Coloma School Board told great parent turn-out for conferences

By Annette Christie

The Coloma School Board heard about the great response by parents for recent parent-teacher conferences held district wide.  Coloma High School Principal David Ehlers reported that 46% of parents at that grade level attended conferences which was one of the highest turnouts he recalls.  Other grade levels reported high attendance also; junior high 56%, intermediate 4th grade 88.2% and 5th grade 88.5%, and elementary at 81% (with all the totals not in yet).  In a special type of conferences, the 4th and 5th graders had student-led conferences whereby the students reviewed their school work with student data binders including their formal assessments, samples of their class work and their individual goals.

Ehlers also announced that October was College Application Month and that seniors were active in getting their applications completed and ordering transcripts to be sent to the colleges they were interested in.  In addition, 20 students attended Southwestern Michigan College for a visit and some expressed interest in attending there.

Junior High Principal Peter Olsen said that in conjunction with what was going on in our nation, the social studies teachers did a mock election.  The students went through the process of registering to vote, became familiar with the process, and actually voted.   Olsen said the students also selected Donald Trump as President.   The honor club went to Celebration Cinema for a career orientated visit to learn about the film industry, topped off by watching a movie.

At the intermediate school, the 4th grade also held a mock election and following suit, Donald Trump was elected there also. The students reportedly loved learning about the process and taking part in the vote.

On December 13, the elementary students will have an opportunity to take part in the annual Christmas shop sponsored by the PTO.  It allows students to come down to a shop and buy gifts for their family members.

Superintendent Peter Bush announced that the interviews have been completed and that he has a selected a candidate for the Director of Business Services position. Bush recommended Sara Ashley of Coloma.  A graduate of Coloma High School, she has children enrolled in the district.  Ashley has a bachelor’s degree in financial management with a minor in business administration.  For the last eight years, she has been steadily climbing up the ladder at Plymouth Packaging in Battle Creek where she holds the position of Operations Manager.

Bush also announced that while the count day numbers are still not official, it looks like the district will come in with a loss of 15 students.  The administration had budgeted for a loss of 40 students so the lower amount will help the district financially.

He also announced that Menasha made a donation of $800 to the district.  The funds will be used for science supplies for the elementary students.

During the maintenance report it was announced that the department is using a work ticket program to help organize and track work orders.  They will go to administration and then be assigned.  The program will allow the department to track work district wide, and monitor work load by time and person.

Bush announced that the 8th graders now have their new chromebooks and cases.  They were allowed to take them home last Thursday for the first time, following instruction on their use.  This is just another step at getting all students set up with one-on-one technology.  The 6th and 7th graders have them available to them in the classrooms.  Bush said they are looking at better ways to utilize them more in the classrooms and for more availability with the students.

Bush shared some recent ideas and observations revealed by the Michigan State Superintendent of Public Instruction based on the change to the Michigan Student Test of Educational Progress (MSTEP) testing system in Michigan school districts.  The vision provided spans a 10-year cycle and is aimed to putting Michigan on the map as a premier education state by being “Top 10 in 10 Years.”  The new state superintendent, Brian Whiston who began in July, has a vision to achieve this that would introduce things such as an age appropriate test for kindergarten students in English and math, followed by an assessment in grades 1 or 2.   The idea is to go back to an easy to understand A-F grading system for districts vs. the color coded system being used now.  Benchmark testing would occur in grades 3-8 with a writing component.  At the high school level the testing will not change much.  While there would be additional benchmark testing, the traditional MSTEP would only be given once to elementary students and once in middle school.  If this new system is approved by the Michigan State Board of Education, it could go into effect in the spring of 2018.

Bush revealed the Coloma Community Schools website which has been live for about a month.  While the site is fully functional it is not fully developed yet. Bush noted some key components such as the   marquee that is continuously scrolling with upcoming important dates, that each of the buildings has their own page, lots of drop down menus, all departments having their own pages, and the latest news section which not only provides info on the district but the community as a whole.

Bush noted that the website is mobile friendly and will work on devices like phones and tablets.  Items of importance like the spirit wear sale that is going on has a pdf form right on the website for easy access.

Teachers will have the ability to have their own pages which can be linked to their Google classrooms. Bush thanked Tanya Kimmerly and Daniel Mars, instructional technology specialists at the high school and the junior high for their work during this transition and still being involved in staff training.

School board member Apryl Watson announced that the annual Comet’s Holiday Bazaar would be held Sunday, November 20 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Coloma Intermediate Gym.  The event is sponsored by the Coloma Athletic Boosters as a fundraiser.  There will be vendors, crafters, a bake sale and raffle prizes.  Tickets are $1 each.