The Community Engagement team is a Hazel Park schools-based program established by Superintendent Dr. Amy Kruppe as a way for the internal school organizations and external businesses, charities, groups, and clubs within the city to gather and build community.

“Community Engagement has many organizations within the city meeting around the table,” said Community Representative, Lisa Chrouch-Johnson. “Each month the team meets and informs the other groups of the events they are planning.” She added that oftentimes those in attendance will either volunteer at these events or offer to help advertise and draw awareness to them.

Many of the external organizations involved offer activities that are either free or require a minimal fee to attend. “Attending events that are ree or available at minimal cost helps families get out of their houses, so they can bond as a family. We strongly encourage students and families to attend events, volunteer, and join the civic organizations,” said Chrouch-Johnson. The Community Engagement team helps build awareness of these programs and events to maximize turn out.

The group has also been busy planning its own events. This past fall, the Community Engagement team hosted a month-long silent auction at the Hazel Park library at which residents of Hazel Park could bid on 27 three-foot-tall artificial Christmas trees. Each tree was created by a local business, charity club, or school, and sported a different theme. The auction included a Tim Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas tree, as well as one adorned with Frankenmuth ornaments. Bids ranged from $40 to $250.

A few important annual events include the Annual Hometown Huddle, which was held August 23, 2018. The event took place at Hazel Park High School just a few hours prior to the first home football game of the season. Many of the organizations within the city set up tables to pass out information and offer giveaways. There were games to play and plenty of free food and drinks. It was a great way for families of the players, and their friends and neighbors, to come out and support the team.

Then, on December 1, 2018, Community Engagement will host the second annual Santa breakfast, craft, and vendor show at the high school. Kids can come out and visit with Santa while families select homemade goodies up for sale by some of Hazel Park’s gifted crafters. There will also be a Dr. Seuss themed lunch, craft, and vendor show at the high school on March 9, 2019.

The Senior Citizens Holiday concert will take place at the Junior High on December 16, 2018. There, the schools’ bands, choir, and dance team will all perform and lead those attending in a sing-along show. Afterwards, cookies and beverages will be served.

Community Engagement is also planning a snowman auction to take place at the Holiday Celebration at the Hazel Park Ice Arena. “Businesses, individuals, and organizations can make any kind of snowman with paint, crochet, foam, or cups,” Crouch-Johnson explained. “The choice is yours – be creative. All proceeds go to the after school programming for Hazel Park Schools. Please look out for more information.” She added, “Our continued goal is to build a positive community. Future goals are to get more volunteers, create more events, and grow the team to reach even more people.”

The Community Engagement Team meets every third Tuesday of the month at 6:30 P.M at the Ford Administration Building, 1620 E. Elza, Hazel Park, MI 48030, and is always seeking new members.

Anyone with questions or who is interested in participating can e-mail lisa.chrouchjohnson@hazelparkschools.org or call 248-658-5209.

HAZEL PARK SCHOOLS HAVE A PROUD TRADITION OF EXCELLENCE IN ATHLETICS. For 80 years, the Vikings have successfully competed in thousands of competitions all over Michigan. The mission of the Athletic Department is to provide an athletic environment that compliments the educational experience, promotes excellence through commitment to team and community, focuses on the development of discipline and wellness, and values the ideals of sportsmanship, ethics and growth in humility.

The programs currently offered at Hazel Park’s Junior High and High School are dance, football, sideline and competitive cheer teams, soccer, track and cross-country track, tennis, swimming, volleyball, basketball, wrestling, bowling, baseball, softball, and boys golf. Many of the teams have been successful throughout the years, and a couple have recently received stand out recognition.

“Over the past three years our boys’ basketball team has been very successful,” according to Athletic Director Dr. David Muylaert. “In past years, the Hazel Park wrestling team has also been successful, and that program is beginning to compete at the level it did ten to fifteen years ago.”

Some changes were made to the Junior High track team in recent years. Dr. Muylaert explained, “Two years ago, the Jr. High School added a coed track team for the students to participate in the spring.” The addition of the new track team will allow for more running time.

There have already been many memorable moments in 2018 and there are some notably talented students who will be joining college teams. “The class of 2018 has six athletes that will go on and play college athletics,” Dr. Muylaert said. “Samantha Richardson will play softball. Trinity Benton will play basketball. Kyle Washington will play football. Carl Bow, Devin Pettus, and David Hearns will play basketball.”

As far as future plans for Hazel Park’s athletics, he said, “It was recently announced that Hazel Park High School will be leaving the Oakland Activities Association (OAA) and joining the Macomb Area Conference (MAC) in the 2019-2020 school year.” This transition will mean that Hazel Park Athletics will be part of MAC rather than maintaining its traditional spot in the OAA. The reason the Vikings had wanted to make the switch had to do with competitive imbalance, especially in football. Student athletes were competing against districts with much larger enrollment rates. As part of the MAC, they will be vying for titles against schools of similar size.

More information regarding Hazel Park’s school athletics can be found at www.hazelparkschools.org. Any questions should be directed to Dr. Muylaert at 248.658.5167 or david.muylaert@hazelparkschools.org.

HAZEL PARK HAS BEEN BUSY OVERHAULING AND UPDATING ITS EDUCATIONAL INFRA-STRUCTURE IN THE PAST YEAR. “We needed to update the schools. They are becoming outdated,” explained Custodial/ Maintenance Supervisor Greg Richardson. “A few years ago, residents voted on the funding for remodels and it passed as a millage. We’re trying to improve the schools and compete with the bigger districts.” Schools are an investment. If you let them deteriorate, then your investment becomes a loss.

The remodeling projects have included new carpeting at Hoover, Ford, and Webb Elementary Schools, with small portions also being updated at the high school, new drinking fountains, and playground equipment for the students. “We installed new equipment and wood chips at the playgrounds,” Richardson said. “We got a grant for the drinking fountains through Oakland County. We wanted new water bottle fillers and healthier solutions for the kids.” The fountains are still a work in progress, with all schools set to receive replacement equipment.

The maintenance team will also be updating the air conditioning systems at United Oaks and Ford Elementary Schools, as well as the Junior High. “This Fall, we’ll also be repainting the swimming pool at the high school,” Richard-son explained. “And we will be updating the pool lighting.”

He noted that Hazel Park’s athletic facility was completely reconfigured six years ago. “We have a state-of-the-art facility,” he said. “Other schools and programs want to rent it out so much that we don’t have any more open dates. I was on the committee for this.”

Richardson added, “My long-term goal is to have every single school completely updated. I went to the schools in the ‘90s and it’s nice so see we finally have a small amount of funds to do this. I’m excited for what’s to come.”

Hazel Park offers a unique opportunity for high school students to get involved in the work scheduled to be completed. “We hire several kids every summer. Last year I hired five to work 40 hours per week for six to eight weeks,” said Richardson. “We put out an email to the kids at the high school and train them. This helps us out a lot, particularly when we’re short-handed, as we have been in recent years.”

The schools also follow all state guidelines when it comes to safety protocol and procedures. Richardson explained, “Each principal has their own guide-lines, but we are also up to the standards of the state. During school hours, the buildings are locked down and visitors need to be buzzed in by the front offices. Our superintendent is very good at always considering the safety of the kids. Dr. Kruppe is always making sure any door issues are fixed and the locks are working. It’s a top priority and we stay on top of it.”

Richardson added, “Hall monitors are present at some of the schools. We also have a camera system at every entrance and will know if anything out of the ordinary happens. They are recording 24/7 at all of the schools, so we can easily go back and look at the footage for a period of time.”

School safety is always at the forefront of the administration’s objectives. “We talk about it a lot,” Richardson said. “One of our administrators and a police officer who has an office at both the high school and Junior High went to ALICE training, and will be training the staff, including the principals and custodians. But we already have guidelines for how to handle active shootings, terrorist threats, and anything else that could happen. My daughter just graduated from Hazel Park High, and I’ve always felt very comfortable having her here.”

Of the District, Richardson said, “We’re really doing some great things infra-structure, safety, and education-wise. We’re a small district and not a lot of people know about it, but we really have some great things in the works.”

HAZEL PARK OFFERS SOME GREAT PROGRAMS IN WHICH PARENTS CAN POSITION THEIR CHILDREN FOR ACADEMIC SUCCESS prior to enrollment in traditional kindergarten. The programs are housed in the Webster Early Childhood Center, Hoover Elementary School, Webb Elementary, and there are a variety of options available for families looking for best-fit solutions.

“Here at Hazel Park, we strongly believe in the power and impact of early education,” said Stephanie Dulmage, Ed. S., Director of 21st Century Learning. Initiatives such as Early Fives, the Great Start Readiness Grant Program (GSRP), Head Start and Early Head Start strongly reflects the district’s mission.

GSRP is a State of Michigan-funded grant program that provides full-day tuition free education to preschool students for four days per week from September to June. The program services families in Oakland, Wayne, and Macomb counties, and follows a research-based HighScope curriculum designed to best position students for future success.

We also have the privilege of housing Head Start in Webster Elementary School. While this is not a Hazel Park-run program, families are able to access this program right here in our community for their students.

“The Early Fives program,” explained Dulmage, “is open to children who are kindergarten-aged, but not quite ready for enrollment or have birthdays after the cut-off date. The classrooms offer highly-skilled, personalized learning opportunities with kindergarten curriculum in which students are given two years to learn and grow.” Not every student follows the standard two-year path, however. “Some of our Early Fives do very well and are placed right into first grade after one year,” she said.

The Early Fives program is designed to ensure students are keeping pace with their peers. “This gives parents and kids a great option to have a slightly different pacing to develop their learning,” said Dulmage. “They are placed in a smaller setting with individualized learning based on their growth needs. This way, we can really meet them where they are.”

She added, “There are several ways in which children are identified for participation in Early Fives. Either, they have a birthday after the cut-off date or parents just know about the program and are really excited about it. They want their children to participate. We also work to support those who would benefit from Early Fives based on their performance in the Webster Early Childhood Center.”

With a variety of early learning program offerings, the district encourages families to start their children’s education at a young age, so they’re best positioned for future success. Dulmage explained, “Hazel Park School District values early education and we try to provide students with as many opportunities as possible.”

MI EXCEL WORK IS A STATEWIDE SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT INITIATIVE designed to fill in student achievement gaps, and ensure students are receiving a top-notch education across the board by narrowing in on the school that needs it the most.

“We joined the MI Excel (Blueprint) work in December of 2015,” explained Corri Nastasi, Hazel Park’s Webb Elementary School Principal. “Our district was invited to learn about this work due to the fact that at the time we had a school – Hoover Elementary – on the Focus Schools list for the state.”

School Board Trustee, Rachel Noth added, “Three years ago we had a district that was struggling. We had found out that we were in deficit, central office staff had resigned, and we had to think about the future of our District.

During that time, we worked with Oakland Schools and the State of Michigan to get a deficit elimination plan together. Once that was set, we then went through the grueling process of hiring a superintendent. Fortunately, we were able to find Dr. Amy Kruppe. Dr. Kruppe and some of our staff went to a conference where Grant Chandler was speaking about MI Excel. When they came back they were really inspired about the program, and knew that it could help our District. From there, the board adopted the MI Excel framework.”

In order to bring the curriculum up to state standards at Hoover by building capacity needed to increase student achievement and decrease achievement gaps, administrators decided to implement MI Excel. “The work we are doing involves an overhaul of how we do business – a systemic reconfiguration,” Nastasi explained. “MI Excel has developed a blueprint of systems that are proven through research to be effective. There is a specific plan for different stages throughout the implementation process. The focus is to put systems in place that will help us more effectively provide quality education for our students.”

Board President, Laura Adkins, said, “Thankfully Hoover Elementary is no longer a Focus School, but we are continuing to use MI Excel. The District has had a lot of change during the last few years, and implementing this program has definitely contributed to that. The School Board is excited about the progress that the Hazel Park School District is making.”

Specific goals for Hazel Park’s district include a desire “to put systems and procedures in place to improve the quality of our work in the district in a short amount of time. The ultimate goal is to increase student achievement for our students,” according to Nastasi.

Unfortunately, because of the aggressive timeline proposed to reconfigure current systems and the complications that come along with overhauling existing processes, the District has realized a few challenges along the way.

“​There have been some minor setbacks as we push forward to do this hard work in a short amount of time. Many times it involves us going back and reviewing some things or improving procedures,” Nastasi explained, but added that staff realizes it’s important to implement change.

“This program is important to all staff because it helps our district function as a complete system, so whichever building you are working at will have the same procedures policies and systems in place. It also provides a predictable structure for how we do business. K-12 curriculum and assessments have been written and are updated yearly based on ​teacher feedback,” she said.

By rolling out MI Excel, Hazel Park will operate more consistently as a district, and this consistency helps ease information flow and ensure that all students are receiving the same educational standards. Nastasi said, “All of the buildings are on the same page. There is much more consistency across our systems. There is more discussion about the importance of teaching and learning. Teachers and administrators work together to improve instruction on a regular basis. We are more tuned in to not only the academic needs, but also the non-academic needs of students.”

Asked what the future of using MI Excel within Hazel Park’s schools looks like, Nastasi explained, “​We are currently using the MI Excel framework as we do the work of teaching and learning on a regular basis. This was rolled out in January of 2016 and has been a continuous work in progress. The future of this framework involves a consistent process​for utilizing the framework, collecting data from students, community members, and staff, and making updates and improvements to the systems as needed. The ideal future is that all systems are in place and being utilized confidently by all Hazel Park stakeholders for the continued success of our students and families.”

For more information on MI Excel Works, please visit the Department of Education at www.michigan.gov and visit the MI Excel Resource Center at
www.miexcelresourcecenter.org

THE UAW SCHOOL TO WORK OPTION STARTED THREE YEARS AGO with Hazel Park’s first group graduating this past June. “The School to Work program was estab-lished via our Promise Zone coordinator Kayla Roney,” explained Hazel Park’s Director of Curriculum Integration and Instruction, Dr. Carla Postell. “Chrysler came to our partner to offer the program and worked with Kayla to shape it. This allows for students to determine their future if they are interested in going into skilled trades. There are five or six skilled trades available for them to learn.”

The UAW School to Work program is a two-year offering in which students have an opportunity to attend hands-on classes outside of the normal classroom setting at the UAW training site off of 9 Mile Rd. in Warren. “They learn soft skills during the first year, then it’s more hands-on during the second as they really dig into the trades,” Dr. Postell said. “So, they’ll learn about things such as workplace safety and health, the manufacturing process, and look at equipment, then delve into mechanical engineering, welding, electrical, and so forth.” She added, “Students essentially have an opportunity to get the same exposure as candidates would in the full-time Chrysler program. They’re able to put this on their resume, and will receive a certificate of completion and honor cords once successfully graduating from the program.”

During their eleventh-grade year, every student in the Hazel Park district has an opportunity to tour Chrysler’s facility. They can then choose to complete an application and write an essay if they are interested, and participate in an interview process. “Those selected will go to the Warren location during the second half of their junior year for half a day each day during the week. This is something available to alternative education as well as high school students.”

Steve Nemeckay, Principal at Hazel Park Advantage, said two of his students really stood out. “The first student that comes to mind is Marcus White. Marcus graduated this year and while attending the Chrysler/UAW program he had perfect attendance for two consecutive years. He received two awards for his attendance and often volunteered to help with any school activity that we had. The second student is Thomas Emmons. He also graduated this year after attending the Chrysler/UAW program the last two years. Thomas was the leader among the Chrysler/UAW students – both HPHS and Advantage students. He earned an award as outstanding student of the social studies department.”

According to Dr. Postell, Chrysler informs their students that they can also choose to apply directly through the company website but choosing to do so through their school is potentially a more lucrative option, because the skills students learn are transferable, and they can use their credentials to be placed at other companies as well.

Dr. Postell offered, “Every year, the number of Hazel Park students attending has increased. The first year we had approximately fifteen or sixteen members, and this past year was our largest yet. Roughly twenty-five to thirty students, in total, are selected.”

THE HAZEL PARK SCHOOL DISTRICT IS ACTIVELY BUILDING a K-12 STEM pathway through a variety of programs and initiatives. The STEM acronym represents Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math, and encompasses the processes of critical thinking, creativity, and collaboration. Students integrate processes and concepts in these areas necessary for college and career success.

This past year, Hazel Park instituted STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) time for all K-5 students at least one to two times per week. “The K-5 program exposes the students to the fundamentals of programming and coding and teaches them the design-thinking process. We have a 3D printer in all environments and teach them basic CAD skills,” said Stephanie Dulmage, Director of 21st Century Learning.
By the time students reach junior high, “they have the opportunity to participate in a technology and media literacy class. In this class, they do programming and coding, learn how to navigate digital media, and develop other technology-related skills. They work with Google applications and use these tools to support and extend their learning,” Dulmage explained.

She added, “We believe so strongly in immersing students in STEM learning opportunities that all sixth, seventh and eighth grade students participate in two Project Lead The Way courses each year. All courses are related to science and engineering.” Project Lead The Way courses provide a project-based curriculum that develops technical, science, creativity, communication, and collaboration skills.

THIS PAST YEAR, HAZEL PARK EXPANDED STEM offerings to include FIRST Robotics. FIRST is an international program that offers students an opportunity to develop technology, engineering, and robotics skills which help foster confidence, leadership skills, and innovation. Teams were implemented at United Oaks, Hazel Park Junior High, and Hazel Park High School. “Our goal is to expand to all elementary buildings during the 2018-2019 school year,” said Dulmage.

K-5 students at United Oaks Elementary School had the opportunity to be part of the FIRST LEGO League, in which they were given a challenge and had to respond by building a robot capable of solving the game challenge, and develop a research project. This year’s challenge focused on water – how to find, transport, use, or dispose of it. After receiving some background information on the city’s water system from Hazel Park’s Department of Public Works (DPW), students developed a prototype capable of demonstrating filtration and an innovative approach to water purification. The team placed well at the competition and were honored for their efforts at the June 26 City Council meeting.

At the Junior High, students who are part of the FIRST Tech Challenge team are building problem-solving prototypes based on their interpretation of challenge guidelines and rules. This year’s rookie team successfully built a competition-ready robot.

HAZEL PARK HIGH SCHOOL HAS OFFERED a Robotics Club for several years, providing students with hands-on experience in math, science, robotics, and engineering. Students in the club participate in a variety of competitions including the Square One Autonomous Innovative Vehicle Design, Sea Perch, and Robofest at LTU. The team attended two events during their first go-round and ended the season with a solid performance.
The High School will also offer a business-focused program next year designed to position students well post-graduation. “Next year, Hazel Park High School will offer a LEAN fundamentals course as well. Lean Manufacturing is a way to improve paradigms through critical thinking and reflection, and to improve processes through piloting of ideas and solutions. The Lean Fundamentals course provides high school students with real-world applications of skills in mathematics, process engineering, problem-solving, observation, entrepreneurship, marketing, and inventory control.” Students will receive a Lean Fundamentals Certificate of Completion as part of the successful completion of this course.

MICHIGAN’S INTEGRATED BEHAVIOR AND LEARNING SUPPORT INITIATIVE (MIBLSI) IS A STATE-AND FEDERALLY- FUNDED PROJECT. MIBLSI helps intermediate and local school districts implement and sustain a multi-tier system of supports (MTSS) in their schools to improve student outcomes in behavior and learning. The purpose is to provide support within the district as a whole as well as in each building by installing Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS).

“I am the coordinator for the behavior part of the program, which is called Promoting Positive School Climate,” said Dr. Michelle Krause, Hazel Park’s Supervisor of Special Education. The Promoting Positive School Climate (PPSC) program helps districts focused on utilizing behavioral resources.

“The process begins by installing a District leadership team who will then support building level teams,” explained Dr. Krause. “The installation of the leadership team began late last year and continued into this year. Part of that team’s job was to identify individuals at each building who would take on the role of PBIS trainer and coach. Second, was for each building to identify PBIS building level leadership teams who would support their building in the implementation process. The trainers and coaches were identified, trained, and then came back to the district to train the building level teams.”

This year Hazel Park had four training sessions and the focus was on developing Tier 1 interventions and supports. Buildings identified behavior expectations for all students and developed how those expectations would be acknowledged. A formal kickoff occurred in January in which students were taught expectations in each area of their buildings.

Next year, Hazel Park will begin focusing on Tier 2 and Tier 3 interventions for those who need more individualized attention. These may include a check-in, check-out system in which a student is paired with an adult who acts as their support. It may also involve developing individual behavior plans.

“As we proceed with implementation, the coaches support teachers in the classroom to assist in using the building-wide system to build a classroom management system,” Dr. Krause said. “Additionally, all buildings use the School-wide Information System (SWIS) which allows tracking of behavioral referrals so that we can access that data at any point in time and use it to adjust what we are doing both as a district as well as in individual schools.”

The program is reviewed on an ongoing basis to ensure it is progressing as expected. “We regularly review progress in implementation and behavioral data with our board of education. Each building holds monthly building leadership team meetings to discuss student data and see if there are any areas that need adjustment or revision,” said Dr. Krause.