Welcome to Besser Elementary

November 1, 2024

Snow Days

I’m sure this will be a popular message 🤪, but our first snow days over the past two years were on November 16th and 17th! So, how do we decide to close school due to weather? Last year brought a big change: my dog, Mabel, decided she’s no longer interested in checking the roads with me at 3 or 4 a.m., leaving me to handle my portion of our 604-square-mile district solo. Thankfully, the transportation team pitches in too, since one part of the district may be passable while another isn’t. We understand there are strong feelings around these decisions, but rest assured, we always err on the side of caution.

Parent Surveys (Family and Community Partnerships)

Parent-Teacher conferences were this week. I hope you had the chance to attend in person, or if not, connect with your student’s teachers another way. Teacher-family connections are critical to student success.

Please take a moment to complete the Parent Survey provided at conferences, or check your building’s weekly update for the survey link. Your feedback is important to us. After the survey closes, our full administrative review team will review feedback across the district, and each principal will go over their building’s data. We use this feedback to identify ways to improve our schools. The Board of Education and the community will also receive a summary of the results.

Chronic Absence (Whole-Child Development)

A few weeks ago, news outlets reported a dramatic increase in the number of APS students who were chronically absent last year. Unfortunately, the district had mistakenly reported this data to the state, so while the news report was accurate, our actual chronic absenteeism rate did not rise dramatically. We are now working to correct our report to the state. If the state recalculates last year’s data, we’ll be sure to update you.

Our School Success team is working hard to support students and families facing challenges with school attendance. We see new successes daily as we work to remove obstacles so students can get to school on time, ready to learn.

Personnel Update

A few weeks ago, the District, as a gesture of good faith, offered to make the $1.50 per hour wage increase from the 2023-24 school year permanent, even though it expired at the end of that school year. ESP II (Instructional Assistants) leadership agreed, and both parties signed a Letter of Agreement to confirm this understanding formally.

ASK APS (Family and Community Partnership)

We recently invited questions from the community about how public schools operate. We’ve started sharing answers to some of these questions on Facebook, and I’ll address one here:

“Why aren’t staff given the opportunity to evaluate the superintendent?”

In Michigan, the school board—not staff—is legally responsible for evaluating a public school superintendent. The board hires, supervises, and assesses the superintendent's performance based on district goals, educational standards, and priorities. If staff were to evaluate the superintendent, it could compromise the governance structure, introduce bias, and blur lines of accountability. The board’s evaluation approach allows for a strategic, district-wide perspective that best supports effective leadership.

Daylight Saving Time

Who remembers calling “Time” on the phone? “At the tone, the time will be…” As a kid, I dreamed of calling just as Daylight Saving ended: “At the tone, the time will be One Fifty-Nine A.M. and Fifty seconds... Beep! At the tone, the time will be One A.M. and Zero seconds…” But every year, I’d forget and sleep through it!

Fun fact: I just Googled it, and you can still call for the time! The U.S. Navy sponsors a time check at 1-202-762-1401. Maybe this weekend, a childhood dream will come true!

In case you missed the point… don’t forget that we “Fall Back” an hour this weekend!

Streaming Link APS board Meeting 10 28 24 5:30 PM @AlpenaPublicSchoolsMichigan

https://youtube.com/live/GfCj4Dnd0fM?feature=share

APS families, this is a reminder that Friday October 25th is a half-day for students due to state mandated staff training in the afternoon.

Thunder Bay Junior High 10:26 Half-day dismissal 

Alpena High/ACES 10:36 Half-day dismissal

Lincoln, Ella White, Besser 11:45 Half-day dismissal

Hinks, Sanborn, Wilson 12:06 Half-day dismissal

October 7, 2024

Strategic Plan: Academics & Programs

On October 25th, students will have a half-day of school. In the afternoon, our teachers and administrators will participate in Professional Development (PD). But what exactly is PD? In education, PD refers to the specialized training that helps our staff enhance their skills and teaching methods. Our goal is to continually improve the quality and effectiveness of instruction.

What’s happening during PD on October 25th?

• 6-12 Math Teachers will receive training on our new math curriculum.

• Other 6-12 staff will focus on assessment strategies and best practices.

• K-5 Teachers will spend three hours on Teacher Clarity, focusing on learning targets in Benchmark Advance. They’ll also receive updated Teacher Clarity books, funded through our Title II federal funds.

What is Title II?

Public schools receive a mix of local, state, and federal funding. "Title" funds are federal, and Title II funds specifically aim to improve the quality of educators and school leaders. The purpose of Title II is to:

1. Increase student achievement in line with state standards,

2. Enhance the effectiveness of teachers, principals, and school leaders,

3. Boost the number of highly effective educators, and

4. Provide low-income and minority students greater access to effective teachers and leaders.

This year, Alpena Public Schools (APS) received $126,186 in Title II funds to support professional development initiatives.

Social Media Headaches: The Importance of Family and Community Partnerships

Last Friday, spread by students and adults, wild and unfounded rumors of a safety concern at the Junior High spread like wildfire across social media and our community. This wave of misinformation caused significant stress for our students and staff.

I’m asking everyone—adults and students alike—before you share anything about the safety of our schools you come across on social media, take a moment. Please, please, please contact the authorities or the school first. When you share without verifying, you become part of the problem, not the solution. Let’s work together to keep our community informed, not fearful.