Macatawa Bay Newsletter

Transcription

1 West Ottawa Public Schools Preparing Students to Be College, Career and Life Ready! October 30, 2015 Macatawa Bay Newsletter th Ave., Holland, MI Phone: / Fax: R.O.C.K.S. The R.O.C.K.S. winners for the week of 10/19 were: 6th grade - Breyton Gibbs 7th grade - Andrew Geren 8th grade - Joshua Villanueva The winners for the week of 10/26 were: 6th grade - Jasmine VanderHulst 7th grade - Richard Chan 8th grade - Maddie Graan Congratulations to all the students who received R.O.C.K.S. tickets! Going On To State Congratulations to 8th grade choir students Emma Tracy and Cate Krueger who auditioned for and were selected to be a part of this year s Michigan School Vocal Music Association s State Honors Choir. Both girls completed a blind audition process where they were rated on their overall vocal technique and musicianship. They will join other singers from around the state in a special performance at DeVos Hall in January as part of the Michigan Music Conference. Calendar of Events November 2 Calling All Colors at HL 10 Parent/Teacher Conferences 5-8 pm 12 NO SCHOOL 12 Parent/Teacher Conferences 8-11 am & 1-4pm 17 Parent/Teacher Conferences 5-8 pm 20 Anchor Function Night 23 Calling All Colors at HL Thanksgiving Recess December 11 Anchor Function Night Holiday Recess January 1-3 Holiday Recess 4 School Resumes Follow Mac Bay on PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCES Tuesday, November 10 Conferences 5-8 pm Thursday, November 12 NO SCHOOL Thursday, November 12 Conferences 8-11 am and 1-4 pm Tuesday, November 17 Conferences 5-8 pm All conferences are held in the gymnasium. A Spanish translator will be available at all conferences.

2 1 st hour 2 nd hour 3 rd hour 4 th hour 5 th hour 6 th hour 7 th hour Macatawa Bay Middle School Parent Teacher Conferences Tuesday, November 11, 5-8pm and Thursday, November 11, 8-11am & 1-4pm and Tuesday, November 17, 5-8pm Class Dear Mac Bay Families, I cannot believe that Halloween is this weekend, we fall back with daylight savings time, and next week is already November. Time is flying and the first nine weeks are complete. It is amazing to me that we were just helping all of our sixth graders open their lockers and now they walk around this building like old pros. Before we blink, we ll be helping our eighth graders register for high school courses. As our school year rapidly progresses, we would like to encourage all parents and guardians to be here November 10, 12, or 17 for parent/teacher conferences. Conferences are a great chance to hear feedback on student progress and growth in their courses. Fall conferences are very important for all families to attend. Bring your student or leave them at home if you prefer, but please be sure to attend. Conferences are Tuesday, November 10 from 5-8pm, Thursday, November 12 from 8-11am and 1-4pm, and Tuesday, November 17 from 5-8pm. Choose a date and time that is convenient for you and please visit your student's teachers in the gymnasium. There is a helpful sheet below to complete with your student. We look forward to seeing you all there! Last week we had an awesome Orange Out for Unity Day. Students were bright, kind, and making a difference. Mac Bay students signed a unity banner and made a chain of commitment for making their school a safe and kind environment. This was an excellent addition to the anti-bullying and mean, aggressive behavior lessons that all homeroom teachers taught throughout the week. This week is National College Application Week (#IApplied). Seniors all over the country are applying to college, universities, and trade schools. We are working to inform all of our Mac Bay students about the MANY opportunities for them post-graduation. All first hour classes have decorated their homeroom doors with the theme of their college or trade school. Facts about their colleges or trade schools are hanging up in their rooms. Its great to be able to stop a student in the hall and ask them about their school and have the student be able to talk in depth about life after high school. Be sure to ask your student which college or trade school they are learning about! Be safe this weekend. Don t forget to turn your clocks back. Enjoy that extra hour of sleep. We will see you in November! Sincerely, Anne Armstrong, Principal #WOMS Return after conferences to be entered in a prize drawing. Teacher Name Student s Name: Grade

3 Ski Club There will be an informational meeting for those interested in joining Ski Club on Monday, November 2 at 7pm in the Harbor Lights Café and on Thursday, November 5 at 7pm in the High School North Café. In order to receive your season pass, all forms and payment must be turned in to Mademoiselle Pyrett by Tuesday, November 17 in UT74. Anyone who turns in forms and payment after this date will not receive a season pass until after the winter break. College Gear Day On the last Wednesday of every month, Mac Bay will be having a College Gear Day. Come to school wearing your favorite team apparel and show your team spirit. College readiness is a goal of WOPS. Throughout the year, we will be involving students in a variety of activities and conversations around life after high school. College Gear Day is one of many ways to begin and spread the idea of going to college. Canned Food Drive The Macatawa Bay Student Council will be hosting a food drive November 2-20, Students are encouraged to bring non-perishable food items and personal hygiene supplies to their homerooms. All donations will benefit the Community Action House. See the attached flyer in the newsletter for more information. Europe Trip Announcement 7th and 8th grade students interested in traveling to Germany, France and Spain in June 2017 are encouraged to visit the tour website at If you sign up before the end of October 2015, you save $200! Contact Mademoiselle Pyrett at [email protected] or with any questions. Here are a few pictures from the October 15 Halloween Band Concert.

4 Hello, my name is Linda Pinkham and I am the Assistant Principal at Mac Bay. When people ask me why I moved back to Michigan from beautiful Monterey, California 13 years ago, I tell them the same thing. My husband, Peter and I moved to West Ottawa because we wanted to give our son, Reid, a great education. We have not regretted the move to Holland and believe West Ottawa was the right choice for our family. Reid is a junior at the University of Michigan with a double major in Physics and Electrical Engineering. His success as a student began at West Ottawa. All through my professional career, I have worked with kids. When I graduated from Central Michigan University with a double major in Health Education and Sports Medicine, I moved to Crystal Lake, Illinois and worked as a Health/Physical Education teacher and as the high school s certified athletic trainer. Working in the classroom and treating injuries on the sidelines was exciting, but I couldn t pass up the opportunity to move to Denver, Colorado. After three years in Denver, I met my husband and since we planned to move to California, where at the time, teaching jobs were scarce, I went back to school and got my Bachelor in Nursing. My first (and only) job as a nurse was at Seaside High School on the Monterey Peninsula in California. This was perfect because I was back in a school, helping kids. Since I maintained my teaching credentials, I was often asked to teach in the Health classroom. I remained in that position for three years before going back to school to pursue Education Leadership. I was promoted within my district as a Director of Health Services, a position I served in for four years until moving to Holland to become the assistant principal at Mac Bay in As an educational leader, supporting and guiding teachers, I feel fortunate that I get to work with a superior staff everyday. As the assistant principal of Mac Bay, I am committed to preparing every student to be College, Career and Life Ready! National College Application Week One of the activities during National College Application Week was to decorate your homeroom door in the theme of your assigned college. We wanted to share a few pictures of the decorated doors.

5 MEET THE MAC BAY MUSIC STAFF Hello! My name is Chris Meyer. I teach the 7th & 8th Grade orchestras at Mac Bay, as well as the 3 High School orchestras. I'm fortunate enough to have students for 6 straight years, and it's amazing to watch them grow! I have a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration and Music from Hope College, a Bachelor of Music Education from Western Michigan University, and a Master of Education from Grand Valley State University. I student taught at West Ottawa and have been teaching here ever since (11 years)! My wife, Shanna, is also a teacher, and teaches math at West Ottawa High School. Our daughter Kaitlyn is in 6th grade at Mac Bay (and plays viola!) and our son Landon is a 3rd grader at Lakewood. In my free time I like to travel, try new restaurants, play cello, and cheer for the Green Bay Packers (Go Pack Go!) and Detroit Tigers. I've also been coaching rec soccer for the last 3 years. The thing that I love most about my job is that I get to make music every day! Hi, my name is Carrie Ledet. I teach choir at Mac Bay. I graduated from Western Michigan University and worked in Chicago as a singer/actress prior to teaching. I have been teaching at West Ottawa for 15 years and have taught at all four secondary schools (HL, MB, South and North HS). One thing I enjoy most about teaching at Mac Bay is getting to know my students, sharing the year with them, and seeing and hearing progress in their singing! I live in Grand Haven with my husband Shawn and sons Brody and Duke. When not teaching, I sing opera and also enjoy spending time with my family - being outside either walking or running or going out to eat or shopping! Hi! My name is Heide Kenjorski. I teach band and orchestra at Macatawa Bay Middle School. I grew up in northern Michigan near Alpena. My husband John and I still often visit my parents there. I went on to attend Eastern Michigan University and VanderCook College of Music in Chicago. I taught near Hillsdale for a few years before coming here. Holland is much like Alpena in that I can enjoy my favorite outdoor hobbies in all seasons like sailing, kayaking, and skiing in winter. When I m actually inside, I enjoy reading and being creative. My goals as a teacher are to help students navigate through these tough middle school years by assisting them to feel unstoppable, cared about, and part of something amazing. Hello, my name is Michael Hamann and I am currently in my 16th year of teaching at West Ottawa. I teach 6th grade woodwinds at MB. I taught at Orchard View Schools in Muskegon from Under my direction, the Symphony Band has performed at the Central Michigan University Concert Band Symposium and the Michigan Music Conference. The band and I have gone on successful trips to Disney World and New York City. The Jazz Band program has grown during my tenure at West Ottawa, receiving multiple awards at the Central Michigan University Jazz Weekend and the Michigan State University Spartan Spectacular Jazz Festival. WOHS Jazz has also performed at the Michigan Music Conference. I have brought in professional jazz artists Wycliffe Gordon, Jon Faddis, Wess Anderson, Sean Jones, Reggie Thomas, and Jeff Hamilton to clinic and perform with the jazz bands. I am active in MSBOA as District X President and was previously District X Treasurer and District VII Vice President for Marching Festival. I have both a Bachelor and Master Degree from Central Michigan University. My wife, Tonya and I have been married for 23 years.

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