Back in November of 2009 (11/7/2009, to be exact), Kat Murphy, our art teacher, was attending the Michigan Art Educators Association conference in Kalamazoo, Michigan.  At the time Kat had been keeping in shape by running with her cross country team.  On this particular day, she decided to go for a quick run during an afternoon break in the conference.  “Just run towards the hospital,” said a friend. It was about 4:00 p.m., still plenty of light, and at 60 degrees it was unusually warm for the time of year – a perfect day for a run.  What happened next is not clear.  Kat has no clear memory, but witnesses tell her what they saw.  She ran up to the  intersection of Park and Vine and waited to cross.  As she noticed a van approach the crosswalk she must have set out, thinking the driver had seen her and would stop.  He didn’t.

Kat woke up in the hospital, a mess. She had suffered a broken right femur and scapula, shattered right wrist, 3 broken ribs, and broken nose, not to mention “pretty gross abrasions on my left knee and right elbow.  My right elbow required stitches, I had serious a concussion, a ‘plateau fracture’ of the right tib/fib, and that mess of my face that the photo illustrates.”  Her leg was so badly injured that the doctors needed to place an interfemoral titanium rod between her hip and knee.  “I have, and probably will always have the rod and 3 screws in my right leg and a plate in my right wrist.” Due to the catastrophic nature of her injuries she was told that she might never aspire to be a runner again.  Perhaps  cycling would be an option.  What would follow would be 10 weeks of bed rest and wheelchairs, one month with a cane, and lots and lots of physical therapy, including three times a week in the pool.  This was the toughest part of the process for Kat.  It was a lonely, painful time. In late April more physical therapy followed.  In all it took a full year just to get through the pain and get to the point where Kat’s natural walking gait was restored.

By May 2010 Kat was able to “run” 200 yards, but not fast.  Still, it was a start.  And she kept at it.  By the end of summer she was able to run 12 minute miles, three miles at a time, or around 10 miles per week.  As cross country coach in the fall of 2010, Kat could not run with kids, but only watch ruefully from the sidelines.  All the time, however, she kept at it, constantly challenging herself and constantly improving.  Time passed.  By the fall of 2011 Kat was able to run her first half marathon in Grand Rapids, along with three of her students who ran with her.  Kat kept training, kept running, and never lost sight of her goal to run a full marathon…

Flash forward again to the Spring of 2013, May 25th, to be exact.  As Kat stands on the starting line before the marathon she thinks to herself  how far she has come to get here.  She hopes at least to finish in under 4 hours.  At best she hopes for a time of 3:45.  The gun signals the start of the race, followed by much waiting, pushing gently forward in the surge.  The race was underway. “I felt great all the way through,” says Kat.  “I paced myself, I felt strong, and by mile 21 I believed that ‘the wall’ everybody talks about was not going to happen to me.”  Then, almost as soon as she had that thought, she hit the wall.  Everything seemed to seize up.  Her whole body felt stiff and unresponsive.  Still she ran on, through pain, just as she had done so many times before.  The last five miles of the 26.2 mile race was hard, and Kat had to draw on everything she had to keep it going.  And in the end, how did she do?  In the end she finished with an astonishingly fast time of 3 hours and 27 minutes!

So, she did it!  She actually did it!  And she did it in style. The end of any marathon is an especially emotional time.  Even in the most ideal of circumstances, it is no easy feat to run a marathon.  But what makes this story so great is the fact that Kat Murphy was able to set an example to all of us, staff and students alike.  During those tough times right after the accident, when Kat was recuperating at home, she never stopped believing in herself (or “being stubborn”, as she puts it).  And she was helped through this ordeal by a caring community, providing food and assistance to her family in difficult times.

“At the time of my accident I had only been working in Leland for just over 2 years.  The way this community reached out to support my family was astounding. They provided dinners for our family for 2 months!  Once I could finally get around again I had a room full of cards and notes from students, staff, parents and community members.  People visited me and sent me e-mails, and indulged me when I got too bored and visited school in my wheelchair with my nurse, pretending I looked great and that they were happy to see me.  Even now, almost 4 years later people will ask me how I am, and how my recovery is going.  Thanks for the love Leland;)”  Kat is extremely thankful for all that support when it was most needed.  And of course we are thrilled to see one of our own triumph over crushing adversity to set an example to us all.  Well done Kat Murphy!

“Over the past twelve years, I have heard over and over from my students that they don’t always remember the proper Spanish grammar or the correct verb conjugations, however they do remember the music we’ve learned in class. Some music I have selected from grammy award winners, other music students bring in straight from their own playlists,” says Mrs. LaCross.  “As a matter of fact, one LPS graduate, Kristine Hansen, who was a Spanish 3 student of mine said that she was so amazed at her cousin’s wedding in Ecuador when they played a song at the reception that we had learned in class! Kristine was so excited that she could sing along on the dance floor. Now this is the kind of cultural connection that a language teacher dreams of for his or her students, yet is almost impossible to re-create from a textbook.”

Leland’s National Honor Society sophomores were big helpers at the Leelanau Conservancy’s annual Wildflower Rescue on May 23rd at the Village Green.  Wildflower Rescue volunteers dig plants that would be destroyed by construction or road work, then pot them up to sell.  All the money earned over the Memorial Day weekend sale goes to the Leelanau Conservancy for stewardship.

“All of the students were willing workers who stuck with the job until it was finished, in spite of the cool, rainy weather,” said Joan Woods, Wildflower Rescue Team member.  “Practicing community service is a wonderful life skill that helps develop responsible citizens.  It is nice to see students who understand that helping in their community is a good thing.”

As you can see from the photos, not only were students willing helpers, but they also seemed to enjoy the work, despite the weather.  The plant sale was a big success, thanks to efforts of Leland students and the civic minded community members who took part.  We are looking forward to working with the Wildflower Rescue team again next year.

Junior Heather Burns said, “This really helped me learn about the dangers and the power of the great lakes, and how even on a nice day things can go wrong if you are not paying attention.”  This presentation was truly important, and potentially life saving, and we appreciate the efforts to help educate and keep everyone safe this summer.

What a wonderful evening!  This year’s Open House was a huge success, thanks to the hard work and planning of so many dedicated staff and  students.  The event started off at 6:00 with the fabulous Farm to School Dinner, featuring Bardenhagen strawberries in a homemade vinaigrette, scratch-prepared desserts, tofu from Oryana, 9 Bean Row’s greens and Famous Kream Mustard from Brownwood Farms.  Very tasty!  Volunteers from Leland’s National Honor Society rolled up their sleeves to help make everything run smoothly.  “We couldn’t have done it without them,” said Mr. Ruszel.

In the gym, meanwhile, Mrs. Zywcki’s efforts to revitalize the traditional science fair were paying off in spades.  Students in grades 5-8 started their projects in December and worked right through to May, polishing their presentations and fine tuning their findings.  What was really impressive was the ability of each student to engage in long and thoughtful conversations about their topic – topics they were allowed to pick themselves.  Families and community members were unanimous in their enthusiasm.  And of course none of it could have been done without the stellar efforts of Ms. Kirt, Miss Irwin, and Mrs. Suttmann, helping make sure everything came together for this impressive event.

A few quotes: My favorite part of the science fair was seeing a lot of the other projects. -Brooke Clarke (7th Grade).
My favorite part was seeing people’s reaction to my project. “You extracted DNA?!” -Jessica Pershinske (7th Grade)

Equally impressive was the Art Show, put together by Ms. Murphy and Mrs. Hoensheid-Smith.  Apart from the outstanding pieces of art, parents were also impressed by the use of a cool app called Aurasma, which allows students to provide museum style video narration about their artwork delivered via the iPad.  Mr. Evans and the Comet Chorale also entertained in the Performing Arts Center.

So many people to thank, so much to be proud of – can’t wait until next year!  More marvelous movies of the science fair here, here, and here.

More quotes from our students:

Students were allowed an hour and a half to cook the best possible meal for their panel of judges. Both teams seemed to work great together and conquered the task in front of them with flying colors. Due to such a success, the school is looking into doing it again next year, but hoping to include the community and not just the school. Special thanks to Laura Miller and Dorothy Sirrine for helping to make this happen.

Leland Public School has decided to try something a little different this year. They put together a cooking competition based on the popular cooking show “Iron Chef”. It included the 6^th-8^th grade students and was a big success. Students were allowed an hour and a half to cook the best possible meal for their panel of judges. Both teams seemed to work great together and conquered the task in front of them with flying colors. Due to such a success, the school is looking into doing it again next year, but hoping to include the community and not just the school.

This brief but very meaningful ceremony culminated in the pledge by new members, followed by photos and plenty of Mr. Dave Ruszel’s wonderful chocolate eclairs (with real cream!).

The new members are Sierra Creamer, Jaden Prevost, Jessica Fleis, Analise Buhr, Austin Fellows, Delaney Klein, Aurelia Guest, Will Saffell, Gunnar Carlson, Cameron Stowe, Tristan Peabody, Miranda Harrison, Joel Sneed, David Grzebienik, Kate Bishop, and Nate Schwarz.

With the addition of these 16 new members we look forward to building an even better program for the 2013/14 school year. We will, however, miss the contributions of our retiring seniors, who have helped so much to lead the way.  Seniors who will be missed next year are Sierra Baker, Carly Gross, Analise Robinson, Greta Carlson, Savannah Gross, Flannery Johnson, Dylan Jolliffe, Addie Kramer, Sabrina Laughman, Maya Littlefield, Maggie Osorio, Katie Pershinske, Isabelle Scott, Sammie Sterkenburg, and Olivia Ursu.

2. What’s your favorite class, and why?
I really enjoy honors chemistry because I love having Mr.Kiessel as a teacher and because we do awesome labs which help me learn a ton.

3. What’s the last good movie you watched?
I loved the movie “Once.” It’s about a guy who loves to play guitar but doesn’t have a lot of money. He starts to record with a girl and they end up falling in love and pursing music together. My favorite part is when they proved the owner of the recording studio wrong after he insulted their music and they proved they could be something great.

4. If you could be any animal what would it be?
I would definitely be lion. They’re the king of the jungle, powerful, and majestic.

5. What’s your favorite sport?
I love to play soccer and I hope to continue to play it beyond high school.

6. What do you like to do in your free time?
Playing the piano and the guitar is something that I enjoy doing in my down time. But other than that I hang with friends and play soccer.

7. If you could be any person for a day who would it be?
Lionel Messi. He’s the best soccer player ever in my opinion and he’s won the award for being the best soccer player 5 years in a row. He’s my soccer idol.

8. Who’s your favorite movie star?
Jennifer Lawrence. I love the characters she plays and the movies she’s in.

9. What’s your favorite holiday?
Thanksgiving is my favorite because you get to be with your family and I look forward to eating as much as I possibly can.

10. What do you want to be when you grow up?
Besides a soccer player, which is my dream, I want to be a doctor. Maybe a psychiatrist or neuroscientist. Its a ton of work but I’d be doing good things for the community and making good money while doing it.

11. What’s something you worry about?
I’m always concerned about my health. I’m very active and I’m really focused on staying healthy. Some of my friends have been injured and I’m always scared it will happen to me and I won’t be able to play sports.

12. What’s your favorite music genre or artist?
I like listening to hip hop, and island/reggae music. I’m into reggae right now because it reminds me of summer and it makes me excited for warm weather. But I sometimes listen to mellow piano and guitar before I go to bed.

In the lower elementary, Mrs. Fisher’s kindergarten class chose

The Blizzard’s Robe

. Mrs. Osorio’s kindergarten class selected

The Spooky Tree

. Mrs. Scott’s first and second grade blend’s favorite book was

Saving Sweetness

. Mr. Seguin’s second and first grade blend’s door is decorated to look like Dr. Suess’s

Sneetches

. Mrs. Kowalski’s first and second grade class chose

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie

. All good choices, in my opinion.

The upper elementary only had two classes participate. Mrs. Klein’s third and fourth grade class selected

Diary of a Wimpy Kid

. Ms. Irwin’s sixth grade class decorated their door to look like

Wonder

And the votes are in for the class with the “Most Awesome Door” decorated to reflecting their favorite children’s book! Secret voting by high school students give nearly half of the votes to Mr. Seguin for lower elementary and Ms. Irwin for upper elementary. Each of these classes has won an ice cream party in May!

Happy March is Reading Month!

Volume I No. 2- “What does LPS Value?”, March 15, 2013

Educating children is an incredibly important and challenging undertaking.  Start by teaching five year olds how to take turns and get along with others, end with preparing graduating seniors for “the real world”, and you have taken on a daunting task.  While this may seem overwhelming, the educators at LPS are more than up to the job.

One problem our society has is defining exactly what the task of educating our children is.  What are the most important skills that we want our children to walk away with after high school graduation?  In the state of Michigan there is a great deal of emphasis placed on standardized testing and scores: most specifically, the MEAP assessment, which is required to be given at every grade level beginning in the 3^rd grade.   In the field of education, teachers commonly look to assessments like the MEAP, SAT, and ACT for indications of student success.  The SAT and ACT are highly regarded tests that most students take in their junior year of high school and  are universally used in the United States for college entrance.  The MEAP, however, does not take on that same distinction.  It is a content-based test that changes from year to year.  The test is inconsistent; it is a poor indicator of student achievement, and we often wait four to six months to receive our students’ results.

At Leland Public School, we have a long and rich history of preparing our students for “the real world”.  Last week in Washington D.C., I had the privilege of listening to U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan speak to our group of Impact Aid representatives.  Secretary Duncan pointed out that our schools should be focusing on three main areas:

*implementing the Common Core State Standards

*increasing funds for early childhood education

*making sure that our children are career and college ready.

At LPS, this is exactly what we are trying to do.  Our teaching staff and Principal Charlie Gann have worked extremely hard over the past two years to implement our state’s Common Core Curriculum across all grade levels.  Doing so aligns us with national standards and allows us to now spend more time on instruction.  Developing lessons that utilize technology to leverage information, creating opportunities for students to analyze data, writing critically about current events and engaging in meaningful conversations is where our focus needs to be.

Colleges across the nation are seeking out students who have more to offer that high test scores.  During a recent interview, Harvard Dean of Admissions William R. Fitzsimmons was asked about the criteria for being accepted there. He stated:

“While we value objective criteria, we apply a more expansive view of excellence. Test scores and grades offer some indication of students’ academic promise and achievement. But we also scrutinize applications for extracurricular distinction and personal qualities.  Students’ intellectual imagination, strength of character, and their ability to exercise good judgment — these are critical factors in the admissions process, and they are revealed not by test scores but by students’ activities outside the classroom, the testimony of teachers and guidance counselors, and staff interview reports.  With these aspects — academic excellence, extracurricular distinction, and personal qualities — in mind, we read with care all the components of each application.”

Education should be an integrated and hands-on experience and I have a great deal of confidence in our staff and system at Leland Public School.   We want our students fully engaged in their education and to become life-long learners.  In order to do this we must foster creativity, create opportunities for students to be thoughtful, and offer students a multitude of learning experiences, both in and out of the classroom.  Although the MEAP assessment is required by the state and is often given major emphasis in the media, we know that it is just one of many indicators of a child’s educational progress.  Our teachers know your children inside and out, and they are the ones parents should look to for indicators of student struggles and success.  We want all students at Leland Public School to be successful in whatever endeavor they pursue, and I know that our staff is up to the challenge of providing an enriching and unique education for your children.