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Big news! The MCAS Transportation Department will be representing Michigan City Area Schools in the United Way's Lip Sync Contest, which takes place from 6-9pm this Friday, April 14 at the LaPorte Civic Center.

Eighteen of our bus drivers and monitors are in on the act, which is based on their viral video from 2019. They have been working on some amazing props, costumes, and dance moves. (Thank you to Chevy Woodard, Leslie Anderson-Bardusk, Shaunda Batta, Deby Kahn, Barb Stroup, Jeanette Gaines, Mike Sherrod, Michelle Harvell, Becky Pavlak, Stephanie Johnson, Dee Wilusz, Theresa Cooks, Billie Jean Morlan, Joy Cotton, Conoway Gray, Mary Liggins, Shirley Haynes, and Vanessa Paul for being brave enough to perform on stage!)

But they need your help! Please either plan to attend the event (tickets are $50) or vote online for their act (votes are only $1 each!). Follow this link to donate and purchase tickets. (There is also a costume contest during the event.)

All proceeds benefit the United Way, which is a huge supporter of our schools, including the Kindergarten Countdown program, Safe Harbor, and the Open Door Adolescent Health Center.

MCAS Director of Nursing Brandi Morlan has been selected as one of the honorees for The Northwest Indiana Times "Nurses: The Heart of Healthcare" awards. (Thank you to all who voted for her!!) She will be honored at a luncheon on May 2nd at the Avalon Manor in Merrillville.

The annual MCAS Elementary Art Show is now on display at the Lubeznik Center for the Arts (101 W. 2nd Street). A young artists’ reception is set for this Wednesday, April 12th, from 4:30 to 6:30pm. This is always a very popular event… and is a wonderful showcase for talented artists in kindergarten through sixth grade. Many thanks to our elementary art teachers Holly Beadles, Melissa Jongkind, Erin Ledyard, Ecko Mann, Karen Maudlin, Sarah Quartuccio, Matt Raney, and Nicole Ward.

Strategic Planning is now in full swing! Before Spring Break, members of the Steering Team met to discuss the data resulting from 13 focus groups, interviews, the Community Survey, and the Town Hall meeting at MCHS. More than 3,000 stakeholders have provided input! Thank you to all who have given feedback and helped us engage students, families, and community members in this work. Using the data we have gathered, the Steering Team is beginning to identify trends and is examining our current mission and vision to ensure alignment.

We are now entering the “Design Phase” of our Strategic Planning work. As we progress over the next two months, we will be reaching out to various stakeholders for additional input as we identify pillars and action items. Visit http://educateMC.net/strategicplanning for updates along the way.

On Monday, April 24th, the B.A.G. Report for Quarter 4 will be emailed to all students and parents/guardians in grades 5-12. Please make sure behavior, attendance, and grades are updated prior to Friday, April 21 so we are pulling the most accurate and up-to-date data to send home to our students and families.

Safe Harbor’s MCHS Robotics team performed very well this season, designing and building a competition robot that successfully navigated all challenges presented by this year’s game challenge, “Charged Up.” The robot, named “Cthulhu’s Revenge” for its octopus-like design, was capable of picking up and transporting both game pieces (cones and cubes), and then balancing on a small, raised platform at the end of matches. While competing in the Mishawaka District Tournament, the team was selected to be on the #4 Seeded Alliance (out of 8 Alliances), and at the Tippecanoe District Tournament the team was selected to be on the #2 Seeded Alliance. The students on the team represented MCAS extremely well again this season.

Lake Hills Elementary School will host the Regional Math Bowl on Tuesday, April 11, at 5:30p.m. Lake Hills is among 60 sites statewide that will be hosting the Math Bowl, which will involve over 8,000 students in grades 4, 5, and 6. Teams from Lake Hills, Springfield, and South Central Elementary will be taking part in the regional at Lake Hills. Good luck, teams!

Check out this new video from EL Education, which features
Edgewood Instructional Coach Patrice Huley, Edgewood Teacher Sheri Tuesburg,
MCHS Teacher Brian Parker, and MCAS Math Specialist Mike Maesch:

Tips to Help with Insomnia &

Eating Healthy/Grocery Shopping on a Budget

Wednesday, April 19th, 2023 • 11:30 AM - 12:00 PM CDT

Register: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/6449036349115458653

Tips to Help with Insomnia: So what’s behind insomnia? Why can we fall asleep on the couch but then stay awake once get to the bed? Learn at least 5 tips for a night of better sleep.

Eating Healthy/Shopping on a Budget: The price of everything, including food, has been on the rise. But eating healthy does not have to cost an arm and a leg. With a little bit of planning and strategizing, keeping your pantry and refrigerator stocked with good foods can be more manageable than you may think.

Congratulations to the following teachers, who had projects funded this quarter through Donors Choose (totaling over $9,200!): Deanna Munoz, Heather Martin, Susan Shell, Alisa Carlson, Liz Camel, Laura Charpentier, Sheri Wagner, Emily Simpson, Katie Dombkowski, Elin Boklund, Stephanie Tarpo, Michelle Sickles, Sharon Arndt, and Megan Smith.

Remember, MCAS is a Donors Choose partner district!

MCAS Bus Driver Becky Nevorski "colors away some stress" at the MCAS Transportation Department. Kudos to Bus Driver Jamie Brasseur and Office Manager Jill Lomax for setting up this awesome display!

• A. K. Smith Culinary students served up delicious meals during their March luncheon events at the Career Cafe in the Elston cafeteria. Both dine-in and take-out day options were amazing!
• The Krueger Middle School girls basketball team finished its season undefeated – with a 15-0 record! We are excited about the future of girls’ basketball for our high school, based on this outstanding record.
  
• The MCAS School Board honored 12 MCHS band and choral music students at its March meeting. They had reached the state finals of the ISSMA Solo and Ensemble Contest after earning gold ratings on music of the highest difficulty at the state level. Several of the students received perfect scores at State!
• Michigan City High School hosted the Semistate boys basketball tournament on March 18th. We have received very positive feedback from fans and from the IHSAA on our facility, hospitality, and the quality of the halftime entertainment. Kudos to Craig Shaman and his team, the Booster Club, the Sodexo staff, the Technology crew, and the community partners who contributed to the success of this event.
• The Wolves Esports team competed in a Unified Tournament at the Purdue Northwest Westville campus last month. Two students placed in their events and received cash prizes. This tournament involved college-level players, so this is a significant accomplishment.
• Congratulations to the MCHS Jazz Band, which participated in the ISSMA group contest in Laporte on March 10. Our band earned a GOLD rating from the judges!
• The MCHS JROTC competed in a military drill meet on March 4 at Fort Wayne Concordia High School, bringing home a 4th place award out of 14 participating schools.
• MCHS students placed 3rd in the state at the Japanese Olympiad held on February 25 at Indiana University – Bloomington. They competed at Level 4, the division for students in their fourth year of Japanese. MCHS also had Level 2 and 3 teams in the event.
• The MCHS Jobs for America’s Graduates program held a screening of the documentary, "The Working Hungry" on March 30. The film was followed by a student-moderated panel discussion involving representatives from community organizations.

Have more Good News? Send it to Betsy Kohn (bkohn@mcas.k12.in.us) for inclusion in the May edition of MCAS Communicator!

Teach Plus Indiana’s Policy Fellowship application for the 2023-24 cohort is currently open for teachers who want to advocate for equity for their students and the teaching profession at the policy level. The Teach Plus Indiana Policy Fellowship is a highly selective leadership opportunity for outstanding teachers looking to expand their influence without leaving the classroom. It spans the 2023-24 school year and offers selected teachers a generous stipend for their time and effort.

Teach Plus Indiana is seeking a cohort of excellent educators who reflect the cultural, linguistic, and geographic diversity of our students. Additionally, applicants must:

● Be a current teacher of record (PK-12)

● Have at least two full years of teaching experience by August 2023

● Have a track record of success teaching students

● Be ready to dedicate your time and energy to learning about policy and advocating on behalf of changes that impact your students — while continuing to teach full time

● Have a passion for sharing the diverse perspectives and experiences of students and teachers with policymakers

Application deadline: April 16, 2023

For more information, contact Kimberly Nguyen at knguyen@teachplus.org.

The Hentry Ford Innovation Hub is accepting applications for its 2023-24 Educators-in-Residence Program. This hybrid year-long program allows educators to explore and implement ideas to create a new kind of classroom culture where students feel empowered to think and act like innovators. Selected educators will receive a $500 stipend and a membership to The Henry Ford.

If selected for the 2023-24 Educators-in-Residence Program, you will:

• Connect with like-minded educators.
• Share classroom techniques and approaches.
• Discover stories and resources that will help you build a culture of creativity with your learners.
• Test new techniques and resources with your learners.

During the 2023-24 program, Educators-in-Residence will be expected to:

• Attend a three-day on-site workshop at The Henry Ford in Dearborn, MI, July 11-13, 2023.
• Participate in two virtual check-ins.
• Test new ideas with students.

The application deadline is May 22. Click here for info.

MCHS Art Teacher Cheri Whitler's son (Tyge Buxbaum) is running in the Chicago Marathon and raising money for Special Olympics. He would appreciate your support!

Donation link:

https://secure.qgiv.com/event/teamspecialo23/account/1468168

This month, TicketsatWork has special deals on wellness products and services. They also have summer vacation offers on cruises, hotels, flights, and more. April is also Financial Literacy Month, so be sure to check out savings on financial management solutions and last-minute tax preparation services.

If you haven’t signed up yet, click become a member and enter our company code: MCAS