MCAS Communicator

We are a diverse community of families, students, and staff who take pride in our schools, contribute positively to society, and prepare students for lifelong success.

Are you interested in supporting intermediate students with specific literacy interventions at the beginning of the day? Krueger Middle School is looking to hire elementary teachers to support literacy interventions from 7:30-8:00, Monday - Thursday. This is a perfect opportunity for an elementary teacher that wants to support acceleration efforts prior to the start of their school day. Interested applicants should apply through PowerSchool.

PK-3 educators and school leaders (administrators, classroom teachers, reading interventionists, ELL teachers, and special ed teachers) are invited to participate in a self-paced professional development course focused on the science of reading and how it informs the application of research-based instructional practices using a Structured Literacy approach. This self-paced course will be hosted in the Indiana Learning Lab and will take 20 to 25 hours to complete. Participants are required to complete knowledge checks following each module with a minimum score of 80%. After successfully completing all six modules, participants will receive a certificate of completion, 25 Professional Growth Plan (PGP) points, and a one-time stipend of $1,200 as compensation for their time and dedication to Hoosier students.

Please complete this form to indicate your interest. Completing an interest form does not guarantee enrollment. Next steps will be communicated to respondents in late fall. Contact IDOE’s Literacy Center with any questions.

The PNW Sinai Forum is offering FREE virtual tickets for its 2023 season to MCAS certified staff. (This is a $125 value!)

Virtual sessions are live, and recordings are available 48 hours after the program ends. Recordings can be viewed by you (and shown to students) for up to 30 days after the presentation. To request a virtual ticket, click here. https://purdue.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_24Qp8DvfXclR2wm

Hurry! The deadline to sign up for this is 5:00pm Wednesday, September 6th.

A list of forum speakers and more information is available at: https://www.pnw.edu/sinai-forum/

PLUS: Students are welcome to attend any forum presentation in person at no cost. Advance registration is required, and space may be limited. The link for student registration is here:

https://purdue.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3O8daDDVaMWCsCO

HURRY! Applications are due September 10th for small teacher grants from the Michigan City Education Foundation, Barbara A. Carmen Memorial Endowment Fund, and Teacher Innovation Fund. These funds provide $$$ for classroom projects, activities, and materials; there are programs for K-8 teachers and for 9-12 (both MCHS and AK Smith). Don't delay! Click here to apply online!

There will be an International MultiSensory Environment Conference at Valpo University this month (September 28-30). For conference and registration information visit: www.valpo.edu/education/isna-mse. If you would like more information about MSEs, you can reach out to Occupational Therapy Assistant Chris Kiser at ckiser@mcas.k12.in.us.

Many thanks to all who supported the Car Wash for the United Way on August 25th – including students from Safe Harbor, JROTC, and the Helping Hands Club at MCHS. Collectively with the Michigan City Police and Fire Departments, we raised more than $8,500 for the United Way!

The United Way supports Safe Harbor, the Open Door Adolescent Health Center, Kindergarten Countdown, Friday Night Live, and many organizations that serve MCAS students and their families. Watch your in-box for details on our 2023 corporate giving campaign for the United Way, coming soon!

STRATEGIC PLAN

Be sure to fill out the Feedback & Interest form to share your thoughts about the plan. If you are interested in becoming involved by serving on an Implementation Team for our Strategic Plan, you'll be asked to indicate the pillar or pillars that interest you. Implementation teams will meet together for 3 full-day onsite sessions over the course of the school year, plus a few hours quarterly.

Behavior, Attendance, and Grade (BAG) reports will be emailed to all families in grades 5-12 on Monday, September 11. It's important that behavior, attendance, and grade information is updated in PowerSchool prior to these dates, so that we are communicating timely information about students. Thank you to everyone for helping us engage parents/guardians in supporting their students!

Please help us welcome Lisa Rosinko as our new Chief Financial Officer. Lisa has been serving as the Chief Financial Officer of the Northwest Indiana Special Education Cooperative, and she was previously the CFO for Gary Community Schools. She also worked as the Director of Business and Human Resource Affairs for the East Porter County School Corporation for several years.

Many thanks also to Kevin McGuire, who has been wearing two hats for several months. He will continue to serve as our Director of Technology, and you'll see him busy working on several district initiatives.

Safe Harbor is pleased to announce that two elementary robotics teams have been added this year for the first time since COVID! Thank you to Natalie Patino at Joy Elementary and Stephanie Williamson at Knapp Elementary for taking on the roles of coaches this year. Teams are composed of 4th, 5th, and 6th grade students. Students are required to present an example of how STEM skills play a role in the arts and also engineer a robot that can complete multiple tasks. Teams will present their ideas and robots before judges at a regional competition this fall. An excerpt from the FIRST website describing this season's game is below. Good luck, teams!

Lights, camera, STEAM! Science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (STEAM) inspire big ideas, bold action – and creativity. Our skills make it possible to create art and experiences that bring us together, entertain us, and move us. During our 2023-2024 arts-inspired robotics season, FIRST® IN SHOWS, we will celebrate the roles our STEM skills play in the arts and design and build a world of endless possibilities. The future is yours to create!

Congratulations to these rockstar staff members:

• Coolspring teacher Ashlee Metts, Barker teacher Jocelyn Garner, and Marsh teacher Susan Shell will be presenting at the EL Education National Conference in Denver in November. Ashlee and Jocelyn will be giving a presentation titled, "Chasing More Than Just Grades: Designing Habits of Scholarship for and with students,” and Susan will be presenting on Benchmark Assessments to Promote Number Sense in the Primary Grades. We are thrilled to have our teachers facilitating at a national level!
• Lake Hills 6th grade teachers Shariann Forker and Deanna Munoz traveled to Malawi this summer, thanks to a grant from Funds for Teachers, which they learned about through EL Education. They had an amazing experience and will be sharing photos, videos, and more with students.
• MCHS teacher and Wolves Football Coach Cody French was among those nominated for Indianapolis Colts Coach of the week last week. GO WOLVES!

The date of Homecoming has changed to September 29th! The parade will step off at 6:00 from the Elston parking lot. Any schools or groups that want to sign up to be in the parade should email Ashley Koza at akoza01@mcas.k12.in.us. Kickoff for the game is 7:00pm and the Wolves will be taking on Portage. Remember, your staff ID gets you in free! Tickets for the game will be available in advance from the high school Athletic Department or eventlink.com – or they can be purchased at the gate. All home games this season are also available to view online on a pay-per-view basis through the IHSAA Champions Network at ihsaaTV.org.

Michigan City High School Athletics is pleased to be hosting the IHSAA Girls Volleyball sectionals this year. They will run Thursday, October 12 through Saturday, October 14th. We look forward to welcoming visitors once again to our beautiful Wolves Den gymnasium!

Congrats to our Middle School football team and coaches. The students played well at their scrimmage vs Avon at Lucas Oil Stadium on August 27. This was a wonderful opportunity for our students to play on a big stage and the fan support was greatly appreciated.

Visit https://michigancityathletics.com/ for the latest updates, schedule, and scores!

Wednesday, September 20th • 11:30 AM - 12:00 PM CST/12:30 PM – 1:00 PM EST

Registration required -> https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/6186898486673868892

(Can’t attend the live webinar? Register anyway, and if you are unable to attend the system will send you a copy of the recording in 24 hours!)

Playing an Active Role in your Health Care Treatment - How many times have we had our annual check-up and we just go along with whatever our health care provider tells us, when in fact we have multiple questions about our medications and our symptoms. Learn how to play a more active role in your health care.

Staying Healthy on the Night Shift - Do you know someone who works the night shift? The body’s normal rhythm is to sleep at night and remain active throughout the day, so doing the exact opposite can cause stress and various health problems—that’s the bad news. The good news is that with some adjustments to your habits, you can minimize these potential side effects and remain healthy, able to work well, and able to enjoy your days off too.

Reminder: Thanks to the Newspapers in Education program, MCAS staff and students can access e-editions of the Herald-Dispatch. Important: You must be using the MCAS network at your school or building for this to work. Visit www.lpheralddispatch.com/ and click "e-Editions" at the top of the page.

Check out www.TicketsAtWork.com this September to get ready for the fall season with savings on back-to-school shopping and fall getaways. This September 27th is National Women’s Health and Fitness Day and TAW is celebrating all month long with savings on essentials to support your wellness journey.

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

The Michigan City Police invites you to take part in its popular "Citizens Police Academy." The MCCPA will meet weekly for seven weeks, beginning October 5th, from 6-9pm. Participants will become acquainted with many functions of policing, including the basics of criminal law, search and seizure, patrol tactics, firearm safety, tasers, and much more. They will learn about the processing of a crime scene, how police canines are used, and will be exposed to many of the specialty police units. All of this takes place in a safe and entertaining training environment at the Michigan City Police Department. Classes gain a greater understanding of the police work and leave with an increased ability to see how the police serve our community.

Class size is limited to 30. Anyone interested must be at least 21 years old, complete an application, and give permission for the Michigan City Police to conduct a background check to determine if they have a criminal record. The class fills up quickly so do not delay! Apply here:

https://bit.ly/MCPD_Citizens_Police_Academy_Application

Return applications by email to jblackwell@emichigancity.com or bring directly to the MCPD front desk. All applications must be received by September 15.

Have you seen Discover Michigan City, the new e-newsletter that profiles people, places, and events in Michigan City? Sign up here!

Signup Form - Discover Michigan City