In this issue... - Saginaw Public Schools

A monthly newsletter for SPS employees & parents
April 2008
In this issue...
◆ PreKindergarten... “More
than Preschool”
◆ Board members honored
◆ Challenge Day
◆ Black History Art Show
◆ Students raise funds for
Saginaw Art Museum
◆ Technology supports
science
◆ Lunch at Longfellow
◆ Loomis teacher earns
award
◆ Robotics Team raises bar
◆ Pi Day at Zilwaukee
◆ SCSEF participants
◆ SASA students sweep
National NOBCChE Quiz
Bowl and Science Fair
◆ Building leaders
◆ Jerome Chess Team places
second in County Tournament
◆ Camp Invention
◆ Graduate Highlights - Adam
Emmenecker
◆ Youth Sports Teams
◆ Dow Corning partners with
Loomis
◆ An Evening of Art
◆ Community lends helping
hand
◆ SPS Basketball Champions
◆ Accent on Achievement
◆ Calendar of Events
◆ Asthma & Allergy
Awareness
BOARD OF EDUCATION
Ronald S. Spess, President
Delena Spates-Allen, Vice President
Mattie L. Thompson, Secretary
James W. Woolfolk, Treasurer
Norman C. Braddock, Trustee
Jean A. Burk, Trustee
Beverly J. Yanca, Trustee
Pre-Kindergarten... “More Than Preschool”
Giving a child a strong foundation for a
love of learning early is important for
setting the stage for future success.
PreKindergarten (PreK) programs help
children build problem-solving skills,
teach compromise and social skills
through exploration, experimentation, and
conversations. The goal is to give children
the tools needed to
establish a love for
education that
continues for a
lifetime.
Larry Schweinhart,
president of the
High/Scope Educational
Research
Foundation says
“…high-quality early
care and education
programs not only
raise high school
graduation rates and
test scores, but decades later, they lead
to higher incomes and lower crime rates.”
Benefits of SPS PreK Program
• Full day option available
• Safe and clean learning environment
• Classroom computers
• Highly qualified teachers and paraprofessionals
• Curriculum based on the Michigan
PreKindergarten Quality Standards
• Creative curriculum
• Parents are our Partners
• Academic preparation for Kindergarten
• Breakfast & Lunch Program
Schweinhart’s Foundation was part of one
of the best-known studies of the longterm
effects of high-quality
PreKindergarten education, The High/
Scope Perry Preschool Project.
Saginaw Public Schools PreK program
ensures that children have the skills
essential to enter
kindergarten “ready
to learn.” Staff is
committed to children
having a “Great
Beginning That
Never Ends.”
“I love coming to
school to learn even
though I do know
everything already”
states five-year-old
Treasure, a
PreKindergarten
student at Jesse
Rouse. “My teacher
is nice and she shows me cool new
things.”
PreKindergarten - continued on page 2
Dr. Gerald D. Dawkins
Superintendent of Schools
Produced by the Communications
& Marketing Department
1

PreKindergarten - cont.
PreK students
attend Tuesday
through Friday in
three-hour sessions.
Mondays are considered
a non-instructional
day when
teachers prepare the
curriculum, receive
professional development,
make home
visits or have scheduled
parent meetings.
The classrooms
are staffed
with one classroom
teacher and an
instructional aide.
PreK students are
given a small breakfast
in the AM
session and a small lunch in the PM
session, as a part of the PreK
curriculum for socialization and other
learning activities. “The children are
like flowers, I plant a seed of knowledge
one day and watch it blossom
over time. The children grow, developing
a true love and enjoyment of
learning and school,” says Andrea
Rethman, PreK teacher at Jesse
Rouse Elementary. “I know I am
creating a strong foundation for their
future academic achievement.”
Teachers and parents work together
for the success of the student.
Teachers conduct two home visits
PreK students enjoy music time
with each PreK
student’s family
during the
academic year.
“In promoting a
partnership
between parents,
teachers, and
the school, home
visits provide a
means of observing
children in
their home
environment,”
says Dr. Rose
Beane, Director
of PreKindergarten. “Teachers
schedule home visits to share
information with parents and
seek input from parents about
the program and their child’s
development.” Two parent
teacher conferences are also
scheduled during the year to
share the progress of child
with parents. To continue this
strong parent partnership
parent meetings are held
monthly to provide parents
with activities to help extend
their child’s learning experience.
For more information on
the district’s PreKindergarten
program, contact the
PreKindergarten office at
(989) 399-6575 or contact the
specific neighborhood
elementary school.
What will children learn in PreKindergarten?
• Social Emotional Development
Make appropriate choices, accept responsibility for
choices, share and take turns, attempt new activities,
respect adults, respect peers, make transitions, and
follow directions.
• Language Development
Interest in reading books, listening to stories, first
and last name, speaking in sentences, use describing
words, participate in groups, listen without interrupting,
write with pictures, write with letter like forms,
and write name.
• Fine Motor Development
Color simple object, cut on a line, and trace simple
shapes.
• Cognitive Development
Name colors and shapes; classify by color, shape and
size; arrange objects by size; identify patterns; touch
and count; name numbers; and identify letters in
name.
PreK student at Kempton works on alphabet order
• Gross Motor Development
Throw a ball, catch a ball, hop on one foot, jump and
land with feet together, skip, walk on balance beam.
• Homework
Teachers and parents share information about how to
promote and extend children’s learning and social
development at home. PreK students will be given
homework assignments that reinforce what they are
learning in school and will need parents to work with
them to complete and return the assignment.
• Key Experiences
Various field trips will be scheduled to reinforce a
number of the areas of development. All PreK classes
will explore through field trips the Public Library
(literacy), Fire Department (safety), Farm/Animal Park,
Orchard Park/Farm and others selected by the
classroom teacher.
2

Board members honored
Two Saginaw Public Schools board
members have earned awards from
the Michigan Association of School
Boards (MASB) recently for their
efforts to improve their leadership
skills and become more effective
school leaders, demonstrating their
commitment to student achievement
and their own continuous improvement.
Delena Spates-
Allen received Advocacy
Skills Specialty
award while Mattie
Thompson, received
the Certified Board
Member Award and
Delena Spates-Allen
Mattie Thompson
Award of Merit. Awards
are earned for classes
completed in MASB’s
leadership training
program, as well as for
conference attendance,
years of service
and leadership activities.
Over the past couple of years MASB
has communicated the public’s
expectation that board members
receive training. Board members
have clearly heard this call, and last
year, more than 850 school board
members statewide participated in
the school board association’s
professional development program for
elected school leaders. It honors
board members for seven levels of
achievement (see www.masb.org/
page.cfm/121 for specific criteria).
“The education environment is
complex. Participation in training and
professional development allows
school board members to keep pace
with the constantly changing environment
in which they work,” said Justin
King, executive director of MASB. “It
gives them the tools necessary to
make informed decisions about
issues such as budgeting, policy,
personnel and curriculum. MASB
salutes Saginaw County board
members for making a commitment
to excellence.”
To achieve Level One and become
“certified,” board members receive
30 hours of classroom training in
subjects ranging from school law and
finance to community relations.
Higher levels of recognition require
even more coursework, service and
leadership responsibilities.
Challenge Day is breaking barriers
“Sticks and stones may break my
bones but words will never hurt
me…” We are all familiar with this
saying. Although broken bones can
heal over time, the scares from
hurtful words can last a lifetime.
Students at Arthur Hill High School
learned how powerful words can be
during Challenge Days held on
March 19 and 20 at the Salvation
Army in Saginaw.
200 students and 25 adults from
Arthur Hill participated in two
Challenge Days. Challenge Day is a
youth program conducted with
groups of diverse high school
students and adults (at least 25
adults and 100 students each day)
consist of powerful, often lifechanging
activities that bring forth
natural leadership and empower
youth to become part of the
solution.
The Challenge Day helps young
people identify the hurt created by
social oppression, promote healthy
emotional expression, create a
forum for conflict resolution,
thereby helping to reduce racial
and gender stereotypes and socioeconomic
tensions. “It (Challenge
Day) really worked to break down
walls and get students to relate
better to each other,” says Jesus
Gonzales, 10th grader at Arthur Hill
High School. Challenge Day is a
powerful program for positive
change. Students are profoundly
changed by it, and are empowered
to be a force for change in their
schools, their personal lives and
their community.
The Challenge Day program was
originally created in 1987. Since
that time, hundreds of thousands
of young people have seen the
power of commitment and compassion
transform their schools and
their communities. As the program
grew, the Challenge Day organization
was formed in January of
2001. It operates as a 501(c)(3)
non-profit tax-exempt organization.
Since its inception, the Challenge
Day program has received awards
from the Juvenile Justice System,
the D.A.R.E. Officers Association,
many government officials, and
school districts and cities nationwide.
The Challenge Day program
was featured in the New York Times
best seller, Chicken Soup for the
Teenage Soul.
Arthur Hill plans to establish
collaborative relationships with
parent and community supporters
to establish the program as an
ongoing annual event which will
eventually become self sufficient
through corporate and community
sponsorship.
~ Claire Yost, Arthur Hill High School
Arthur Hill students talk in small groups about challenges they face in their daily lives
Quote of the Month
If we all did the things we are capable of, we would astound ourselves.
~ Thomas Edison
3

Black History Art Show
The Black History Art Show was held at the Instruction and
Staff Development Center the last two weeks of February. The
theme this year was “Celebrations” and reflected well known
holidays like Juneteenth and Kwanzaa as well as other events
of celebration.
The students showed an increasing depth of knowledge of
holidays and events celebrated by the African American
community here in Saginaw. We are proud of our K-12 standards-based,
sequential curriculum, which is reflected in the
artwork of our students. Artwork is judged in categories,
winners compete in ‘Best of.’ The top 7 winners were honored
at the School Board meeting on March 12th with an Accent on
Achievement certificate (see page 12). Look for the Elementary
Best of School winners in the student art column of the
Saginaw News yet this spring ~ Ruth Ann Knapp, Fine Arts Coordinator
4
Students raise funds for
Saginaw Art Museum
Saginaw Arts and Sciences Academy
Theatre students have adopted a 28-piece
WWI poster collection from the Saginaw Art
Museum. The goal was to raise $6,000 to
have the entire collection properly matted
and framed. To reach this goal, students
performed an original production of Picasso
Becomes You, a live art exhibit and play,
which made its debut on the SASA stage
February 22 and 23.
The play, written by SASA Theatre instructor
Jenny Rogers-Belleau, involved the story of
two young students; one is an art lover who
has been assigned the task of recreating a
Picasso art piece on the human form and
the other, the antagonistic friend who doesn’t understand the world of
modern art and wants to go home. The play veered from traditional play
structure and turns a portion of the school into an art gallery filled with the
works of Picasso and a selection of art pieces found in the Saginaw Art
Museum.
“In the play, audience members were put into tour groups as soon as they
walk in the front door. At that moment, they were enveloped in the play by
enjoying the tour of the ‘museum’ with the young art students (actors Joe
Faust and German exchange student
Caroline Sieger). The tour was about
thirty minutes long and ended in the
auditorium, where guests were seated
for the remainder of the play,” explained
Rogers-Belleau, director.
“During the course of the evening,
various pieces of art came to life and
returned to their static state, as they
dodge notice of the real world and
engaged in a lively discussion regarding
the importance and beauty of
certain works of art. Students put in
many hours over the course of the last
few months and have surprised themselves
at what they’ve accomplished.”
Jenny Rogers-Belleau, SASA
Two Black History Art Show winners were recognized at the Board meeting by
Superintendent Dawkins and Fine Arts Coordinator Ruth Ann Knapp
Technology supporting
science curriculum
Mary Cieszlak, K-12 Science Coordinator,
has created a K-12 Science
Moodle site to aid staff in their
science instruction. The purpose of
the site is to give science teachers,
K-12, easy access to:
• Curriculum resources (district
science pacing guides, MI Curriculum
Framework, HS content
expectation documents and
companion documents from the
State)
• ECA Kit rotation, pick-up and
delivery rotation schedules and
LabLearner pacing guides for
Loomis and Handley
• Assessment resources
• K-12 science glossaries and
vocabulary documents
• Helpful websites for science (links
to professional organizations, Kevin
Richard’s MDE science website,
SVSU’s MASER site, DI sites
including Kathy Nunley’s Layered
Curriculum resources, Science
Safety, Textbook company links for
current textbooks used in science,
science supply companies (Pre-K-
12), Literature Resource companies
(Pre-K-12), Science Fair
Resources, Best Practices in
Science resources and exemplary
science DI lessons/units created
by SPSD science teachers for
grades K-12).
The site will continue to grow over the
school year. For more information on
the site or science curriculum
contact Mary Cieslak, Science
Coordinator at (989) 399-6728 or
mcieszlak@spsd.net.

Lunch at Longfellow
READ Association of Saginaw County
received a $480 grant award from
Mentor Michigan, a program of the
Michigan community Service Commission.
Funds from the Michigan Mentor
grant will primarily be used to purchase
books for the students and mentors to
read together. Part of the grant was used
to recognize the Lunch at Longfellow
mentor program at Longfellow Elementary
School. The Longfellow program is a
male mentor program which includes 28
The Saginaw Career Complex Robotics
Team recently returned home
from the Greater Toronto Robotics
Regional held in Mississauga,
Ontario. “Although no trophies were
taken back to the center, an even
greater accomplishment was made
by the team” explained Bruce Isotalo,
coach of the eight-year old Complex
team.
Posting
a
six
win-two
loss record in the
seeding matches,
the team placed
tenth out of the
sixty-six teams
competing and was
assured of
being
chosen
for the
finals.
The
adult business
associates, community
leaders and
recently retired
educators who
mentor an entire
male gendered
class of twenty nine
4th and 5th grade
boys. The students
meet weekly and
enjoy lunch and
literacy activities
with their assigned
adult mentors.
Saginaw Career Complex Robotics Team raises bar
problem was that a critical gear on
the team’s robot had three teeth
broken off during play.
This made it likely that
the Phoenix team’s
robot would not hold
up through the finals.
Knowing this, the team
made the difficult
choice to pull out of
the finals and allow
their partners to form
alliances with other
teams.
“I am proud of our
team,” said William
Anders, Delphi engineer
and one of the
team’s five industry
mentors. “They chose
ethics over winning at
all cost, and this
represents the gracious
professionalism
that FIRST robotics is
all about.”
“It was a tough decision,
but we knew that
we did the right thing,”
said Justin McGregor,
Loomis teacher earns
prestigious science
award
Loomis Academy’s Fourth and
Fifth grade Science Teacher
Rachel Pappas has been selected
to receive the American Chemical
Society Midland Section Award for
Outstanding Achievement in
Elementary Science Education.
In recognition of this award, she
will receive a plaque from ACS
and will be a guest of honor at
the annual Spring Science
Education Recognition Dinner on
April 23 in
Midland.
The announcement
was
made by
Scott G.
Gaynor,
Chair of the
ACS Awards
Committee.
one of the two drivers that pilot the
team’s robot. The son of Mike and
Karen McGregor,
Justin is a freshman
at Heritage High
School.
Two weeks ago, Team
703 was able to make
it to the semifinals of
the Detroit regional
competition before
being bested by the
winning alliance. The
team also received the
team imagery award at
that event.
Team Phoenix will join
the Buena Vista High
School robotics team
and hundreds of
other teams at the
FIRST robotics
championship event
held April 17-19 in
Atlanta, GA. Anyone
interested in becoming
involved with Team
Phoenix may call
(989) 274-9540.
Bruce Isotalo, Coach FIRST
Robotics
5

Congratulations to Saginaw County Science & Engineering Fair participants
The Saginaw County Science & Engineering Fair is sponsored by the Community Education Department of the Saginaw
Public Schools, in cooperation with the Dow Corning Corporation and local businesses and organizations. Congratulations
to all of our students. We had a total of 314 students participating in the 30th SCSEF. The Saginaw County Science
& Engineering Fair (SCSEF) is affiliated with the Michigan Science & Engineering Fair (MichSEF) and the Intel International
Science & Engineering Fair (INTEL ISEF). As an affiliate, Saginaw County can send five students in each of our
Junior and Elementary sections to the Discovery Channel Young Scientists Challenge, ten Senior Division students to the
MISEF and two Senior Division students to the Intel ISEF. We have four types of awards: Special Awards, Category
Awards, Grand Awards and Future Competition Qualifiers. Special Awards come from organizations wishing to reward
student research in a particular area of research or using a particular methodology. Category awards are within the
student’s research category, such as Botany, Chemistry, Engineering, etc. Grand Awards are the recognition of First
Class projects. Future Competition Qualifiers are Senior Division students who placed in the top 10 and will represent
Saginaw County at the MichSEF, or Senior Division students who placed first or second and will represent Saginaw
County at the Intel ISEF. We awarded a total of 190 awards to 122 students.
ATLANTA ISEF
School Gr. Teacher Project Title
David McMillon SASA 12 Sealey, Dan Minimizing the Volume of the Unknown Region of Possible Space Vehicle Position
Probability Density Distributions Bound by the Intersection of Multiple “Pseudo-Shells”,
Applying Electromagnetic Emission’s of Four o More Celestial Bodies to Optimize the
Accuracy of a Universal Positioning System.
Christen Robinson SASA 12 Sealey, Dan Harnessing the Filtratration Abilities of Caustic Hydroxides Through Solid Absorption
Processes as Means of the Abation of Carbon Dioxide From Automobile Exhaust
MICHIGANSEF
Dalton Allan SASA 9 Tack, Steven An Analysis Of Error In Rational Approximations
Alexandrya Bardell SASA 12 Miller, Matt The Adverse Affects Of Secondhand Smoke: The Effects Of Cigarette Smoke Extract And A
Cigarette Alternative On Sus Domesticus Hepatic DNA
Alexandriya Emonds SASA 9 Sealey, Dan The Use Of Audio Oscillators To Test The Ability Of Human Subjects To Distinguish Between
Auditory Tones Of Different Frequencies.
Nolan Ford SASA 12 Miller, Matt The Use Of Alamar Blue Assay For Quantitative In Vitro Assessment O Oxidative Reduction
Potential (ORP) Of Camellia Sinesis’ Epigallocatechin Gallate (EGCG) Ib Mesenchymal
Stem Cells Of R6/2 HD Transgenic Mouse In A Cell Culture Model Of Huntington’s Disease
David McMillon SASA 12 Sealey, Dan Minimizing the Volume of the Unknown Region of Possible Space Vehicle Position
Probability Density Distributions Bound by the Intersection of Multiple “Pseudo-Shells”,
Applying Electromagnetic Emission’s of Four o More Celestial Bodies to Optimize the
Accuracy of a Universal Positioning System.
Munim Mohibi SASA 12 Sealey, Dan The Modified Morn’s Water Maze A Behavioral Study Of Mouse Cognition Before And After
Artificial Stimulation
Christen Robinson SASA 12 Sealey, Dan Harnessing the Filtratration Abilities of Caustic Hydroxides Through Solid Absorption
Processes as Means of the Abation of Carbon Dioxide From Automobile Exhaust
Nicole Smith SASA 10 Miller, Matt A Riveting River Revelation Of A River Rat: A Comparative Analysis Of Michigan Rivers
Through The Investigation Of Common Pollutants And Heavy Metals
Lauren Verner SASA 12 Miller, Matt Lichen Growth: A Study Of The Effects Of Roadside Mosquito Control Spray On Lichens In
The Gratiot-Saginaw State Game Area.
Ayesha Yalamarthy SASA 12 Miller, Matt An Investigation Of Biological Magnification Using Transformed E.Coli MM294 (Pvib) In
Paramecium Caudate, Didinium Nasutum, And Daphnia Magna
6
Zilwaukee celebrates Pi Day
Pi, Greek letter π, is the symbol for the ratio of the
circumference of a circle to its diameter. Pi =
3.1415926535... Pi Day is celebrated by math enthusiasts
around the world on March 14. Mark
Hellebuyck’s class celebrated Pi day by discussing
circles, circumferences, diameters, and radii. They
listened to songs titled “Mathematical Pi,” which is a
spin-off of “American Pie,” “3.14159,” which is a spinoff
of “867-5309,” and “18 Wheels on a Big Rig.” They
also sang some Pi songs. Both classes also made “Pibandanas”
to wear around the school to show “Pi-
Spirit.” As a culminating event, about 30 students
participated in a pie eating contest. The winner of the
elementary round was Marissa Chacon, and the
winner of the middle school round was Toni Castillo.
They each won a baked pie to take home to share with
their families. Without Pi, 0ur world would not be
round!
~ Mark Hellebuyck, Zilwaukee School

SASA students sweep National NOBCChE Quiz Bowl and Science Fair
The Science Bowl Quiz members receive an Accent on Achievement
Award at the Board Meeting
Middle and high school students
from Saginaw Arts and Sciences
Academy won the annual National
Organization Of Professional Black
Chemists and Chemical Engineers
(NOBCChE) quiz bowl competition
held at the Philadelphia Convention
Center Marriott. To punctuate their
effort, they also took the top awards
in that program’s science fair as well.
The contest, sponsored
by the National Organization
of Black Chemists
and Engineers
(NOBCChE), tests
general science knowledge
as well as African
American History in a
head to head format.
SASA’s competitors
included students from
high schools and
middle schools in New
York City, Texas, California
and Louisiana that
had also won their
regional quiz bowls, as
SASA’s teams had done in February
at Dow High School in Midland.
Each Science Quiz Bowl team must
be comprised of at least 50% African
American students from the school it
represents.
The senior (high school) team
includes: Newton Davis (grade 12),
Adam Kidder (grade 12), David
McMillon (grade 12), Nicholas
Triantafillou (grade 11) and Jon
Young (grade 12).
The junior (middle school) team
includes; Dalton Allan (grade 9),
Owais Ansari (grade 8), Jordan Drake
(grade 8), Sam Wilkins (grade 8) and
Nathaniel Wilkins (grade 8). SASA
team coaches were Science Instructors
Matthew Miller and John Barnes.
As a little aside, all the science knowhow
of the group couldn’t solve a
blinding snowstorm outside Detroit’s
Metro Airport on March 21, when
they were flying in from Phildelphia to
return home again. The students and
their teachers and chaperones were
stranded overnight in Detroit when
the airport closed unexpectedly in a
deluge of snow in the early evening
hours. The proud group arrived back
in Saginaw safely on March 22.
John Barnes, SASA
Junior Division Quizbowl 3: Front row: Nate Wilkins, Kavita Raval, Brad
Yurgens, Sheebani Tahlati and Sam Wilkins. Back Row: John Barnes
(coach), Dalton Allan, Owais Ansari, Jordan Drake and Matt Miller
(coach).
Senior Division Quizbowl 3: Coaches Barnes and Miller, Jon Young, Newton Davis,
David McMillon, Adam Kidder, Nick Triantafillou, Rochelle Woods and Smallwood
Holoman (NOBCChE competition coordinator and president respectively)
Building leaders
Michigan State Police Department’s
Michigan Youth Leadership Academy
(MYLA) in partnership with Saginaw
Public Schools and Family Youth
Initiative (FYI) are recruiting candidates
for this year’s sessions. The
MYLA is designed to provide young
people with an opportunity to learn
leadership and decision-making
skills, as well as build positive
relationships with law enforcement
officers.
The teens are chosen for the academy
based on recommendations
from school, community and law
enforcement officials. The teens are
required to complete an interview with
a panel of law enforcement officers
before being accepted into the
academy. Participants will spend one
week at the MSP Training Facility in
Lansing learning about leadership,
responsible citizenship, respect,
trust, health, community service and
life-coping skills. The academy also
includes water safety, group workshops
and discussions. The principals
of the Leadership Academy are
RESPONSIBILITY, RESPECT and
TRUST.
If you have students 14 to 16 years
of age that you think will benefit from
this worthwhile program, please
encourage them to apply. There is no
cost for the teens to attend the weeklong
residential academy. To request
applications please contact Shelaine
Parrish at 399-6567.
Girls Michigan Youth Leadership
Academy
Applications Deadline: April 21, 2008
Academy Session: July 6-11, 2008
Boys Michigan Youth Leadership
Academy
Applications Deadline: May 16, 2008
Academy Session: August 17-22, 2008
7

Jerome Chess Team places second in County Tournament
Jerome’s 18 member chess team
placed second in the Saginaw County
K-5 Chess League tournament held
in February. Nearly 50 of the best
elementary chess players in Saginaw
County gathered at Jerome Elementary,
to compete for the title. Jerome’s
second place finish was from among
three teams in the league, with
Jerome being the only team from
Saginaw Public Schools. The two
other teams were Hemmeter and
Sherwood, from Saginaw Township.
Jerome’s elite chess team consists of
the best players from the chess club
of 85 students in grades K-5. The
team was led by 5th graders Jason
Eugene, Savana Rodriguez and
Mitchell Clarke. Other team players
included: Saetisha Owens, Daniel
Rios, David Allen, Justin Sawyer,
Christopher Foley, Bryce Bonner,
Robert Boomer, Kady Jones,
Rheanna Reeder, Drew Cox, Richard
Swartz, Louantranice Humphreys,
Evan Janke, Brendan Ryther, and
Terrianna Brown.
Jerome defeated Sherwood in the
first round. Hemmeter defeated
Jerome in the 2nd round, and
Sherwood in the final round.
Coach Davey Brinkley and teacher
sponsor Donna Williams’ Chess Club
has thrived for the past 8 years. The
dream began at Loomis with 12
students and two chess boards.
Students voluntarily give up their
lunch recess once a week, to learn
and play chess. The chess teams
have competed in the Saginaw
County K-5 Annual Chess Tournaments
for the past 6 years, placing
each year. In 2004, 2005, 2007, and
this year, the team took 2nd place. In
2006, the team took 1st place. The
competition is challenging and allows
students to display their strategic
feats.
The Saginaw
County Chess
Association is
led by Robert
Ciaffione, who
donates
countless
hours of
tutoring and
supplies to
the program.
Jerome’s
Chess Club is
featured on
Jerome’s
website, by their proud principal, Lisa
Tran. Jerome’s Chess Program,
combined with the Character Counts
Program, has contributed to Jerome
students being noticeably more
focused and respectful to others,
and has helped the school lunch
hour program run more smoothly and
be more fun. Research has shown
that playing chess helps increase
students’ math scores on standardized
tests, like the MEAP. Several
states have made chess instruction a
part of their curriculum and state
benchmarks.
Congratulations go to Jerome’s Chess
Team and the entire Chess Club, for
a job well done! “If there are other
schools in the district who have
Chess Clubs (K-12), Jerome extends
an open invitation to you, to come
play some friendly games,” says
Donna Williams. Please contact
Jerome principal Lisa Tran, to set up
times (ltran@spsd.net).
~ Donna Williams, Jerome
Camp Invention
The Camp Invention program is a nationally acclaimed, week-long science experience filled
with activities that foster creativity, teamwork, and inventive-thinking skills for children
entering grades 1 through 6. Children will enrich their understanding of science, math,
history, and the arts by participating in five modules each day. All curricula is aligned with
national and state education standards. The program runs from July 28 through August 1
from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. For more information contact Mary Cieslak, Science Coordinator
at (989) 399-6728 or mcieszlak@spsd.net.
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Graduate Highlights
Saginaw Public Schools goal is to lay
a strong foundation of education,
confidence, and drive in every
student. We want to remind students
that they must also take responsibility
for their future. Parents, teachers,
and administrators help point students
in the right direction. There is
no limit to what you can accomplish
once you set your mind to it. On
occasion we will do graduate highlights
to remind you that this is one
step in a much bigger world that is
out there for you. Start here, go
anywhere….
Adam Emmenecker
High School Highlights
• Arthur Hill High School and
Saginaw Arts & Science Academy
• Graduated 2004 with a grade point
average of over 4.0
• Captain Basketball Team
• All league honors
in Baseball
• Honorable mention
All-state player in
Michigan’s Class
A Basketball
• Named Arthur
Hill outstanding
graduate of
2004
College
Highlights
• Attends Drake
University
• Received Presidential
Scholarship
• Business Degree with
4 majors
• Missouri Valley Conference
Player of the Year (2008)
• MVC Tournament MVP
(2008)
• All-MVC First Team (2008)
• Captain, MVC Most Improved Team
(2008)
• MVC Basketball Scholar-Athlete of
the Year (2008)
• “ESPN, The Magazine,”
Men’s Basketball Academic
All-America of the Year,
University Division (2008)
Future Career Plans
• Upon graduation from Drake
University, Adam will work for the
Principal Financial Group, a Fortune
500 company, participating in
the company’s leadership-development
rotation which produces
mangers from within the company.
Saginaw Public Schools
“Building Winners”
Community Education Youth Sports Teams
Arthur Eddy
Kempton
South Middle - Bady
Central Middle
South Middle - Page
Coulter
Heavenrich - Green & White
Heavenrich - Green
Handley
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Dow Corning partners with Loomis
Dow Corning Science & Technology Outreach Director Dr. Lane explains science
One of the unique features of the
Loomis Academy is the partnership
between the school and Dow Corning
Corporation.
“I am thrilled with our involvement in the
school,” said Dr. Thomas Lane, science
and technology outreach director at Dow
Corning. “We have a long-standing
relationship with Saginaw Public
Schools, and have seen the commitment
and energy of the teachers and how
eager the students are for discovery,
investigation and sharing.
Dr. Lane works with Loomis students to
get them excited about science through
a hands-on approach.
Community lending a
helping hand
On Saturday, Feb. 23, 85 people
from Hopevale Church “adopted”
Coulter School. Community members
painted hallways and bathrooms,
painted the gymnasium, decorated
the hallways with ABC’s, numbers,
flowers, and painted trim around the
floors. Hopevale Church is a church
that does a lot for its members and
for those overseas in foreign lands.
The church decided to extend that
love and concern to the local community.
~ Mary Reinke, Coulter School
Dow Corning Scientist Patricia
Moore demonstrates hands-on
science experiments
An Evening Of Art
SASA/Handley are
holding a joint Art
Auction fundraiser
scheduled for
Friday, April 18
from 6-9 pm at the
Castle Museum. There will be
restaurant food tasting from 6-7.
This is the major fundraiser that the SASA parent
group (SPAC) is doing this year. SASA is joining
forces with the Handley Foundation and
proceeds from the auction will be split between
the two schools. It is also a great way for our
parents and the community to spend time together
and have some plain old fun!
A.J.Ross Auction House of New York will be
bringing more than 100 pieces of framed art, and
a variety of music and sports memorabilia, to be
auctioned off to patrons using an entertaining live
auction format. There also are a few special
auction items that businesses and Handley or
SASA parents have donated. SASA and Handley
will receive 100% of the proceeds from these
special items. These special auction items include:
stays at vacation homes or condos, tickets
to a U of M football game, Slurpees every day for a
year, a gift basket filled with gift cards to area
restaurants and stores. There are also gift cards
from Family Video, Arby’s, Quizno’s, Bennigan’s,
Applebee’s, Famous Dave’s and Damon’s.
Tickets are $15 a person or two for $25, and can
be requested through the SASA or Handley office
or from various SPAC or Handley PCAT parents.
High Fives
UNCF Scholarship Award Winners
Sandile Ashford, SHS
David McMillan, SASA
Finalist in the 2008 Competition
For National Merit Scholarships
Sarah E Chappell
Adam S. Kidder
34th Annual City-Wide Elementary
Spelling Bee Champions
Handley Spelling Bee team:
John Smith, Ebony Eli, Jake Wilson,
Grant Nicol, Samantha Chen,
Colleen Hawke
Brooke Bell (Handley School - Grade
2), her poem was selected by the
Handley Home and School Association,
in partnership with the River
Junction Poets Society, and made
into a book titled “ABC’s of Summer.”
Brooke also illustrated the
cover of her book. “ABC’s of
Summer” can be purchased at The
Children’s Book Company.
10

Lady Jacks named Valley League, District &
Regional Champions and State Class A Final Four
Congratulations to the Arthur Hill girls basketball team and coach John Wilson for
their outstanding season that ended one game short of a Class A State Championship.
The Lady Jacks battled hard against East Lansing, before falling 54-53 at Eastern
University’s Convocation Center. Arthur Hill finished the season with an outstanding 21-
6 record and, along the way captured the Saginaw Valley League championship (10-0),
the District championship (with two wins over Saginaw High and three wins over Heritage)
and the Regional championship (with wins over Flint Northern). They defeated
Rochester in the Quarterfinals in a thrilling game that went into overtime.
Arthur Hill High School
Girls Basketball Roster
Kiah Douglas
DreJana Anderson
Violet Lindsay
Chynna Abraham
My'esia Moore
Corie Buchanan
Jasmine Harris
Nana Hall
Victoria Jones
Britney Murphy
Faran General
Juanita Cochran
John Wilson, Coach
They did it again!
Congratulations to Saginaw High School Boys basketball
team and coach Lou Dawkins for their outstanding season.
Saginaw High Trojans captured the Class A State Championship
title for the second year in a row. Saginaw High came together
as a team, easily defeating Detroit’s Pershing at Michigan State
University’s Breslin Center 90-71. The Trojans finish the season
with a 27-1 record.
Saginaw High Boys
Basketball Team
Class A State
Champions
Jimmy Davis
Daniel West
Lamarcus Morris
Mike Green
Mario Robinson
Will Marlow
Cortney Washington
Draymond Green
Brentt Cantu
Prentis Phillips
Christian Vaughn
Raymond Stepney
Tommie McCune
Teveon Whitson
Coach Lou Dawkins
PHOTO BY PERMISSION OF THE SAGINAW NEWS.
Not only did our athletes
succeed on the court but also
in the classroom. This school
year student athletes had to
have a 2.0 GPA in order to
participate in interscholastic
athletics. Both Championship
teams were able to meet and
exceed these standards. With
weekly progress reports and
structured tutorials, they
supported their teammates on
and off the court. “School
comes first, basketball comes
second and they (girls basketball
team) all did an excellent
job in school this year.” said
Coach John Wilson. Our
students represented their
school and community very
well.
Saginaw News All-Area Girls Basketball
Britney Murphy, AHHS, Dream Team
Juanita Cochran, AHHS, First Team
Violet Lindsay, AHHS, First Team
Kiah Douglas, AHHS, Honorable Mention
Jaquavia Couch, SHS, First Team
Champayne Johnson, SHS, Second Team
Diamond Tolliver, SHS, Second Team
Saginaw News All-
Area Boys Basketball
Draymond Green, SHS,
Dream Team
Daniel West, SHS,
Dream Team
Cortney Washington, SHS, First Team
Mike Green, SHS, Honorable Mention
Will Marlow, SHS, Honorable Mention
Coach Lou Dawkins, First Team
Latreze Mushatt, AHHS, Dream Team
Tyree Wooten, AHHS, First Team
Mike Schaaf, AHHS, Honorable Mention
See more photos in the district
photo album at http://
www.spsd.net/ourschools/
photoalbum/SHS.html
11

Gavel Presentation
President Spess presented Mr.
Braddock with an Accent on Achievement
certificate and the gavel he
used during his two years as president
of the Board. The gavel was
displayed in a frame accompanied by
a brass plate denoting his tenure as
president. President Spess thanked
Mr. Braddock for his leadership.
President Spess presents Norman Braddock the
gavel he used during his 2 years as president
Leann Martuch, on behalf of the
Saginaw Community Foundation,
presented certificates to the following
grant award winners:
• Amanda Kitterman-Miller - $500,
Entrepreneurs In Action
• Jeannine Simon - $420, The
Power of Words
• Diane Danville - $500, Cooking
Project
• Margaret Wilson - $225, Supplemental
Mathematics Assistance
• Kathy Couillard - $2,500 IBC
Program Unit Books
• John Norwood - $2,500, Community
Ed. Knothole Baseball Program
• Ruth Ann Knapp – $7,100, SHS
Sugar Bowl Concert & Competition
Dr. Barris poses with Leann Martuch and Diane
Danville
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Accent on Achievement
Antionette Turner and Sherry Bledsoe
presented an Accent on Achievement
certificate to Foster Grandparent
Program coordinator Susan Furlo
and thanked her for her dedication
and partnership with Saginaw Public
Schools.
“Grandma Shirley” Morin was
presented with an Accent on
Achievement certificate for donating
18 handmade international dolls to
Zilwaukee International School and
for volunteering as a Foster Grandparent.
Antionette Turner, on behalf
of State Representative Molenaar,
presented “Grandma Shirley” with a
Special Proclamation.
“Grandma Shirley” shows off the dolls she made
and donated to Zilwaukee School
Zilwaukee International Studies
School was presented an Accent on
Achievement Award for receiving 2nd
place, ($15,000 supplies and materials)
in the OfficeMax National Adopt-
A-Classroom Award.
Science Quiz Bowl Team
The Board presented Accent on
Achievement Awards to the members
of the Saginaw Arts and Sciences
Academy All Star Science Quiz Bowl
Teams – 1st and 2nd Place Junior
Division - Nate Wilkins, Kavita Raval,
Brad Yurgens, Sheebani Tahlati, Sam
Wilkins, Dalton Allan, Owais Ansari,
Jordan Drake, Jon Young, and 1st
Place Senior Division – Newton Davis,
David McMillon, Adam Kidder,
Nicholas Triantafillou, along with
coaches John Barnes, Matt Miller,
Steve Tack and NOBCChe youth
sponsor Rochelle Woods and
NOBCChe President Smallwood
Holoman. See related story on page 7.
2008 Black History Month Art
Show Winners
The Board presented Accent on
Achievement Awards to the following
Black History Month Art Show
winners:
• Erin Lockwood, 11th Grade, Best
of High School, Saginaw Arts &
Sciences Academy
• Jemil Peeples, 11th Grade,
Arthur Hill High School, Best of
High School
• Parker Bradford, 6th Grade, Best
of Middle School, Saginaw Arts &
Sciences Academy
• Zachary Wager, 7th Grade,
Zilwaukee International Studies
School, Best of Middle School
• Erik Vallejo, 4th Grade, Merrill
Park Elementary School, Best of
School and Best of Elementary
• Chauntroya Randle, 4th Grade,
Houghton Elementary, Best of
Elementary and Honorable Mention
• Crymson Cardamo, 4th Grade,
Kempton School, Best of School
and Honorable Mention
See related story on page 4.
SASA Staff Members – Life Saving
Action - The Board presented Accent
on Achievement Awards to two
Saginaw Arts & Sciences Academy
staff members, Charles Blakes and
Steve Tack, for saving the life of a
fellow employee.
Steve Tack and Charles Blakes accept an Accent
on Achievement Award from SASA principal
Janet Nash

SHS Mighty Marchin’ Trojan Band
“Thank You”
Jeannine Coughlin, Saginaw High
band director, thanked the Board,
Superintendent Dawkins and community
for their support. Their
support made it possible for the
Saginaw High band to perform at the
Sugar Bowl in New Orleans this past
January. Coughlin presented Dr.
Dawkins and the Board a poster
commemorating their time spent at
the Sugar Bowl.
Calendar of Events
Event Location Time Date
An Evening of Art Castle Museum 6-9pm April 18
Anger Management RDLLC,
Parent Workshop Parent Resource Center 9am-1pm April 21
Parenting Expo 2008 Central Middle School 4pm April 24
Anger Management RDLLC, 4-7pm May 19
Parent Workshop SASA Cafeteria
Arthur Hill High School Arthur Hill High School 7pm April 24, 25,
Musical: “What’s It Auditorium 26
To You?” Admission: $5
Saginaw High School Saginaw High School 6pm April 30
Musical: “Girls Who Auditorium
Dare to Dream” Admission: $4
SHS Band Director Jeannine Coughlin presents
Superintendent Dawkins with a poster of the
band’s trip to New Orleans
Dr. Thomas Barris who will retire in
June, was presented an Accent on
Achievement Award for 40 years of
meritorious service to the district. Dr.
Barris is currently Assistant Superintendent
of Human Resources, Labor
Relations and Secondary Education.
Dr. Dawkins presents Dr. Barris with an Accent
on Achievement Award
Board members thank Dr. Barris for his 40 years
of service in Saginaw Public Schools
Importance of Family: RDLLC, 9am-1pm May 7
How to Connect Parent Resource Center
For all Parent Resource events, R.S.V.P. Connie Thomas at 399-6902 or cthomas@spsd.net
Did You Know? May is Asthma & Allergy
Awareness Month
May is Asthma & Allergy Awareness Month and you can learn
how to keep your asthma under control and live a normal life.
Asthma is a disease that inflames and narrows the airways in your
lungs. If the airways become too narrow, you will have an asthma flare-up or
attack which causes coughing, wheezing, chest tightness or shortness of
breath. No one is sure what causes asthma. It most often lasts a lifetime.
Asthma may flare up in early developmental years, then lay dormant until later
in life, but it can be controlled.
To control your asthma, you need to control your triggers. However, triggers
differ for each person. Know what your triggers are so you can stay proactive
to control them. Some common triggers that may cause you problems are;
house-dust mites, cats, dogs, furry animals, mold, trees, weeds, grass,
tobacco smoke, perfume, household cleanser, stress, illness, weather and
certain food additives, such as sulfites (used to preserve wines, beer, and
some foods such as dried fruit).
Your health care provider or your physician can evaluate you to learn more
about your asthma and allergens. The goal is to control your asthma, prevent
symptoms, stay proactive, and look forward to happy, healthy longevity.
Are your news and achievements
missing from this month’s newsletter?
Email your news to Safiya Mosley at
smosley@spsd.net
We need your items by the fourth Monday of every month. We want to
hear what’s happening-staff accomplishments, special programs,
student achievements, special events and activities. Please use News
and Notes as the subject of your email. Give us the “who, what,
where, why and how,” and we will spread the word.
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