TAYLOR PARKS ELEMENTARY: Students turn to apples during heart healthy week

On Wednesday, February 5, as part of the American Heart Association's Heart Healthy week celebration, all of the students at Taylor Parks Elementary School were treated to a healthy snack of apples, courtesy of the Meijer store in Taylor and the district’s school nurses.

HOOVER MIDDLE SCHOOL: Students learn about the power they hold with computers. cell phones and gaming systems

On Wednesday, February 5, all of the students at Hoover Middle School viewed a presentation by a representative of Children's Hospital of Michigan on Internet safety.  

The students learned of the power they have with their computers, cell phones and gaming systems, along with the dangers of not using them safely.  

Afterwards, they were treated to a healthy snack, courtesy of the Meijer of Taylor, and the school nurses, celebrating The American Heart Association's Heart Healthy Week.

WEST MIDDLE SCHOOL: Parents go above and beyond ... and even sell 'West Wear'

According to Principal Trish Kaechele at West Middle School, not only did the school schedule a “Parent Game Night” during parent/teacher conferences, but the West parent group also works during every conference night to sell the school’s fancy “West Wear.”

West Wear includes sunglasses, lanyards and anti-bully wristbands. The group also offers slushies and popcorn, ready for the parents and siblings of students for a nice refreshment break between conferences.

Thanks to all of the West parent and student helpers. All the West gear is available for purchase any time in the main office.

HOOVER MIDDLE SCHOOL: Band beats the weather and the competition

Fifty-six Hoover Middle School Band students participated in the MSBOA District 12 Solo and Ensemble Festival Competition held at Livonia Franklin High School on Saturday, February 1. Forty-two received the highest first division rating.

Students and parents traveled through the snow and ice to perform their solo, duet or trio for a musical judge.  Each student received helpful advice and verbal and written comments from the judge.  

Forty-two Hoover students received the highest first division rating. Twelve students received a second division rating and four received a third division rating.  

Pianist Mrs. Winnie accompanied all the solo performers. Mrs. Winnie has been playing the piano for Taylor students for the past 23 years, and students and staff are grateful for her time and service.  

Mr. Bergler, Hoover band director, was extremely proud of all of the students and very impressed that parents made the extra effort to get them to Livonia despite the storm.

MCDOWELL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL: Here comes Mr. Kaunelis and his computers ...

McDowell Elementary School first-graders are learning to compute!

On a recent day, two carts full of laptop computers rolled into Ms. Park's room followed by the most enthusiastic technology teacher you’d ever want to meet, Mr. Derek Kaunelis.

Mr. Kaunalis has had a chance to be in almost every classroom in the Taylor School District. He gives instruction and encourages students to get comfortable with a computer.

Ms. Park's students learned about the keyboard and much more. Mr. Kaunelis's big advice to every student is, “Try it, you're really going to like it.”

MCDOWELL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL: There's a 'bug' going around, and it has numbers in it ...

There is a “bug” going around McDowell Elementary School these days. It seems that everyone has caught “Math Mania!”

Everyone had a good time at the school’s Math Mania Family Night recently. Students and their parents played a variety of math games that really made learning fun.

The games included What's My Number (a game like Guess Who); Tangram Triangles, where pictures were made out of geometric shapes; Getting Glyphy, where students followed a key to make a picture with a message; Silly Shape Fun, which is a geometric shape board game; and last but not least, math games that the families could make and take home!

The McDowell staff and Talking Taylor Schools sends out a big thank you to all the families that came out and made the family night a success!

HOOVER MIDDLE SCHOOL: Jazzers bring the medals home!

Mrs. Wright-Farmer, the choir teacher at Hoover Middle School, send this post our way about the Choir Department's "Jazzers."

On Saturday, February 1, the Hoover Choir Department sent its jazz ensemble, “The Jazzers,” to the Michigan Schools Vocal Music Association Solo and Ensemble Competition.  

This year’s competition was held at Monroe Middle School.  Chinonso, Nicole, Destiny, Brooke, Cierra, Selena, Hattie, Erica, Sydney and Lindsey all came home with medals!

MYERS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL: Time to RSVP!

The Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) is an organization sponsored by Catholic Social Services. It has many volunteers in churches, hospitals and schools, and does many community service projects.

RSVP held a pencil drive collecting over 4,700 pencils -- ALL of which were donated to the students at Myers Elementary School.

Several volunteers and the program director visited Myers on January 17. They visited Mrs. Schulte's second-grade classroom and talked about their role in the community.

Students were also very excited to try to guess the number of pencils that were donated. The entire student body was informed of the pencil donation at the weekly Tribes assembly.

Myers is thankful for this wonderful donation and new found partnership with RSVP!

EUREKA HEIGHTS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL: 'Targeted' for an award!

Target has given Eureka Heights Elementary School the "Books for Schools Award" worth $500 in books for its library!

This week Ms. Tammy Montroy visited the school to announce the good news.

The award is part of Target’s ongoing efforts to build strong, safe and healthy communities across the country. These efforts include Target’s long history of giving 5 percent of its profit to communities it serves.

Target works in partnership with First Book, which is a nonprofit organization dedicated to putting new books in the hands of students across the country.

Eureka Heights’ students, staff and friends can't thank Target enough for choosing the school for the award!

HOOVER MIDDLE SCHOOL: P.S. ... it's the drama club!

The Hoover Middle School Drama Club presented, P.S. Merry Christmas, its first show of the 2013-2014 school year back on December 17.

Cast members included seventh graders Josh, Rachel, Emilee and Latrenisha, and eighth-graders  Brooke, Austin, De Janae, Mykaila, Claudia and Kyle.

This is how the plot played out: Have you ever received a Christmas letter?  One of those notes inserted into a Christmas card telling you much more than you ever wanted to know about the sender? Karen Brookshire loves writing them but not her family. They’d much rather dive behind the couch.  

With a boy crazy daughter, a smarty-pants son and a klutzy husband, Karen has her hands full.

So Karen has decided to write their Christmas letter by herself recalling such events as their daughter’s first date, which unfortunately occurred at the same time as two overly-adoring aunts were visiting, Also included was their son’s high school graduation, where he not only won the embarrassing “Perfect Attendance Award” but also found out that he would still be living at home.  

But the more Karen writes, the more her imagination soars. She even pictures the rest of her family pulling a “Mission Impossible” to get rid of the letter. Full of humor and poignant memories, the theatrical greeting card brings home the true meaning of family, of tradition and, of course, Christmas itself.

TAYLOR PARKS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL: It's Donuts with Dads!

The Taylor Parks Elementary School Watch D.O.G.S had the opportunity to meet as a group for the First Annual “Donuts with Dads.”  

As part of the spring recruitment and appreciation, TP Watch D.O.G.S Dads were invited to enjoy donuts and juice. While together they discussed the program and the pride they feel being part of Watch D.O.G.S.

WATCH D.O.G.S.  (Dads Of Great Students) is an innovative educational initiative involving father involvement as part of the National Center For Fathering. It began in 1998 in a single school in Springdale, Arkansas, and has since grown into a nationally recognized program that has brought hundreds of thousands of fathers and father figures into the nation’s classrooms and hallways.

WATCH D.O.G.S. has created millions of “in-school” volunteer hours and continues to have a tremendously positive impact on the educational process.

Today more than 3,156 schools in 46 states plus DC participate in WATCH D.O.G.S. Taylor Parks is in their second year with the program and the feedback from students has been "awesome."

BLAIR MOODY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL: Family night looks at the stars

On Friday, January 31, the Warren Astronomical Society provided a Family Night at Blair Moody Elementary School. 

Students learned about the planets, stars, night sky, black holes, telescopes and astronauts plus much more.

They were even able to look through a real telescope.

WEST MIDDLE SCHOOL: Band and chorus members excel in competitions

On Saturday, February 1, the West Middle School Band and Chorus sent student musicians to perform at MSVMA and MSBOA District Solo and Ensemble Festivals.  

Singers performed at Monroe Middle School and instrumentalists at Livonia Franklin High School.  Each musician performed pieces they had prepared for judges and was awarded a rating for their efforts.

Vocalists included Kara Powers, Cindy Nyarko, Abigail Bird and Jasmine Plank, who all received a "good" rating; Vheena Vilareal and Chloe Osborne, who each was rated "excellent"; and Gabe Hubbard, the only performer at the vocal festival to rate "superior."

Instrumentalists included Donte Bankhead, trombone, earning a "good" rating.  Rated "excellent" were Madison Rollins, flute, and clarinetists Jamie Lovelady, Sabrin Sekhon, Ryley Jackson, Rebecca Swift, Hannah Bolsley, Jessica Schlitz, Ivery Johnson and Alana Gates.

Saxophonists Jeremy Storage and Mitchell Furman earned "excellent" ratings also.  

Rated "superior" were flutists Anna Hansen and Brandi Keesee, and clarinetists Vheena Villereal, Alexis Ziesmer, DiAnna Orlandi and Sarah Gerin.  

Sax soloists Colin Sartor and Jeremy storage each earned an "I" superior rating, as well as duo-trumpeters Megan Stewart and Colin Sartor.  A mixed brass quartet of trumpeters Riley Adams and Ryan Stephenson, French hornist Josephine Nnangobya and trombonist Xavier Krause also took home the blue-ribbon "superior" rating.  

Music department directors Mr. Martin and Mrs. Scott are extremely proud of their students' efforts and courage and a celebration of success is planned.