SEVERAL SCHOOL GROUPS to participate in Taylor Winter Festival event

Several school groups, including cheerleaders, DECA, Taylor Robotics and Champions (the district's elementary school before- and after-school program) will participate as the City of Taylor, Downriver Fish & Loaves Food Pantry and the Taylor Conservatory & Botanical Gardens hosts the “Taylor Winter Festival Christmas Kickoff” at Heritage Park (Northline and Pardee roads) Saturday, November 28. 

The fun will begin at 3 p.m. with “The Christmas Parade” (free admission), to be held along the ring road inside Heritage Park. It will feature Fire and Police vehicles (including the Taylor Fire Department’s newest vehicle), various civic organizations and, or course, the arrival of Santa Claus! 

Tentatively scheduled to attend are “Frozen Characters” Elsa, Anna and Olaf from Carey Ann’s Clown Caravan; the Culver’s and Liberty Tax mascots; members of Taylor Dance, Belle Tire hockey, Taylor Little League baseball, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Allen Park Knights of Columbus; Miss USA Michigan Da’Stanza Murphy; the Miss Downriver Teens; Taylor Robotics; Taylor Soccer; and various cheerleading and student groups from the Taylor high schools and middle schools.

The parade will begin at approximately 3 p.m. near the Northline Road entrance to Heritage Park (which will be closed for this event) and will march to the Sheridan Center Open Air Pavilion. Anyone attending should park in the Sheridan Center (Pardee Road) parking lot. To view the parade, take the path located along the north side of the Activities Building to the parking lots behind. They border on the park's circular drive, and should offer the best viewing. Those lots will be closed to vehicles on parade day.

The parade will end in front of the Sheridan Center Open Air Pavilion. At approximately 4 p.m., “The Sheridan Center Tree Lighting” (free admission) will include entertainment by the Taylor Community Chorus and others, presentations, ice sculptures, giveaways, rides and the initial lighting of a huge new Christmas tree that will be located in the open air pavilion for the rest of the holiday season. The tree was donated to the City of Taylor by Realty Transition LLC. City workers have been installing the huge tree inside the Sheridan Center this week. 

Afterward, the entire crowd will march next door to the Activities Building for an approximate 5 p.m. “Grand Opening of Santa’s Magic Forest” (GA $3, children under 3 are free). Enjoy Downriver’s finest indoor Christmas display. Get your photos taken with Santa Claus ($8)! 

Then wrap up the evening with a 6 p.m. “Bonfire and Tree Lighting” at the Taylor Conservatory (free admission). Enjoy refreshments and song and the warmth of the bonfire before the Conservatory lights its Christmas tree to cap off the day’s events!

Officials from the City of Taylor, Downriver Fish & Loaves Food Pantry and the Taylor Conservatory & Botanical Gardens hope this event will be the start of an ever-expanding kickoff celebration of the Holiday Season. Sponsors of this event are Biggby Coffee, Target, Texas Roadhouse and Meijer. 

Fish & Loaves is the sponsor and beneficiary of Santa’s Magic Forest. It is a 501(c)3, client-choice, food pantry, “Ensuring No One Goes Hungry” in the communities they serve. It is a faith based, non-sectarian organization staffed by volunteers serving those in need regardless of religious beliefs. Located in a 12,000 square-foot facility, the pantry currently serves residents of seven adjacent communities--Allen Park, Brownstown Township, Dearborn Heights, Romulus, Southgate, Taylor, and Woodhaven. 

The Taylor Conservatory Foundation is also a non-profit 501(c) (3) organization whose mission is creating beautiful public spaces, promoting the arts and sciences, and preserving the natural environment by promoting positive community outcomes with its programs designed for a multitude of social, educational, and environmental needs.

PARKING NOTES: The Northline Road entrance to Heritage Park will be CLOSED for this event. Anyone arriving should use the Pardee Road entrance. Spectators should park in front of the Sheridan Center Open Air Pavilion. Parade participants should also use the Pardee entrance, but will be directed to a parking location deeper inside Heritage Park, closer to the area where the parade will begin.

RANDALL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL cheerleading fundraiser get a hand from 3 Sons Lawn Care

The Randall Elementary School Mustangs’ cheerleading squad held a bowling fundraiser on Sunday, November 22, to raise money for new uniforms.

The squad came up short on the funds, but Artt Scrimenti, a Truman High School graduate, donated the remaining funds needed. The Randall Mustangs would like to thank Artt Scrimenti and his business 3 Sons LawnCare, for making this fundraiser a success! 

RANDALL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL children create 'thankful' artwork

Here are some recent photos of Thanksgiving artwork at Randall Elementary School. Kindergartners took the time to describe what they are thankful for in life. What are you thankful for?

RANDALL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL holds family engagement

The Arts & Scraps Family Engagement Event at Randall Elementary School was held earlier this month.

At the beginning of the event, students and families were treated to snacks and bottles of water to enjoy throughout the night. Mrs. Meszaros welcomed all of the families to the event. Then, Nannette Kuhn, the Taylor School District Parent Facilitator, read the beginning of the book, “I Need My Monster,” by Amanda Noll.

In the book, the little boy's monster that lives under his bed goes on a fishing vacation. The

little boy decides he needs a substitute monster. Several monsters come, but the boy is not

satisfied with any of them. That is where the story was stopped and the families were

introduced to Arts & Scraps.

Mr. D, from Arts & Scraps, gave a brief talk about recycling and gave the families instructions for the evening's activities. The students were each given a bag of scraps from Arts & Scraps that was filled with the materials that they used to create a substitute monster for the boy. The students were also given the opportunity to shop on the

Scrapmobile for free.

On the Scrapmobile, the students were able to gather more materials to be able to continue the creativity at home. Next, the students created a short story to go along with their monster and they told why the boy didn't want their monster for the monster under

his bed.

The evening ended with Mrs. Kuhn finishing up the story about the boy and his monster. Fun was had by all who attended.

TAYLOR PARKS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL holds 'time out' with Healthy Taylor

Taylor Parks Elementary School held its monthly Time Out For Parents meeting recently.  Guest speaker was Ruth Sebaly, from “Healthy Taylor Initiative.”

The topic was how to keep your children safe. Parents were given suggestions to help with awareness regarding car seats, crossing roads, gun safety, along with keeping simple household items away kids.

HOLLAND ELEMENTARY SCHOOL pupils read Stone Soup

Second graders at Holland Elementary School recently read "Stone Soup" then decided to make some of their own.

TRUMAN CHEERLEADERS hold Holiday Bazaar

AUTISM AWARENESS VENDOR SHOW scheduled for December 1-2 at Kinyon

The Taylor School District's 2015 Autism Awareness Vendor Show is scheduled for December 1-2 at Kinyon Elementary School.

Kinyon is located at 10455 Monroe.

The show will be held from 12:30-3:30 p.m. and again from 5-7 each day.

A raffle will be held at the end of the second night. Looking for exciting prizes for the whole family.

For more information, contact the school.

RANDALL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL food drive is a huge success

Randall Elementary School’s Junior BETA Club hosted a food drive for Downriver Fish & Loaves Food Pantry during the month of November.

The club is ecstatic to announce that it raised over 1,100 food items, which totaled 941 pounds of food. 


There was a contest among the classes to see which could bring in the most food. Mrs.Collin's second grade won the title by bringing in 160 items! 


The school and the organization thanks everyone who participated and made it a huge success!

RANDALL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL pupils get turkeys off the hook

Many turkeys were spared from their traditional Thanksgiving Day fate by the first graders in Mrs. Ostrowski's class at Randall Elementary School. 

The assignment was to use your imagination to plan and implement a “Turkey Disguise” with the help of your family at home.

A plain piece of white construction paper was creatively transformed by using cotton balls, tissue paper, pipe cleaners, glitter and markers.  

The fabulously creative finished products included turkeys disguised as other animals such as a sheep and a tiger. 

Other turkeys were disguised as people, which included a Marine, a cheerleader and a rock and roller.

One turkey was even disguised as a super hero.  Finally, many were disguised as peacocks. 

TOMMIE SAYLOR: Successful teaching often is located outside the box

“Success is the result of perfection, hard work, learning from failure, loyalty, and persistence.”

-- Colin Powell

By Tommie Saylor

Kennedy High School Principal

Failure is part of the process.  Often we fear trying something new, stepping out of our comfort zone and giving a new idea it’s proper due. We withdraw because of our anxiety for failure, when we should advance forward. 

Because we hate to be wrong, we often fail to even try. We have grown too comfortable. Even if our “normal” is ineffective and counter to our goals, we would rather stick with that which we know, than do that which is hard or unfamiliar.  Because we fear failure, we fail to try, and thus fail to grow.

Imagine if Edison would have given up after the first few filaments failed in his incandescent light bulb. Failure doesn’t mean disaster. In fact we can learn more from our failures than from our successes; failure is a lesson, a learning opportunity.

Good teachers know that their lessons can’t be static. One can’t create a lesson plan and teach the same lesson year after year after year.  The good teacher constantly tweaks, adjusts and refines lessons. A good teacher is not afraid to try new approaches, new methods and new techniques. 

If the changes are successful, that’s great. Keep and incorporate the changes into your teaching. If unsuccessful, try, try, try again. 

Finally, the good teacher is not afraid to ask their students how they can improve a lesson, or if a change worked for them.  Students, who have witnessed many lessons and many presentations by the time they get to high school, can be brutally honest – and often rather insightful. 

Though you can’t always give the students what they want, they are often fairly good at letting you know what works, what does not work, and how they learn.

How and where will you lead them. Making Kennedy the school of choice. Excellence by design.