Grand Marais Schools

Check out our student’s winning films they submitted to Energy Works Michigan’s “Show Green!  Student Film Challenge” at the following site:

http://www.energyworksmichigan.org/blog/ShowGreenTV_Student_Film_Challenge_Winners_Announced

Winners included Austin Chamberlin and Dominik Kinlaw!  Other students that submitted films include Lucas Hassenzahl, Kelcie Lundquist and Elizabeth Scaife.  Great job, students!

Anyone wonder what is going on in all of those pictures below? Even in the summer months, Burt Township School staff manages to stay busy. Dan and Lou seeded the newly tilled soccer field and created and installed a watering system. It looks great now and hopefully will be totally ready for soccer season. Also, they painted the gym! Being a HUGE project in itself, we should say that they painted the white of the gym. The blue will have to wait until sometime later and the ceiling? Well, that’s another story altogether. The foundation for the wind turbine was also set, as you can see below and don’t forget our school garden. Thanks to Mrs. Filizetti and her garden club (and her husband, too!), the school garden looks amazing and is producing fruit and veggies right now. Because of our hard-working staff, we are keeping up with the future by being as ‘green’ a school as possible.

LeRoy Ward-Harbaum, Domink Kinlaw, and Travis Bauknecht

Elizabeth Scaife, Michaela Bauknecht, and Damion Murdock

Miranda Potter, Travis Bauknecht and Kelcie Lunquist

The Polar Bear’s drama class did an outstanding job performing the play,  Largon, written by Eddie McPherson. Largon is a delightful farce about a life-like robot designed to win Justin Black the science fair’s blue ribbon. But the hooligans, Garlic, Mace and Corkscrew, have very different plans for the invention. Travis Bauknecht danced away with our hearts in the role of Largon, and the onstage chemistry between Dominik Kinlaw and LeRoy Ward-Harbaum was delightful.  The protagonists, Damion Murdock, Michaela Bauknecht, and Elizabeth Scaife displayed a  wonderful combination of naughtiness and endearing antics that nearly stole the show. Miranda Potter and Kelcie Lundquist played the attractive yet aloof targets of our hero’s attentions and the voice of mother was performed by Cassandra Somes. Austin Chamberlin was in charge of the curtains and lights, and Lucas Hassenzahl was the prompter.

This young and inexperienced cast acted their hearts out and their efforts paid off . With the help of Ms. McCormick, their teacher, and Kevin Hughey, an invaluable asset to the troupe, they charmed the community and received a huge round of applause for their efforts.

Immediately following the play was a pie social hosted by the fundraising committee. Individual community members donated a variety of home-baked pies and most of the play’s audience stayed and visited while enjoying the tasty treats. The Fund-raising Committee raised $159.00, which they donated to the drama class to help defray the cost of the play and performing fees.

Taking a bow.

The suspense builds!

The graduating class of 2010 is currently on their class trip.  They wish to share the event with the community and have therefore e-mailed the following photos for posting.  The two seniors, Jenica Hassenzahl and Kelly Brock, with their advisor, Helen Scaife, are now in Hawaii enjoying the wonderful beaches and will send more updates in the near future.

Waikiki

Awesome Cove

The K-2 students will be going to the AmericaInn in Munising on Wednesday, May 26. Parents are welcome to come along and join in the fun!

Meet the Graduating Class of 2010!

Jenica Hassenzahl is the  valedictorian and class president  for the class of 2010. She is also one of  the recipients of the Excellence in Education awards for the Marquette-Alger county school districts.  She is the daughter of Dennis and Amy Hassenzahl and lives in Grand Marais.  Sports have played an important role in Jenica’s high-school career and she served as captain of the girl’s basketball team her senior year. Jenica plans on attending college at Grand Valley State in the fall.

Kelly Brock is the salutatorian and class vice-president. She is the daughter of Albert Brock and Heather Roessler and a resident of Curtis, Michigan. She has participated in volleyball and girls basketball through out her high school career and has been a valuable asset to the teams. She is looking forward to having fun on her senior class trip and finding a job in Michigan’s lower peninsula.

The seniors will be departing for their class trip to Hawaii May 18th, with their advisor  Helen Scaife.  The Class Colors are Yellow and Black, and the Class Flower is Stargazer Lily. “Big Yellow Taxi”, preformed by the Counting Crows was chosen as the Class Song.  And the Class Motto is, “In order to succeed, your desire for success should be greater than your fear of failure.”

We wish the graduation class of 2010 success in all of their endeavors. Got get ‘em Lady Bears!!!

Burt Township School students helped Michigan celebrate the worldwide ACES (All Children Exercise Simultaneously) Day on Wednesday, May 5 at 10 a.m. ACES day helps to teach children the important roles that physical activity and proper nutrition play in healthy living.

ACES is a one-day youth exercise program intended to highlight the importance of and need for youth fitness. ACES has student participants from all 50 states and 50 countries. Michigan schools have joined together in large numbers to demonstrate their commitment to healthy lifestyles. This year, nearly 1,100 schools and programs are registered.

At Burt Township School, the students celebrated ACES by playing an all-school kickball game!

“When I first heard about ACES through our volunteer, Kay Powers, I thought it sounded like fun! But really, more than just fun, it is essential that kids and adults alike learn to understand the importance of exercise.  Days like ACES encourage and support all of the other health education that is learned in school, through reading and the media,” commented Penny Barney, Superintendent of Burt Township School.

ACES in Michigan is coordinated by the Michigan Fitness Foundation and sponsored by Farm Bureau Insurance. This is the 12^th year of support from Farm Bureau Insurance which allows the Michigan Fitness Foundation to provide free materials to plan the event and to distribute stickers and educational newsletters for each of the 430,000 participants from 1,100 schools.

ACES was founded by New Jersey physical educator, Len Saunders, in 1989. Saunders wanted to encourage his students to be more physically active. Today, the program reaches millions worldwide. A number of national organizations support the effort including the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, National Recreation and Parks Association, and the National Association for Health and Fitness.

The Outdoor Adventure Club, while working with the Service Learning Class, has designed a bridge to be built over 1st creek connecting the Donahey Woods at the end of Woodland Park to the trails leading to Sable Falls.  We are hoping to begin construction on the bridge in the Fall after the summer tourist boom has gone.  We are still raising funds for the lumber, so come out and support our organization and this much needed bridge!

Taking first measurements

Students from the Grand Marais High School journalism class have been working this week to help launch the new school website. During the third hour class, taught by Miss McCormick, students have been introduced to the behind-the-scenes working of the website. Students are working on articles, or posts, on end of the school year events for the website.

The Journalism class had spent most of the year working on the annual year book and the student newspaper, The Polar Bear Press. After a year of collecting images and stories they are wrapping up the year diving into digital media including working on videos and the wesbite.