The Mobile Food Pantry will visit Orchard Center High School from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Dec. 12.  A free food package will be given to the first 200 Monroe Public Schools families.  You do not need to pre-register for this event.  To receive food, a parent or guardian must be present, children must be enrolled at one of the Monroe Public Schools, and be eligible for the Federal Food Subsidy Program or be a family in transition.  Each family wishing to receive a food package must produce an identification, such as a parent’s driver’s license or school ID showing Monroe County residency.  This event is in conjunction with the Monroe County Opportunity Program and Gleaners Food Bank.   

Monroe Public Schools students will have a half day of classes on Wednesday, December 9.  Here are the release times for each school.  Monroe High, 10:30 a.m.; Monroe Middle, 11:09 a.m.; Orchard Center, 10:40 a.m.; Arborwood North, 11:43 a.m.; Arborwood South, 11:48 a.m.; Custer 1, 12:14 p.m.; Custer 2, 12:11 p.m.; Manor, 12:01 p.m.; Raisinville, 12:01 p.m.; and Waterloo, 11:46 p.m. 

Elementary students at Monroe Public Schools will be able to take a short trip to Greece the week of December 7 just by standing in the cafeteria line at school and ordering the spcial fare that will be available.

                All year long Sodexo, food service provider for Monroe Public Schools is hosting its World Flavor Series and the country of the month for December is Greece.  Each day in two cafeterias, Sodexo chefs will set up a special line to serve made-to-order food as part of the special cuisine.  Three Greek foods are chicken gyro and hummus. 

                Normal lunch still will be available that day but the Greek offerings will be an additional choice that day for students.

                Here is the serving schedule:

Monday, December 7 – Custer 1 and Waterloo

Tuesday, December 8 – Arborwood North and South

Thursday, December 10 – Waterloo and Raisinville.

Chances are good that most of the 1,000-plus students at Michigan’s largest elementary school didn’t even know their schoolmate, Chase Reaume, who is suffering from a rare, serious blood disease.

            But when word spread through Monroe Public School’s two-building Custer Elementary School Campus that Chase, a fifth grader and one of their own, needed help, the children stepped up to “Lace ‘Em Up for Chase,” a half-mile jaunt along the school’s paved walking and running track in early November.

            The result -- $5,252 was raised for Chase’s family to pay medical bills, and more than $4,100 of it came as a result of children bringing money in for the opportunity to run in the event.  As Principal Lisa McLaughlin said, it didn’t matter how much they brought in, just that they did.

            “Some of the kids who brought in money were from families who could probably least afford it but it was important to the kids they that they help the ‘boy who goes to my school,’” Mrs. McLaughlin said.  “Some of the kids brought in their donations in nickles and dimes wrapped in plastic wrap.

            “We told the kids that no matter how big or small the donation was, everyone’s input is valuable, ” Mrs. McLaughlin said.  The kids went home and go mom and dad involved, too, she added.

            The event had some other benefits that might not have been totally anticipated but were successful because the students got their parents interested.  For instance, the bone marrow donor group, Be The Match, set up a table at “Lace ‘Em Up for Chase,” and came away with a number of potential bone marrow donors they did not have before.  The local Red Cross chapter also was present to promote an upcoming school blood drive.  The response was so strong and so many people signed up for a December blood drive that another blood drive has been scheduled for January.

            “This whole event has helped our students to see how important it is to think of others.  The kids know now that even though they are young, they can still help out and their input is important,” Custer third grade teacher Teresa Stewart said.   

Service to the community and to “members of the family” in a variety of ways is a tradition at Monroe High School, especially with its student council.

            A full-time class for which the students must apply and be chosen, the student council not only works on various activities year-round as a team but the 30 students in Mrs. Anne Knabusch’s class also are graded on whether or not they spend the required number of hours as an individual in community service projects throughout the Monroe community during the school year, too.

            The group does the fun and funny – like plan and carry out Homecoming and Winterfest (important rites of passage for high schoolers,) and they even don cartoon characters’ costumes to walk in the local Christmas parade or help with the school district’s Monroe County Fair booth which attracts well over 15,000 children each year.  It also does the serious side of service such as serving food to the homeless at a local traveling soup kitchen or spearheading a winter coat drive.  While doing all of that, they are using the event planning principles they have learned in class to plan a blood drive and pull together the Christmas items for the group’s Adopted Family at Christmas. 

            Whew.  That might be tiring for many.

            But the group always has time and a burst of energy to take care of “one of the family” when it needs to.  Especially in a pinch.

            At the start of the school year, the student council learned that a legally-blind freshman at Monroe High School wanted to purchase a special $15,000 set of eyeglasses.  She had tried them at a clinic and for the first time, had gotten to see her mother’s face. 

            Knowing it just had to help, the student council sought permission from the athletic department and did collections at a school soccer match and the high school home football game a few nights later.  The collection?  More than $1,700 in coins and dollar bills.  But the collection was topped off when one of the council members appealed to the Monroe Exchange Club which donated another $500 to the cause.  Just before Thanksgiving, with the help of the student council, the student crossed the $15,000 threshold so she will be able to obtain her glasses and experience the joy of sight.      

Several weeks ago, more than 2,200 people signed up to add texting to the way that Monroe Public Schools can contact them for various items of interest in the district.  However, some people did not sign up with the initial offering but have since decided that they wanted to sign up to receive text message from MPS. 

          Parents and staff members still have time to sign up.

          Just follow these easy instructions.

• Ensure that the mobile phone number you are calling from is on file with your child’s school.  You will know that it is if you have received group phone calls from Monroe Public Schools before on that phone and number.
• Using that device, text Y to the number 68453.  As simple as that, you have been registered.
• If you need assistance while doing this, text H-E-L-P to 68453.  To opt out at any time, text STOP to 68453.  Message and data rates may apply.   

The Monroe County Health Department will hold an immunization clinic for children who are newly enrolled in their school district, kindergartners or seventh grade students who need to be vaccinated.

          The clinic is scheduled for 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., Thursday, December 3, at the health department office at 2352 S. Custer Rd. at Herr Rd., which is the road you take to Monroe High School.

          These vaccination are given by appointment only.  Please call for an appointment at 734-240-7800.  Most insurances are accepted and the health department will provide service to those who are underinsured or uninsured.  A $20 administrative fee will be requested per vaccination.

          Parents or guardians please note – If you need a vaccination waiver, you also can call for an appointment at the same number.  New state rules require that if someone needs a waiver they must go to the health department rather than getting it at schools as it had been done in the past.     

Students will have a half-day of classes on Wednesday, Nov. 25, and no school on Thursday and Friday.  The early-release times for all of our students are 10 minutes earlier now than they have been.  The new release times are listed below.  Just a reminder, too, that our Riverside and Custer Kids’ Clubs will be open their regular hours this Wednesday.   

Monroe High School -- 10:30 a.m.

Orchard Center High School -- 10:40 a.m.

Monroe Middle School -- 11:09 a.m.

Arborwood North Elementary School -- 11:43 a.m.

Arborwood South Elementary School -- 11:48 a.m.

Custer 1 Elementary School -- 12:14 p.m.

Custer 2 Elementary School -- 12:11 p.m.

Manor Elementary School -- 12:01 p.m.

Raisinville Elementary School -- 12:01 p.m.

Waterloo Elementary School -- 11:46 a.m.

Congratulations to the Waterloo STEAM Elementary’s robotics team which this past weekend qualified as one of only seven teams to advance to the First Lego League State Tournament to be held December 12 at Jefferson High School.  The team competed last Saturday (Nov. 21) in the FLL Regional Qualifying Meet at Monroe High School. .

                Thirty-one teams from around Southeast Michigan competed and only seven advanced.  In addition, the Waterloo team received the “Inspiration” Award which is given to the team that is empowered by the FLL experience and displays extraordinary enthusiasm and spirit.   David Hogan, the team’s mentor who is a high school member of the Monroe-based Team Virus robotics team won the Mentor of the Year Award.  He was nominated by the seven-member Watrerloo team for his hard work and commitment to the team. 

                The members of the state-tournament-bound  Waterloo STEAM robotics team are Mason Dykes, Dylan Evans, Seth Kimberlin, Mackenzie Mielke, Raelynn Runyon, Brianna Stubleski, and Kyle Thacker, all of whom are fifth- and sixth-graders.  Team coaches are Laura Demarco and Waterloo’s robotics teacher, Kyle Reed.   

                The team competed in robot design, robot performance, core values, and a research project which they presented to a panel of judges.   

     During the recently completed College Application Week, seniors at Monroe High School submitted 615 college applications, 532 of which were to in-state institutions.

     In all, 343 members of the senior class submitted at least one college application and 226 seniors submitted their first college application ever during College Application Week.

     A major push for college applications is being made at Monroe High School this year, with a whole day – October 28 – of College Application Week dedicated to being career and college-ready for the entire student body.  While seniors spent a portion of the day completing their college applications, they also participated in such activities as completing resumes for job and scholarship opportunities, performing a career inventory, doing college and career searches and completing specific career and college activities for their educational development plans.   

     Every activity was geared toward helping the students to succeed.