Penny Brockway

“We believe that only through the process of open and honest

dialogue can we generate knowledge and deepen our mutual

understanding.”

~ St. Joseph County Statement on Civility

Servant leadership is my goal as your new superintendent of schools. I deem it crucial that all individuals in our organization see themselves in service to others. I serve the principals, business manager, administrative assistants, and ISD professionals in order that they may serve the teachers, school

helpers, athletic director and coaches. It is my expectation then that teachers, school helpers, athletic director and coaches see

their role as being in service to our students. Students then must learn that they are servant leaders as well; serving each other and the family and community that provides for them.

The statement above, “We believe that only through the process of open and honest dialogue can we generate knowledge and deepen our mutual understanding” is one key belief that we must hold

as an organization if we are to be servant leaders. In order to be in service to someone, I must be able to listen, hold my tongue, and share my thoughts as ideas and not my demands. Only then might we learn to understand each other’s point of view. Our understanding helps us work together to meet the needs of others; to serve others. When we are deeply set in our convictions and unwilling to hear the story or opinion of another, we make it difficult to be a servant leader.

A full copy of the St. Joseph County Statement of Civility can be found at this link: http://trchamber.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Statement-on-Civility.pdf

Truancy for students is a hot topic across our country. The federal government has set

new standards that states must align with in order to continue to receive federal funding for schools. Michigan is in the process of developing the laws and procedures for following the standards set by our federal government. Sometimes, government laws are seen as the “bad cop” or the “compliance police.” The bottom line is, students need to be in school and a part of the learning in order to gain the skill and knowledge they need to conquer the world! We want our students here with us on a daily basis, and therefore truancy is a huge concern to us as well. Here are a few highlights from the federal standards:

A child who has at least 10 unexcused absences per school year is considered truant.

Students who are chronically absent have missed 10% of the school days that have been in session.

A notification process, including parent meetings with principals and attendance agreements, must begin once a student has reached their 5th absence.

Once Michigan law is in place surrounding the new regulations for student truancy, we will be sharing very detailed information with all students and parents.

November 2017

In This Issue…

3rd Grade Reading Law

Elementary News

Who’s new to

MAGI Country?

Jr./Sr. High Talk

Principal’s corner with

Mr. R

Planning for Success

Magi Athletics

Athletic Calendar

District Calendar

Elementary and Leonidas News and Notes

Bonnie Hooley Retires

Congratulations to Bonnie Hooley on retiring after 25 years of dedicated service to Colon Community School District. She will be missed by all. Tammy Sanderson has been hired as the new Elementary Secretary.

3rd Grade Reading Law The reading skills of our young Colon children should be a focus for all of us. The strength of our ability to read is in direct connection to our ability to succeed in social studies, math and science. But even more importantly, reading skills are a ticket into further education, world information, community updates and the foundation to being a productive citizen in the community of Colon. The State of Michigan passed a new law that has gone into effect this fall aimed at improving literacy in the early grades; Kindergarten through 3rd grade. This law requires Colon schools to take several measures to monitor the success of students while continually utilizing proven methods for instructing our students. Student in grades K-3 must be formally tested in reading at least three times per year. The first window for testing must be within 30 days of the beginning of school. In Colon we use the NWEA test to meet this requirement. As we see the level of success for each student, we are then able to adjust our instruction to help them grow. This test is a quick process for the students, but provides rich data for the teacher in setting goals for their students. The NWEA is given again in January and then May. Throughout the year, we are then able to measure success and adjust to the needs of the children. A second requirement of the law is that individualized improvement plans must be created to help students who struggle. These improvement plans are completed by a team of teachers who work with each child and the child’s test results. Revisiting these plans becomes an active part of the teaching team’s work.

Parents are a key to the new law as well. The final requirement of the law is that parents must be notified if their child has a “reading deficiency.” Colon parents were notified at Parent-Teacher Conferences last week if their child needed this added support. Parents will soon be provided with books and materials to be read at home as they help their child become a stronger reader.

The stakes are high for all of us involved; kids, parents, and Colon Schools. Starting in 2019-2020, students who are at least one grade level behind in reading by the end of third grade will be held back. There is some room in the law for exemptions to be granted by the superintendent. Yet it remains true, the strength of our ability to read is in direct connection to our ability to succeed. Every child, every day, in every classroom at Colon Schools deserves the chance to grow to their greatest potential.

Students of the week

November 3rd

Breea Alldredge

Austin Webb

Ashlynn Edwards

Wyatt Minor

Susan Bohne

Joseph Ruby

James Whitley

Amaya Johnson

Cory Cupit

Owen Wilson

Katlyn Jones

Penny Brockway

Superintendent

Mike Rasmussen

High School

Principal

Paige Smolarz

Athletic Director

Megan Sorensen

Student Success

Coordinator

Robbie Hattan

Administrative

Assistant

Greg Kieliszewski

High School

English

Joshua Schott

Junior High

Special Education

Mickey Malmborg

Social Studies &

History

Robyn Zinsmaster

High School

Special Education

Tim Minor

Long Term Sub

Junior High

Science

In the next edition of Magi Nation News we will take a look at the new staff at Colon Elementary.

How Breakfast Betters Your Child Breakfast has been associated with everything from:

Better Memory

Better Test Scores

Better Attention Span

Healthier Body Weight

Improved Overall Nutrition

Breakfast Options might include: Grab-and-go breakfasts- If your students routinely run out the door with no time to

spare in the morning, then try stocking up on these nutritious foods for a healthier

grab-and-go meal; hard Boiled eggs, sliced apples, homemade muffins, or a bagel

with low-fat cream cheese.

Eating at School- Free breakfast is offered every day in all buildings.

6th Grade

All A’s Macey Burgess

Mia Eagle

Reece Williams

A/B Natalee Craig

Sophia Eells

Liv Johnson

Lindsey Riethmiller

8th Grade

A/B Joshua Hirschy

Isabelle Johnson

Lindsey Miller

Alex Stoll

Emma Velie

Chloee Weinberg

9th Grade

All A’s Ian Eells

Chris Frye

David Lash

Braeona Shelton

Kyleigh Sweet

Abby Vallance

Ashley Vallance

Nathan Wagner

A/B Michael Barkman

Brandon Crawford

Simon Minor

Mason Paliga

Grayson Riethmiller

Madasen Wiseman

10th Grade

All A’s Phillip Alva

Bryce Frame

Christin Hicks

Katelyn Walls

Austin Yerrick

A/B Ryan Case

Alexis Czajkowski

Brice Harvey

Alexa Haskin

Jillian Kinstle

Katelynne Leitch

Austin Stoll

Jacob Weaver

Jonathan West

Madison Wooden

11th Grade

All A’s Nayomie Allen

Sabrina Baker

Brendon Barkman

Isaiah Fellers

Brooke Hinkley

Samantha Hirschy

Kaitlyn Jordan

Desirae Martin

Brenden Shelton

Morgan Sillings

Andrew Smolarz

Kianna Sterlini

Andrew Stoll

Sydney Tomlinson

A/B Matthew Bissett

Maddelyn Fisher

John Ruby

12th Grade

All A’s Lauryn Barnes

Keagan Bower

Alison Case

Kassidy Cook

Austin D’Water

Rachel Jensen

Meagon Persing

Jhenna Puckett

Abby Saxman

Mariah Seiber

Jonathan Smolarz

Brianna Vinson

Kevin Wagner

Garrick Yaudes

A/B Josh Allerding

Carson Grindell

Rocky Whitfield

Clayton Wolf

School Success = ATTENDANCE! One of the most important factors to student success in school is regular school attendance – attending

every day! When students are in school, they stay up to date with lessons, homework, and assessments.

Additionally, consistent attendance provides students valuable social skills, places an importance on their

education, and allows them to take part in opportunities that would otherwise be missed if not in school.

In the first 50 days of school, Colon Jr./Sr. High School has averaged 95% attendance! Keep up the positive

turnout!

The following students had perfect attendance during the 1st Marking Period:

Parent-Teacher Conferences

Thank you to all the parents who came out on Thursday November 2, 2017, to the Jr./Sr. High School

conferences. Your attendance is greatly appreciated and it is our hope you gained valuable insight into your

students’ education. We look forward to our continued partnership throughout the school year.

Jr/Sr High School Honor Roll

An ELITE job to the following students for making the 1st Marking Period Honor Roll:

Principal’s Corner

with Mr. R

I would like to thank everyone

in the Colon community for a

warm welcome to the school

district and an ELITE start to

the school year.

I was extremely impressed

with our building participation

and spirt during Homecoming

week and was equally

impressed with the

enthusiasm by the student

body at the pep assembly.

I mention this because this is

not the norm everywhere. It is

energizing to be around a

group of students and staff

who feel so proud and

passionate about where they

are from!

ELITE ATTITUDE…

ELITE EFFORT…

ELITE RESULTS.

MAGI PRIDE!

6th Grade Kiera Bennett

Kaleb Bissett

Macey Burgess

Sophia Eells

Hunter Jones

Victoria Lopez

Lindsey Riethmiller

Ashley Rodrigues

Reese Williams

7th Grade Franklin Edson

Connor Hetman

Aidan Johnsen

Tucker Lafler

Brooke Stewart

Justin Wickey

8th Grade Sarah Bennett

Kodey Dovey

Faith Fulks

Kaleb Johnson

Azealia Lafler

Destinee Martin

Lindsey Miller

Baylen Moore

Dylan Nelson

Isac Owen

Peyton Scott

9th Grade Jenna Breneman

Kendall Cook

Annalisha Julien

Abby Vallance

Kaitlyn Wagner

Matthew West-Grigsby

LaWayne Wickey

Robert Wickey

Dylan Nelson

10th grade Jillian Kinstle

Justin Miller

Braetan Thomas

11th Grade Nayomie Allen

Brendan Barkman

Matthew Bissett

Jayden Breneman

Isaiah Fellers

Maddelyn Fisher

Morgan Sillings

12th Grade Logan Broker

Kassidy Cook

Austin D’Water

Michelle Rodrigues

Abby Saxman

Rocky Whitfield

7th Grade

All A’s Simon Vinson

A/B Megan Jackson

Haven McClish

Ashlyn Mitchell

Brooke Stewart

College and Career Trips For Sophomores

On November 1st, Colon sophomores participated in

college visits to Kalamazoo Valley Community College and Western Michigan University. They

learned about admission requirements and financial aid, took tours of the campuses and were able to

experience a little bit of campus life by eating alongside college students at the Western Michigan

University dining hall.

On November 7th, our sophomores traveled to the Branch Area Career Center (BACC) and were able to

visit and learn about two programs of their choice. There are twelve program options available at the

BACC in a variety of career pathways. Students may begin enrolling in BACC programs starting in 11th

grade.

College Planning

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) began accepting applications for 12th graders on

October 1st. Students planning on attending any type of college next year need to fill out the FAFSA to be eligible for scholarships, grants, and student loans.

The FAFSA application can be found at https://fafsa.gov/ . The state deadline for completing the FAFSA is March 1, 2018. Check with the college

you are attending, however, as they may have deadlines that are sooner. If you need help

completing the FAFSA, please contact the high school office, or stop in and talk to the Student

Success Coordinator, Megan Sorensen.

The Branch County Community Foundation will begin accepting scholarship applications on December 1,

2017. Students can apply for over 30 local scholarships with one application, with several being

open to Colon students only. To apply, go to http://www.brcofoundation.org/scholarships. The

application deadline for these scholarships is March 2, 2018.

Planning for Success

It has been an exciting fall season in Magi Sports Nation! We have lots of new faces in our athletic department. The biggest

change was in the office itself. I took the job as full time athletic director and after 19 years at the helm, Tina took a job

with Sturgis Schools. Robbie Hattan took her place and is coaching football and girls’ basketball for us.

I hired a new volleyball staff. Our Jr. High volleyball coaches were Bailey Clipfell 7th grade and Reagan Miller 8th grade.

We had 13 girls on the 6th/7th grade team and 14 girls on the 8th grade team. Stephanie Long coached varsity last year,

but a new baby and a new job forced her to take a leave, so I hired Allie Kyle to coach varsity. Allie was a 4-year starter on

Bronson’s team and a former state champion! They learned a lot this season and made some big improvements. For the

first time in many years, we were in the finals for a district championship! Allie will be back next year and we are hoping to

build off the success we had this season. Stephanie was able to adjust her schedule, came back, and coached our JV team.

They made huge improvements and finished the season strong.

Another fantastic addition to our coaching staff was Ted and Becky Stoll. They worked together and coached jr. high and

varsity cross country. Our numbers were small, but they were mighty. They brought home many medals. Isaiah Fellers and

Jenna Breneman earned All-league Honors. Austin Stoll was a member of the All-County team finishing in the top 15 in the

county.

Another big change is looming next fall when our football program makes the change to 8-man. Our numbers are smaller

and we want to continue to have both a JV and Varsity program, so 8-man is a great step in the right direction. The whole

SCAA league will be 8-man in 2019, so we were headed that direction; we just got a jump start!

I’m looking forward to an exciting winter season! For the first time in years, we will have a freshman, JV and varsity teams

in girls basketball. As noted earlier, Robbie Hattan is the varsity coach and has hired Britni Hughes to coach the JV and

freshman teams. We have an exciting schedule for wrestling and with our Burr Oak co-op, hopefully a full team. The new

coach is Ben Carver and he is going to make a huge difference in Magi wrestling. Alumni Bradley Brittingham is coaching

8th grade boys’ basketball and Steve Vinson is still coaching the 7th graders. I have hired Chad Behrends to be a co-head

coach with Ted Stoll for Varsity Boys and Mike Bissett will be coaching the JV.

The cost to get into the games is $5.00, but students at Colon do not have to pay, another change we made this year. I

hope to see the bleachers overflowing in support of our winter teams. It’s a great time to be a Magi!

Upcoming Athletic Events in November and December

Boys Jr High Basketball High School Wrestling Girls Basketball Boys Basketball Nov 20th Climax-Scotts Dec 6th @Gobles Nov 21st Scrimmage Dec 5th Union City

Nov 27th Athens Dec 8th @Olivet Nov 28th Union City Dec 7th Jackson Christian Nov 29th Bellevue Dec 13th Home Quad Dec 1st Litchfield Dec 12th Bronson

Dec 6th St. Joe Dec 16th @JAWS INV Dec 5th @Jackson Christian Dec 15th St. Philip Dec 11th @Climax-Scotts Dec 20th @Bloomingdale Dec 8th @Bellevue Dec 21st Climax-Scotts

Dec 13th @ Athens Dec 23rd @Pickney Dec 15th St. Philip

Dec 19th Constantine Dec 21st Climax-Scotts

Bold Games are home

Home Games Start @ 5:30pm

November 17th- ½ Day for students

November 22nd- ½ Day for students

November 23rd/24th- Thanksgiving break no school

December 1st /2nd - Christmas in Colon

December 14th- High School Band concert

December 15th- ½ Day for students

December 15th- Zach Terrell speaks to JR/SR High students

December 25th- Start of Christmas break

January 8th- Students return from break

Important Dates to Remember

February 16th-19th- Mid-Winter Break

March 30th- April 6th – Spring Break

May 18th- Last day for seniors

June 3rd – Graduation

June 7th- Last day of school

District Calendar

For latest school news and updates visit us online

www.colonschools.org

and on Facebook

Colon Community School District

Local

Postal Customer

Colon Community Schools

400 Dallas Street

Colon, Michigan 49040

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Contact Information

Phone: 269-432-3231 Fax: 269-432-9851

Website: www.colonschools.org