Class takes in the DIA

Third graders from Mrs. Wolney's class at Blair Moody Elementary recently visited the Detroit Institute of Arts. They were given a guided tour and learned about artists, such as Vincent van Gogh.

Rep. Geiss pays a visit

State Rep. Douglas Geiss (D-Taylor) recently visited Blair Moody Elementary School to celebrate March, which is Reading Month.

Geiss read "Ruby in Her Own Time" to third graders.

Geiss has a long history of service to the Taylor community. He worked as a Congressional Page for the late U.S. Rep. William Ford in Washington, D.C., in 1986-87 before graduating first in his class from Truman High School in 1988. He earned Engineering (1992) and Masters in Business Administration (200) degrees from the University of Michigan. He worked at the Ford Motor Co. and served on the Taylor City Council (2001-2005).

He currently represents Michigan's 22nd District, which includes Taylor and Romulus.

Just showin' off

Kaitlyn (top) and Tyler show off the Native American dioramas they created while learning about the early history of the state of Michigan in Mr. Wolney's class at Blair Moody Elementary School.

Using their imaginations at the Imagination Station

Kindergarten, first- and second-grade pupils from Eureka Heights Elementary traveled to the Imagination Station in Toledo, Ohio, March 6. In fact, some of the pupils even took center stage!

In all, 140 students attended the trip along with 47 chaperones and eight teachers. They all explored the learning activities together. In fact, one of the pupils was chosen for a science demonstration (see photo) during that portion of the day's activities.

Eureka Heights plays, cheers past Baptist Park

Hey, LeBron James and the NBA defending champion Miami Heat may be cruising through the regular season, but they haven't met the Eureka Heights Elementary fourth and fifth grade boys' team -- at least, not yet!

On Saturday, Eureka Heights defeated Baptist Park 20-16 in what was generally thought of as a hard-fought game between a pair of good teams, featuring the Panthers' superb defense and showcasing their well-developed teamwork.

On the sidelines, there was even more action: The Panther cheerleaders sparkled and supported the winning team.

If only LeBron was so lucky ...

The blogging bus has left the station!

A couple of weeks ago, this blog was just an idea. Then it became an action point and, following a meeting with the principals of the Taylor School District last Wednesday and some work with online personnel at Heritage Newspapers, it became a reality!

We're talking about "Talking Taylor Schools," the newest edition to the online world.

By last Friday, we had set up an internal communications network in the school system with one purpose -- getting the good news into circulation. And the posts were very telling during the opening run of what I like to refer to as "the blog bus."

Principal Tommie Saylor of Truman High, in his "Friday Update" that now lives elsewhere on this blog thread, offered a very interesting read that most knowledgeable educators -- and not enough people outside of the field -- can relate to. It was about the long, tedious experience of standardized testing. The preparation. The frustration. The long hours. The -- at times -- disappointing returns.

Simply put, being an public school educator these days can be a no-win proposition. There are so many things that you can't control on top of the so many things that people want out of you. You can work so hard and, through no fault of your own, come up short of somebody's expectations.

And then, a couple of months down the line, all the scores are published and usually compared. That's not what they are for, mind you, but that little fact doesn't stop the process. If that comparison doesn't look good, it's like having someone kick sand in your face.

What I enjoyed about Saylor's update was that he put it in "real life" terms. He talked about the somewhat never-ending tasks of trying to win the standardized testing battle, but then spent most of his column about all the good things that are going on at Truman High School. Like the 40 DECA students being honored in competitions. Or the symphonic band's recent successes.

He talked about the JROTC and how proud his was of the program. The science department's rocketry program. Even things like lifesaving on the Truman pool deck, ping-bong and Youth in Government. The most I thought about it, the more I remembered my own high school days, not long past. I couldn't tell you many specific test scores I had, but I do remember certain teachers going out of their way to help me at the time. I don't remember too many academic honors, but I do remember so many of the names and face of professional educators -- many who have now passed on -- who lent something very important to my life development.

As Saylor's piece told everyone who managed to read it, there is more to education than just numbers and percentages. It's a message that needs to be told often these days ...

In other places around Taylor schools, good things were happening. Blair Moody Elementary partnered with Tim Horton's to supply hot chocolate to parents dropping off their children at school. The teachers served as the waiters and waitresses. A nice touch.

And look for a nationally-honored workshop coming to Truman soon. It's about helping parents connect with their sons and daughters about sex. It should be worth attending. Just touch base with Mary Logan at the high school for more information -- a complete story is also elsewhere on this blog thread and will likely be published in The News-Herald Newspapers in future editions.

Whatever you do, keeping coming back. This blog bus will have more good news and information on the Taylor School District in coming days ... if not hours!

By Karl Ziomek

Principal's Friday Update From Truman High School

By Tommie Saylor
Truman High School Principal

“Judge not lest ye be judged”  (The Holy Bible: King James Version, Matthew 7)

Today marks the end of the annual state mandated testing that includes the ACT, Work Keys, and Merit Examination, or more affectionately known as the MME’s. 

Our juniors endured three days of testing, costing the district thousands of dollars in both preparation and implementation, and our students hundreds of hours of study to make themselves ready for this evaluative marathon.  But what is really sad about this, is that in a few short months the test results will be made public, and good orbad, this is how we will be judged.  

The media, the politicians, and even our own community members only look at this one point of data and derive conclusions of our worth, make determinations if we are doing our jobs, come to conclusions that influence funding and distribution of resources, and enact decrees that affects careers and students alike.

What the media, politicians, and many of those in the general populous do not understand, or choose to not understand, is that we do so much more than just simply teach Math, Science, English, and Social Studies…. WE TEACH STUDENTS, not subjects.

We teach lifelong skills that prepare students to enter into the adult world.

If one wishes to evaluate the level of instruction taking place at Harry S Truman High School, lets looks at the whole, not the part -- not a single point of data, not three days of grueling test taking, but the totality of what takes place within our hallowed halls.  

Let’s consider the nearly 40 students that qualified for state level DECA competition thanks to the tireless work of Ms. Carly Lundgren. 

Let’s consider the band that received the highest marks possible at District level MSBOA competition, a band that is now preparing for state level competition thanks toour amazing director, Mr. Jason Cassell.  

Let’s consider the nearly 200 students who were accepted to college on the spot during our college fair, where over 30 colleges were represented handing out over $1.7 million in scholarship money, all thanks to our counseling team of Mr. Jerome Abraham, Ms. Maryann Chaparian, Ms. Jennifer Moitozo and Ms.Kim Wozny.

Let’s consider our JROTC program that just a few weeks ago took first place in a drill competition due to the efforts of First Sgt.  Karol Clampitt and Staff Sgt. Kurt Wilson.  

Let’s consider our science department that took their students out to the football field this last fall and taught them all about rocketry, culminating in the launching of multiple rockets affectionately known as “rocket day,” thanks to the organizationand diligence of Ms. Shannon Adis, Ms. Neeru Bhooi, Ms. Jamie Crosson, Mr. David Grimason, Ms. Michelle Szabo, and Mr. Anthony Thomas.  

Let’s consider the lifesaving skills being taught by Mr. Pimer on the pool deck, the Ping-Pong matches organized by Mr. Bechtol between our students and the senior citizens within our community, and the 30 years Ms. Fortune has been leading the Youth In Government students to Lansing to give our students the experience of proposing bills and passing resolutions.  

Let’s consider the school newspaper edited by Mr. James Solak, WHST broadcasting class taught by Mr. Dennis Winnie, after school tutoring organized by Ms. Linda Rzepecki, the endless hours spent by Ms.Roseann Woloszyk making sure our special needs students are appropriately accommodated for MEAP and MME tests.

Let's consider Ms. Teri Hanning without, without whom we would not have been able to conduct any of the multiple standardized tests taken by our students this year, Ms. Graznak who teaches our students the art of publication through the production of the Yearbook, and Ms. Lisa Arseneau and Ms. Rosalind Lojewski, who head up the AP program affording many of our students college credit before they even enter the collegiate world.  

Let’s consider Ms. Melissa Skopczynsk,i who feeds a student every morning knowing that this student does not receive breakfast at home, our maintenance team that keeps our school in working order, our secretaries that have become surrogate mothers for us all, and Ms. Kerrie Voorheis who leads the team that worked for months resulting in Truman becoming fully accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA) on our first attempt.  

I wish that I could remember more, but I’m sure you get the point. So many good things take place at Truman that goes well above and beyond what can be gleaned through state mandated tests.  

We afford our students educational experiences that cannot possibly be measured by paper and pencil, yet are exponentially more important that just standardized testing.

Let the chips fall where they may, I fear not the results of the MME’s. I know what kind of educators we have. I have seen the blood, sweat and tears -- so many tears you have shed on behalf of your students.

We will do what we have always done, celebrate our successes and tackle our failures. 

We, the teachers, will educate. 

Remember, their future is in our hands. Improving one week at a time.

This is The New Truman High School.

Comment on this or any item in "Talking Taylor Schools" by emailing to karlziomek11@gmail.com.