Fall 2015
Sixth Graders Now Have Passport to World Languages Virtually all sixth graders in Lake Orion’s middle schools will be introduced to world language instruction starting this fall, with the launch of Passport to World Languages. The ten-week class is designed to introduce students to various world languages taught in the upper grades of their middle schools. Scripps’ class will introduce students to Spanish and German; Waldon and Oakview will cover Spanish and French. Students interested in pursuing one of these world languages further can enroll in more advanced classes during seventh and eighth grade. These next classes feature the same books and exams used at Lake Orion High School, giving the middle school students the opportunity to take the final exam and earn high school credits. About 25 percent of Lake Orion middle school students take world language classes now during their final two years. “Our goal is to provide more opportunities for students who wish to pursue world languages at a younger age,” said Heidi Mercer, Lake Orion’s assistant superintendent of teaching and learning. “We are very excited to be able to offer the Passport to World Languages class to all sixth graders.” Charrissa Fromm’s class at Waldon Middle School
Mercer said sixth grade is ideal for such a class, given the students’ natural progression into seventh and eighth grade world language instruction. Expansion of the world language program into upper-elementary grades will be considered in the future.
New “MyStop” Bus app launched There is no need to guess when a school bus will arrive at a stop, thanks to the Versatrans “MyStop” smartphone application, now available to parents and guardians of Lake Orion students. The tool uses existing GPS location data, enabling persons to login to a secure database to view the location and estimated-time-of-arrival of a student’s bus.
“We’re always striving to improve our processes and communication with the public,” said Jamie Stottlemyer, director of transportation, energy and environment. “The great thing about the MyStop app is that it works with our existing technology. No additional funding was needed to provide this service. We think parents will find MyStop very useful.” The new mobile app was tested with Carpenter Elementary School parents this summer and is now available to all district families whose student(s) ride a bus. Each school bus location is updated approximately every minute, depending on the data transfer from GPS satellites. MyStop will help families stay informed when a bus may be running late due to weather, traffic or other unforeseen circumstances. Please note, a person can only access a bus location when it is actually on a route picking up or dropping off students. See Bus Locator on Page 5
Graduates were all smiles
District News Lake Orion Community Schools Welcomes New Leaders at Several Buildings New leaders are in place at a number of Lake Orion school buildings this fall. Long-time Webber Elementary School Principal Sarah Manzo has moved to Oakview Middle School, replacing Principal John Bernia, who left the district this summer. Sarah was Principal at Webber for ten years. Previously, she was an Associate Principal at Lake Orion High School. She began her career in Lake Orion as a high school science teacher and softball coach. Sarah also taught physics and chemistry at a high school on the west side of the state.
years. From 2005-13, she worked at Oakwood Elementary School in Ortonville, Mich. She held the position as Interim Principal for part of 2013. Prior to this she taught first/second grade there, as well as chaired or participated on various curriculum and technology committees and mentored student teachers. Jamie also represented the Brandon School District on the Oakland County Common Core for Mathematics planning committee for three years. She began her career as a kindergarten teacher at Trinity Christian Academy in Pontiac.
“Over the course of my career I’ve enjoyed working with students of all ages,” Manzo said. “I’ll always cherish my time at Webber and look forward to creating many new memories at Oakview.”
“I’m very honored and excited to be joining the Lake Orion school district as Principal of this great school community,” Wagner said. “I look forward to working with everyone involved to provide the best possible educational program for Webber’s students.”
The school district also appointed Kristin Sliwinski as Supervisor of Learning Options High School. She replaces Drew Towlerton, who accepted the position as Principal at Pine Tree Elementary last spring. Kristin worked with Towlerton last school year as an Administrative Intern for Learning Options. She previously worked at Lake Orion High School for seven years as a special education teacher. Prior to this she worked in special education at Baldwin Elementary in Rochester for one year. She began her career as a Replacing Sa- special education instructor at Attea Middle School in Glenview, Kristin Sliwinski, Sarah Manzo & Jamie Wagner rah as Principal Illinois. at Webber is “We have a great group of students and staff at Learning Options Jamie Wagner, who is new to the district. Jamie previously held High School,” Sliwinski said. “I’m passionate about meeting each the dual roles as Principal at Perry Elementary School and the student's academic, emotional, social and behavioral needs .” Shaftsburg Early Childhood Center in Perry, Mich., for the past two
Lake Orion welcomes four new staff members for the 2015-2016 school year (left to right): Stacy Feeney – Art, Lake Orion High School; Kaitlyn Patrzalek – Spanish, Oakview Middle School; Emily Robinson – German, Scripps Middle School; and (not pictured) Abbey Schwantes, School Psychologist, CERC.
REMINDER: Food Allergy or Special Dietary Needs Accommodations The Michigan Department of Education requires that parents requesting food substitution for a student must have the necessary form filled out and signed by a medical authority. The Food Service Department will not be able to accept verbal or e-mail requests from parents. The form can be downloaded from the district's Food Service Department website or call the office at 248-814-0201.
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New state rules in place for nonmedical waivers for immunizations The State of Michigan has modified the rules that change how nonmedical waivers for immunizations will be processed for schools and childcare programs. The new nonmedical waiver rule, which actually went into effect on Jan. 1, 2015, applies to children enrolled in both public and private schools, including licensed childcare, preschool and Headstart programs. It also applies to new kindergarten, seventh grade and any newly enrolled student in a district. It does not take away one’s right to obtain a nonmedical waiver for a student for religious or philosophical objections, but it must be obtained from a county health department. Parents/guardians who want a nonmedical waiver for their student must contact the Oakland County Health Department for an appointment to speak with a health educator. During the visit, there will be a discussion about the benefits of immunizations with the health department staff. If, at the end of the visit, one still requests a nonmedical waiver for a student, the health department will issue a current, certified (stamped and signed) waiver form from the State of Michigan. Schools and childcare centers will only accept the current, official State of Michigan nonmedical waiver form. Forms cannot be altered in any way. If a student has a legitimate medical reason for not receiving a vaccine, a physician must sign a State of Michigan Medical Contraindication form, available at one’s doctor’s office. A child without a current, up-to-date immunization record, certified nonmedical waiver form or a physician-signed medical waiver form will be excluded from school or childcare starting on October 13, 2015. For more information, visit www.oakgov.com/health.
Bond refinancing saves
district another $6.5 million This school year the district will again take advantage of opportunities to refinance debt at lower interest rates to save taxpayers an estimated total of $6.5 million. Lake Orion Community Schools plans to refinance a $40.5 million block of bonds originally issued in 2006, plus a $37.5 million block of existing School Bond Loan Fund (SBLF) debt. Combined, the district will realize bond interest and SBLF savings of $5.2 million, plus another $1.3 million in cost avoidance. The SBLF loans are essentially being converted into bond debt at a lower interest rate. Earlier this year the school district refinanced $28.3 million in bond debt, saving taxpayers $5.4 million in total interest and SBLF borrowing costs. In 2012, Lake Orion refinanced $25.4 in bond debt with a total savings and SBLF cost avoidance of $6.1 million. Over the past three years, the district has saved a total of $11.5 million in bond interest and SBLF costs by refinancing and restructuring its debt.
Special Education and 504 Lake Orion Community schools provides an array of programs and services to meet all students’ individualized needs. It is our pleasure to work with families to collaboratively ensure an appropriate education for all. The key component to our success is our students, staff and parents. We encourage people to work with the schools where their children attend so that together we can make a difference. STEPS TO TAKE IF YOU THINK YOUR CHILD MAY NEED SPECIALIZED PROGRAMMING OR SUSPECT A DISABILITY:
Meet with your child’s teacher or counselor. Share your concerns and ideas. Develop a plan for working together.
Share information you have from outside sources. School personnel welcome input from family doctors, tutors, private therapists, etc.
Talk with the principal. Often he/she can work with parents and teachers to come up with helpful new strategies or mobilize additional resources. You may wish to request a Student Support Team meeting involving one or more of your child’s teachers.
Contact the Special Education Office if you have specific questions about evaluations or programming under IDEA or Section 504 at 248-693-5430.
Questions about services for preschool aged children may also be addressed at the Special Education Office.
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Superintendent’s Message Key Dates Fall 2015
Every Student Deserves a Champion I recently received a note from a former student who attended Oxford High School back in the 1990s, when I was Superintendent there. She was not your traditional student; rather she liked the gothic look and struggled to fit in. School was not always a priority for her, ei-
Homecoming Week October 4 - 10, 2015
ther. She caught my attention and I took her under my wing to keep her as focused as possible on her future. Unfortunately, I lost track of her until I received the note earlier this year. She thanked me for
High School Parent/Teacher Conferences October 15, 2015
believing in her in high school and provided me with an update on her life. It brought a smile to my face and reminded me every child needs a champion in school. At the district kick-off meeting in late August, I reminded our staff members of the benefits of being champions for our students. Reflecting on my own experiences over the years, I also
Middle School Parent/Teacher Conferences November 5 & 12, 2015
stressed the importance of truly connecting with even the most challenging kids. In addition, I shared a video with them featuring an elementary teacher in Texas, who also talked about the value of human connections and building positive relationships with students in school. This school district is blessed with many teachers and staff members who already try to connect with students every day,
Elementary School Parent/ Teacher Conferences November 9 & 11, 2015
not only to help them learn but also let them know they care about them. They recognize how much time they spend with your children and want to be a positive influence. Our staff also recognizes a team effort is needed to raise confident and
Thanksgiving Break No School November 25-27, 2015
successful kids today and welcomes families to engage with them as appropriate if an issue arises with their children which they can help address. Two-way communication between our staff and parents is key. A number of our staff members have received notes in the mail from former students, much
Winter Break No School Dec 21, 2015—Jan 1, 2016
like I did over the summer. I would love for all of them to connect with at least one student in this way during their careers. Such letters will bring smiles to their faces and remind them of why they became educators in the first place. I hope everyone has a great school year!
Robotics Team 302 Takes First Place Lake Orion High School’s FIRST Robotics Team 302 took first place in the MARC FIRST Robotics Competition this summer at Monroe High School. The Dragons formed an alliance with Team 3641 – The Flying Toasters from South Lyon, working together to dispatch a number of top team contenders from around the state. Team 302 also was awarded the prestigious “Gracious Professionalism” award for the second straight year, loaning drive station controls and mentoring the rookie team from Detroit Denby High School.
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Pine Tree Opens “Wendy’s Way” Walking Track Pine Tree Elementary School celebrated the ribbon-cutting of Wendy’s Way, its new 715-foot playground walking track, this summer. The track was named in memory of long-time Pine Tree parent and volunteer Wendy Sylvain. Hundreds of family, friends and members of the Pine Tree family participated in the ceremony and enjoyed the first official laps around the track. Former Principal Diane Dunaskiss and new Principal Drew Towlerton, along with teachers and Sylvain’s family, thanked everyone for attending and recognized the hard work to make the track a reality. The project would not have been possible without the sale of commemorative bricks for the pathway leading to the track, monetary donations from various community businesses and supporters, and the volunteer work of a number of contractors this summer. The track exemplifies what it means to be Pine Tree Strong!
The Sylvain family opens the walking track
School News Homecoming 2015: Glitz and Glamour of “City Life” Homecoming Week 2015 will feature the glitz and glamour of “City Life”, picked as the theme for this year’s community celebration of students and alumni of Lake Orion High School. The theme was selected last spring through a vote of the student body and will celebrate life in U.S. cities like Last year’s King and Queen Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New York and our own Detroit, among others. The fun starts with the annual Homecoming Parade on Sunday, Oct. 4, in downtown Lake Orion and concludes with a dance on Saturday, Oct. 10 at the high school – with plenty of fun in between including student dress-up days and special lunch events. Homecoming 2015 Schedule: Parade – Sunday, Oct. 4, 3:30 p.m. (downtown Lake Orion) Activity Night (class competition) – Sunday, Oct. 4, 6:30 p.m. (LOHS football field) Powder Puff Football Game (senior vs. junior girls) – Thursday, Oct. 8, 6:30 p.m. (LOHS Field) Student Pep Assembly – Friday, Oct. 9, 1:30 p.m. (LOHS fieldhouse) Football Game vs Bloomfield – Friday, Oct. 9, 7 p.m. Homecoming Court Ceremony – Friday, Oct. 9, 8 p.m. High School Homecoming Dance – Saturday, Oct. 10, 7:30-10:30 p.m.
Bus Locator Cont’d from Page 1 Signing up for the application is easy: From the App Store on your iPhone or Droid smartphones, load the Tyler Technologies Versatrans “MyStop” app. If you do not own a smartphone you can still access this information on any computer at //mystop.lakeorion.k12.mi.us/ onscreen. Once the App opens it should say, “Lake Orion Community School District”. If not, press the blue “Not Your School?” in the lower left and follow the instructions to select the Lake Orion district. The username is your student’s school ID. The password is your student’s date of birth (month, day, year) without any symbols. Example: November 23, 2005 would be entered 11232005. Parents with multiple students riding on different buses asked the district to modify the MyStop app so they could easily view each student’s bus without having to sign in-and-out every time. The district is working with software engineers to provide a drop-down menu that will identify all students in a family and enable a person to toggle between bus routes. Stottlemyer said he hopes the district can provide this additional feature later this fall. 5
Spotlight Reading and Math Support Services Help Distinguish Lake Orion Elementaries A child’s love for learning is born at an early age. That is why the Lake Orion school district has a number of academic support services available to elementary students and their families.
the elementary level. They work collaboratively with teachers in the classroom as well as independently to meet the math-support needs of each student. The math specialists work together to assure a consistent approach to providing support throughout the district. Mercer said a key to the success of the math and reading programs is for both the teachers and interventionists to train and work together, with a focus on communication. They participate in extensive professional development throughout the year, with an emphasis on current best practices. Reading and math support also is available through tutors and academic clubs run through each school’s GAP program. The school district’s holistic approach to student development includes the use of a Family School Coordinator at each elementary school. They regularly visit classrooms to promote healthy relationships. This includes fostering each student’s social and emotional growth, with an emphasis on friendships and anti-bullying. “Our family school coordinators use role-playing exercises in small groups, as well as provide individual counsel and direction to support students,” Mercer said.
Math intervention instruction at Orion Oaks Elementary School The school district’s award-winning Early Literacy Intervention Program for kindergarten students is now in its fourth year. It was expanded into first grade two years ago. Students are screened at the beginning of the year to determine their level of reading proficiency and then individual plans are developed to meet their needs. Fulltime reading interventionists at each school work with students and their teachers, plus meet monthly as a group to carefully track each child’s progress. 87 percent of kindergarten and 81 percent of first-grade students met the school district’s reading requirements during the 2014-15 school year. “Reading is the cornerstone of all learning,” said Heidi Mercer, Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning. “I’m very proud of the success of our Early Literacy Intervention Program, thanks to the hard work of our staff and commitment of our parents.” This year the district added dedicated math support specialists at each building to further improve and support math instruction at
Kindergarten reading intervention students at Carpenter
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other than English, the district has an English as a Second Language (ESL) program at each building. Students must apply to participate and they are tested at the beginning of the school year for the appropriate placement. To learn more about the academic and other support services available to students at the elementary level, parents are encouraged to contact their child’s principal.
Learning support at Carpenter Elementary School These staff members also act as a resource for families, directing them toward other professionals for grief counseling, divorce support, the loss of a pet and similar situations, she added. Few people realize this, but 35 languages are spoken in Lake Orion’s schools. To help students who may speak a primary language
Each elementary has a Family School Coordinator
District Committed to Keeping Special-Needs Students in Community All Lake Orion schools’ students are im- (ASD) classes. Paint Creek has Cognitively All of these programs work together to portant members of the educational com- Impaired (CI) and Emotionally Impaired (EI) differentiate instruction for all students munity, including those with special needs. programs. and to provide academic, sensory and behavioral support to the building’s general The district offers a variety of resources “In addition to providing appropriate aca- education teachers. This specialized inthat cater to these students’ individual demic work for every student in our CI pro- struction also includes life skills. needs and they have access to all programs gram, we focus on life skills and being and curriculum. According to Director Julie aware of each For example, Waldon’s CI students are exGutman, Lake Orion’s programs for special- student’s senposed to a variety of learning opportunities needs students are designed to build a sory needs,” that focus on everyday living, said instrucstrong foundation to eliminate learning said Catherine tor Jennifer Porter. There are a lot of cross gaps so they can enjoy much of the same Piper, Paint -curricular lessons, differentiated instruccurriculum as other students. Creek special tion and project-based learning. Lake Orieducation on High School features ASD, CI and EI pro“The district and parents believe that all teacher. grams, plus multiple learning resource students should be educated in their comrooms to provide academic support. munity, where possible, to ensure commu- Lake Orion’s nity connections and friendships,” Gutman programs also ASD classroom In addition, the Community Education Resaid. “We are committed to doing so.” build selfsource Center features a structured classadvocacy skills that teach students how to room for students with emotional needs, a The Special Education Department evalu- cope with and overcome challenges. Orion birth to five-years-old special education ates each student’s needs and then deter- Oaks, for example, recently invited a spe- program that includes home and classroom mines where they should be as- cial education student (now in the high instruction, plus the PHASES program for signed. Gutman stressed that Lake Orion school) to share her experiences and tips. 18-26-year-old students with special focuses on students’ needs rather than on needs. labels. At the middle school level, Scripps has two ASD classes, while Waldon features two CI “No matter what the disability, our instrucAt the elementary level, Blanche Sims and classes and Oakview has an EI class. Each tors know every minute counts,” Gutman Pine Tree have Autism Spectrum Disorder building also has learning resource rooms. said. 7
Around the District
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