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Nonprofit OrganizationU.S. Postage PaidBuckley, Michigan 49620Permit #3
Buckley Community Schools305 South First Street PO Box 38Buckley, Michigan 49620
PROUDLY SERVING THE BUCKLEY COMMUNITY
February 2010
Volume / Issue
305 South First Street
Buckley, Mich. 49620
Buckley Comm unity Schoolsfound out great news in ear lyJanuary. U .S . N e w s & W o r l d
Rep o r t identified the school districtas one o f the best in the nation.
BATTLE ON THE COURTBoth the boys and girls basketball teams played host to opponentson Friday, February 5. The girls battled the Kingsley Lady Stags andthe boys battled the Benzie Huskies in Homecoming 2010 action.
TEACHERS ARE LEARNERS TOOTeachers participated in professional development on January 27. The elementary staff workedon AIMSweb. The high school staff worked on student intervention services.
The award came as a result of
Buckleys students achieving better
than expected on standardised
tests. How did they do better than
expected?
Buckleys student population
includes 51% who
are considered
economically
disadvantagedand
a high percentage
of our economically
disadvantaged
students
performed well
on the MichiganEducational
Assessment
Program (MEAP) or
Michigan Merit Exam (MME).
While the award was certainly
unexpected, said Principal Todd
Kulawiak, the fact that our
students are performing well is not
unexpected.
Kulawiak said the staff is caring
and put students needs first. He
also cited that BCS offers Extended
Learning Time both during and after
school, which allows students to
complete incomplete assignments.
Buckley staff members are
currently reviewing
current MEAP
data and planning
adjustments in
curriculum and
instruction.
Were
excited about the
honor, but were
looking forwardto continuing to
improve.
Buckley was
the only school in either Wexford
or Grand Traverse counties to earn
an award from U.S. News & World
Report.
Please watch Bear Facts for more
information about achievement
levels.
While the awardwas certainly
unexpected, thefact that ourstudents are
performing well is
not unexpected.
Buckleys U.S. New sAw ard .............1
2020 V isio n on hor izon .................... 2
Elementary teachers learning ..........2Board members honored .................2
21st Centur y Learn ing ..................... 3
New s from the schools ....................3
Hom ecom ing 20 10 .......................... 4
Christmas play success ful ............... 4
Mus ic gran t ..................................... 4
Conta ct inform atio n ........................4
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2 Buckley Community Schools / The Bear Facts
E le m e n t a r y t e a c h e r sle a r n in g A I M S w e b
B o a r d m e m b e r s h o n o r e d a t J a n u a r y m ee t in g
Board to hea r p resen ta t i on i n Feb rua ry
Superintendent Rick Heitmeyer will prepare the Board of
Education for upcoming developments w ith a preview of2020 Vision, the new strategic planning model for BuckleyCommunity Schools.
Anytime you create a strategic plan, you must involve everyone the plan involves. By
the time youve completed a planning process, you hope that all decisions relate back to
the mission and vision created during the process, said Heitmeyer.
If a plan is created by the board and administration and no one else is included in the
process, the plan will not succeed, he added.
Basically, if we decide on a vision, we want to relate all district decisions back to
the vision, he said. If only the board and administration created them, they will not
succeed.
Heitmeyer said he hopes to include teaching and support staff members, community
members, parents, students, and others in developing 2020 Vision.
The main areas of the plan will include
developing a mission and vision that everyone can
relate to and embrace.
Heitmeyer says that many schools develop a
wordy mission and vision that only makes sense to
a few people and the school cannot live by the ideas
set forth.
We want a mission and vision that makes
sense to our school, to our community, he said.
Decisions have to relate back to our ideals.
Basically, a mission statement states the fundamental reason a school exists. Vision,
on the other hand, focuses on what is possible.
Mission is what you do, Heitmeyer said. Vision is What do we dream of
becoming?
Heitmeyer said he plans to present an outline of the plan to the Board of Education
at its regular meeting on Tuesday, February 23. After board members see the
presentation, the district will begin planning the process and contacting individuals
who may be interested in taking part in the process.
My hope is that we would not bore anyone. Were going to focus on the future of
Buckley Community Schools because
its important. We dont want to
waste anyones time so we will have
focused agendas and outcomes so
we can move through the process
without interruptions and stalls, the
new superintendent said.
In the end, the district hopes
to have a mission and vision that
everyone can identify with, as well as
strategic components and goals that
make sense.
The district will call the process2020 Vision. The idea behind the
name of the process is that were
already 10 years into a new century
and decade and its gone fast.
So, ultimately, where do we want to
be in three, five, or 10 years. What do
we believe?
The elementary teaching staff
is participating in continual,
sustained professional
development, learning AIMSweb.
AIMSweb is a benchmark
and progress monitoring system
based on direct, frequent and
continuous student assessment.
The results are reported to
students, parents, teachers and administrators via a web-based
data management and reporting system to determine response
to intervention.
AIMSweb works with English Language Arts and
mathematics and provides teachers with ongoing data to allow
teachers to adjust their teaching to help students learn on the
fly.
Traverse Bay Area Intermediate School District (TBAISD)
personnel are providing the professional development.
The Buckley Community Schools Board of Education members
are Dave Buck, Lew Chalker, Kell Tyson, Hollianne
McHugh , Ken Gibler, Matt Breithaupt, and Matt
Simon.
At the monthly meeting in January, they received certificates
and thank yous for participating in their leadership positions.
Individual school board members face complex and demanding
challenges. They are alternately described as having the most
important volunteer jobs in the country and facing the toughest
challenge in elected American government. Yet school board
members are just ordinary
citizens with extraordinary
dedication to our nations
public schools.
Their job is to establish a
vision for the education program, design a structure to achieve
that vision, ensure schools are accountable to the community and
strongly advocate continuous improvement in student learning.
Yet local trustees sometimes tackle an often thankless job devoid
of any glory. Too often we are quick to criticize school board
members without really knowing all the details that went into a
given decision. Now is the time to thank them!
Although they wear many hats in the workday world, school
board members put on a collective hat when they get down to the
business of leading their school districts. Board members must
pull together as a team toward a common goalhelping students
achieve. Though they may individually disagree on certain issues,
their role as a board is to consistently strive toward that goal.
In recognition of the dedicated service, January was School
Board Recognition Month. This is a time to show appreciation
and to better understand how local trustees work together to
provide a better future for our children. Please join with others
from throughout our district to salute the men and women who
provide governance of public schools.
The focus has to be onstudent needs. Students
are our customers,so we have to have
programming that meetstheir needs.
2 0 2 0 V is io n o nt h e h o r iz o n
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The Bear Facts / Buckley Community Schools 3
W h a t d o es it m ea n t o b e a2 1s t Ce n t u r y le a r n e r ?
When people think about learning in the 21st Century, the first thing that
comes to their mind is technology. And when they think of technology, theythink of computers.
Twentyfirst Century learning is a buzz word, but learning in todays world is about
more than computers and technology. The computers and technology available to
teachers and students is incredible and provides many opportunities. Its important
to remember that the technology availablethe
computers, projectors, etc.are tools to help
education happen.,
Twentyfirst Century learning is about more
than computers. In fact, the core subjects of
English, math, social studies, and science are still
the basis of education. Plus, elective classes like physical education, health, foreign
language, fine arts, and other classes are important to the development of students.
A 21st Century education focuses on core subjects, innovation skills, life and career
skills, and information, media, and technology skills. Students in the 21st Century are
wellrounded. Moreover, they have opportunities that students in the past didnt so
readily appreciate like the career center, dual enrollment, and online learning.
Principal Todd Kulawiak says that students enjoy an unprecedented amount of
education available to them.
Its an exciting time to be
an educator and a student.
Its an exciting time tobe an educator and a
student.
S a f et y r e m in d e r For the safety of your children, please check in at the office when
you come in to school. Please do not go directly to a classroom.
It is also important to remember to call the office to report
absences. You can reach the office at (231) 2693325.
O n e a c t p la y co m in gBuckley Community School Drama PresentsAnd Then There
Was One, a one-act comedy mystery by Michael Druce. The
dinner theater experience will be held Wednesday, March 24,
2010, featuring a potluck dinner donation from 5:306:45 p.m.,
with the play at 7 p.m.
T h ir d g r a d e s t u d e n t sle a r n in g a b o u t h i st o r yFor the last month in science, the third grade
students have been working on animal research
projects. Each student researched an animal,
collected information and wrote a rough and
final draft. Students also learned peer editing
skills. Then, each student created dioramas of their animal and
its habitat. The students were very creative with their projects.
Watch for pictures of the dioramas on our school website, http://
www.buckleyschools.com. You can check them out soon!
These students also participated in interesting activities and
crafts for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Groundhog Day, and
Presidents Week.
For Black History Month, students will learn about some
important African Americans and their impact on American
history. The students also learned about
important events and people who were part
of the Civil Rights movement.
The third grade has tied reading, social
studies, and the events of the month
together to make learning meaningful for the
students.
Fo u r t h g r a d e r s le a r n in ga b o u t e co n o m icsJoan Mackeys fourth grade students have been
studying life science. Students planted beans
and were surprised how fast they grew. The class
has taken care of each plant, including watering,
measuring, and recording its growth. Next, they will study animal
life and write research papers on animals.
In social studies, students have been studying Michigan
economics. Gina Weber, branch manager from Honor State
Bank, talked to the class about how banks use money and how
checking and savings accounts work.
Ch a n g e s in E n g lis hL a n g u a g e A r t s cu r r i cu lu m
BY MARIA TURNER, ENGLISH TEACHER
Buckley Junior High students join students across the state
of Michigan in a common learning experience for English
Language Arts.The Macomb Intermediate School District recently
unveiled its new state aligned curriculum for sixtheighth
grades and I was one of the representatives from our area to
participate in this process.
The Traverse Bay Area Intermediate School District
highly recommends this curriculum. Michigan has rigorous
curriculum standards, and they are continuously updated.
These new curriculum units include the latest updates and
meet the state requirements for the Grade Level Content
Expectations (GLCEs) at each grade level.
Each grade level will also have a focus, just as the high
school classes have to focus their study. This enables
students to find common themes and compare materials that have been studied
throughout the year with a general focus topic and specific focus questions. It is no
longer enough to read just for understanding. Students have to be able to process at amuch higher level in order to be successful in our changing world. We need creative,
critical thinkers more than ever to tackle the problems of the 21st Century. That is why
so many of the tasks in todays classroom emphasize not only communication skills, but
also collaborations skills.
Each grade has anchor texts that will be core texts for the students to read. In
addition to these books, there are also related videos, Internet activities, fiction and
non-fiction readings; viewing, speaking, and listening activities; and grammar, writing,
and research activities. The latest technology is included with these learning units. The
suggested anchor texts and dispositions (big ideas) have been carefully selected.
S.E. Hintons The Outsidersis a recommended book foreighth graders.
Schoo l has many comp onen ts i n p lace to m ove f o r w a r d i n t o t h e n e w C en t u r y
One organization that supports learning in the 21st Century isthe Partnership for 21st Century Skills.
Diorama.
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Board of Education
Membership 200910PresidentDave Buck
VicePresidentLew ChalkerSecretaryHollianne McHugh
TreasurerKell TysonTrusteeKen Gibler
TrusteeMatt BreithauptTrusteeMatt Simon
Published by BCS
Superintendent: Rick Heitmeyer
The Bear Facts is published sixtimes during the school year from
AugustMay. If you have anysuggestions, or questions, please
contact the office at (231) 269-3325between the hours of 8 a.m.4 p.m.
ALL CONTENT
COPYRIGHT MMIX BY BCS
Homecoming weekevents fun for allBY ERICA UTTER, STUDENT COUNCIL PRESIDENT
The Student Councils Presidents
Committee worked since Septemberto plan Homecoming. The committee
had everything ordered, shipped and
picked up weeks ahead of time; plus, they
planned out the assemblies, brought ideas
for spirit week to our meetings, and had
the Student Council vote on them.
So, a lot of planning went into a week
that seemed to fly by. Each day had a
different theme - College Day, Fake
Injury Day, Farmer Day, Twin
Day, and Blue and Gold Day.
The school had assemblies Monday
and Fridayand the classes
participated to earn points. Classes
could also get points by dressingup for the spirit days, and these
points were awarded based on
percentages. At the end of the week, after
the class banners (instead offloats) were
judged, the Junior Class was announced
as the winner of the Homecoming 2010
Spirit Cup.
Friday nights big game was packed.
Our student section
was overflowing, and
much of our school
came out to cheer
on the Bears. The
girls played first,
losing to Kingsley,
but barely. The guys
Ch r is t m a s co m e d y b y B u c k le ys t u d e n t s s u cc es s f u l in D ece m b e r
Buckley Community Schools drama class performed
Marty Duhatscheks I Hate Christmas: A Christmas
Comedy in Three Acts on December 16, 2009.
Director Maria Turner said, While the drama class
only has 11 students, they are all hard working with
several different duties to perform to make the play
work. She added that she appreciated that her husband
Gil Turner and some building trade program students created the staging platforms.Moreover, the performance was in front of the largest audience to watch a play at
Buckley, Turner said. Thank you for your continued support, she said.
Cast list: Dingo GlitterNate Gustafson; Rolly Ringer and costume designer
Felicia Wall; Frankie Fine and soundErica Utter; Jenny and costume
designerShelby Durga; Tia and stage managerAmanda Salenski; Rose
and lightingDallas Jayska; Emily and hair/makeupAngie Calley; Miss
Pincer and hair/makeupMariah Guernsey; Sara and stage manager
Keshia Miller; Birdy and house managerApril Gibler; student directorMari
Courtade .
Music teacherseeks grantMusic teacher Laura Steed has applied for the Muzak Heart & Soul
Foundations Music Matters Grant. Steed submitted the application
on Friday, February 5, and hopes to hear soon whether the district
will benefit.
The Muzak Heart & Soul Foundations mission is to redefine and
support music education. Through music education, a child can
better achieve his/her full potential and stimulate personal and
educational growth.
Steed hopes to acquire a number of band instruments through
the grant, as well as upgrading some other supplies and materials.
The focus of the grant is to increase the number of students who
participate in choir and band, as well as
improve the number of students who attend
performances. Steed said she hopes to raise
the level of appreciation for the fine arts in
Buckley.
There are student, school, and community
components to the application, according toSteed. In the application, we addressed all of
the areas. We hope to raise awareness for the
fine arts through the grant. Its important for
our community.
Buckley Community Schools305 South First Street
Buckley, Michigan 49620T (231) 2693325 / F (231) 2693833
www.buckleyschools.com
SCHOOL OFFICE
Rick Heitmeyer, [email protected]
Todd Kulawiak, [email protected]
Pat Kuhn, Business Manager
ATHLETICS
Rne LaFreniere, Athletic [email protected]
FOOD SERVICE
Phil Fairchild, [email protected]
lost by even less
playing an incredibly
close game againstBenzie. At halftime
of the guys game,
the Homecoming
King and Queen
were announced, Jeff
Dreves and Caley
Blanchard. Everything went without a
hitch, all of the reps walked out at the
right time and the music played smoothly.
On Saturday, the day of the dance,
everyone on Student Council (and
several volunteers) showed up
at 9 a.m. to set up tables, chairs,
pillars, and even a fake garden to
set the atmosphere. People werealso blowing up balloons, painting
the background, setting up the
refreshment tables, bathroom baskets,
and centerpieces. We were at the school
for a total of six hours setting up and
nobody complained.
The dance itself was amazing.
Everything from the garden to the picture
area was surreal. All of our hard work
had finally paid off and we were able to
relax and have fun. I cannot express how
thankful I am to everyone who helped
outincluding the elementary students
who helped make signs for the game, the
teachers, and to the students, without
whom we never couldve gotten this far.
The Jr./Sr. High bandperformed the WinterConcert on Feb. 9.
The play was fun for thestudents in December.