winter issue - Saginaw Public Schools

6 SAGINAW PUBLIC SCHOOLS - WINTER ISSUE
Saginaw High Has Heart
Earlier this year hundreds gathered to see the
yearly anticipated match up between the Saginaw
High School and Heritage High School Varsity
Football teams. However, this year was a little
different. Rather than gold and black on one side
of the field facing the green and blue from the
other, they planned a Red Out. The game had a
special theme in honor of Dorian Dawkins.
Students, staff and community honored and
remembered his life while helping to fight heart
disease, the very thing that took him from us.
Teams, students and community were asked to
wear red to school, to work and to the game in
honor of Dorian Dawkins and the American Heart
Association.
Dorian Dawkins, son of Saginaw High varsity
basketball coach Lou
Dawkins and Latricia
Dawkins, principal of
Loomis Math, Science
and Technology
Academy, died of acute
myocardial ischemia,
secondary to an
anomalous left coronary
artery on June 13, 2009 at
the age of 14. Many were in disbelief this summer
when news spread that he collapsed at the freethrow
line during a game at basketball camp at
Michigan State University. One way that Dorian’s
parents and siblings have chosen to remember
Dorian is to help to fight heart disease and support
the American Heart Association in hopes that one
day we can live free of cardiovascular disease.
Cardiovascular disease kills more people in the
US than the next 5 leading causes of death
combined… including cancer. The Red Out was a
great way to celebrate Dorian’s life while making a
difference by helping to save others. In addition to
asking the community to wear red, there were
opportunities to donate during “calls to action”
during the quarters and half time when
cheerleaders came into the stands with donation
buckets. All proceeds went to the American Heart
Association.
In addition to the Red Out there will be another
great opportunity the weekend of February 5-7,
2010. The First Annual Dorian Dawkins Show
Your Heart Memorial Classic will be held at Delta
College. This is a labor of love by Dorian’s brother
Christian that will kick off Friday night with a
performance by comedian D.L. Hughley, (Original
Kings of Comedy, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip).
Noted actor Morris Chestnut will be the guest
announcer for the premier high school basketball
team competitions on Saturday and Sunday. Other
special guest appearances will take place during
this weekend event. Save the date to celebrate the
life of Dorian Dawkins with an action packed
weekend of entertainment, talent and competition.
Proceeds will go towards scholarships for Saginaw
students and the American Heart Association. For
more information on the classic go to the Live Out
Your Dreams website at www.loydenterprises.
Dow Corning Foundation
sponsors local high school
students at fifth annual
Virginia Hispanic
Youth Symposium
Seven Saginaw Arts and Sciences Academy
Hispanic high school students took part in the fifth
annual Virginia Hispanic Youth Symposium, a fourday,
three-night college access program hosted by
the Hispanic College Fund at George Mason
University in Fairfax, Virginia. The Dow Corning
Foundation sponsored all seven students, providing
airfare, lodging and registration for the symposium.
The Foundation was also a major corporate funder
for the Hispanic College Fund event.
Birth–Five Program Relocated
Birth-Five
program was
relocated to 224
N. Elm Street
at the beginning
of the school
year. The
entrance is in
the back of Handley Elementary
School. The Saginaw Public
School’s Birth-Five Program is a
service offered to all families in
the district. Birth-Five works
with families from birth to get
their children ready to start
school.
Getting ready for Kindergarten does begin at
birth. A Family Assessment Worker goes into the
hospital the day after a baby is born to introduce
the Birth-Five Program. The family is given a
packet of information and is told that they will be
contacted in two weeks. When the family is
contacted, the Family Assessment Worker makes
a home visit to enroll the family. The family is
then assigned a permanent Parent Educator.
The Parent Educator visits each family
regularly. They work with the family on every
thing from diaper rash care to reading to
the baby to nutrition to sleep habits.
They help keep families informed on
developmental milestones, so parents
know when something should be
happening (walking, talking, etc.)
Parent
Educators assist
families
in enrolling in
Play to Learn
Group, Family
Meeting, as well
as preschool and
Kindergarten.
For more information call 399-6850
Front Row: Michael Gomez-SASA, Jose Gomez-SASA,
Lyle Flores-Delta College, Gabe Reyes-SASA
Back Row: John Hanskett-SASA, Spencer Taylor-SASA,
Mercedes Gonzales-Bridgeport HS, Chrystal Segura-Perez-
Bridgeport HS, Jasmine Garcia-SASA
“The Dow Corning Foundation is proud to
have sponsored these nine outstanding students
from the Saginaw area,” said Kimberly Houston-
Philpot, President, Dow Corning Foundation. “It is
our hope that these students take the lessons
learned at the symposium and realize that they too
can achieve a college education, pursue a
professional career, and invest in our community as
volunteers and leaders.”
Over 200 Hispanic students from across the
country gathered for the event. Student attendees,
who were selected from a competitive admissions
pool of nearly 400 applicants, focused on learning
strategies for success related to college, career,
and community service through a number of
workshops and mentorship opportunities.
In addition to the workshops, student attendees
had the opportunity to hear success stories first
hand from business leaders and public figures
including: Fern Barrueta, CEO of the Hispanic
College Fund; Douglas Garcia, Assistant Secretary
of Education, Office of the Governor, Virginia; and
Monica Villalta, Director of Diversity Programs,
Kaiser Permanente.
A need met...lives changed
When students started school at Coulter
Elementary School in September they all received
backpacks filled with rulers, pencils, crayons and
other school supplies that signaled the start of a
new partnership with Hopevale Church.
Pastor Ken
MacGillivray, Director
of Children’s Ministries,
Mary Kay Dyer and
other members of the
congregation where on
hand to kickoff the first
day of school during a
morning assembly.
Superintendent of
Schools, Dr. Barris
thanked the members
of Hopevale Church for
their outreach and expressed the desire to continue
the partnership throughout the school year.
“We have adopted the school and we will
continue to assist them as much as we can,”
MacGillivray said. During the assembly Pastor
MacGillivray told students, “We are excited about
what is happening at Coulter Elementary.” We
care about you as students. We want you to be
excited to go to school and have the tools you need
to do great things. Use your brains to the most of
its potential.”
The parents, students and staff were extremely
thankful for Hopevale’s generosity but it did not
stop in September. Hopevale Church continues to
provide support for
Coulter Elementary. In
November , Hopevale
church donated 100
coats to Coulter
Elementary students
and enough food to
feed several families
during the holidays.
Lanishia Spiller,
principal of Coulter
Elementary, said she is
delighted with the
assistance. “Small groups of people can make a
huge difference,” Spiller said.
If you are interested in adopting a school
please call the Information Services Department at
399-6630.
Featured in photo: Mary Kay Dryer - Director
Children’s Ministries, Jim Clunie - Facilities Manager,
Ken MacGillivray - Pastor, Christine Cousins - Assistant