ALANSON PUBLIC SCHOOLS COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER
All students enjoy outdoor adventure reward for positive behavior!
In early February, all Alanson Community School students were treated to an outdoor adventure around the school’s property in recognition of their positive and respectful behavior. Students and staff explored the trail on school property and either hiked or snowshoed around the snowy terrain. Alanson school has incorporated the Positive Interventions and Supports (PBIS) program into our everyday environment, recognizing students for their positive choices that enhance our school culture. PBIS is a proactive, tiered system of evidence-based interventions that helps schools create positive, equitable, and safe learning environments. With PBIS, school staff focus on teaching and encouraging clear expectations and provide specific intervention support for students who may need additional social, behavioral or mental health support. With a focus on prevention of and restorative responses to challenging behavior, PBIS results in learning environments where all students thrive. The winter outdoor fun day is one tangible example of how students can see the results of their great choices!
STEM opportunities continue to grow for Alanson students
Alanson Middle School’s STEM classes have significantly improved thanks to funding enhancements and the efforts of Char-Em ISD’s Street STEM program, led by Brandon Beltz. Recent acquisitions with the funding enhancement for the program include many fantastic STEM learning kits and supplies including Snap Circuit kits, various building materials, Cubelets, electromagnetic kits, Theremin MicroKits, brain games, and additional resources.
Mr. Beltz visits the middle school approximately every six weeks, introducing students to robots, drones, virtual reality, 3D printing using TinkerCad, and other innovative technologies. Mr. Beltz has also worked with many of the elementary classrooms, too! He also offers a diverse range of STEM activities for the class to borrow, including LEGO Spike Prime, Ozobots, and Itty Bits. These enhancements have made STEM classes highly engaging, fostering hands-on learning experiences for students.
Street STEM mascot Eureka often makes a surprise appearance during visits!
Meet the new Board of Education members
JADE BARNES
What made you want to serve on the APS Board of Education?
Courtney Lewis’s encouragement led me to run for the school board. While my work with the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians (LTBB) SPRING Program and as the Chairwoman for a local Title VI Indigenous Parent Education Advisory Committee (serving four local districts) already stretches my time, I’m driven by a deep commitment to advocate for equality and equity. My family of 7, including my 5 children, understand my passion. Being a strong voice for students is essential. I plan to collaborate closely with fellow board members to develop policies and strategic plans that ensure equitable access to resources and programs for all students I’m also actively pursuing professional development through the Michigan Association of School Boards, aiming to become a Certified Board Member and ultimately achieve Advocacy Certification. This will further enhance my ability to serve the board effectively.
What is one thing that you love about APS?
I love the positive and inclusive environment at APS. As an alum (2011), and now with 4 children enrolled, I’ve seen firsthand how the school has grown. For example, when my son recently faced some confusion about his long hair (part of his Indigenous culture), his teacher immediately connected with the LTBB SPRING program. Robert J. Smith, Youth Outreach Specialist, promptly visited the class, sharing the significance of men’s hair and dispelling stereotypes. The swift shift in understanding and acceptance was remarkable. This kind of proactive, immediate support - a stark contrast to my own student experience - is a testament to how APS has evolved.
STEPHANIE CASALE
What made you want to serve on the APS Board of Education?
I wanted to be able to help support APS by using my experience to help guide decisions in the best interests of our students and teachers. I hope my experience and knowledge will help make APS the best it can be.
What is one thing that you love about APS?
I love the close-knit nature of such a small school, and how close the community is. This gives us the opportunity to be closely involved with the students and teachers and see the results of our efforts.
LINDA TEMPLE
What made you want to serve on the APS Board of Education?
I chose to run for the Alanson Board of Education because of the positive experiences my daughter has had since enrolling in the district. At her previous, larger district, she struggled and felt like she did not belong. She is smart and quiet, carries straight As, while also being athletic and a member of the band. Because of the high studentto-teacher ratio, incidents of bullying and harassment often went unnoticed and unaddressed. My daughter and I decided to transfer her to Alanson, where she was wholeheartedly welcomed. I have seen her bloom and blossom continuously and express happiness with her decision to transfer. I wanted to be part of this team. I wanted to be part of something that had such a positive impact on my child’s life, and this role allows me to do just that. As a Board of Education member, my biggest goal I have in mind is to find ways to assist in the growth of Alanson Public Schools.
What is the one thing you love about APS?
I will forever be grateful to Alanson Public Schools for going above and beyond by creating a place that allowed my child to find confidence; creating a place where she can excel at her educational level; and having a place where she can play sports. To sum it up, I love that APS gives my child a school that feels like home.
Upcoming construction in Summer 2025:
Here’s a look at upcoming construction projects made possible from the May 2024 bond approval:
• New Locker Rooms
• New Flooring in the High School Corridor
• New Flooring in the Library
• New Flooring in the Elementary & Middle School Classrooms
• New Outside Doors for all Elementary & Middle Classrooms
• Canopies on the outside of the building removed
• Insulating Bus Garage
• Purchase a New Bus
Literacy Night ignites love of reading in students
To kick off March is Reading Month, we held Literacy Night! With 12 students and their families, it was a wonderful night of games, food, fun, and READING! Our students learned about the science of reading while they enjoyed a wonderful meal, followed by activities that helped support every aspect of literacy from reading and writing to expanding oral skills and vocabulary. These activities gave parents great tips and tools that they can use at home to help support their children in their quest for literacy. Students didn’t go home empty-handed. We had a raffle that made sure every student went home with a game, book, or activity, as well as two books and a journal and pen. These gifts will help them work on every aspect of literacy, and they give our parents the tools they need to help their children be successful. We are so excited to continue this event in the future and see just how far our kids have come in their literacy journey!
Math Night adds up to fun for K-4 families
OnJan. 14, families gathered for an evening of handson exploration at our K-4 Math Night, hosted by our Student Success Coordinator, Natalie Cantrell. Our NWEA testing data was used to decide which mathematics power standards to focus on to meet in the specific needs of our students. Math Night introduced creative ways to strengthen math skills through play. Families rotated through two stations led by APS teaching staff, learning engaging games to support practice at home that related to specific math standards their student needs extra support in. Each family received a take-home kit with materials and instructions, ensuring the fun continued beyond the event.
The materials for the kits and the lasagna dinner made and served with love by Miss Koko were purchased with grant funds through the Petoskey-Harbor Springs Area Community Foundation. Events like this help bridge the gap between school and home, empowering families with tools to support their child’s education in a relaxed and enjoyable way.
This event wouldn’t have been possible without the hard work and dedication of our amazing staff members, Amelia Krell, Samantha Lorusso, Samantha Herscher, Gina Bennett, Hope Roisen, Judy Falk, Rachelle Cook, and Natalie Cantrell. Their enthusiasm and commitment created a welcoming space for students and families to learn together. A heartfelt thank-you to everyone who contributed their time and energy to making Math Night such a success. With such positive feedback, we look forward to hosting similar events in the future. Together, we can continue to equip our students with essential math skills while making learning a fun and engaging experience!
HONOR ROLL
Honor roll is a list of students who have performed exceptionally well academically. Congratulations to our Viking Achievers! Through hard-work and dedication, these Middle School and High School students have made their way onto the All A or A-B honor roll.
ALL A HONOR ROLL
Easton Hughes
Annibelle Temple
Reagan Anderson
Natalie Babcock
Jacob Pressler
Benjamin Cutshall
Henry Larson
EllaMae Loomis
Tavian MacLachlan
Koralyn Rood
Keslii Rota
Naomi Servello
Madelyn Skaggs
Oz Wiklanski
Aubree Johnson
Vanessa Silveus
Kassandra Temple
Remi Wiertalla
Douglas McFarland
Gretchyn Bowman
Corbin Cousineau
Lorelei Henderson
Haiden Luna
Daniel Osier
A/B HONOR ROLL
Kylee Arnold
Jesse Boda
Annabella Brown
Colton Greenier
Lucus Jablinski
Lucy Kolodziej
Blayne Midyett
America Winslow
Maci Greenier
Fern Lewis
Kaezyr MacLachlan
Adam Midyett
William Vila
Hunter Barnes
Ryker Greenier
Maximus Capozzoli
Warren Keller
Liam McGarey
Michelle Meyer
Emmett Tath
Bryce Vila
Jasper Cutshall
Reed Hayes
Melissa Ormsbee
Rylee Armock
Valeria Di Cesare Navarro
June Habitz
Valerie Reinfelder
William Reinelder
Danyin Rota
Kaden Temple
Zachrey Temple
Logan Barnett
Eva Rose
Kylee Volz
Maria Barrios Arevalo
Gavin Goldman
Owyne Greenier
Wade Habitz
Donovon Honeysette
Melody Jesiek
Keyana Kilpatrick
Tyler Laura
Kara Parker
Nixon Smith
Nikita Swadling
SAFE | RESPECTFUL| ACHIEVERS
E lementary basketball program is a slam dunk for
3rd-5th graders!
We are excited to see elementary basketball back at Alanson Public Schools. Elementary basketball has been around on and off for around seven years, but has not been in Alanson schools for the past two years due to a lack of volunteers; it is an unpaid position.
Elementary basketball is made up of two teams, third and fourth grades making up one, and fifth and sixth grades making up the second. We play all the teams in our district, and Pellston and Otsego Christian when they have teams. The goal of elementary basketball is to build the fundamental skills it takes to have our players be competitors when they reach high school level. Coach James Hungo has coached our middle school teams for the past two seasons and stepped up to coach our elementary basketball this year.
James has done a fantastic job stepping up, and has become “an integral part of our basketball programs. He wants to see everyone succeed and reach their potential. Whether it’s elementary, middle school, or helping with the high school teams, he is willing to be there and help in any way possible. He is an amazing asset to our coaching community at Alanson,” said Athletic Director Nikki Leech. James is excited to continue building a foundation and basic understanding of the sport, to improve the number of players,
and to get the kids to love the game. James also said, “It gives the kids something to look forward to after school and on the weekends! They’re building relationships with each other and personally, I think the kids love it. Every week I get more kids asking to join and I have been having good numbers at practices and games!”
Our 5th and 6th grade team went UNDEFEATED! Great job coach and players!
7400 North Street Alanson, MI 49706