There will be a half-day of school for Monroe Public Schools students on Wednesday, January 25.  Pre-school at Riverside, along with Kids Club at Riverside and Custer, will operate on a regular schedule. 

In honor of the Martin Luther King holiday, there will be no school on Monday, January 16.  In addition, the Monroe Public Schools Administration Building will be closed.  Classes will resume and the administration building will reopen on Tuesday, January 17.

Three experienced Monroe Public Schools Board of Education members were elected by their colleagues as officers at the January 10 organizational meeting.

The Board elected Lawrence VanWasshenova as president, Floreine Mentel as vice president, and Cynthia Taylor as secretary.  Katherine Eighmey, MPS Business and Finance Director, was re-appointed as treasurer. 

Mr. VanWasshenova, who has served on the Board since 2003 and as vice president since 2013, will preside over regular and special meetings.

The board voted Tuesday night to continue to hold its regular meetings at 7 p.m. on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month.  Workshops, which generally precede board meetings, will continue to start at 5:30 p.m.   

January 2, 2017

Dear Monroe Public Schools Students, Staff, Families, and Community Members,

Happy New Year!  I hope this finds you, like me, eagerly anticipating the entrance back into our school routines tomorrow, Tuesday, January 3rd, after a wonderful holiday season.  It is a treasure when we have the opportunity to pause, become refreshed, and think about the wonder and promise all around us.  This is especially true for me, as with the New Year, I am honored to begin serving our school district as Superintendent.  I would like to thank Dr. Martin for his service and leadership over the past years and wish him all of the best in his retirement.

For over twenty years, I have witnessed our talented staff, involved families, dedicated Board of Education members, and invested community organizations in their relentless pursuit to provide the best possible experiences for our Monroe students.  When I speak to others about our district as my home, where my own children go to school, and where I have invested my career as an educator, I am proud to share the many memories and opportunities within Monroe Public Schools.  Whether it be in academics, arts, athletics, leadership, technology, or volunteerism, our students have access to the programs and initiatives that support them in meeting high expectations and becoming successful lifelong learners and global citizens.

With the New Year, in addition to our rigorous plans to enrich student opportunities and achievements, I also think about the important role that each of us holds as a champion for our students and the school district.  Our words are powerful, and for every positive story that we share, there is a person or an entire group of people, young and old, working harder and feeling a deeper sense of pride because of it.  In daily routines, it is easy to overlook the influence that these positive stories bring to our students, our work as a school district, and ultimately, our legacy as a Monroe community.  Please join me in this daily commitment to share and celebrate our children and our successes!

Thank you for your ongoing support.  Monroe Public Schools is stronger because you are a part of it.   Feel free to contact me through email at  everly@monroe.k12.mi.us or by phone at 734-265-3000. Together, we will embrace questions, address issues, and engage in conversations to make Monroe the best it can be every single day.  Here’s to a prosperous 2017, and wherever you go -- beam that one-of-a-kind Monroe Trojan Pride!

Believe.  Engage.  Excel. As always,

Julie M. Everly

Superintendent

Monroe County Opportunity Program has food boxes available for Monroe Public School families.

The food boxes will be distributed from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 22 at MCOP, 1140 S. Telegraph Rd., Monroe.
About 250 boxes are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. 
Recipients will have to sign paperwork to indicate they received a box.MCOP Food Boxes

There will be a half-day of school for Monroe Public Schools students on Wednesday, Dec. 21. Kids Club at Riverside and Custer will be closed in the afternoon.

Monroe Public School students have been busy this holiday season helping their fellow man, classmates and even animals.

The Arborwood Campus partnered with the Thrift Shop Association to adopt more than 60 families to help with Christmas gifts this year. They school referred families to the Shop with a Cop event held earlier this month. Staff members participated in the Arborwood Giving Tree where they adopted families at the school to buy gifts for this Christmas. Throughout the school year, Arborwood hosts food and clothing drives to help those in need. The school received support from several organizations and individuals. During the holidays, Elevate Church provided holiday meals for three families. Midway Products and the UAW also pitched in to help families have a happy holiday season.

Students at the Custer Campus have made Christmas cards for the troops while others were made for a sick child. The fifth and sixth grade choir will visit surrounding neighborhoods singing Christmas carols. Families were adopted through the St. Nick gift program and through community and private organizations. Custer student council hosted a food drive. Students made holiday placements and Christmas cards for residents at Wellspring Lutheran home. Students in Kelly Lake’s class have been doing Random Acts of Kindness throughout the school and in the community. Ms. Lake’s students have made cards for the Lutheran Home, ornaments for school bus drivers and blankets for the Monroe County Humane Society. The Parent Teacher Organization adopted a family at Custer 2. The Custer Sodexo group adopted a family. Staff at both schools also adopted families for the holidays. The school also received some kindness from the Knights of Columbus who donated more than 50 winter coats to the school for students.

At Manor Elementary, the school had a Good Deed Tree, which encouraged students to participate in good deeds at home and throughout the community. Students created Christmas cards for residents at Medilodge. The school hosted pajama day fundraiser with the money benefitting a Manor family. Students wrote cards to soldiers stationed overseas. The school also collected coats for a coat closet.

Raisinville Elementary students hosted a canned food drive, which was sponsored by teacher Mary Vincent. The food was delivered to the Salvation Army of Monroe County to be distributed to folks in need. Raisinville’s BFFs, or Birthdays for the Future collected money in lieu of presents, which was donated to a 9-year-old named Jose who lives in Quito, Ecuador through the Children’s International Charity. The money is used for school supplies, clothes, health care products and other items. In two months, the school collected nearly $400.

Waterloo Elementary students planned to go door-to-door Dec. 21 singing holiday carols to folks in the neighborhood. The school’s Parent Teacher Organization partnered with ProMedica to provide 11 Waterloo families with a holiday turkey dinner.

Students at Monroe Middle School crafted more than 500 letters to send to troops overseas. The school collected winter gear for the Trojan Closet, a clothing boutique inside of the school where students can select gear. Several groups hosted a penny war to benefit the Monroe Public Schools Promise Fund.

Monroe High School students helped more than a dozen local organizations through a variety of collections and drives during the holiday season. Each Trojan Family Time group hosted an activity to help their fellow man. Students collected food, toiletries, clothes and household goods to be donated to places like Oaks of Righteousness Christian Church/Oaks Victory Village, the Salvation Army of Monroe County, Family Counseling Services, Goodwill, Paula’s House, Philadelphia House and Monroe County Opportunity Program. Students collected food and toys to give to the Monroe County Humane Society and the Devoted Barn. Another room collected stuffed animals which were donated to Mott Children’s Hospital, Ann Arbor. One room made fleece tied blankets. Other rooms brought in canned food items to help stock the newly-created Trojan Food Closet, which benefits Monroe High School students and families. A number of rooms created holiday cards, which were sent to troops overseas. Others made cards for local nursing homes.

Orchard Center High School hosted a mobile food pantry Dec. 10 in conjunction with Monroe County Opportunity Program and Gleaners. With the help of volunteers from the district, food packages were donated to more than 125 families living in the community. For the past three years, Orchard Center High School has hosted a mobile food pantry prior to winter and spring breaks. On Dec. 21, the school’s choir group planned to visit a nursing home to sing Christmas carols. The students also created holiday cards, which will be delivered by the choir group that day.

Twenty-one students were honored Tuesday for their artwork, which was selected to be displayed for the year in the district’s Board of Education room within the district’s administration building.

The students received certificates for their accomplishment and shook hands with school board members.

Melissa Cramer, an art teacher at Manor Elementary, said the district has been displaying student art in the board room for about 20 years.

“The art is selected from all of the art work submitted for display at the Monroe County Fair Little Red Schoolhouse from Monroe Public Schools,” she said.

More than 200 pieces were submitted before the final 21 were chosen.

Elliott Moore, a sixth-grader at Manor Elementary, is among the young artists to have a piece selected. His piece features brightly-colored symmetrical cut paper figures.

“I’m very excited,” Elliott said of his artwork being selected. “Now, my art will be up here for a whole year for others to see.”

The youth said he enjoys art class.

“It’s just fun to express yourself,” Elliott said.

Bonnie Ritsema from Arborwood and Melanie Castellese from Raisinville have taken over the board room display since Steve Simons, a former Custer art teacher, retired.

The art work remains in the board room until new art is selected each November. Students are then honored at the December board meeting.

The elementary art department has a unified curriculum created for each trimester assessment, Ms. Cramer explained. Students learn self-portraits and figure drawing, study still life and finally landscape. Yet, art teachers also introduce additional elements of art to expand students’ knowledge. The three main parts of the curriculum, and others, are reflected in the pieces in the board room.

"We chose these three genres as they are the most prevalent in historic art,” Ms. Cramer said. “At the elementary level all art teachers introduce students to these genres with each year building on the previous, introducing students to more complex concepts as they get older in each area of study. This creates a consistent foundation for all students so when they move to the middle school and high school they all have the same basic knowledge allowing those teachers to expand on higher level thinking and creating.”

Ms. Cramer said the district has supported the art department.

“Our administration understands to create a whole student we need to ensure that they have the enrichment opportunities to allow them to grow, investigate and discover new talents and avenues that they would otherwise miss out on if MPS didn’t believe in educating the whole student,” she said. “We are more than blessed to have a district that supports fine arts in all of its forms.”

Cindy Flynn has been named Executive Director for Human Resources with Monroe Public Schools.

Her appointment was approved Tuesday by the Monroe Public Schools Board of Education during its regular meeting.

“Cindy Flynn has been with the district for a number of years and is very familiar with our staff,” said Dr. Barry Martin, superintendent of Monroe Public Schools. “She will make a fine executive director for our human resource office.”

Prior to her new position, Ms. Flynn served as principal of Monroe Middle School since June 2010. Before leading the middle school, she was assistant principal at Custer Elementary School for 10 years.

Ms. Flynn served as teacher media specialist at Monroe Middle School from August 1994 to August 2000.

Ms. Flynn graduated with a bachelor’s in science from Eastern Michigan University. She earned a Master of Educational Leadership from Wayne State University.

She is a member of a number of associations including the Michigan Association of Middle Educators, Michigan Association of Computer Related Technology User in Learning, the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, Association for Middle Level Education, American Federation of School Administrators, Michigan Federations of School Administrators, Monroe Federation of School Administrators. She is also a member of the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Workers- Local 59- Monroe/Lenawee County.

Jeff McVeigh, currently an assistant principal at Monroe High School, has been named principal of Monroe Middle School.

Plans to fill the assistant principal position at Monroe High School are still under consideration.

Monroe Public Schools Board of Education said farewell to three of its members.

Board President Robert Yeo presided over his final meeting Tuesday. He has served on the school board for nearly 10 years. He also served as vice president.

“It has been a pleasure working for Monroe Public Schools,” Yeo said.

He thanked the community for their support during his tenure and offered well wishes to the new board members.

“My only hope is the district continues on a positive path,” Yeo added.

Ryan Philbeck, board secretary and Dr. Tedd March, parliamentarian, joined Yeo in celebrating their final meeting. Philbeck has served on the board since 2012. Dr. March was elected to the board in November, 2008.

A new board will be seated in January with the first meeting, an organization meeting, taking place at 6:45 p.m. Jan. 10 at the district office, 1275 N. Macomb St.

Returning board members include Lawrence VanWasshenova, Floreine Mentel, Cynthia Taylor and Matthew Bunkelman.

Robert Nichols, Rosalie Pasko and Cheryl Sweeney were elected to the board in November and will begin their terms in January.