RANDALL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL looks fabulous during holiday season

There is nothing like Christmas at Randall Elementary School, and here is some holiday artwork from the students and staff. 

MCDOWELL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL youngsters have plenty of fun reading

There was plenty of reading fun in Ms. Bochenek's kindergarten class McDowell Elementary School recently.

CAREER AND TECHNICAL CENTER students shine at HFCC competition

On January 8 seven Taylor Career and Technical Center students participated in their first Business Professionals of America competition at Henry Ford Community College. The students performed well in all of their categories and look forward to another year in BPA. Special congratulations goes out to Daryl who took home third place in his category (Microsoft Network Administration). He now has the opportunity to compete at the state level conference. 

WEST MIDDLE SCHOOL: Music cascades through the building

Music recently rocked through the Halls of “The Home of the Cardinals!”

Three special eighth grade students at West Middle School love music –especially band – so much that they have taken on a second instrument.  One of our unique students loves the arts so much, that she has enrolled herself in two band classes!  Way to go mighty eighth graders!

West is also lucky to have an extremely talented bunch of seventh graders.  Three of them have so much talent, that they have been asked to play with the Concert Band at school.  They have the task of learning their own seventh grade music along with all of the eighth grade music.  Practice, practice, practice!

SIXTH GRADE ACADEMY sends holiday letters overseas

Mrs. Tumas' class at the Sixth Grade Academy sent over 300 Holiday Cards to U.S. soldiers stationed overseas. They wrote heartfelt poems and wonderful messages in their cards.

TOMMIE SAYLOR: The 'book' is often overruled by the heart

“A creative man is motivated by the desire to achieve, not by the desire to beat others.” 

Ayn Rand

By Tommie Saylor

Kennedy High School Principal

When you’re an educator and your dealing with students, it is often better not to go strictly by the book, but by the heart.

A student is sent to the office by an angry teacher, declaring that the student refuses to dress for physical education class.  When the instructor challenges the student about not dressing, the student becomes “lippy,” even disrespectful. By the book, the student is charged with insubordination and being disrespect to a staff member, and given a long-term suspension from school.

Judged by the heart, the administration discovers that the reason why the student is not dressing for PE is because the student’s family cannot afford gym shoes. In addition, the student does not want to be embarrassed by being the only person in class wearing socks – besides, all the student’s socks have holes. So, the administration gets the student a pair of gym shoes and the next day sends him back to class.

Sometimes the rulebook just doesn’t apply. It isn’t about being soft or losing control, it’s about being human. It’s about looking past the negative behavior and resolving the problem.  As I have stated before, student discipline isn’t about getting even, it’s about showing the students a better way to resolve a problem. It’s about taking advantage of a learning opportunity, it’s about helping a student to grow up and become a productive member of our society.

A student becomes upset, gets up from her desk and heads for the door.  The instructor tells her to have a seat, but ignoring the instructor, the student walks out the door and heads to the office to speak with her counselor.  The instructor, understandably angry, charges the student for insubordination, disrespect and leaving class without permission.

By the book, the student is charged with insubordination, being disrespectful and with leaving class without permission, and is given an extended suspension from school.

By the heart, the counselor discovers that the student became upset because the lesson of the day, and ensuing discussion, hit a little too close to home. It reminded the student of her parents impending separation. So, the counselor introduces the student to the social worker recommending services, and advocates for leniency with the administration.

Not everything is black and white. We live is a society mired in shades of gray.  Understanding a student’s pain and motivation behind the behavior is key to truly helping the student through the pain and modifying the behavior. 

Simply, Social Studies and English just doesn’t seem very important when the student feels that their life is falling apart. It’s at that point in time the schools resolve is to become the student’s safety net, the student’s safe harbor.

As Ronnie Dunn’s lyrics say, “We all bleed red, all taste rain, all fall down, lose our way.  We all say words we regret, we all cry tears, we all bleed red.”

Understanding, compassion and empathy are often the difference between a good educator and a world changer. 

Helping a student survive through a difficult situation and survive high school, truly changes their world.  Our legacy will not be written by the number of doctors, attorneys, or senators we help to create, but by how many worlds we touch along the way.

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

DECA STUDENTS have tremendous showing in district competition

By Carly Lundgren-Barnard

Truman High School Marketing and Department Head

I am very proud of our DECA marketing students  this year. They competed at Eastern Michigan University on January 8 during district competition.

They were all dressed professionally and behaved in a professional manner. We received plenty of compliments by other adults on our students while at the event. 


Eighteen of our students qualified for the national competition.

Amario Massey, Cindy Nyarko, George Felix, Alexandra Rice and Kirsten Collett will compete in the role play/interview/test categories at state competition in March.

Rachel Trombetta, Bianca Warner, Linda Szabo, Alexa Bailey, Luke Deshano, Brett Rideout, Ethan Mulready, Christian Hernandez, Brendan Hoffman, Daniel Andrade, Harkarin Sembhi, Da'kyra Mghee-Monk and Sara Sherazi will compete in the written event/presentation categories at state competition in March.

Bianca Warner has been accepted to a leadership academy at the national career conference in Nashville, Tenn., in April.

I am very proud of Warner’s accomplishments through the marketing program the last three years. She started as a sophomore and has shown so much growth and dedication for learning, marketing and business education. This is a great opportunity for her.

Special thanks to the administration and staff for all of their support. They supported the students, our fundraisers and this awesome program. Thank you to Rita Zalewski, Shayna Hale, Kerrie Voorheis and Stephen Weatherholt for being chaperones and judges.