MCDOWELL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL: WSU leads campaign toward better health

McDowell Elementary School is building a healthy community with help from a grant from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, Michigan Fitness Foundation, UM Project Healthy  Schools and United Dairy Industry of Michigan.

Wayne State University is leading McDowell’s program.

The program has the goal of providing students with education, opportunities and encouragement to be more physically active and choose healthier foods throughout the day and carry these important health messages home to parents/guardians. The long-term goal is a decrease in obesity among children in Michigan.

The school received amazing recess equipment and continuing lessons from Wayne State Coordinator Kerry Minshew, who brings the most yummy fruit snakes, resources for our website and wonderful health-themed books and a book case for the school library.

Very soon McDowell will be having a “Healthy Kids Club” after school.

So visit the school website by clicking here to get healthy monthly tips because healthy kids are better learners!

MCDOWELL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL: Book fair comes to building!

The Scholastic Book Fair came to McDowell Elementary School this week. The pupils were able to shop for family and friends. Plenty of pennies, nickels and quarters were exchanged for great books, bookmarks and fun stuff!

WEST MIDDLE SCHOOL: 170 toys collected for program

This holiday season, the students from West Middle School Student Council collected donations for Toys For Tots program.  

West students brought in new, unwrapped toys to donate over the past few weeks.  All together, West collected over 170 toys to donate. 

Great job. We are all inspired by your generosity!

RANDALL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL: Thanks to Mrs. Copple, it's Walmart to the rescue

At Randall Elementary School, Mrs. Copple, one of the amazing aides, contacted officials at the Walmart of Taylor, which was nice enough to donate $150 towards Mrs. Cahalan's third-grade classroom at for Christmas projects this year.  

The students were able to make an ornament filled with beads and holiday wrapping paper, along with a soap air freshener for members of their family.  

A huge thanks to the people at Walmart!

RANDALL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL: Food fight!

The Randall Elementary School Student Council sponsored the building’s annual "Food Fight” recently.

 Each class donated nonperishable food items for the month of November and 1,518 items were collected.

The food is donated to the Taylor Goodfellows.

Pictured above is Principal Meszaros and Eric Hall from the Goodfellows with the 2013-14 Student Council officers.

The fourth-grade (and the four-five split) won the competition and will be engraved on the plaque near the office.

EUREKA HEIGHTS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL: Peer-to-peer instruction sharpens math skills

Ms. Schoen and Ms. Farkas's first-graders at Eureka Heights Elementary School met with their fifth-grade buddies from Mr. Beddingfield's class recently to utilize peer-to-peer instruction and play math games.

Students used technology such as iPads and computers to work on number lines and math families.  

Other students used a math mat and 13 cubits to practice the math game “Rotten Apple.”  The contrast of these two very different learning methods ensure that all students learning styles are satisfied.

HOLLAND ELEMENTARY SCHOOL: Writing touches plenty of hearts during holiday season

Welcome to the Holland Elementary School Writing Assembly!

All of the students at Holland participate in a school-wide writing topic each month.  Two students are selected from each class to read what they have written in front of their peers and parents.  

This month's topic was met with many heartfelt responses that demonstrated the generous nature of our students.  The topic:

"This time of year is all about giving to others.  What can you do for a special person that would cost no money?  Who would that special person be and what would you do for them?"  

The writings included cooking breakfast for parents, sharing the spirit of Christmas through being kind and loving,  giving gently used toys to children in need, talking to and sharing with the homeless, and sending Christmas cards and encouragement to the people of the Philippines, who recently lost so much in the typhoon.  

The writing was some of the best ever and everyone was touched by the students’ wonderful ideas!