PARTNERSHIP: News-Herald article highlights TSD/WCCCD agreement that begins this fall

NOTE -- As posted here on "Talking Taylor Schools" weeks ago, the Taylor School District and the Wayne County Community College District are partnering on a unique program, beginning this fall, that will help TSD students get a big jump on a college education, while saving their families a lot of money. Staff Writer Dave Komer of The News-Herald Newspapers picked up on the issue this week. Here's his report:

TAYLOR — In the fall, a new program will allow high school students in the district to earn college credits.



Through dual enrollment, juniors can enroll at Wayne County Community College while they attend high school. If students complete the program, by the time they graduate from high school, they will have enough college credits to be sophomores at Wayne County Community College, school Supt. Diane Allen said.

Allen helped bring the program, which the junior college does with other districts, to Taylor.

“We’re very excited,” Allen said. “When I first became superintendent, one of my first goals was to do dual enrollment. “We are the first district to do it on a large scale.”



The district has 62 students enrolled in the program for the 2013-14 school year. Students who take part in the program will begin the school day at their usual high school, then in the afternoon get bused over to Wayne County Community College’s Downriver campus, 21000 North Line Road.



At the end of the day, students then get bused back to the high school after their college classes end.



Allen said the opportunity will help students to experience college-level courses while earning credits toward their post-high school goals.



John Reilly, president of the Board of Education, said he is happy to see the district begin the program.

“I think it's a really good thing for our students,” he said. “This year's incoming juniors, they can go to Wayne County Community College in the afternoons and high school in the morning and earn college credits. It is going to be a really positive thing.”


To connect directly to the News-Herald's online version of this story, click here. For additional information included in the initial posting of this story on the blog, click here.

For more information, call (313) 374-1200.

MCDOWELL VOLUNTARY PROGRAM: Pupils sharpen skills by focusing on birds

Exiting third- and fourth-grade students had the opportunity to participate in a voluntary four-day summer program at McDowell Elementary, June 24-27. 

The focus of the program was to sharpen non-fiction reading skills. Self-proclaimed “Bird Nerd” and third-grade teacher, Ms. Bochenek, and Ms.Sutphen, the school’s upper elementary resource teacher, designed and co-taught the program around the topic of “birds."  

Students were able to observe birds in their natural environment while learning about them through their participation in a variety of mini-lessons that focused on important reading skills. Students learned how to differentiate between fiction and non-fiction text, identify key features of non-fiction text,
determine author’s purpose, understand the meanings and differences between carnivores, herbivores and omnivores, locate important details,identify and use  headings, and determine the main idea of a paragraph. 

In between mini-lessons, students learned how to use a field guide and binoculars to identify common birds in the habitat that surrounded the school.  

They jotted down notes about birds they spotted in journals that they designed. In addition to designing their own covers to their journals, students delved into their creative side by creating poems about birds of their choice, and creating colorful “owl art."

The program was a success and enjoyed by all who participated.