Good Sunday Evening,
District Safety Assessment
I will be meeting with our District Safety consultant this week. For the past two weeks, he was able to meet with each building principal and walk/evaluate each building. They discussed safety protocols and procedures currently in place and addressed any areas of concern in each school building. He will be creating a report to be shared at the next Finance/B&G committee meeting. We will also share our ideas for improvement this summer during out District Safety Team meeting.
Also, as I mentioned last week, if you have not had the opportunity to watch the latest documentary on the Oxford school incident, I would encourage you to do so. This Michigan based case is being considered a national landmark case which will set legal precedent for years to come. Click on the following link to learn more: https://abcnews.go.com/US/doc-school-shooters-parents-reveals-prosecutors-built-case/story?id=109245738
Book Study – “Drive” by Daniel H. Pink:
Chapter 5 Discussion Questions will be sent out on Monday this week. Don’t forget to make a post in our Chat Room and also make a comment on someone else’s post for each chapter. I will be sending out Chapter 6 soon, as early as next week. We have almost completed our study and our last and final face-to-face meeting will be scheduled soon.
Bootcamp/Healthy Lifestyle Update:
I wanted to thank all those folks that have recently shared their “healthy lifestyle” stories with me. I didn’t think or realize that talking about the new Fitness Center and/or my personal improvement plans would help inspire others to do the same. I truly believe that a healthy mind starts with a healthy body and if you are not where you want to be, today is the day to make some changes. Start small. Plan the week out and make some different, intentional choices towards a better way of life. None of us our perfect and we all have something to work on and improve. The key is for you to figure that out for yourself, intentionally, and make some change. You won’t regret it. Walk, eat healthier, exercise, sleep, it is all related and a few small adjustments in each area can accumulatively make significant impact on your state of being and level of self-confidence. Give it a try, what do you have to lose? Remember, “Do a little more today than you did yesterday”, Spencer S. Byrd.
Learn more about baby steps to a healthier lifestyle: https://www.touchofhealthchiropractic.com/the-baby-steps-to-wellness-lifestyle/
Welcome New Staff!
I wanted to thank everyone for the help and support in the hiring of new staff members over the past two months. We still have many openings to fill for next school year, 24-25, and it is important to fill these positions with the very best candidates that we can recruit and interview. As many of you know, we have a very veteran staff with the majority of our staff growing closer and closer to retirement ages. We still have many positions to fill for next school year and that will be the trend for the next few school years.
I also want to thank the teachers who are part of our “Grow Your Own” programs. Due to the national teacher shortage, the Michigan Department of Education has recently created pathways for non-certified teachers to secure an open teaching position now, while working on their degree and state certification. There is typically a three-year time limit to secure a certification but it is definitely helping to close the teacher shortage gap. We currently have at least one teacher in each of our buildings taking advantage of this current opportunity. If you would like to learn more about these opportunities, please click on:https://www.michigan.gov/mde/services/ed-serv/ed-cert/permits-placement/grow-your-own-vacancies-shortages
In addition to expanding our Grow Your Own opportunities, we have hired some excellent teachers to join our staff in the 24-25 school year. I believe we have been extremely lucky so far in finding, recruiting, and hiring some excellent teachers for next school year. The future is bright for Cheboygan Area Schools. If you see these new folks around town/community, please make sure to give them a warm and hospitable Cheboygan welcome! Our new teaching staff for 24-25, so far, are:
Erica Gildner
Carolynn Sidlauskas
Ron Friedriechsen
Bill Nesbitt
Reminder, for those of you who participated in our Strategic Planning process last fall, you know a significant emphasis was/is placed on hiring quality teachers. One of those district goals has now become our HR North Star:
Personnel and Leadership Goal: CAS will attract, develop, retain, and invest in quality personnel.
We will create a comprehensive new staff support plan
We will create a process to recruit new staff members
Based on the quality of our recent hires, I think we are taking positive steps toward reaching our goals. Mrs. McClintic, Director of Instructional Support, and I will be working on our new staff support plan this summer. We are planning to have several opportunities for new staff to come in this summer, work with other teachers, work with administration, learn about what make Cheboygan great, and be introduced to community members/businesses to ensure that they have the support and understanding to be successful next school year. If you are interested in joining our teaching team, please visit our HR webpage at: https://cheboyganareaschoolsmi.sites.thrillshare.com/page/job-opportunities
Town Hall Meeting
It appears the proposed date of Wednesday, May 15th, in the HS auditorium @ 6pm will work for our Town Hall meeting. So, if you are interested in learning more about the bond referendum that will be on the ballot in August, please plan to come to our Town Hall meeting. The information that you gather will help and assist you in making a fact-based decision in August. As you know, the school district will be asking the community to consider a neutral or “no increase” tax extension to replenish the last bond fund that was passed in 2015. These funds will help the district continue to fix, repair, renovate ALL of our facilities in the future. Please plan to visit with us so that your voice can be heard.
Week @ Glance:
Monday – 29th
11:00 – Safety Consultant Meeting
Tuesday – 30th
6:00 – Bootcamp
9:00 – BP Meeting in BR
2:45 – Secretary Meeting
Wednesday – 1st
½ Day for Students
½ Professional Learning Day for Teachers:
11:15 Students Released – INV, CIS, CMS, HS
11:30 Students Released – ELE
11:30 Lunch Available in the MS Cafeteria
12:30 District Announcements
1:00 PD Opportunities for Teachers
Math Curriculum PD in the MS Library
CTE Training
New Teachers – CPR Training – CIS Room 703
All other Staff report to HS Auditorium
Session 1 – Apptegy – Rooms
Session 2 – Sitelogic
3:00 Check Out
Thursday – 2nd
6:00 - Bootcamp
11:00 - Chamber Zoom Meeting
Friday – 3rd
10:00 Online CAA Exam
Thank you for your time and support, it is greatly appreciated.
Spencer S. Byrd, Ed.S, CSBO – CAS Superintendent
Quote for the Week: “You will continue to suffer if you have an emotional reaction to everything that is said to you. True power is sitting back and observing things with logic.” – Warren Buffett
Important Future Dates:
May 6/7 – MASA Horizons Administrative Leadership Academy
May 9 – Special Board Meeting/Athletic Committee Meeting – 6:00pm
Athletic Director Report
May 14 – Finance/B&G Committee Meeting – 10:00am
May 14 – Curriculum Committee Meeting – 3:45pm
May 15 – Leadership Cheboygan
May 15 – Town Hall Meeting – HS Auditorium – 6pm
May 20 – Monthly School Board Meeting
May 27 – No School – Memorial Day
June 6-7 – Half Days for Student Exams – Work Days for Teachers
June 8 – Summer Break Begins!
Summer School opportunities Begin!