KINYON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL rocks out lunch!

HOLLAND ELEMENTARY SCHOOL: You never know where you'll find a reader

Holland Elementary School’s ATAs are helping with reading groups all over the building.  Students enjoy reading in places other than the classroom.

HOOVER MIDDLE SCHOOL students career crush

Here are some photographs of the Hoover Middle School eighth-graders doing “career crushing” with Mr Malbone -- in other words, they were researching careers that they might be interested in.

MCDOWELL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL kindergarteners bake cookies

At McDowell Elementary School, yummy gingerbread cookies were baked recently by kindergarteners. 

MCDOWELL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL takes on holiday look

Can you tell that it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas at McDowell Elementary School?

HOLLAND ELEMENTARY SCHOOL features elf appearance

One of Santa's elves has appeared in the Holland Elementary School Library. Recently the elf created a tree out of books, and sat on top as the star!

BLAIR MOODY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL preschool focuses on doctors and nurses

Preschool POHI is learning about community helpers at Blair Moody Elementary School!

Recently it focused on doctors and nurses. These students have a lot of experience visiting hospitals due to their medical conditions. It was nice to see the roles reversed. This time they cared for each patient; viewing X-rays, giving shots, checking blood pressure, and listening to heart beats.

HOOVER MIDDLE SCHOOL'S afterschool tutoring program receives special git

(Friday, December 11, 2015) the staff and student population at Hoover Middle School received a nice surprise -- thanks to local businessman Rattan Sekhon and his wife, Manjit.

Sekhon owns and operates the Comfort Inn & Suites, 6778 Telegraph Road. He and another business partner are also developing the old FIA Building, located next to the Taylor Meadows Golf Course, into the Meadows Convention Centre.

Hoover Principal Michelle Tocco runs one of the most successful afterschool tutoring programs in the district, but thanks to declining funding, has had difficulty making ends meet. While more than a quarter of the school's enrollment participates in the afterschool program, Tocco noted that the funds to provide the snacks for the program are running out.

City of Taylor Economic Development Director George Sutherland, Adminstrative Assistant Kimber Dorton and Communications & Marketing Director Karl Ziomek met with Tocco recently, toured the afterschool program and set about the task of gathering funds for the snack program. The trio, under the direction of Mayor Rick Sollars, have been meeting with various Taylor School District educators in an attempt to help improve areas where possible.

In stepped Rattan Sekhon, who met with Sutherland and agreed to fund snacks for the program for $2,000 annually.

The afterschool snacks are an important part of the program. The middle school schedule begins early in the morning and students often eat early lunches. By mid-afternoon, they are hungry and need something to get them through the tutoring program, which is taught by grant-funded teachers throughout the building.

The Sekhon donation was made during the annual Christmas Concert by the school's musical groups, which put on a tremendous hour-long vocal and instrumental presentation, capped by music from "Star Wars" introduced by a light swords duel between Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker.

Joining Rattan and Manjit Sekhon in a photo at the end of the event were Supt. Diane Allen, Sutherland, Tocco, Dorton and her daughter, Bailey.

For a complete photo album, click here.

HOLLAND ELEMENTARY SCHOOL tours City Hall complex

Second-graders from Ms. Danaj's class at Holland Elementary School toured the City of Taylor's municipal, police and fire complexes today (Wednesday, December 2, 2015).

The class received a chance to visit with Treasurer Edward Bourassa, who showed them the inside workings of his office. While in the City Council Chambers, "Mayor Victoria" took a resolution to her "City Council" about spending $1,000 to bring a unicorn to the community. Council didn't buy into the motion and voted it down -- and was banished from office in the next election, thanks to a vote of the audience (which was good for a laugh).

The good volunteers at the Veterans Museum, located inside of City Hall, took the group on a tour of the museum and explained information on the relics inside.

Mayor Rick Sollars caught up with the class in the atrium before they went to the Police Station. There, they toured the patrol room, 9-1-1 dispatch center and the holding cells before getting an up-close look at a patrol car. Thanks to Officers Rosanna Hopper, Frank Canning and Paul O'Connor -- the Taylor Police Department liaisons with the school district -- for the tour.

The last stop was the Fire Station, where the children learned about emergency lifesaving ideas, toured the Midtown Fire Station, checked out the equipment and even took a look at the department's brand new fire engine.

The class's visit was part of a social studies, economics and community project that they are currently working on.

Any schools or classes wishing to tour the city's facilities should contact Kimber Dorton at kdorton@ci.taylor.mi.us.