MCAS Went Red on November 28th
A huge thank you to all who wore red and/or donated to the Riley Children's Foundation on November 28th in support of Barker 8th Grader and 2024 Riley ambassador Amir Agemy. We raised $440 online for this great cause -- and our cash donations at schools are still being counted. You can still make a donation anytime at https://give.rileykids.org/amir
Thank You, Doug Schroeder!
Sodexo EVS Manager Doug Schroeder will be retiring on December 29th. Many on Team M.C.A.S. know Doug, who was with MCAS for 27 years plus an additional 9 1/2 years with Sodexo. He began his career as a custodian and worked his way up to Environmental Services Manager. We are grateful for your many years of dedicated service to our staff and students. You will be missed, and we wish you all the best in retirement, Doug!
Food Drive, Operation Bookworm are Underway!
All nonperishable food items collected will be picked up by the MCHS Student council (if your school requested a pick up) -- or it can be brought to Ames Field on Saturday, December 16 from 9am to Noon. Members of the public are also encouraged to come to Ames to donate on that date. Many THANKS to the Michigan City High School Student Council for hosting this event every year. Last year, our district collected more than 4 tons of food, and the food pantry at The Salvation Army is very low on food right now. So let's aim for a HUGE show of support from MCAS!
You can also help support The Salvation Army by signing up to ring a bell during the holidays at www.RegisterToRing.com.
Teacher & Employee of the Year Update
We received close to 400 nominations for our Teacher and Employee of the Year program. WOW! Thank you to all who submitted nominations. They will be shared with the person you nominated, unless you indicated otherwise.
School level winners for Teacher and Support Staff will be announced in January. Those finalists will then move on to be considered at the district level. And district winners for all five categories (Elementary Teacher, Secondary Teacher, Support Staff, Food Service, and Transportation) will be announced in April.
We are also excited that Comcast and the Michigan City Chamber have signed on as sponsors of this program. Please visit this web page to learn more.
New Track at A.K. Smith: Smart Manufacturing
The A. K. Smith Career Center is pleased to announce the addition of a new program track for next fall: Smart Manufacturing. This field centers on the use of emerging technologies, robotics, and automation in manufacturing. Many employers in our area – including some new businesses that will be locating here in the near future – are utilizing Smart Manufacturing and are seeking a workforce with this unique skill set. Sophomores and juniors interested in signing up for the new Smart Manufacturing courses should contact their school counselor.
Wall of Fame Open House
Thank you to everyone who stopped by the Wall of Fame Open House on November 9th! If you missed it, no worries... you can always visit Heritage Hall at Michigan City High School to check it out. Any Wall of Fame inductees or their relatives (inductees 1976-2017) who weren't able to come to the open house can contact Laverne Kniola at the MCAS Administration Building to pick up the "vintage" plaque that was removed from the previous wall.
MANY THANKS to the following, who assisted with the renovation project: Dave Williamson, Bill Buskirk, Jeff Harrison, Betsy Kohn, Terri and Mark Parry, Katie Bildhauser, Sodexo, and Scotty’s Dynamic Designs. Special thanks also to the MCHS Helping Hands Club, which assisted in cleaning the cases in Heritage Hall for the event.
Save the Date: Jan 6 is Heritage Night
From the Chamber: Civics Bee for Grades 6, 7, and 8
Attention, teachers of students in in grades 6-8! The Michigan City Chamber invites your students to participate in the 2024 National Civics Bee. This is an initiative aimed at encouraging more young Americans to engage in civics and contribute to their communities.
Organized in partnership with The Civic Trust of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, the competition in Northwest Indiana will inspire middle schoolers to become better informed about American democracy, to engage respectfully and constructively in the community, and to build greater trust in others and institutions. All 6th, 7th, and 8th-grade students are invited to take part in the first-round civics essay competition. The top 20 students will be selected to move on to the final round of competition: a live quiz event to test their civics knowledge. The finalists and top winners will receive various prizes, including $500 cash for the first-place student. The top 3 winners will then have a chance to compete at the State level.
Click here for an Educator Guide with suggested lesson plans on how students can address the essay prompt. Click here for a student flyer about the contest.
The deadline for student essay submissions is January 8, 2024. For more information on the essay topic, competition rules and prizes, and for students to submit essays, visit: https://mcachamber.com/community/national-civics-bee/
Please note – When students submit their essay, they will be required to enter a parent/guardian email and parent/guardian phone number.
Letters about Literature Writing Contest
Letters About Literature is a letter writing contest for Indiana students in grades 4-12. Students are asked to read a book, poem or speech and write to the author (living or deceased) about how the book affected how they see themselves or how they see the world. Cash prizes are awarded to students at various grade levels. Watch a promotional video about this contest!
The deadline to enter is January 19, 2024. Contest Website: https://www.in.gov/library/icb/lal/
All Indiana winners will be announced in late March, 2024 and will receive an invitation to the Virtual Awards Ceremony, as well as a prize pack (including free books!) mailed to their home. All Indiana winning letters are published in a booklet that is distributed free to the winning students.
Knapp Teacher Receives "Service above Self" Award
Congratulations to Kim Noetzel, who was honored last month with the "Service Above Self" Educator of the Year award from the Michigan City Rotary Club! Kim is a Special Education teacher at Knapp, who has been with MCAS since 2015. Here's a snippet of the introduction given by Knapp Principal Michelle Hornyak at the recognition program:
"Kim is innovative in her teaching. She is constantly thinking about ways to support students at individual levels. She instills a love for learning in all students and helps them develop a great sense of belief in themselves. Kim is data driven and utilizes that information to help close achievement gaps to provide for equitable learning experiences and outcomes. She is involved in after school activities and leadership committees to help meet the needs of our students and build a better school culture and climate. Kim goes above and beyond to make sure that all students, especially our special education population, get the learning experiences they need to be successful. Knapp is truly fortunate to have Kim as a part of our school community!"
Unity Grant Winners Announced
The Unity Foundation of La Porte County has announced the recipients of its 2023 grants to teachers. Congratulations to the following MCAS educators!
Recipients of Teacher Innovation Fund grants this year include the following teachers from Michigan City High School and our Adult Ed Program at A. K. Smith:
• Susan Cleveland, “Painted Murals at Michigan City High School”
• Kristen Freitag, “Keeping Students Plugged IN"
• Mary Gish, “One Small Incentive, One Life Changed”
• Adam Goebel, “Elevating Chemistry Through Cool Chemistry Experiments”
• Cathy LaFrance, "Allons-y to the Francophone World!”
• Carlos Melendez, “Level Up: Empowering Esports in Education”
• Rachel Pauer, “Dual Credit Biology 2: How Impairment Impacts You”
• Trish Tompkins, “Gifting to Get Ahead”
• Amy Wojasinski-Labis, “Caught Being Kind at MCHS” and “The Den Closet”
Teachers receiving grants from the Michigan City Education Foundation and the Barbara A. Carmen Memorial Fund include:
Barker Middle School:
Ian Smith-Garcia, “Film & Drama Club at Barker Middle School”
Krueger Middle School:
Erica Ackerson, “Fitnessgram Take 2”
Shirley Allen, “African Musical Adventure and Sight Singing is a Superpower”
Lake Hills:
Britney Bruhler and Kelley Gertner, “Becoming a Scientist!” and “Hands on Learning”
Shari Ann Forker and DeAnna Munoz, “Writing about our World in a Snapshot” and “Cocoa and Canvas”
Elizabeth Law, “Phonics Fun Turned into Wonderful Writing”
Sheri Wagner, “The Learning Adventure” and “The Science of Reading”
Penny Will, “STEM-tastic Authors!”
Coolspring:
Angela Dydo, “Reading Together for Fun!”
Springfield:
Nicole Groleau, “Arts and Crafts” and “STEM”
Lisa Hill, Stephanie Jones, Elizabeth Maher, Veronica McFerson, Christina Stavropoulos, “Multi-Sensory Environment at Springfield Elementary”
Marsh
Katie Haughtington and Annie Madigan, “Igniting Curiosity!”
Susan Shell, “Math Simplifies Our Lives and Multiplies Our Opportunities” and “You Had Me at the Letter A!”
Knapp
Sarah Jones, “The Ultimate Inclusive Classroom”
Robin Krassow, “Alternative Seating in the Classroom”
Heather Martin, “Safety and Daily Essentials for the Special Education Classroom” and “Sensory Needs for the K-2 Autism Classroom”
Hannah Scheller, “Independent Mathematical Centers for Kindergarten”
Edgewood
Sheri Tuesburg and Holly Stanici, “Astounding Authors of Various Writing Genres”
Anna Pyke, “Young Authors at Work”
Michelle Sickles and Kristal Chenault, “One Well for All” and “Quality Work Wall of Fame”
More Free COVID Tests Now Available
Every home in the U.S. is now eligible to order an additional 4 free at-home tests. If you did not order tests this fall, you may place two orders for a total of 8 tests. Your order of COVID tests is completely free – you won’t even pay for shipping. Order yours here: https://www.covid.gov/tests
December EAP Webinar
Boundaries, What Are They, Why Are They Important
&
Your Cleaning Products: Are They Clean?
Wednesday, December 20th, 2023 • 11:30 AM - 12:00 PM CST/ 12:30 PM - 1:00 PM EST
Register for the event: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8177676441226467414
(Can’t make it to the live webinar? Register anyway, and the link to the recording will be sent to you 24 hours later. )
How often are we asked by a family member or a friend to do something for them and we really don’t want to? How often do we say yes to a friend or family member when we want to say no? In this webinar learn when it's okay to set firm boundaries with friends and loved ones and learn when it's okay to say no.
You’re getting the house nice and clean for the holidays, but did you know that you could potentially be spreading toxic chemicals? In this webinar learn what chemicals could be hiding in your cleaning products and non-toxic, natural alternatives.
Survey #1: Give your opinion about fitness, sports, and athletic options in our county!
The Healthcare Foundation of LaPorte (HFL) is seeking your help and support in a community-wide effort to understand perceptions about fitness, sports, and athletic options in La Porte County.
Healthcare Foundation of La Porte (HFL) has recently joined forces with Playon to help improve awareness and participation in active living. To ensure they're effective, they are doing a survey to start. The quick survey measures attitudes about La Porte’s offerings. Will you please take a few minutes to complete the survey? At the survey's conclusion, they wlil draw names, and two fortunate participants will each receive a $125 gift card for a restaurant of their choice in La Porte County! Take the survey here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ActiveLivingLPC
Survey #2: IDOH Needs Assessment
The Indiana Department of Health wants to hear from Hoosiers in every corner of the state for its latest statewide needs assessment. Here are the details:
- The survey asks about the health and wellness of individuals, families, and their communities.
- It is available in both English and Spanish.
- Anyone older than 18 who lives in Indiana can take the survey.
- It will remain open until Dec. 15, 2023.
- Participants will have a chance to win gift cards for their participation.
Take the survey here: http://bit.ly/3tTKSvJ
December "Tickets at Work" for Discounts
Check out www.TicketsAtWork.com this month to explore hotel and flight deals as well as huge savings on electronics, fashion, and appliances. Tickets at Work is also happy to help you reignite your health commitment with offers on wellness apps and gym memberships to kickstart a healthy and happy 2024.
If you haven't signed up yet, click "become a member" and enter our company code: MCAS
Wanted: Parade Marchers on Saturday!
The Festival of Lights Parade (formally known as the Snowflake Parade) will be held on Saturday, December 2 at 5:00 pm. The parade will run north on Franklin St. from 9th St. to 4th St., and will be followed by the lighting of the Official Christmas Tree in front of the Michigan City Public Library. MCAS will have a unit in the parade and welcomes any interested staff member to march along! Wear spirit wear and/or something holiday festive.
Line up for our unit is at 4:30 on 9th St. between Washington St. & Franklin St. -- enter 9th St. from Washington St. Look for our decked-out activity bus and Food Service truck -- and a car with our Riley Champion, Amir Agemy. This parade is just five blocks long so it won't be a long time commitment.
