Administration
Figuring State Funding
This is an intriguing story of our times and the fascinating ways we continue to pay for public education.
Back in 1993, with the passage of Proposal A, many people believed that schools would no longer be funded through property taxes. Why, then, are we
asking our Fremont residents to approve a property tax
millage renewal on May 6?
Because of a quirk in that 1993 law.
Funding for school districts did change significantly in 1993-1994 when Proposal A was passed by Michigan voters. Proposal A requires the State to pay the majority of the cost, but in order to receive full funding, schools must levy 18 mills on non-homestead property in their district.
If a school district’s voters do not support these 18 mills, the state does not make up the revenue.
The awkward thing about this millage vote is that, while homeowners vote on the tax, the tax is not applied to them. Primary residences are exempt. The tax is applied only on non-homestead properties. It is paid only by people who have second homes in the school district and by certain businesses: apartments, rental homes, vacant land, and commercial and industrial properties.
Our challenge, since this renewal vote only takes place once every five years, is to make sure everyone understands that the 18-mill renewal is a tax applied only to businesses and second homes and not to their own home.
The revenue generated for Fremont schools from the 18 mills is more than $2.5 million annually, which is more than 10 percent of our budget. The balance of our funding for general operations comes from the state on a per-pupil basis - what is called our Foundation Allowance. Through this allowance, we now receive $7,204 from the state for each student.
Student Count
2,471
Foundation Allowance
$ 7,204
Total Allowance
$17,801,084
Less Non-Homestead Tax
$ 2,566,138
Total State Payment
$15,234,946
By law, in order to obtain the total Foundation Allowance, we must collect a non-homestead millage for a portion of our budget. The State reduces its payment by this amount and pays only the balance. It is critical to note that the state always assumes we will collect these 18 mills; their payment to us will always factor in this money.
Yo u can see why it is critical that we continue to collect these 18 mills on non-homestead property in the school district and why we are telling our story once again.
Smart Money
We recently had the opportunity to refinance a portion of our long-term building debt. In the process - and this is where you, the taxpayer, comes in - we will save slightly more than $940,000.
It’s like refinancing your house - that’s what we did with the Pathfinder bonds, which were sold in 1998 to raise money for the school’s construction. This was the first opportunity to, in effect, resell those bonds at a more favorable interest rate to us. The original bond sale locked in the interest rate for a certain period of time, so the bond purchasers, the investors, could count on receiving a certain rate of return for a fixed number of years.
The original interest rate on the bonds was 4.75 percent; our new rate is 3.41 percent. When we maintain our same monthly payment over the next 13 years, based on our current millage rate – the taxes you pay – we will have cut down the total number of years left on the debt. The net result: a savings to you of almost one million dollars.
I must point out that what we are discussing is our debt fund, not the operating fund. We cannot, by law, use money collected for building debt payments to run our schools, such as to pay heat, lights, utilities, or wages.
We are very pleased with the results of this bond sale. It is another way we are working to maintain the financial integrity of our school system.
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PEAK Performers
You may recall from some of my earlier writings in this space that we at Fremont schools are constantly mining our best thinking to create innovative learning programs that will prepare our children for a 21st Century world.
Today I want to highlight one of our core values that learning is enhanced when instruction is based on quality research and best practice information with the focus on what is best for all students.
Last summer eight of our staff, from the middle school, high school and Quest, participated in “PEAK” training -Performance Excellence for All Kids - over five days at Reeths-Puffer schools. They were joined by teachers from throughout the Midwest.
PEAK compiled the best practices from many theories on how to motivate students, how to teach, how students learn, how to keep kids engaged, and, ultimately, how to tap higher level thinking skills.
Teachers who attended last summer’s training now meet monthly to discuss strategies and assess their classrooms’ progress in incorporating these new techniques.
The training and supplies last summer were funded entirely from a federal grant. A second federal grant, for this summer’s program, has been approved for 12 teachers and administrators. Our goal is to continue the process each year until each of us at Fremont schools is performing at our PEAK.
These are steps each of us can take to build an exceptional educational experience for our children. Another step we are taking is to continually update the class offerings themselves – just take a look at the ‘Introduction to e-Commerce’ article on page 5.
- John D. Kingsnorth, PhD, Superintendent (231)924-2350 - jkingsnorth@fremont.net
On the Cover…
Kindergarten students at Pine Street Primary
Center recently visited Fremont City Hall to get an
inside look at city services, including the city’s fire
department! Students are pictured here exploring
one of the city’s fire trucks. For more on this Pine
Street visit, see page 9.
District Contacts
School Closings & Delays
To inquire about school closings, delays, or other school emergency situations, please call (231) 924-7317.
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Budget Preparation
As we begin preparing the district’s 2008-09 budget, we once again face the many unknowns so important in developing an operating budget…
Five key factors a school district needs to know include:
•    Is there an increase in foundation allowance? If so, how much?
•    What is the retirement rate for the upcoming year?
•    Will insurance rates increase significantly?
•    Do we expect a decline in our student enrollment?
•    What wage increase can we expect in contract settlements?
There are many other expenditures that make up our budget, such as utilities, supplies, gas prices, repairs, etc., but since salaries and benefits account for approximately 85 percent of a school district’s budget, any increases in these areas can significantly affect our bottom line.
Five out of the past six years, Fremont Public Schools has realized a decline in enrollment. Each lost student equates to a loss of $7,204 to the district, so losing 50 students (our five year average) would mean a loss of nearly $360,000. It might seem that as we lose 50 students, we could reduce two teachers. Unfortunately, all the students don’t leave one or two grades. These departing students are spread out over the entire district, making reductions in staff a difficult process.
A reduction in our retirement rate – from 16.72 percent to 16.54 percent is expected for 2008-09. Although we welcome this news, it still means that for every $100 paid in wages, Fremont Public Schools pays out $16.54 in retirement costs. This is one of the reasons Fremont, and many other districts, now contract employees, such as substitutes, coaches and custodial help through a third party.
Initial reports on our foundation allowance for the 2008-09 school year were that we would receive an increase of $216 per student. However, state revenues are lower than originally anticipated, so once again we wait for the unknown…
Until we have a better idea of our increases or decreases, we will need to prepare for a potential budget reduction.
Fremont Public Schools currently is offering a voluntary severance package. If some employees take advantage of this offer, it will help close our anticipated budget gap.
Although we once again face potential budget reductions, we are proud that we have maintained great programs despite reducing our budget over $6 million since 2002. We will continue to use our funds as effectively as possible while providing the best education for the students of Fremont Public Schools.
- Bing Hanson Lake Director of Financial Services
Meet Ryan Ergang
Director of Operations Rod Burkle retir ed in December. The district then went through a search process for his replacement. After a thorough search, Mr. Ryan Ergang was selected as the district’s new director of operations. The position is expected to expand to include the oversight of at least one other school district in Newaygo County.
Ryan lives in Kent City with his wife Becky and their
two sons, Ben and Steven. Ryan is looking forward       to
moving       to
Fremont after his youngest son, Steven graduates from Kent City next year.
Ryan most recently served as director of operations for the Wayland Union School district. Before that, he worked in operations with Cornerstone University and Grandville schools.
We are excited to have a man with his experience and character join our school district family.
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People : The Heart of Energy Reduction
Fremont Public Schools has energy conscious people who strive to make cost-reduction and environment-saving practices an every day ritual. They are the real heart of the FPS Energy Program.
From the School Board members approving the Energy Guidelines, to staff members, principals, coaches, custodians, maintenance and community members – we all have important roles in the district’s E nergy Savings Program. We work together to put our money towards education rather than utilities. We consume less and conserve more.
As Energy Manager, I visit buildings at various times of the day or at night to monitor systems’ start-up and shut­down, gathering information on how the buildings’ lighting and HVAC systems are operating, tracking down the big “Energy Hogs” - motors, circulating pumps and exhaust fans that do not need to be running at certain times - and entering utility usage in sophisticated software to compare data from previous months and even years.
We all are aware that utility rates continue to increase and yet, the district is still saving money. For example, when comparing January 2006 to January 2007, the district experienced an electrical savings of 15.1 percent. When comparing January 2007 to January 2008, that savings increased to 20.4 percent! Natural gas savings in January 2007, compared to January 2006, were 4.3 percent. Savings in January 2008, compared to January 2007, were 15.8 percent!
We cannot control rates, but we can focus on behaviors by turning off, unplugging, and utilizing night set-backs.
As for the “Energy Star Award,” a national symbol for energy-efficiency in America, all six school buildings qualified. I am just waiting for the engineer to verify the data.
- Rose Stariha, Energy Manager/Educator
School Election: May 6, 2008
Fremont Public Schools will be holding its annual school election on May 6, 2008. Two issues will be on this year’s school election ballot: the non-homestead millage (for more information, see ‘Figuring State Funding’ on page 2) and two, four-year positions on the Fremont Public Schools Board of Education, with three candidates running for these positions (Jim Featherstone, Phil Harmon and Ty Miller).
For more information on these issues, please refer to the Newaygo County website at http:// www.countyofnewaygo.com/Clerk/ClerkHome.htm, then click on the election icon found on the right hand side, or stop by the FPS administration office located at 220 W Pine Street.
Introduction to e-Commerce
The Internet is rapidly changing the size of and accessibility to the world around us. In theory, the Internet knows no geographical boundaries, political boundaries, or time boundaries. It has “leveled the playing field” so to speak. As a small business owner, one can work wherever he/she may live - urban, suburban, rural or remote. Simply stated, all that is needed is to be “connected,” meaning Internet-ready. Information, people, places, and things become just a click away as the boundaries diminish.
The exponential growth of computerization and connectivity is offering another dimension to business in the form of e-Commerce, which means using the Internet to assist in the trading of product and services. Entrepreneurs all over the globe look to the Internet and e-Commerce as another avenue to create, cultivate or expand their ideas - electronically. Utilizing the Internet to conduct business (sometimes referred as a “click & mortar”) offers the possibility to reach a much larger market base than exclusive “brick & mortar” businesses. The world can potentially become your storefront - a truly leveled playing field.
Many of us view our computers as an essential part of our daily routines, both within our personal and our work lives. Given their exponential growth around the globe, with new and innovative ways of utilizing computers popping up daily, they offer a readily available medium with which to conduct business.
Exploring the topic of e-Commerce is the intent behind the new course under development at Fremont High School. This course explores using the Internet to demonstrate how basic business concepts apply to the world of e-Commerce. It covers personal topics such as retail purchasing, online banking, and consumer education, in addition to business topics such as marketing, advertising, security, communication, financial principles, money management, banking, inventory and more.
This course offers high school students a chance to take a closer look at business through the world of e-Commerce. With online sales growing rapidly, coupled with the growing innovativeness of today’s youth, this course is sure to offer a unique learning experience for our students.
Introduction to e-Commerce is to be offered at the FHS starting with the 08-09 school year.
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Spotlighting the Exceptional
Breaking Ivy League Records
At the Boys Swim and Dive team awards banquet held earlier this week, Mary Pekel shared great news from Carol Jones about the continued swim success of Bill and Dan Jones (Co-Valedictorians, FHS 2005) on the Harvard swim team.
Bill recently won the 100 Butterfly at the EISL Championship Meet. He set both a new pool and school record! Dan earned fifth place in the same race.
Bill also qualified for the Olympic Time Trials, which will be held in July. Dan is VERY close and will try again to qualify.
At the EISL Championship Meet (Harvard, Princeton, Yale, Cornell, Columbia, Brown, Dartmouth, and Navy)...
■      Harvard beat Princeton by over 300 points
■      Harvard won 13 of 19 swim events
■      Harvard won all of the relays (Bill was on all but one of the relay teams)
■      Seven records were broken
■      Bill’s 100 Butterfly time was 47.29 – The fastest time in Ivy League history, NCAA ‘B’ cut (47.19 for A cut).
■      200 Butterfly... Bill took school, meet and EISL records in second place. Dan placed sixth with a personal record
■      50 Freestyle... Bill set a new personal record with a time of 20.74
■      200 IM... Dan set a new personal record with a time of 1:51.63
Kesteloot Honored by DOD
Airman 1st Class Molly Kesteloot, daughter of FPS Special Education Teacher Kay Kesteloot, was recently recognized for several high honors.
First of all, she was named the 2007 Air Traffic Controller of the Year for Moody Air Force Base.
Second, and to her stunned surprise, she won the nomination for the 2008 Department of Defense (DOD) African American History Month Recognition Award due to her “outstanding service and professionalism while deployed to Iraq.” Originally, she’d won the Air Force (AF) nomination, representing the entire Air Combat Command group (including over 120,000 airmen) and then later she won the AF nomination representing the entire Air Force.
This is a very big deal, as she received a personal letter of recognition for each nomination from General John D.W Corley Commander of Air Combat Command for the USAF (he’s a biggie – a 5-Star general). The letters praised her for her dedication and leadership to the US Air Force.
As if that wasn’t enough, from there she was selected as THE DOD winner of this award, beating out candidates representing the other branches of armed services, including the Army, Navy, Marines and Coast Guard. She was shocked and the air traffic controllers at Moody were thrilled!
Molly continues to impress and amaze everyone with her knowledge, work ethic, and professionalism - and she just turned 22 on Saturday! Congratulations Molly! You make us proud!
Check out even more of Molly’s accomplishments…
1/23/2008 - COLUMBUS AFB, Miss. – “I was offered an amazing opportunity in May of 2007... I was to act as the Chief Controller for Balad’s Combined Enroute Radar Approach Control, the Department of Defense’s busiest airfield operation. I’m a fairly confident individual but Balad is legendary in the Air Traffic Control profession as a make you or break you type of location and I was apprehensive but excited about the challenge. “Upon arriving it was clear that Balad CERAP would live up to its legend. It was extremely busy and complex. However, what really impressed me was how the Airmen responded to the challenge. Airmen like Airman 1st Class Molly Kesteloot who had less than three years in the service but was on her second deployment to Iraq. Airman Kesteloot achieved a full facility certification only eight days after arriving at Balad. This remarkable feat is admirable for a seasoned seven level controller much less an Airman with less than three years service. Airman Kesteloot is just one example of many from my initial experience at Balad that reinforced my belief that our United States Air Force produces the world’s best and most qualified personnel.”
- Chief Master Sgt. Frederick Soechting, 14th Operations Group Superintendent
Stariha Qualifies for Nationals
John Stariha II of Fremont recently competed for the Grand Valley State University wrestling team at the NCWA North Central Conference Championships held in Columbus, Ohio.
Stariha placed second at the championships, losing in the championship finals by 6-4 in overtime. That placement qualified him for the NCWA National Tournament held on March 13-15 in Lakeland, Florida. There, Stariha competed in the 184 lb. weight bracket. He pinned his first-round opponent in less than a minute (0:55). He pinned his second around opponent in 6:17. In his third round, though, Stariha met his match, loosing to the second-place tournament champion. Congratulations John!
A Packer Backer Investment
We are pleased to announce that the Packer Backers have agreed to purchase a new electronic scoreboard for the
A NBFI-' theme contest was held by the Fremont Area Chamber of Commerce back in early January. With close to 100 entries it was a tough decision on what theme to choose. There were so many creative entries, it was nice to see them all wanting to participate in something that is such a big pail of their community.
The festival committee chose a combination of two entries that were received. Connor submitted the winning theme, "America the Beautiful" along with some great ideas on characters for this theme. Brandi 's theme was very close to the same one that was chosen, so it was decided to use her character ideas that would also represent the theme. Both of the winners will receive two free wristbands that they may use for our "Pay One Price" day during the festival.
swimming program.
This state-of-art board has all the ‘bells and whistles,’ is upgradeable, expandable, and also displays dive scores at the touch of a button. Its program is linked statewide instantly with all other venues and we have agreed to purchase a new laptop to go with
Water Rescue & Safety Demonstration Free Admission
Fremont Lake City Park & Beach
Monday, May 19, 2008
7:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Sponsored by: Gerber Memorial Health Services & the Fremont Lake Association
Life Saving & First Aid Demonstrations by: Gerber
Memorial Health Services, Life EMS Ambulance Services,
Fremont Fire Rescue & the Fremont Police Department.
Boating Regulation Demonstrations by: The Newaygo County Sheriffs Department & the DNR.
Police and Sheriff Officers will distribute coupons from Lake
Side Swirl for a FREE SMALL CONE to all children (with
adult purchase) after attending the demonstrations.
it.
It is a very fun new toy that was somewhat painful for our bank account ($10,300), but much needed and well worth it. We were just thrilled to have the funds available to help out. Thanks to Mary Pekel, Tom Palmer and Scott Sherman for their help.
The swim scoreboard was actually the second big purchase of the season. The first purchase was a ball machine for the tennis program - it does everything I am told, but play the game for you. Our tennis program is certainly on the rise and we were very happy to be able to buy this machine.
Soccer should be another premier sporting event in our town now. I am very interested in our new soccer field and its progression. We are currently examining existing structures and working to figure out what the Packer Backers would need to do to get a working concession stand ready. Anyone wishing to help with this soccer project, please call (231) 924-2350 for more information!
Thank you for continuing to support our Fremont Packers!
Pine Street
Primary Center
Pine Street Celebrates Reading
March was reading month and Pine Street students celebrated the many ways reading enriches our lives.
The students’ reading focused on the books of Leo Lionni. Also throughout the month, teachers performed ‘teacher plays’ with familiar childhood stories: Goldilocks and the Three Bears, The Three Little Pigs, and Little Red Riding Hood. These stories were chosen for their familiar content, repetition, and high interest. Students became a part of each book as the story and characters came to life. Watching adults have such a great time with dramatization promoted the students’ interest in books, reading and re-enacting familiar short stories.
On March 21, students participated in “March Around and Read.” The students began this special day with the video “Swimmy” and then they proceeded to various rooms for morning activities, crafts and prizes based on other books by our featured author, Leo Lionni.
Reading can take many forms from studying a cereal box at breakfast to cuddling while reading a bedtime story. Enjoying books and being able to read well are two goals we have for every student.
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P/T Conferences & Book Fair
Pine Street Parent/Teacher conferences will be held April 21-April 24. We encourage your attendance and input – our goal is 100 percent attendance.
Our Scholastic Book Fair is also scheduled during this time and we are thrilled to offer this educational experience to our students. This year’s theme is “Reading Road Trip.” We invite your entire family to visit us during the book fair. Yo u and your child will get the chance to purchase bestsellers, award winners, picture books and other great items.
We look forward to seeing you at Parent/Teacher Conferences and our book fair!
A Journey to City Hall
After a six-week unit of study on ‘Health Helpers’ in their Michigan Health curriculum, kindergarten students at Pine Street Primary Center visited Fremont City Hall for the ninth year in a row. The students had the opportunity to meet the mayor, visit the fire department, see a police car, and tour Council chambers.
The city hall trip provides a hands-on experience for students to learn about our local government, meet the people behind the scenes and see emergency equipment up close.
Pine Street’s staff would like to thank Mayor Rynberg, Mr. Yonker, Mr. Blake, Chief of Police Phil Deur, Officer Hendrie and Firefighter Bell for taking time out of their busy schedules to educate our children!
This trip is always a memorable and meaningful experience for all!
A Visit to the Post Office
Kindergarten students at Pine Street have been busy learning about their community. Many professionals that help run and form our community visited our school this winter.
In mid-February, Pine Street students had the oppor tunity to visit the Fremont Post Office to witness postal workers first-hand. Students were given a tour of the facility and were able to hand cancel a special Valentine they mailed home.
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Pathfinder Goes Global
Pathfinder third-grade students recently participated in World Math Day - a global celebration of numbers. There were 150 different countries participating in real time.
During this event, our students completed mental math problems, competing against two or three other students from around the world. Each student logged in and created their own Avatar (their ID during the competition).
The goal of the World Math Day was for students around the world to answer 50,000 questions in the 48 hours that make up March 8th around the globe. Problems were answered by over 1 million students.
The Pathfinder students answered 9,181 questions correctly in the 589 minutes that they were on-line. The average improvement in mental arithmetic by our students was 58.9 percent!
As the students competed and earned points, they were able to buy things for their Avatars. One student was able to buy green hair for his Avatar! How exciting! The top student in our class answered 1,341 questions. The student with the top improvement experienced a 286 percent improvement!
We are so grateful for the new Mobile Computer Lab that Pathfinder received this year through a technology grant. Without a laptop on every student’s desk, we could not have competed. Thank you FTD! The third graders really loved this opportunity!
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Second-Grade Sled Champions
One of the monthly homework projects for Mrs. Dawson’s students is to create a sled that is no bigger than 12x12x12.” Once constructed, the students race their sleds down the sledding hill at Pathfinder Elementary.
The project is designed to help kids think about the properties different materials have that make them more or less useful for speeding down the hill and going the farthest distance. It is great to see the kids get so excited about their inventive ideas.!
This year the three winning sleds belonged to: Logan (left) – second place with his sled named ‘Red Ride,’ Nakita (middle) – first place with her sled named ‘Flying Dinner’ and Natalie (right)- third place with her sled named ‘Pinky Bear.’
Great job second graders!
Books, Games & Pajamas?!
Climbing to New Heights
Pathfinder students are taking physical education class to new heights – literally.
Pathfinder students were able to experience the thrill of climbing a new rock wall recently during gym class.
Red Pod students recently wore their pajamas and slippers and brought blankets and stuffed animals to school in an attempt to beat the doldrums of winter.
Teachers Tammie Campbell and Lynda Tuuk played PJ Bingo (a language arts skill game) and “Brain Quest” (a quiz bowl type game) with their excited first graders before watching a Winnie the Pooh movie as part of celebrating author A. A. Milne’s January birthday. A “bed-time snack” of milk and chocolate chip cookies was followed by a familiar “bedtime” story.
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Pictured above are Zayne and Heather from Mrs. Deuling’s first-grade class.
A Valentine’s Day Tradition
Each year on Valentine’s Day, Cheryl Heyboer, third-grade teacher at Pathfinder Elementary has a special treat for her students. Rather than the hearts and candy one would expect, Mrs. Heyboer takes her class to Branstrom Park in Fremont for a sledding party This year was no exception!
Mrs. Heyboer’s students spent the afternoon of February 14th sliding down the hills, enjoying the cold winter weather, and warming up in the lodge by the fire with hot cocoa and treats.
There was one difference this year, however, from all of her previous Valentine’s Day outings; after thirty years of service to Fremont Public schools, Mrs. Heyboer is retiring at the end of this school year. This year’s outing was the end of one tradition that will be missed by parents and students alike!
NCCA Art Competition Winners Announced
We have the results of the annual NCCA art competition. Below is a list of our FPS winners and where you may see their artwork displayed:
Grade
Place
Name
Display Location
Second Grade
1st place
Eryn Belleman
NCCA
First Grade
Hon Mention
Corbin Wolfsen
NCCA
Second Grade
Sp Recognition
Riley Krim
Grant Public Library
Second Grade
Sp Recognition
Deanna Strong
Dogwood Center
Second Grade
Sp Recognition
Tamika Thompson
Dogwood Center
Third Grade
Sp Recognition
Cameron Nicholas
Dogwood Center
All the kids have all been doing such a great job! I would like to thank you all for doing your very best in the art room. Please remember - to me all of you are winners!
Name
Grade
Place/Artwork
Karley Krim
4th grade
3rd Place/Amate Bird Painting
Kara Alt
5th grade
Honorable Mention/Clay Chicken
Nathan Hoffman
4th grade
Special Recognition/Underwater Drawing
Christine Murchison
5th grade
Name Transformation
Allison Kublin
5th grade
Clay Chicken
Jaylyn Pekel
5th grade
Ultimate Treehouse Drawing
Emma Abendroth
5th grade
Rousseau Jungle Picture
We will also be sending several pieces of artwork to Representative Geoff Hansen’s office to be hung in the capital for three or more months. The pieces chosen for this honor include:
Name
Grade
Artwork
Tate Bowen
4th grade
Beetle Painting
Morgan Griswold
4th grade
Beetle Painting
Sarah TenBrink
5th grade
Name Transformation
Allison Kublin
5th grade
Watercolor Insects
Sydney Loss
5th grade
Watercolor Insects
Shelby Taylor
5th grade
Rousseau Jungle
Kira Raquet
5th grade
Ultimate Treehouse
Bailey Karel
5th grade
Ultimate Treehouse
Alyssa Millis
4th grade
Underwater Drawing
Celine Mangin
4th grade
Underwater Drawing
Maria Galarza
5th grade
Leaf Print
Checkers Champion
Mrs. Dawson’s second-grade class recently held its annual Checkers Tournament.
Each year, the students play each other in Checker’s matches during recess. The students all have their names in the tournament bracket and love to watch as completed matches move the class closer to the final match (held during second-grade March Madness).
This year’s Checker Champ was Kyle (pictured here). He was delighted to receive the Checker Champ trophy and second-grade fame among his classmates. Way to go Kyle!
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Daisy Brook
Elementary
Student Honored at West MI Science Challenge
Syrena, a student in Mrs. Williams’ fifth-grade classroom at Daisy Brook Elementary, was the first student ever from Fremont Public Schools to enter a science project in the West Michigan Science Challenge, which is sponsored by the Muskegon I ntermediate School District.
After winning a blue ribbon at the Daisy Brook Science Fair on February 15th for her project titled, “Popcorn: Then and Now. Stovetop verses Microwave,” Syrena was encouraged by her science teacher, Mr. Steve Mull, to take the project to another level.
“What was most impressive about Syrena’s project was her understanding and use of the scientific process,” commented Mr. Mull.
Her project compared microwave popcorn and popcorn cooked on the stove top, looking at both the “fluffiness factor” and the amount of kernels that were left un-popped. Syrena’s hypothesis was proven wrong, but she was quick to understand the results of her experiment and learned what she could do given more time and an opportunity to modify her experiment slightly That’s good science!
The West Michigan Science Challenge was hosted at Muskegon Community College on March 13. Syrena admitted she was nervous at first, but settled in quickly to answer the judges’ questions and share her experiment and results.
On Monday, March 17, Syrena was invited back to MCC for an awards presentation. It was there that she was awarded an Honorable Mention ribbon for her project. She was also awarded a check for $25 from the Pi Chapter of the Alpha Delta Kappa Sorority. This award is given to four students whose project shows determination plus scientific understanding of an unique problem.
The West Michigan Science Challenge is hosted each year by the Muskegon ISD. This is the 25th anniversary of the event. Students in
Muskegon, Newaygo, Oceana, and Ottawa County schools are invited to participate.
According to Syrena, “It was a lot of fun and I plan on doing it again next year!” Congratulation Syrena!
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Students Win $1,000 Scholarships
Chris and Kira of Mrs. Hanna’s fifth-grade class were two of the winners of the
Sharpe Leaders Scholarship Essay Contest – a contest held as part of the automobile dealership’s 25th Anniversary.
The students wrote a 250 word essay on the topic ‘Where do you see yourself in 25 years?’ Chris’ and Kira’s essays were then selected from among many West Michigan Elementary student entries. There were a total of 25 winners in all.
Winning students were presented with their scholarships at a celebration on March 25. The essays were judged on the student’s ability to demonstrate his/her leadership qualities, future goals and how he/she envisions attaining those goals. These winning essays will be posted on Daisy Brook’s website some time in April, so be sure to check them out!
The scholarships are funded through a raffle being run by The Sharpe Collection dealership. Tickets are on sale for $10 through April 17 at Fifth Third Banks, The Sharpe Collection and at select WLAV remotes. Raffle prizes include: First prize - 2008 BMW Z4, second prize – a $5,000 CD from Fifth Third Bank and third prize - $1,000 CD from Fifth Third Bank. Congratulations Chris and Kira on a job well done!
Wrestling Their Way to the To p
The Fremont High School Wrestling team just finished a spectacular season.
Six Fremont High School wrestlers qualified at individual districts to compete at the individual regional competition. These wrestlers included: Brad, Mike, Hunter, Tim, Mike and Kyle.
Following the regional competition, three FHS wrestlers advanced to the state tournament, including: Brad, Mike and Tim.
At        the        state
competition, all three FHS students wrestled their way to place in the top bracket. Brad placed fourth. Tim took fifth place. Mike earned sixth.
Congratulations to the entire FHS Wrestling team! You make us proud!
Spotlighting the Exceptional
FFA State Champion
Sarah, a FHS junior, was recently named the State Champion in the FFA Job Interview Contest. The announcement was made during the final session of the State FFA Convention in front of 2,000 members and guests. In order to win, Sarah had to advance through the District, Regional and two levels of State interviews.
Sarah will now have the chance to compete at the 81st National FFA Convention in Indianapolis this October. She will receive monetary assistance for the trip from the Michigan FFA Foundation.
The Job Interview competition is one of eleven leadership contests held annually by the Michigan FFA at the state level. Its purpose is to stimulate interest and acquaint students with the employment procedures they will face when applying for a job and to allow students to demonstrate oral and written communications.
Sarah became Fremont’s second State Champion in the past three years and the third state champion in school history.
FHS Student Elected FFA Vice President
Marie, a senior at Fremont High School, was elected to serve as the 2008-2009 Michigan FFA Region V State Vice president at the 80th Michigan FFA State Convention on March 7, 2008. The daughter of John and Cindy, Marie will be attending Michigan State University in the fall, majoring in agriscience education.
As a member of the Fremont FFA Chapter, Marie has served as her chapter vice president and as the Region V Vice President. She has also been involved in the National Honor Society, orchestra and cheerleading.
“I want to be an inspiration to the members that everyone can achieve their goals,” said Marie.
Marie, along with 11 fellow officers, will officially take office on July 1st. For the following year, the team will attempt to visit each of the 111 chapters throughout the state, inspiring the 5,300 members to develop their leadership potentials and to reach new, unforeseen heights. They will represent the Michigan FFA at the National FFA Convention and work dutifully to train members at state conferences, regional camps and put on the 81st Michigan FFA Convention.
The newly elected state officer team will go through two trainings, BLAST-OFF and the National Leadership Conference for State Officers (NLCSO) this coming summer to be educated in leadership and teamwork development and to better hone their public speaking skills.
The Michigan FFA has over 5,300 members in 111 chapters. FFA makes a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential in premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education.                                                                                     More FFA news on page 22...
DB Science Fair 2008
Daisy Brook students recently participated in the annual Science Fair. The Science Fair is science at its best - possibly messy and unpredictable, sometimes noisy and always fascinating.
One hundred and sixty students - almost half of Daisy Brook’s student body - participated in this year’s science fair. Projects and experiments covered a wide range of interests and hypotheses, including: sharks’ teeth, the human skeleton, hamster-generated electricity, catapults, electromagnets, dill pickles conducting electricity, the science of blood, horse anatomy, weather and floating eggs… There was a display to address ever y interest!
Science Fair participants were each awarded a ribbon and a Science Fair t-shirt. Volunteer judges evaluated each entry and awarded an additional ribbon for excellence.
Daisy Brook would like to thank all those who gave time to make this event successful!
Acting Up
The Acting Up Theatre Company visited Daisy Brook on January 28-February 1 and on February 4th and 5th. Acting Up’s Chad and Natasha worked on Michigan history with the fourth graders. They guided the students in writing an original screenplay to illustrate different parts of Michigan history, such as the formation of Michigan by glaciers and the construction of the Mackinac Bridge. All seven of the fourth-grade classes worked with Chad and Natasha daily to write, edit, learn their parts and construct props and costumes.
Unforeseen circumstances - a Michigan snowstorm - took a couple of days out of the scheduled workshops, but the Acting Up Theatre Company is based in Grayling, MI so Chad and Natasha were used to Michigan weather and were able to reschedule.
Chad and Natasha spent some leisure time enjoying Fremont and returned
to Daisy Brook on Monday and Tuesday of the following week to finish their commitment. Then, the day finally arrived to present the original screenplays to a packed house.
In addition to learning about many aspects of
Michigan history in a fun way, this was many students’ first experience with acting in a play - who knows how this will affect future theater endeavors! The artistic part of this experience may have turned some students’ thoughts to set design in their future, as well.
All in all, Acting Up provided an unique experience for the Daisy Brook fourth graders -a joyful, inspired, fun-filled week of learning!
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Middle
School
FMS Leo Club Inducts New Members
FMS Choirs Earn Top Ratings
Fremont Middle School Seventh and Eighth Grade Choirs, under the direction of Laurene Homsher, earned first division ratings at District Choral Festival on Saturday, March 8 at Grand Haven High School.
Both choirs sang separately for a panel of five judges. Each choir sang two songs of contrasting style being graded on pitch, intonation, rhythm, dynamics and overall musical interpretation of the music.
Following their stage appearance, each choir was provided a 15-minute clinic where a single judge pointed out areas that were outstanding during the performance and little hints for even greater improvement. Following the clinic, each choir participated in a sight reading session where they were given twenty-four measures of music to sing that they had never seen before. Students had to describe the key signature, time signature, perform both tonally and rhythmically correct music and add dynamics to earn the highest score. Both choirs earned a perfect score in sight reading and were the only middle school choirs to do so on festival day!
Please compliment and congratulate these fine young musicians. Not only was their music exceptional, but their behavior at the festival site was noticed and complimented by the Grand Haven Choral Boosters who helped facilitate the festival.
We have outstanding musicians at Fremont Middle School... Their diligence in never accepting anything but their best paid off!
Twelve new members were formally inducted into the Fremont Packer Leo Club on Sunday, March 16 at Fremont Middle School. The new members included: Katie Bagwell, Joshua Berens, Jesse Berndt, Calvin Crandell, Kayla Dunbar, Eliot Hawker, Meghan Hawker, Whitney Jones, Vicky Juhl, James Sargent, Hailey Scheffler, Meagan Sergent, and Marissa Spickerman.
Leo President Tory Cheney welcomed parents, new Leos and guests and shared about commitment to the club. District Governor William Raymor shared remarks with the Leos about commitment, service, unity and having fun. Each Leo was presented a certificate and pin commemorating their acceptance of the Leo Club Bylaws.
Parents and guests were shown part of the recycling process the Packer Leos involv e themselves in at FMS. Leos also made an assembly line showing the guests how they put together the “gift bags” for all FMS substitute teachers. This project alone brought many positive remarks and accolades to the young citizens.
President Tory and other Leos told attendees about the numerous projects the Leos have been involved in, including adopting two families at Thanksgiving and delivering dinner to them; cleaning the Middle School grounds twice annually; keeping the FMS school sign updated; adopt-a-stream cleanup
(near the skate park) three times during the calendar year; and the newest project of purchasing fleece blankets to give to victims of fire or other natural disaster.
Tory also shared the Leo scrapbook that chronicled all the activities. This scrapbook will be entered in the scrapbook competition at the District Convention in Ludington in April - the first Leo Club to ever enter a book!
The next major Leo service project will be to take dinner to the Muskegon Rescue Mission for women and children. Food donations will be requested for a taco buffet.
Fremont Packer Leos meet on the second and third Fridays of each month from 3:20-4:45 p.m. in the Fremont Middle School Choir Room. Any interested youngster age 12-14 may contact Advisor Laurene Homsher for information on how to join.
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On the Trail with Lewis and Clark
In February, eighth-grade history students were treated to a visit from Sergeant Ordway John Colter and Pierre Cruzatte of the Lewis and Clark expedition.
Mr. Wally Ewing and a group of students from Quest presented highlights from the Lewis and Clark Expedition of 1804–1806. Mr. Ewing became the famous mountain man, John Colter, Sergeant Ordway and French voyager, Pierre Cruzatte. Ewing told the story of the journey of discovery from St. Louis to the Pacific Ocean and back again.
Following a “big screen” photographic presentation, students experienced the journey through all of their senses;
music, foods, fire, smoke, fur pelts, dance and games were part of the stations set up by Mr.
Ewing and his students. Some of the students had traveled west with Mr. Ewing as part of his Lakota Trek program, so they could speak first hand of their journey following the Lewis and Clark trail.
Native American music and dance, featuring a hand made flute, traditional drums and sacred herbs, allowed students to learn more about the customs of the Lakota Sioux.
Elk jerky, pemmican, stew, and Indian bread provided the tastes of the American frontier in the beginning of the 1800’s.
Another station was filled with pelts, bones and fossils from the journey.
Lastly, students enjoyed playing Native American games.
Thank you to the Fremont Area Community Foundation for providing funds for a fun-filled learning experience for all of our eighth-grade students.
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High School
MI State Solo & Ensemble
Fremont Hosts FFA District Leadership Contests
FFA district leadership contests were held at Fremont High School on February 12, after being delayed several times due to the weather. Seven F FA chapters participated, including Fremont.
The event started at 3:30 p.m. and ended at 8:00 p.m. Many students competed and Fremont had many winners….
Silver winners at FFA Districts include: Melissa, Sarah, Matt, Andrea, Connor, Sarah, Jessica, Kristin, and Denise.
Gold winners at FFA Districts include: T ravis, Dusty, Alex, James, Leanna, Breanna, Mercedes, Cody, Megan, Caitlin, David, and Courtney.
Several FHS students were recently selected to participate in the Michigan State Band and Orchestra Solo and Ensemble Festival, which was held on March 15 at Central Michigan University. Participating students included: Audrey Jansma, Shany Briggs, Heather Warfield, Rachel Voyt, Sara Haverkamp, Kaitlin Klemp, and Kerrie Baker. Congratulations! Great job!
NCCS Music Scholarships Received
On Monday, March 17, NCCS Music Scholarships were awarded to students from the Fremont Music Department, including: First place - Junior Violinist Audrey Jansma and third place - Junior String Bass Sara Haverkamp.
At large winners included Junior French Hornist Kerrie Baker, Sophomore Vocalist Jordan Crandell, Freshman Cellist Sarah Paris, and Eighth-Grade Clarinetest Julia Breza.
Tw o NCCS Music Scholarship alternates were Eighth Grade Flutest Allison Rusco and Eighth Grade Violinist Nick Voyt.
Please congratulate these students if you see them!
Student Showcase
The 2008 Student Showcase was held at the Frauenthal Theatre on Wednesday, March 19 and Thursday, March 20.
We are pleased to name the following 2008 Student Showcase nominees:
Local FFA representatives would like to express special thanks to Fremont FFA alumni and to volunteers, including: Max Kempf, Alex Lubbers, Alexis Kamphorst, Caleb Arends, Erica VanDerMeer, Nathan Eagle, Jason Smith, Marissa Alverson, Ryan Silvernail, Jordan Kiester and Michelle Vasquez.
Academics – Josh Warfield
Athletics (male) – M atthew Taggar t
Athletics (female) – Ashley Moon
Performing Arts - Katherine Kallenbach
Visual Arts – Courtney Jones
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Students Earn Photography Honors
The Fremont High School photo students have been busy recording, developing, cropping, adjusting and printing photos for the annual IMAGE MAKERS photo contest, sponsored by the NCCS Boys & Girls Club.
Working either manually with SLR cameras and enlargers in the darkroom, or digitally taking pictures, adjusting and printing images off computers, FHS art students produced over 150 fantastic entries for this year’s contest.
During the first week in March, students submitted work in five different categories. The pieces were then judged according to age group.
This year, FHS students were honored in all five categories. Awards presented include:
All the photographs entered county-wide were on display at the NCCS building during the second week in March. It was a marvelous display of over 300 pieces of student-generated art work. The first place winning photos from Newaygo County will go on to the regional level to be judged against winning entries from other clubs in the Midwest.
We are grateful to the NCCS and the wonderful program opportunities offered to our students. We are very proud of all the hard work being done by the FHS art students. With or without a ribbon, the students are producing top quality photography pieces which will last and, no doubt, be appreciated for years to come.
FHS Artwork Earns Top Honors
Downtown Fremont, during mid-February, at the Arts Place, the annual Region 13 Art Show was held.
Art work from high schools and middle schools throughout our Michigan region was judged, winners being selected for the Michigan Youth Arts Festival and, then possibly, to be hung for a year in the Governor’s Show.
Six FHS art students entered seven student pieces, which hung at the Arts Place for display in the show. Students involved included seniors Emily Scheffler, Alex Clink and Courtney Jones, junior Danielle Lanciaux, and sophomores Miranda Kraley and Emily Tenbrink.
Two FHS art students were honors this year. Danielle Lanciaux entered a black and white photo with wonderful contrast and detail, which she took, developed and printed in the darkroom. Her photo of an old, broken window in a Grand Rapids warehouse was chosen to hang in the Governor’s Show.
Sophomore Miranda Kraley entered a double print, formatted in positive/negative form, of a tree branch taken at the Tamarac facility in Fremont. It was chosen for To p 100 honors.
Great art pieces being produced by hard-working art students here at FHS... Way to go!
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Boys’ Basketball Undefeated in Lakes Eight Conference
The Boys’ Varsity Basketball team just completed one of its best basketball seasons by going 18-5 and 14-0 in the tough Lakes Eight Conference. It is only the third time in the last 50 years that Fremont has gone undefeated in league. The team’s average league score was 70-50.
This year’s team also won 15 games in a row, including a 52-36 win over Whitehall in the district finals before losing to Grand Rapids Catholic Central in the Regional S emi-Finals at Coopersville.
In back to back games during the league season, Fremont beat Spring Lake by 20 points in front of a packed house and a boisterous student section, then traveled to Ludington and had a running clock on them (+40pts) before winning by 39. These victories are even sweeter when considering Spring Lake and Ludington are two of Fremont’s biggest rivals!
It was Fremont’s fourth
league championship in the past seven years and its sixth district title in
the last seven years. Congratulations boys!
A Close-Up Look at Washington D.C.
Each year, a group of FHS seniors makes a trip to Washington D.C. to participate in ‘Close Up.’ We had nine students take part this year in this seven-day program. The program included visits to historical sites, theatrical tickets to the play Ella, an appearance on C-SPAN, meetings with the staff of legislators, and an in-depth look at the city itself.
The main focus of the program was for students to examine issues within their own community and explore different ideas of local improvement. The students also witnessed how their national government works by touring the Capitol building and sitting in on the Supreme Court.
Students responded to the “hands-on” approach with enthusiasm and excitement about their nation’s democratic process. Participants returned to Fremont with a new appreciation for their government and currently have a better overall understanding of how the country operates.
Other sites visited included: the Jefferson Memorial, FDR Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Korean War Memorial, the Washington Monument, Arlington National Cemetery, the Smithsonian Museums, the Library of Congress, the Iwo Jima Memorial, National Archives, and many more!
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Girl’s Basketball Completes Exceptional Season
The Fremont Lady Packers finished an exceptional season, winning the district trophy in overtime. After spectacular play by the girls, their overtime win against Big Rapids sent the team to the regional competition in Wyoming Park. There, the team played against a stellar GR Catholic Central team. Although outsized at every position, our girls battled throughout the game, but could not overcome the early deficit.
Senior Dates
Take note of these important FHS Senior events…
The Annual Honor’s Evening will be held at 7:00 p.m. on May 20th at the Dogwood Center for Performing Arts.
The FHS Honor’s Assembly will be held in the high school gymnasium on the morning of May 21.
Senior exams will be held on May 21-23. Seniors’ last say is May 23.
The Fremont Area Community Foundation Awards Ceremony will be held at 7:00 p.m. on May 28th at the Grant Fine Arts Center.
Mandatory graduation practice will be held in the high school gymnasium at noon on May 30, with the FHS Graduation Ceremony being held at 2:00 p.m. on June 1 at the Pine Street Athletic Field (in the event of inclement weather, graduation will be held in the high school gymnasium).
Baccalaureate will be announced at a later date.
The team compiled the best team record since the early 1980’s, finishing the season with an 18-5 record.
Individual Lakes Eight All-Conference honors were earned by the following Lady Packers: A First Team All-Conference honor went to Ashley, a Second T eam All-Conference honor was awarded to Kelse, and an Honorable Mention was awarded to Michaelia.
The team ’s 2008 M ost Valuable Player was Ashley and Kiley was named Most Improved Player.
Congratulations to Coach Jeff Moon and his staff and team for an outstanding season!
Senior Escape 2008
Senior Escape provides a safe, all-night graduation getaway. Seniors are transported by chaperoned buses to an undisclosed location for an evening of fun together. Entertainment, food, and prizes are pr ovided throughout the evening.
Registration forms are available in the high school office and will also be available at the upcoming parent-teacher conferences.
Escape is being held on graduation night, June 1, 2008. The cost is $50 if paid before April 18, 2008, or $60 if paid after April 18. Registrations will be accepted until May 23, 2008. There are a limited number of scholarships available if needed - Please contact Lina Strong at (231) 414-4033.
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A Midwinter Celebration
For the first time, midwinter court was held the night of a girls’ basketball game, instead of during a boys’ game -and what an exciting game it was!
The gym was crowded and the student body gave great support to the girls’ team; cheering them on to an almost upset win over the strong Ludington girls’ team.
After the game, the midwinter crowning took place. Representing the freshmen were T yler and Mariah. Representing the sophomores were Adam and Kaley. Junior representatives were Dustin and Alyssa. Senior representatives included: Joey and Marielle, Andy and Lisa, Jordan and Kaitlin, Xue and Kiley, and Taylor and Michelle.
Prince and princess honors were won by juniors Dustin and Alyssa.
The King and Queen honors went to Xue and Lisa.
Royalty was crowned b y Fremont High School Principal Scott Sherman.
A dance was sponsored by the FHS student council on Saturday night. The dance consisted of a Disney Theme.
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Bowling Teams Compete at State Competition
On the weekend of February 29 and March 1, the girls’ and boys’ bowling teams competed at the state level.
For the girls, this was the first time in the history of the program. However, for the boys, it was the team’s fourth consecutive trip to the state finals.
The girls showed how young they were at the state competition by coming in 18th place at the finals. “This was a learning experience for our girls. They are very young, yet most of the girls are in the tenth grade and will be back next year,” said an enthusiastic Coach Moon.
On the boys’ side, the team made the cut after the qualifying play and were seeded number one. The team then went up against our regional champs of Grand Rapids Northview. Fremont had a total pinfall of 1,761 and Northview had a total pinfall of 1,828; which was good enough to beat the Packers.
Both teams had a great season. The Lady Packers finished tied for first in the conference and made it to state for the first time in six years. The guys were once again on a roll when it came to making it to state and are looking forward to making it for the fifth straight year next season. Congrats everyone!
Rebel Without A Cause
In this dramatization by James Fuller, from the screenplay by Stewart Stern, the play concerns itself with the emotional problems of young people. In spite of a warning, Jim won’t stay away from Judy, even though she is the steady of Buzz, the leader of a gang of high school toughs. Determined to stay out of trouble and yet unwilling to be thought of as a coward, Jim manages successfully until his new friend, Plato, in an effort to help him, is beaten up and the other students start to call him “chicken.”
Our talented cast is lead by seniors Davis Lindsey as Jim, Mar k Drake as Buzz, Lizzy Paris as Judy and Kristen O’Brien as Mrs. Davis. The cast is rounded out by Stephen Wright, Courtney Waldo, Kerrie Baker, Andrea Schaub, Alex Johnston, Matt Cummings, Zach Francis, Trevor Bacon, Brian Deur, Kristy Preble, Tanya Pell, Heather Warfield, Emily Zahrt, Josh Welch, Katie Hanna, Cassie Murphy, Katie Kallenbach, Chelsea Eglington, Sara Smith, Sarah Paris, and Dana Dougan.
This story is a standard in our American history. James Dean and Natalie Wood brought the story to life in the 1955 movie. A coming of age story in a confusing and difficult period when teenagers are feeling vulnerable and confused, REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE reveals the age-old dilemma of children wanting to be adults, but not yet ready to step out on their own, while hoping for guidance from parents who often are as confused as their children.
Come and join us on May 8, 9 and 10 as Fremont High School Theatre closes its 32nd season with REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE.
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Quest
High School
Quest Knights Basketball
On March 8, 2008, the Quest Knights Basketball team ended its 2007-2008 season, competing in the Michigan Alternative Athletic Association
State Basketball Tournament held in Wyoming. The Knights, consisting of D.J., Michael, Anthony, Chris, Steven, Jacob, and Andrew, qualified for this tournament by winning a game against Lakeside Academy from Kalamazoo.
At Wyoming’s Rogers High School, the team competed against Northwest Alternative and Odyssey High School. The Knights came home with a good experience and a fourth place, Class D finish.
Congratulations Quest Knights on a great season!
Quest Ski Club
Quest Staff Members Mr. Ewing and Mr. Grabill rounded up a brave bunch of Quest skiers/ snowboarders and headed for the hills.
This year’s ski club members included: Caleb, Adam, Chris, Andrew, D.J., Robbie, Adilene, Antord, Sean, Jacob, Shirley, Cody, Tyler, and Anthony.
The students and staff enjoyed their skiing and snowboarding this winter!
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Food & Nutrition
Quest students have been learning about fats in their diets.
The students not only studied saturated and unsaturated fats, but also learned the differences between natural and processed fats.
In order to show how learning relates across many curriculum areas, the class included some science to demonstrate how a liquid turns into a solid.
Pictured here is Andrew, a Quest High School senior. He is showing off the butter he made in Food and Nutrition Class.
Quest Student Theatre
Mr. Collin’s fourth hour Communication Arts’ class, with the help of Mrs. Kallenbach, performed a play for the other Quest students, staff and parents on the last day of the second trimester.
These students worked hard throughout the trimester writing, editing and rehearsing their production. The class included: Shirley, Tara, Stephanie, Rose, Brittany, Ciera, Jacob, and Jamie.
Packer Pride Child Care
By the time everyone receives this issue, spring will be well on its way. Winter was fun for the children at Packers’ Pride Child Care Center. Everyone played outside most days and really enjoyed sliding on the “mountains” the snow plow drivers left. On the really bad days, the kids ran and stretched and
wore off three- and four-year-old energy in the gym.
One of the really exciting days in February was our Pajama Party. We popped popcorn, ate pizza, and jumped on the bed! Then, we talked about Dr. Seuss and other authors whose books we would be reading during March, National Reading Month. Our goal for March was to read 100 books and then take a trip to Pizza Hut for free pizza (we were close at print deadline)!
The children have learned a lot during this school year and the four- and five-year-olds will be ready for kindergarten screening. The three-year-olds are anxiously waiting for their turn to move up to the next level!
Summer and fall enrollment will begin this month. For more information, please call Allison at (231)924-7435.
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On the Back Cover…
The Fremont Lady Packers finished an
exceptional season, winning the district
trophy in overtime. The team compiled
the best team record since the early
1980s, finishing the season with an 18-5
record. For more on the Lady Packers,
see page 25.
Fremont Public Schools
Kindergarten Round Up
PINE STREET PRIMARY CENTER
School Matters
District Newsletter
HELPING CHILDREN GROW
Do you know a boy or girl who resides in the Fremont Public School District and who will be five (5) years old on or before December 1, 2008? If so, please complete the form below.
Information will be mailed to all who respond to explain enrollment procedures, dates for screening (in April) and further information for parents.
Please complete ALL information below.
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