Shawhan, Laura posted on September 03, 2010 10:06
Summer is over! Nearly 12 weeks have passed since we last worked with our student population of 3100. We hope your vacation from early mornings, homework supervision, and inevitable trials and tribulations of the school year was restful. Marquette has enjoyed a sensational summer in terms of weather, community activities and other unique opportunities associated with our region. We’re very fortunate to live and work in this outstanding Midwest community. One trip south to more crowded, hot and congested areas makes us quickly yearn to return. Thank goodness for the Upper Peninsula.
What has happened to make MAPS an even better school district throughout the past 12 weeks? Plenty. Appointing over 25 new full and part-time teaching staff will have an enormous impact on the district’s future. We’ve invested in some of the finest and most highly-qualified new faculty any current staff can recall. They’re really that good. Our buildings are pristine, thanks to our custodial and maintenance staff. To say that Bothwell is ready to begin educating nearly 900 fifth through eighth grade children is an understatement. Incredible arrays of programs are planned for these youngsters. Marquette Senior High School has never been more prepared for what always turns out to be a challenging and fun-filled year of secondary-level opportunities for our teen population. The Alternative High School’s move to Graveraet – now encompassing the second story – will educate upwards of 120 ninth through twelfth grade students in 2010-2011. Vandenboom Child Development Center’s infant, toddler and pre-school program is gaining strength, having expanded into two new areas within the building. Finally, MAPS’ newest program, Eastside Academy, our alternative school for middle school level students, is off and running under the guidance of lead teacher Kara Graci.
Historically, MAPS has vast legacies of solid evidence of high performance, lofty expectations, and creative programming for a wide variety of students. Our uniqueness is evident and our success with kids is solid. We’re looking forward to an exciting year ahead. Opportunities abound for students, staff and our school community. Give us a call if you have questions, needs or comments. We’re here to serve and are humbled by your trust.
Let me know if I can be of help,
Jon Hartwig, Superintendent of Schools