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Taking Human Connection to the Next LevelMichigan legislation requires schools to respond to repeated acts of aggression, but GPS students recently took part in an anti-bullying initiative that went beyond mandate de rigueur. Designed to set in motion a culture shift, the “be nice.” program instilled in students the importance of being respectful and inclusive.

Emphasizing that civility is required, the period at the end of the “be nice.” slogan is intentional. The Mental Health Foundation of West Michigan created the educational campaign to show kids that, for better or for worse, one person’s behavior can impact the life of another. Through workshops and assemblies, they discovered that kindness can ricochet and lead to new friendships.

From performing random acts of kindness to filling a bulletin board in their school’s lobby with genuine compliments to each other, K-12 students put benevolence in action. Students from the middle and high school painted a bench to be auctioned off on May 1 at a live art event at RiverTown Crossings Mall. “The bench idea reminds me of the movie ‘Forrest Gump’ – he certainly was so NICE and his story was told to people as they sat on the bench,” says Christy Buck, executive director of the Mental Health Foundation of West Michigan.

CommunicatorThe

A publication of the Grandville Public Schools Board of Education

www.grandville.k12.mi.us | APRIL 2013

Three Parents, One MissionGPS provides a full spectrum of programs and personnel for students with special needs, but parents should know that there is a support system for them, too. For guidance from other parents with special needs children, look no further than the Parent Advisors for Special Education (PASE).

The Grandville PASE team consists of parents Bobbie Blackford, Kelly Komejan and Juli Wiseman. Together, they share a common goal: to positively impact educational opportunities for children with special needs through parent collaboration and education. The team works closely with the GPS Director of Student Services and attends monthly meetings at the Kent Intermediate School District to ensure continual improvement of special education in the district.

Blackford initially saw the group as an avenue to advocate for her son, but she now hopes to share what she’s gleaned about scholastic trends. She recognizes that there are times when parents just need to talk with someone who’s been there. “My goal as a member of the Grandville PASE group is to provide emotional support to families, as well as help all concerned to better understand the needs of our children,” says Blackford.

Brimming with tools and updates, the Grandville PASE Facebook page is especially designed and intended for parents of special education students. Contact Bobbie Blackford at (616) 893-6416, Kelly Komejan at (616) 240-3514 or Juli Wiseman at (616) 299-0421 for more information.

from left: Kelly Komejan, Bobbie Blackford, Juli Wiseman

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From the SuperintendentMarch Was Reading MonthWhether it was through witnessing the Battle of the Books reading competition, or reading a story to a classroom of elementary students, there was little doubt that an extra focus was placed on reading during the month of March.

Reading is undeniably the foundation for learning. To help assess a child’s reading ability and determine if timely interventions are necessary, Grandville Public Schools utilizes a test called DIBELS to examine a child’s progress in learning important reading skills. DIBELS is an acronym that stands for Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills. Research indicates children who learn the following skills become good readers:

Phonemic Awareness Hearing and using sounds in spoken words Alphabetic Principle Knowing sounds of the letters and sounding out written words Fluent Reading Reading stories/material easily and quickly with few mistakes Comprehension Constructing meaning from text Vocabulary Understanding meaning of words

DIBELS is comprised of short individual subtests. Each subtest focuses on a different skill and a child’s score on a subtest provides evidence of whether he or she is likely to be on track for learning to read based on established benchmarks with other children. It also helps us determine if some additional intervention is necessary to support the child’s reading progress. For example, the DIBELS test may help a teacher realize that more time needs to be devoted to helping a child “sound out” unknown words. DIBELS provides only one piece of information to help us determine that every child is on target for reading success.

We administer the DIBELS assessment in our early elementary grades three times a year to track each student’s progress. I am very pleased to report that over the last three years our students have made consistent gains within each DIBELS subtest on a year-to-year basis. Growth in literacy has not only occurred from one year to the next, but improvement has also occurred within each year. Our reports demonstrate that our students are gaining more than a year’s worth of learning for each year of instruction.

To no great surprise, this year we have experienced dramatic improvement in our kindergarten DIBELS data. This is undoubtedly the by-product of the additional instructional time students have experienced as a result of the full-day kindergarten program.

Our school district’s mission is “to improve lives by producing successful, life-long learners.” Fostering literacy acumen is critical to meeting this goal. Thank you for helping us achieve our mission by encouraging the young people in our lives to read, read, read – not just during the month of March, of course, but each day of the year.

Ron CaniffSuperintendent

Upcoming Events4/18-20 Spring Musical, GHS Auditorium, $6 Students/Seniors, $8 Adults, call 254-6334 for tickets4/23 South Elementary Kindergarten Concert, Middle School, 6:00 p.m.4/23 West Elementary Kindergarten Concert, Middle School, 7:00 p.m.4/30 Grand View Elementary Kindergarten Concert, Middle School, 6:30 p.m.5/1 Cummings Elementary Kindergarten Concert, Middle School, 6:30 p.m. 5/2 East Elementary Kindergarten Concert, Middle School, 6:30 p.m.5/3 Canal Street Jazz Cafe, GHS5/5 GHS Fine Arts Festival, 1:00 p.m.; HS Band Concert, 2:00 p.m.5/7 Bond Proposal Election5/8 Century Park Learning Center Kindergarten Concert, Middle School, 6:30 p.m.5/9 Central Kindergarten Concert, Central Gymnasium, 6:00 p.m.5/10 GHS Audio/Visual Department’s “Vinny Awards” Ceremony, 7:00 p.m.5/13 7th Grade Orchestra Concert, 6:30 p.m., 8th Grade Orchestra Concert, 8:00 p.m., GHS Auditorium5/14 GHS Choir Concert, Auditorium5/15 7th & 8th Grade Choir Concert, GHS Auditorium5/16 Senior Academic Awards Program, 7:00 p.m., Auditorium5/20 7th Grade Spring Band Concert, 6:30 p.m., 8th Grade Spring Band Concert, 8:00 p.m., GHS Auditorium5/21-22 Middle School Musical Theater Production, 7:00 p.m., GMS Auditorium5/30 Grandville High School Graduation, 7:00 p.m., Resurrection Life Church

Bond Proposition – Tuesday, May 7, 2013As noted in previous Communicator editions, Grandville Public Schools has a bond proposition on the May 7, 2013, ballot. We encourage you to visit our website, www.grandville.k12.mi.us, to learn more about the items included within the bond proposition at each school.

The website includes details about the facility improvements that will be made at each school and you will find a link to renderings that show these enhancements at each site. Information about the cost of the proposal is also located on the website, and brief videos that review separate components of the bond proposition are included as well.

If you have questions about the bond proposition, please feel free to contact Superintendent Ron Caniff at 254-6571 or rcaniff@gpsbulldogs.org.

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Athletes Receive All-Conference HonorsCompetitive Cheer: Karlie Fisher, Kennedy Westcott, Sam SalliotteHonorable Mention: Trisha Merriman, Jasmine Martinez

Boys Basketball: Honorable Mention: Joey Lanning

Girls Basketball: Liz Otten, Jessica DoodHonorable Mention: Mari Bugg, Caroline Streeter

Wrestling: Collin Tomkins, Davon Rivera

Girls Bowling: Kasey Eaton, Brittany Ketchum, Cierra Slater

Boys Bowling: Chase Benites, Rob Karas, Austin NaylorHonorable Mention: Jimmy Rawdon

Hockey: Sean Schmeiser, Matt Shultz, Ryan Fischer, Isaac LippertHonorable Mention: Mitchell Parson, Brandon Rozema

Gymnastics: Megan Annis, Vivian Nguyen

Senior Takes 5th In StateSenior Zach Schneider finished 5th in state in Division 1 bowling this year. Zach has bowled since he was 6 years old and bowled on the Grandville varsity team his freshman and sophomore years, however taking his junior year off of bowling meant working very hard to reach his goal of making it to state in singles. The Grandville boys team placed third at regionals, securing a spot in the state competition which took place on March 1. In the regionals single tournament, Grandville sent 3 boys who qualified in the top 10 to compete in state—Seniors Zach Schneider, Austin Naylor and Freshman Chase Benites. The Grandville girls team won their conference and will graduate 3 bowlers this year. Grandville bowling is offered at all levels of high school and has scholarship opportunities. If you are interested in bowling please see the athletic office for more details.

Golf And Ice Hockey Coach HonoredGrandville’s Dave Hutton has been named a 2013 recipient of the Michigan High School Athletic Association’s Charles E. Forsythe Award. Forsythe Award recipients are selected each year by the MHSAA Representative Council, based on an individual’s outstanding contribution to the interscholastic athletics community.

Hutton has coached the Grandville High School boys golf team for 42 seasons and also started and led the ice hockey program for 18. Hutton retired from the classroom in 2010 after teaching math and science at the elementary and middle school levels at Grandville for 41 years. He also has impacted his local golf community as a United States Golf Association junior tournament director and Professional Golf Association co-chairman of “Club for Kids” for Kent County.

“There’s still this satisfaction in seeing players in either sport be successful and continue to enjoy the sport when they’ve left (high school),” Hutton said. “There are times when kids say they’ve had enough of that. But it’s nice to see, just being a part of their growth in a sport as it continues beyond, whether they play in college or even as an adult in a rec league or church league, that they enjoyed it and learned something when you were their coach.”

Forensics Success James Williams, a s e n i o r w h o t r a n s f e r r e d t o GHS from North Carolina this year, found immediate s u c c e s s a t h i s f i r s t Fo r e n s i c s t o u r n a m e n t i n Mich igan - he

won first place in the category of Poetry Interpretation. James is looking forward to building on this success this season as he continues to compete at the local and regional levels in the hopes of qualifying for State Finals in May!

Band Members RecognizedCongratulations to the following band students that have been nominated to the Michigan Youth Arts Festival. This is the most prestigious Music Festival in the State of Michigan. Students must be nominated by the judge at State Solo and Ensemble Festival.

Dylan Martin - nominated for his solo and has been placed in the All State Michigan Youth Arts Festival Band

Jeffrey Allardyce - nominated for his solo

Saxophone Quartet - Jeffrey Allardyce, Colton Wood, Tom Quist, Kyle Steenbergen

Saxophone Quartet - Jeffrey Allardyce, Russal Rose, Katie Rose, Cory Williamson

GHS Choir TourA group of 25 high school students and seven adults went on a choir tour in Nashville this past March. Highlights of the trip included singing “Happy Birthday” for Andrew Jackson VI on the 245 birthday of his ancestor, President Jackson; recording in the same studio and using the same piano used by Elvis; and working with Vanderbilt University professor Dr. Curtis in a special vocal clinic.

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March Is Reading Month Activities

On March 1, former Cummings Elementary student Pat Whitcomb returned to read to our 2nd grade classes to kick off reading month. Pat is the wrestling coach at North Idaho College, who recently won their program’s 14th national championship.

Grandville Middle School Butterfly ProjectOver the last few weeks, the students at Grandville Middle School have been participating in KDL’s Grandville Reads program. The theme for this year is World War II. Students have been reading class novels, companion novels and doing extended research projects around that theme.

Part of the Grandville Reads Program is the Butterfly Project, modeled after the Holocaust Museum in Houston Texas’ project by the same name. The museum’s goal was to collect 1.5 million handcrafted butterflies to represent each of the 1.5 million children lost in the Holocaust. Each student at the middle school created a handmade butterfly with Houston’s purpose in mind. Their creations, some of which are tissue paper and others are watercolor, have filled the library with a very colorful array of butterflies. A portion of the student’s creations will be displayed at KDL during the month of April with other butterflies made and contributed by community members.

Many thanks go out to the Grandville Education Foundation (GEF) whose grant program made the funding for our WWII learning experience possible. The books and related materials available to our students were purchased with grant money awarded through the GEF.

West Welcomes Reading Month At Barnes & NobleWest Elementary celebrated Dr. Seuss’ birthday on March 2 by hosting their book fair at the RiverTown Crossings Barnes & Noble book store. Many featured guests included storytime with “Maranda” from WOTV 4 and book signings from local Michigan authors. Several West staff and volunteers helped out on Saturday with games and crafts for the kids and many prizes were given away.

The fair was a huge success—thank you to everyone who supported this great cause!

On March 9, over twenty teams of 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th graders from public, Christian and home schools gathered at Grandville Middle school to compete in the third annual Battle of the Books competition sponsored by the Grandville branch of Kent District Library. The Battle of the Books committee chose six novels for the students to read starting in mid December. The students read the books and prepared to answer questions in a quiz-bowl-like atmosphere. This year’s first place trophy went to team Those Boys are on Fire from Grandville Christian, 2nd place was earned by Central Elementary for the 2nd year in a row by The Book Ninjas. Third place found East Elementary’s Eat Our Words team tied with Grandville Christian’s Fearless Five. It was an amazing experience for everyone involved and we thank Kent District Library for the camaraderie and the opportunity to share wonderful books.

First and fourth grade “reading buddies” at Grand View Elementary

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CPLC 5th Grade Lung DissectionEach year Grandville 5th graders have the opportunity to dissect pig lungs with the science specialist. Students spend class time learning about the respiratory system before the dissection takes place. Parent volunteers help lead the students through the activity.

Muffins With MomsWest Elementary hosted its third Parent Café in March. The theme for this café was Muffins With Moms. West hosts five Parent Cafés throughout the school year in an effort to bring parents and their children into the school and to provide them with simple tips to help them work on literacy skills at home.

Rain Forest AliveA rain forest came alive at East Elementary on Tuesday evening, March 5! The non-profit organization, Understating Wildlife, gave free presentations earlier in the day at both Central Elementary and East Elementary. They concluded the day with two evening shows where students viewed and interacted with macaws, alligators, pythons, monkeys and many other rain forest animals. The students and their families also learned much about what can be done to save the rain forests and how this non-profit organization assists in this important job. All profits raised went to support the non-profit organization.

Families also were able to participate in a Parent Café and dinner. Papa Dogs of Grandville provided the hot dogs, chips, and water. It sure was a great evening for all!

High School Football NotesTuesday, May 7is the “100 Day Out-Meeting” for ALL players (and parents) who will be playing high school football for the 2013 season. Player attendance is required.

Freshman & JV: 6:30-6:50 p.m., Cafeteria Lobby, sizing for equipment (Spirit Pack)

All Players: 7:00 - 8:00 p.m., high school auditorium for a formal presentation

8:00 p.m.: Varsity Spirit Pack sizing, refreshments, and gear for sale

• Receive player expectations and see how you can get involved this summer and fall.

• A guest speaker and all current football coaches will be present.

• Dawgs Football Boosters are currently soliciting sponsors for the up-coming football season and the Wounded Warrior Project community fundraiser. Contact Gail Garbarino at dawgfootballboosters@gmail.com if you’d like to be a football supporter.

• See www.grandvillefootball.net for summer and fall schedules.

East Welcomes Laugh Fest GuestEast Elementary 5th graders enjoyed a visit from a Chicago group called “Barrel of Monkeys.” The group teaches creative writing and theater. The fifth graders participated in creative movement, games, storytelling, and interactive speaking roles. Barrel of Monkeys created a positive environment for team building and acceptance as they encouraged students to be silly, have fun, and support each other’s ideas. Barrel of Monkeys is one of the many acts featured in Gilda’s Club Laugh Fest this year.

On-Site Sports PhysicalsFour physicians (two male and two female) will be at Grandville Middle School on May 28 and May 29 from 6-8 p.m. to conduct sports physicals for high school and middle school students. A physical is required for particpation in all high school and middle school athletic teams pursuant to rules established by the Michigan High School Athletic Association. The cost is $15, and the physical will meet the requirement for all sports for the 2013 - 14 year. If you prefer to have your family physician complete the physical, forms may be found on our website, www.grandville.k12.mi.us or may be picked up in the middle and high school offices.

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Taste of Grandville 2013 This year’s Taste of Grandville, our annual major fundraiser, was bigger and better

than ever. We are grateful to our partner, the Grandville-Jenison Chamber of Commerce, and to all of our vendors and restaurants – and of course, YOU! – for making this event a memorable occasion. A complete listing of all participants is on our website – www.grandvilleeducationfoundation.org. The Chamber, the GEF and the Taste of Grandville are all on Facebook – please “like” us and visit often to find current events and information and to view photos.

The Grandville Education Foundation is growing and evolving to become a more meaningful resource for community and educational development through the process of biannual grants in April and October. Thank you for supporting us! To find out more about the GEF, including our history, previously funded grants and grant submittal deadlines, please visit our website. You can find us via link on the Grandville Public Schools page or directly at www.grandvilleeducationfoundation.org.

Cheryl Garner,GEF Board President

BRIGHT BEGINNINGSBright Beginnings is a parent education and family support program available to ALL families with children birth to five years of age. Bright Beginnings offers home visits upon request. A certified parent educator will provide developmental information and suggest learning opportunities to encourage language, intellectual, physical, social and emotional growth.

Bright Beginnings also offers play groups. Join us for an hour of fun! If you are interested in this free program or would like additional information call Beth at (616)293-8623.

April 17 Rainbows & Raindrops 10-11 a.m. Central ElementaryMay 8 Space Station 10-11 a.m. Central ElementaryMay 22 Bugs, Butterflies & Bees 10-11 a.m. Central Elementary

2013 Annual Ned Howe Golf OutingThe Grandville Athletic Boosters cordially invite you to help us raise funds for our Grandville athletes by participating in our 2nd annual golf outing!

Saturday, June 29, 2013Gleneagle Golf Club,

6150 14th Ave., Hudsonville8:00 a.m. Registration

9:00 a.m. Shotgun Start12:00 Catered Lunch / Awards / Raffles

$80 per golfer / $320 per team

To register, or for questions, sponsorship opportunities, or donations, please go to grandvilleathletics.com.

100 year old teachers Mrs. Arim, Mrs. Werner and Mrs. Hecksel showed up at Grand View Elementary to celebrate the 100th day of first grade.

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Community Education OpportunitiesSummer 2013 Recreation BrochureGrandville Community Education will be offering many summer activities including swimming lessons, sports camps, Summer Quest and other enrichment classes, theater classes and much more for our students. The Summer Recreation brochure will be coming home with the students the last week of April or you may visit our website at www.grandville.k12.mi.us. Please call 254-6553 for more information. You may register for any classes online at: recpro.grandville.mi.us

Summer Recreation - Supervised PlaygroundsThe City of Grandville in conjunction with Grandville Community Education offers supervised playgrounds, supervised gym time, as well as arts and crafts at South Elementary, West Elementary and East Elementary during the summer from June 17 – August 2. The playgrounds are closed the week of July 1st –July 5th. They also offer weekly field trips for a small fee. Please call 254-6553 for more information.

Rocket FootballRegistration days for Fall 2013 Rocket/78’er Football (3rd-8th grade) are scheduled as follows: May 14 and May 16, Middle School Cafeteria, 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m., as well as July 9 and July 11, Middle School Cafeteria , 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Cost for Rocket Football (3rd – 6th grade) is: $85.00 for the first student in the family ($75.00 for the second student in Rocket Football) if registered by July 15, 2013. $90.00 for any students registered after July 15, 2013

Cost for 78’er Football (7th & 8th grade) is $95.00 for the first student in the family ($85.00 for the second 78’er in the family) if signed up by July 15, 2013. $100.00 for any students registered after July 15, 2013

Preschool RegistrationPreschool Registrations are being taken for the 2013-2014 school year in the Community Education office at 3943 Prairie St. (corner of Prairie Street and Ottawa Street). Grandville Public Schools offers tuition-based programs, early childhood special education, and participates in the Great Start Readiness Preschool, a tuition-free program for four year olds who qualify for the state-funded program. Please call 254-6554 for more information.

Summer Pool Information (All Summer Pool Activities will be held at the Grandville Middle School)Residents: $2.00 per person Non-Residents: $3.00 per personPunch passes for open swim and lap swim are now available through Community Education:20 Punches $30.00 for Grandville Public Schools residents20 Punches $50.00 for Non-Residents

Lap Swimming and Water WalkingExperience the total body fitness of swimming laps: cardiovascular conditioning, muscle strength, muscle tone, and relief from stress! Water walking is a great alternative to swimming laps. Participants move across the width of the pool in a variety of ways. Shallow and deep ends of the pool are available to give you the workout you choose. A real advantage to deep water walking is that there is absolutely NO IMPACT! The combination of upper and lower body movements gives you a great workout!

Hours: June 11 - August 30, 2013 Monday – Friday 5:45 am – 7:00 am Monday – Friday 11:45 am – 1:00 p.m. Open SwimChildren under 8 years old, or non-swimmers, must be accompanied by a responsible person 16 years or older. We suggest a note from the parent/guardian be brought with the children if there are any questions as to their swimming ability. See pool rules for details.

Please note: The pool will close during severe weather conditions. Time changes may occur due to contamination, mechanical failure, or interscholastic/recreation sports.

Hours: June 11 - August 30, 2013 Monday – Friday 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Tuesday & Thursday 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

LibraryHappeningsGrandville ArtwalkCelebrate Grandville’s new downtown Streetscape project with our first ever ArtWalk! Stroll downtown to view the artwork created by local students. Art will be displayed at the branch and in downtown businesses starting May 13, and will culminate on May 22 with the Michigan Week City Barbeque at the library’s outdoor amphitheater. Family Building Brick PartyAll ages. May 4, 10:00 a.m. – noon. Pokemon ClubAges 6 and up. May 8, 6:30 p.m.

Mark Your CalendarsSummer is not far away! KDL-Grandville has another spectacular line- up of programs for all ages starting June 1 and it’s FREE! Sign up to participate in our summer reading club for ALL AGES and win cool prizes.

Plus….back by popular demand! • Summer Family Nights on Thursdays at 7:00 p.m. in the library outdoor amphitheater

• To Market To Market Tuesdays, fun outdoor events in conjunction with the Grandville Farmer’s Market • Ruff Readers, Monday nights starting June 10

The Grandville branch of the Kent District Library is located at 4055 Maple SW. Phone: 784-2007. www.kdl.org

Registration is required for most library programs.

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Stress & Anxiety Symposium Thursday, April 18, 2013Grandville Middle School Auditorium6:30-8 p.m.

Though some stress is positive and necessary, it also has the potential to lead to anxiety. Whether you’re a parent, student or staff member, you’ll find some pearls of wisdom at this free symposium. A panel of local experts will explore ways to alleviate stress before it leads to more severe consequences. Dr. Michelle Taveras of Pine Rest will share her insight and vision, and Mike Maddox of the Anxiety Resource Center will relate his personal experience in quashing the condition.

Non-Profit Org.U.S. Postage

PAIDGrand Rapids, MI

Permit No. 1

Grandville Public Schools3839 Prairie Street SWGrandville, Michigan 49418

Newsletter NotesThis newsletter is printed on paper comprised of 70

– 80% eucalyptus pulp content and is manufactured

as elementary chlorine free. Eucalyptus is a highly

renewable wood source and the paper is completely

recyclable. In addition, all inks used in printing are

vegetable based.

Science Fun At Grand View“Science is fun and I can do it!” That attitude was the goal of Grand View’s Science Olympiad Festival on March 22. Every student in grades 3-6 participated in three activities. Building insulating chambers, launching gummy bears, and testing light bulb circuits were just some of the experiences that challenged students to creatively use what they had learned in science classes. Though modeled after the Science Olympiad teams that compete at the middle school and high school, our event was purely for fun.