December 2013December 2013December 2013December 2013December 2013

OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE IONIA PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT

SCHOOLSCHOOLSCHOOLSCHOOLSCHOOLREPORTREPORTREPORTREPORTREPORT

250 East Tuttle RoadIonia, MI 48846-9698

Forty-two (42) Ionia High School juniors and seniors inducted into the National Honor Society on November 5. They arepictured with NHS officers installed during ceremonies that evening as well as Advisor Rachel Shattuck and Speaker/Honorary

Pictured with Advisor Rachel Shattuck are the new offic-ers of NHS for 2013-2014, from left, Patrick Wood, treasurer;Bethany Flanagan, vice president; Mrs. Shattuck; AustinMueller, president; and Brittany Wright, secretary.

Inducted into National Honor Society

JeffersonElementary is

Focused onImproved

Achievement

NHS Inductee The Honorable Robert Sykes. Included are, front row, from left: Treasurer Patrick Wood,Judge Sykes, Sarah Sykes, Isobel Wentworth, Emily Nemeth,Emily Trierweiler, Sabrina Swartz, Samantha McGinnis, NoelCaitlin, Chelsea Davis, Ericka Prichard, Sadie Shattuck, Secre-tary Brittany Wright; second row, Mrs. Shattuck, President Aus-tin Mueller, Eileen Wieber, Monica Pettit, Paige Hartman, EmilyGerdes, Rebecca Root, Anna Van Syckle, Jordan Stephens,Mariah Slaughter, Caleb Spohn, Sydney Arens, Vice PresidentBethany Flanagan; third row, Madeline Wieber, Jordan Zamarron,Ramey Sanborn, Kara Ruthruff, Emily Nelson, Erin Nash, WilliamTalbot, Bailey Mitchell, Vincent Renucci, Charles Powell, HollySimon; fourth row, Alyssa Kauffman, Austin Gregory, Peter Pelon,Alexander Fountain, Shyenne Fish, Anna Riccius, Dominic Essich,Christiaan Duell, Timothy Mayer, Benjamin Lewis, and GarrettKirby. These students met the criteria of outstanding academics,character, leadership, and service. Congratulations.

Matthew Vogel, Principalof Jefferson School, reportedsignificant change has takenplace in its first quarter as aFocus School, and the staff ispleased with the progress in-dicated by ongoing testing ofall students. Mr. Vogel also reported thepowerful results are occurringbecause of the new multi-tiered system of support, there-arrangement of the dailyschedule honoring “no inter-ruption” and “just right in-struction” (JRI), and theteamwork of Jefferson’s Pro-fessional Learning Commu-nity. Jefferson was named aFocus School because the sizeof the gap in achievement be-tween the top 30% of stu-dents and the bottom 30% ofstudents is too large. This gap exists in allschools; at Jefferson, the sizeof the gap placed it among thehighest 10 percent in the State.

Continued on Page 6

National Honor Society Induction 2013

Thanksgiving wishes! Be aware of coming changes!

Happy Thanksgiving! From time to time, youhear me talk about our Dis-trict School Improvement/Curriculum Committee(DSICC). This committee meetsmonthly and is composed ofa principal, teacher and par-ent from each building as wellas many Central Office admin-istrators and a representativefrom the Board of Education. Associate SuperintendentBen Kirby facilitates DSICC. We met on Nov. 5 and Iam still excited about the re-ports I heard about ourschools! I believe, and BoardRepresentative SandraTownsend agrees, that somany are working so hard toimprove student achievement. Student achievement isTHE focus at Ionia PublicSchools. With the commit-ment to data driven instruc-tion, new math and readingresources, and strong paren-tal involvement, I believe IoniaPublic Schools is on the brinkof significant academic break-throughs. Last month we celebratedEmerson Elementary as a Re-ward School for its progress. You will read about thegreat strides Jefferson El-ementary is making as a Fo-cus School in this DecemberSchool Report. Through opportunities likeDSICC, the instructionalchange Jefferson is experienc-ing and the focus at Emersonis shared and emulated. Twin Rivers Elementaryhas had exceptional successinviting parents to informativesessions for greater under-standing of MEAP testing andways parents can partner intheir children's academic suc-cess. Ionia High School staffmembers have started the ar-

By Dr. Patricia L. Batista, Superintendent

Dr. Patricia L. BatistaSuperintendent

Busy Hands Make Warm Hats!

IHS Art Teacher Danna Fuller recently returned from an 8-day trip to South Africa where she presented and participatedin a conference/class at the Durban University of Technologyon mobile learning and the use of technology and collabora-tion. Attendance at the conference is a requirement of one ofher masters classes at UM-Flint.

Mrs. Fuller, who also teaches at Kendall College inGrand Rapids, took this journey as a student in her secondMasters Program, this one in Educational Technology. Cur-rently, she is also enrolled in two additional masters’ classes inwhich she is designing mobile apps for education and a gamecalled JCAT. Mrs. Fuller immediately fell in love with the people sheencountered and returned knowing she would like to help withsome of the needs of the schools in South Africa. She is al-ready looking into one project that involves used cell phonesthat are being turned into mobile learning units for studentswho don't have electricity or otherwise internet connectivity. While at the conference, Mrs. Fuller collaborated withgroups of people from South Africa and other countries. Amongthe participants were three other UM students in her program,along with the Dean of the School of Education and HumanServices Dr. Barnett, Dr. Chris Waters, Dean of Undergradu-ate Studies and Associate Provost, and Dr. Jeff Kupperman,Research Associate at Community Systems Foundation, Asso-ciate Professor at University of Michigan-Flint, Project Direc-tor at Interactive Communications and Simulations, as well asmany other collaborators from around the world.

These UM-Flint leaders and students wrote about thetopics discussed at the conference and their experiences in SouthAfrica. Mrs. Fuller’s Day 3 post, complete with photos, wasfeatured on the UM-Flint website and can be viewed at http://www.umflint.edu/news/sehs/writing-from-south-africa-day-3-educational-technology-student-danna-fuller/

IHS Art Teacher Danna Fuller, pictured with Khwezi Nxumalo,shared family photos, email addresses and quickly became friendsthrough their shared experience at the Ilanga School in SouthAfrica. Mrs. Fuller presented at a conference at the Durban Uni-versity of Technology as part of her masters program in Educa-tional Technology at UM-Flint.

IHS Teacher Danna Fuller takespart in conference in South Africa

duous pro-cess tomove tosemesterschedu l -ing. Allgrades willbe on se-m e s t e rschedule and are preparing forthe change with the 2014-2105school year; but the conver-sion is major at the high schoollevel and I appreciate the workbeing done. One of many motivationsfor the change to semesterscheduling is that it increasesinstruction 1,500 minutes inmath, science, history andEnglish Language Arts. I believe Ionia PublicSchools is a dream builder forall students; we exist to helpALL students achieve theirdreams. Thankfully, we have manypartners in this process, includ-ing parents, grandparents, fam-ily members and communitymembers. Community Partners,those who support everythingfrom Pack the Bus to Opera-tion Christmas to Senior Lock-In, help Ionia Public Schoolsaddress many importantneeds.

Aiphone through a video/au-dio system. We regret that this maycause some inconvenience forvisitors initially, but we feel itwill increase student safety. Implementation begins atthe elementary schools andWelch High School on Dec. 2.The Middle School and HighSchool will begin using theAiphone system on January 6.

Call Out System Ionia Public Schools is uti-lizing a new Call Out Systemprimarily as an automated lineto contact parents when chil-dren are absent and to remindthem to report illnesses on atimely basis. Because attendance atschool is critical to improvedstudent achievement, the dis-trict is excited to have thischannel of communication. The Call Out System hasadditional capabilities, includ-ing notification of school clos-ings, reminders on Parent/Stu-dent/Teacher Conferences,and other important messages.

Holiday Programs Once again it is my privi-lege to invite you to enjoymany holiday performancesby our talented students almostevery night in December! Elementary Holiday Pro-grams begin Tuesday, Dec. 3at the Ionia Theatre under thedirection of Music TeachersSari Mercer and Phil Sawyer. Middle School and HighSchool Band and Choir Con-certs begin Dec. 12 under thedirection of Rose Scheller,Scott Beyer, and Tom Brill. Our choir students are par-ticipating in Mingle, Jingle inDowntown Ionia on Decem-ber 6. They are hosted atWrecker’s Sports. Happy Holidays! I hopeyou enjoy warm times withyour family and friends.

Aiphones Coming Changes

A safe and secure environ-ment is a critical need forlearning. Each of our schools will bephasing in secure access sys-tems known as Aiphones.Aiphones are “buzzer sys-tems” by which visitors re-quest entrance to the school. This access system will al-low us to talk to and see allvisitors prior to entrance. Anadult will be monitoring the

Senior Justin Leak, trumpet, and junior Kara Ruthruff, clari-net, performed in the Meyer Music All-Star Orchestra atCaledonia High School on Nov. 23. Sophomore Cati Fell, tenor sax, performed as part of theMeyer Music All-Star Band. They joined 200 high school musi-cians from the West Michigan area nominated as the "very beststudents" for this All-Star performance.

IHS Debate Team Excels The IHS debate team captured first place at the November League Debate hosted atKalamazoo Central High School. Five Ionia debaters placed in the top 10. Leading the way were: Monica Pettit (12 grade) in2rd place overall; 3rd place went to Will Talbot (11th grade); 7th place was earned by GabbySwain (11th grade); 8th place went to Steve Lee (12th grade); and 9th place was awarded toRamey Sandborn (11th grade). Congratulations to the team and Coach Doug Tackmann.

Quiz Bowl qualifies for State Tournament On Nov. 16, the Ionia High School Quiz Bowl went 6-3 at the Holland Invitational to qualifyfor the State Tournament. The team is composed of Austin Armentrout, Will Talbot, EmilyRozich, Mario Barr, Alex Fountain, Hope Simon, and Kian Bednarz. The Quizbusters Team - Austin Armentrout, Will Talbot, Emily Rozich and Mario Barr -defeated Owosso, Holt, and Jackson to advance to the Top 8 in the Round of 16 in the QuizbustersTournament hosted by MSU and broadcast on WKAR TV. Congratulations to the teams and to Advisor Steve Cairns.

Fall Athletes earn all-conference honors -- Boys Soccer won its first district game! Corbin Kuhns, Riese Penn, and Avery Baylisreceived all-conference honors. Kuhns was also named to the All Region Team. JalenRodriguez, Nathaniel Leforge, Christiaan Duell, Kristian Andersen, Adam Oliveros, DylanSpohr, and Garrett Kirby received honorable mention, all-conference honors. -- Volleyball: Sarah Swartz, first team, all-conference; Anna Riccius, Rachael Blackmer,Joanna Miller, honorable mention, all-conference. -- Football: Jon Klumpp (offense and defense), Kyle Parks, Austin Gregory, Doug Henry,Mason Eldridge, Bailey Mitchell, Collin Prominski, Brian Wiles, and Dustin Lehman allearned first team, all-conference honors; senior captain Eric Spohr was all-conference, hon-orable mention. -- Girls Golf: Evelyn Velasco earned honorable mention, all-conference. -- Girls Swim: Lindsey Wood, all-league, 100 yard backstroke; honorable mention, 200free; Larissa Piggott, 50 free, 100 free, honorable mention; Katey Jeffers, breaststroke,honorable mention; Cadence Nutt, 50 free, honorable mention; IHS 200 IM Medley (Wood,Jeffers, Nutt, Piggott), honorable mention. -- Boys Cross Country: Dillon Braun, Marshal Rademacher, Jorge Cardenas, Peter Pelon,all conference; Tim Mayer, Jordan Zamarron, Cameron Mahlich, honorable mention.-- Girls Cross Country: Brittany Wright, Serena Lebo, Jenna Koelsch, all conference; KierstenReeves, Kaylee Shattuck, honorable mention. Brittany finished 108th at State! -- Boys Tennis: Bobby Eppler, honorable mention, all-conference.

The IHS Varsity Girls Basketball Team transported the dona-tions of canned goods and non-perishable items to the Zion UnitedMethodist Church Food Pantry following the Blue and WhiteGame in min-November. Fortunately, the participation in thisannual event yielded the largest amount of food items since thefood drive was initiated as part of the Blue and White Game!

IHS QuizBusters advance to Top Eight in Round of 16 The 2013 QuizBuster Team made school history when players Emily Rozich, Mario Barr, WillTalbot, and Austin Armentrout defeated Jackson to advance to the Top 8 in WKAR’s QuizBusterTournament. The team was scheduled to compete against Saline High School on press day!

Photo by Steve Cairns

Senior Patrick Wood was honored as the Astera Student ofthe Month at Ionia High School. He is pictured with, from left,IHS Principal Jack Manciu, Darlene Powell of Astera, Patrick, andnominating Teacher Rachel Shattuck. Congratulations.

1. With seven members present, the board took the following actions by 7-0 vote: - approved the continuation of a 20% contribution by IPS employees for their health insurancepremiums for 2014. -- extended for one year the Individual Contracts reflecting language revisions by Thrun Law Firmfor the seven administrators. -- following closed session for Discussion of Union Negotiations, took no action.

2. Superintendent Batista discussed the progress of numerous activities tied to the first year ofthe Strategic Plan, including communicating information on the Millage for Technology on Feb.25, 2014, reviewing assessments for student achievement, implementing CKH, and sharing parentemail groups created from the Parent Communication Survey with classroom teachers. Dr. Batistacongratulated Mr. Wilcox on the audit report, noted that all financial reports are on the districtwebsite, and staff will be trained on Aiphone access at our buildings.

3. Jefferson Principal Matt Vogel gave a detailed report on theprocess Jefferson School has taken as part of its Focus Schoolefforts. He spoke about the indepth analysis done to examineestablished practices and to identify weaknesses in order to knowwhat to change and how to change it.

Mr. Vogel reported significant change has occurred andthe staff is pleased with the success indicated by frequent test-ing. He also reported powerful results occuring because of themulti-tiered system of support, the rearrangement of the sched-ule honoring “no interruption” core and “just right” instruc-tion, and the teamwork of the Professional Learning Commu-nity. (See the feature story on Jefferson Elementary beginningon Page 1.)

Mr. Vogel praised the dedicated work of his Jeffersonstaff, and thanked Curriculum Director Kathy Dole, Associate Superintendent Ben Kirby, andMDE Consultant Dr. Nora Evers for their leadership.

4. Director of Finance Don Wilcox reviewed three bills passed and one under considerationby the Senate Finance Committee which negatively impact the School Aid Fund by $38million or more. He also reviewed how Section 25E of the State Aid Act, newly effectivethis year, impacts the workload to track student enrollment beyond Count Days and furtherimpedes the ability to project general fund revenues. Mr. Wilcox noted Section 25E basi-cally creates daily attendance accounting through a cumbersome process.

Highlights of Board’s November Meeting

Thank you, Band Boosters! President Balice Gregory commended the Ionia Band Boost-ers as the November Community Partner to the Board. Presi-dent Donna Kammers and Vice President Gail Braun acceptedthe certificate of appreciation from Trustee Walt Downes. Band Directors Scott Beyer and Tom Brill noted the bandscouldn’t do what they do without the Band Boosters. The Boost-ers help with everything from camp, halftime shows, competi-tion days, fundraisers, communication, and much more.” The Boosters watch out for the needs of all band students,make sure uniforms are ready, build props, set up, reload andstow away equipment, set up the sound systems, make repairs,and take pictures. In essence, the Band Boosters provide leadership, enthusi-asm, and support for the IPS Band Program in every way.

Ionia Public Schools Board of EducationPresident . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Karen Balice-GregoryVice President . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Roger HullSecretary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cathy HoppoughTreasurer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Sheri ScheurerTrustees . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Sandra Townsend

Walter Downes, Dave O’Mara

Bag It Up for Goodwill Boyce students couldn’t believe how overflowing the bin atBoyce is with donations to the 17th Annual “Bag It Up” for Good-will Drive! Thank you to all who took time to recycle gently usedclothing, toys, books and items that can be used by others in ourcommunity.

Ionia Public Schools will be part of countywide Security and Technology Millage Electionon February 25, 2014 through the Ionia County Intermediate School District. Funds raised by the proposed 1 mill levy for 5 years are targeted to provide each of the K-12 school districts in Ionia County with the ability to move forward with identified safety andtechnology needs. Information will be shared with the public on a regular basis.

Security/Technology Millage Election set for February 25, 2014

Ionia Public Schools celebrates 150 years in 2013!Officially formed as a school district in July 1863

Superintendent: Dr. Patricia BatistaEditor: Maureen Meade

Website: www.dawggle.netEqual Opportunity Message: It has always been the policy of Ionia Public Schoolsto be an equal opportunity institution. We do not discriminate on the basis of sex,race, creed, color, ethnic origin, physical or mental handicap, height, weight, ormarital status in any of our educational programs or activities including enrollment,placement, and employment. Any person wishing to inquire regarding thesepolicies, or to file a complaint should contact: Ben Kirby or Maureen

Reeder, 250 E. Tuttle Road, Ionia, MI 48846.

Happy andSafe Holidays!

Photo by Chris Sharpe

“Christmas in Ionia”“Christmas in Ionia”“Christmas in Ionia”“Christmas in Ionia”“Christmas in Ionia”at the

Ionia Theatre

Students in Twin River Teacher Candace Vogel’s secondgrade enjoyed “exploding” their volcanos as part of their studyof landforms. Mrs. Vogel’s class teamed with Teacher TammyDuell’s class to make and “erupt” their own volcanos as part ofScience class.

Senior CitizenLunch is Dec. 13

Senior citizens are invited toenjoy the monthly luncheonhosted by Ionia Public Schoolson Friday, December 13. TheMiddle School Band will per-form under the direction of TomBrill and Scott Beyer. Please report your reserva-tion and birthdays and anniversa-ries by calling 527-9280.

TR second graders enjoy study of landforms

on Sunday, December 83 - 5 p.m.

Free Seating - Free Will DonationsBenefit For: Ionia Zion Food Pantry

Ionia Area Hospice

Emcee for the Program: Walt Downes

Performances by area talent, including theIonia Community Band

Harmony(Sue Manciu, Mindy Talbot, Steve Hodgkins, Warren Wentworth)

Alexandra AllenLauren CurtisZach Curtis

Emily GerdesIHS Brass Quintet Band

(Justin Leak, Glen Heglin, Matt Winright, Tim Mayer, BrendanHoffmann)

Mindy HensleyDan Kusmierz

Billy RayBryant AdamsCally RedderHeather Lenz

Winter WonderlandWinter WonderlandWinter WonderlandWinter WonderlandWinter Wonderland

Calendar of School Holiday Events:Dec. 2 KinderStart Holiday Program, Watt, 6 p.m.Dec. 2 2nd Annual Toys for Tots Toy Drive Kick-off

Party, Oliveras, 5 - 9 p.m.Dec. 3 Boyce Program, Ionia Theatre, 6 & 7 p.m.Dec. 4 Emerson Program, Ionia Theatre, 6 & 7 p.m.Dec. 5 Rather Program, Ionia Theatre, 6 & 7 p.m.Dec. 6 Ionia Electric Parade, 6:30 p.m., and

Home for the Holidays CelebrationDec. 8 "Christmas in Ionia" Concert, Ionia Theatre, 3Dec. 9 Jefferson Program, Ionia Theatre, 6 & 7 p.m.Dec. 10 TR Program, Ionia Theatre, 6 & 7 p.m.Dec. 11 Operation Christmas, IHS Student CouncilDec. 12 6th Grade Band/IHS Jazz Band, 7 p.m., WattDec. 13 Senior Citizen Lunch, Watt Lobby, 12 noonDec. 16 IMS Band Concert, 7 p.m.,WattDec. 17 IMS Vocal Music Concert, 7:30 p.m., WattDec. 18 IHS Band Concert, 7:00 p.m., WattDec. 18 Bulldog Beginnings Christmas Program,

6 p.m., Rather gym.Dec. 19 IHS Vocal Music Concert, 7:30 p.m., WattDec. 21 Winter Break begins

A special thanks to the Men of Grace Trio for entertaining atthe November Senior Citizen Luncheon. The local member ofthe trio is Dan Mitchell, on left, who works at Firstbank-WestMichigan.

The Honorable RobertSykes was given honorarymembership in the NationalHonor Society at Ionia HighSchool at its recent 51st An-nual Induction Ceremony. Pic-tured presenting Judge Sykeswith his certificate of member-ship is his daughter, Sarah, ajunior at IHS who was also in-ducted into NHS.

Public Meetings to review proposedReproductive Health Curriculum materials

The Reproductive Health Advisory Board has set the datesand times for parents, students, and community members toreview Reproductive Health materials currently included in thecurriculum. The first of two review opportunities is planned for Friday,Dec. 13 from 3 to 4 p.m. at Twin Rivers School, Muir. The second is Wednesday, January 8 from 6 to 7 p.m. in theCentral Office Board Room. Those unable to make these preview times may call TwinRivers Principal Dayna Ellis, co-chair of the ReproductiveHealth Advisory Board, at (989) 855-3333 to makearrangements to review materials at their convenience.

Financial AidInformationNightfor Parents and

Students Ionia High School seniorsand their parents are invited toan important financial aidinformation night to learn howto complete the FAFSA(financial aid form for college).

IHS College Advisor KylieHorrocks has arranged a spe-cialist from the Admissions Of-fice of Montcalm CommunityCollege to lead the program,which includes a question andanswer session. The program is planned forFebruary 5 from 6:00-8:00p.m. in MCC Rm 304.

Photo by Candy Vogel

Jefferson Elementary is Focused on Improved AchievementContinued from Page 1

The purpose of the FocusSchool is to shrink the size ofthe gap while supporting theacademic growth of all stu-dents. “We are raising theachievement level for allJefferson students,” Mr. Vogelsaid. “With the data, the newschedule, and the rigor of in-struction, the hope is that thebottom 30% will grow at afaster rate.” Mr. Vogel is very proud ofthe success in this first quar-ter and very proud of the fi-delity with which the staff hasattacked this challenge. The hard work of theJefferson teachers has madethis happen, Mr. Vogel said.“The teachers have spentmany hours above and beyondschool hours. Their time, ef-fort and willingness to changeare the reasons for thegrowth.” Likewise, he said, the in-terventionists are critical.“These are certified teachersemployed as interventionistswho have been willing to be-come experts at all grade lev-els in order to meet the manyneeds of the students.”

Before Jefferson couldmove forward, the staff spenttime analyzing how instructionwas delivered in years prior to2013-14. Once the weak-nesses of the old system wereidentified, the wheels ofchange were set in motion. Under Jefferson’s newmulti-tiered system of support,ALL students are receiving 30minutes of individualized in-struction specifically gearedfor the level of learning theyneed. These 30 minutes ofextra help are in addition to thecommon classroom instructiontime that is now sacred anduninterrupted. To achieve this, the dailyschedule was rearranged withcore instruction at the center.Specials, like art, music andgym, are now scheduledaround the sacred commonclassroom instruction time formath and reading. “The schedule was difficultto do, but it is what makes ev-erything possible,” Mr. Vogelnoted. A second critical factor isthat staff members are usingdata to continually and consis-tently monitor and adjust theirplanning and instruction.

The Star Test, whichevaluates the grade level andgrowth of individual studentsand individual classrooms ofstudents, is taken every 3 to 4weeks and adjustments aremade according to results ona timely basis. The frequency of regroup-ing and adjusting JRI for eachstudent now matches themonthly Star Test schedule. Time is provided for theJefferson staff to meet as aProfessional Learning Com-munity on a monthly or moreoften basis to allow staff tocollaborate on their instruction

to meet the needs of their stu-dents. The results of the first tri-mester are encouraging. Us-ing data from one classroom,the class average gain fromSeptember through Octoberwas .8 of a grade equivalentor from a class average gradeequivalency of 3.5 to 4.3. Like all classrooms, thisgrade is divided into seven lev-els for JRI. All levels, fromthe bottom 15% to the top15% and all levels in between,showed growth in gradeequivalency in this short pe-riod of time.

Just Right Instruction (JRI) Time

Resource Room Teacher Karen Adgate guides one of her stu-dents during Just Right Instruction at Jefferson. Each grade levelis divided into seven small groups for 30 minutes of instructionbased on their needs as determined by testing data. The gradelevel teachers, resource room teacher and four interventioniststeam together at each grade level to provide JRI to every child!

Two fourth grade groups meet in this classroom designated as Jefferson’s Just Right Instruc-tion Room with Interventionists Kristy Nash, leading the group on the left, and Jeff Thompson.They team with Interventionists Allison Audia and Holly French. Interventionists are certified teach-ers and have been willing to adapt and become experts at all grade levels in order to meet theneeds of the students.

Data results from the No-vember Star Tests, received asthis story was being written,show continued overall growthin student achievement. Another important factor isthat the Michigan Departmentof Education and Ionia PublicSchools are providing the re-sources necessary to assistJefferson with this process. Mr. Vogel praised the dedi-cated work of his staff, andthanked Associate Superinten-dent Ben Kirby, CurriculumDirector Kathy Dole and MDEConsultant Dr. Nora Evers fortheir leadership and assistance.

Fourth grade Teacher Keith Hesche works with his group during Just Right Instruction whileInterventionist Holly French works on reading with her JRI group in the back of the room.

"Mingle, Jingle", Downtown Ionia,3 - 8 p.m.

Caroling and Tree Lighting, 6 p.m.Ionia Christmas Parade, 6:30Rather Santa's Secret Shop

Tuesday Wednesday Friday Sat./SundayThursdayMonday

Board of Education Meeting,MCC 304, 7 p.m.

7th/8th Grade Band Concert, 7ELA Curriculum Committee Mtg.

Boyce Grade Level, 7:25 amJefferson School Improvement,

3:45

Boyce Holiday Programs, 6 & 7Band Boosters, 6:30, Bandroom

K-12 Science Curriculum CommitteeMeeting, 8 - 3

TR FSO Mtg, 6:00Elementary Grade Level

Meetings, 4Jefferson Booster Mtg., 6

Kinderstart Holiday Program, 62nd Annual Toys for Tots ToyDrive Party, Oliveras, 5 - 9 p.m.

Rather Coffee w/the Principal, 7:15Boyce Lunch w/the Principal

ELA Common Core/Hair on FireOperation Christmas, IHS Student

Council

TR Holiday Program, 6 & 7, IoniaTheatre

6th Gr. Band/HS Jazz BandConcert, 7, Watt

Rather PFCU Branch, 9:35Math Common Core/Hair on Fire

Jefferson Holiday Program,6 & 7 p.m.

IAAB Meeting, 7 pm, IHS LibraryBoyce School Improvement, 7:25Emerson School Improvement,

3:30TR School Improvement, 3:45Jefferson School Improv., 3:45

Emerson Holiday Program,6 & 7 p.m., Theatre

Rather Santa's Secret Shop

Rather Holiday Program, 6 & 7Rather Santa's Secret ShopRather PFCU Branch, 10:20

Winter Break

Winter Break

IMS Holiday Vocal Music Concert,7:30 p.m., Watt

District School Improvement/Curriculum Council, 8:30

DCT Holiday Gathering, 3 p.m.

Christmas Day

Senior Citizen Luncheon, 12Noon

Dentists-R-Us at RatherSS/Science Common Core/Hair

on Fire

IHS Holiday Vocal MusicConcert, Watt, 7:30

Elementary Holiday PartiesEmerson PTG, 6 p.m.

Rather PFCU Branch, 9:35

IHS Band Holiday Concert,Watt, 7:00

Rather Bulldog Beginnings HolidayProgram, 6 p.m., Rather

Rather Lunch with the Principal,11:20

Elementary Holiday Parties

Winter Break begins

Christmas in Ionia "WinterWonderland" Holiday Program,3-5 p.m., Ionia Theatre

Mrs. Claus Bazaar, IMS,all day, benefit forCommission on Aging

9

16

23

3

10

17

24 25

18

11

4 5

12

19

26

6

13

20

27

30

2

21

22

14

15

7

8

28

2931

1

Burrito

Chef"s Salad

Dippin' Chicken Nuggets

Dippin' Chicken Nuggets

Dippin' Chicken Nuggets

Sloppy Joey/bun

Meat Sauce onSpaghetti Mountain

Macaroni & Cheese,Please

Hot Diggity Dog

Up Periscope, ItalianSub

Cheese filledbreadsticks

Cheese filledbreadsticks

Cheeseburger on a bunis fun!

BurritoHam Slice, Au Gratin

Potatoes, Treat

December 2013Pizza, taco, hamburger and grilled chicken patty are the four main choices available every day. Fifth choice offerings are listed above. In addition to the main dish, the following items will be available: Lettuce,Cheese, Croutons, Salad Dressings, plus one vegetable, one fruit and bread and butter. A 1/2 pint of regular or 2% milk is included with lunch. Prices: Elementary Students, $2.00; Middle School Students (buffetline), $2.25; High School Students (buffet line), $2.25; Staff and Adults, $3.00. Program prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability. Any person who believes he/shehas been discriminated against should write to USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410 or call 800-795-3272 or 202-720-6382 (TTY). USDA is an equalopportunity provider and employer.”

They’re off for the Annual Turkey Trot at IMS! An enthusiastic 200 or more runners/walkers participated in the annual Turkey Trot and helpedIonia Middle School raise more than $500 for the local Zion United Methodist Food Pantry. AddisonBaylis won for guessing one second off her time of 20 minutes, 1 second. Thanks to all staff whourged their students to participate and who also participated in the walk/run, the high schoolrunners who ran with the IMS group, and all staff who helped make the event successful and fun.

Ionia Public SchoolsWishes You

Safe and Happy Holidays!

Photo by Lorraine Hammer

College Application Week at IHS!

IHS Blue Crew hosts conference for Link Leaders Kevin Ozar, a teacher at North Farmington and staff member for Boomerang Project, led aconference for Link Leaders from nine Michigan high schools at IHS. One message to the LinkLeaders, known as Blue Crew at IHS, was "Dare to H.O.P.E. - Help Other People Everyday". Asecond topic was the 4 A's of Helping, which are attend, ask, assist, and advise. In attendancewere High School representatives of Clio HS, Harper Woods, Loy Norrix, Mona Shores, North

“Seussical” cast takes preview to elementary schools Ionia High School theatre students gave wonderful previews of their recent production of“Seussical” at area elementary schools prior to four performances at Watt on Nov. 22-24. Above,Rather students are captivated by the lively musical based on the works of Dr. Seuss.

Students selected as the winners in the annual pumpkin deco-rating contest at Jefferson Elementary are pictured with theirpumpkins.

Jefferson Students Design Creative PumpkinsPhoto by Matt Vogel

In Leadership Class with Teacher Niki Williams, IMS seventhgrader Sam learned an important key to success is self motiva-tion. Classmate Trinity feels the I-possess skills and 8-cues shelearned will help her life. Daniel, on right, has overcome hisshyness and learned to talk in front of a group of people.

College Advisor Kylie Horrocks, standing on right, works withIHS students as they research college information, complete on-line applications, and research scholarship applications.

The annual Turkey Trot at Ionia Middle School appreciatedthe help of members of the IHS Cross Country Team who ledthe way for more than 200 IMS participants.

Photo by Lorraine Hammer

Farmington, Olivet, Techumseh, Woodhaven, and host Ionia.