House Speaker Andy Dillon proposed a statewide health insurance pool for all public employees--including school employees. Regardless of the health care coverage you bargained with your school district, you would receive benefits that the state determines you should have.
To learn more about the negative impacts on your rights, go to www.mea.org/voiceonline
Contact your representative and tell them that you oppose this proposal.
On May 28, 2009 the HEA awarded its 10th Annual Holland High School Scholarship. Our 2009 Scholarship winner is Caroline Meyer. Caroline is the daughter of HEA member Gloria Meyer. Next year Caroline will be using her $500.00 scholarship at Ohio University. Congratulations Caroline Meyer.
Thank you Patti and to the many other HPS teachers who dedicate their lives and work to the children of Holland. We all strive to achieve what Mrs. Patti Arndt has accomplished over her career. To read Mrs. Arndt's letter, click here.
The staff at Van Raalte is always checking the pulse of their clientele. During this past year many things were done to support and help the many wonderful Van Raalte families. Staff have donated money, gifts and time for many needy families during holiday times as well as supplied the clothing closet with items for various ages of children.
Another aspect of being a teacher is honoring the teaching profession and taking time to mentor new teachers. This year, many Van Raalte staff members chose to be a part of the Grand Valley Cohort Program. This is a program in which a college student progresses from an assistant to a student teacher, but is allowed to stay in one classroom throughout the year. This is certainly a benefit to college students to develop a close relationship with an experienced mentor as well as seeing the growth of a classroom and students throughout most of a year.
Many of the teaching staff at Van Raalte are seasoned veterans and chose to take on a cohort this year. The college students began in September and left in mid-April, for graduation. During the entire year, staff members spent time training these students daily to address the many aspects of running a classroom. College students are expected assume full responsibility for a classroom at the end of this experience. In addition, mentors make recommendations to continue or possibly leave the teaching profession. This is not a role lightly assumed.
Looking forward to the future will ensure we have many potential great new teachers for our future in Michigan. Way to go Van Raalte Staff!
On April 1, the Holland High School staff truly went above and beyond by holding a luncheon for Megan Wilson's daughter Natasha. The luncheon raised $2,300 to help the Wilson family and Natasha's battle with Leukemia.
Natasha was diagnosed on October 10, 2008. In an email to staff, Megan wrote, "Thanks again to all the support my family has received. I do believe that my support system has gotten me though the tough times I have already faced. Natasha’s treatment has been going on for about 6 months now and has just less than two more years left. Today showed me my support system is much bigger than I ever knew. It makes me look at the next two years with an even bigger smile…take that cancer!"
You are very welcome Megan and Natasha and like you said, "Take that cancer!"
Lynn VanLente- Hoover is just one of the many great teachers we have here in Holland Public Schools. She goes above and beyond the call of duty on a regular basis for our staff and students at Maplewood School. As a part of our second grade teaching staff, she has volunteered to serve as our Math Academy representative. She has attended many training sessions at the ISD and has returned to Maplewood to train her staff in the strategies learned in her trainings. She has risen to the challenge of teaching a split classroom which included a new grade. In addition to meeting the demands of teaching her second and third graders she has taken on the role of district coordinator of the Big READ Bus. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the Big READ Bus, this offers reading opportunities to our students throughout the summer. It’s a literacy program on wheels! The bus runs on a weekly basis and makes various stops throughout the district. Students are able to check out books to read with their families. It’s Lynn’s hard work throughout the entire school year and summer that allows our district to provide books to our students all summer long. Lynn also serves as our H.E.A. secretary and is a member of our H.E.A. executive board.
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