Presentation highlights students learning, engaged

WARREN — The April 10 Fitzgerald Public Schools Board of Education meeting gave district officials a closer look at various programs impacting students.

Westview Lower Elementary School Principal Rebecca Akins gave a PowerPoint presentation that emphasized various academic and enrichment programs at the school. Akins was joined by special education teacher Brittany Grashik and reading specialist/coach Lisa Wisdom.

One program making an impact is WIN, which stands for What I Need. Each student has a WIN group that meets for 35 minutes every day where they focus on specific reading intervention instruction based on the students’ NWEA scores.

NWEA, which stands for Northwest Evaluation Association, is a nonprofit organization that assesses students in various academic studies. Westview’s WIN program helps teachers monitor the students’ growth and allows them to move into a different WIN group based on their progress.

The Westview Gold Goal bell initiative, in which students proudly ring the gold bell in the school office when they’ve met certain goals, has been popular.

“We also have our ‘bright student awards’ that our teachers are doing in the classrooms, taking pictures of kids that are achieving their goals with multiplication facts,” Akins said.

Westview continues to offer monthly Multi-tiered System of Supports meetings. MTSS is a comprehensive framework comprising a collection of research-based strategies designed to meet the individual needs of students. The purpose of MTSS is to address the needs of the whole child, including cognitively, physically, behaviorally, socially and emotionally.

“The monthly MTSS meetings help our students who may be struggling academically or behaviorally,” Akins said. “We also have multiple parent meetings that take place throughout the year, so we have those support pieces in place.”

The school also has an active student council and Eco Crew; both chaired by Wisdom.

Grashik is a coach for two of the school’s running programs: Stride and Girls on the Run, which operate in partnership through the YMCA. She shared details of both with the school board.

STRIDE, which stands for Success, Teamwork, Respect, Inspiration, Determination and Excellence in Character, is a fitness and running program for boys in grades 3 through 5. Girls on the Run is a physical-activity-based positive youth development program for girls in grades 3 through 8 that teaches life skills through interactive lessons and running games.

Also at the meeting, Fitzgerald High School and Chatterton Middle School Chinese language teacher and Multicultural Club sponsor Katie Van Gorder provided an update regarding the multicultural showcase held last month at the high school. According to Van Gorder’s presentation, the Fitzgerald Foundation for Educational Advancement provided funding to pay for food offered at the event.

Students were encouraged to participate in the multicultural showcase to display their ethnic backgrounds. There were students who sang or danced, and the evening also included a fashion show.

Organized in 1987, the FFEA was founded by Fitzgerald alumni, present and former school board members, and interested community members. The Foundation provides financial support for educational programs and projects not available through the school district’s operating budget.

Monetary donations are always welcome and can be mailed to: Fitzgerald Foundation for Educational Advancement, Attn: Michelle Ridky, 23200 Ryan Road, Warren, Michigan, 48091.