Keller sworn in as new member of New Buffalo school board

SCHOLASTICS

Keller sworn in as new member of New Buffalo school board

BY FRANCESCA SAGALA

Paul Keller was sworn in as a new member of the New Buffalo Area Schools Board of Education Monday, Dec. 12.

He will be filling the remainder of the unexpired term of Frank Magro until the next general election in 2024.

Since 2000, Keller has been a teacher at Lakeshore Public Schools, where he’s taught Social Studies, economics, world history and government and civics. He’s also been a member of the Professional Learning Committee since 2004. Since 2019, he’s been vice president of the Lakeshore Education Association. For the last couple of years, he’s been part of the collaborative bargaining agreement and has been part of the process of bargaining with administrators and the principal.

A lifelong resident of New Buffalo, Keller, who was chosen from a field of six other candidates, is the husband of a New Buffalo High School teacher and the father of three New Buffalo graduates.

Board trustee Tricia Newton, who said that two professionals in education will be on the board come January, asked what perspective or strengths Keller could bring to help the district that “otherwise might not otherwise be represented by the other educators.”

As vice president of the union, Keller said he’s had the “opportunity of learning the ins and out from all levels, elementary through high school.”

“I hear the concerns, I hear the issues that our teachers have and our administrators - I think that’s something unique that I can bring maybe from that perspective,” he said.

Special recognition was given to Jose Martnez and elementary school students for alerting him to a student who was choking on a carrot, so Martinez could perform the Heimlich maneuver and get it dislodged from the student’s throat.

Board members heard a principals’ presentation.

Referring to www.mischooldata. org, New Buffalo Elementary School Principal Adam Bowen said the school scored a 100% in participation with MSTEP data.

The school met its target of 100% with regards to proficiency in ELA as well as in math.

Bowen said that different components are looked at in terms of how the school rated on the index for quality and student success, which the school received a 98.13 score on per the website. Access to the arts and physical education as well as a librarian or media specialist helps the school’s ratings. With regards to on track attendance, Bowen added that letters are sent home alerting parents to children being at risk for not attending school, which also plays a factor into the school’s scores.

The school’s overall index was 97.84.

New Buffalo Middle School Principal Dan Caudle said that the school’s growth index is at 96.03 Currently, he’s focused homing in on the “bottom 30%” of students by putting in extra RTI courses at the end of day, so students have math and ELA RTI. Students also get “targeted intervention” during bonus period.

“Hopefully, we can grow the 96% that we have on the growth index by really targeting the bottom 30%,” he said.

The assessment participation for ELA and math was at 100% and the science and social studies participation was at 97.5%, which Caudle attributed to two students couldn’t complete science and social studies testing due to illness.

The overall index for the middle school was at 94.55%.

New Buffalo High School Principal Tracy Ripley said that the high school’s

participatory index is at 100%, which means that all students participated in the MSTEP and SAT last year. The school received a 100% proficiency score on math and ELA. The index for school quality and student success was at 75.74%. Students are rated on two categories, advanced coursework and how many students are taking advanced classes and postsecondary enrollment, which combined gives the school an 80.69% Paul Keller (right) is sworn in by Denise Tuszynski rating. Ripley said that while Dr. Michael Lindley (far left) looks on this could be attributed to getting more students enrolled in advanced courses. The other part of the index, the post-secondary enrollment score, was the lowest one at 73.62%, which she attributes to the pandemic and students choosing to continue their education. The school’s growth index was at 94.07. The school’s ELA growth met 100% of the target and math was at 89.64% and met target. Collectively, all those scores combined gave the school an overall index of 98.07. Board members approved the hiring of Dine Hyatte as elementary special education teacher effective Jan. 9, pending background check. Board members employed Jack Early as a third-grade basketball coach, pending background check. After going into Closed Session, board members approved ratifying the 2023-2026 Master Agreement with the New Buffalo Educational Personnel Association.

Students and Jose Martinez (far left) are honored by the New Buffalo Area Schools Board of Education

Cheers ring out for Adam Bowen from students in the auditorium New Buffalo Area Schools Board of Education President Lisa Werner thanks Adam Bowen

New Buffalo Elementary School Principal Adam Bowen named ‘Principal of the Year’

According to Dr. Micheal Lindley, interim superintendent at New Buffalo Area Schools, there are almost 5,800 elementary/middle schools in the entire state of Michigan.

Standing at the front of the auditorium at New Buffalo Elementary School, Lindley then asked students to raise their hands and show him with their fingers how many principals of the year do they think there were this year.

“I see a lot of ones - there’s only one and who is it?” Lindley asked to which the students responded “Mr. Bowen!”

Students, teachers and members of the community had gathered in the auditorium to celebrate New Buffalo Elementary School Principal Adam Bowen, who has been named the 2022 Principal of the Year by the Michigan Elementary and Middle School Principals Association, along with SET SEG.

Bowen is currently in his 17th year in education and his fifth year as administrator of New Buffalo Elementary. His experience is diverse with time spent in special education, general education, Title I Coordinator, and finally as current building principal.

According to a press release, Bowen’s nomination was supported by many administrative colleagues, teachers, parents (who wrote several letters of support) and local community leaders.

New Buffalo Elementary parent Ashlee Croskey wrote the following: “As the parent of an extremely anxious now fifth grader, we have struggled... On particularly hard days, I have sent Mr. Bowen an email or text and let him know our plight. It has never failed that he has dropped whatever he was doing and met us at the school doors asking us how he can support us.”

Karen Muckey-Martinez, said that she “can’t think of anyone more deserving than Mr. Bowen of the award” as he’s inspired her and other teachers “to be better and to do better - not just for ourselves but for students at the elementary school.”

Before coming to New Buffalo, Martinez was a principal.

“It’s not an easy job at all - it’s a really, really, hard job…A principal has to take care of so many people, a principal has to take care of parents, has to take care of staff and of course, the students – Mr. Bowen does such a great job of taking care of everyone,” she said.

Martinez said that the elementary school’s vision statement – “Every Student, Every Day” – is what lies at the core of every decision Bowen makes.

Once a month, he sits down with teachers and talks about every student to see who’s struggling in what subject “so he can help you – he always has a plan to help every student with academics.”

“He truly does care about each and every student in the building,” Martinez said.

BY FRANCESCA SAGALA

Adam Bowen walks the red carpet at the auditorium The Bison tickets and class compliments that students engage in, Martinez said, “aren’t just for fun – they are teaching you valuable life lessons to be responsible, to be respectful and safe.”

She added that students will use these qualities to “help the world” – being successful isn’t just about getting good grades, it’s about helping people.”

In separate statement, Martinez also said Bowen’s “focus and enthusiasm for PBIS and Social Emotional Learning has been inspiring.”

Bowen also pushes the teachers with new yearly goals and initiatives – which, she said, are always aimed at ways they can “better the kids.”

“Mr. Bowen has built a great atmosphere and great teams do great things and that’s what we’re doing at New Buffalo Elementary School - we are doing great things,” she said.

“Congratulations, Mr. Bowen, on winning ‘Principal of the Year for the state of Michigan and for being a way to make the elementary school the very best place for our students.”

In a written statement, New Buffalo High School Principal Tracy Ripley said that Bowen “has led New Buffalo Elementary to be recognized as a National Blue Ribbon school (in 2020).”

“This is not an easy accomplishment and further shows his commitment to his staff, students, and community,” she said.

Dr. Jeff Leslie, former superintendent of New Buffalo Area Schools, writes that “In addition to his knowledge of the programs and curriculum already in place, he has a caring nature and really goes above and beyond to help each kid.”

Lindley, who was superintendent while Bowen was a student in the district, said he helped mentor him and get his first teaching job in South Bend.

“He’s excelled at every level, whether a teacher, Title One coordinator and now principal, so we’re very proud – he’s one of our own and he’s excelled and we’re just very, very, fortunate to have him,” he said.

Bowen said that winning the award is a “direct impact that each of the teachers have and plus the students - you guys are so important and the way you’re able to be respectful, be responsible and be safe and follow the rules and be good friends and do well on all your tests that allows us to do the things we can do here at New Buffalo.” “So, thank you students, for always doing what’s right and doing your very best every day and thank you, teachers, for working with me all through the years to continue trying to get better each and every day,” he said.

Bowen also thanked the superintendent and New Buffalo Area Schools Board of Education for “always believing in me and supporting me - I thank you for your trust each and every day.”

He also thanked the parents for “believing in me and trusting me with your child each and every day.”

“It’s just a combination of everyone working together for the common goal for giving kids at New Buffalo Elementary the best education possible… I hope we can continue to do that for many, many years,” he said.

According to the press release, the MEMSPA Principal of the Year Award “acknowledges contributions to the well-being of the educational community; contributions to a positive environment/motivating and inspiring others; service and achievement in the community; recognition of leadership by the community; orderly and purposeful school leadership; and student achievement.”

Interim Superintendent Dr. Michael Lindley recognizes Adam Bowen