As I have written in the past, we are in a strategic planning process. One of the items we began with is creating our guiding beliefs. They are a set of aspirational statements that will guide us in day-to-day interactions and also decision making.

The draft has been shared with the Board of Education and staff; today I want to share them with you and ask for any feedback. You can email me at the address below, or give me a call.

HONESTY

We believe in being truthful in our actions and communications, and fostering a culture of honesty, trust, and integrity.

OPENNESS

We believe in a culture of collaboration and transparency, where students, staff, and families openly share ideas and information.

RESPECT

We believe in an inclusive and respectful learning environment for all, and we value the diverse background of each individual.

NEIGHBORLINESS

We believe in being welcoming and inviting to each person who walks through our doors. We also believe in being a good neighbor beyond our schools’ walls, actively engaged with our local community, and instilling a sense of civic pride and responsibility.

EXCELLENCE

We believe in striving for excellence in all we do, and encouraging both academic and personal growth through hard work and commitment.

TRUST

We believe in a culture of reliability and confidence, where students, staff, and families work together to foster trust.

STEWARDSHIP

We believe in embedding good stewardship and governance into our decisionmaking to ensure long-term success and well being.

Finally, please make sure you scroll down to see the pictures of a variety of activities from the past month.

In partnership and with Hornet Pride,

Judy

juwalton@harrisonschools.com

989.539.7871

The staff of Harrison Community Schools, in the spirit of a growing and changing community, pledge to educate all students by teaching the District Curriculum and beyond, ensuring the development of responsible learners prepared to take an active role in a complex society.

Zachary Driver -- Kendra Durga -- Therese Haley

James Neff -- Chelsea Roland -- Betsy Ulicki -- Carrie Whitaker

From the Founding Director of the National Museum of African History History & Culture (Smithsonian)

"No one has played a greater role in helping all Americans know the black past than Carter G. Woodson, the individual who created Negro History Week in Washington, D.C., in February 1926. Woodson was the second black American to receive a PhD in history from Harvard—following W.E.B. Du Bois by a few years. To Woodson, the black experience was too important simply to be left to a small group of academics....Woodson had two goals. One was to use history to prove to white America that blacks had played important roles in the creation of America and thereby deserve to be treated equally as citizens. In essence, Woodson—by celebrating heroic black figures—be they inventors, entertainers, or soldiers—hoped to prove our worth, and by proving our worth—he believed that equality would soon follow. His other goal was to increase the visibility of black life and history, at a time when few newspapers, books, and universities took notice of the black community, except to dwell upon the negative. Ultimately Woodson believed Negro History Week—which became Black History Month in 1976—would be a vehicle for racial transformation forever....The question that faces us today is whether or not Black History Month is still relevant? Is it still a vehicle for change?...I would like to suggest that despite the profound change in race relations that has occurred in our lives, Carter G. Woodson’s vision for black history as a means of transformation and change is still quite relevant and quite useful. African American history month, with a bit of tweaking, is still a beacon of change and hope that is still surely needed in this world....Black History Month continues to serve us well. In part because Woodson’s creation is as much about today as it is about the past. Experiencing Black History Month every year reminds us that history is not dead or distant from our lives."

Construction is set to begin on a state-of-the-art Clare-Gladwin Career and Technical Education (CTE) building, courtesy of a generous $15 million grant from the State of Michigan's Labor and Economic Opportunity Department. This funding will pave the way for extensive upgrades and expansion at the John C. Magnus Center, providing advantages not only for upcoming CTE students from Beaverton, Clare, Farwell, Gladwin and Harrison but also for the surrounding communities.

As part of Michigan's commitment to advancing vocational education, the state’s goal is to increase the percentage of working-age adults with a skill certificate or college degree from 50.5% today to 60% by 2030. This new facility effectively aligns with the state's objectives, addressing skill gaps, supporting economic growth, improving educational access and encouraging fair competition for inclusive development.

"The increasing demand for skill-based labor goes beyond our local community and spans throughout Michigan," said CTE Director Eric Johnson. "This expanded facility not only addresses current needs but also positions CTE for future growth, allowing us to add essential program courses for much-needed skill-based positions in the region."

The expansion at the Magnus Center will meet the growing demands for CTE programs by creating spacious, modern classrooms, improving program flexibility for future courses, incorporating a 6500-square-foot conference center and providing a state-of-the-art commercial kitchen for the Culinary Arts program.

The groundbreaking ceremony is scheduled for 3 p.m., Friday, April 5, marking a significant step toward a brighter future for career-focused education in the region.

Several times over the school year, the weather causes us to delay or cancel school. Have you ever wondered how the decision is made? The short answer is safety, and the long answer is all of the factors that go into the safety category.

Looking at weather forecasts and radar is always a bit tricky, because patterns can change so quickly. But that is usually our first step - knowing we may need to pay extra attention on certain days and at certain times. Typically, the conversation starts around 4-4:30 am, and one or more of our bus drivers may take a trial run and report back regarding road conditions, because even when the main roads are in decent shape, secondary and "back" roads may be very different.

Our district covers 240 square miles, with a variety of different road types and conditions. Our bus drivers need to head out by 6:15 am to start their routes, so we have to decide before that time, using the best information on current conditions and forecasted conditions. When we chose a two-hour delay, it is because we believe the forecast will improve enough to have school. However, there are times when that decision turns into a full closure because not enough improvement happens by the next decision window of time.

Sometimes the decision across area districts is similar, and other times it is not. But our individual decisions do impact whether the CGRESD, and specifically the career/technical programs, delays or closes, so we want to maintain contact with our neighbors. All decisions are ultimately made based on whether, with the information we have on hand, our students can safely be at bus stops, and whether our buses can safely drive all routes. While it is vital that we have our students in school and learning, we will not jeopardize their safety in getting to or from school.

If we do change our schedule, you will be notified through our school information system (if you have signed up for alerts). We also post on our social media sites, and advise regional TV stations.

• With a positive COVID test, 5 days from either the onset of symptoms, or if no symptoms, from the test date. Onset of symptoms or test date = day zero, and student may return on day 6 with a mask assuming symptoms are improving. This is the same as employees.
• For 24 hours after fever, diarrhea, or vomiting ends, without medication.
• Contagious diseases such as chickenpox, measles, strep, pinkeye, flu, etc. Ask your doctor or health care provider when they can return to school. Generally, the following apply: chickenpox (no school until all spots /lesions are dried and crusted), lice (no school until after the first treatment), strep throat or other strep infections (can return if they do not have a fever and have been on antibiotics for at least 12 hours).

February 9: No school for students (teachers have professional learning)

February 12: No school for students or staff (mini winter break)

March 25-29: No school (spring break)

May 16: Graduation (6:30 pm, stadium - weather permitting)

• Early Childhood & Larson Elementary, 989.539.3259 (Principal Andrea Andera, aandera@harrisonschools.com, Assistant Principal Sandy Hargraves, shargraves@harrisonschools.com)
• Middle School, 989.539.7194 (Principal Jennifer Thrush, jthrush@harrisonschools.com, Assistant Principal Brad Carlstrom, bcarlstrom@harrisonschools.com)
• Hive, 989.539.7417 (Principal Stacey VanAntwerp, svanantwerp@harrisonschools.com)
• High School, 989.539.7417 (Principal Joe Ashcroft, jjashcroft@harrisonschools.com, Assistant Principal/Athletic Director Brad Carlstrom, bcarlstrom@harrisonschools.com)

Superintendent, 989.539.7871 (Judy Walton, juwalton@harrisonschools.com)

Special Education (Stacey VanAntwerp, svanantwerp@harrisonschools.com)

Homeless Child/Youth Services (Andrea Andera, aandera@harrisonschools.com)

Bus Services, 989.539.7082 (Kelli Whitaker, kwhitaker@auxilioservices.com)

Allowed waiting area for afternoon pick-up at Larson is on West Hornet Drive, highlighted in orange