnership with Historically a morning at the school meeting with teachers and of just 10 schools in the entire Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). presenting to students. The students listened intently as country to be named a “super CA Frost Environmental Science Academy he shared stories about life in the White House, what school”. The grant will provide it was like to travel with Secret Service agents, how his CA Frost has been an outstanding environmental much needed funds as the new high school is developed father demonstrated character and leadership, and the education program for many years. As a result, there was at 54 Jefferson, the site of the former public museum. importance of making positive choices. Mr. Ford told tremendous interest among families, but not enough the students that his dad would have been proud to see However, I want to remind our community that space was available for all interested students. We his name on the school. amazing things are happening all over the district! Here decided to renovate the former Covell Elementary to are some examples: serve as the middle/high school campus for the school Pine Grove Ottawa Hills High School as it grows from a K-8 to PreK-12. This fall, CA Frost We recently celebrated an expansion of Pine Grove, celebrated a ribbon cutting at the Covell campus and Ottawa Hills High School is preparing to launch which serves students ages 5 to 26 with significant 6th-10th graders enjoyed starting their school year in a a middle college program next fall, which will allow developmental delays. Expanding Pine Grove means beautifully renovated building in a natural setting on the students the opportunity to take college courses right that we are able to offer more students the opportunity city’s northwest side. at Ottawa Hills! The program will begin in 10th grade ■ SEE GREAT THINGS / A3 GRPS Announces Historic Count Day Grand Rapids Public Schools celebrated a successful of the success of the GRPS Transformation Plan, the Count Day on October 5. Superintendent Teresa Weath- dynamic leadership of our Superintendent and her team, PAID erall Neal held a press conference to announce that the and how the Grand Rapids community has truly re- ECRWSS PERMIT #319 PERMIT US POSTAGE district saw a 160 student increase over last year. united with GRPS.” NON-PROFIT ORG NON-PROFIT GRAND RAPIDS, MI For the last two decades, Grand Rapids Public Schools has experienced enrollment declines, averaging between a 400 to 600 student loss annually. As part of the GRPS Transformation Plan, Superintendent Teresa Weatherall Neal made it clear that the district needed to “stop the churn” and stabilize the district’s enrollment. GRPS has since posted back to back count days that were considered to be among the best the district has had in more than twenty years. This year, the district projected a 25 student increase. “Grand Rapids Public Schools is stable and we are growing again! Today’s count is 16,840. That’s up 160 ECRWSS Customer Postal students from last year! This is huge! Today we join the ranks of a select few urban districts who have turned around and are experiencing growth,” said Superinten- Board President Dr. Tony Baker and Superintendent Teresa Weatherall Neal dent Teresa Weatherall Neal. Announce Count Day Results Dr. Tony Baker, President of the Board of Educa- 1331 Franklin S.E., PO Box 117 Grand Rapids, MI 49501-0117 tion, said “These count day results are further example 2 GRPS News October 2016 Grand Rapids Public Schools Learning to ‘Leave the Earth a Better Place’ OCTOBER 2016 Expanded Environmental School Opens Grand Rapids Courtesy of School News Network Board of Education 2016 “A lot of people think you have to something to preserve it and leave the Tony Baker, Ph.D., President go away to see nature, but it’s all around earth a better place than they found it,” Raynard Ross, Vice President us,” said Lewandoski, who teaches said Assistant Principal Ryan Huppert. Rev. John Matias, Secretary grades six through eight. “It’s important Monica Randles, M.D., Treasurer Students also are learning to be for the kids to take ownership and to Wendy Falb, Ph.D. good neighbors, offering coupons to know that yes, this is where we live, this Jose A. Flores, Ed.D. nearby residents to rake leaves and do is what we need to help take care of.” Pastor Nathaniel Moody other chores for service hours, added Jen Schottke Love That Outdoor Classroom Principal Greg Ramey. Maureen Quinn Slade That ecological ethic permeates A new gym, robotics room and Teresa Weatherall Neal, M.Ed. Teacher Mary Lewandoski shows Aiden Balulis every aspect of the new school, from environmental labs also are part of the Superintendent of Schools and Andy Angelino an example of plant life classroom lessons to the disposable-free renovated school, enhancing a program on the edge of the woods behind the new Equal Opportunity Institution: Grand Rapids Public C.A. Frost high/middle school cafeteria where students take turns wash- that has made district-leading gains in Schools, as an Equal Opportunity Institution, ing dishes. Waste food is composted, academic growth and reduced absentee- complies with federal and state laws prohibiting and drinking fountains tabulate how ism, Ramey said. discrimination and harassment, including Title IV many plastic water bottles were saved by and Title VII (with amendments) of the 1964 Civil “You can’t not feel lucky, cherished Rights Act, Title IX of the Educational Amendment of A boy in search of environmental students refilling their own containers. and loved when you know taxpayers 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, treasure announced its discovery to his Veterans Readjustment Act of 1974 as amended 38 Students will also create a nature voted to have this,” said parent Nancy classmates: “Storm drain, I found one!” USC 20-12 and the Americans With Disabilities Act trail in the nearby woods, where Lewan- Haynes of the bond approval, which of 1990. The District will not discriminate against His three fellow explorers joined funded renovations to many Grand any person based on race, sex, sexual orientation, him, clipboards in hand, in the parking Rapids Public Schools. gender, gender identity and expression, height, lot of C.A. Frost Environmental Science weight, color, religion, national origin, age, marital Academy High/Middle School. They Sophomore Micah Garmon, a C.A. status, pregnancy, disability or veteran status. The were on a scavenger hunt around their Frost student since fifth grade, gave two District’s Civil Rights Compliance Officer is Larry new school, searching for evidence of thumbs up to the new building and its Johnson. Mr. Larry Johnson may be contacted at 1331 Franklin SE, P.O. Box 117, Grand Rapids, MI erosion. Elsewhere, other seventh-grad- amenities outside, adding, “I really like that outdoor classroom.” 49501-0117 or (616) 819-2100. The District’s Title ers in Mary Lewandoski’s environmen- IX Coordinator is Kurt Johnson. Mr. Kurt Johnson tal-lab class searched for grass, flowers Captain of the school robotics may be contacted at 1331 Franklin SE, P.O. Box and tree branches with distinctive leaf team, he has his eye on science, engi- 117, Grand Rapids, MI 49501-0117 or (616) 819- patterns to sketch. neering and the Navy in the long run – 2010. and lots of learning in his new school for Title IX Annual Athletics Compliance Report: All are contained on the wooded Grand Rapids Public Schools is committed to grounds of the newly opened C.A. Frost now. securing athletic equity and provides annual Title campus at the former Covell Elementary “I think going to C.A. Frost will IX reporting to the athletes and parents in an effort School on Grand Rapids’ West Side. give me a lot of opportunities to go to to bring increased attention and resources towards Funded mostly by the $175 million ensuring that gender equity as required by Title different colleges,” Micha said. “That IX of the Education Amendments for 1972, Grand bond issue approved by voters last year, will help me get many careers in the Rapids Public Schools annual report is available at the $7.7 million project expands the Mercedeaz Becerra takes future.” www.grps.org.