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Chirp Sheet
Singing the praises of our DCS students and staff 9-15/23
![Chirp Sheet Singing the praises of our DCS students and staff 9-15/23](https://cdn.smore.com/u/thumbs/6d5b/thumb-5fb6becdf668c2d493b65b7c6f3a2781.jpeg)
October 26, 2023
A lesson in Cardinal Code: Hahn student gives back after winning top prize
As the top collector in his school's walk-a-thon fundraiser, sixth grader Declan Swenor got first pick of the prizes offered by the Hahn Intermediate PTO. He opted for the Oculus - a virtual reality headset that allows users to immerse themselves in a 360-degree world of video games and movies.
But Declan didn't pick out this prize for himself. Instead, he donated it to Mr. Travis Rodgers, the school's Success Coordinator. In his role, Mr. Rodgers works with students who may be identified as "at risk" due to attendance, academic or behavior issues and works with students and their families to ensure their success in school.
"Mr. Travis does a lot for our school," Declan said. "He helps out so many of our students without getting anything in return. I wanted him to be able to use it with his kids and to enjoy himself."
Declan said he didn't really need the prize because his Aunt Christine provides him with gifts all the time.
To reward Declan for his selfless act, Hahn Intermediate Principal Verle Gilbert selected Declan to serve as a "Principal of the Day" along with other students who selected similar prizes allowing them to be principal, art teacher, music teacher, physical education teacher and librarian for the day (see story below).
Thank you Declan for inspiring us and the reminder that it is always better to give than to receive!
Hahn students pick Principal and Teachers of the Day as prizes in school fundraiser
After spending the morning conducting music classes, Hahn Intermediate student Zachary Wenzel had a whole new appreciation for his teacher, Ms. Jenny Berhe.
"My arm is sore," the fifth grader admitted.
Zachary had spent the last couple of hours alongside Ms. Berhe as "Music Teacher for the Day," one of the prizes offered by the PTO to students who raised a certain amount of money in the school walk-a-thon.
"I thought it would be fun to be with Ms. Berhe," he said, adding that there is much more his teacher's job entails than conducting music. In addition to directing singers, Zachary ran and played Music Gimkit and moderated the Berhe's Buzzers review game for all six classes.
"Mr. Zachary is a natural!" Ms. Berhe exclaimed. "I enjoyed having him in vocal music class."
As "Art Teacher for the Day," William Anderson said he draws often at home and can be "pretty decent at it."
"Mrs. Macko is very funny and nice and I thought it would be fun to join her for the day," William said.
Margaret Cournoyer and Declan Swenor spent their day shadowing Principal Verle Gilbert as they were Principals for The Day.
"I thought it would be very cool walking around like the principal and, yes, it is," Margaret said.
She and Declan discovered where all the secret closets were - and what was in them - and visited every classroom in the school.
Rowen Rivett admitted that she selected "Librarian for the Day" because it was one of the last prizes left but after spending the morning learning how to check in books, she was happy with her choice.
"I've learned a lot," she said.
Jayceton Quintanilla was enjoying his lunch break after spending his morning as Gym Teacher of the Day with Mrs. Shelly Konzman.
"It has been tiring," he said. "We've played capture the chicken and dodgeball and I got to join in with the classes," he said.
Nine DHS students selected for Region A Honors Choir
Nine students from Davison High School have been selected for Regional Honors Choir this year. The students will perform on December 2.
Congratulations to:
Caleb Ashley
Abbegail Gratsch
Sam Greenaway
Mackenzie Hescott
Alyssa Howard
Connor Norman
Leah Riley
Chloe Starr
Dustin White
Siple Singers return for students passionate about singing
Music Teacher Mrs. Robin Odglen is looking for second, third and fourth graders from Siple Elementary who are passionate about singing to join the 2023-24 Siple Singers. Space is limited to 50 singers.
Becoming a member of the Siple Singers is a privilege and a BIG responsibility for the students and the parents involved! The Singers are required to attend all of the practices every Tuesday after school from 3:45- 4:45 p.m. There will be several performances throughout the year that parents will be responsible for making sure their child attends. Commitment is very important to this program since there are only 50 member spots available.
Siple parents should look for the sign up form in their child's backpack.
Marching Band brings home third place following competition in Brandon
Quiz Bowl teams - all 3 of them - make clean sweep
Congratulations to the Davison High School Quiz Bowl Teams. All three teams - Varsity 1, Varsity 2 and JV - brought home wins during competition last Wednesday, October 18, at Hartland.
This may be the first time in school history that the high school has had three Quiz Bowl teams or a JV team, said Quiz Bowl Advisor and DHS Teacher Mrs. Mary Ann Stedry.
Team members include:
Varsity 1
Jackson Smith-captain
Matthew Like
Joshua Beller
Cole Houser
Abbegail Gratsch
Bruna Mendes Faria Honorio
Dustin White
Annie Dieterich
Brooklyn Woughter
Varsity 2
Andrew Shorkey-captain
Amine Chetta
Kacie Dormire
Jacob Peterson
Caden Yurk
Tori Christensen
Khristian Gill
Kevin Liang
Devin Vo
JV
Quinn McCrocklin-captain
Graham Cameron
Alejandro Sarmiento-Miller
Arianna Bolin
Finley Garrett
James Williams
Nathan Trempe
Rylan Ross
Peyton Smuzeski
Maximus Harwell
The team plays next at 4 p.m. Wednesday, November 1, at Kearsley High School. Good luck!
Elementary students learn about stranger awareness
Each fall students in elementary schools across the District attend Stranger Awareness assemblies to learn what to do if approached by an unfamiliar person. On Tuesday, Central Elementary Security Officer Mr. Jim Baldwin and Counselor Mrs. Maida Demo spoke with students about the importance of staying in groups and how to react if approached by someone they do not know.
Teachers also acted out possible scenarios, such as being approached by a stranger while on a playground or in a toy store.
Positivity Project - this week's trait is Bravery
While this is the third school year that the Positivity Project has been in place for students in grades K-8, the program expanded this year to include high school students thanks to a grant from Genesee Health System.
The Positivity Project is a daily, 15-minute curriculum for students to help them build positive relationships. Developed by Mike Erwin and Jeff Bryan, the Positivity Project is based on 24 character strengths and the mindset that “other people matter.”
"Each week highlights a different character trait through age-appropriate slide shows and class discussions with the goal being that students develop a deeper sense of who they are and how to participate in the world,” said Natalie Miller, Principal at Gates Elementary. “Really, it is all about being a good human and treating others the ways in which you want to be treated. One of my favorite things to hear is students having conversations around what they have learned through their Positivity Project lessons.”
The Positivity Project helps schools and districts develop a common vocabulary and self-aware, empathetic students. You can find each week's character trait in your child's school newsletter and on the electronic sign outside of Central Elementary.
This week's topic was Bravery. Hahn Intermediate Teacher Jason Leach shared what bravery means to him.
"My father, Charles Leach, has been battling cancer for roughly a year now, and he and my mother, Angela Leach, have battled and endured chemotherapy, lengthy stays in the hospital, and in the weeks ahead will take on a Bone Marrow Transplant," Mr. Leach said. "My father and mother are the strongest, bravest people I know … my sister, my brother and I, along with other family support, have rallied around my parents, maintaining to the best of our ability a positive outlook, encouraging and supporting my parents in whatever ways possible. I am very proud of my parents for the strong, courageous, devoted people they are and have always been and we will all continue to be brave in the weeks ahead to come out on top!"
Creativity will be the character strength of study when students return to school after Intersession. Creativity is a process that takes courage. Anytime you share your original ideas with the world, you risk being criticized or even ostracized. How do you show your creativity? If you would like to share, please send your responses to medwards@davisonschools.org
DHS Teacher, Coach Named Girls' Cross Country Coach of the Year
Davison High School Cross Country Coach Mike Crongeyer has been named Cross Country Coach of the Year by the Saginaw Valley League.
Crongeyer has been coaching cross country and track since the 2008-09 school year, the same time he was hired by the District to teach special education at the high school.
“Mike has been a great mentor and leader for our Girls’ Cross Country team as well as our Boys’ Track & Field team for over a decade,” said Davison High School Athletic Director Dave Beamer. “The positive relationships he builds allows him to motivate our runners and get the most out of them, which is evident in the success he has had with both programs.”
Coach Crongeyer said he is appreciative of the award mainly because it means "our kids are running well." The girls' recently captured the school's first-ever league championship.
"I'm really happy for the girls with this league championship," Coach Crongeyer said. "From day one back in mid-June these girls have all bought in and put in the work. It's just great to see a group of kids set their sights on something and put in the work to achieve it."
As far as his Coach of the Year honors. Crongeyer said the award should be shared with both Coach (Matt) Ames and Coach (Ron) Whitman as they all work closely to create the best plan for their kids' success. He added that all three of them are appreciative of all the support from the school and community.
Crongeyer is passionate about running himself and has been a runner since the seventh grade. He participated in high school track and cross country and competed collegiately at Lake Superior State.
"I have run many races as an adult including 25 marathons, highlighted with the Boston Marathon," he said.
Positive Office Referrals at Central reflect character traits of Positivity Project
This year, the Positive Office Referral Forms at Central Elementary were revamped to showcase students exhibiting the character traits from the Positivity Project. As of October 24, there have been more than 125 positive office referrals. Staff members complete a Google Form to highlight positive behavior and write a little bit of information about the student. Success Coordinators Jake Martin and Tracy Loomis are keeping track of the positive office referrals, and once everyone in a class has received one, that class will earn an extra recess.
Nour Mekky, Jaxon Kuehling, and Makalynn Swett from Mrs. Hoganson’s class recently earned a positive referral for showcasing the Positivity Project. These students showed the character strengths of kindness toward other classmates, the love of learning by always being engaged, and creativity by drawing during free time.
"We are so proud of these students and their constant optimistic attitudes and focus on the positivity project throughout the school day," said Central Elementary Principal Melissa Williams.
Meet the October Students of the Month for DHS, DAE
Congratulations to the October Students of the Month from Davison High School and Davison Alternative Education. We are proud of the way you represent Davison Schools!
Davison High School
9th Grade: Chloe Foss
Nominated by: Mr. Wilcox
Chloe Foss is the only student that I have left in any of my five classes that still has 100%. Not only is this an amazing feat, but she is respectful, thoughtful and a joy to be around. She's very good at math, and when she doesn't understand, she seeks out help to figure out the right answer. Even during team time activities, she is one of the few students that speaks up to share her thoughts and feelings. An ideal class roster would be to have 32 Chloe Foss's in it.
10th Grade: Brooklynn Riley
Nominated by: Mrs. Kondel
Brooklynn is a ray of sunshine in class! She always has such a positive attitude and her smile is contagious! She is a great asset to the class and I can always count on her to reply back to me when I ask the class a question. The best thing about Brooklynn is her ability to work with others who may be struggling in class. Listening to her explain, in many different ways, how to complete different math problems is a gift. I love walking around and hearing her "debate" her case as to why an answer is correct over someone else's.
11th Grade: Cooper Austin
Nominated by: Mr. Quertermous
Cooper is a student in the Early College Program as well a part of DTV. Cooper is continuously attentive toward all of the work for the Early College Program, respectful toward the visiting professors, and supportive of his classmates. Outside of the obligations of balancing a college workload, Cooper goes above and beyond for his work for DTV. His dedication to ensuring the details of DTV broadcasts shows his dedication to his work. I believe Cooper is extremely deserving of Student of the Month.
12th Grade: Scarlett Verburg
Nominated by: Mrs. Aboneaaj
This the second year I have had the honor of having Scarlett in class. She is a true joy and ray of sunshine!! She is an extremely hard worker who will go the extra mile to make sure she understands the material. She is kind and empathetic to everyone. She is a leader in and out of the classroom and her presence definitely brings out the best in everyone.
Davison Alternative Education
Caden Wineman
Nominated by: Mrs. Powers
Caden is an outstanding student that applies himself everyday. He has shown nothing but respect for teachers and peers. His contributions in class are consistent and helpful.
High School Competitive Cheer Tryouts set for Nov. 6, 7
Please see the flyer below for information about tryouts for the high school competitive cheer team. No experience necessary!
Please remember to use West Entrance at DHS
Visitors and students coming to Davison High School will now use the west entrance (by the gymnasium and auditorium) when entering Davison High School. The former main entrance by the flagpole is locked and closed during school hours. There is now visitor parking available by the west entrance.
The west entrance should also be used to enter the building for afterschool events such as concerts and events taking place in the gymnasium.
The west entrance includes a secured vestibule where visitors will be welcomed and checked in by members of our high school security team before allowed entry into the school. The Attendance Office has also been relocated near this area.
Below, Davison High School Principal Jerry Piger poses with Zachary Mather, the first student to enter in the west entrance when it opened on Monday, October 23.
Hahn students enjoy trip to Detroit Zoo
Fifth graders from Hahn Intermediate had a wonderful time during their field trip last Monday, October 16, to the Detroit Zoo.
Thanks to Alissia Martinez (Lawson Griffin’s mom) for sharing these pictures.
Surprise pumpkin decorating contest prompts fun change of pace at Hill Elementary staff meeting
eOur District theme for the staff this year is "Taking Care of Business: Ourselves, Our Students. Each Other." Hill Elementary Principal Mrs. Jennifer Burke had that in mind this week when she planned a pumpkin activity for staff following a long week of conferences.
"After conference week, our teachers truly needed some time to laugh together and have a little fun," she said.
At yesterday's staff meeting, staff members were assigned to teams and then given five minutes to run to their classrooms and gather any random craft materials and supplies they could find. Then each team had 20 minutes to put together a pumpkin that best represented their team.
Hill families were asked to vote for their favorite pumpkin on the Hill PTO Facebook page. The winning team will get Amazon gift cards and a Halloween goodie bag.
DCER offers Holiday Crafting Class for ages K-4
Just in time for Thanksgiving, kids ages kindergarten to fourth grade can create their own 13-inch Horn of Plenty centerpiece and 3D handcrafted holiday turkey at one-day crafting event Tuesday, November 14. The activity takes place 6-7:30 p.m. at the DCER office inside Cardinal Station.
#Throwback Thursday
Since the last couple of weekends have been filled with marching band competitions, let's take a trip back to 1942 and catch a glimpse of the members of the Davison High School Marching Band way back then. They included: Front row, left to right, Pearl Gray, Lois Belford, JoAnn Sheldon, Frieda McGill, Myrtle Gardner, Elizabeth Ross, Betty Cornwell, Joyce Varrel, Phyllis Tripp, Helen Thompson, Pat Stombaugh; second row, Beth Harrison, Norma Spafford, Wanda Lintz, Thelma Alger, Velma Alger, Pauline Maschino, Norrine Maschino, Wilma Watson, Wilda Watson, Alice Alexander, Charles Miller; third row, Jean Maschino, Zetta Schick, Margaret Diehl, Emma Jean Perason, Polly Tripp, M. McGill, Anita McDermitt, Gordon Greene, Norma Goodrich, Helen McAvinchy, Mary Lou Spafford, Jim Farley; back row, Harvey Scott, Percy Hall, Dave Paul, Paul Goodman (Director), Sterling Farnum, Mervin Clark, Mark Varrel, Neil Lees.