Brown, Johnson, Latz Hired at St. Ignace School
By Karen Gould

Programming one computer can be a daunting task, let alone 146 machines. That is what Laurie Steiner, technology paraprofessional at St. Ignace Area Schools, is spending her summer doing. Earlier this month, 116 laptops arrived at the Middle School and she is preparing them for students in seventh and eighth grades. She already has programmed 30 new computers that are set up in the high school library and stand ready for students this fall.

Three new teachers have been hired, walls are being decorated with learning materials, bookshelves organized, and laptops for seventh and eighth grade students are being programmed. Preparations for the coming school year are underway with teachers, the St. Ignace Area Schools Board of Education, and a group of residents who would like a wrestling facility built at the school.

Holly Brown, Mandi Johnson, and Jason Latz were hired by the board Monday, July 14, during a school board meeting. They will fill vacancies in the elementary and middle school created by retiring faculty last spring.

The school received more than 200 applications, said Superintendent Mike Springsteen, and interviewed 15 candidates for the three positions.

A 1991 LaSalle High School graduate, Holly Brown will instruct third grade students. Previously, she taught at the school until she was laid off several years ago during budget cuts. Since then, she has been a substitute teacher in the district and is working on her master's degree.

Mandi Johnson, also a LaSalle High School graduate and a 2008 Lake Superior State University graduate, will teach sixth grade when the school year begins. Last fall, she taught the sixth grade class at the school as part of her student teaching requirement at the university.

She was a standout basketball player at LaSalle High School and the university, said Mr. Springsteen, who said her athletic background will benefit the school.

A 2008 Alma College graduate, Jason Latz of Elsie also brings basketball experience to St. Ignace, having played on the Alma team. He will teach fourth grade students, said Mr. Springsteen, and he is interested in coaching.

All seventh and eighth grades students, said Greg Fettig, Middle School principal, will receive laptop computers this fall. The school is using Brimley's technology program as a model. There, students in grades seven through 12 have laptops and are able to bring the computers home. A decision about whether to allow St. Ignace students bring the laptops home will be made in the next month.

The plan for St. Ignace, said Mr. Springsteen, is that eventually students in grades six through 12 will have a laptop.

The school operates with approximately 500 computers, which are maintained and updated by Mr. Fettig and Laurie Steiner.

The school begins negotiations with teachers for their contract this week.

The school is estimating 30 fewer students enrolled this year than last year. Fewer students will result in a drop of revenue by $380,000, although the state has not yet determined its level of funding. The budget for the next school year allows the board to use some of its fund balance to continue offering the same level of programming.

A group of residents sought support and funding from the board for a wrestling building. Board members agreed the team needs a suitable location, although funding is an issue. They suggested the group attend their finance committee meeting and the community resource committee meeting to allow further discussion of the project. Discussion is expected to include if the school can offer the needed funds, which would be repaid in a process similar to that used when football field lights were purchased, and if the school also can contribute in some degree to the expense of the building. The group also will offer a list of sources for funding.

"This has to be done somehow," said Athletic Director Marty Spencer, as weight room equipment is being ruined in the damp room currently used, and he thinks more students would participate if there was a better location.

Construction materials for a building, said Deb Evashevski, representing the group, would cost about $50,000.

Wrestlers have been using a basement area near the community pool. The room was built in the 1960s as a nuclear fallout shelter.

Elementary School

Kindergarten Camp, said Ele - mentary Principal Kari Visnaw, is designed to ease the transition into kindergarten for young students, and will be offered from Monday, August 4, through Friday, August 22. Lil McDonald and Laura Janeczek will teach the program, which is funded from a grant from the Michigan School Readiness Program and is given to the Eastern Upper Peninsula Intermediate School District. Eight students, she told the board, already have signed up for the program.

The school improvement team is updating the language arts and mathematics improvement plans. Mrs. Visnaw invited the board to attend the team meetings.

About 230 students are expected to be enrolled at the elementary school this fall.

Middle School

The teaching schedule for the Middle School, which is estimated to have about 177 students in the coming school year, reported Mr. Fettig, includes Clyde O'Rourke and Elaine MacDonald teaching fifth grade, Stephanie Terpening will teach music to the fifth grade; for sixth grade, Mandi Johnson will teach mathematics and language arts and Heather Brady will teach science and social studies; for seventh grade, Doug Ingalls will teach mathematics and social studies, Trudy Olsen will teach science and language arts, and Roxanne Smith will teach French; for eighth grade, Andrew Long with teach mathematics and science, Pat Chargo will teach social studies and language arts, Dave Brines will teach health, and Karen Sanborn will teach technology. Jason Byma will instruct band for students in grades six through eight and Emily Fullerton will teach physical education for fifth through eighth grades.

LaSalle High School

The board also accepted a letter of resignation from Beth Hinkson, who taught at the Tribal Youth Facility. She has been commuting from Gaylord and now has been offered a teaching position there. Interviews to fill her position are expected to begin in July.

LaSalle High School Principal Don Gustafson will teach a senior honors mathematics course and Marty Spencer will take over attendance duties for him. The first semester will be an advance mathematics course and the second semester will be calculus.

A summer correspondence program in reading and mathematics is being taken by 67 students. The Grand Rapids Academics Summer Program, Mr. Gustafson said, helps to maintain and reinforce recently learned skills. Last year, 56 students participated.

The board was given suggested changes to the student handbook by Mr. Gustafson. The board is expected to consider adopting the changes at its next meeting.

One suggested change includes the use of cell phones. The change would allow students to have them at school, although they must be turned off and kept out of sight, including earphones, while students are in class, since the phones are a disruption to the learning environment.

"We have to recognize what is the problem," he said, "and the problem has to do with class time."

Violations of athletic department rules, he said, should be changed from a fixed time period to a percentage of time of the sport's season. For example, he said a 14-day suspension would be changed to a 20% suspension of the scheduled season. The penalty, he said, provides a more fair way to cover all sports. In football, 14 days is a greater part of the season than for sports like wrestling or basketball, which have longer seasons.

The next regular school board meeting is Monday, August 11, at 7 p.m. in the middle school library.

Reorganizational Meeting

During the St. Ignace Area School's Board of Education's annual reorganizational meeting Monday, July 14, all board responsibilities remained the same, including President Jane Weiss, Vice-president Rick Litzner, Secretary Cathy Campbell, Treasurer Mike Grogan, and trustees Sean Arthur, David Latva, and Ann Massey.

Committee assignments also were set at the meeting, and include finance committee members Mike Grogan, Rick Litzner, and Jane Weiss; personnel committee members Sean Arthur, David Latva, and Ann Massey; community relations and athletics committee members Sean Arthur, David Latva, and Rick Litzner; and policy committee and curriculum members Cathy Camp - bell, Mike Grogan, and Jane Weiss.

School improvement representatives include, district wide, Cathy Campbell and Jane Weiss; elementary and middle school, Sean Arthur and Ann Massey; high school, Mike Grogan and Rick Litzner.