Winter 2015
District Hosts First Teaching and Learning Workshop for Parents Lake Orion Community Schools hosted its first Teaching and Learning K-8 Parent Workshop in October, designed to provide people with an in-depth look at several educational initiatives underway at both the elementary and middle school levels. A total of 35 parents participated in the inaugural half-day event at Scripps Middle School, hosted by the Teaching and Learning Department. The morning was split into three segments, with a number of breakout sessions. Participants could choose from several subjects, including multiple sessions on the district’s new K-5 and middle school math programs, new language arts instruction at the elementary and middle school levels, and the Words Their Way phonics, vocabulary and spelling program.
35 parents attended the workshop.
Other sessions focused on the district’s special education program, the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program and parenting in the digital age. In addition, there was a session on Lake Orion’s award-winning kindergarten/first grade early intervention reading initiative.
“Education is changing and this workshop allowed us to provide parents with a deeper look at what is taking place, what the district’s big initiatives have been and why we’re excited about them,” said Assistant Superintendent Heidi Mercer. See Parent Workshop, Page 3
Multiple sessions were offered.
District Refinancing Block of School Bonds in 2015, Saving Taxpayers Taking advantage of a favorable interest rate environment, Lake Orion Community Schools is in the process of refunding a block of existing bond debt issued in 2005 and worth $28.3 million. Lake Orion’s Board of Education approved the transaction earlier this fall. Taxpayers will see a total savings of about $3.6 million as a result of this transaction. This includes direct savings of $2.3 million and a cost avoidance of about $1.3 million
that the district would have had to borrow Lake Orion Community Schools completed from the state’s School Bond Loan Fund to a similar bond refunding in 2012. At that repay parts of the earlier bond. time, the district refunded $25.4 million in existing bond principal, saving district “This process is essentially like refinancing taxpayers more than $6 million in future a residential mortgage,” said John debt service tax levies. Fitzgerald, Assistant Superintendent of Finance and Business. “The current market The district’s total outstanding voted and interest rate environment is good relative school bond loan fund debt is to our older bonds which enables us to $153,506,117. More than $58 million of save our district taxpayers money.” bond principal and interest will be paid off by June 2018.
Winter Weather
Girls Golf
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Middle School Concept Page 10
District News District Thanks Voters Lake Orion Community Schools would like to thank district voters for passing the ten-year renewal of the non-homestead operating tax levy in November. Funding generated by this levy is used to maintain and grow our awardwinning curriculum.
Talk to the School Board Got a question, concern or compliment about Lake Orion Community Schools? Starting in January, School Board members Steve Drakos and Scott Taylor will be meeting with the public at Starbucks on Lapeer Road the last Friday of every month, from 11 a.m. to noon. Sit down with them, enjoy a coffee and good Board members Steve Drakos conversation about our public school district. The first gather- (left) and Scott Taylor ing will take place on January 30, 2015. Other school board members will join them on a rotating basis.
Microsoft Office Now Available for Free The Lake Orion Community Schools district is now participating in the Office 365 Student Advantage Program. This gives students in grades 3 through 12 free access to the full version of the latest Microsoft Office suite of programs, installed directly from the Office 365 web portal on up to five Windows or Mac computers. Middle school and high school students have an Office 365 log-in to gain immediate access; elementary students should have received their Office 365 account information from their school earlier this fall, so parents can help them download the free software. Please note elementary students will not have access to Office 365 email. For more information, visit the school district’s website.
Record Number Attend Education Foundation Dinner A record number of people attended the Lake Orion Education Foundation’s eighth annual “Evening for Education” event in November at Indianwood Golf & Country Club. According to event chairperson Karen Appledorn, 160 people enjoyed the dinner, silent auction, music, dancing and table games. More than $9,000 was raised for the Foundation, which provides classroom grants to the teachers of LOCS and funds the district’s Olweus Bullying Prevention Program. In addition, the PNC Bank Foundation recently awarded $10,000 to LOEF, to be split between the classroom grants and the Olweus program. This past year LOEF was able to provide more than $25,000 in classroom grants and $23,000 to the Olweus efforts. In addition to the annual dinner, LOEF Supporters of the Foundation enjoyed hosts a 5K/10K walk/run in table games after dinner. the spring and a summer golf outing. For more information, visit www.lakeorioneducationfoundation.org. Left to right: Webber principal Sarah Manzo with administrators Kerri Anderson, Heidi Mercer and Marion Ginopolis. 2
Oh No! Time to Talk Weather-Related School Closings Winter’s icy breath came early this year with a November cold snap. At least we were not alone, for most of the country was unseasonably cold. Unfortunately, most weathermen expect another frigid winter for our region. Hopefully it will not be a repeat of last year, but Superintendent Ginopolis and her team recognize there will probably be at least a few days of missed school due to inclement weather. The district recognizes the decision to open or close the district in such situations has a big impact on families. Our top priority when making such choices is the safety of our students and staff. A number of factors are considered when making the decision to close our schools due to the weather conditions:
Road condition reports from our transportation and buildings-and-grounds deBad weather closed Lake Orion Schools 11 partments - careful consideration must be given to the most dangerous, often days last year. rural, roads in the district; Amount of accumulated snow and ice and whether or not it is continuing; School building conditions (electricity, water and heat); Parking lot conditions; Temperature and wind chill, considering many of our children wait outside for a bus or walk to school; Weather predictions, which we know are not always accurate but must be considered with other deciding factors; and, What other school districts in Oakland County have decided.
The Superintendent makes the final decision, based on the above factors and recommendations from the Directors of Transportation and Buildings-and-Grounds. In the event the district is closed, the goal is to make the decision and begin notifying families no later than 5:30 a.m. There are several ways to find out if the school district is closed:
Messages sent via School Messenger if you have opted-in to the service; Postings on the district’s website and Facebook page; and, Notices that are automatically sent to local television stations, plus WWJ 950 AM and WJR 760 AM radio stations.
Please note, the school district recognizes parents may not feel it is safe to send their child(ren) to school in inclement weather and decide to keep them at home. They should contact the school to notify them of this decision. Parents also should contact their children’s schools to update their contact information, if necessary.
Parent Workshop Cont’d from Page 1 Parent Nathan Tison has two daughters at Carpenter Elementary School in third and fourth grades. He thought the workshop was well done and a missed opportunity for others who may want to learn about how Lake Orion teachers are teaching. “I’m a traditionalist when it comes to math, but I saw firsthand the alternative methods for how it’s now being taught at the elementary levels and I think they have merit in helping young students understand the concepts,” Tison said. “I also attended writing sessions and I like how they are focusing on more than just creative writing, but also how to write clearly with a purpose.”
In addition to being Principal at Orion Oaks the changing curriculum and technology in Elementary School, Ken Nuss is a parent in today’s schools and the workshop proved to the district. He said many of the parents he be beneficial. spoke with said it is hard to keep up with “As a parent, I feel lucky to be in a district where administrators and teachers understand that educating our children is a community effort,” Nuss said. “Our staff is taking the time to educate parents so they can truly be partners in their kids’ educational experiences.”
Using technology in the classroom.
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All session materials from this year’s Teaching and Learning workshop are available on the district website.
Superintendent’s Message
Giving Credit Where Credit is Due Being a member of the Board of Education can be a tough job. Some of the decisions made by the Board are easy to make, while others require much thought and deliberation, especially considering the evolving nature of public education. Our school board members certainly bring different experiences and perspectives to our meetings. While they may not always agree with each other, their decisions are made with the best interests of Lake Orion students in mind and I appreciate their ability to work together to get things done and keep our district moving forward.
The school board recently met with an education consultant during a day-long board workshop to discuss the roles and responsibilities of members and ways to effectively govern a school district. The consultant, who works with many school boards across the state, praised our Board members for their dedication to the school district. She said no other district she knows of conducts three one-day workshops each year plus our regularly scheduled meetings, especially considering all of our board members have full -time jobs and families, besides their district responsibilities. The consultant said their commitment is the exception rather than the norm and it should be commended. The Board recently updated the strategic plan for the school district, which illustrates their vision for Lake Orion Community Schools. The following are their main goals and objectives:
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Homecoming 2014
Homecoming King and Queen, Grant Johnson and Cheyanne Sloan.
Lake Orion’s student section embraced The Lion King theme.
Junior and Senior girls competed in the annual Powder Puff game.
Students enjoy the Homecoming Pep Assembly fun, prior to the football game.
Key Dates Winter Break
December 22 – January 2
Start of Third Term (High School)
January 26
Mid-Winter Break
February 16-17
Spring Break
April 3-10
Start of Fourth Term (High School)
April 13
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Elementary Schools Conduct Successful Food Drives
School News LO Schools Earns "District of Distinction" Honors for Reading Intervention Program
Recognizing there are less fortunate in our community, students and staff at Carpenter and Webber Elementary Schools conducted canned food drives at their schools in November to support the food pantries at Remnant Project Ministries (Community of Christ Church in Lake Orion) and Oxford/Orion FISH, respectively. Combined, the two schools gathered more than 8,500 items for the food pantries, to be distributed to families in need this holiday season. Both of the food pantries accept food and monetary donations throughout the year.
Lake Orion Community Schools was named a "District of Distinction" by District Administration magazine for its Kindergarten Reading Early Intervention Program, launched two years ago. It pairs full-time reading interventionists with teachers in Lake Orion's 24 kindergarten classrooms to boost early literacy of the district's youngest students. Earlier this year, the reading program was honored by The Oakland Press/Oakland Schools and Michigan School Board Association. Congratulations to Julie Gutman, Jillian Knapp, and Tammy Oberle for their outstanding work.
LOHS Teacher Named Marketing Educator of the Year Carpenter Elementary’s student council spearheaded the school’s food drive.
Earlier this fall, the Michigan Marketing Educators Association recognized Lake Orion marketing instructor Julia Dalrymple as this year’s Dr. Louis R. Graziano Outstanding Marketing Educator Award winner. This award annually recognizes an educator who manages an outstanding marketing education program. Award recipients have made significant contributions toward improving and Julia Dalrymple receives promoting marketing education her state award. in their communities and through professional association activities and leadership. She also advises the high school’s DECA program.
Pine Tree Math Night Pine Tree Elementary partnered with Kroger this fall to host the school's second annual math night for students and families. The event provided opportunities to apply math skills and concepts in real-life situations and support parents' understanding of the math strategies their children are learning.
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Waldon Middle School Raises Prehistoric Sturgeon Jon Gray’s 8th grade science students at Waldon Middle School have a special guest this year whose origins date back 36 million years. His classes are raising a baby sturgeon whose looks have not changed much since prehistoric times, according to biologists. The threated fish specimen was delivered to the school in October by the Sturgeons for Tomorrow conservation group. Only seven schools in the state were selected to raise a sturgeon in their classrooms this year. This is the second year in a row that Waldon was selected to participate in the sturgeon program. The sturgeon was hatched in the spring, 15 cm long when Mr. Gray took over its care. Mr. Gray feeds the sturgeon blood worms a couple of times daily. The tank’s water quality is critical to the sturgeon’s health and students test it on a regular basis. He said Science teacher Jon Gray and students, left to this project is helping right: Madalyn White, Mr. Gray, Madison Eaton, Felix expose students to Partington and Thomas Darroch. man’s impact on the environment, specifically how over-fishing, habitat loss and climate change can hurt sturgeon. The fish should grow another couple of centimeters during its visit, before it is picked up in May by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and released into Lake St. Clair or Black Lake. Sturgeon can live up to 100 years in their natural environment. Gray’s classes also are raising salmon fry, which will be released into the Clinton River this spring. The young sturgeon visiting Waldon.
Santa Makes Early Stop to Visit Special Education Students Special Education students from throughout the district enjoyed a surprise visit from Santa Claus in early December, thanks to the Lake Orion Lions Club. The service organization hosted it’s fourth annual holiday party for the kids, complete with food, Christmas carols and gifts for everyone. “We truly appreciate the Lions Club and their volunteers for their hard work in hosting the party again this year,” said Julie Gutman, director of Special Education. “The smiles on our student’s faces and their excitement when they had the chance to meet Santa were priceless.”
Jessica Loxley-Smith, Teacher Jamie Pastwa and Evaline Paquette.
Teacher Brad Thomas and Kevin McCloskey.
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Gavin Marchewka receives a gift from Santa Claus.
Fine Arts Marching Band and Flag Corps Compete in State Finals, National Competition November was a busy month for the Lake Orion High School marching band and flag corps. The group first competed in the D1 state championships at Ford Field and finished in fourth place, less than a half point out of second. After two weeks of practice, the Dragons traveled to the Bands of America Grand National Championship, held at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. The band’s performance was considered to be its best of the year by director Mike Steele and parents in attendance, but Lake Orion did not qualify for the semifinals. The band recently performed in Lake Orion’s Holiday Parade.
Band Members prior to their performance in Indianapolis.
Lake Orion Senior Named to Prestigious U.S. Army AllAmerican Marching Band
National Honor Choir Selects Lake Orion Senior Alexis Sargent
The U.S. Army AllAmerican Marching Band selected Lake Orion senior Phoebe Holmes to join its 2015 team. Army representatives visited the high school this fall for a special ceremony to recognize her achievement in front of family, Phoebe Holmes with U.S. Army Representafriends, band director tives at Lake Orion High School. Mike Steele and fellow students. Holmes, who will play the piccolo in the band, was picked from among thousands of students around the country who auditioned during their junior year to be a member of this very exclusive, 125-member ensemble. This was the second consecutive year a Lake Orion senior was selected. Last fall, senior Melanie Bryce was selected to perform with the band’s color guard. The U.S. Army All-American Marching Band will perform at the 2015 All-American Bowl football game in San Antonio, Texas, on January 3, 2015, at 1 p.m. It features some of the top high school senior football players in the country. 8
Lake Orion senior Alexis Sargent was named to the National Association for Music Education’s National Honor Choir in October. She is one of only two students from Michigan to be selected this year and the first ever from Lake Orion High School. Sargent was a member of the All-State choir last year. She performed with the National Honor Choir in Nashville. In related news, eight other high school choir students were selected to the Michigan School Vocal Music Association’s regional honors choir. They include Tyler Dick, Julia Donaven, Philip Dunckley, Lindsey Eveland, Athena Gray, Kathryn Linehan, Laura Pavliscak and Spencer Walters. Alexis Sargent with choir director Bryce Thompson.
Athletics Lake Orion Girls Golf Team Dominates Season, Finishes Second in State The 2014 Lady Dragons golf team fell just short of winning the MHSAA D1 State Title in October, finishing in second place behind East Kentwood High School. Lake Orion was led by sophomore Moyea Russell, who finished in eighth place overall. Earlier in the fall, the girls golf team captured county and first-ever regional titles. Individually, Russell was named to the 2014 All-State Team and Lauren Danielson received AllState Honorable Mention honors. Sam Fox was named to the All-State Academic Team, while Torri Basso received All-State Academic Honorable Mention recognition. Lake Orion took All-State Academic Team Honors with a team average 3.75 G.P.A.
Lady Dragon Athletes Sign Scholarship Letters
Boys Soccer Team Enjoys Success
Girls reigned at the college athletic scholarship signing ceremony in November, with several inking national letters of intent to play sports at the next level. They included Lydia Mattar, swimming, Saginaw Valley State University; Bethany Abramczyk, swimming, Oakland University; Danielle Kudla, swimming, Wayne State University; Rachel Dolland, softball, University of Michigan - Dearborn; and Katie Raker, lacrosse, Asbury College, Kentucky.
This fall, the Lake Orion boys’ soccer team enjoyed its best season in several years, finishing with a 15-3-1 record (9-2-1 OAA White) before losing to Utica Eisenhower in the first round of the MHSAA D1 State Playoffs. The Dragons were led by senior Richard Doll, who scored 16 goals.
LO Cross Country Teams Go to States Lake Orion cross country runners once again led the field this fall. After capturing its fifth consecutive OAA Red league title and the regional championship, the boys team participated in the 2014 MHSAA State Finals at Michigan International Speedway, finishing in 19th place (Division 1). Senior Andrew Lorant took eighth place overall. The Lady Dragons finished in third place this year in OAA Red league competition and qualified for the state finals by taking third place at the regional meet. The girls’ team finished in 22nd place (Division 1).
Girls Swim Team Sets New Mark Lake Orion’s girls swim team finished in seventh place at the MHSAA D1 State Swimming and Diving Championships in November, the best showing in the school’s history. The Dragons’ state team included seniors Bethany Abramczyck, Danielle Kudla and Lydia Mattar; juniors Kirstyn Abbasse, Natalie Zainea and Nicole Horvath; sophomores Sarah Hennings, Amanda Keller and Zoe Quinn; and freshman Eliana Ritt. Individually Abramczyk received All-State honors in the 200 and 500 freestyle, plus 400 freestyle relay. Mattar received state honors in the 100 breaststroke and placed 13th in the 200 individual medley. Kudla received state honors in the 400 freestyle relay. Abbasse received state honors in the 200 and 500 freestyle events, plus 400 freestyle relay. Hennings received state honors in the 100 butterfly and the 400 freestyle relay. 9
Oakview Girls Basketball Team Goes Undefeated for Second Straight Year The eighth grade girls basketball team at Oakview Middle School went undefeated this fall, finishing with an unblemished 12-0 record. This was the second straight year this group of athletes did not lose on the court. According to coach Steve Roberts, this was the first athletic team in the district’s history to go undefeated two years in a row.
Dragon Volleyball Team Finishes with Most Wins The Lady Dragons, ranked No. 4 (Class A) in the state at the end of the regular season, completed the program’s best regular season in school history, compiling a 59-11-2 mark. After finishing second in the OAA Red to rival Clarkston, the team lost to the Wolves in the district finals.
Spotlight LAKE ORION’S MIDDLE SCHOOL CONCEPT also helps staff more quickly identify students who may be struggling academically or socially. “Lake Orion’s Middle School Concept doesn’t allow kids to fall through the cracks,” said Oakview Middle School Principal John Bernia. “There’s at least one adult, usually more, that really gets to know every student and advocate for their needs.” Scripps Middle School Principal Dan Haas concurred adding, “When teachers work so close with a group of students every day, they naturally gain a better understanding of how each learns, as well as their emotional needs and concerns.” In addition, all three middle schools offer students a curriculum support period for math and reading, staffed by teachers. It replaces an elective class on a student’s schedule. “This curriculum support period is another unique part of our schools that has proven to be very helpful to students who risk falling behind academically,” said Waldon Middle School Principal Randy Groya.
Middle school students are separated by grade during much of the Middle school can be very challenging for a student, both from an academic and social perspective. That is why Lake Orion’s unique Middle School Concept that focuses on making a big school seem small is so beneficial to the development of the district’s adolescent students in sixth through eighth grades.
Principal Bernia noted that parents occasionally approach him and explain how they struggled in middle school. They all share their appreciation for how Lake Orion’s schools work hard to help their children avoid the same fate.
The cornerstone of our Middle School Concept is its unique team approach. A group of 4-5 educators in the core subject areas of math, science, social studies and English work closely together during the year to coordinate teaching activities and explore cross-curricular learning opportunities with approximately 100 students. The schools also offer a number of extracurricular classes in world language, music and the fine arts.
The Middle School Concept also benefits students who excel in the classroom, Bernia said. Teachers work together to adjust the curriculum as necessary to keep these students engaged and motivated throughout the year.
This team approach differs considerably from the traditional approach of many middle schools that more closely mimic junior high buildings where a group of teachers may be responsible for 600 or more students with little personal attention. Lake Orion’s team-based approach
Given the age and maturity differences of
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Students listen to a classmate’s presentation.
“If a student makes a poor decision or starts to stray, we’re structured in such a way that they do not get lost,” Principal Groya said. “Our teams notice what is going on and we have conversations with the students much earlier. We’d rather see a student make a mistake here than in high school.” To Principal Haas’ knowledge, there are no other middle schools in the county that offer a middle school program quite like Lake Orion’s and he appreciates the district’s commitment.
All three middle school offer world language classes. sixth and eighth graders, all three middle school buildings are designed to separate the students within reason. When Oakview opened in 2002, it was designed to not only keep the grades apart, but also place the teams of teachers and students together. Scripps and Waldon underwent extensive renovations during this time, as well, to meet these needs. “We recognize there’s a big difference in sixth graders talking about cartoons and some eighth graders looking for their first jobs,” Principal Bernia said. “In a true middle school like ours, there aren’t a lot of opportu-
Band is an elective class at the middle school level. “To execute our Middle School Concept effectively takes time and resources, primarily additional staffing,” he said. “Our administration’s willingness to continually support it does not go unnoticed. Fortunately, I think we’re making a big, positive difference in these students’ academic and social experiences as they prepare to thrive in high school.” Standardized test results support this approach. In 2014, all three Lake Orion middle schools scored higher than the national average on the EXPLORE/ACT assessment in every testing category (English, math, reading and science).
Technology is integrated into many classes. nities for older students to mingle with the younger ones. It’s a lot easier for teachers to manage a hallway, rather than an entire school.” If a student does get in trouble, the relationships forged between a team’s teachers and their students play an important role in helping kids learn from their mistakes and not repeat them. 11
Lake Orion’s middle school principals (left to right): Randy Groya, John Bernia and Dan Haas.
Around the District
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