Dear Hornet Nation,

In a few short weeks we will be welcoming students back to school. There is quite a bit of information in this issue regarding open houses, orientation, FAFSA requirements, vaccine requirements, a link to our new Instagram account, etc. Please make sure to scroll all the way through.

Even with school starting, I hope your summer has been full of making great memories with your family. Our family had one big event not too long ago -- my daughter got married on July 20! While she and her husband live in California, they returned to Michigan to get married, so we spent about a week in the Detroit area sharing joy, laughter, and tears. It seems like just yesterday I was getting her ready to go to kindergarten - enjoy all of this time with your young ones!

We have seen a lot of construction activity this summer through the last expenditure of our ESSER funds. Most significantly has been the installation of HVAC units and supporting fixtures, mostly at the middle school. We are all looking forward to better-regulated temperatures in classrooms, and definitely air conditioning in the HS gym.

As we do each school year, we have hired new staff, and after our August 12 Board of Education meeting, where the final group will be approved, I will share out a separate "welcoming" communication so that you can see their names and assignments. In regard to teachers, many of our teachers have been busy over the summer working on vertical alignment of curriculum, and/or diving deep into our new K-12 math resources.

At our August 12 meeting, we will also be seeking approval of our HCS Strategic Plan. We have been working on it since last year, and once it has been formally approved, I will share copies with all of you. In addition, we will be seeking partnerships with local businesses to post copies as part of our new marketing/branding campaign. The business-sized copies are are likely to be an 11 x 14 framed print, and if already know you would like a copy to post, please reach out to me.

Finally, I know many of you like to take advantage of sales for school supplies. Many items may be specific to subject and teacher, and those lists will be available at orientation/open house. You can also count on us to provide any item your child needs if you cannot afford it. Generally speaking, if you want to shop now, you cannot go wrong buying regular pencils, erasers, sharpener, colored pencils, pens, post-it notes, spiral notebooks, and/or 3-ring binders with notebook paper. If you have specific questions, also please feel free to reach out to your school office on August 6 or later.

In partnership and with Hornet Pride,

Judy

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.

Larson: 4:00 - 6:00 pm

Middle School: 4:30 - 5:00 pm -- 6th graders and any 7th/8th who are new to HCS; 5:00 - 6:00 pm -- all 6-8 graders

High School: 5:00 -7:00 pm

Hive Campus: 4:00 - 5:30 pm

August 28, 3:30 - 5:00 pm

We are still accepting age-appropriate (ages 11-18) donations for our classrooms. Continuing on the rich tradition built during PreK-5, our secondary readers will be enjoying dedicated choice reading time each day. Our desired impact is to enrich both reading stamina and reading comprehension, and to infuse reading joy into the day. Donations may be dropped off at our administrative offices.

August 21: Varsity Volleyball @ Marion, 5:00 pm

August 24: JV & Varsity Volleyball @ Morey Courts (Irish Invite), Time TBD

August 27: Varsity Volleyball @ Roscommon, 5:30 pm

August 28: JV Football @ Pine River, 6:30 pm

August 29: Varsity Football vs Pine River @ Home, 7:00 pm

Immunizations are available at the Central Michigan Health Department. For more information, click here.

Any parent/guardian who wants to claim a nonmedical waiver will need to receive education regarding the benefits of vaccination and the risks of disease from a county health department before obtaining the certified nonmedical waiver form through the Local Health Department. The new rule requires the use of the State of Michigan nonmedical waiver form dated January 2023. You can use the same link above for more information.

Beginning this school year, all kindergartners are required to have a dental assessment. If you have a private dentist, please use the form below. If you do not have a private dentist, you can obtain a dental assessment at no charge from the Central Michigan Health Department.

Beginning Fall 2024, students from the Class of 2023 and beyond are eligible for the Community College Guarantee, a component of the Michigan Achievement Scholarship, which includes:

• In-district tuition, contact hours, and mandatory fees.
• A $1,000 Michigan Achievement Bonus award for Pell-eligible students, which can be used toward additional college costs.
• Same eligibility requirements:

• Complete the FAFSA (there is no deadline to complete the FAFSA)

• Be a Michigan resident since July 1 of the previous calendar year

• Graduate from high school in Michigan with a diploma or a certificate of completion or achieved a high school equivalency certificate in 2023 or after

• Enroll full-time in college within 15 months of your high school graduation

• Class of 2023 spring graduates: Must enroll by Fall semester 2024

• Class of 2024 spring graduates: Must enroll by Fall semester 2025
• If a student graduated at a different time of year, and are concerned about initiating in time, they should contact their college’s financial aid office.

Beginning Fall 2024, students from the Class of 2023 and beyond may be eligible for up to $5,500 towards their Cost of Attendance. Students pursuing a baccalaureate degree program at a Michigan Community College may also be eligible for up to $5,500 towards their Cost of Attendance.

• Students enrolling at a Four-year Private College or University are now eligible for up to $5,500 (an increase from the previous $4,000 award).
• Students choosing the Four-year Public or Private College or University pathway do need to meet the Student Aid Index or Rollover criteria previously established for the Michigan Achievement Scholarship.

• At two-year institutions: The Community College Guarantee provides a tuition-free skill certificate or associate degree for recent high school graduates at their local community college. The Community College Guarantee is part of the Michigan Achievement Scholarship.
  
  
• At four-year institutions: Students are now eligible to use the $5,500 scholarship towards their full Cost of Attendance.

Students at Private Colleges and Universities are also now eligible for up to $5,500 awards (an increase from the previous $4,000 award).

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

August 12: Board of Education meeting, 5:30 pm

August 19: High School CTE students begin their CTE programs at the CGRESD

August 26: All K-12 students begin in Harrison Community Schools

August 26-29: GSRP (preK) home visits (will be scheduled)

August 29/September 2: No school

September 3: GSRP (preK) first day of school

• 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, jthrush@harrisonschools.com, Assistant Principal Brad Carlstrom, bcarlstrom@harrisonschools.com)
• 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 (Andrea Andera, aandera@harrisonschools.com)

Bus Services, 989.539.7082 (Kelli Whitaker, kwhitaker@auxilioservices.com)

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