MPSConnect is a convenient communications tool for you to connect with me. Every message comes to my desktop. Either I or another MPS staff member will do all we can to reply to your message within the next work day.
Michael E. Sharrow, Superintendent
MPSConnect Link: https://www.midlandps.org/content2/706
March 14, 2022 Volume 9 - Edition 31
Midland PS District Vision Statement
Lead with respect, trust and courage.
Ensure an equitable, collaborative and inclusive culture.
Enable all to achieve success.
CONGRATULATIONS, H.H. DOW HIGH HOCKEY -- 2022 STATE CHAMPS!
Kudos to the 2022 H.H. Dow High Hockey Team players, coaches and families for bringing home DHS's
first-ever Hockey State Championship this past weekend!
WOW ... What an amazing accomplishment for this group of very talented, big-hearted hockey athletes,
as well as long-time DHS hockey coach Dick Blasy and his coaching staff!
(Photo courtesy of Midland Daily News)
Congratulations to H.H. Dow High Teacher Sarah Pancost
who has been awarded the
2022 International Baccalaureate School of Michigan
Jean Ramseyer Excellence in Approaches to Teaching and Learning Award
As we announced in last week's Communique, Ms. Pancost is the 2022 recipient of this prestigious award. Please allow us to share a few more details about this award. [This excerpt was taken from the letter we received from Jason Rubel, President of IB Schools of Michigan.]
The IB Schools of Michigan (IBSOM) Jean Ramseyer Award for Excellence in Approaches to Teaching and Learning is designed to recognize outstanding leadership and commitment in support of the International Baccalaureate.
Recipients of this award:
● demonstrate visionary and servant leadership aligned with the philosophy of the IB;
● serve as an inspiration and role model for the learning and growth of colleagues;
● expand access and opportunity for children to IB programming within the State of Michigan; and
● advance the mission of IB.
Ms. Pancost was nominated for this award by five of her peers and has been invited to attend the March IBSOM Symposium where she will attend an award ceremony.
Very Special Presentations by Vladyslav Vasylyk, H.H. Dow High Exchange Student
Ukrainian exchange student Vladyslav Vasylyk presented to Sarah Pancost's IB Theory of Knowledge courses last week. Vlad shared cultural items and photos from Ukraine. He also talked about the conflict with Russia and how it has impacted his family. Vlad then encouraged students to ask questions, saying "everything is okay to ask... and if you see me in the halls at school be sure to know that you can ask me questions at any time."
Vladyslav also gave presentations to Dawn Moulthrop's and Shelby Burr's IB English courses.
Are you wondering how to discuss/answer questions about the Russian invasion of Ukraine with your child?
This link will take you to a document published by The National Child Traumatic Stress Network entitled "Talking to Children about War." We simply provide the link in this Communique as a resource for those families who may be looking for helpful information about this most difficult subject.
https://www.nctsn.org/sites/default/files/resources/fact-sheet/talking-to-children-about-war.pdf
Midland High Freshmen Visit Holocaust Center
On Wednesday, March 9th, over 120 freshmen from Midland High School World History classes visited the Zekelman Holocaust Center in Farmington Hills, Michigan. Students enjoyed their own personal docents as they toured the museum in small groups. Currently, students are learning about WWII and the Holocaust. The field trip really helped provide perspective and context for students to connect classroom curriculum with real-life artifacts and events of that time. “I learned the most about the history of Anti-Semitism.” (Ellary Laverty) “I learned that concentration camps were different than extermination camps.” (Izaac Ringgold) “I enjoyed looking at all the artifacts, such as the uniforms and patches…you really get a good idea of what it looked like back then.” (Ava Kroll) “I enjoyed the Hall of Righteous the most.” (Maisy Matthews) “I enjoyed seeing all the replicas as I have never seen that before..read about it but never saw it in person.” (Ella Waskevich) “I learned the most about the ghetto and how the Nazi’s built walls to keep the Jews in the ghetto.” (Mya Montbriand)
Students had an opportunity to ask questions, read personal narratives, and make connections with what they’re learning in World History. The trip was made possible by a grant, provided by the Holocaust Museum, as Ms. Beson-Steger and Mr. Wontorcik attended a virtual session this past summer.
Tremendous thanks to the MHS All-In Fund for helping subsidize the admission tickets for the students!
Roses to the H.H. Dow High Drama Department's cast, crew and directors for their wonderful performances of The Sound of Music this past weekend at Central Auditorium.
Way to go, Dow High Drama!
Photos courtesy of Midland Daily News
Taking Care of Business ...
Midland High BPA place in 19 events at State Leadership Conference
On March 10-13, the Midland High School Business Professionals of America (BPA) chapter traveled to the 50th Annual State Leadership Conference in Grand Rapids and competed for top honors in business, finance, technology, marketing and health administration skills competitions.
First Place Awards: Economic Research Team-Jackson Keefe, Gavin Post, Ethan Santos; Global Marketing Team-Dalton DeBoer, Colter Mahabir, Zack Steger, Kendall Wenzell; Prepared Speech-Isla McCubbin-Green.
Second Place Awards: Parliamentary Procedure Team-Mia Allen, Bo Brutyn, Claire Carpenter, Cole Carpenter, Lawrence Millward, Eva Poprave, Kiana Prany, Andrew Steger; Presentation Management Team-Steven Hackbarth, Rori McCubbin-Green, Hannah Monville.
Third Place Awards: Financial Analyst Team-Emma Buschlen, Aly Hebert, Matt Hebert, Lauren Swanson; Presentation Management Individual-Andrew Steger.
Fourth Place Awards: Database Applications-Colter Mahabir; Extemporaneous Speech-Myah Shelton; Health Administration Procedures-Jade Dawson.
Fifth Place Awards: Advanced Interview Skills-Morgan Hussey; Prepared Speech-Myah Shelton.
Sixth Place Awards: Entrepreneurship-Nicoleta Dicusar; Fundamental Accounting-Bo Brutyn; Human Resource Management-Hannah Monville.
Seventh Place Awards: C++ Programming-Emily Kraenzlein; Graphic Design Promotion-Emma Miller.
Additionally, Lawrence Millward won silver in Business Spelling and bronze in Digital Communication and Design Concepts. Mia Allen won bronze in Parliamentary Procedure Concepts and Emma Buschlen, Aly Hebert, and Lauren McGuirk were Statesman Torch Award recipients.
This was the first time since 2019 that BPA hosted an in-person State Leadership Conference. While in Grand Rapids, the students also had opportunities to network with other BPA members, attend leadership and professional development workshops, receive awards for community service activities, and elect BPA’s 2022–2023 Michigan state student leadership team.
The 23 qualifying students will represent Midland High School at the National BPA Leadership Conference in May in Dallas, Texas. Advisors for the MHS Chapter are Dr. Jeanna Cronk and Mrs. Melissa DeBoer.
Congratulations to the approximately 1,000 Midland Public Schools student musicians who participated in the Midland Area Music Festival and District-level MSVMA Choir Festival between March 4 and March 8, 2022.
For choir, these students had to prepare three pieces to perform in front of a panel of judges who scored them on the overall impression of their performance. They also had to sight-read a new piece in front of a judge and were scored on their ability to do so. Scores ranged from 1 to 120.
For band and orchestra, area teachers (Midland and Bullock Creek) responded to recent changes in the state association’s Band & Orchestra Festival system by organizing an alternative that they felt better-served MPS students as they work to quickly regain the training and rigorous live performance opportunities that were lost to them during the past two years of COVID-mitigation restrictions. They secured the beautiful auditorium at Bullock Creek High School and engaged a panel of 4 highly qualified adjudicators (3 for concert, 1 for sight-reading). The panel of adjudicators provided comments, caption grades (tone, intonation, rhythm, technique & interpretation) and overall ratings 1-5 with a 1 representing an excellent performance.
In total, 19 Midland Public Schools ensembles performed for the judges at these adjudicated Festivals, and their scores are as follows:
Vocal & Orchestra Ensemble & Director
Daniel Farison
Northeast 7th/8th Grade Choir earned 104/120 Division 1
Midland High Chorus earned 91/120 Division 2
Midland High Meistersingers earned 118/120 Division 1
Adam Gardner-Northrop
Jefferson 7th/8th Grade Choir earned 119/120 Division 1
Dow High Chorus earned 116/120 Division 1
Dow High Chamber Singers earned 119/120 Division 1
Anna Mamassian
Northeast 7th/8th Grade Orchestra earned a 1 in Class B
Midland High Symphony Orchestra earned a 1 in Class A
Amanda Thoms
Jefferson 8th Grade Orchestra earned a 1 in Class A
Dow High Concert Orchestra earned a 1 in Class C
Dow High Symphony Orchestra earned a 1 in Class A
Band Ensemble & Director
Nicki Bruski
Jefferson 8th Grade Band earned a 1 in Class A
Chris O’Connell
Midland High Gold Band earned a 1 in Class C
Kaitlyn DeRees
Northeast 8th Grade Band earned a 1 in Class A
Dow High Gold Band earned a 1 in Class C
Eric Attard
Midland High Symphonic Band earned a 1 in Class A
Midland High Blue Band earned a 2 in Class D
Steve DeRees
Dow High Green Band earned a 1 in Class D
Dow High Symphonic Band earned a 1 in Class A
Charger Robotics Team Competes @ Milford FIRST Robotics
The H.H. Dow High School Robotics Team 2619, ‘The Charge’, competed at the Milford FIRST Robotics Competition on March 10-12 with 36 other Michigan teams. ‘The Charge’ won the Imagery Award in honor of Jack Kamen. This award celebrates attractiveness in engineering and outstanding visual aesthetic integration of machine and team appearance. The team’s safety captains, Clara Allington and Bobo Qui, were recognized as ‘Safety All Stars’ during the competition. This award recognizes those individuals who are going above and beyond to drive a culture of safety on their team through leadership, safety knowledge and excellent safety behaviors. During the competition, ‘The Charge’ was selected as part of the 4th ranked Alliance for playoffs with teams from Hemlock and Brighton. Their Alliance advanced to the quarterfinals before being eliminated by the teams that won the Milford Competition. Dow High will compete at the Midland District Competition at H.H. Dow High on March 25 & 26.
Chemic FIRST Robotics Team Competes @ Kettering Univ.
Midland High School Robotics Team wins Chairman’s Award at District Event
Midland High Robotics Team 5509, "Like a BOSS" competed at the Kettering University Event-2 from March 10-12 and won the District Chairman’s Award. The Chairman’s Award is the most prestigious award at FIRST and it honors the team that best represents a model for other teams to emulate and best embodies the purpose and goals of FIRST. The Chairman’s Award looks for sustained impact over many years. This qualifies the team for the State Competition in April. Team 5509 was also part of the 8th ranked Alliance for the playoffs with teams from Ortonville and Burton. Their Alliance advanced to the quarterfinals before being eliminated by the 1st ranked Alliance. Midland High will next compete at the Midland District Competition at Dow High on March 25-26.
FIRST Robotics Dean’s List Award Semi-Finalists
Congratulations to Maribel Grasman, a 2022 FIRST Dean's List Award Semi-Finalists from Midland High Robotics! The FIRST Dean's List Award celebrates outstanding student leaders who have led their teams and communities to increased awareness for FIRST and its mission while achieving personal technical expertise & accomplishment.
THE ROBOTS ARE COMING ... THE ROBOTS ARE COMING ... FROM ALL OVER THE STATE OF MICHIGAN !! !! !! !! !!
ADMISSION AND PARKING ARE FREE!!!!!!
H.H. Dow High will once again host a very, very exciting FIRST Robotics competition March 25-26 in the DHS gym. Come for all or part of this very exciting FREE event.
EVERYONE IS WELCOME!!! Come and cheer on HH Dow High’s Team 2619 The Charge and Midland High’s Team 5509 Like a BOSS, who will be both be competing.
The 2022 competition is called FIRST RAPID REACTSM and the challenge requires two alliances of three robots each to collect and score cargo balls in the hub during the 2.5 minute matches. Human players assist with cargo ball retrieval and scoring efforts from within their terminal. In the final moments of each match, robots race to their hangar to climb and score additional points. For more information go to: http://www.first-glbr.org/
[Important Note: ALL volunteers and attendees (vaccinated or unvaccinated) at FIRST events this spring will be required to wear a mask at all times at the event.]
As a result of the MPS STEM Strategic Plan that was implemented by the District several years ago, Project Lead the Way is the engaging, hands-on Science curriculum classroom environment MPS students are experiencing in their science classes. Here is a great example from Adams Elementary of PLTW in action.
Second Grade “Saves the City” from Landslide in Changing Earth Unit
Students have a variety of hands-on Science units for each grade level, and this week Adams' 2nd Grade classes completed their unit on Changing Earth. Their final project included planning AND building a way to save a city from a landslide disaster. Students brainstormed solutions and implemented their plans in models that they then created. Way to go, Adams 2nd grade student scientists!
Hall of American Heroes at Adams Elementary School
The month of March means that it is time for one of our favorite Adams traditions—the Hall of American Heroes! A long-standing tradition here at Adams, the Hall of American Heroes gives our fifth-grade students a chance to research, write, and present about a significant figure from American history. It’s a key learning experience, a chance to develop writing and speaking skills, and a lot of fun. Great job, fifth grade!
True or False ... All 3rd Graders across the great State of Michigan study Michigan History? You guessed it ... TRUE!
Here is a great example of Michigan history coming to life for 3rd Grade students at Adams Elementary.
Did you know that before Michigan was a state, French Voyageurs explored the area and traded with the indigenous peoples, our local tribes? Learning about the Voyageurs is an important part of the 3rd-grade study of Michigan History. Adams Elementary classes met with local historian Mr. Baker the Voyageur, and Michigan history came to life in early March in the Adams 3rd grade hall.
Looking for FUN SUMMER CAMPS for your elementary, tween or teen age child(ren)???
Midland Public Schools has been receiving amazing summer school/program flyers from our community partners, as well as some from the Great Lakes Bay Region this winter. Here are just a few examples:
Elementary & Middle School age students:
Chippewa Nature Center
Dow Gardens
Greater Midland Community Center
Midland Center for the Arts
YMCA Camp Timbers
High School age students (From ConneCTEd https://forms.gle/ztKWcEKA3JotAhsE9 ):
Full tank - Automotive Camp: June 20 - June 22
A Farm to Table Experience, Ag/Culinary Camp: June 28-30
Square 1 Skilled Trades Camp: July 11-14 & July 18-21
Operation Innovation -Michigan Means Business: July 26-28
Scrub Life - Healthcare Camp: August 1-3
Bytes- Information Technology Camp: August 8-9
Find Your Future: August 8-9
Check these and more great spring and summer opportunities out on our MPS Student Flyer Board! https://sites.google.com/midlandps.org/studentflyers/
The Gerstacker Nomination Window is NOW OPEN!
Now that March is upon us, it is time to set our sights on nominating MPS educators for the 67th Annual Midland Public Schools' Gerstacker Awards for Excellence in Teaching. Two elementary educators and two secondary educators will receive this prestigious award at the opening meeting of the 2022-23 school year in August.
Nominate a deserving MPS teacher today for a 2022 Gerstacker Excellence in Teaching Award before April 22 when the nomination window closes.
For Gerstacker Award nomination information go to www.midlandps.org.
Here is the link for the 2022 nomination form: https://forms.gle/GHzCuoTFpKbY9AC67
Summer eLearning Opportunity
Once school has ended for the year, Midland Public Schools will again be offering the Summer eLearning Program. Through this program, online courses are available to high school students who wish to earn initial credit in select courses. If you are interested in Credit Recovery courses this year, please contact your building administration. While being onsite is not a requirement for daily work or quizzes, tests and exams must be monitored. This can be by appointment onsite or by appointment virtually. Appointments will be scheduled with the teacher on duty between the hours of 9:00 and 12:00 on Mondays - Thursdays, unless other arrangements are made. Students should expect to invest 45-60 hours to complete each course and may work on their course any place where they have an internet connection. Courses will begin on June 6, 2022, and must be completed by August 5, 2022. Students may only register for one course at a time. The cost for each course is $150 for Standard Edgenuity courses (EDG - Edgenuity on course list) and $235 for Edgenuity Instructional Services courses (EDGIS - Edgenuity Instructional Services on course list) for Midland Public Schools students and $175 or $250 for students outside of the MPS district. If you would like additional information or to register for a course, please visit www.midlandps.org/content/Summer%20Program.
#SELday
March 11th, 2022 is the third International SEL Day celebration.
This year the theme is: Finding Common Ground, Pursuing Common Good.
Social emotional learning (SEL) is the process through which children and adults understand and manage emotions, develop healthy identities, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions.
The Michigan Department of Education indicates, “When caregivers and schools focus on the development of the whole child, utilizing SEL competencies to guide instruction and interactions with children and students, academic achievement improves, as well as the skills needed for college and career readiness.” (MDE, 2017). SEL aligns closely with PYP approaches to learning (Thinking Skills, Research Skills, Communication Skills, Social Skills, and Self-Management Skills) as well as the attributes of the Learner Profile (Inquirers, Knowledgeable, Thinkers, Communicators, Principled, Open-minded, Caring, Risk-takers, Balanced, and Reflective).
SEL Competencies and Indicators (2017). In Michigan Department of Education. Retrieved from https://www.michigan.gov/documents/mde/SEL_Competencies-_ADA_Compliant_FINAL_605109_7.pdf
This graphic is the Collaborative for Academic, Social & Emotional Learning framework (CASEL). For additional information on SEL, please visit www.CASEL.org and www.Selday.org
March is Reading Month
One of my very favorite months of the school year is March because it is also Reading Month. Every year since I joined MPS in 2013, I have had the privilege of reading in our elementary schools during March is Reading Month. This is a great time for me because I am able to combine two of my very favorite things--education and baseball. Every March, I pick out a few baseball-themed books and head to our elementary schools and Pre-Primary Center to share these great stories with our students. Here are a few photos of me sharing the baseball stories at Chestnut Hill Elementary on March 9. Thank you to our elementary students and teachers for welcoming me to their school and being such great listeners!
March is Reading Month Podcast (INTRO)
Next Monday (March 21), we will be releasing a special edition MPS Connections Episode entitled, "March is Reading Month." This will be a lively episode that includes four MPS Administrators as Mr. Brutyn's guests who will chat about the fun that goes on in our elementary schools during March, as well as the importance of reading for students. You won't want to miss it!
Last week, the Michigan Association of Superintendents & Administrators included an article on their website's news feed about the Midland Public Schools DEI journey. Here is the link if you would like to check it out.
This month's State of Michigan StayWell video offerings focus on "Cultivating Joy."
Each episode explores action-oriented ways to move beyond pandemic struggles and reclaim personal joy. A new video will be released each week. Check them out!
Episode 3: Joyful Activities (Premieres week of 3/14/22)
Episode 4: How do we heal? (Premieres week of 3/21/22)
Episode 5: Can boundaries help create joy? (Premieres week of 3/28/22)
Episode 6: Gratitude and Joy (Premieres week of 4/4/22)
March is Women's History Month
As you may remember, we highlighted three impressive women in this section of the Communique last week. Please allow us to share a few snippets about three more very impressive STEM Role Models who also happen to be Women Innovators.
These beautiful posters were taken from the following website and have been illustrated by very talented women artists.
https://womenyoushouldknow.net/downloadable-stem-role-models-posters/
Juliana Rotich is a technologist, strategic advisor, entrepreneur, and keynote speaker. She is co-founder of BRCK Inc, a hardware and services technology company based in Kenya. BRCK was formed to realise a vision for enabling communication in low infrastructure environments by developing useful, innovative technologies. Juliana also co-founded Ushahidi Inc., a non-profit tech company, which specialises in developing free and open source software for changing how information flows in the world.
Maria da Penha is a Brazilian biopharmacist and human rights defender. She advocates for women rights, particularly against domestic violence. When Maria da Penha was almost killed by her husband, there wasn’t a single police station she could go to in Brazil that specialised in violence against women. The case Maria filed languished in court for two decades. ...The Brazilian government in 2006 enacted a law now known as the Maria da Penha Law on Domestic and Family Violence, which increased the severity of punishment for domestic violence against women. ...
Tu Youyou is a Chinese pharmaceutical chemist and educator. She discovered artemisinin (also known as qinghaosu) and dihydroartemisinin, drugs used to treat malaria. Her discovery was a significant breakthrough in 20th-century tropical medicine, saving millions of lives around the world. For her work, Tu received the 2011 Lasker Award in clinical medicine and the 2015 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine ... Tu Youyou was born, educated and carried out her research exclusively in China.
Registration Window Now Open for Midland Public Schools' 2022-23 Youngest Learners
3-Year-Old Tuition Preschool * 4-Year-Old Tuition Preschool * 4-Year-Old GSRP Preschool * Developmental Kindergarten * Traditional Kindergarten
For Preschool & Kindergarten Enrollment Info & Paperwork: https://www.midlandps.org/content/guide-to-enrollment
3-Year-Old Tuition Preschool
5 days a week / sensory, play-based curriculum / competitively priced tuition / follows school year calendar
Offered at Carpenter Pre-Primary Center, 989-923-6411
4-Year-Old Tuition Preschool
5 days a week / research-based, child-focused curriculum / competitively priced tuition / follows school year calendar
Offered at Carpenter Pre-Primary Center, 989-923-6411
4-Year-Old GSRP Preschool
4 days a week / Great Start Readiness Program / free for income qualifying families / research-based
Offered at Carpenter Pre-Primary Center, 989-923-6411
Great Start Readiness Program (GSRP)
Regional Preschool Partnership
844-492-7707 ∙ 989-631-5892 ∙
Developmental Kindergarten
5 days a week / year one of two-year Kindergarten program / Register soon! Space is limited for this program.
Offered at Carpenter Pre-Primary Center, 989-923-6411
(In the past, this program was known as
Young 5’s Kindergarten)
5-Year-Old Traditional Kindergarten
5 days a week. Inquiry-based, proven, highly effective, robust Kindergarten program to provide a firm educational foundation. Offered at all six MPS elementary schools. Call your neighborhood school for information or Becci at 923-5024.
Information regarding the Early Middle College has been posted on the MPS website. Click here to check it out!
https://www.midlandps.org/Content/mps-early-middle-college
MPS students with career goals that include college can now earn
60 college credits before they graduate
Midland Public Schools is excited to offer a new option for our high school students. MPS is launching an Early Middle College (MPS-EMC) program in the fall of 2022 for current 10th grade students. Starting with their 11th grade year, MPS Early College students will take some classes at Delta College or Davenport University to fulfill the general elective credits that are required for most Associate's/Bachelor's degrees. Students enrolled in the Early Middle College program will extend their high school years by one additional year, meaning they will have five years in high school. While this means an additional year of being an MPS student, students will spend 100% of their 5th year on the Delta or Davenport campus. In summary, this program will allow students to have half of their college expenses paid before transferring to a university for a Bachelor's degree. MPS Early Middle College students will be able to walk at commencement with their senior year class, however, they will not receive their diploma until after their fifth year is completed. Successful Early College students will graduate from high school with an Associate's degree or at least 60 transferable credits to the university of their choice. Applications for this exciting new Midland Public Schools' Early Middle College program are available from the student’s high school counseling department.
For those interested, here is some additional info about the Early Middle College program from the Michigan Dept. of Education:
An early middle college (EMC) is a Michigan Department of Education approved five-year program of study. EMCs work closely with postsecondary partners to provide students with an opportunity to earn a high school diploma and one or more of the following: 60 transferable college credits, an associate degree, a professional certification, the Michigan Early Middle College Association (MEMCA) technical certificate, participation in a registered apprenticeship.
A professional certification is any certificate or industry-recognized credential in which the pupil prepared for by taking course work provided by a Michigan public or private college or university.
https://www.michigan.gov/mde/0,4615,7-140-81351_51178---,00.html
Schools of Choice applications for the 2022-2023 school year are now available on the MPS website. This includes applications for non-resident students and in-district transfer students.
Please contact Becci Longstreth at longstrethra@midlandps.org or 989-923-5024 with questions.
We name MPS Shining Stars every month during the school year. If you know of an MPS team member who goes above and beyond to make MPS a better place for students, please consider nominating them for a Shining Star. Here is the link to the nomination form:
https://www.midlandps.org/Content2/shining-star-nomination-form
Midland Public Schools Transportation Parent Portal
If your child(ren) ride an MPS school bus and you haven't yet had a chance to check out our school district's smart phone app, now is a great time to explore this great transportation tool.
The app, called EDULOG PARENT PORTAL LITE, allows parents/guardians to see real-time information about the location of your child’s school bus and to receive notifications when the bus is getting close.
Your child’s safety and security are most important to MPS, and we want you to have peace of mind knowing that the bus arrived at school or at the bus stop in the afternoon. We know that a family's time is precious in the morning, and you need to know when the bus is approaching. The app does this.
Our school buses are now equipped with GPS to help our transportation department locate buses as necessary for routine maintenance and to provide assistance in the event of traffic or weather-related issues. That same GPS signal reaches the app so you have information about your child’s bus.
You can set alert zones at the school and surrounding your neighborhood to receive notifications on your phone when the bus arrives in that area. The size of the notification area, the time period when you want notifications and the number of alert zones is up to you.
Here are a few links you may find helpful regarding the MPS Transportation Portal:
Edulog Parent Portal Lite – Frequently Asked Questions
Loading and Using the App - Step By Step Instructions
Portal info on the MPS website: https://www.midlandps.org/Content/transportation-parent-portal#
4-minute video about EDULOG PARENT PORTAL LITE: https://youtu.be/SdQZhiw_AE4
Need assistance with the app or anything else transportation-related? Contact the MPS Transportation Department at 989-923-5041
In this space each week, we include fun events and happenings around the District that MPS families and community members may like to attend. If you have any questions about these events, please call the school office. Phone numbers for all of the school offices are located on the District Details page of this Communique.
Here are some upcoming events in the District:
March 25: 1/2 day of instruction; PM staff professional development
March 28-April 1: NO SCHOOL -- Spring Break
April 4: Classes Resume
April 8 & 9: Midland High Drama Department presents Beauty and the Beast at Central Auditorium
April 15: NO SCHOOL -- District Holiday
May 14: Prom at Great Hall
May 25-27: High School Final Exams
May 25: High School Graduation at Dow Diamond (DHS @ 4:00; MHS at 7:00)
May 26: Rain Date for High School Graduation
"War is a defeat for humanity." --Pope John Paul II
