Valerie Orr, who in her two years as Monroe High School principal led the change to a college-going culture at Monroe County’s largest high school, has been selected as the next superintendent of Whiteford Agricultural Schools.  The Whiteford school board voted Wednesday night to hire Mrs. Orr as its superintendent.

                “We are very happy for Val that she has been selected for the Whiteford position.  She has done a tremendous job at Monroe High School and we are thankful for the time she spent with us,” said Monroe Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Barry Martin.  “We wish her all the best at Whiteford.”

Graduation exercises will be held outside at the Monroe High School football field tonight at 6:30 p.m. as planned.  No tickets will be required for entry.  However, it would be wise to bring an umbrella and something like a towel or cushion to sit on since there is a possibility of scattered rain this afternoon.  Persons who do not care to sit outside can still view the ceremonies on closed-circuit television in the air-conditioned Monroe High School Auditorium.   The MHS parking lot will open for graduation parking at 5 p.m. today.  In addition, a shuttle will run starting at 5 p.m. from the north parking lot at Monroe County Community College to the MHS parking lot, and will take attendees back to the MCCC parking lot after the ceremonies.  

If you cannot make the ceremonies, please join us via YouTube by clicking on this link

http://mpactstudio.org/live/

The live stream will begin about 6:15 p.m. 

Three graduating seniors at Monroe High School have earned national recognition for their tremendous musicianship, leadership and dedication to the music program.  They are (left to right) Mary Stehulak, Steven Knapp, and Laura Stewart. Mary earned the John Philip Sousa Band Award; Steven won the National Orchestra Award and Laura won the Louis Armstrong Jazz Award.  “These students are exceptional talents and are important contributors to the success we have had in our music program at Monroe High School.  We wish them all the best as they take their musical talents to higher levels now,” said James Nuechterlein, Director of Bands at Monroe High School. 

SURVIVORKIDS CAMP

SURVIVORKIDS CAMP

For the second year in a row, the Monroe High School graduation ceremonies will be streamed live over YouTube and can be accessed by clicking on this link.  http://mpactstudio.org/live/  Ceremonies start at 6:30 p.m., Friday, at Monroe High School and the live stream will be viewable about 6:15 p.m., EDT.  Last year's live stream was viewed in many states in the US and nearly a dozen foreign countries.  The ceremonies will be available on a recorded basis, too, on the same URL after commencement has concluded.  Monroe High School is the only Monroe County high school to live stream its graduation exercises.  The live stream is a joint production of Monroe Public Access Cable Television, the Technology and Communications Departments of Monroe Public Schools and Red Letter Productions.     

                Good things have come in threes recently for the Monroe Public Schools instrumental music program.  The trend continues as three musicians have received state-wide recognition and three musical groups – including a vocal group – earned superior ratings recently at an Ohio musical festival.

            Three students earned prestigious Michigan School Band and Orchestra (MSBOA) Scholar Instrumentalist Awards, which recognize young musicians who achieve both academically and musically.  Monroe students who were recognized were Morgan Kline, Monroe High School Orchestra; Jacob Foulkrod, Monroe Middle School Orchestra; and Erin Bressler, Monroe Middle School Band.

            “In the State of Michigan, this is a very exclusive group since each member school may nominate only one school musician per year in orchestra and band,” said Mrs. Ann Felder, orchestra director at MMS and MHS.  The students were nominated by Mrs. Felder and by Monroe Middle School band director Chris Morelli.

            In another musical activity that involved threes, over this past weekend, three groups from Monroe Middle School earned superior ratings in the annual Trills and Thrills Festival in Sandusky, Ohio.  Those groups are the Monroe Middle School Orchestra, MMS eighth-grade choir and the MMS eighth-grade band. 

     Lunch prices will rise by 10 cents next school year, the Monroe Public Schools Board of Education has decided, but prices in MPS cafeterias still will be lower than most of the other Monroe County districts are this school year.

     Even with the adjustment, elementary lunch prices will be the lowest in Monroe County in the public school districts.  After the adjustment, secondary lunches still will be lower priced at Monroe than at four regional districts were this year. 

     For the 2014-15 school year, hot lunch prices were $1.95 per lunch for elementary and $2.70 for secondary grades 7-12.  Those prices will be adjusted to $2.05 and $2.80, respectively, next school year.  The 10-cent per lunch adjustment equates to $16.80 annually if a child were to purchase hot lunch at the school cafeteria every day of the nine-month school year.

     Katherine Eighmey, director of Finance, Monroe Public Schools said that the Federal Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 requires school food providers to adjust lunch prices annually based on an averaging formula provided in the act,meaning that the district was required to increase the lunch prices.  Monroe’s “weighted” average would be $2.41 per lunch, she said, based on the percentage of lunches for elementary students and secondary students.

Monroe High School junior David Neckel has earned a scholarship from Washtenaw County Community College for his accomplishments in the latest Automobile Skills/USA competition.  David has received up to six credit hours of classes and $150 for books from Washtenaw CCC.  David, who said he finished third in the automotive electrical contest, one of the most complex in the competition, this year after finishing 16^th last year, has as his senior-year goal to win the automotive contest.  His future plans are to work on high-performance engines. 

When it comes to the Entertainment in the Park series for the City of Monroe, they have saved the best for first.  The Monroe High School Jazz Band will kick off this summer’s Thursday night music series with a concert at 7 p.m., this Thursday at St. Mary’s Park.  City Recreation Director Loretta LaPointe said of the MHS jazz band, “The talent of the youth in the jazz band is always phenomenal.  It is a pleasure to have them kick off our concert series.”  Admission is free so bring your lawn chair.

The new house at 447 Michigan Ave., Monroe, which was celebrated today, is the 10^th house built by the Construction Technology Class of Monroe High School.  It is believed that Monroe High School has built more Habitat houses than any other high school in Michigan.

            “This partnership between Habitat for Humanity of Monroe County and Monroe Public Schools has been successful for a decade,” said M. David Graves, interim President/CEO of Habitat for Humanity of Monroe.  “Not only has it provided solid affordable housing for local families but it also has meant real-world, hands on experience for well over 200 students in the last 10 years.”

            “Our construction students and Mr. Nathan Nestor, their teacher, are extremely thankful for the opportunities to build these homes but they also are very proud of the work they have done over the years.  I speak for our Board of Education and administration of Monroe Public Schools in saying congratulations to our students and to Habitat for Humanity in forging a partnership where so many people in our community have benefitted,” said Dr. Barry Martin, superintendent of Monroe Public Schools.

            This partnership is made possible through the financial support of several prominent business and community partners, including the United Way of Monroe County, State Farm Insurance, and the La-Z-Boy Foundation. 

            A family to live in the house has not yet been selected since the home is partially completed.  It is expected to be finished this summer.

            The costs for this 5-Star Energy Plus Habitat home are kept to a minimum because the Construction Technology class provided so much of the labor required.  This home will be sold at no profit with affordable monthly mortgage payments.  These payments are placed in a revolving account and used to build Habitat homes for more local, hard-working families.  Thus, the labor of the students and the support of the community partners keeps on giving, said Mr. Graves.