Principal's Blog

For the 2010-11 School Year

2010-11-04T09:09:00.001-04:00

Please feel free to post comments or questions.

From the Principal - May 7, 2010

2010-05-14T12:51:00.002-04:00

Day of Caring— A smashing success!!!!! We were fortunate to have the weather hold off. Our day began with the activities to emphasize the importance of service and ended with 700 students serving our communities through clean-up, mentoring, tutoring, and assisting the elderly. Thank you to all of the parent volunteers, staff support, and student service for this historical day.

If you were a driver for our Day of Caring, please take a moment to complete this short survey http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/WEB22AJN567GW2

Congratulations to our science olympiad team. Our middle school students finished sixth overall earning them their first trophy at the state level. They earned 12 top ten places out of 23 events and 10 top 6 medals which was their best ever!

Thank you to all the coaches, students, and parents that made this such a successful year. This was truly a team effort.

If you are interested in providing a meal for the McCahill family, a website has been established to assist with this process. If you would like to sign up, please visit www.takethemameal.com go to find a meal schedule fill in last name: McCahill and the password is: 1234. Your consideration is greatly appreciated.

Have a safe, restful weekend!
Mr. Stuursma

From the Principal - March 26, 2010

2010-03-26T14:46:00.002-04:00

Legislation requires that all schools annually conduct two sheltering drills in addition to their six fire drill and two tornado drills. Teachers, alone with administrators, will review the steps and will clearly communicate that it is a "practice" drill just like fire drills.

Partial and full sheltering drills will take place on Thursday, April 1, during second hour. The drills involve teachers bringing any students in the hallway into classrooms, locking nearby fire doors or gates, locking and covering classroom windows and doors, and placing students in the least observable location. If you have any questions about this requirement, please contact an administrator.

These and other drills are done consistently for the safety of our students and staff.

Have a safe, restful weekend.

Best Regards,

Mr. Stuursma

From the Principal - March 19, 2010

2010-03-25T07:31:00.007-04:00

· Thank you to Claire & Katherine Golladay, Kaela Theut and the entire student body for your support and efforts with the t-shirts for Haiti project.

· As we head into spring, please click here to see the attached information from Mrs. Kuklewski regarding school attire.

Have a safe, restful weekend.

From the Principal - March 5, 2010

2010-03-12T10:35:00.001-05:00

· On March 4, the EGRMS 8th Grade Band and Orchestra competed at the District 10 Band and Orchestra Festival held at EGRHS PAC. Congratulations to both groups for receiving an overall 1st division (superior) rating!! We couldn't be more proud of our students and how they represented EGRMS.

· Good luck to the 7th and 8th grade choral ensembles who will be participating in the District Choral Festival at West Ottawa Performing Arts Center on Thursday, March 11.

· Congratulations to the following students who participated in the Youth Theater Grand Rapids presentation of “Annie Jr.: Rosie Accola, Bridget Bevins, Hennesy Bevins, Sophie Blanchard, Sarah Clark, Jill Decker, Alec Distel, Hallie Distel, Justine Distel, Troy Gotch, Ellie Haun, Linde Hoffman, Stephen Hoffman, Hailey Hubbard, Savy Johnson, Emily Johnston, Caroline Kremers, Emma Kuske, Marie LaChance, Matthew Levitt, Emily Livermore, Annie Livingston, Sophia Luttke, Claire MacDonald, David Mack, Callie MacLean, Hannah Marsh, Sally Marsh, Audrey McDonald, Emily Milanowski, Elle O’Connell, Izzy Saylor, Clare Schneider, Turner Sytsma, and Kate VerMeulen.

Have a safe, restful weekend.

Best Regards,

Mr. Stuursma

From the Principal - February 26, 2010

2010-02-26T15:16:00.002-05:00

· Mrs. Fouch and her students will be doing a teddy bear drive March 1 – 5, 2010. Let’s help Blare Gooch reach his goal of 20,000 gently used or new teddy bears for the children of Haiti. Please bring a bear in and drop it in the boxes by the cafeteria. Donations to help with shipping costs will also be accepted.

· On March 2nd, the 8th grade students will be attending the 3rd annual “8th Grade Transition Day” at the high school from 11:45 AM to 2:50 PM. Information packets are available on the high school website under HS Communications or click here

· Congratulations to our middle school students for raising $2656.10 in the St Jude Children's Research Hospital Math-a-Thon this year! We had 116 of our students turn in money. Additional kudos go to Mrs. Woolford's 3nd hour class, and Mrs. G's 4th and 6th hour classes. These classes earned a pizza party, which they will have coming up in the spring.

· Congratulations to Paul Zamarripa and Sam Forestner for competing in the Regional Spelling Bee on Tuesday, February 23rd, held at Plymouth Christian Elementary. Paul, winner of the competition, will compete on Tuesday, March 23rd, at the Greater Grand Rapids Spelling Bee held at the Gerald R. Ford Museum at 6:30 PM. Sam finished the competition in fourth place. Best wishes to both competitors on a job well done!

Have a safe, restful weekend.

Best Regards,

Mr. Stuursma

From the Principal - January 22, 2010

2010-01-22T16:19:00.002-05:00

From the Principal:

Spelling Bee Winners!
Congratulations to Sam Forsner, the winner of the EGR Middle School Spelling Bee, and Paul Zamarippa, the runner-up. Sam and Paul will represent East Grand Rapids Middle School at the Regional Spelling Bee held at Plymouth Christian School, 1000 Ball Ave., Grand Rapids, Michigan on Tuesday, February 23, 2010, at 4:30 PM.

Attention 6th grade parents: Stanford/OLSAT Testing
Students in 6th grade will be taking the Stanford 10 and Otis-Lennon School Activity Test (OLSAT) tests from March 1st - March 12th. Students will be testing in a different core content area daily on a rotating schedule. *Calculators are needed for March 3rd for the Problem Solving portion of the Mathematics test, so please help your child remember to bring one to school that day.

If at all possible, please try to avoid scheduling appointments during this timeframe. Encourage your child to get plenty of rest, and to eat breakfast each day during testing. For further information about what these tests entail, please read the following two paragraphs.

The OLSAT is designed to measure abstract thinking and reasoning ability. It is also designed to assess examinees' ability to cope with school learning tasks, to suggest their possible placement for school learning functions, and to evaluate their achievement in relation to the talents they bring to school learning situations. The OLSAT is based on the notion that to learn new things, students must be able to perceive accurately, to recognize and recall what has been perceived, to think logically, to understand relationships, to abstract from a set of particulars, and to apply generalizations to new and different contexts. These processes are measured through performance on such tasks as detecting likenesses and differences, following directions, classifying, establishing sequence, completing analogies, and solving matrixes.

The Stanford 10 assesses the basic curricular objectives in the areas of reading, mathematics, language arts, and science. Students will also take a spelling and listening section, all of these tests are un-timed.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Mrs. Healey in the Guidance Office.

Have a safe, restful weekend.

Best Regards,
Mr. Stuursma

From the Principal - December 18, 2009

2009-12-18T14:24:00.001-05:00

From the Principal:

A huge thank you to our 6th grade students who have just completed a service project initiated by their English teachers, Mrs. Terri Clay and Mrs. Jill Smith. All 238 students participated by donating various personal items, (i.e., toiletries, gift cards, dvd’s) and included personal letters written by the students. These items were packaged and shipped to our military serving in Iraq. In all, 25 boxes were sent.

The student council and Mr. Anthony Morey orchestrated a food drive for all of the homerooms at the middle school, with the Kid’s Food Basket and God’s Kitchen being the recipients. I am happy to inform you that 2,552 food items have been collected for Kid’s Food Basket and 2,461 for God’s Kitchen. A big thank you to Mr. Morey, the student council officers; Sally Marsh, Jillian Langford, Jack Ruppert, Erik Molenaar, the student council representatives and everyone who provided the many items to make this drive a success.

Thank you to the many students, parents and staff for your generous gifts of monetary donations, gift cards, and food for our families in need. We will provide an update after the holidays. We are so fortunate to have such a giving community.

Congratulations to the music students and staff on all of the wonderful holiday concert performances this week. We are so fortunate to have so many talented students.

May you have a restful, safe, and enjoyable holiday season with family and friends. Classes resume Monday, January 4, 2010!!

Best Regards,

Mr. Stuursma

From the Principal - December 11, 2009

2009-12-11T16:01:00.003-05:00

Parking Lot Safety!

FOR THE SAFETY OF OUR STUDENTS PLEASE READ AND ABIDE BY THE FOLLOWING DROP-OFF AND PICK-UP PROCEDURES:

1. Have your child “Drop-off ready” for a speedy exit from the vehicle to keep traffic moving smoothly.

2. Please do not drop students off in the street on Lake Drive as it adds to the traffic problem and is very dangerous.

3. Never drop off from the left lane. Students then must cut across the driveway and risk being hit by other cars pulling in.

4. Do not allow student to exit the vehicle into the center lane of traffic. Again, a very dangerous situation, as other cars pull in or try to find a path to exit.

5. Do not park in the driveway during drop off or pick up times. It creates a very dangerous situation and slows the flow of traffic.

6. Remind your children to use the crosswalks and sidewalks. Cutting through the middle of the parking lot is not safe.

7. Please be conscientious of the designated handicap parking areas in our parking lot and driveway. These parking areas are needed for a number of our students.

Safety First!

Dear Parents and Guardians,

All of us at East Grand Rapids Middle School would like to thank you for being a dedicated part of our school community. We value and appreciate the opportunity to work with your wonderful children.

For the past 5 years you have helped us raise money, and donated personal items for “families in need” at the middle school. Last year over $4,720.00 was donated in gift certificates, cash, food, and toiletry items! 100% of the money, and donated items, were given directly to our families in need.

Teachers and staff have graciously requested that in lieu of holiday gifts, students donate to families in our EGR Middle School. Many families are struggling because of health issues, job loss, or other situations out of their control. Some of the items families were able to purchase/pay for were new tires, winter clothing, utility bills, holiday present(s) for their children, food, mortgage/rent payments, health care, etc.

We encourage you to consider giving to less fortunate members of the EGRMS community as an alternative to staff gifts. At the Middle School level, we have identified at least ten (10) families in need. In the name of your child’s teachers, please consider donating the items listed below, or make your tax deductible check payable to the “EGRMS PTSA.”

Gift/Script cards to grocery stores

Gift certificates to clothing stores

Kitchen staples-plastic wrap/foil

Detergents/toilet paper/tissues

Non-perishable food items

Toiletries-toothpaste/brushes/soap

If you would like to participate: Please put your child’s name, and teacher (the donation is in lieu of) on the envelope/items. We will notify the teachers in writing of your contribution. Items may be dropped off in the Guidance Office.

Parents are always so very generous with the staff during the holiday season. We would like each of you to know that the “gift” of being able to work with your children is much appreciated.

Questions may be directed to Lisa Healey, Counselor, at 235-4866 or lhealey@egrps.org

Happy Holidays!

Teachers and Staff at East Grand Rapids Middle School

From the Principal - December 4, 2009

2009-12-04T15:43:00.003-05:00

Please click here to view the list of our Honor Roll Students for the first marking period. This reflects the many outstanding academic accomplishments of our students in the classroom.

The student council has created an electronic suggestion box to enhance communication. Feel free to contact them at msstudentcouncil@egrps.org with any suggestions or comments.

With the arrival of winter, and children wearing and sharing their winter gear, it produces a perfect breeding ground for head lice. I ask that you please be vigilant about checking your child’s head. This is not cause for panic. It is cause for action to be taken to prevent head lice.Listed below are some important ways to prevent transmission, and steps to take if head lice is found. Please review these with your child.

The best way to prevent transmission:

Teach children not to share combs, brushes, hair ornaments, hats, caps, scarves, headsets, or any other personal headgear.

Do not try on other people’s hats (even in department stores).

Teach children to hang coats separately - placing hats and scarves inside coat/jacket sleeves.

Clean or disinfect shared headgear (i.e., helmets) with Lysol® or rubbing alcohol before being used by others.

Conduct regular head checks of your child.

If head lice are found on your child:

Check others in the household for signs of head lice or nits. If found, complete remaining steps on all infested individuals.

Remove nits from the head by combing. This is the most important lice control measure. Complete nit removal is time-consuming but is critical for successful treatment.

Use an effective head lice treatment.

Remove all of the lice and nits from the environment by washing or vacuuming. There is no need to spray pesticides at home.

Perform daily head checks and remove nits for 3 weeks until head lice are gone. Continue to check your child weekly to detect re-infestation.

If you have difficulties treating the head lice on your child, please contact the school, local health department, or your child’s physician.

Thank you for your cooperation. Have a safe weekend.

Peter Stuursma

From the Principal - November 20, 2009

2009-11-20T16:04:00.003-05:00

From the Principal:

I would like to wish all of our students, staff, and parents a happy and restful Thanksgiving break beginning on Tuesday, November 24th after school. I feel privileged to be the principal of East Grand Middle School.

Thank you for your participation at our parent-teacher conferences. We were fortunate to have 87% of our students represented at these important meetings to assist our students’ progress during their Middle School experience. The communication between our families and the school is imperative for the success of our students.

Due to the holiday break, there will be no newsletter next week.

Have a wonderful, safe holiday break.

Peter Stuursma

From the Principal - November 6, 2009

2009-11-06T13:00:00.005-05:00

From the Principal:

Parent Teacher Conferences will begin on Monday, November 9th. Please enter through the new lobby to check in.

We look forward to seeing you!

For the safety of all, please remind your children to use the crosswalks and sidewalks when going to and leaving from school. Please remind students not to cut though the middle of the parking lot.

Have a safe, and wonderful weekend!

Peter Stuursma

E.G.R. Middle School Parent Teacher Conferences

Once again, this year’s format will be “arena” style with all teachers assigned to tables in the cafeteria and gym. Parents may report on any of the scheduled dates and meet with teachers as they become available. Conferences must be limited to 5 minutes.

We anticipate that the evening conferences will be the most congested, and request that parents able to attend the morning and/or afternoon session choose to do so, if convenient.

Monday, November 9, 2009 Full day of school (1 day)
Conferences 4:00—6:30 PM

Tuesday, November 10, 2009 Full day of school (2 day)

Wednesday, November 11, 2009 Full day of school (1 day)
Conferences 6:00 —8:30 PM

Thursday, November 12, 2009 No school for students
Conferences 8:15—11:00 AM
Conferences 12:30 —3:00 PM

Friday, November 13, 2009 No school for students and staff

Report cards will be mailed on Thursday, November 5, 2009.

From the Principal - October 30, 2009

2009-10-30T14:40:00.005-04:00

· Today, Friday, October 30th, is the end of the first marking period. Report cards will be mailed home on Thursday, November 5, 2009

· Post cards were mailed home this week with the information regarding Parent/Teacher Conferences (see copy below.)

· Please help with the traffic congestion by not parking in the drop off lane or “travel lane” during the time from 7:30 AM—8:05 AM.

· Please do not block the identified cross walks as this is the safest place for our students to cross the driveway.

· Our student council has started an electronic “Suggestion Box.” Parents and students are welcomed to make suggestions via this email address, (MSstudentcouncil@egrps.org) on how we can make our school better

· Thank you to our student council officers, Sally Marsh, Jillian Langford, Jack Ruppert, and Erik Molenaar for their leadership.

Have a safe, and wonderful weekend!

Peter Stuursma

E.G.R. Middle School Parent Teacher Conferences

Once again, this year’s format will be “arena” style with all teachers assigned to tables in the cafeteria and gym. Parents may report on any of the scheduled dates and meet with teachers as they become available. Conferences must be limited to 5 minutes.

We anticipate that the evening conferences will be the most congested, and request that parents able to attend the morning and/or afternoon session choose to do so, if convenient.

Monday, November 9, 2009 Full day of school (1 day)

Conferences 4:00—6:30 PM

Tuesday, November 10, 2009 Full day of school (2 day)

Wednesday, November 11, 2009 Full day of school (1 day

Conferences 6:00 —8:30 PM

Thursday, November 12, 2009 No school for students

Conferences 8:15—11:00 AM

Conferences 12:30 —3:00 PM

Friday, November 13, 2009 No school for students and staff

Report cards will be mailed on Thursday, November 5, 2009.

From the Principal - October 23, 2009

2009-10-23T14:03:00.004-04:00

Middle School Parents:

In an attempt to address the number of students who are out of school due to illness, and to reduce student anxiety and stress, we would like to address the following points with regard to homework, make-up assignments, projects, etc.:

· Our staff will be meeting to look at ways to adjust homework assignments, and address the most pertinent

information necessary for each class.

· We will provide make-up sessions throughout the day on Wednesday, October 28, 2009. Students will have the

opportunity to do tests/quizzes, make-up work, etc. with a certified teacher in the media center each hour. This will

be arranged by each individual classroom teacher.

· We request that parents refer to the website as opposed to requesting homework being sent to the main office, as we are unable to keep up with requests and students will be given ample time to do make up work.

Thank you for your support and understanding.

Peter Stuursma

Principal

Update: As of today, Friday, October 23, we believe that we are headed in a positive direction with regard to the number of illnesses at the Middle School. We will continue to monitor.

Have a wonderful weekend!

From the Principal - October 16, 2009

2009-10-16T14:29:00.002-04:00

Our students at the Middle School have accomplished their first week of MEAP testing, and have done a nice job in handling all of these responsibilities.

Please review the following helpful information with regard to on-line access of grades:

Skyward Tips for the Week

*We encourage the use of email to communicate with school personnel. Email is best used for abbreviated communication. Due to the large volume of email we receive, our staff may need up to 48 hours to respond.

*With immediate and live access to our student grades, it is important to remember that the grades, viewed on-line, are simply snapshots of the progress up to this point. Homework may have been turned in; however, work must be graded and entered which does take time.

*It is very helpful to allow any missing assignments to factor in to the overall grade when they are turned in. (Example: If a student misses an assignment, the computer will calculate the assignment as a “zero”, therefore, the calculation will impact the final grade significantly.)

*Please communicate with your son/daughter with regard to their individual teacher’s late policy. Also, we want to encourage your child to communicate with his/her teachers directly during academic help or at a time determined by the student and the teacher. This will help to resolve minor grade issues prior to them becoming bigger issues.

If you have been experiencing technology issues with regard to accessing your child’s grades, please feel free to contact us in the main office at 235-7551.

From the Principal - October 9, 2009

2009-10-09T11:01:00.003-04:00

Students Race and WIN!

Last Saturday morning Peter Mack, Will Laffrey, Max Gale, Drew Koski and Emma Ammond (2nd year participant), and Jane Koski ran in the Grand Rapids African American Health Institute (GRAAHI) Rhythm Run. Individual congratulations are extended to Peter Mack and Emma Ammond who won the race in their gender and age category. This group also came home with a trophy (displayed in the trophy case) and a $1,000 check written to the middle school. This group of students will be meeting with Mrs. Rupke, who organized the group, to decide how the money will be used. Congratulations to Mrs. Rupke and all the participants. You are all winners! Thanks for running for a great cause and representing our school so well. Mark your calendars so you can participate in the walk/run next year!

THANK YOU!

Thank you to all EGR students, staff, and community members for supporting the Hearts of Gold campaign. In partnership with the Grand Rapids Christian School community, we raised over $91,000 to support the Helen DeVos Children's Hospital.

You have all made a difference!

Friendly Reminder

We are presently 4-1/2 weeks into the 1st marking period. Progress Reports can be viewed on line.

From the Principal - October 2, 2009

2009-10-02T14:41:00.005-04:00

Dear Parent/Guardian:

I would like to take this opportunity to remind you that the Michigan Educational Assessment Program commonly referred to as the MEAP tests, will be administered to 6th, 7th and 8th grade students in the morning, during the weeks of October 13—22, 2009. If you would like to view a calendar of specific testing information, please access this “link.”

http://www.michigan.gov/documents/mde/MEAP_Schedule_Fall_2009_through_Fall_2013_Revised_4-8-09_282525_7.pdf

The MEAP tests, which are mandated by the Michigan Department of Education, assess essential skill development in Mathematics, Science, Language Arts, and Social Studies. These tests are significant indicators of students’ progress in these areas.

During the two week testing schedule, we are asking students to be present with limited appointments and/or interruptions. It is imperative that students report to school promptly by 8:00 A.M., or alternate testing arrangements must be made. We will maintain a consistent, yet lighter, homework load to ensure our students are continuing their current learning process. In order to help students perform at their very best, please encourage them to have plenty of rest and a nutritional breakfast.

New changes to the MEAP for 2009:

* Only reading and math will be reported to the federal government in this and future years.

* The State of Michigan has also decided which days a student will complete their make-up testing should they be absent. Students may only test on designated “make-up” days.

* Assessments have been shortened to coincide with the new time line of testing.

Michigan school districts are required to adhere to a strict timeline for testing. Please assist us by avoiding appointments during the morning MEAP testing blocks (8:00 – 10:00). If you need further information regarding the MEAP testing, please feel free to call Lisa Healey, M.S. Counselor, or myself at 235-7551.

Thank you for your continued support and encouragement of our students.

Sincerely,

J. Peter Stuursma

Principal

Parking Lot Safety!

FOR THE SAFETY OF OUR STUDENTS PLEASE READ AND ABIDE BY THE FOLLOWING DROP-OFFAND PICK-UP PROCEDURES:

1. Have your child “Drop-off ready” for a speedy exit from the vehicle to keep traffic moving smoothly.

2. Drop off beyond the curve or main entrance crosswalk, where there is a longer curb area which will help alleviate back ups onto Lake Drive.

3. Never drop off from the left lane. Students then must cut across the driveway and risk being hit by other cars pulling in.

4. Do not allow student to exit the vehicle into the center lane of traffic. Again, a very dangerous situation as other cars pull in or try to find a path to exit.

5. Do not park in the driveway during drop off or pick up times. It creates a very dangerous situation and slows the flow of traffic.

6. Remind your children to use the crosswalks and sidewalks. Cutting through the middle of the parking lot is not safe.

7. Please be conscientious of the designated handicap parking areas in our parking lot and driveway. These parking areas are needed for a number of our students.

Safety First!

Principal's Newsletter Home Page

2009-09-29T12:18:00.000-04:00

* The prize portion of the magazine sale has ended, but the Middle School continues to qualify for 40% of all orders throughout the year. Your orders are never too late.
Thank you for your continued support of EGRMS!

* MS Student Council is hoping to put Mr. Fouch on the roof if we raise $1,000.00 for Hearts of Gold (www.devoschildrens.org/heartsofgold). Be sure to look for him on the roof Friday, October 2, if we achieve our goal.

* Attention Middle School Parents:

* Please mark your calendars with the following M.E.A.P. testing dates. We ask that you try to avoid scheduling appointments during the mornings as that is when we will be testing our students. The State of Michigan chooses these dates within the testing window, so we are unable to make changes regarding the test dates themselves. If you have any questions, feel free to contact Lisa Healey, Counselor, in the Guidance Office at 235-4866 or by email at: lhealey@egrps.org

6th grade MEAP testing dates:
October 13 - Reading Session 1
October 15 - Reading Session 2
October 20 - Math (bring a calculator for part 2)
October 22 - Social Studies

7th grade MEAP testing dates:
October 13 - Reading Session 1
October 15 - Reading Session 2
October 20 - Math (bring a calculator for part 2)
October 22 - Writing

8th grade MEAP testing dates:
October 13 - Reading Session 1
October 15 - Reading Session 2
October 20 - Math (bring a calculator for part 2)
October 22 - Science