Hornet Nation,

With two weeks of school under our collective belt, we are off to a great start! There a few new "looks" to learning in our schools that I would like to briefly share:

• Hornet Team Time: In grades 6-12, we have built in 30 minutes each day to meet both immediate and long-term needs of our students. This is a combination of silent, choice reading time and just-in-time academic interventions. The purpose is to boost reading stamina and comprehension, continue/begin a lifetime love of reading, connect students and caring adults in a smaller setting, and provide immediate academic support as needed. If you have questions, please reach out to your child's HTT teacher or your school principal.
• Hive 9-12: In its third year, the Hive has moved from an 8-11 model to a 9-12 model. This was due to strong student voice and advocacy from our learners, and a review of data. For those of you who may be unfamiliar with the Hive, it is the smaller of our two high school campuses and recognizes that not all learn and achieve in the same academic model.
• Whole Child: Our Larson learners have a new special this year, focused on building the competencies of self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision making for our K-5 learners in classroom-size groups. This work complements ongoing work done by our school social workers.

• GSRP: This is our preschool program, housed in our Administration Building. This year, we added an extra paraprofessional to classrooms so that we could accept more students for the all-important prekindergarten experience.

Thank you for your continuing support, and please do not hesitate to reach out with any questions, concerns, or comments.

In partnership and with Hornet Pride,

Judy

Judy Walton

juwalton@harrisonschools.com

989.539.7871

The staff of Harrison Community Schools, in the spirit of a growing and changing community, pledge to educate all students by teaching the District Curriculum and beyond, ensuring the development of responsible learners prepared to take an active role in a complex society.

Honesty: We believe in being truthful in our actions and communications, and fostering a culture of honesty, trust, and integrity.

Openness: We believe in a culture of collaboration and transparency, where students, staff, and families openly share ideas and information.

Respect: We believe in an inclusive and respectful learning environment for all, and we value the diverse background of each individual.

Neighborliness: We believe in being welcoming and inviting to each person who walks through our doors. We also believe in being a good neighbor beyond our schools’ walls, actively engaged with our local community, and instilling a sense of civic pride and responsibility.

Excellence: We believe in striving for excellence in all we do, and encouraging both academic and personal growth through hard work and commitment.

Trust: We believe in a culture of reliability and confidence, where students, staff, and families work together to foster trust.

Stewardship: We believe in embedding good stewardship and governance into our decisionmaking to ensure long-term success and well being.

In this issue, we are highlighting our first goal, which is centered around Achievement: Facilitate learning environments that focus on continuous academic improvement PreK-12.

• Use our continuous cycle of inquiry to make ongoing curriculum improvements to enhance achievement and success.

• Invest in and commit to our professional learning communities.

• Embrace innovation to explore and create a wide array of opportunities for all of our PreK-12 students.

The US Surgeon General has issued an advisory describing the current evidence on the impacts of social media on the mental health of children and adolescents. Our own data from the Attitudes & Behavior Survey aligns with what is being seen nationwide - there is a correlation between time spent on social media and mental health risks.

Social media platforms are not always sufficiently safe for children and adolescents, and we take steps within our school environment to filter out harmful sites. Here is something you may do at home to help: Parents and caregivers can make plans in their households such as establishing tech-free zones that help protect sleep and better foster in-person relationships, teach children and adolescents about responsible online behavior and model that behavior, and report problematic content and activity.

GSRP: October 8

Larson: October 16

Middle School: October 8

High School: October 1

Would you like to be more involved in your child's school? Do you have time during the school day or just after to volunteer? We would welcome you with open arms!

In order to volunteer, you simply fill out and submit an iChat form (linked below). This enables us to run a criminal background check in short order, to ensure the safety of all students you may come into contact with. Assuming nothing of concern shows up, you are all set to help out wherever your school may need you -- the cafeteria, the playground, the gym, a field trip, or an individual classroom, just to name a few. If you would like to view our Board Policies in regard to volunteering, please view Board Policy 4205 and Board Policy 4205 on our website.

If your home/work responsibilities don't allow you to spend time with us during or right after school, there are still ways to support. Perhaps that might be chaperoning an evening event, or helping to organize a fundraiser for a team or group. Just reach out!

Based on information from the CDC and our local health department, upon testing positive, children should stay out of school until: 1) if there was a fever, 24 hours of being fever-free without the use of medicines to reduce fever; and 2) symptoms are improving. It is also recommended that a mask be worn for 5 days after returning to school. We will be following the same protocol for our staff.

All Board meetings are open to the public, and are conducted in compliance with the Michigan Open Meetings Act. On rare occasions, the Board may go into closed session, but only as allowed by the OMA.

If it is your first time attending a Board meeting, you may not be familiar with the structure. Make sure you pick up an agenda on your way in, and if you intend to speak during the portion designated for public comments, please pick up a copy of Board Policy 2504, which is near the copies of the agenda. This will explain the parameters of the public comment portion of the agenda.

As you observe the Board conduct its business, the agenda will guide you. Common agenda sections are as follows:

• Opening of the Meeting (welcome, Pledge of Allegiance, additions/corrections to agenda/minutes, building instructional highlight, any other "organizational" items)
• Consent Agenda (items for approval that do not require a roll-call vote, and without objection from a Board member, can be considered all together)
• Non-Consent Agenda (one or more items that require a separate roll-call vote, such as budget approval)
• Informational Items (examples include resignations, other presentations, etc.)
• Public Comments (3 minutes each, Board members do not respond during the 3 minutes so that each speaker gets their full time; after, Board members may, but do not have to, pose questions or make statements)
• Communication (Superintendent's Report - includes subject matter of public comments; any other Board communication)
• Discussion Items (other matters any Board member may choose to speak about; may relate to public comments but not required)
• Adjournment

Within 8 business days of the meeting, minutes are posted on our website.

Zachary Driver -- Kendra Durga -- Therese Haley

James Neff -- Chelsea Roland -- Betsy Ulicki -- Carrie Whitaker

September 12: Dot Day at Larson (4:30 pm)

September 17: Constitution and Citizenship Day (all schools)

September 18: Half day for students (teachers have professional collaboration in afternoon)

September 23-27: Spirit Week; Homecoming Parade and game on September 27

• Early Childhood & Larson Elementary, 989.539.3259 (Principal Andrea Andera, aandera@harrisonschools.com, Assistant Principal Sandy Hargraves, shargraves@harrisonschools.com)
• Middle School, 989.539.7194 (Principal Jennifer Thrush)
• Hive, 989.539.7417 (Principal Stacey VanAntwerp, svanantwerp@harrisonschools.com)
• High School, 989.539.7417 (Principal Joe Ashcroft, jjashcroft@harrisonschools.com, Assistant Principal/Athletic Director Brad Carlstrom, bcarlstrom@harrisonschools.com)

Superintendent, 989.539.7871 (Judy Walton, juwalton@harrisonschools.com)

Special Education (Stacey VanAntwerp, svanantwerp@harrisonschools.com)

Homeless Child/Youth Services (Shannon Haines, shaines@harrisonschools.com)

Bus Services, 989.539.7082 (Kelli Whitaker, kwhitakerclaffey@harrisonschools.com)

Allowed waiting area for afternoon pick-up at Larson is on West Hornet Drive, highlighted in orange