SUPERINTENDENT

Feed The Need, the Rotary Club of Novi's Free Summer Lunch and Outreach Program, begins June 17 and runs through August 9, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. weekdays, at Village Oaks Elementary. We spoke to Sheila Ebel, the new Feed the Need coordinator about the program and what to expect.

On her new role: ”I’ve been teaching in the Novi Community School District for 21 years. I‘ve taught health, biology, exercise science, and summer school health. I’ve also worked with many clubs and activities. Transitioning to this role and working with the Rotary Club gives me a chance to give back to the community, and build upon developing the Whole Child Model which brings together the students, schools, and community.”

On what students can expect if they attend Feed the Need at Village Oaks Elementary: ”Feed the Need will run out of Village Oaks daily from 11-1. On-site will be hot meals for kids to come enjoy from around 11-12, then stay for an outreach activity from 12-1. Activities range from Frog Force programming to arts and crafts to the distinct therapy dogs. More events will be added to the schedule as the summer progresses.”

On other ways students can receive food if they aren't able to go to Village Oaks Elementary:“If students cannot make it to Village Oaks, we have satellite sites where they can pick up a bagged lunch from 12 -1, at those sites it is first-come-first-served until the food runs out. The sites include Oakland Glens, Pavilion Court Apartments, Highland Hills Estates, Novi Meadows, and Old Dutch Farms.”

On the importance of Feed the Need: “Feed the Need is an extension of these children’s school year, keeping them connected, fed, and engaged in stimulating activities. The partnership with the Rotary Club allows the whole community to come together to support all the children of the Novi Community School District.”

Yug Patel and Surya Takewale placed first in the nation in the Business Law Team Decision Making Event at the recent DECA International Career Development Conference in Anaheim, Calif.

Additionally, four students earned test medals (top 20 finishes): Nick Lindberg (Sports Entertainment Series Event), Anish Manda (Business Services Marketing), Sanaa Mulay and Arvind Salem (Hospitality Services Team Decision Making Event).

We spoke to Yug and Surya about their first place finish and what they enjoy about participating in DECA.

“The whole experience was really amazing,” said Yug Patel. “Being on that podium was a big deal. But, when we went to the competition, our main objective was to (just) get finalist. Once we got finalist, it was like less pressure. We were just there to have fun, do our best and that really helped in our overall role play.”

The duo have teamed together the past three years at DECA ICDC. They teamed up for this same event as freshmen, then switched to Entrepreneurship as sophomores.

“We switched to Entrepreneurship because we felt that Business Law was more based on ethics and we were doing the same role play over and over again,” Yug said. “So we wanted to try something new.”

But, they discovered they preferred Business Law, but added that having the knowledge from Entrepreneurship helped them in certain situations.

“We had better knowledge and we were better speakers at solving ethical issues rather than entrepreneurial issues,” Surya said.

Yug and Surya said they would encourage high school students to join DECA, regardless of what their future career interests are, because it helps them become more confident.

Surya said he wasn’t as confident with his presenting or public speaking skills when he was a freshman, but DECA helped him in those areas.

“Those skills, anyone can benefit from, even if you’re not trying to go into business,” Surya said.

Yug said he plans to pursue a medical career, but agreed that DECA has helped him tremendously.

“It really builds your confidence speaking in front of someone when you don’t have a script,” Yug said.

Yug said when he thinks of DECA he thinks of “community” and Surya mentioned “confidence.”

“For me, I think of a community,” Yug said. “Especially for Nats, you get really close with the people you’re with. You’re with them for five or six days…. For me, it’s community. But for other people, it can be anything based on their experiences.”

Surya said joining DECA as a freshman was important: “Can I present my ideas to a judge without stuttering. Even if you don’t know what you’re doing, talking as if you do, those are valuable skills even outside of business. People should think of DECA as a way to build confidence and speak like in the real world.”

Four Novi Middle School Students have been recognized as 2024 Promising Young Writers by the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE).

The Promising Young Writers Program represents NCTE’s commitment to early and continuing work in the development of writing. The school-based writing program was established in 1985 to stimulate and recognize writing talents and to emphasize the importance of writing skills among eighth-grade students. Schools in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, US territories, Canada, and American schools abroad are eligible to nominate students.

This year, schools nominated 177 students to participate in the Promising Young Writers Program. Students were nominated from 33 states and Puerto Rico, as well as Canada and South Africa. Two to three independent judges evaluated each submission holistically on content, purpose, audience, tone, word choice, organization, development, and style.

Saanvi Budhiraja and Abigail Yin each earned First Class Distinction. Only three submissions in the state of Michigan were selected to be First Class distinctions, and we are proud that two are from Novi Middle School.

Eshan Sikder earned the second highest honors with a Superior distinction and Angad Kumar earned Excellent distinction, the third highest.

The writing prompt was about maintaining connections.

Angad said he wrote about how some people change the way they look and dress to keep their social relationships stable.

Saanvi wrote about someone keeping her mental health intact while dealing with cancer.

Abigail wrote about a friend who passed away and how the connections she had helped her through that experience.

Eshan said he wrote a story about someone using connections to deal with the death of a mother and a stepmom who has a stroke.

The Novi Public Library’s Summer Reading Programs runs June 3 to August 10. We spoke with Lindsay Gojcaj, Youth and Teen Services Supervisor for NPL, to find out more information.

What do you want NCSD parents and students to know about the summer reading program?

The 2024 Summer Reading Program theme is “Adventure Begins At Your Library!” With reading challenges for every age, from babies to adults, we hope that you will join us for a reading adventure this summer. We have fun prizes, programs and finale parties to celebrate your reading achievements! For a list of upcoming programs, visit our events calendar on our website, www.novilibrary.org.

What's new and exciting about this year's program?

We are excited to offer entertaining and educational programs during our Summer Reading Program, especially for children and their families. These programs include patio storytimes, a maple syrup presentation and sampling with Thornapple Woodlands, a Fourth of July craft night, Rapunzel performance by Black and Brown Theatre, Comedy Magic Show with Cameron Zvara, craft night with Sloan Museum of Discovery and Longway Planetarium, Escape Room of Novi games, and more. Don’t forget to check our events calendar on our website, www.novilibrary.org to register for these fun, exciting programs!

We also have free youth grab and go craft kits (recommended for grades K-4) available weekly, while supplies last.

What are some key dates?

Our Summer Reading Program will begin on Monday, June 3 and run through Saturday, August 10. Join us to celebrate the start of summer reading at our Kick-Off Party on Sunday, June 9 from 1-3 p.m. Parking is available in the Library parking lot, High School lot off Wildcat Drive between the Library and City of Novi, and the High School parking lot on Taft, just South of 10 Mile Road.

What recommendations do you have for parents/students when it comes to summer reading and the importance of continuing to read during the summer?

Participating in the Summer Reading Program is a fun way to keep children engaged with books and literacy throughout the summer while also building reading skills. Summer reading encourages children to select books tailored to their own interests and is a great opportunity to allow children to truly read for the fun of it!

The Library has something for everyone, so it is a great destination place to explore and discover. You can also enjoy free eBooks, audiobooks, comics, magazines, streaming movies, music and more with your Novi Library card anywhere and anytime, 24/7/365.

Where can families register for the program?

All ages, including youth, tweens, teens, and adults, are welcome to participate. Sign-up at https://novilibrary.beanstack.org/reader365 or visit the Library starting Monday, June 3 for a printed brochure.

Have additional questions about our Summer Reading Program? Stop by the Library, call us at 248-349-0720 or email us at asknovi@novilibrary.org. We hope to see you soon!

Shailee Patel, Novi Community School District’s special education director, was honored on Friday, May 10, with the 2024 Gwisdalla Award for her dedication and work in the special education field at Oakland Schools Main Campus in Waterford.

The recognition is given out annually by the Special Education Administrators of Oakland County (SEAOC). The Gwisdalla Award was created in honor of Gregory Gwisdalla, the director of Special Education at Oakland Schools from 1997 to 2001.

She would rather not be recognized at all, and I had to convince her to let me

personally honor her,” Heather Lackey, Director of Student Services for Berkley Schools, said of Shailee during the presentation in Waterford. “There is a quote that states, ‘Leadership is not a

journey to rise in the ranks. Leadership is a journey to help those around us rise.’ This is Shailee.

“She is such a good leader that while she appreciates that we admire her work, she isn’t doing this for the admiration...or the award...or to rise in the ranks. She does this for the students and families. For ALL students, as she promotes through her hashtag #Novi4All.”

Over the last eleven years in Novi, Shailee's innovative ideas have generated numerous new opportunities for students from birth to age 26. She has played a pivotal role in expanding the continuum of services for students in Novi, notably creating and expanding the adult transition program. This includes the introduction of a Mobile Market, a fixture at Novi events, and raising funds for the program.

“Shailee is the consummate advocate for children, particularly those who need something to help them access something new within their learning. I have seen how she works with families and truly partners to give them the best educational experience possible,” said Novi Community School District Superintendent Benjamin Mainka. “Shailee is a great example of high expectations paired with an unwavering vision for student success that can change the outcome for so many students. It is an honor and a privilege to be her colleague and watch her go!”

Shailee has strongly supported Unified Sports teams and was instrumental in introducing therapy dogs to the Novi Community School District. Additionally, she has been at the forefront of integrating Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBA) into schools to support the growing population of students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

Patel’s educational achievements include an education specialist degree in Educational Leadership and Administration from Oakland University. She also holds a master of arts in Teaching from Miami University. Additionally, she earned a Bachelor's degree in Special Education and Teaching from Ohio Dominican University and a Bachelor of Science in Communication Sciences and Disorders from the University of Cincinnati.

Novi Community School District continues an exciting partnership with the Cook Center for Human Connection which provides free mental health resources to families. Check out the next webinar from 6:30-7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June 11, entitled, Social Media: Protecting Your Child by Staying Aware & Involved. In this session, you will learn about device awareness and some practical solutions to effectively manage technology use. Use this Registration Link to pre-register and receive an email reminder before the event begins. You will also be able to access the recorded webinar at the conclusion of the event.

Additionally, our partnership allows for all parents to have access to FREE Parent Coaching! Summertime is the perfect time for an extra bit of support! ParentGuidance.org connects you to regularly scheduled meetings with a coach, as well as content created by therapists. Parent Guidance is here to support you throughout the summer with Parent Coaching. Click here to register for ongoing support from a coach: https://cookcenter.info/coaching