Happy Friday!

Our focus at the Park this year has been in the following three areas:

• Social Emotional Learning and Support
• Relationships and Student Connectedness
• Student Agency

P-CEP recently had the privilege of hosting Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchist for some roundtable discussions with students and staff. This was an opportunity for the Lt. Governor to get authentic feedback from stakeholders in our school. This was a great example of student agency in action! Check out the picture collage below!

Upcoming events
2/14 - No School (Conference Comp Day)
2/17 - No School Mid-Winter Break
2/19 - Informational Meeting on the Bond Proposal @ Canton High School.There will be duplicate sessions running at 6:30 pm and 7:45 pm 
2/27 - Late Start Day K-12 1st hour starts at 8:10 for High School

3/10 & 3/11 - K-12 1/2 day of School in am

Did you know that we are getting ready for course selection 'season' at P-CEP? The master schedule is built (and teachers assigned to classes) based on students' requests, which makes it very important to pick the right courses. Please see this Course Request Parent Letter for detailed information and deadlines for the upcoming course selection. Also, here is a link to the 2020-2021 Course Catalog.

Did you know that the Class of 2024 Curriculum Night is February 6, 2020? Eighth-grade parents will receive high school registration information. P-CEP counselors/administrators will provide parents and students with curriculum information and answer questions. P-CEP District families will meet at the following times in their assigned schools:

Last Names A - L at 6:00 p.m.

Last Names M - Z at 7:00 p.m.

Locations: Canton Cafeteria, Plymouth Cafeteria or Salem Auditorium. Please attend the location of your home school.

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween! 

Check out a few of the costumes I saw in the hall this morning . . .

Students showing some Halloween spirit. 

Staff demonstrating that you're never too old to dress up for Halloween. 

I'm hoping for dry weather tonight not only so the trick-or-treaters can stay dry, but also so it's a safer night for them all around. We definitely do not need to add rain to a night where kids are running from house to house in the dark. 

Thinking of safety and running in the dark brings me to the next topic-MORNING DROP OFF. As the amount of daylight continues to decrease and the mornings get darker, I need to review the morning drop off procedures again. For our children's safety, it is critical that each and every person abide by the drop off rules. 

• Pull all the way around the drop off circle
• Students exit the car as soon as there is a sidewalk
• Never let students cross in front of another car or bus to enter the building

Each of the above points need to happen in order for the drop off to run smoothly and be safe for students. Right now, cars are pulling up to the front door before letting their child out. The kids need to exit their cars as soon as there is a sidewalk for them to walk on. Lastly, student drop off is prohibited in the staff lot. Thank you in advance for doing your part to make the drop off safe for everyone. 

Did you know that breakfast is available at school? ​The School Breakfast Program is available to all students every weekday morning. If you qualify for free or reduced meals your child is eligible to receive a nutritious breakfast.

Did you know that there was a change to students' district-provided Google accounts? In an effort to improve security of our students' accounts, district-provided Google accounts will be required to enter their passwords when those devices wake from sleep.

Did you know that we're using PTC Fast again for Parent Teacher Conference sign-up? Parent-Teacher conferences are tomorrow and we're using PTC Fast for electronic sign-up. If you login and find the teacher you would like to meet with does not have available spots, please reach out to the teacher personally. Our staff is great and will work with you to find a mutually-agreed upon way to conference about your child. You can find staff email addresses linked below:
PLYMOUTH STAFF
CANTON STAFF
SALEM STAFF

Did you know that our Plymouth Girls Golf Team finished as the State Runner-Up (2nd place)? The Wildcats competed on Friday and Saturday against the top schools from across the state. The team finished with a team score of 661 behind KLAA partner school Northville High School. The team will be honored forever with a celebratory banner and trophy in the Plymouth High School Gym and hallway.  Check out the picture below. 

                              Girls Golf State 2nd Place

         Rachel Stibel, Coach Dan Young, Shae Zydek, Grace Iacopelli, Maire Sullivan, Grace Boczar, and Bridget Boczar

Administrators participating in a lesson during instructional rounds 

Visiting from Seattle, Bob Kimball, the vice president and general counsel for Amazon's AWS division spoke to digital-multimedia students in Tom Kimball and Karen Hanchett's classrooms.  He spoke in detail about Amazon Web Services and about careers and certification programs available to students.  

Happy Friday!

Last year, Plymouth administrators scrapped the large 9th grade meeting with 500 students and replaced it with small group circles so we could get to know our Freshmen on a more personal level. It worked so well that we did this again this year! In the meeting, we highlighted staff who are here to support students (admin, counselors, security, SROs, etc.), reviewed clubs, activities, attendance, tardies, and met in small group circles to get to know them. Check out the pictures below!

Classroom circle meetings with Freshmen

Upcoming events
10/6 - Canton Homecoming Dance @ 7 pm 
10/10 - Infinite College Fair @ CHS from 4-8pm
            PSAT/NMSQT - 11th grade (pre-registered)
10/11 - Student Picture Retakes @ 6:30 am 
10/16 - Student of the Month breakfast @ 7:15 am @ SHS cafeteria
            

Did you know that we're hosting a College/Scholarship Fair at Canton High School on October 10th? Infinite Scholars is conducting a College/Scholarship Fair at Canton High School on October 10th from 4 - 8 pm. The event is free - students will only have to register via the Infinite Scholars' website - http://www.infinitescholar.org/ Students are asked to bring multiple copies of transcripts, ACT/SAT test scores, letters of recommendation, an essay titled "Why I want to go to college", and a resume. Representatives from some of the schools attending will be offering on the spot admission and scholarships. Some of the schools will also waive fees as part of onsite admissions. Please share this with seniors! Check out this FLYER for more information. *****See complete list of attending colleges and universities at the end of the blog

Did you know that you can sign up for automatic email notifications is MiStar Parent Portal? The email notification will provide you information on your child's attendance, grades, and school news. You can click here to access your student's grades via Mistar Parent Portal. This LINK provides directions on how to sign up for the automatic notifications. 

Did you know that today is the midway point of first card marking is? We encourage you to login to Mistar Parent Connect to check your student's progress in classes. Today is also the first athletics/activities grade check. See the link above to access your student's grades via MiStar Parent Portal.

Did you know that all athletic registrations will now be completed online? The Athletic Department at Plymouth-Canton Community Schools now hosts Registration Athletic Forms online with ArbiterAthlete. This digital platform will allow you, and your student(s), to complete and access athletic forms via computer, tablet, or mobile phone. It is HIPAA, COPPA and FERPA compliant. A link to the privacy policy is located at the bottom of the Sign in page at www.arbiterathlete.com. To begin the process of registration please visit https://plymouthathletics.com/athlete-registration-2/. A parent account, and a student athlete account are required to complete the registration process. It is recommended that the parent and student complete registration at the same time together. If you participated in a Fall sport you will need to register on this new system. Thank you and Go Cats!
Arbiter-Athlete-Parent-and-Student-Account-Creation-Guide
PCCS-Kick-Off-Letter

********
University of Michigan (Ann Arbor) 
Purdue University
Grand Valley State University
Western Michigan University
Eastern Michigan University
University of Michigan-Dearborn
Central Michigan University
University of Cincinnati (5)
Hampton University
Florida A&M University
Arkansas Baptist College
Johnson C Smith University
Mississippi Valley State University
Lane College
Rochester College
Indiana University - Purdue University Indianapolis
Purdue University Fort Wayne
Benedict College
ARMY ROTC
University of Dayton
Talladega College
Morris College
Norfolk State University
Alabama A&M University
Hiram College
University of Illinois-Chicago
Central State University
Bennett College
University of Missouri-St. Louis
Southern University and A&M College
Kettering University
Oakland University
Kent State University
Morgan State University
Western Kentucky University
Claflin University
Saginaw Valley State University
Indiana Tech
Alcorn State University

* This is the list of schools that have registered to date. The list of colleges registered can change up to date of the Program.

Pep rally

Spirit Week

Homecoming Football game

Happy Monday!

Welcome to the 2018-2019 school year!
We finished our first week of school and we're back into the swing of things! Like last year, I plan to send out periodic communication via this blog; however, the district website remains the primary source of information for the district and Park.The regular links on the blog are better viewed when in the web version. If you read this from your phone, there is a link at the bottom to view the web version.

Upcoming Events

Monday, September 10th: JUNIORS - PSAT/NMSQT registration closes TODAY @ 10 pm
                                            Canton students: www.TotalRegistration.net/PSAT/233044
                                            Plymouth students: www.TotalRegistration.net/PSAT/230469
                                            Salem students www.TotalRegistration.net/PSAT/233045

Wednesday, September 12th: Activity Extravaganza in the bus loop during lunch

Thursday, September 13th: Senior Class Meetings with counselors
                                          Canton - Little Theater
                                          Plymouth - Cafeteria
                                          Salem - Auditorium.
                                          1st hour is last names A-G
                                          2nd hour is last names H-O
                                          3rd hour is last names P-Z.

Friday, September 21st: P-CEP Pep Rally (See schedule below) 

                                    Plymouth Homecoming 

Saturday, September 22nd:Plymouth Homecoming Dance 7-10 pm
September 27th: Late start day (Bell schedule linked HERE) 

Pep rally schedule:

1st hour 7:10-7:54 44 minutes

2nd hour 8:04-8:47 43 minutes

3rd hour 8:57-9:40 43 minutes

5th hour 9:50-10:33 43 minutes

4th hour 10:43-12:17 54 minutes*

6th hour 12:27-1:10 43 minutes

Pep assembly 1:20-2:08 48 minutes

*A lunch has lunch from 10:43-11:23 and class from 11:23-12:17

*B lunch has lunch from 11:10-11:50 and class from 10:43-11:10 and 11:50-12:17

*C lunch has lunch from 11:37-12:17 and class from 10:43-11:37

Did you know that clubs/activities are a great way for students to connect to their school community? Joining a club or activity at the start of the school year is a perfect way for students to meet friends who are interested in some of the same things. Our P-CEP Congresses are sponsoring a "Fall Activity Fair" during lunch in the bus loop on Wednesday, September 12th, for students to check out many of the clubs/activities on campus. In the meantime, you can find the list of all clubs and activities HERE.

Did you know that one can never review morning drop off procedures enough? The amount of daylight will continue to decrease each day so it seems like a good time to review drop off procedures.

Please pull all the way around the drop off circle. P-CEP students walk a lot. Trust me, they will be fine if they have to walk a little further to the front door. Not pulling all the way forward in the loop, and stopping at the front entrance, makes for a much slower moving morning drop off. Again, please pull all the way around the loop and students can get out as soon as you are at a sidewalk.
Students must be dropped off at the curb. For the safety of our students, you must drop students off at the curb. Do not ever double park and let students cross in front of another car to enter the building.

Staff Lot: For the safety of our staff, student drop off is prohibited in the staff lot.  

Did you know absences need to be called in to the attendance office by the day following an absence? Please see the language below, which was cut and pasted out of our K-12 Student Handbook. High School: Parents/guardians must notify the student’s home school on the day a student is absent or by 7:00 a.m. the following day. Parents may call the Attendance Office between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. or call the recorded answering service between 3:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. The Automated Parent Notification System (APNS) will notify parents daily if students have an absence or tardy which is unexcused as of 2:00 p.m. on that day. Calling into the Attendance Office is the only way to excuse an absence. Students may be assigned detention(s) for unexcused absences. The number to the Plymouth Attendance office is 734-582-5545

Did you know that it is now illegal for a person under 18 years of age to possess or smoke vapor products or alternative nicotine products? An ordinance was passed in Canton Township this past summer (Article VIIII Sec. 46-506) that prohibits the possession or use in a public place by persons under 18. Students who are found in violation of the ordinance will be issued a school consequence and a misdemeanor ticket. 

LINK CREW FRESHMEN ORIENTATION

Opening Football Game at the Big House

Activities in classrooms the first week of school

P-CEP Rain Garden Project 

6 finishers in the top 15 by PHS boys Cross Country!
New course record set by Carter Solomon with a 15:24

Happy Wednesday!

Whew! A lot has taken place since I last wrote to you. School safety and security have always been a priority in P-CCS, however, in light of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida last month, and recent shelter-in-place lock-downs at P-CEP, an even greater focus has been placed on working collaboratively with law enforcement to review/hone our safety plans and provide the necessary training for staff and students. This work has started and will certainly continue as there is nothing more important than keeping our students safe in school. 

On a related note, students are discussing ways to engage in civic activism around the issues of school safety, gun violence, and mental health. As you may know, today was the National School Walk-Out at 10:00 am. Some students did walk out this morning, and then came together peacefully in designated, supervised areas around campus. P-CEP student representatives have communicated with us that they are organizing and planning to participate in the walkout activities on April 20th. Superintendent Merritt emailed families a letter recently related to student walkouts. You can access her letter HERE 

Hi, I'm Dave Fleming, entering my 13th (is that automatically bad luck?) year of teaching English at Plymouth High school.

My personal goal is to hit my goal time in the Monroe Half Marathon this fall. I fell 9 seconds short on a trail race this summer. Professionally, I want to get back to meeting regularly with my Reading / Writing Workshop colleagues.

My wife, Abby, and I have been married for 11 years. We have two children: Emma (6), who will be a first grader at Field this year, and Gavin (4). This summer flew by, but included taking the kids to Disney World for the first time. I'm not sure who is most tired.

I read Meddling Kids this summer, a take on a Scooby-Doo-like child detective group now in their twenties and tortured by their pasts.Brief cheating survey

Did you know that Katey McPherson is coming back to lead a free parent workshop on April 10th? Katey McPherson presented Under the Influence: What every parent needs to know about the often hidden impact of screen time and social media on your child's wellness in December, 2017. Her presentation received  SAVE THE DATE:  Ms. McPherson will be back on April 10th from 6-7:30 pm for an upgraded repeat of the talk in December with an open Q and A to follow. You'll receive practical evidence-based strategies and tips to manage and supervise digital devices. You can view details and register on the following link. Eventbrite sign-up  

Did you know that there are planned activities for 10th graders on 4/10? Katey McPherson is presenting a 1-hour assembly on April 10th to our sophomores titled Behind the Screen: How to Create a Digital Footprint that Lasts. 

Did you know that this year's Walk for Autism will be held on Saturday, April 21, 2018? Come and celebrate Autism Awareness with food, raffle, and fun. All proceeds from this event go towards our Center Based ASD programs. Here is a link to a flyer. 

Did you know that there was a Vaping 101 session for parents last night? Don't worry if you missed it because there will be another session next Thursday, March 22nd, in the Canton High School Little Theater, from 6:30 - 7:30 pm. You can find details and a sign-up HERE. 

Did you know that the SJ5K is a student-led event? The SJ5K is a student run event put on annually at P-CEP to raise money and support for Plymouth-Canton families going through medical crisis. Over the past 7 years, the SJ5K has impacted 26 different families and raised over $360,000. The purpose each year continues to be to bring the community together to provide hope, support, and financial relief for the families we sponsor each year. We hope to do this again for our 9 deserving recipients. SAVE THE DATE: This year's race is on May 6th. Please watch this year's video, click here to meet the 2018 recipients, and consider whether you can join us on May 6th for this amazing event. 

Happy Saturday!

I can't believe it's already February! I apologize that I missed communicating during the whole month of January. The month flew by in a blur.

We are getting ready for course selection 'season' at P-CEP. The master schedule is built (and teachers assigned to classes) based on students' requests, which makes it very important to pick the right courses. Please see this Course Request Parent Letter for detailed information and deadlines for the upcoming course selection.

Upcoming Events: 

2/5 - Reports cards distributed to 3rd hour teachers

2/6 - P-CEP Student of the Month breakfast @ SHS @ 7:30 am 

2/8 - 8th grade Curriculum Night 6-8 pm PHS Cafeteria

2/16-2/19 - Mid-Winter Break

2/22 - High School Course Selection Deadline

Gretchen Andridge- ELA and IB Depts.- BA/BD and MA from EMU & Marygrove- My Educational Philosophy is two-fold: "Work hard, practice a LOT and push yourself to be creative" mixed in with a Robin Williams quote, "You're only given a little spark of madness. You mustn't lose it."

A personal goal of mine is to take long road-trips with my family, that have moments where my risk-taking side is tested. A professional goal I have is to build all of my lessons around project-based learning that is student directed.

I have three boys, ages 25, 21 and 8 and a husband who is also a teacher. I enjoy reading, hiking and being outdoors and playing games in my spare time. I'm passionate about quality treatment of animals and the environment and taking an active role in our local community.

PHS is a spirited, fun-loving, hard-working, talented and smart collective of people who fill a learning institute with purpose.

I've just finished reading 'The Book of Joy' by Gyatso, the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu

Did you know that the Class of 2022 Curriculum Night is February 8, 2018?

Eighth grade parents will receive high school registration information. P-CEP counselors/administrators will provide parents and students with curriculum information and answer questions. P-CEP District families will meet at the following times in their assigned schools:
Last Names A - L at 6:00 p.m.
Last Names M - Z at 7:00 p.m.
Locations: Canton Cafeteria, Plymouth Cafeteria or Salem Auditorium, watch for signs. All Charter and Private School families: 6:00 - 7:00 p.m.
Location: Canton High School - Canton Little Theater

Did you know that the Michigan Department of Education released its Parent Dashboard for School Transparency? This new online data portal provides charts that break down eight different statistics: performance summary (proficiency); progress summary (growth); graduation rate (four-year cohort); advanced coursework; on-track attendance; English learner progress; and assessment participation. Each of these are compared against statewide averages and other schools with similar demographics. You can check it out at https://www.mischooldata.org/  by clicking on the parent dashboard tab in the upper left.

Did you know that P-CEP counselors organized a "Beating the Winter Blues" Stress Less week before final exams? The week was spent encouraging students to focus on positive mental health and taking care of themselves. They had music in passing periods, therapy dogs, yoga, positive words of affirmation, etc. all to help students stress less and raise awareness of mental health.  

Winter break!

We did it! We made it to Winter Break! My entire family has been counting down to this break, but I honestly don't know who is more excited - me or my girls. I'm looking forward to lazy nights (without homework), getting some order in my disordered house, and good, old-fashioned quality time with my family over the next two weeks. May the break be for you exactly what you desire and need. Happy Holidays!

David Sutherland - Social Studies Department - I have a school problem! I would be a professional student if possible. A.B. Communications - U of M - Ann Arbor, MA Educational Technology - Wayne State, MS Educational Leadership - Concordia University, and JD University of Detroit Mercy - My philosophy of education is .... and this is no joke... I have the document from 1994 when I got hired.. "Learning Should Be Fun!" I try to make sure the students are excited to enter my room every day because they know they'll learn something new which will usually be accompanied by a unique story to reinforce the concept. We have lots of laughs along the way.

My personal goal is to continue to embrace my passion for fitness without anymore trips to Kendra my physical therapist. Professionally, I am always trying to take my content (law, civics, media literacy, and sociology) to new levels. I am constantly pushing my students to understand complex content and acquire new advanced skills without them realizing they are going way beyond what they typically think they are capable of.

Elderly parents keep life interesting! In my spare time I like to exercise, golf, attend U of M sporting events, and I believe I have an Amazon book "issue" that I may need to address. I am well stocked for retirement. I am passionate about making the law easy for lay people to understand. I am also very passionate about professional ethics and conduct.

My classroom from the perspective of an administrator who evaluated me during my career. "People have no idea what you do." Oops! 7 -

A book I have read recently is Unwarranted: Policing Without Permission by Barry Friedman.

Did you know that there are so many apps available to help us monitor social media? The speaker who came in early December was very well received. If you missed her presentation, then here is a LINK to it. The file is very large so you will want to open it on a computer and not your phone. I have been using the app OurPact for several years and love it. It allows me to schedule bedtimes, HW time, etc. for each of my kids. I used the free version for at least a year and then upgraded so that I could select which apps to allow to remain on the phone/ipdad (i.e., I allow the apps that are related to school - google drive, google docs, etc.) 

Did you know that while there is a decrease nationally in the percentage of students who smoke tobacco there is an increase in students who use e-cigarettes and vape? Possession and/or use of an electronic cigarette or vaporizer is prohibited on school grounds, school property, school buses, and vehicles on school grounds, even if students are 18 and can legally purchase an electronic cigarette. Please partner with us in educating your children about the risks of electronic cigarettes. Here's a tip sheet for parents for talking with kids about e-cigarettes  and another Article on the subject. 

Did you know that we had a great Challenge Day Assembly with 9th graders?This was part of our continued intentional effort to teach empathy to our students. A school community that cares for one another and respects each other's differences makes for a great learning environment. You can see some of the pictures below.