District breaks ground on facilities project Tuesday at Kempton and ...

September 16, 2005
<strong>District</strong> <strong>breaks</strong> <strong>ground</strong> on facilities project
Tuesday at Kempton and Herig: Parents,
students, staff, school district officials and community
members will gather at Kempton Elementary and Herig
Elementary on Tuesday, September 20, for the formal
Groundbreaking Ceremonies that will launch the
construction phase of the district’s $70 million facilities
project.
The <strong>ground</strong>breaking ceremonies are scheduled for:
• Kempton Elementary School, from 5:00-5:30
p.m. The festivities will take place behind the
school in the area that will become the new
gymnasium.
• Herig Elementary School, from 5:45-6:15 p.m.
The festivities will take place in front of the
school in the area that will become the new
media center.
“This is an opportunity for the community to come
together and celebrate the start of these two important
projects,” said Superintendent Gerald D. Dawkins. “We
are excited about putting some shovels in the <strong>ground</strong>
and turning these world-class plans into reality.”
SPS student reaches national science
finals: The countdown to choosing the nation's top
young scientist enters its final phase as Discovery
Communications announced the 40 middle school
students from around the country selected as finalists in
the 2005 Discovery Channel Young Scientist Challenge
(DCYSC). The DCYSC is the nation’s premier science
competition for students in grades 5-8. The cutting-edge
competition gives the finalists the opportunity to
demonstrate their scientific know-how and push the
limits of their knowledge in the quest for the title of
America's "Top Young Scientist of the Year."
One of the Final 40 qualified from last spring’s Saginaw
County Science & Engineering Fair. He is: Nilesh
Raval, a Saginaw Arts and Sciences Academy 7th
grader.
His project was entitled: Comparing the Rate and
Specificity of Bacteriocidal Effects of Antibiotics and
Phages on Escherichia coli B and Lactococcus lactis
Nilesh becomes the second student from Saginaw
County to reach the finalist round of the DCYSC. Celine
Saucier was part of the best team in the 2004 DCYSC
and won the National Park Service Explorer Team
Award. Nilesh qualified as one of 400 semi-finalists last
year. Information on previous Saginaw County students
in the DCYSC is available at:
http://pub.spsd.net/communityeducation/DCYSC-
Reps.htm.
Girl Scout National Gold Award winners honored: The
Board of Education Wednesday recognized SPS students for
their outstanding careers as Girls Scouts. These students
have contributed over 1200 hours of community service and
sold over 16,000 boxes of Girl Scout Cookies.
The 40 finalists will travel to Washington, D.C., October
15-19, where they will take part in the DCYSC finalist
competition at the Cole Field House at the University of
Maryland. The finalists will compete in team-based,
interactive challenges designed around the theme of
“Forces of Nature.” In the wake of the recent natural
disasters that ravaged the Gulf Coast of the United
States and Southeast Asia, each student will face
challenges—from fog banks, to hurricanes, to
tsunamis—that utilize their broad range of knowledge in
order to understand the implications and scope of
natural disasters. The action-packed activities will be
taped for broadcast on the Discovery Channel.
"Discovery is proud to cultivate the next generation of
American scientists through this competition,” said Judith
A. McHale, President and CEO, Discovery
Communications. “Discovery is committed to
understanding how and why disasters happen and what,

if anything, through knowledge we can do to prevent or
better prepare for them in the future.”
The students will compete for more than $100,000 worth
of scholarships and special prizes, as well as the title of
“America’s Top Young Scientist of the Year.”
“Our forty finalists have been chosen from an impressive
pool of students nationwide. We are excited to put their
science skills to the test as they conquer the “Forces of
Nature” challenges and compete for the top middle
school scientist of the year,” said Steve Jacobs, DCYSC
Head Judge.
Zilwaukee launches International School
theme: Zilwaukee International Studies School
enjoyed its first all school assembly on September 9.
The assembly titled “Introducing Your Country,” focused
on the various countries that each classroom is studying
this year. This informative and entertaining program
included skits, songs, and international addresses. The
following classrooms and focus of study for this year
include:
Jennifer Pausits (Pakistan)
Margaret Wilson, Dawn Granberry, Molly Horwath, Carol
Revard (USA)
Kari Stephens, Sean LeRoux…(USA and Canada)
Mary Paetz (Mexico)
Joann Bohn (Japan)
Denise Wilson, Diane. Danville (Kenya)
Katherine Tobin (Native Americans)
Stacie O’Hare (United Kingdom)
Jodi Decuf (Brazil)
Bridget Heiser, Mark Hellebuyck (China)
Sheryl Henton (Immigration)
Zilwaukee took on the appearance last Friday of the United
Nations as students displayed the flags of their adopted
countries.
SPS welcomes new teacher from New
Orleans : Charla Taylor , who taught special
education in New Orleans prior to Hurricane Katrina,
began a new career in Saginaw last week. She’s
teaching special education at South Middle School. She
is a native of Saginaw and a Saginaw High and Eastern
Michigan graduate. She taught Special Ed in New
Orleans for 27 years. Welcome home, Charla!
Katrina relief efforts continue in SPS: Staff,
students and parents continue their efforts to raise
money and collect items for the victims of Hurricane
Katrina. Here are some more examples:
Stone
From Principal Sylvia Trevino: “We had a student
teacher whose aunt and cousins' family lost their homes
and all of their belongings during Hurricane Katrina.
There are three families involved. They have returned to
Michigan to start over. The Stone Community is
adopting them. We have asked our staff and families to
donate to these three families. We felt that we could
help these three families get started.”
Webber Middle
Webber staff and students have raised over $600 in
support of relief efforts. A displaced family from New
Orleans moved to Saginaw this week to live with
relatives and has enrolled their 12-year-old son at
Webber Middle. The school staff presented the family
with a gift certificate from Wal-Mart today.
Zilwaukee students get into the International spirit.
The audience for the kickoff assembly included
Superintendent Dawkins, Board Members Ron Spess,
Norman Braddock and Beverly Yanca, Zilwaukee, Mayor
Eugene Jolin, and parents, families and friends of the
Zilwaukee International Studies School.
Zilwaukee School
Zilwaukee International Studies School has been very
involved in the Katrina Relief Effort. Staff and students
have done the following:
--Students have been collecting money in all classrooms
for the Red Cross and will continue collecting this week.

--Staff and students collected from parents, community
members and honored guests at the recent International
Assembly.
--On Hat Day Thursday, students will be allowed to wear
a hat at school when they make a contribution to the
relief effort.
--Many students and their family members are
participating in a Zilwaukee community effort by helping
to fill semi trucks from L B Transportation Group with
goods for the people in the New Orleans area.
--Several staff members have been diligently working to
locate a former Zilwaukee family who moved to New
Orleans last Spring. We hope to learn soon that they
are safe.
Nelle Haley
The Nelle Haley Student Council is collecting personal
care items for hurricane survivors. The school also held
a fundraiser at Fazoli’s on Tuesday night.
Law enforcement organizations pitch in to
support relief efforts: Cops ‘n Kids, Inc., the
Saginaw Area Blue Knights and Precinct 131 K-9 Unit, in
association with Saginaw area law enforcement
agencies are collecting personal items for Katrina
evacuees to Saginaw. The organizations will be
collecting winter coats and hats, bots, gloves, clothes,
socks, underwear, shoes, school supplies and
backpacks at the Wal-Mart Supercenter, 5650 Bay
Road, on the following dates and times: Sept. 23 (9-5),
Sept. 24 (noon-5) and Sept. 25 (noon-5). All donations
are tax deductible.
Mighty Marchin’ Trojans continue to
impress: Congratulations to the members of the
Mighty Marchin’ Trojan Band who traveled to Southfield,
Michigan, last Saturday to compete in their first marching
band competition of the season. In Flight A, the top
flight, the Marchin’ Trojans brought home the second
place trophy. In sub-caption competition, the Dancing
Trojanettes and the Golden Flag line combined to win
the first place auxiliary award. The Trojan Drumline took
second place and the first year Drum Majors, Tommy
Atkins and Rondale Simpson took second place. Our
musical Trojans also captured the Best Overall Music
Award.
In the overall competition, all bands in all flights, the SHS
Mighty Marchin’ Trojans came away as the third highest
scoring band.
Apple Juice and Cider Safety: A note from the
Parent Resource Center: The U.S. Food and Drug
Administration has issued recommendations to school
officials regarding this warning statement on any apple
juice or cider product:
WARNING: This product has not been pasteurized and
therefore, may contain harmful bacteria that can cause
serious illness in children, the elderly, and persons with
weakened immune systems.
FDA recommends that school officials allow children in
their care to consume only treated cider during school
activities this fall. To ensure that cider will be safe for
the children to consume we recommend the following:
• If the cider is served from containers, officials
can check the container labels to ensure that
they do not bear the above warning.
• If the activity is to take place at an orchard
where cider is served by the glass, officials can
ask when planning the activity if the cider has
been pasteurized or otherwise treated, e.g., by
UV irradiation, before allowing the children to
consume the cider.
For more information about the safe consumption of
juice, cider or other foods, please visit
www.cfsan.fda.gov/ or call 1-888-SAFEFOOD.
SVSU presents Immigration Reform talk on
Sept. 29: The Diversity Programs Office at Saginaw
Valley State University invites interested SPS staff to
attend an educational presentation in celebration of
Hispanic Heritage Month. The presentation is entitled
“Immigration Reform: How it Impacts America.” It will
be held on Sept. 29, from 6:00-8:00 p.m. at the Alan Ott
Auditorium in the Regional Education Center.
Board of Education meeting notes: At its
Action Meeting on Wednesday, the Saginaw Board of
Education took the following action:
Presented an Accent on Achievement certificate to the
Arthur Hill Pom Pon squad for its excellent showing at
the Universal Dance Associations Competition at
Oakland University in August. The squad has qualified
to compete in the national championships in Orlando in
February. Coach Tahisha Pritchett, a 1994 AHHS
graduate, and her squad received congratulations from
the Board and Dr. Dawkins.
Presented Accent on Achievement certificates to four
SPS students who earned the prestigious Girl Scout
Gold Award, which is earned by only one-quarter of one
percent of all Girl Scouts nationally. The four recipients
are: Breanna Friske, Tawny Lamb, Libby Luxton and
Erin Tunney. As a group, they have completed over
1,200 hours of community service, participated in
numerous community activities, earned countless honors
and, maybe most remarkably, sold over 16,000 boxes of
Girl Scout cookies!
Approved the purchase of one property on Blackmore,
adjacent to Kempton, and two properties on North
Clinton, adjacent to Herig. The property will be
purchased with funds from the facilities bond.

Moved the Board Briefing Sessions, which have been
held on the first Tuesday of each month, to the first
Wednesday of each month beginning at October.
Received and filed the Superintendent Gerald Dawkins’
evaluation and notified him that his contract has been
continued.
Text of Superintendent’s evaluation: Board of
Education Trustee Jean Burk, Chair of the Human
Resources Committee, presented the results of the
Superintendent’s evaluation at Wednesday’s meeting.
She read the following statement into the record:
The Saginaw Board of Education is charged with the
responsibility of annually evaluating the Superintendent
of Schools. The evaluation has been completed and
was shared with Superintendent Gerald Dawkins last
week. It is being shared this evening with the greater
Saginaw community.
Each member of the Board is asked to rate the
Superintendent’s performance in five goal areas and to
assess his performance in six areas (planning and
evaluation, instructional leadership, personnel
administration, staff development, business
management and school/community relations). The
Superintendent can receive an overall evaluation
summary of Excellent, Very Good, Satisfactory,
Unsatisfactory or Poor.
I am pleased, on behalf of my colleagues, to announce
that, for the fourth consecutive year, Dr. Dawkins has
earned an EXCELLENT job performance rating from the
Board of Education. During his first three years in
Saginaw, Dr. Dawkins established a record of
performance and achievement that, as I said last year,
was as close to an A+ grade as humanly possible. He
continues to raise the performance bar for the district
and for himself. This year, once again, he met an
increasingly higher standard and again earned as close
to an A+ as humanly possible.
Dr. Dawkins’ vision, leadership skills, and commitment to
developing world-class young people continue to move
our school system in a positive direction. He continues
to energize our schools, our students and our
community. If you have spent any time with him as he
walks through a school, talking with students and staff,
visiting classrooms, reading to students, and checking
on even the smallest facility issue, you can feel the
passion he has for his job.
Under Mr. Dawkins' leadership, our district’s focus on
academic achievement continues to get results. This
year, all but one of our schools met their Adequate
Yearly Progress goal. This does not happen by
accident. It required a focused approach with strong
leadership from the Superintendent. As I said last year,
and it bears repeating, virtually every conversation with
Dr. Dawkins, regardless of the audience, begins and
ends with academic achievement.
I also want to mention the importance of Dr. Dawkins’
leadership in the facilities bond campaign and his
leadership in the weeks and months following the
election when the results were challenged, an injunction
was filed and when a portion of our school community
sought to leave our district. Dr. Dawkins remained
steadfast in his belief that we would prevail on each
challenge and obstacle placed in front of us, and he
provided firm, steady, confident leadership as we
weathered each storm.
Today, as I announce the results of his evaluation, we
are less than one week away from breaking <strong>ground</strong> on
the first phase of our facilities project. Dr. Dawkins’ role
in getting us to this point cannot be overstated.
Whether the issue is increasing academic achievement,
improving the learning environment for students,
strengthening school safety and security, improving our
technology infrastructure, guiding the district through a
period of uncertain school funding, supporting staff, or
encouraging and showcasing our students, Dr. Dawkins
has provided world-class leadership.
Conclusion
It is the consensus of the Board members that
Superintendent Dr. Gerald Dawkins has continued his
excellent performance and that his contract be
continued. As one of my colleagues wrote, “He is the
right person for the job.” That statement echoes the
sentiments of all of us.
Finally, on behalf of all seven members of the Board,
including President Thompson and Mr. Woolfolk, who
could not be here this evening, we want to collectively
extend our congratulations to Dr. Dawkins on another
outstanding year, and for getting the 2005-06 school
year off to a great start.
SPS students, district, observe first annual
Constitution Day: Mary Weaver, social studies
coordinator, headed preparations for the today’s
observance Constitution Day in Saginaw Schools. In
classrooms across the district, teachers and students
took time to learn about and celebrate the U.S.
Constitution. Activities included:
• Classroom and hall displays;
• A discussion of human rights in a kindergarten
class;
• Students writing and defending new laws;
• Visiting Constitution websites on the new
interactive white boards;
• Developing classroom Bill of Rights;
• Reading a play entitled “The Constitutional
Convention;”
• Discussing core democratic values;
• Writing classroom constitutions; and
• Writing new amendments to the Constitution;
More details will be published in next week’s edition.