Ona Warchuck helping Caseville students move on into life

The staff at Caseville Public Schools put all of their efforts into helping their students grow into hard-working, responsible people who can make a difference in the world. According to Superintendent Ken Ewald, few do more to help the school be successful than Ona Warchuck, the student service coordinator.

“She’s one of the first people in the building, one of the last people to leave,” Ewald said.

“She’s one of the hardest-working people I’ve ever met,” agreed K-12 Principal Kevin Parker.

Warchuck’s position makes her responsible for overseeing the special education department, where she started as the secondary special education teacher, as well as all district and state assessments. She also covers anything to do with student schedules and graduation requirements. She’s also responsible for helping students with their post-secondary education plans, helping them get an idea of what they want to do after high school.

“There’s a lot of different hats, but at the same time those hats kind of weave together, making kind of a fun job,” she remarked.

Warchuck is passionately dedicated to Caseville after 13 years of service, though she doesn’t have much prior history with the district. She originally graduated from Bad Axe High School and wanted to stay in Huron County for work. However, she had trouble finding a position with her teaching degree for social studies since the market was over-saturated at the time, so she went into special education because there were more openings for it and she had a passion for providing help for those kids who needed it. She taught at St. John Lutheran School in Port Hope for two years before starting at Caseville.

In the last few years, she slowly started transitioning from special education to student service coordinator, first working with post-secondary planning. She made the transition because it allowed her to work with a broader range of students and help them plan for their future. The 20222023 school year marks her second year as the student service coordinator.

“I couldn’t ask for a better place to work or for a better place for my son to attend school,” she said.

Throughout her career, she’s come to love Caseville and the community she’s part of and the district’s uniquely small size has allowed her to know most of the students and staff more than she would have in a larger school.

“It’s definitely a small-knit, family-type atmosphere that I really enjoy,” she said.

And as part of that small-knit family, she gets to see the whole student body as they grow up. No matter where they start, whether they were there since kindergarten or transferred in their senior year, Warchuck gets to see their progress every step of the way in her position. It’s rewarding, she said, to see where they begin and then watch where they end up once they leave.

No day is ever the same, she remarked. Every student is different and as she works with them every day, she’s kept on her toes to help them move forward with their lives.

Deb Hunter: Everyone’s an educator

In the Harbor Beach Community Schools district office, leaders and administrators work hard to make sure that the schools are running the best that they can. As the top of the administration pyramid, they’re also the face of the district, and thankfully they have Deb Hunter to be part of that.

and when she had kids she knew she wanted them to go to Harbor Beach.

“So, when an opening opened up at the school, it seemed like destiny,” she recalled.

She joined the district in 2000 to be closer to her kids, who have now all graduated from Harbor Beach Schools.

even without being

“I can’t think of an individual I’ve met that is more kid-centered than her,” Bishop added.

Did you know?

Hunter works as the administrative assistant to the superintendent and school board. She primarily takes notes and sets up agendas for the board. She also handles critical finance work, helping to coordinate financial services with accounts payable and receivable for the school even though she’s not the chief financial officer.

Hunter has deep roots in Harbor Beach Schools. She graduated in 1988,

While Harbor Beach superintendent Shawn Bishop lauded her for her integral work at the district level, he particularly praised her attitude and interactions with office staff and visitors.

“She’s right up there with the top two or three people I’ve met in my educational career with positivity,” he said. “Honestly, I can’t remember a time when she didn’t have the right attitude and positive face for our district.”

Bishop and Hunter have a good relationship with each other, which Bishop believes sets a good tone for the district. If the district office has a positive environment, he said, then the rest of the district will follow as students, staff, and parents interact with them.

Hunter is there for the people, especially the students; for her, it’s the best part of the job.

“I want (the students) to be treated like they were my own,” she said. “I want these kids to feel like somebody cares about them.”

As a parent, Hunter knows how much it means to her when someone helps and guides her child, making sure they’re prepared for life outside of school.

“It’s nice to be part of that,” she said. “It’s nice to be part of churning out good human beings.”

“I can’t think of an individual I’ve met that is more kid-centered than

High school students are undoubtedly familiar with the belief that extracurricular activities can help separate applicants when seeking admissions to competitive colleges and universities. But research has long indicated that extracurriculars are more than mere résumé-padding activities. A 2019 study published in The Excellence in Education Journal found that students who participated in extracurricular activities earned a significantly higher grade point average than those who did not engage in such activities. The value of that participation has been evident for decades, as the National Center for Education Statistics notes that a 1992 study found that more than 30 percent of students who participated in extracurricular activities had a GPA of 3.0 or higher, while just under 11 percent of non-participants performed that well academically. The potential impact that extracurriculars can have on students’ academic performance underscores just how valuable such activities can be and how much students should consider getting more involved at school as their academic careers unfold.

Teachers & Healers

I would like to thank the staff of Ascent High School. This staff takes on a difficult job of working in an alternative education setting and they shine on a daily basis. Each person here wears many hats throughout the day Whether it is teaching, ser ving, or just lending an ear to a student in need this staff rocks. I am lucky to work with each of you and most impor tantly our students are lucky to have each one of you. Thank you!

-Kelly Durr Principal/Teacher Ascent High School

Jennifer Simon

Ms. Simon is in her 3rd year with the program. She does a great job running the online lab and helping organize bus rides for students. Her positive attitude goes a long way in building great relationships with the students and staff

Betty Durr

Mrs. Durr has returned for a second stint with the program as the school secretary She does a great job organizing breakfast and lunch orders and helping students with general issues throughout the day The building runs very smoothly with her here to help

THANK YOU!

Autumn Swartzendruber

Mrs. Swartzendruber is in her fifth year with the program. She allows students to show off their creative sides in both Art and Photography class. Her assignments are always unique and allow students to shine while earning some elective credits.

Renee Chumbler

Mrs. Chumbler has been a blessing for the school this year She has brought years of experience to the table and has done a great job teaching our English classes. She has been able to adapt to a brand new age bracket of student and has been instrumental in expanding the reading opportunities within our building her,” Bishop added.

At Harbor Beach, Hunter said, there’s an understanding that everybody in the district is an educator, not just the teachers, and she takes that role seriously.

“I feel like we all exist for the common good of helping these kids out, educating these kids and making them the best human they can possibly be,” she said.

She has been part of the Harbor Beach staff long enough to see the fruits of her labor, as former students like Caitlyn Siemen and Chelsea Talaski come back to the district as teachers and counselors. She’s also watched her nieces and nephews go through school and graduate, letting her watch them grow into prepared adults.

“Not everyone is so blessed, so I very much appreciate that,” she said.