the bridge publication june 2010

June, 2010

The Bridge Grosse Ile Township Schools

Linking School & Community

Jennifer Bonamici, Valedicto-rian, is planning to major in Pre-Dental/Pre-Med at Albion Col-lege. Her career plans are to become a Dentist or Dermatolo-gist. Jennifer participated in Var-

sity Swimming, Varsity Softball, Varsity Golf, the Spanish Club and is a member of the National Honor Society. Outside of school, Jennifer is a member of “Eye of the Storm.” Her most memo-rable high school experience was winning the 2009 Golf State Championship. Her advice to underclassmen is “Work hard and play hard. Take advantage of the opportunities that come before it’s too late!” Jennifer is the daughter of Joy and Greg Bonamici.

Paige Galecki, Valedictorian, is planning to attend the University of Michigan Ann Arbor and major in Biology or Mathematics with plans to become a Medical doc-tor. Paige was a member of the

Varsity Tennis team, Student Council, Key Club, Science Club, National Honor Society and the German Club. When asked what was her most memorable high school experience, Paige re-plied that it was going to the State Tennis Tour-nament. Her words of wisdom to the underclass-men are to “Make goals for yourself and strive to achieve them.” Paige is the daughter of Christine McKinzie and Ronald Galecki.

Ryan Moretti, Valedictorian, will be attending Albion College where he will major in Econom-ics, Management and Account-ing. He plans to have a career in Accounting and Corporate Law. While at Grosse Ile High School,

Ryan was on the Executive Board of the Student Council, a member of the Spanish Club and the National Honor Society through which he tutored. Outside of school, he is a member of “Eye of the Storm”. Ryan was chosen to be the Class of 2010 representative for the WXYZ-TV/Channel 7 “Brightest & Best” award. Designing and building the winning Pac Man float for the homecoming parade in 2008 was his most memorable experi-ence. When asked what advice he would give to underclassmen he said: “Get involved in as much as you can handle…it will be worth it!” Ryan is the son of Donald and Julie Moretti.

Emily Clemons was awarded an appointment to the United States Military Academy at West Point. She will major in Electrical Engi-neering and plans a career as an Army Officer. While in high school,

Emily was a member and captain of the Varsity Swim and Varsity Softball teams. She was also a member of the National Honor Society. Her most memorable high school experience was pitching a no-hitter and making it to the second round of dis-tricts in softball. “We put everything we had into those games!” Emily’s advice to underclassmen is to “Set goals and don’t quit until you have achieved them. Be a leader and inspire others through your actions.” Emily is the daughter of Terry and Nancy Clemons.

John Fleming is planning to major in Political Science and AmericanGovernment at Albion College with career plans in Gov-ernment and the hopes to be an elected official. John is a member of the Thespian Troup, Science

Club, Key Club and National Honor Society. John’s most notable and memorable experiences were the eight plays that he had the great fortune of working on. His advice: “Try things you never thought you’d try...go outside of your comfort zone.” John is the son of William and Laura Fleming.

Monica LaPointe will attend Michigan State University and major in Physiology with the hopes of becoming a Veterinary Surgeon. While in high school, Monica was a member of the Rowing team, the Competitive

Cheer team, the National Honor Society, Science Club, German Club and a staff member of the year-book. “Being a part of my rowing team for four years is my most memorable experience in high school.” Monica’s advice to the underclassmen is to “Keep your sights set on your future and don’t always get caught up in the moment.” Monica is the daughter of James and Kristine LaPointe.

Taylor Schiesel, Valedictorian, will major in Dietetics at Michigan State University. She plans to be a hos-pital dietitian. Taylor is a member of the National Honor Society and French Club. She also competed

on the Varsity Volleyball and Soccer teams. Her most memorable experience was the spring break trip to Paris with the French class. Her advice for the underclassmen is to “enjoy high school be-cause it goes by faster than you think!” Taylor is daughter of Jim and Pam Schiesel.

Emilie Hsu, Salutatorian, is go-ing to attend the University of South Carolina and major in Psy-chology and Music with a career in Music Therapy. During her high school career, Emily was a

member of the National Forensics League, the Greenville County Youth Orchestra, the National Honor Society and the International Thespian Society. Emily’s most memorable high school experiences were the Forensic Team competitions and getting involved in theatre. When asked what advice she would give the underclassmen she quoted J.R.R. Tolken, “Advice is a dangerous gift, even from the wise to the wise.” Emilie is the daughter of Charlie and Julie Hsu.

Cameron Church will be attend-ing the University of Michigan Ann Arbor where he will major in Busi-ness that will lead to a career in Business Management. Cameron was captain of the Varsity Football team, participated in Varsity Bas-

ketball and Track. He was also a member of the Sacred Heart Youth group and the National Honor Society. Going 5-4 in football after 2 seasons of going 0-9 and beating Riverview his senior year were his most memorable high school experi-ences! His advice for the underclassmen: “In all things that you do, be committed, if you are not, you don’t care and will be unlikely to succeed.” Cameron is the son of Matt and Laura Church.

Jeffrey Tyburski is planning to attend the University of Chi-cago with a major in World History. He plans to be a Historian and a professor. Jeff participated in Varsity Football, Wrestling and Track & Field. His most memorable high school experience was winning the Wyandotte Wrestling tournament and Prom. Jeff’s advice is to “Enjoy what you’re doing!” Jeffrey is the son of James and Julie Tyburski.

From the Superintendent’s Office Dr. William F. Weber, Interim Superintendent

Grosse Ile Township Schools - The Year Ending and the Future

This district has many reasons to be proud. The accomplishments of Grosse Ile Township Schools students continues to be remarkable. One only has to look at how well the students perform on both internal and external tests and measures. In addition to standardized tests and grade level testing there are many other measures of student successes including such things as performing arts, athletics, National Honor Society, mentoring and other volunteer experiences. All of these opportunities help to provide students with experiences that ultimately will help them to lead satisfying, healthy and productive lives.

Grosse Ile has been fortunate to have many dedicated professional educators through the years. The contributions they have made to the dis-trict and the impact they have made on the lives of their students is immeasurable. This year 17 teachers will be retiring and their services will most certainly be missed. These teachers have played an important role in the development and success of their students and we wish them the very best in their retirement years.

As we look ahead, a fair and important question that needs to be asked is, what will the Grosse Ile Township Schools look like in the future? What we know for sure is that it appears that enrollment in the District will continue to decline and because 85% of the revenue received in the Grosse Ile Township Schools is based upon student enrollment, less dollars will be available to continue to offer the extensive programs that are currently being offered. Also, over the past several years the State has continued to reduce our per pupil funding which, in turn, has significantly reduced our revenues. We have continued to make reductions in expenditures including areas such as transportation, staff lay-offs, concessions from employee groups, and energy management.

Although 85% of the total District budget comes from the State, 15% ($3,000,000) is raised locally through existing millages. One proposal ad-dresses the Homestead and Non-Homestead Millage and the other is the Sinking Fund Millage. These existing millages will soon be expiring and on August 3, 2010 the Grosse Ile Township Schools Board of Education will be placing these millage issues on the ballot for voter consid-eration. It is important to note that renewing these existing millages should not affect the amount of money that homeowners and businesses currently pay.

The first renewal proposal is for the Homestead and Non-Homestead millages. These millages annually generate approximately $2.4 million for school operations including salaries and benefits, textbooks and classroom supplies. These funds go directly to the most important functions of the school district: teaching and learning.

The second renewal proposal is for the Sinking Fund millage. This millage annually generates approximately $600,000 for investment in our buildings, their repair and maintenance. Without these funds, money would have to be diverted away from the school district’s operational budget and result in less funding for teaching and learning.

Together, these two millages produce approximately $3 million of the school district’s annual budget and are the only funds from the Grosse Ile taxpayers that stay on Grosse Ile and go directly to Grosse Ile students.

These are critical renewals for Grosse Ile Schools and for our community. If these renewal requests are not approved on August 3rd, Grosse Ile Township Schools faces possible bankruptcy in 2011, a deficit reduction plan supervised by the State of Michigan, and the character and quality of the Grosse Ile Township schools will likely be irreparably harmed.

Following is a chart depicting what homeowners and businesses are currently paying and what they would be paying should the renewal pass.

Homestead Millage

Sinking Fund Millage

Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at: [email protected]

Home Market Value

Home Taxable Value

Current Yearly Tax

Anticipated Tax Increase

$200,000 $100,000 $163.23 $0

$400,000 $200,000 $326.46 $0

$600,000 $300,000 $489.69 $0

Home Market Value

Home Taxable Value

Current Yearly Tax

Anticipated Tax Increase

$200,000 $100,000 $100.00 $0

$400,000 $200,000 $200.00 $0

$600,000 $300,000 $300.00 $0

The Bridge ~ Linking School and Community


I am very excited to share with you that GIHS teacher Michelle Foster has been recognized at the "Advisor of the Year" by the Michigan Associations of Student Councils & Honor So-cieties. She was presented the award in Traverse City at the state conference. Michelle does a fantastic job at the too-often-thankless job of leading the Student Council and organizing the many events that Student Council does throughout the year. Her dedication and excellence plays a very important role in maintaining and improving our outstanding school. The award states: "Your hours of dedication to the stu-dents at your school are recognized and appreciated. The effort and energy you provide on behalf of the students helps to foster a stronger student council. Thank you for helping us build to-morrow's leaders today!"

Michelle Thank You and Congratulations!

“Advisor of the Year” Michelle Foster, Grosse Ile High School Teacher

By: James Stewart, Principal

Katherine Cozzi (2009 Grosse Ile HS) attended the conference as a 2009-2010 HOSA State Office representing Region 5 Wayne county. Katherine is attending UM Dear-born for her nursing degree.

This experience was memorable for the students as there were 1,663 students and advisors present during the two day event. The students that received second place are able to compete in the National HOSA Leadership con-ference being held June 23-26 at the Disney Coronado Re-sort in Orlando Florida. Good luck to the students at the National conference.

Health Occupations Students of America State Leader-ship Conference was held on April 15 and 16 at the Grand Trav-erse Bay Resort. The Downriver Career Technical Consortium (DCTC) Grosse Ile Health Occupations program had ten students participate in various leadership activities. RaeAnn Canterbury, Shelby Jestat and Elaina Williams (Gibraltar HS) produced and presented a Public Service An-nouncement from the www.Ready.Gov theme this year for their home school and community of Gibraltar. They received a 2nd place silver medal. They worked with a student in Mr. Moreua video production class at Gibraltar high school to help them pro-duce the video.

Jenna Pall (Grosse Ile HS) and Jordyn Bennett (Flat Rock HS) finished second, a silver medal in Forensic Medicine. They took a test and solved a crime scene for their event. They worked with the Grosse Ile Police department to learn more about forensic medicine.

Alysha Rec and Samantha Chevillet (Riverview HS) fin-ished in the top eight in the Sports Medicine event. The event included a written test and a demonstration of two skills. They prepared for this event by working with Dawn, the athletic trainer, at Grosse Ile high school.

Joshua Howarth (Gibraltar HS) finished in the top eight for Courtesy Corp at the conference. Josh volunteered many hours at several activities during the conference.

Amber Jones and Katelyn Thomas (Grosse Ile HS) com-peted in the Career Health Display event. Their career was Veteri-narian. Dr. Woodward from the Island Animal Clinic provided the students information about the veterinarian field and business

L to R Samantha Chevillet, Jenna Pall, Jordyn Bennett, Katherine Cozzi, RaeAnn Canterbury, Shelby Jestat, Elaina Williams, Alysha Rec, Katelyn Thomas, Amber Jones

GI Health Occupations Students attend State Leadership Conference

The Wayne County Parent Advisory Committee (PAC) hon-ored our school psychologist, Tom McHenry, at a special recognition reception on May 26th at Wayne RESA. Tom was recognized for his positive contribution toward enhanc-ing the lives of students with disabilities. We thank Tom for his dedication and support to all our students and their families.

Tom McHenry, School Psychologist, Honored by Wayne County PAC

Congratulations Mr. McHenry


Middle School Retirees!

Maria Martell, Physical Education; Pam Gluski, Computers; John Timpo, 6th Grade Math; Carole Ray, 6th Grade Geography; Karen Chlebek, 7th Grade English; Pat Bryan, Spanish. Kevin Wilson, Physi-cal Education (not pictured)

High School Retirees!

John Maunu, History; Donald Ford, Computers and Math; James Bennett, Math; Jean Alred, Chemistry and Science Deparment Chair; Deborah Schaller, Physical Education; Bonnie Smith, French, Summer School Coordinator.

Thank You for Your Dedication!

Elementary School Retirees!

Mary Jane Colwell, 2nd Grade; Candace (DeFran) Miller, Kinder-garten; Corinne Worden, 2nd Grade; Marylee Kortas, 4th Grade; Elaine McElwaney, Music.

Custodial & Maintenance Retirees!

Elizabeth Ricer, Custodian; Raymond Bercaw, Maintenance


This summer, invest in the skills that will help your child achieve his or her full potential throughout the school year. Nonprofit Invent Now Kids’ premier program, Camp Invention, is a weeklong adventure in creativity. Led by qualified educa-tors, this exciting program is being hosted by Meridian Ele-mentary this summer for children entering grades one through six. The Camp Invention program is a unique oppor-tunity for your child to experience hands-on learning through

Availability is limited. Each registrant receives a free Camp Invention T-shirt.

If you have any questions contact Marcia Daily, director, at [email protected] or 734-362-2721.

We look forward to an-other summer of working with your young scien-tists and inventors.

Camp Invention is coming back to

Grosse Ile Schools July 26 - 30, 2010

Register online at www.campinvention.org or call 1-800-968-4332

To commemorate Earth Day, 7th Grade Art Students recently created environmental posters in the style of American graffiti/pop artist, Keith Haring. They came up with their own solutions of how they can contribute to helping the environment and incorporated this message in their design.

Select photos, including the winning entries were on display at the Grosse Ile Welcome Home! Center at 8676 Macomb Street during the month of May. Congratulations to all who entered.

Biography Project at Meridian Elementary School

Ms. Mittlestat’s, Mrs. Neilson’s and Mr. Trupiano’s third grade students participated in an intergenerational biography pro-ject this year. Each child interviewed a special senior citizen in his/her life. Students then wrote a biography of that person, typed it in the computer lab, and created illustrations for each page. The result of all this hard work was a beautiful hardcover biography book. Each class celebrated the students’ accomplishments with a mid-morning tea party. The senior citizens and their families were invited to attend, and the children had a wonderful time sharing their fin-ished books with their special guests.

Congratulations to the winners of this year’s Nature and Wildlife Photo Contest sponsored by the Grosse Ile Nature and Land Conservancy. 1st Place: Alissa Rhode, 2nd Place: Alex Korany, Honorable Mention: Jacob Porcarelli.


Opportunity for Cross-cultural Interaction

By: The Board of Education The Grosse Ile school district is planning to engage in a wonderful cultural exchange program with 15 Chi-nese exchange students beginning this September. This is a great opportunity for cross-cultural interaction that will also help to bolster the district’s finances. Although a cliche, this truly represents a win-win situation. In order to make this unique educational potential a reality, however, we need the community’s help. Specifically, the Chinese students need host families to house them in order to optimize their educational and cultural experience while learning and living on Grosse Ile. For the host families, this is not only a chance to be ambassadors for Grosse Ile and surrogate parents for the Chinese students; it is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for host families to truly become part of the global village that we share. Potential host families need not have students currently attending Grosse Ile schools; the only require-ment is a warm, welcoming home with an interest in helping a bright, motivated Chinese student make the most of their time with us on Grosse Ile. The success of this educational and cultural initiative depends on the generous and inquisitive spirit of the residents of Grosse Ile. Thank you for your consideration of this request.

Grosse Ile Township Schoolsare looking for familiesto open their homes to

visiting Chinese students…Program duration:

July 2010 to June 2011

Interested families are encourage to attend an Informational Session

in the Robert B. Smith Board Room onTuesday, April 27th at 9 a.m. orWednesday, April 28th at 7 p.m.

or contactDr. Diane Sanford at 362-2700

Interested families are encouraged to contact Dr. Diane Sanford at

734-362-2711


Administration Office……...734-362-2555 23276 East River Road

Grosse Ile High School (9-12)………..734-362-2400

7800 Grays Drive Principal: James Stewart

Asst. Principal: Terry Flint School Hours: 7:30 a.m-2:30 p.m.

Half Day: 7:30 a.m.-11:00 a.m.

Grosse Ile Middle School (6-8)..........734-362-2500 23270 East River Road

Principal: David Tucker School Hours: 7:30 a.m. - 2:25 p.m.

Half Day: 7:30 a.m. -10:55 a.m.

Meridian Elementary (3-5)................734-362-2700 26700 Meridian

Principal: Dr. Diane Sanford School Hours: 8:10 a.m. - 3:05 p.m.

Half Day: 8:10 a.m. - 11:35 a.m.

Parke Lane Elementary (K-2)...……..734-362-2600 21610 Parke Lane

Principal: Dr. Patricia Nordstrom School Hours: 8:10 a.m. - 3:05 p.m.

Half Day: 8:10 a.m. - 11:35 a.m.

Our Mission Statement

The Mission of the Grosse Ile Township Schools, in cooperation with students, parents, and community, is to teach the knowledge, skills, and behaviors neces-sary for every student to lead a success-ful life.

VISION FOR THE FUTURE

The Grosse Ile Township Schools will continue to be an A+ school district that offers the very best educational opportu-nities to the children of this community. The physical environment must support learning in facilities that are safe, devel-opmentally appropriate and technologi-cally able to prepare students for their future. The Grosse Ile Township Schools will continue to be a community focal point of pride.

Dr. Daniel P. Murphy President

Mrs. Collie Hooper-Yan Vice-President

Mrs. Terese Hunter Secretary

Mr. William Tuinier Treasurer

Ms. Marianne Malone Trustee

Dr. Gregory Goyert Trustee

Mrs. Suzanne Sassack Trustee

Grosse Ile Township Schools

2009-10 Board of Education

Interim Superintendent: Dr. William Weber Executive Assistant: Sharon Warren

Business Mgr./Bldg. & Grounds: Tony Krukowski Secretary to Business Manager: Judy Ventro

Receptionist/Secretary: Grace Nashlen Student Services/Curriculum: Patti Kilar

Payroll/Benefits: Susan Richardson Bookkeeper/Accounts Payable: Shannon Fowler

Technology Director: Jennifer Park

* The School Calendar * Important Update

The Grosse Ile Board of Education recognizes the importance of provid-ing information to our community regarding our schools. After much review of the cost of publishing, postage and the constant changes and updates made to the calendar, the District has decided to follow a more cost effective method of providing the Calendar to you. In mid August you will be able to access The Calendar ON-LINE by going to our web-site: www.gischools.org Hard copies will be available at all district buildings.

the bridge publication june 2010

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