SUPERINTENDENT
September 2, 2022
NCSD Elementary Summer Reading Days
Superintendent, Ben Mainka, held the first ever Novi Community School District Elementary Summer Reading Days for each K-4 building, in late August.
When asked if the reading days went off as expected, Mr. Mainka stated, "I was blown away by the support from the community and the turnout from each school. It was so rewarding to see the kids enjoying each other and eagerly anticipating a new school year. The amazing PTO volunteers had games and activities planned for the students, and our staff also showed up in support. It was such a positive experience, we are already looking towards next year and planning for these to become a new annual events!"
The Novi Public Library hosted the first event, for Novi Woods families, on Aug. 18. Novi Woods Principal, David Ascher, played his guitar and sang with students. Superintendent Mainka read a book to the students and later passed out popsicles.
“Our schools are precious centers of our students’ community and getting together at The Novi Public Library helped build those community relationships with many, many partners,” Ascher said. “Being with students, their families, and our staff reminds me why we do what we do. Schools and our PTOs are here to celebrate and nurture learning, growth, and those positive relationships. Singing, playing, reading and even enjoying special treats helped start our year in the most spectacular way!”
Mainka and Michael Giromini, the new Assistant Superintendent of Academics, visited Orchard Hills in the afternoon on Aug. 18.
“Mr. Mainka and Mr. Giromini joined the Orchard Hills community on our playground,” said Orchard Hills Principal Adva Ringle. “As children played in our playground, our families excitedly got to know Mr. Mainka and Mr. Giromini. Our families and students welcomed them with hearty cheers and signs!
“Escaping the summer heat for the coolness of our media center, our students rejoiced in listening to a read-aloud with Mr. Mainka and then celebrated with ice pops. We are so excited to learn in NCSD under his new leadership!"
The final three reading events also allowed new principals to meet their families before the first day of school.
“As the new Parkview principal, this was my first opportunity to meet some of the students, families, and staff,” said Jennifer Murphy after the event at Lakeshore Park Shelter on Aug. 19 .
“I was so grateful to be received with such warmth, and I left the event feeling so excited after feeling all the positive energy! If this was any indication, it is going to be an amazing year at Parkview!”
Village Oaks Principal, Katy Dinkelmann, who is the new principal at Village Oaks, said the reading event at the neighborhood clubhouse was a fun way to kick off the school year: “It was such a joy to meet my students and families for the first time! Students and I played Sharks and Minnows, while others enjoyed playing on the playground and using sidewalk chalk.”
The final event was held Friday at Wildlife Park Pavilion for Deerfield families. Ryan Francis, the new principal at Deerfield said, “The Deerfield Summer Reading Event was a great way for Mr. Mainka and myself to meet the community. I love to read books to kids, so this was right up my alley. Connecting with kids and families is important to establishing a partnership this year and every year. Everyone was so nice and welcoming and I look forward to a great year.”
Welcome Back NCSD to the 2022-23 School Year!
I hope you are all enjoying an amazing end to the summer and gearing up for what I believe is going to be one of the best years ever! We have so many incredible people waiting to greet our students for the first time next week and there is an anticipation and excitement that is building. Thank you for your warm welcome and support for me that I have felt over the past month. It is an honor to serve such an amazing community and I truly could not imagine a better place to live and raise a family than Novi.
Please enjoy our first edition of the Wildcat Happenings! I wanted to explain a little about what you will find here. First, you will receive a Wildcat Happenings each month, typically near the end of the month for the upcoming one. Next, you will notice several articles highlighting "happenings" around the district and stories about our students. You will also notice links to each NCSD Building Newsletters that will be updated as they are created. Finally, there is an area near the end of the page that shows upcoming school or community events as well as links to our calendars.
We want to keep you, as families, informed. As a result, in addition to the Wildcat Happenings, you will receive building newsletters every week on Friday at 9:00 a.m. This is to keep things systematized and predictable. You will know when you are getting your weekly building newsletter and you will get them at the same time if you have students in multiple buildings. I will still send email updates or even phone messages to you as necessary, but you can count on these newsletters consistently.
There is so much happening across the district right now to be excited and enthusiastic about. I cannot wait to greet the students for the first time next week and am very grateful for your partnership with us as your local school district. Our team works very hard every day and I am proud of their efforts to bring our families and community the absolute best education anywhere. I look forward to meeting you in-person if I haven't already.
Go Wildcats!
Ben Mainka, Superintendent
Novi Community School District
Governor Gretchen Whitmer Engages in a Round Table Discussion
Governor Gretchen Whitmer visited Novi High School on August 24, as part of a Back To School Tour. She asked Novi Superintendent, Ben Mainka, to moderate a roundtable discussion with students, parents, staff and other stakeholders. The conversation centered around what Governor Whitmer's K-12 Policy Team could consider as priorities for public schools in Michigan. Topics of staff and student mental health, school safety, school funding, and even infrastructure came up. It was a very dynamic discussion about the needs of the public education system in general, but also how Novi is addressing some of these needs.
"We have seen the data from the School Finance Research Collaborative, and we have been hopeful that our lawmakers would enact the recommendations that it produced,” Mainka said. “As public educators, we are extremely grateful for the investment that was made this year in our students, staff, and quite literally - our future here in Michigan. The intentionality given to mental health, teacher recruitment and retention, and school infrastructure by Governor Whitmer and the legislature this year will benefit not only Novi Community School District, but the entire state of Michigan. We are extremely excited for an incredible school year, and support like this is exactly what Michigan schools need right now."
The district was required to have very tight communication procedures about the event due to heightened security. Parents that were involved were largely connected to the various building PTO groups that exist and having a large guest list was not possible. While we wish that it could have been a large-scale event for anyone interested, current conditions and timelines prevented that possibility from happening. However, the participants, in the event, did a fantastic job of speaking about Novi and the pride they have as part of this school community.
Most of the major local news outlets covered the visit. Reaction from some of the roundtable participants, including two Novi High students, can be found on the District’s facebook page.
For more information about the visit, visit the following links:
Staff Kickoff and Impact
The NCSD staff had their 2022-23 school year kickoff on Monday, August 29. The staff had not been together as a whole group since before the pandemic, so to get most of the staff together at one time was very exciting! Nearly 800 staff members connected with each other, celebrated individuals who had career milestones, and met the new staff and administrators for the first time.
Superintendent Mainka also cast the vision for the 22-23 school year for the staff using 3 "R" words: Reconnect, Refocus, and Renew. Staff were challenged to reconnect with themselves and their students, focus on the things that are most important with their students, and renew their sense of "why" in their practice. It was a day full of fun and energy that is building for the start of school!
Starting on Tuesday, August 30, Mr. Giromini and the Office of Academics team created a great program called Impact. Impact is the professional learning scheduled for the entire staff depending on their role. Some staff received curricular sessions while others spent specific time on things like technology, epipen training, math recovery, or even supporting certain populations of our students at a high level. There is no doubt that staff are excited for our students to arrive.
Summer Construction Projects
NCSD had a busy summer with construction. Parking lots at Deerfield, Novi Woods, Novi Meadows, Transportation, and the Educational Services Building were all completed.
The Village Oaks playground is expected to be completed in mid-September and the High School secure entry exterior phase is on pace to be ready for the start of school. The interior phase of the High School secure entry will not be completed and fully operational until Thanksgiving.
If you have driven down Taft Road recently, there is no doubt that you have noticed the huge construction project going on at the new Meadows site. The building is starting to take shape and the new portions will be enclosed by the winter. The goal for this project will be that by the end of next school year, the entire new building will be completed and ready of students. It will provide a much-needed upgrade to our Meadows building and will impact every student in the district that comes through.
We are very thankful and appreciative of the support that the Novi community has had for our schools. Without community supporting our bonds and infrastructure programs, like the 2019 Bond, we would not be able to keep our facilities as state of the art as they are right now. Thank you again for your support of our schools!
Cheer Team Visits WYCD
Novi High's cheer and football team helped kick off the fall sports season with some media coverage last Friday.
Members of the Cheer team visited WYCD for an appearance on the "Josh, Rachael and Grunwald in the Morning" show.
Football Team Plays at Wayne State University
The football team opened the season at Wayne State University, part of the Xenith Prep Football Classic. The Wildcats lost 41-10 to Belleville, the defending Division 1 state champion. The Wildcats are expected to contend for the KLAA West title this season. The Wildcats host Hartland at 7 p.m. on Thursday.
Beam Signing Event
Novi Meadows' staff, including Principals John Brickey and Lisa Fenchel, signed their names on a beam that will be located above the office of the new Meadows, which is currently under construction. The "topping out" ceremony celebrated the work of all who have been involved in the new Meadows project, which is part of the bond the community passed in 2019.
News You Can Use: NCSD School Building Newsletters
Deerfield Elementary
Orchard Hills Elementary
Parkview Elementary
Novi Virtual
Novi Meadows Elementary
Novi Middle School
Novi High School