Ronda K. Meier, who has been associated with the Monroe Public Schools since 1992 as a classroom teacher, coach and educational change leader, is the new assistant principal at Custer Elementary, Monroe County’s largest elementary school. 

     At Custer, she is reunited with her former principal, Lisa McLaughlin, with whom she has worked since 2007 at Waterloo Elementary School.  Mrs. Meier’s appointment was approved Tuesday night (Sept. 8) by the Monroe Public School’s Board of Education.

     “Ronda’s experience with various programs and initiatives and working with nearly every elementary school throughout our district, has prepared her well for her new Custer position,” said Julie Everly, deputy superintendent, Monroe Public Schools.  “She has trained with many nationally recognized educational leaders and has been involved in implementing some big programs here, like Waterloo’s development as a STEAM school and implementation of new state proficiency testing in our schools. 

     “In her years with Monroe Public Schools, Mrs. Meier has helped hundreds of students to succeed,” Mrs. Everly said.

     Mrs. Meier, who has experience as a substitute acting principal, earned both her Bachelor degree in Elementary Education and her Master degree in Educational Leadership from Eastern Michigan University.  She also holds a State of Michigan Professional Education Certificate.

     For 16 years of her Monroe Public Schools career, Mrs. Meier was a classroom teacher at Manor Elementary, Waterloo Elementary and Cantrick Middle School.  For five years Mrs. Meier served as a Language Arts coach at Custer, Lincoln, Riverside and Waterloo Schools.  During the 2014-15 school year at Waterloo Elementary she was the school improvement coach and was one of the leaders who helped implement a STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and math) curriculum at Waterloo, the only one at a Monroe County school.

     She also has had considerable experience as a leader with school and district improvement teams, math and language arts district committees and with technology support for teachers.  During her time with Monroe schools, Mrs. Meier also has presented at various state and local conferences. 

     Delsie Sissoko, an Upper Peninsula native who has been teaching in Monroe Public Schools since 2007, has been named an assistant principal at Monroe High School.  Her appointment was affirmed Tuesday night (Sept, 8) by the Monroe Public Schools Board of Education.

     Mrs. Sissoko succeeds Alex Schukow who left MHS to become an assistant principal in Saline.

     “When you look at the major improvement projects we have had over the last six or seven years, Delsie’s name is always among them, as a member or leader of the group.  She has had a hand in many of the major strides we as a district have been able to make,” said Julie Everly, deputy superintendent, Monroe Public Schools.  

     Over the past two summers, Mrs. Sissoko has been the program coordinator for the highly successful Arborwood Summer Reading Program, after being the leader of the Arborwood Family Engagement sub-committee.  She also has been associated with her school’s improvement committee and the district’s school improvement committee.  She has led the District English Language Arts Committee and was the professional learning council leader of the Lucy Calkins district Reading Pilot Program.  She has been a PTO-teacher liaison and a member of her school’s Technology Committee.

     Mrs. Sissoko began her career at Monroe Public Schools in 2007 as a teacher at the former Lincoln Elementary School.  For four years she taught at Arbowood Elementary when the school opened as an elementary and then was appointed the school’s improvement coach in 2013

     She has her bachelor’s degree in elementary education, mathematics and integrated science from Finlandia University.  She also holds a master’s degree from Eastern Michigan University as a reading specialist.

Monroe High School’s after-hours Certified Nursing Assistant class still has a few openings and you do not have to be a Monroe High School student to qualify.  

Starting Monday, September 14, this after-school class will meet once weekly from 3:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Mondays, and will run for the entire 2015-16 school year.  

All Monroe County high school seniors in any public or private school with an interest in Health Careers, and with good attendance and discipline records, are invited to the first meeting where you can still enroll.  Details will be worked out for class credits and scheduling with each school district that has a  student participation in this county-wide Career and Technical Education (CTE) offering.

Earlier registration and more information is available by calling MHS CTE Director Bill Ferrara at 734-265-3453.

Just in time for the start of school for students who may need them, Old National Bank has donated several large containers of school supplies for students in Monroe Public Schools.  The supplies included backpacks, paper, markers, pencil boxes, rulers and hygiene products such as tissues and hand wipes. 

Here Jim Treece (left,) Retail Banking Center Manager for Old National Bank in Monroe, presents a cloth bag of pencil holders and some back packs to Monroe Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Barry Martin. 

Mr. Treece said the school supplies were donated by bank employees and customers and neighboring downtown Monroe merchants.  It was the first year the local bank has had such a campaign. 

“We are very thankful to our friends from Old National Bank.  These supplies will certainly help the district provide supplies to the students who need them,” Dr. Martin said.  The school supplies donation is part of a larger Tools for Schools campaign sponsored by Old National Bank.  In that contest, grants of $1,000 and $5,000 are available for schools simply by having the most people vote for “your” school on-line at oldnational.com/toolsforschools or by garnering the most “likes” on Old National’s Facebook page.  

It is indeed rare when an author of a text book makes a stop in a class room where his texts are used to teach but that is exactly what Michael Fitzpatrick (left), author of “Machining and CNC (Computer Numerical Control) Technology,” did September 3 when he visited MHS teacher Tim Smith (right) in his classroom to see where the lessons will be taught. 

Mr. Fitzpatrick’s book, which is his third version of it, will be used in Mr. Smith’s classes for the first time this school year.  “The book is to be looked at like another tool in your tool box.  It is a published text for digital-brain students,” Mr. Fitzpatrick said.  He explained that too many times students are asked to put away their cell phones in class but in this case, the phone actually helps learning and is needed because throughout the book there are numerous QR codes which when scanned can take the student to a website for more information.

Mr. Fitzpatrick and Mr. Smith became acquainted when they attended a number of Haas HTEC Educators training conferences in recent years.  Both have similar backgrounds – both came out of the “trades” to become teachers.  In fact, Mr. Fitzpatrick even videotaped part of a lecture to students while he was in Monroe for Mr. Smith to use when he starts to teach the class. 

“In my 45 years in the business, the Monroe High machine shop is the most organized, best maintained and best set up I have ever seen in a school, high school or college,” Mr. Fitzpatrick said.

A Back-to-School newsletter is now out and is being distributed with various pieces of information, tips and schedules needed for the soon-to-start school year.  It also includes a piece from Dr. Martin, our superintendent, about how the word, TROJANS, describes what we as Monroe Public Schools, offer to our students and families.  A copy is attached to this posting. Enjoy, and we will see everyone back in class on September 8.  Have a safe weekend.

Thursday's edition of the Monroe News contained the bus routes for this coming school year.  The routes also can be found here by clicking on the "Bus Routes" icon on this web site.  If you want to see the information published in the Monroe News, click on this link.  http://www.monroenews.com/news/2015/sep/03/monroe-schools-announces-bus-schedule/

Just as children are returning to school comes the return to Community Education with the release of the fall classes catalogue.  Some old favorites are back but the list of nearly 80 classes includes some first-time offerings which are bound to be very popular.

     “We are very happy with the classes we have this fall and we are confident the community will be, too,” said Amy Poley, Director of Community Education.  “It doesn’t matter if you want to keep fit with some of our exercise classes, learn a new hobby or want to check out some of our special programs, we strive to have something to appeal to almost every interest.”

     Among the nearly 80 classes that are available are 12 arts and crafts, 12 special programs, 10 fitness and recreation, 10 children’s-related offerings, eight sewing and needlecraft and six water-related classes.

     Back again this fall are belly dancing, digital camera and homemade herbal remedies, as well as kickboxing/bootcamp, Tai Chi, aqua dancercise, crocheting, knitting, sewing and a taste of preschool and other classes, too.  The drop-in swim at Monroe Middle School has been changed to make it even more popular, flexible and affordable.

     New offerings this fall term include simple ways to manage diabetes, CPR/AED and first aid, and a discover scuba diving experience.

     “The discover scuba diving experience is a one-night class which is offered five times during October so people who always have wondered about scuba diving can check it out to see if they might want to pursue it further,” Mrs. Poley said.

     All classes must be prepaid and there are various ways to register.  Phone registrations are accepted by using Visa, Mastercard or Discover only at 734-265-3170.  You can register by mail by completing the registration form in the catalogue and sending it with a check or money order made payable to Monroe Public Schools and mailing it to Community Education, 1275 N. Macomb St., Monroe, MI  48162.  Registrations will be taken in person at the Community Education office from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., daily.

     Persons who may not have received a catalogue can pick one up at the Community Education office at the Monroe Public Schools Administration Building.  It is also is displayed on line on the Monroe Public Schools website at http://monroepublic.cyberschool.com/files/user/506/file/MPS%20Fall%202015%20-%20revised(1).pdf

The Monroe High School Band will take its annual tour of the Monroe Public Schools’ elementary schools on Thursday, September 17.

     As in the past, the 95-member band will travel from school-to-school and give a 10-minute concert at each school, playing in the school’s parking lot, play ground or front lawn.  The marking band will perform three of its fall songs, ending the concert with the MHS fight song. 

     At each stop, teachers bring their students out to enjoy the “big kids” playing music in the band.

The bus schedules and routing information now are available on-line and will be printed in the Thursday edition of the Monroe News.  Check out the schedules here on our website.  Click on the bus routes icon and follow the prompts.  If you have transportation questions you may contact the Transportation office at 734-265-3300 between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.