At the end of each regular Board of Education meeting, board members take a moment to share some of the great things they see happening in the district while serving on the Board. Recently, the board members were asked to share examples of kindness they have seen across the district.
Here are this month's points of Pride & Progress:
"First, I’d like to congratulate Austin Ackerman as the Paw Paw High School Student of the Month. Next, I’d like to give a shout-out to Alan Farnquist, Jessica Farnquist, and Mike Geffre for going above and beyond to help clean up the gym after the younger girls’ basketball games at the middle school. This program is run by Sarah Crawford and me on Saturdays, and one of our responsibilities is to stay after and clean up, so we really appreciate them taking the time to help! Another example of kindness I’ve noticed across the district this year is the extra effort put forth by our bus drivers, custodians, and kitchen staff to be kind to the kids. There seems to be a concerted effort districtwide to focus on this core value, and it shows!” Brent McNitt
“I appreciate how the administrators and directors are focused on the core values of our Strategic Plan in their board reports. One example really stood out for me. In their last game of the season against Mattawan, the Paw Paw Boys Varsity Soccer Team hosted the Paw Paw Middle School Soccer Team. Not only did the varsity players announce the game, but they also kept score and worked the sidelines to ensure the middle school players got a varsity caliber experience! This was a wonderful example of how we’re connecting the core value of kindness across the district.” Dale Pease
“Shout-out to the Elementary PTO for the incredible display of food they arranged for the parent-teacher conferences. It was very much appreciated! Secondly, I’m excited that the later elementary, the early elementary, and the middle school are sending some of their new special education teachers to training at the Van Buren ISD. This is a new initiative, and Paw Paw will be well represented! Lastly, shout-out to the Paw Paw Middle School Robotics Team on their district competition in Coloma. Not only were they encouraging each other, but they also exemplified what it looks like to be kind to other teams during competition, which was great to see!” Lindsay Clark
“At Paw Paw Early Elementary, the Glow Party in October was awesome! Also, I was not able to attend, but I heard the Family Success Night went very well. Lastly, I’d like to congratulate all the students who were involved with Disney’s “Dare to Dream JR” theater production!” Nate Mitchell
“As we continue to look for volunteers for Christmas in the Village, I appreciate that many of the building administrators have stepped up to help us fill those roles. Also, shout-out to everyone involved with the recent performing arts productions at the later elementary and the high school. They were both spectacular! In addition, I had a chance to attend some of the football games, and that was fun. Lastly, congratulations to Varsity Tennis Coach Matt Baleja on his recent Coach of the Year Award!” Mary Beth Sons
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