The Gladiator Gazette 4.2.25

The Fowlerville High School Robotics FAST Team 7056 participated in the FIM District Mason Event March 21-23 and have advanced to the state finals at Saginaw Valley State University this weekend, April 4-6, 2025. This was the first time in program history the team achieved the No. 1 Alliance Captain position. The team selected FRC 3655 Tractor Technicians (Mason) and Team 4956 Robo Sharks (White Lake) as their alliance members for the playoff matches. In the end, the team finished in third place in round 5 of the double elimination bracket.

The team has a goal of qualifying for the FIRST Robotics World Competition in Houston, Texas Easter weekend, and will need the community's support of sponsorships to attend. We want to thank the local businesses that have provided sponsorship assistance this far: the State of Michigan, Fowlerville Community Schools, Asahi Kasei Plastics North America, Ft. Techno of America/Fowlerville Proving Grounds, Corrigan Towing, Kettering University Alumni Association, Hatch Stamping Company, Lucy's Steel Supply, Tile Revive Inc., Nelson's Mini Storage and Fowlerville High School. If you or your business would like to support the Robotics Team, please reach out to Coach Ray Burr for more information.

We wish the team the best of luck this weekend! #GoGlads #fastteam #fowlervillerobotics

Spring is an exciting time as our students have the opportunity to show what they have learned through state assessments. In April and May, students across the district will participate in the M-STEP, PSAT and SAT. These assessments help us understand student growth, but more importantly, they allow students to demonstrate their hard work and academic progress. We are proud of all the students have accomplished and want to celebrate their learning as they take on these challenges.

Our goal is to encourage students to do their best and to be proud of what they've learned. Families can support their students by making sure they get a good night's sleep, eat a healthy breakfast and arrive to school on time. We know our students will shine!

Upcoming State Testing Schedule:

Grade 3: April 21 (ELA) and April 22 (Math)

Grade 4: April 14 (ELA) and April 15 (Math)

Grade 5: April 7 (ELA), April 8 (Math), April 9 (Social Studies), April 10 (Science)

Grade 6: April 29 (M-STEP-Math, 2nd-4th hours), April 30 (M-STEP-ELA, 2nd-4th hours), May 1 & 2 (Make ups)

Grade 7: April 22 (M-STEP-Math, 1st and 2nd hours), April 23 (M-STEP-ELA, 1st and 2nd hours) April 24 & 25 (Make ups)

Grade 8: April 15 (PSAT), April 16 (M-STEP-Science, 1st and 2nd hours), April 17 (M-STEP Social Studies, 1st and 2nd hours)

Grade 9: April 15 (PSAT, 1st-3rd hours)

Grade 10: April 17 (PSAT, 1st-3rd hours)

Grade 11: April 9 (SAT online, 7:30am - noon), April 10 (ACT WorkKeys, 7:30am - noon), April 11 (M-STEP online)

On a dark stormy night, six mysterious guests are invited to a dinner party at Boddy Manor. Their host is murdered and the guests are left to try and solve the murder with all of them as prime suspects. Inspired by the classic Hasbro game, "Clue" is a whodunit that will keep you guessing until the very end. Expect slapstick comedy, the classic "Clue" characters and twists and turns like a hilarious rollercoaster ride. Students from Fowlerville High School are ready to perform the production of "Clue" - High School Edition, April 11 and 12 (7:00 pm) and April 13 (2:00 pm).

All shows will take place at the Alverson Center for Performing Arts, 700 N. Grand Street, Fowlerville. Tickets are $10 each. Let's show our support for the wonderful cast of students participating in this fun and entertaining show! They include: Houdini Minton, Mia Jones, Gabriel Steadman, Elyce Plunkett, Sienna Dutton, Matlyn Lawson, Hannah Russell, Breanna Harmon, Maisy Kelso, Eleanor Smith, Hunter Plunkett and Andrew Hargraves.

Bulletin 1014 is published annually by the Michigan Department of Education. It provides financial and statistical data for Michigan public schools. It includes information for revenues and various expenditures per pupil. The report also ranks public school districts across Michigan in these categories, providing the ability to compare district revenues and expenditures across a variety of categories.

Fowlerville Community School's administrative costs per pupil were $1,671, ranking 668th out of 822 districts. This meant that 81% of Michigan districts spent more per pupil on administrative costs, placing Fowlerville in the lowest 19% of districts for administrative spending.

Fowlerville’s total support expenditures per pupil were $4,551, ranking 694th out of 822 districts. In percentile terms, 84% of districts spent more per pupil on support services, placing Fowlerville in the 16th percentile statewide.

Total support expenditures include instructional support services such as curriculum development, staff training, and educational media services. Business and administrative costs cover general administration, school administration, business services, central services and other support services. Operations and maintenance include expenses for building maintenance, custodial services, and utilities to ensure school facilities remain open, comfortable, and safe. Transportation services account for the cost of student transportation to and from school and school-related activities.

This data shows Fowlerville’s commitment to responsible financial management. The district has maintained much lower-than-average administrative and support costs, ranking us in the bottom 19% of districts for administrative costs and in the bottom 16% for total support expenditures. This means that over 80% of public school districts in Michigan spend more on these than Fowlerville. This shows the district’s ability to keep non-instructional expenses low while still meeting the district’s needs.

Michigan State University has opened registration for its Gifted and Talented Education programs for the summer. These programs provide gifted students the opportunity to dive into Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics through challenging, creative and hands on activities. There are programs for students in grades 4-10. The deadline to apply for the programs is May 9, 2025.

Fowlerville Community Schools is pleased to announce we have School of Choice openings available in all grade levels for the 2025-26 school year. Families considering enrolling their student in our district, should begin the enrollment process on our website by completing either the Livingston County School of Choice Application or Outside Livingston County School of Choice Application.

Registration continues to remain open on our website for both Kindergarten and Kinder Academy for Fall 2025 at Fowlerville Elementary School. If any families need assistance with registration, they are encouraged to call the school at 517.223.6008. We also want to thank WILX TV-10 for visiting our new school and filming a School's Rule feature. Be sure to check it out!

Fowlerville Community Schools is excited to announce enrollment for the Little Glad Early Childhood Center is now open for Fall 2025-26. Michigan's Great Start Readiness Program (GSRP) is ranked #1 in the nation, and now nearly all 4-year olds qualify for FREE preschool. Fowlerville's GSRP program offers full-day enrollment, Monday through Friday with seven hours of programming each day - at no cost to nearly all families.

We are also expanding our Little Glad Early Childhood Center with renovations to the H.T. Smith building. Our program has earned a five-star rating from Great Start Quality ensuring top-tier early childhood education.

To enroll, call 517.223.6480 and our team will assist you. Learn more about our programs on our website. We look forward to welcoming your family to the Little Glad Early Childhood Center for the 2025-26 school year!

At Fowlerville Community Schools we offer a wide assortment of elective courses for students in grades K-12 that homeschool families can take advantage of. These elective courses provide opportunities to explore new interests, gain hands-on experience and build connections with peers, all within a supportive learning environment.

If a homeschool student is enrolled in non-core classes and meets Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) Credit Guidelines (4 of 6 classes at the Junior High or High School), the student may participate in athletics. In addition, students can participate in non-core co-curricular and extracurricular activities that are directly related to the non-core classes they are taking. Homeschool students may also participate in all of our Recreation programming even if they don't meet MHSAA credit guidelines or aren't attending Fowlerville. Co-Curricular activities would include FFA, Marching Band, Robotics, Student Council, National Honor Society, etc. Extra-curricular activities could include field trips tied to a class, a school play if tied to a class or athletics.

Elective opportunities by grade level include:

K-5 Electives: Music, Art, Physical Education (PE), Library and Reading

6-8 Electives: Art 2D/3D, Computers, Programming, Imaging and Editing, Reading Rocks, Yearbook, Creative Writing, LeadWorthy, PE, Band, STEAM, Cultural Travel, Science Investigations, World Languages and more.

9-12 Electives: Art I-IV, Ceramics, Choir, Band, Theater, Film Studies, News & Sports Broadcasting, PE & Conditioning, Yoga, Creative Writing, Culinary & Nutrition, Psychology, Contemporary Topics, History Through Film and more.

For course descriptions, see the FJH Curriculum Guide or FHS Course Guide. Please contact the building administrative assistants for questions, or complete the pre-enrollment online.

The Livingston Educational Service Agency (LESA) has shared its April Mental Health Series calendar. This series of virtual events includes a variety of topics including the ABC's of Substance Abuse and Vaping, Emotional Regulation and Parenting through Anxiety and Depression just to name a few. On April 16 at 8:00 pm EST, they will host "Ask a Therapist LIVE" where you can ask questions of the therapists from the Cook Center for Human Connections.

Start times for virtual sessions are 7:00 and 9:00 pm EST. Please register for any topics you would like to participate in.

Fowlerville Elementary School students are celebrating two important days this week. Today, April 2, they recognized World Autism Awareness Day and tomorrow, April 3, they will celebrate National Find a Rainbow Day. Students will participate in special activities and the Parent-Teacher Committee will have some gifts to share.

World Autism Awareness Day is celebrated each year to raise public awareness about autism and work towards empowering and accepting individuals with autism. The observance aims to enhance knowledge about autism and promote acceptance and inclusion is various aspects of life such as education, employment and community engagement. National Find a Rainbow Day challenges us to look to the sky and find a colorful ray of hope cast across it. Five facts you may not have known about rainbows include: double rainbows are real, rainbows are actually circular (full circles can only be seen from the air), there is a Goddess in rainbows (Iris), the refraction of a rainbow is exactly 42 degrees and Hawaii has the most rainbows than anywhere else in the world!

All parents are invited to attend the first annual Livingston County Parent Summit: "Tech, Talk and Well-Being - Finding Balance in a Digital World. The event will take place on Saturday, April 5, 2025, at Parker Middle School in Howell. The event will offer a light breakfast from 8:30-9:00 am, followed by the main event (TED-style talks, interactive workshops and parent resources) from 9:00 am - 12:30 pm. Be part of this important conversation. These topics are critical for all of us as parents, and will help equip us with valuable knowledge and tools to better support our children.

• 01-30 - MSU Science Fair
• 04-06 - Robotics Team at Saginaw Valley State University
• 05 - Livingston County Parent Summit, Parker Middle School, Howell, 8:30 am
• 11 - High School Play of Clue, Alverson Center, 7:00 pm
• 12 - High School Play of Clue, Alverson Center, 7:00 pm
• 13 - High School Play of Clue, Alverson Center, 2:00 pm
• 16 - Ask a Therapist LIVE, Mental Health Series, 8:00 pm
• 18 - No School, Good Friday
• 23 - Board of Education Meeting, FHS Media Center, 7:00 pm