Monroe High School senior Christian Guy received the opportunity of a lifetime for a choral student in the state of Michigan. He was named a Michigan Youth Arts Distinguished Scholar and attended the Michigan Youth Arts Conference in Kalamazoo May 18-20, where he was among the best youth instrumentalists and singers in the state.

“This is a huge event that goes on, taking students from the best choirs at a regional level, then from a state level, to get to the all-state level,” he said. “This is their life. It’s so refreshing to have that same level of commitment. This was the first experience that I have had working at this level. It was spectacular.”

In its 55th year, he Michigan Youth Arts Conference, held on the campus of Western Michigan University, brings together students from all over the state to celebrate excellence in not only choir and band, but in many other performing arts, including dance, television production, visual arts, and musical theatre.

“We are so proud of Christian and everything he and all of our choir students have achieved,” Monroe Public Schools Superintendent Julie Everly said. “The students have shown such passion for signing and the staff, especially Cate Windleborn (Monroe High School Choir Director), are so dedicated to fostering that passion.”

The Michigan School Vocal Music Association’s (MSVMA) All-State Honors Choir is the third stage in a very competitive field of the best singers in the state. Students first begin by auditioning for Regional Honors Choir in October, then State Honors Choir in December. If a student is able to climb those ranks, he or she has an opportunity to try out for All-State, which takes normally a little over 100 students state-wide.

“I’m in my 21st year of teaching and I’ve had two make it that far,” said Windleborn. “It’s a huge deal. If you take all four sections separately, that means that Christian is one of the best 25 basses in the entire state. I’m so proud of him and the experience was able to have.”

Even though Guy had made it to what Windleborn, who accompanied him on this trip, describes as “the pinnacle group,” his work was far from done.

“Once you get there, the choir is given a little time to find their sound and then they give you four random parts that you need to have memorized,” Guy said. “You could go home. It’s high stakes. You need to know your music right there.”

Making it past the initial testing phase, the choir then practices eight hours a day on seven pieces. Each section practices separately initially, but when the choir comes together for the first time, the results, Guy says, are, “like a revelation.”

“You never expect it to sound so beautiful.”

The final night finds the choir performing in front of the entire conference of artists and musicians. Being able to watch the best of the best performing their honed crafts is an experience itself, but being able to be a part of it according to Guy was another thing altogether.

“That night was ridiculous,” he said. “You’re not even thinking. You’re just experiencing something taking over your soul. Just being able to perform there is an honor. You all start singing and everyone in the crowd is just giving a blank stare as they are enraptured.”

The experience of the conference is one that Windleborn says Guy deserved whole-heartedly.

“He’s a great kid,” she said. “We are going to miss him; he’s my big bass. I love that he is an independent learner. I don’t have to feed him his parts. He can just look at them and figure it out, or if not, he’ll sit down at the piano and do it. He practices on his own. Christian rocks!”

Guy’s accolade is just another in a long line of successes that the Monroe High School choirs have achieved this year, including straight ones at Festival this year and two students taking time to form and lead their own ensembles. Windleborn says she has a lot to be proud of in what could be considered a landmark year for the choir.

"We've been growing and growing at the high school,” she said. “We’ve had larger numbers than I have seen in seven years. Thanks to Elise Dinwoody, the middle school program has gotten stronger and stronger. We have students like Christian who take initiative, like Zachary Everly and Tristan Daniels who are leading practices for their own choirs. I just can’t say enough about this group. They are great.”

Monroe High School senior Corey Knabusch was awarded the Grand Award for Wrought Metal at the 2017 Michigan Industrial and Technical Education Society (MITES) Student Project Competition. Knabusch is the first Trojan to ever receive the honor, which is given to the top project in the competition that brings CTE students from all across the state.

“It was really humbling,” Knabusch said. “It was a really cool event. There were so many great projects, even outside of my division. I was actually surprised that my project did that well. It was really cool.”

Knabusch’s project, which was the first he had ever entered into MITES competition, depicts two pheasants taking flight from the foreground of four stalks of corn, adorned with an intricate spider web and a butterfly. He began working on it before the start of the third trimester and spent time outside of school working on it as well with Glenn Zorn, his welding teacher.

“Mr. Zorn and I sat down one day and we were just trying to figure out what to do,” Knabusch said. “I’m into hunting and he came up with the idea of the pheasants and I live on a farm so I added the corn stalks and we went from there.”

After having started the project, Knabusch broke his leg in a dirt bike accident and had to take time off of working, but was still able to produce a top-tier submission in the Large Sculptures/Models over 30” division, which would eventually win the top prize for the Wrought Medal category.

“He had to take six weeks off of working,” Zorn said. “He worked really hard on it, though. It was a really cool project.”

Zorn has a lot to be proud of with his students this year. Several other Trojans performed extraordinarily in the Wrought Metal category of the 2017 MITES competition. Senior Dalton Benner took first in Outdoor/Sporting Goods Project division and senior Trevor Duvall took first place in Small Sculptures/Models under 30”.

2017 Michigan Breaking Traditions Merit Award recipient Starlyn Higgins, also a senior, took second in Small Sculptures and Outdoor/Sporting Goods. Senior Jeff Salliotte was awarded second place in the CNC Cutting Process division. Lucas Michelin, also a twelfth grader, took second in Small Fixture/Furniture and sophomore Andrew Young took second in Large Sculpture.

Monroe High School also took 11 more Top 10 finishes in the competition in a total field of over 5000 entries.

The strong showing by Trojans in the MITES competition is a reflection of the growth of Monroe High School’s CTE programs, instructions, and offerings.

“Seeing the impressive work by our students and the accolades that they have received for their work really shows the commitment the district and our teachers have to Career and Technical Education,” Monroe Public Schools Superintendent Julie Everly said. “We are so proud of Corey and all of our CTE students.”

Knabusch, a summa cum laude graduate was named to Monroe High School’s Top 100 Scholars of the Class of 2017. Even though he plans to study agricultural sciences at Monroe County Community College instead of welding, Knabusch still learned valuable lessons from his experiences in the MITES competition and the Career and Technical Education courses at Monroe High School.

“It was really hard, with all the intricate parts,” he said. “It was really challenging and thought-provoking. The project just taught me that if you really think of something and want to do something, you just have to try it.”

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The Monroe Public Schools Board of Education honored the academic careers of 25 seniors Tuesday evening, welcoming their families in as the students were awarded a range of scholarships, totaling over $30,000 for the group.

The evening began with opening remarks from Monroe Public Schools Superintendent Julie Everly, who after welcoming the seniors and their families, praised them for their dedication to their academics as well as their dedication to volunteering and service in the community.

“The scholarships that are awarded tonight are all deserving honors recognizing both your scholastic achievements and your community service,” she said. “We are all very proud.”

Each student in attendance was asked to stand and tell the board their plans for future education, who joined them for the celebration, and which elementary school they attended.

Six very special scholarships were awarded in addition to the traditional endowments. The Sean Brady Memorial Scholarship is given in the memory of the Monroe High School alum who tragically lost his life in a vehicle accident in 2015. Brady’s parents, Richard and Ann Brady, were in attendance to celebrate with those whom the family had awarded the scholarship. Richard Carter and Grant Prater were present to receive the special honor with the family.

“This evening is so special because students and the Board members are able to come together and celebrate all of the amazing achievements of these fine students,” Everly said. “It is an honor to be able to congratulating their accomplishments together with their families and the members of the Board. It truly shows the value of the education our students receive here in Monroe Public Schools.”

Monroe High School is excited to work in concert with the Michigan College Access Network (MCAN) to establish an AdviseMI Americorps adviser position in the building. The adviser’s focus is to guide students through the processes of college applications and financial aid, especially low-income or at-risk students, and will work very closely with the district’s post-secondary planners. As MHS already works so closely with its students to think critically about their futures after high school, this partnership will enhance the school’s mission.

"MHS works with the Michigan College Access Network to provide highly effective post-secondary opportunities for our students," Monroe High School Principal Sandra Kreps said. "We are looking for an individual to round out our three-person team of post-secondary planners that has worked with teenagers or adults in planning their next steps that include career, college, and military opportunities."

The partnership will offer even more support for students who are seeking guidance for the next steps in their lives.

"We are excited to partner with MCAN to help our students see the value and the attainability of post-secondary education," said Julie Everly, Monroe Public Schools Superintendent. "Monroe High School’s staff works diligently already to guide students to even brighter futures after graduation and this partnership will only serve to help promote their mission."

The AdviseMI program, established in 2015, works with schools across Michigan to help students who typically would not complete or even attempt college to succeed in post-secondary education. The advisers will specifically work with students who are working from low-income backgrounds. The Americorps-sponsored adviser, running from July 2017 to June 2018, is responsible for immersing him or herself into the community, encouraging and informing students on the possibilities and benefits of education beyond high school. The AdviseMI adviser will work closely with MHS counselors, administration, and post-secondary planners to bolster the school’s already stellar post-secondary work.

"Monroe High School offers its students and parents access to three post-secondary planners and three coordinators-guidance counselors that work with them for career preparation and planning, college selection and applications, and financial aid and scholarship assistance," Kreps said. "They have been an invaluable resource in being available to students and parents to help them understand FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) with this year’s updates."

MCAN has a goal to have 60% of students attain college by 2025. The network’s values define college as both academic degree programs and professional or technical certificate programs. The program views college as a necessity for everyone and a public good.

The position requires a bachelor’s degree from 2015-2017 from any of MCAN’s partner colleges or universities. High energy and creative applicants are encouraged to submit a resume, three references, and college transcripts to advisemi@micollegeaccesss.org. More information about responsibilities, compensation, and requirements can be found at www.monroe.k12.mi.us.

Monroe High School senior Sven Wollschlaeger added to his already impressive business resume with a great showing at the 2017 Business Professionals of America National Leadership Conference, held May 9-14. He placed first in a field of 552 other students nationally in Administrative Support Concepts, while also placing fourth out of 369 students in Computer Programming Concepts. Wollschlaeger was also in the top three percentile in Merit Scholar competition at the conference.

Wollschlaeger, who plans on attending the University of Michigan Ross School of Business in the fall, is the president of the Monroe High School Class of 2017 as well as the National Honor Society. Wollschlaeger also was the recipient of a Congress of Future Science and Technology Leaders Academic Award of Excellence and was a scholar and researcher in the Leadership, Education, and Development (LEAD) Summer Business Institute.

Sophomore Anthony Levesque also did very well at the conference, placing second in the state and 29th in the nation in Personal Financial Management. Like Wollschlaeger, Levesque was also in the top three percentile in Merit Scholar competition at the conference.

"We are so proud of both Sven and Anthony," Said Monroe Public Schools superintendent Julie Everly. "Their success at such a high level is a true testament to their hard work and the quality of the programs and instruction we have in the district."

In its fourth annual Engineering Night, Custer Elementary School welcomed almost 500 people to a “Night at the STEAM Museum” Tuesday as the school showcased not only its engineering curriculum and student projects as in years prior, but opened up activities for visitors which allowed families to see the great things their students are up to. Custer principal Lisa McLaughlin was excited to show the community everything its school does to study and celebrate Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics.

“There’s just so much that people don’t see,” she said. “I’ll meet with people and explain all of the things we do and they’ll respond, ‘Wait, you do that at Custer?’”

If any of those people were able to see all of the student projects and interactive activities, they would be amazed at all of the things that Custer Cougars are learning and producing. Down hall four, in the STEAM lab, and in the computer lab, students from every grade showcased their STEAM projects, which each student completes.

“There are so many rooms that our families get to see tonight,” Mrs. McLaughlin said. “You know, there’s so much going on and it’s just a great night.”

From robot coding projects to buoyancy projects and a 3D printer producing fidget spinners, students were given an opportunity to learn from each other and teacher their families the fascinating topics they learn every day.

“I love trying the experiments and learning from my mistakes,” Xzander McCoy, Custer third-grader said. For his project, Xzander painted a ceiling tile centered around fractions. He and his mother, Amanda McCoy, said that they have never missed an engineering night.

“Xzander loves engineering night,” she said. “We do it every year.”

With all of the new activities, engineering night at Custer will only continue to grow, just like the school’s STEAM curriculum.

“We were excited to show people the STEAM lab. It’s my baby,” said Mrs. McLaughlin. “Teachers can bring their students down to the lab and the experiments will all be ready. All they have to do is teach the lesson and the students can do the experiments there.”

“Events like this are an example of Monroe Public Schools’ commitment to STEAM and CTE programs that are fun and engaging,” Monroe Public Schools superintendent Julie Everly said. “It is great to see families share in their students learning and see the great activities and opportunities our schools provide for them.”

After families could peruse the projects, there were also interactive stations that everyone could enjoy, including the “Let It Fly” catapult challenge, where families were given a lesson about projectiles and then were given time to build their own catapult to see how far they could launch a cotton ball.

In hall 3, various rooms were opened for families to participate in “Free Build” time, in which they could build with various materials together. Across the hall in the gym staff had assembled a Maker-Space station. Families could assemble soap-box cars from washers, binder clips, and cardboard, structures from toothpicks and marshmallows, and marble mazes from plates and straws, among other activities. The Monroe High School robotics team also showed off its creation in the Maker-Space station as well.

Monroe Public Schools Safety City program will be held June 19th-30th at the Riverside Early Learning Center. This program is designed for children entering in the fall or currently enrolled in Young 5"s or Kindergarten. Teacher Katelyn Reaume, along with her assistants, and officer Brian Winsjansen, from the Monroe City Police Department will present a different safety topic each day. Special guest presenters and field trips are also included as part of the program. For additional information or to inquire about enrolling a child please call 265-3000 or 265-3170.

Monroe Public Schools –News Release

1275 N. Macomb St., Monroe, MI 48162 · (734) 265.3000

Monroe High School seniors emphatically and proudly announced the next steps in their careers as they walked across the stage Thursday, celebrating Career and College Decision Day. In its fourth year, Decision Day has grown into an even more grand celebration of future endeavors, new beginnings, and dreams being realized. The class of 2017 triumphantly told the world their plans moving forward, signed their Letters of Intent in front of friends, family, classmates, and the world watching on live-streaming video, and began the next phase of their lives.

"The purpose of Career and College Decision Day," Monroe High School Principal Sandy Kreps said to the seniors, "is for you to acknowledge and celebrate to progression you have made from elementary school to middle school to where you are today. We want you to have fun today. Although you are making a decision today, we want you to know this isn’t the end of your journey; it’s the beginning."

Any extremely dedicated staff, including Monroe High School post-secondary planners Savannah Garcia, Manuel Hoskins, and Jaclyn Swasky, guidance counselors Lisa Warnke and Scott Hochradel, worked hard to set the stage for the seniors and those who came to support them.

The event commenced with the Monroe High School Marching Band drumline getting the audience fired up for the celebration that was about to take place. After Mrs. Kreps opened the program with introductions and an explanation of the day, Monroe Public Schools superintendent Julie Everly spoke on the pride the entire district has for the class of 2017.

"When you look at a community you can tell a lot about what they value by what they celebrate and that’s why we’re here today," she said. "Today is a celebration of high expectations focus, rigor, high achievements and Monroe pride."

The ceremony was live-streamed on YouTube and the district’s homepage, so friends, family, and other buildings in the district could celebrate Decision Day with the students.  Mrs. Everly reminded the group that they were role models for the entire district, as younger students watched them take the next step into their futures.

Three students were awarded scholarships, one from the Career and Technical Education Department at MHS and the other two, sponsored by the MHS Parent Club, were a random drawing for students who completed their FAFSA forms and attended their Senior Tours. Starlyn Higgins, who was recently awarded a 2017 Michigan Breaking Traditions Merit Award, received the $500 CTE Scholarship. Kemin Perry and Dylan Willis won the Parent Club $500 Scholarships.

The poster that each student paraded across the stage had a dual purpose. A contest was held for the best poster, as decided on by the staff. Shayna Frank, who will be attending Northwood University next fall, took first place, followed by Zachary Fields and Mickelli Hartman. All three received gift cards, while the honorable mentions, Kyleigh Woolley, Mikayla Tucker, Jeffrey Salliotte, Fenndher Hernandez, and Reece Lambert, all received college staple gift baskets, covering everything from laundry to coffee to naps.

A new contest for the Decision Day festivities was a video contest. Students were given an opportunity to create a video relating to career and college readiness with the winner receiving a $100 gift card and the privilege of having their video shown at Decision Day. Alante Vinson’s video was chosen and played before a very excited student body.

Author Heather Maclean then addressed the audience, discussing stories from her childhood and how, even though she had a difficult upbringing, she was able to take control of the narrative of her life. "You are the editor of your life," she reminded the class of 2017.

Emma Kimble, daughter of Arborwood Elementary Campus fifth grade teacher Dawn Kimble, then spoke about her experiences as a hard of hearing student and how she was able to turn ignorance and scorn into an opportunity for others to learn and benefit from the challenges she overcame. "Our small class shows that you don’t have to be big or in charge to make a difference," she said. "You just have to be passionate enough to make a change." Kimble plans on attending Eastern Michigan University in the fall to study biology.

Mrs. McBroom then spoke to the seniors, as well as the students of the district watching live. She reminded them that the hard work that they put in as students now pays the dividends to a bright future. "Tomorrow will only be as great as the work we put forward today," she said. "That isn’t always so easy, is it? Sometimes life is hard, sometimes learning is hard. Know you are not alone."

The last speaker before the signing ceremony was Keegan Drager, who for the past trimester has been working on an administrative internship with Mrs. Kreps. Drager, who plans on attending DePaul University to study business administration, talked about the uncertainty of going out of your comfort zone, confidence in yourself, and how having just an idea of what one would like to accomplish can take them far. "Your passions lie at the intersection of your interests and your curiosities," he said. "Your purpose lies at the intersection of your passions, ability, and opportunity. Your purpose and your passion may not be the easiest to find, but where there’s a will, there’s a way."

One by one, the soon-to-be graduates walked across the stage, with all manner of poster with the name and logo of their prospective college, technical school, branch of the military, or career choice proudly displayed. As they were announced by their Trojan Family Time teacher, many of whom have been with these students all four years, the audience of family and friends, community members, and their fellow classmates erupted with applause. The students, after being greeted by Mrs. Kreps, Mrs. Maclean, and Mrs. Everly, signed their letter of intent on stage, put their pin in the map designating where they will be next year, and returned to their seats.

The Career and College Decision Day experience has grown from just the ceremony to a Career and College Fair as well, in which students throughout the high school have an opportunity to interact with colleges, universities, trade schools, branches of the military, and local companies to get a broader understanding of the possibilities that lie before them. Over 45 entities were represented at the fair this year; the largest showing to date.

For the second year, Arborwood Elementary Campus welcomed elected community members, members of the Monroe Public Schools central administration, and a Board of Education member to celebrate Arbor Day. “I felt it was an honor that we were chosen by the city to celebrate and host a wonderful event,” Steve Pollzzie, principal of Arborwood said. “We are grateful for the beautiful trees that will grace our campus and we hope to continue the tradition for years to come.”

After months of planning with City of Monroe Forestry and Grounds Supervisor Tony Abbott, six more Tulip Poplars were planted on the campus grounds, four along Linwood Ave. and two on the south field. Eighteen fifth grade students assisted City of Monroe forestry crew members in planting the trees before a ceremony dedicating the trees and the day. Arborwood’s student body assembled on the field to witness the dedication and take part in the celebration.

“This was a great experience for our students to meet dignitaries from throughout the community and be a part of Monroe’s bicentennial celebration,” Megan Alexander (Angerer), Dean of Students at Arborwood, said. “Being a Green School, Arborwood is proud to house this annual event, bringing awareness to environmental concerns in the community and teaching students about the importance of trees.”

In attendance were Mayor Robert Clark, State Representative Joe Bellino, City Cleark/Treasurer Michelle LaVoy and former State Representative Bill LaVoy. Also present were Board of Education member Robert Nichols, Director of Human Resources Cindy Flynn, and Director of Student Services.

“We are so happy to have our school community be able to celebrate this occasion with elected members of the community,” Julie Everly, superintendent of Monroe Public Schools said. “We are grateful for our partnership with the City of Monroe, especially when we are able to collaborate for wonderful events like this one.”

After an opening statement from Mr. Pollzzie, City of Monroe Director of Engineer and Public Services Patrick Lewis gave the students an Arbor Day history lesson, which has roots in Monroe as J. Sterling Morton, Arbor Day founder, lived in town for years. He then proudly stated the number of trees in Monroe. “As of today we have 11,000 trees planted in the City of Monroe,” Mr. Lewis said. “Well, now we have 11,006.”

Mayor Clark then gave a few remarks about the day and the importance of the occasion before delivering the second annual Arborwood Arbor Day proclamation and dedicating the ceremonial tree. Mayor Clark enthusiastically praised Arborwood, tossing out an emphatic “Go Eagles!” to an excited student body.

After Mayor Clark’s comments, four fifth graders read aloud poems marking the occasion. Judah Blunt, Alice Kuntz, Leahna Rath, and Abigail Medley were selected from dozens of submissions to read their work in front of the assembly. Their poems covered the importance of trees and pleas for kindness to nature and to plant more.

The City of Monroe also graciously donated snacks for the entire student body to enjoy to celebrate the occasion.