Columbia School District: Positive Learning Environments For Our Students!

Over the past year the Columbia School District has been diligently working on the renovation of our school buildings and campus grounds.  The renovation projects have been focused on ensuring our students have an educational learning environment that is Safe, Warm, Dry and Smart.

 "Safe" refers to a safe and secure learning environment for students, staff and community with many updated areas to meet current code requirements.  Planned safety upgrades will include secure entries at each building, doors that will properly lock and do not need to be chained shut, drop off and pickup traffic patterns that separate parent and bus traffic to ensure the safety of students and staff, security cameras that are installed to increase security and facilities upgrades to meet the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

"Warm" refers to creating a more energy efficient learning environment for our children so more money may be spent on educational needs and the installation of items that will convert operational dollar savings into educational funds.  To create the energy efficient learning environment, the 1950's and 60's era boilers will be replaced with new energy-efficient heating and cooling systems, increase the R value of our buildings by installing additional insulation and new roofs, and install new windows and doors with energy-efficient glass and insulation.

"Dry" encompasses facilities that are easy to maintain, reflect a positive image and enhance community spirit and update facilities to attract students, parents, staff and community members so the Columbia School District may grow.  To create a dry environment for our students the 40 plus year old roofs will be replaced with highly insulated roofing systems, the 40 to 60 year old original leaking piping systems will be replaced, and install heating systems without water leaking into the duct work.

"Smart" includes a strong educational technology infrastructure that supports current technology needs and allows for future technology growth.  This element includes the expansion of wireless technology infrastructure, the addition of classroom computers for students and staff, and the provision of 21st Century job skill development tools.

So far the project has included the completion of new roofs at all buildings, the parking and drives at Columbia Elementary and the renovation of Columbia Central Junior High area, including the updating of the district administration offices.  The completion of the Junior High area allowed

student grade distribution to be updated to enable Columbia to feature an early elementary building for prekindergarten through second grade students, an upper elementary building especially for third through sixth graders, and the dedicated junior high wing at Columbia Central. 

This spring the construction workers have focused on renovating the former third and fourth grade wing at the early elementary building, the south side of the north wing at the upper elementary building, work in the band, choir, psychology rooms and former counseling office area at Columbia Central, and the building of new locker rooms for the seventh and eighth grade students at the south end of the gymnasium complex at Columbia Central.  Photos of the renovations are available on our Columbia School District Facebook page or the Restore the Soar Facebook page.

This summer you will notice many projects under way on our Columbia School District campuses in order to provide an excellent positive learning environment for our students.  In order to complete our projects the district will move classroom furnishings out of our buildings and into storage trailers for the summer.   In August, we will move back into the completed buildings.  This is an exciting time to be part of the Columbia School District Family!  Our students, teachers and administrators are very thankful for the generosity of our wonderful community!  If you are interested in learning more about Columbia Schools, our programs and our extensive renovations, please email me at pamela.campbell@myeagles.org or call 5175926641.

A Teacher's Silent Impact!

As I read through a publication I saw a column regarding movies.  While I would often skip over this type of information, I noted that the reviewer was considering the impact of famous actors and actresses on the viewers.  The reviewer was none other than Joe Morgenstern who is a famous movie reviewer for the Wall Street Journal.  His observation was that even when the actor was not really doing anything on screen, for instance in a close up or when he or she was listening to a speech from another actor, there was still a profound impact on the movie goers. 

As I reflected on his thoughts my mind traveled back home to the Columbia School District and how our teachers, staff members and principals make a tremendous impact on our students even when they are silent.  Sometimes, especially when they are silent!  

Teachers provide a listening ear to students who may have had a difficult morning at home, sometimes arguing with their sister or parents.  Our Columbia staff members, especially our transportation employees and food service workers, may be the first person to smile at a child that day.  That smile, often in silence, impacts our students on a daily basis.

As educational employees, our staff members, watch over, nurture and listen to children each day as they struggle to read a paragraph, learn how to solve a quadratic equation or perform a chemistry experiment for the first time.  These truly dedicated individuals who are teaching our youngsters are making an impact, even through their silence. 

Though movie actresses and actors are often put on a pedestal, adored and lauded, we have many treasured teachers and staff members who make a profound impact on our students to a larger degree than any movie personality could ever formulate.  Although I am not a famous movie reviewer or Wall Street Journal columnist, I know that everyday our teachers help to put forth the mission of Columbia School District, providing a solid foundation for a bright future, even through their silence.  If you would like to learn how your child could benefit from the programs at Columbia School District, please email me at Pamela.campbell@myeagles.org or call 5175926641.

This Week the Spotlight Shines on Columbia Teachers and Staff!

This past week has been packed with athletic events, televised on multiple stations focusing on every detail.  If you were to listen and watch, you could have become acquainted with all of the Kentucky Derby horses, their owners and jockeys.  Although only slightly more than 170,000 attended the Derby, millions more watched from the comfort of their homes.  In addition, over the past week there was immense attention paid to the Mayweather  versus Pacquao fight, the NBA finals and the NFL draft.

These superstars of sports are in the spotlight and we can’t seem to get enough of them.  In the Columbia School District this week our spotlight is shining on our superstar staff members this week!  May 4^th – May 8^th is Teacher & Staff Appreciation Week!  This is the week for us to honor and appreciate our teachers for all they do each and every day for our students.

Our Columbia teachers work and plan terrific educational learning activities for our students.  In her

anatomy class Mrs. VanWagnen offers her students incredible opportunities to delve into their subject through dissection of various animal parts.  Recently she introduced her students to the anatomy of an eye by dissecting a cow’s eye, then last week they experienced dissecting a fetal pig.  The students were not only very interested in comparing the anatomy of a pig to that of a human, but it gave them an experience they will never forget!

Mrs. Dagenais is the new counselor for our junior high students in their new area at Columbia Central.  In her role as counselor, she is also teaching a leadership class.  Her enthusiasm for increasing self-esteem and building leadership skills has motivated her students to not only learn more about themselves, but produce posters with positive quotes for all the students to view. 

Our sixth grade teachers, Ms. White, Mr. Williams, Mr. Luppo, Mr. Meschke, Mr. Moore and elementary counselor Mrs. Schatzle gave our students the opportunity to learn in an experiential hands-on way at Kimball Camp last week.  The students learned about physics through the Pendulum Physics activity on the Giant’s Swing, experienced the aging of a lake during their canoe explorers class and found the courage and tenacity to take one more step as they conquered Goliath, the forty-foot climbing tower. 

Our Columbia Central Elementary kindergarten teachers, Ms. Uhl, Mrs. Hotchkins, Mrs. Sexton and Mrs. Bernstein work together with their students to take our youngsters from their A, B, C’s to reading a book!  Their patience and nurturing spirits supports their students as they become acquainted with school and the awesome learning opportunities we offer.

As I visit each school there are many opportunities for me to applaud the great things teachers are accomplishing on a daily basis.  Please take some time this week to email, snail mail or stop by and thank one of our great teachers or staff members for all they do each and every day for the children of our Columbia School District Family!

If you are interested in learning more about Columbia School District or our programs, call me at 5175926641 or email me at pamela.campbell@myeagles.org .

Columbia's Rainbow of Learning Opportunities!

During the soggy wet afternoon, the drizzling rain kept coming.  My drive around the country side was on a road surrounded by a green lush valley that seemed to stretch upward towards the sky.  As the sun began to peak out from between the clouds, there was a small rainbow visible between the trees.  The further I drove the more brilliant the rainbow became until it stretched across the valley from side to side.  It was an amazing sight and I wondered just which end held the pot of gold?

 Seeing the beautiful rainbow shining through the gray drizzly sky made me think about how fortunate we are to have such great educational programs supporting our students’ learning environment.  The brilliant rainbow of programs includes many learning activities at all levels.  Recently our students and parents have had the chance to enjoy some of the extended learning opportunities. 

The Science Fair was amazing!  Students used their knowledge of the scientific process to research a topic, perform an experiment, gather data, and present the results to their teachers, parents, community members and peers.  One especially interesting experiment had some of our students making what Mr. Hamilton referred to as “Elephant’s Toothpaste.”  It was an amazing mix of ingredients, topped off with hydrogen peroxide to make a foaming batch of foaming colored paste.  Another fascinating experiment spotlighted the “5 Second Rule.”  The students completing this experiment investigated various locations that one might drop a piece of candy or potato chip and grew various bacterial cultures from those areas. 

Another ray of our science curriculum rainbow of learning activities was the elementary science night.  Our students had a terrific time interacting with teachers, high school students and Principal Powell over scientific experiments and interesting activities.  Mrs. Powell even let the children and their parents hold giant cockroaches!  The hard work and dedication of our teaching staff resulted in an unparalleled opportunity for our students to not only learn academically, but stretch themselves and their understanding and knowledge in science.

As we work closely with the teachers in our child’s school, we find ourselves in an educational rainbow of opportunities for our children that extend far beyond fun science experiments and activities.  This expanding rainbow of learning opportunities will lead our children to develop their talents in art, music, math, reading, social studies and physical education.  By providing the full spectrum of learning to our children, teachers lead them to develop into the leaders of tomorrow.

The rainbow of learning opportunities available to our children in the Columbia School District through our highly qualified teachers will give our children the tenacity to become a jet pilot, the ingenuity to become an automobile designer, or the enthusiasm to become a kindergarten teacher.  Each day I have the opportunity to see children learning at all different levels in our Columbia School District classrooms. 

Each and every day the teachers and members of the Columbia School District family come together to provide educational activities and learning opportunities for our students to brighten our children’s day, just like the rainbow in the valley brightened my day.  If you are interested in learning more about how your child could benefit from the awesome learning environment at the Columbia School District, would like a tour or to have your child shadow one of our terrific students please contact me by email at pamela.campbell@myeagles.org or call me at 5175926641.

Successful Golden Eagle Cash Bash Raises Funds for Students!

This past Friday, April 17^th the Columbia School District Family came together to raise funds through the Inaugural Golden Eagle Cash Bash to support Academics, Arts and Athletics.  The Golden Eagle Cash Bash was planned and organized by a central committee who worked together to raise the funds to support programs in academics, arts and athletics and scholarships for our students.  The committee, made up of the Columbia School District administrative team, board members and volunteers, began meeting late last fall to organize the event to ensure a successful evening full of fun.

Thank you to all of those who supported the Golden Eagle Cash Bash by volunteering on the committee and working the event, donating items to the silent auction, purchasing items from the silent auction, buying tickets to the event and the 50/50 tickets.  The folks of Columbia came together and had fun fellowshipping, laughing and meeting new friends.  The money raised will fund mini-grants for Academics, Arts and Athletics!  Teachers, coaches and administrators will be able to apply for funding for special programs and projects that benefit Columbia students.   Scholarships will also be available to our great students as a result of our generous community members.

The Cash Bash featured cash prizes, a silent auction and a lot of fun with Columbia community members.  Jackson’s Hot Country 101.5 radio personality and Columbia Central High School graduate Scott Clow helped make the evening fun by announcing the winners and opportunities for participants.  The Columbia Kiwanis Club members assisted Columbia School District volunteers by keeping track of the chip board and helping to raise funds at the Cash Bash.  Vandercook Lions’ Club members also helped the Golden Eagle Cash Bash committee in the planning and running of the event.  They allowed our district committee to use their equipment which resulted in a successful event. 

Our generous and fun loving community members donated more than $17,000 during the event.  Winners of the event were Todd Wanty and Justin Shuberg.  The evening of fun and fellowship was so successful that the committee has already scheduled the Second Annual Golden Eagle Cash Bash for Saturday, February 27, 2016 at the Gene Davis Banquet Center.  Make sure to put it on your calendar today!  If you have questions or want to participate in the great programs at Columbia School District, email me at pamela.campbell@myeagles.org or call me at 5175926641.

Read for Success!

Reading is the foundation for success in school and in life.  The ability to read and write is necessary to master other subjects and to communicate what is learned.  Even more important, children who enjoy reading will continue to learn and grow throughout their lives.  Reading is one of the most inexpensive and readily available forms of education and entertainment. The experts note that literacy is crucial and that children should read more.  They also comment that children should be encouraged to try reading different types of books. 

Stop by your local library!  Whether your child is a beginning reader or an experienced reader, your local librarian will be able to suggest great books and exciting book series for your child.  Many local libraries have summer activities for your child.  The activities may include reading “fairs” and reading clubs through which your child may earn recognition and prizes.

To help direct you and your child as you capitalize on the summer reading time, you may want to check your school’s website or simply search for “what books should children read?”  One website that has a nice list of books categorized by age group is http://www.teachersfirst.com/100books.cfm.

One of my favorite books for young readers is The Very Hungry Caterpillar, by Eric Carle.  It just happens to be first book on the Teachers First list.  This book may be accompanied by various activities to help wake up your child’s understanding and creativity.  Those activities may include talking and writing about food, drawing caterpillars, hunting for caterpillars and butterflies, and phonetic activities tied to the foods in the story.  

Little children love reading, but what how should you tie your teenager’s interests to a deeper understanding of what they are reading?  You may choose to read a book along with them or simply talk to them about the books they are reading, yes, some teens read several books at once.  To encourage your teenager to read you should model reading, so that when they read, you read. 

Another way to encourage your teen to read is to have them use informational reading sources to help plan activities for your vacation or even for short day-trips.  This way the reading will have a reward at the end and your teen will be the expert on the area or attraction you are visiting.  For other ideas about how to encourage your teen to read, check out a website like RIF @ http://www.rif.org/us/literacy-resources/articles/teenagers-and-reading.htm.

By encouraging your child to read, he or she will increase their level of self-esteem and broaden their world.  Your positive feedback and interest in the books they are reading will encourage them to read more.  Have fun reading with your child!  If you are interested in learning about how your child can grow and experience academic success at Columbia Schools, please email me at pamela.campbell@myeagles.org or call 5175926641.

Building a Solid Foundation for a Bright Future at Columbia Schools!

Headlines for today: Remember it is still March – snow and hail is not surprising.  As I write this it is only March 29^th and those of us who have lived in Michigan for a while we are not surprised. 

Thankfully this year, the snow and hail quickly melted.  Change is something we all expect in the Michigan weather. 

Just like the weather, we sometimes experience changes in our lives.  In November of 2013, Columbia voters approved both Proposal One and Two.  Proposal One approved $26 million to renovate Columbia schools to make them safe, warm, dry and smart.  Proposal Two approved $4 million to renovate and build areas to allow the creation of a positive learning environment for our seventh and eighth grade students at Columbia Central, in addition to increasing the technology in all of our buildings. 

Beginning in the summer of 2014, the bond projects have provided new roofing on all of the school buildings in Columbia, new safer drop-off and pick-up areas for parents and buses at the Columbia Elementary campus, improved parking areas, and a new safe playground area behind the third through sixth grade building. 

In Phase Two, the projects have focused on the renovation of the south wing of Columbia Central, along with the building of new locker rooms for the seventh and eighth grade students.  Classrooms have new windows, new doors, new flooring, new paint and new ceilings.  They have new

whiteboards which will combine with new interactive projectors and Smart software to become interactive “Smart” whiteboards.  The exterior doors are also new.  The new lockers are delayed, but we have “loaner” lockers for the next couple of weeks until the new lockers arrive.

On April 6^th the Phase Two renovations of the south – wing of Columbia Central will be finished to the point so it may house the seventh and eighth grade students.  The students and teachers have packed up supplies and books over the past month.  Many high school students have helped to move the boxes to Columbia Central.  All of these boxes are staged in the Columbia Central Media Center awaiting the move to the classrooms.  On Saturday, April 4^th community members, parents and students are welcome to come help move all of the boxes into the classrooms. 

It is an exciting time in our beloved Columbia School District.  Make time on Saturday, April 4^th to stop over and help move boxes into the classrooms filled with new furniture, new ceilings, new floors, new doors and new windows.  This is the beginning of a new era filled with positive safe, warm, dry and smart learning environments for our children as they build a solid foundation for a bright future!  If you have questions regarding the programs at Columbia School District, email me at pamela.campbell@myeagles.org or call 5175926641.