Successful swimmers and wrestling coaches who developed some of the greatest grapplers in Trojans history lead the Monroe High School Athletic Hall of Fame Class of 2016 which will be recognized and inducted to the Hall on February 5.
This year’s class members are: Amanda Thompson, swimming, 2003-2007; Ashley McLaughlin, swimming, 2000-2004; Ben Notario, baseball, 2005-2009; Bob Butler, wrestling coach, 1971-1992; Dave Strini, wrestling coach, 1972-1978; Cole Sanseverino, track, 2003-2007; Neil Watts, swimming, 1958-1960; and William Stoner, track, 1927-1930.
Here are thumbnail bios of the Class of 2016.
Amanda Thompson – A four-year varsity swimmer at MHS, she set school and conference records in the 100-yard butterfly, winning the individual state championship in 2006. An All American and All-Conference selection, she swam four years at the University of Toledo, qualifying for the USA National Championship, breaking the 100-yard butterfly school record each year and helping U-T win its first Mid-American Conference title.
Ashley McLaughlin -- A three-time state champion at MHS, she still holds three school varsity swimming records and in 2003 won the USA Swimming Junior National Championship in the 50-meter breast stroke. Ashley swam at the University of Michigan on a full athletic scholarship and three times was Academic All-Big Ten. She placed ninth in the 100-meter breaststroke as a senior in the Big 10 championship.
Ben Notario --Twice each Ben was second-team All-State, Monroe County Player of the Year and unanimous All-League selection who went onto the play in the MHSAA All-Star game at Comerica Park. The MHS single season (8) and career (17) home run record holder, he hit .532 as a senior, with a .591 on-base percentage, collecting 59 hits, 15 doubles, 8 homers and 43 rbi.
Bob Butler -- Instrumental in establishing the MHS wrestling program, Coach Butler started as JV coach and varsity assistant. Named varsity coach for the 1978-79 season, his teams were league champs or co-champs 10 of his 13 seasons, compiling a 153-65 record. Coach Butler developed numerous regional champs and state place finishers, two state champs and several wrestlers who competed collegiately.
Dave Strini -- Launched the MHS wrestling program, building it into a state power in just five years. He led teams which won the Great Lakes Eight championship multiple times, earned a fourth-place finish in the state meet and produced several individual state champions. Coach Strini also started a Monroe city-wide wrestling program for youngsters 5 to 14 which still is open today.
Cole Sanseverino -- A two-time MHSAA state champion in the 1600 meter run in his junior and senior years, Cole also was a distinguished cross-country runner, finishing 7th and 3rd in the state cross country meet in his junior and senior years.
Neil Watts -- Undefeated in dual meets in his junior and senior years, Neil won a state championship in 1960 in the 200-yard freestyle. He went on to swim at Michigan State University, lettering in 1962-1964. After graduating from MSU, Neil served 20 years with the U. S. Navy, including time in Vietnam.
Bill Stoner -- He led MHS to its first state track championship in 1930, setting a pole vault record en route to becoming the Class B state champion. In his senior year, he played on the undefeated 1929 football team that gave MHS’ a 20-game winning streak.
Five Monroe High School students who are members of the Business Professionals of America (BPA) chapter at Monroe High have advanced to the state BPA Leadership Conference in March in Grand Rapids after strong showings in the BPA Regional Leadership Conference this past Friday (Jan. 8) at Henry Ford Community College.
Here are the students advancing to the state conference:
Emily Abbe, 11th grade, first place, Fundamental Word Processing Skills.
Darian Reed, 12th grade, first place, Database Applications; and second place, Advanced Spreadsheet Applications.
Sam Kinsey, 11th grade, sixth place, Interview Skills.
Anthony Levesque, 9th grade, fifth place, Interview Skills.
Kaysi Morlan, 12th grade, fourth place, Integrated Office Applications.
The MHS BPA advisors are Mrs. Joni Weaks and Mrs. Anne Knabusch.
If the students place in the state competition, they will advance to the National Leadership Conference in Boston in May.
Here is a date to circle on your calendar -- Friday January 29. That’s this year’s 7th annual Pink Out basketball game to raise money for the Cancer Connection of Promedica Monroe Regional Hospital. Started by then-Monroe High School senior Emily Pilon, the game has raised thousands of dollars over the years for the local Cancer Connection. This year’s Pink Out features girls basketball as the Trojans host Tecumseh. Tip off for the girls varsity game is 7 p.m. Make plans to be out at the game and Think Pink.
The popular Monroe High School Cheer Clinic is scheduled for Saturday, January 23. Once again this year, the participants will get a chance to use what they learned and perform at the Monroe High School basketball game on Friday, January 29. Registration fee is $20. More information can be found on the flyer attached to the posting. This is open to all students, regardless of what school they attend.
The Monroe Public Schools District is seeking proposals for legal services for student discipline. The RFP is available at the MPS Administration Building, 1275 N. Macomb St., 734-265-3050 and on our website at www.monroe.k12.mi.us. Bids will be accepted until 3 p.m., Thursday, January 21, 2016. The School Board will not consider or accept any bids submitted after that due date and time. The School Board reserves the right to reject any and all bids.
To access the RFP, please click on the link below.
http://www.monroe.k12.mi.us/view/2929.pdf
In an editorial outlining its Editorial Platform for 2016, the Monroe News cited the work going on at Monroe High School as an example of the kinds of strides that need to continue in education.
The News wrote, “Educators at all levels have increased options for lifelong learning. High school-college enrollment is expanding, a “college-going” culture has taken root at Monroe High School, more work skills courses are available. Virtual academies and on-line courses help non-traditional students earn diplomas and early childhood learning continues to grow. Especially important in 2016 will be the renewal of the countywide technology millage that has been a model for other places around the state.”
The highly successful Career and Technical Education program at Monroe High School will be on full display this Thursday at the CTE Expo at the Monroe County Intermediate School facility at 1101 S. Raisinville Rd. The program runs from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. and is geared toward students in grades 8 through 11 and their parents. The 13 different CTE disciplines taught at Monroe High School all will have representatives and students available to chat with visiting parent and students. See the attached poster for more information.
Although there is no school for Monroe Public Schools' students until Monday, January 4, 2016, the Monroe Public Schools Administration Building, 1275 N. Macomb St., is open three days this week for persons who need to do business with the school district. The building will be open for business from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.
The following piece was writen at the request of the Monroe News which was preparing its annual look at what the area's schools and students were doing around Christmas time. Thanks to the principals who respnded with information to help compile this story.
By Bobb Vergiels
Collecting cans of food, adopting families, writing letters from home to soldiers in faraway lands, taking to the neighborhoods to deliver Christmas cards and sing carols, and entertaining in dozens of places in our community. Those were the efforts put forth by Monroe Public Schools students, staff and families as they cared about their neighbors and shared with them as the Christmas holiday approached.
Singers and instrumentalists from Monroe Public Schools – from the youngest second and third graders to high school seniors – performed nearly 40 times in public as the holiday season approached. In fact, the groups – performing many of their shows on the weekends – averaged about a show a day somewhere in the community from early November until just before Christmas’
Each school was active, too. Here by building is a compilation of the holiday-related activities leading up to the holidays.
Arborwood Elementary Campus – Students and staff sponsored a Giving Tree which benefitted 16 local families, including 47 Arborwood students. Wrapped gifts were donated and money donations were collected for hygiene products for the sponsored families.
Custer Elementary Schools – Enlisting the help of students, staff and parents, the Custer Student Council collected 38 boxes of food and household items to help the community, donating the goods to the Monroe County Opportunity Program
A number of Custer students designed Christmas cards and sent them to local military personnel serving in the Army, Navy, Marines and Air Force.
Two Custer families were “adopted” and members of the school family filled their wish list for them.
The Custer Choir spread some joy in the adjoining neighborhoods when the singers performed Christmas carols for the neighbors.
Manor Elementary School – The school “adopted” three families, providing them with gifts of toys and clothes.
Students made holiday cards to send to soldiers serving overseas.
Students also donated items to the Humane Society to make sure their furry friends also has a dog-gone good holiday. Manor and the nearby shelter have had a close relationship for many years.
Raisinville Elemetnary School --
Raisinville was very active in working with the community. First, items were collected for The Department of Human Services to serve adults in need. There school also hosted a food drive to serve the less fortunate in Monroe.
Four-footed friends of Raisinville also benefitted. A dog and cat food drive was held to benefit the Humane Society’s animals. To compliment this drive, the Raisinville Positive Behavior Intervention System Committee and the Raisinville Critter Club, created a school-wide cat and dog toy craft activity. More than 150 blankets and 200 toys for the animals were made and donated along with the dog and cat food.
Waterloo Elementary School – The school PTO organized a giving tree for a Waterloo family, providing them with toys, clothes and household items donated by various members of the Waterloo family, including staff, students and PTO members.
Prior to the school’s Christmas break, as is a familiar tradition at the school, Waterloo students went door-to-door delivering Christmas cards to the school’s neighbors.
Monroe Middle School – MMS decided to have some good-natured competition to help the less fortunate over the holidays. For instance, a certain numbers of points were “earned” for various activities which produced some tasty prizes for the winning rooms before the Christmas break.
The school held a very successful canned food drive. Several classes also wrote handmade Christmas cards to service men and women.
Several groups held a “Penny War” in the cafeteria. Every penny was worth positive points and any other coins were negative points. But the real winner was the Monroe Public Schools Promise Fund, which provides boots, coats and other wearables and sometime lodging to needy MPS families.
Throughout December, teachers also could pay money to wear jeans for the whole month, with the money being split between the Promise Fund, the National Junior Honor Society for its community projects or the Trojan Pride Project and Needy Student Fund.
Orchard Center High School – The school held an America Red Cross blood drive to help re-stock depleted blood inventories in the community.
Monroe High School – MHS had so many holiday-related activities going on that even Santa Claus might had gotten tired.
Nearly 35 classes decided to do something during the holiday season. For instance, three classrooms “adopted” families from Raisinville, Waterloo and Manor schools. Two classes “adopted” families identified by the Salvation Army.
Eight classrooms did activities on behalf of the Humane Society shelter. For instance, one class made fleece blankets and several collected food and other items for the animals at the shelter
Hundreds of cans of non-perishable food were collected by the sophomore class to be provided to local food banks.
Several groups, including the MHS student council, made fleece blankets for those less fortunate and those living in shelters. Holiday cards also were made and delivered to the residents of the Lutheran Home. The student council members also helped out at a recent GodWorks! Dinner.
More than 800 Christmas cards were signed and delivered to the American Red Cross to distribute to members of the military serving overseas during the holidays.
Monroe-area homeless shelters were well taken care of. One class knit scarves for homeless shelter residents and another group donated blankets, clothing and toys for the children living at the Oaks or Righteousness Center.
Two classrooms collected new books to provide to C.S. Mott’s Children’s Hospital for pediatric cancer patients so they have something to read as they go through their treatment regimen.
And MHS students and staff did not forget their own at Christmas, either. Several groups collected money and donations for Hope’s Closet, which is a room at Monroe High School, where various articles of clothing and toiletries are housed so MHS students who are in need can go there and get what they need in a not-threatening setting.
Administration Building – The central staff collected underwear, socks, toiletries and school supplies for the district’s Promise Fund. Money also was collected for the Promise Fund to provide food, shelter, gas cards and such for distrirct families living in transition.
Your son or daughter brought home a very important document this week. It is your child’s individual results on the M-STEP (Michigan Student Test of Educational Progress) tests which were taken last spring. We recently received this information from the State of Michigan. Your child’s teacher passed this informational document on to your child directly at school, and we wanted you to know to look for it. After you have looked over the information, if you have questions, please feel free to contact your child’s teacher.