SCHOOL BOARD SHOUT-OUTS Paw Paw Public Schools Board of Education September 2023 At the end of each regular Board of Education Meeting, the board members each take a moment to share some of the great things they see in the district while serving on the Board. Here are this month's points of Pride & Progress. “At the High School, the staff have been unbelievably welcoming and helpful! In the Photography and Digital Arts Class, where I’ve been helping, it was great to see the old PCs replaced with new laptops. It allows students to move around, which is important in the creative arts. The kids are already excited to see some of their work featured on social media. Lastly, I appreciate everyone who watches and helps with the football broadcasts. It is a true team effort to make those happen, but it’s worth it!” Brent McNitt “Since it’s September 11th, I’d like to show my appreciation to our first responders, school resource officers and veterans. We take that seriously in our district, and there is great work being done in our schools to recognize these groups. At the Central Office, I appreciate the detailed financial reports from Kara Corniel. It was great to see the innovative investments being made in technology that will benefit our students. From a community standpoint, it was great to see so many PPPS students and staff involved in the Paw Paw Wine & Harvest Festival, and I enjoyed seeing the social media posts of everyone having so much fun!” Dale Pease “At the Early Elementary, I met with Principal Leah Barnes, and there’s no question in my mind that she is right where she belongs! She and her team are involved in a project involving the Core Value of Innovation. EE administrators, teachers and staff are developing enrichment opportunities by listening to feedback from a parent survey. The EE team would like to offer more diverse experiences for students who may need more of a challenge in their daily learning. A select number of students will receive innovative enrichment opportunities four days a week.” Tom Baney “At the Later Elementary, Mr. Davison reported that they had a successful “Back-to-School Night.” Every family received an envelope, and some students received a golden ticket that could be redeemed for a free book in their new book vending machine. Also, the rollout of CharacterStrong has been going very well! Today I was able to participate in a 9/11 ceremony that involved the Cub Scouts and many of our local first responders. It was great for the kids to get to see the leadership in our community.” Lindsay Clark “I’m so proud of Paw Paw Middle School Student Brynn Cummings and her top five semifinalist placement on “America’s Got Talent.” It was also great to hear that members of the Red Wolves Band volunteered to help clean up the grounds prior to school starting. As Superintendent Reo indicated, this is the epitome of the Core Value of Community that we are hoping to instill in our students during their time at PPPS. Thank you, Paw Paw Band!” Ray Martin “I’d like to give a shout-out to our Maintenance Department for their great work maintaining approximately 50 acres of athletic and event fields. They also take care of over two miles of grass trimming and three miles on the cross-country trail. Also, the custodial crew did a great job over the summer deep cleaning our schools. I appreciate their hard work!” Nate Mitchell

School District Shout-Outs!

September 18, 2023
Paw Paw Public Schools Board of Education September 2023 At the end of each regular Board of Education Meeting, the board members each take a moment to share some o...
READ MORE >
CharacterStrong Parent Chat Promo for Sept.

CharacterStrong Parent Chat this Wednesday, September 20 @ 6 PM

September 17, 2023
This Wednesday, September 20, all PPPS families are invited to attend an online parent chat program at 6 PM via Zoom (LINK: Parent Chat for 9/20/23 @ 6 PM ). During the program p...
READ MORE >
On behalf of the Board of Education we are pleased to provide these quick summaries of our meetings for review. Full minutes will continue to be posted on the PPPS site once approved by the Board. PPPS Board of Education - Board Meeting Summary September 11, 2023 Regular Business Meeting called to order at 7:00 pm Adjournment at 8:03 pm Board Members Present: Baney Clark Martin McNitt Mitchell Pease Board Members Absent: Vick Public Participation: None Board Approvals Regular Meeting Minutes 8/14/23 ​Special Meeting Minutes 8/29/23 Financial Reports and Monthly Bills 2023-2024 Schedule B Extracurricular Non-Coaching Positions​ Neola Policy Updates (Second Reading) ​Early Childhood Bids, Phase 2​ Personnel Arrivals Noah Fraser - St. Mary’s / Trinity Music Teacher​ Caitlin Van Duinen - St. Mary’s Tech Teacher​ Rocky Rynearson - St. Mary’s PE Teacher​ Katie Curtis - St. Mary’s Art Teacher​ Sandy Tapper - St. Mary’s Kindergarten Teacher​ Emilee Sheets - Trinity Art & PE Teacher​ Deanna Hindenach - Trinity Spanish Teacher​ Sara Hunt - Trinity Kindergarten Teacher​ Melissa Corona - 6-12 Special Ed Teacher Consultant for Thrive Academy​​ Departures None Board Discussion 10 Minute Team Builder CharacterStrong lesson led by Zachary Daniels Presentations Band Student Volunteer Recognition -Superintendent Reo Next Regular Meeting October 9, 2023, 7pm, Cedar Street Campus A pre-meeting Meet & Greet with refreshments will begin at 6:30pm and all are invited. "The Secret of change is to focus all your energy, not fighting the old, but on building the new." - Socrates

Splinters from the Board-September

September 15, 2023
On behalf of the Board of Education we are pleased to provide these quick summaries of our meetings for review. Full minutes will continue to be posted on the PPPS site once appro...
READ MORE >
Community Partners. We will foster connections among our schools and the community. PPHS Principal Tammy Southworth, PPPS Nurse Cathy Lancaster, Beaumont Student Heart Check Manager, Jennifer Shea, and PPPS Maintenance Director Tom Imus. Build together logo. United with our community to build success.

Beaumont Health Donates AEDs to PPHS

September 14, 2023
For Immediate Release: Contact: Tammy Southworth, Principal Paw Paw High School tammy.southworth@ppps.org, 269-415-5600 Beaumont Health Donates Two New AEDs to Paw Paw High...
READ MORE >
community connections. we will foster connections among our schools and our community. Supt. reo with 2 reps from Arbor Credit Union

Community Connections.

September 6, 2023
Thank you to the amazing team at Arbor Financial Credit Union for today's generous school supply donation! The Caring Committee at Arbor Financial Credit Union has a 25 year histo...
READ MORE >
SCHOOL BOARD SHOUT-OUTS, AUGUST 2023 Paw Paw Public Schools Board of Education At the end of each regular Board of Education Meeting, the board members each take a moment to share some of the great things they see in the district while serving on the Board. Here are this month's points of Pride & Progress. “First, thank you to Curriculum Director Corey Harbaugh for inviting me to walk over to see the new wall mural at the middle school. If you have not seen it, I would encourage everyone to do so. It is a positive addition to the south side of school. Today, I attended the active shooter training for the district, which was interesting. The I.S.D. safety specialists led many hands-on exercises and demonstrated other scenarios to keep safety top-of-mind if something were to happen. Lastly, while I was in the high school for the safety training, I was impressed to see so many staff members there before school started taking time to get their classrooms ready to receive our kids.” Brent McNitt “In the building updates, I really like that Superintendent Rick Reo and Early Elementary Principal Leah Barnes are connecting everything to our five Core Values. At the Elementary, under the Core Value of Community, they hosted a popsicle and playground event! Under the Core Value of Success, all the great work being done to add staff is exciting. Lastly, under Innovation, kudos to the staff for all the work that was done with Kindergarten and Young 5’s Jumpstart.” Dale Pease “I had a chance to speak to Cedar Street Director Beckah Chartier and Early Childhood Education Director Mindy Brennan, and I found out there are some really great things happening at the Cedar Street Campus! Beckah is working with her staff to make sure all the positions are filled. Thank you for that update. After talking with the ECE Director, I was happy to learn that nearly all the kids leaving the 4-year-old preschool classroom were meeting many of the kindergarten standards. I was also excited to hear that most of the ECE staff will be returning. One more shout-out to Principal Leah Barnes and her team for their work with Kindergarten and Young 5’s Jumpstart. It was a great event and made an excellent first impression with our new families.” Lindsay Clark “I’m happy to actually be able see some of the bond projects have started. I am also excited for the rest yet to come. Our summer Meet Up and Eat Up meals program provided almost 1600 breakfast and over 2500 lunch meals in June! Thank you to all the staff who helped make that program so successful. Lastly, kudos to the behind-the-scenes work of the Technology Department as they prep the classrooms and Chromebooks for a successful start to the upcoming school year.” Ray Martin

School District Shout-Outs!

August 30, 2023
SCHOOL BOARD SHOUT-OUTS, AUGUST 2023 Paw Paw Public Schools Board of Education At the end of each regular Board of Education Meeting, the board members each take a m...
READ MORE >
It's more than the form. We strongly encourage all parents/guardians to return their education benefits form. completing this form takes less than 5 minutes and can help students receive important resources. Every application that is not submitted means lost educational programs and resources for our students. Completing the Education Benefits Form may help provide health and wellness services, before and after school programs, guidance and college counselors, fee waivers for college applications and admission tests, and important resources for classrooms. every form counts. build togethe logo. clip art of kids.

It's More Than The Form!

August 30, 2023
Please take a few minutes to complete the Education Benefits Form. The Education Benefits Form collects household information needed to ensure the schools receives state and feder...
READ MORE >
On behalf of the Board of Education we are pleased to provide these quick summaries of our meetings for review. Full minutes will continue to be posted on the PPPS site once approved by the Board. PPPS Board of Education - Board Meeting Summary August 14, 2023 Regular Business Meeting called to order at 7:00 pm Adjournment at 8:04 pm Board Members Present: Baney Clark Martin McNitt Mitchell Pease Vick arrived @ 7:25 pm Board Members Absent: None Public Participation: None Board Approvals Regular Meeting Minutes 7/10/23​ Financial Reports and Monthly Bills​ 2023-2024 Schedule C Fall Coaching Positions​ PPPS District Improvement Plan​ 2023-2024 PPPS Course Handbook​ Neola Policy Updates - First Reading​ Lindsay Clark appointed Delegate and Nate Mitchell appointed Alternate for the MASB 2023 Delegate Assembly​ All Board of Education members to attend the MASB Annual Leadership Conference​ Teacher's Union Contract 2023-2024, 2024-2025 and 2025-2026​ District Lead in Food Services​ Early Childhood Bids​ ​Wage Rate Change for Non-Union Support Staff Employee Groups​ Wages for Online Coordinator, Behavior & Social Emotional Support Personnel​ Personnel Arrivals Kayla Giannecchini - LE 4th Grade Teacher​ Josie Pike - HS English Teacher​ Cassie Burnett-Massop - EE 2nd Grade ​Vincent Giannecchini - LE 5th Grade Teacher​ Rick Gilbert - Var Boys Assistant BB Coach​ Jennifer Strey - 7th Grade Volleyball Coach Parker Marcon - 9th Grade Boys BB Coach Britnee Warzybok - EE 2nd Grade Teacher Gabe Macias - MS Football Assistant Coach​ ​Victor Gonzalez - MS Football Assistant Coach Maggie Sims - MS Science Teacher​​​​ Departures Miranda Leach - EE Special Education Teacher​ ​Sandra Lundquist - LE 5th Grade Teacher​ Board Discussion 10 Minute Team Builder Board Buddy Expectations Presentations Bond Update - TowerPinkster & OAK​ Next Regular Meeting September 11, 2023, 7pm, Cedar Street Campus A pre-meeting Meet & Greet with refreshments will begin at 6:30pm and all are invited. "The Secret of change is to focus all your energy, not fighting the old, but on building the new." - Socrates

Splinters from the Board-August

August 18, 2023
On behalf of the Board of Education we are pleased to provide these quick summaries of our meetings for review. Full minutes will continue to be posted on the PPPS site once appro...
READ MORE >
CharacterStrong Logo

Parent Chat: Introducing CharacterStrong

August 8, 2023
On August 16 at 6 PM, Paw Paw Public Schools will host an online Parent Chat program for all parents and guardians to introduce CharacterStrong, a program that will be implemented ...
READ MORE >
Paw Paw Public Schools Kindergarten and Young 5’s Jump Start. 8:30 a.m. – student check-in. 9-11 a.m.: Jump Start Programs for students. 9 a.m. – Presentation for families. Paw Paw Early Elementary, 512 North St. 269-415-5300. Crafts, storytime, snack time, play time. Make friends, recess, scavenger hunt, school bus tours. Red wolf pup logos and paw prints.

Kindergarten and Young 5’s Jump Start Event Kicks Off 2023-2024 School Year

July 18, 2023
For Immediate Release: Contact: Leah Barnes, Paw Paw Early Elementary Principal leah.barnes@ppps.org , 269-415-5300 The Kindergarten and Young 5’s teachers and st...
READ MORE >
​On behalf of the Board of Education we are pleased to provide these quick summaries of our meetings for review. Full minutes will continue to be posted on the PPPS site once approved by the Board. PPPS Board of Education - Board Meeting Summary July 10, 2023 Regular Business Meeting called to order at 7:00 pm Adjournment at 9:13 pm Board Members Present: Baney Clark McNitt Mitchell Pease Vick Board Members Absent: Martin Public Participation: K.Perkins Board Approvals Regular Meeting Minutes 6/12/23 Special Meeting Minutes 6/13/23 and 6/22/23 Closed Session Minutes 6/12/23, 6/13/23 and 6/22/23 Financial Reports and Monthly Bills Donation from Indiana Michigan Power for $4,350.00 to the HS Robotics Program​ 2022/23 Fall and Spring Counts​ Tenure​ Superintendent Contract ​Ray Martin designated as the VBCo Association of School Board's Representative for 2023/24 Annual Loan/Repayment Activity Application/Resolution Millage Levies Resolution (L-4029)​​​ Personnel Arrivals Chris Brill - HS JV Girls Golf Coach​ Chris Roach - HS JV Boys Tennis Coach​ Angelica Heine - EE Young Five's Teacher Departures Aisha Honorable - HS Second Grade Teacher​ Board Discussion 10 Minute Team Builder Community Survey Follow-up ​Superintendent Performance Evaluation Schedule for 2023/24​ Presentations Spring Sports Review - Alan Farnquist, Athletic Director​ District Evaluation Tools & Processes - Superintendent Reo ​PAC Presentation - Kris Perkins, Technical Director Next Regular Meeting(please note the date change) August 14, 2023, 7pm, Cedar Street Campus A pre-meeting Meet & Greet with refreshments will begin at 6:30pm and all are invited. "The Secret of change is to focus all your energy, not fighting the old, but on building the new." - Socrates

Splinters from the Board-July

July 12, 2023
On behalf of the Board of Education we are pleased to provide these quick summaries of our meetings for review. Full minutes will continue to be posted on the PPPS site once appro...
READ MORE >
Build together logo. Images of tables, chairs, desks and kitchen utensils. Districtwide Garage Sale. Paw Paw Middle School Gym, 313 W. Michigan Ave., July 20, 21 and 22 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. To clear out storage rooms and free up some much-needed space, Paw Paw Public Schools will be liquidating outdated or unused school equipment, supplies and furnishings. Surplus Inventory from all five schools will be brought together for one huge 3-Day Mega Sale! Desks, chairs, tables, appliances, kitchen items, food service items, and many more items will be offered at a low price to the general public. All items will be marked and priced to sell. No early sales. Enter the gym through the south entrance of the middle school.

Districtwide Garage Sale!

June 22, 2023
There will be a Districtwide Garage Sale in the Paw Paw Middle School Gymnasium at 313 W. Michigan Ave. on July 20, 21 and 22 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. To clear out storage rooms ...
READ MORE >
internet safety month, paw paw public schools joins our partners in raising awareness about internet safety and providing resources to keep kids safe online

June is Internet Safety Month

June 16, 2023
June 14, 2023 ProtectMIChild Registry keeps kids safe from adult ads online as summer break begins LANSING, Mich. – Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson today announ...
READ MORE >
SCHOOL BOARD SHOUT-OUTS – JUNE 2023 Paw Paw Public Schools Board of Education At the end of each regular Board of Education Meeting, the board members each take a moment to share some of the great things they see in the district while serving on the Board. Here are this month's points of Pride & Progress. “There was a lot going on at the high school this month, especially with graduation. A few things really stood out, so I want to congratulate everyone in the district for some of these things. It was great to take pictures and see the students at the elementary schools and the middle school receiving our seniors during the Senior Walk. In addition, graduation went flawlessly! Kudos to Tammy, Tracy and Alan for all of their work planning graduation. I also want to thank Beckah at Cedar Street for inviting me to be their keynote speaker. They had a great turnout with many happy, smiling faces. Here are a few other shout-outs from the high school. First, a shout-out to Aaron West, who medaled in two different events at the State Track Meet. Secondly, H.S. Principal Tammy Southworth relayed that 81% of high school students who took AP classes took the AP tests, which means there are 88 students who potentially picked up college credits. Lastly, I was able to attend the Year-End Staff Celebration. Kudos to Alisa Clark and everyone who helped with this great event! It was great to see the staff recognized and realize how many district employees positively impact our kids.” Brent McNitt “At Paw Paw Later Elementary, they were very busy with end of the year activities and events. Great job, Principal Jeremy Davison and Later Elementary Staff.” Tom Baney “I was able to attend Water World Day at the early elementary, STEAM Day and Hot Diggity Dog at the later elementary, graduation at Cedar Street, and the Field Day and Picnic for the Early Childhood classes. All activities were well organized and well attended. Thank you to all of the volunteers! Special shout-outs to the Kindergarten Team for organizing Water World, LE Teacher Sarah Crawford for organizing STEAM Day, LE Art Teacher Amanda Nielsen for organizing the Art Show at Hot Diggity Dog, Mindy Brennan and her team for organizing the Field Day, Preschool Teacher Susy Sanger for her great work, and Beckah Chartier for inviting us to Cedar Street’s graduation.” Lindsay Clark “I’m looking forward to the implementation of CharacterStrong for the 2023-2024 school year. A lot of effort went into finding the right program for PPPS. We had tremendous growth scores throughout the district. Thank you to all of the administration and staff that work so hard every day to make this happen. Lastly, the business office gets very little notice most of the time. Thank you to Kara Corniel and the newly hired Jeremy Thompson. Paying the bills and planning the budget are vital to the operation of our district. Thank you for all you do!” Ray Martin “Everyone congratulated Beth Covey, who just retired as the Math Interventionist at the Middle School. I hope she does well too! I hope that we can find someone to live up to her standards. Thank you to all of the administrators and teachers. They did a fantastic job learning all of the new things that are coming our way. It was great to see the Paw Paw Fire Department participate in Water World Day at the elementary schools and being part of creating memories that will last a lifetime. Thank you to all of the volunteers!” Nate Mitchell “We just finished sports physicals today. We had several hundred kids get their physicals, and it was run well. Moving forward, we have big hopes that we can be a beacon for this area. We saw many Lawton kids, so it was nice that we could provide that service. Hopefully, we can continue doing this, and it could translate into some good notoriety fo

School Board Shout-Outs

June 16, 2023
SCHOOL BOARD SHOUT-OUTS – JUNE 2023 At the end of each regular Board of Education Meeting, the board members each take a moment to share some of the great things they see i...
READ MORE >
​On behalf of the Board of Education we are pleased to provide these quick summaries of our meetings for review. Full minutes will continue to be posted on the PPPS site once approved by the Board. PPPS Board of Education - Board Meeting Summary June 12, 2023 Regular Business Meeting called to order at 7:00 pm​ Adjournment at 9:16 pm​ Board Members Present: Baney Clark Martin McNitt Mitchell Vick arrived at 8:24 p.m. Board Members Absent: Pease Public Participation: D. Brown​ Board Approvals Special Meeting Minutes 5/11/23​ Closed Session Minutes 5/11/23​ Regular Meeting Minutes 5/15/23​ Financial Reports and Monthly Bills​ New Position - EE Second Grade Teacher​​ MHSAA Membership Renewal for 23/24 Second Reading of Spring NEOLA Policy Updates, Vol. 37, No. 2​ ​New MS Course - H.O.P.S. (Homework, Organization and Planning Skills)​ Personnel Arrivals Lindsey Brown - HS Var Girls Ass't BB Coach (split)​ Lisa Karau - HS Varsity Girls Ass't BB Coach (split)​ Timothy Wicklund - MS Math Intervention​ Erin Emery Dumas - EE Music Teacher​ Departures Erika DePierre - HS Digital Media Teacher​ Board Discussion 10 Minute Team Builder Character Strong Activity​ Presentations PPPS Wellness Plan by K. Perkins & C. Harbaugh​ Curriculum Update by C. Harbaugh​ Pride & Progress Educational Hero Award Winners: Michele Schantz - LE 3rd Grade Teacher​ Zachary Daniels - HS Spanish Teacher​ Next Regular Meeting(please note the date change) July 10, 2023, 7pm, Cedar Street Campus A pre-meeting Meet & Greet with refreshments will begin at 6:30pm and all are invited. "The Secret of change is to focus all your energy, not fighting the old, but on building the new." - Socrates

Splinters from the Board-June

June 15, 2023
On behalf of the Board of Education we are pleased to provide these quick summaries of our meetings for review. Full minutes will continue to be posted on the PPPS site once appro...
READ MORE >
ed hero award winners. teachers holding awards standing next to each other and superintendent. VBISD logo, Build Together Logo., VB

PPPS Ed Heroes Recognized at Board of Education Meeting

June 15, 2023
For Immediate Release: Contact: Rick Reo, Superintendent rick.reo@ppps.org 269-415-5200 Paw Paw, MI - Each year, the Van Buren County Intermediate School District (I...
READ MORE >
school board members with shovels and hardhats at construction groundbreaking

Construction at Paw Paw High School is officially underway!

June 9, 2023
For Immediate Release: Contact: Rick Reo, Superintendent rick.reo@ppps.org, 269-415-5200 (Paw Paw, MI) June 7, 2023 – Staff at Paw Paw Public Schools and members of the ...
READ MORE >
community survey share your voice! At Paw Paw Public Schools, community input is important to us. If you are resident in the Paw Paw Public School District, we would love to hear from you.! Please let your voice be heard by June 9, 2023. You may access the survey by using the QR code below or by visiting https:bit.ly/44B1EgU . Thank you . build together logo. QR code,

Share Your Voice by taking the PPPS Community Survey

June 1, 2023
Paw Paw Public Schools wants to hear your voice! On behalf of the Board of Education and the school administration, all Paw Paw School District residents, community members, an...
READ MORE >
Build Together logo. It’s time to break ground! Shovel clip art. Tuesday, June 6 @ 4 pm at Paw Paw High School, 30609 Red Arrow Highway. Join us for the kick-off to construction on the 2022 bond projects. High school rendering. Early Childhood Center rendering. Please join us for this community celebration. Owen Ames Kimball logo. Tower Pinkster Logo.

Paw Paw Community Invited to Groundbreaking Ceremony

June 1, 2023
You're Invited! Whether you're a proud PPPS student, staff member, alumni, or a member of the Paw Paw community, all are invited to attend the PPPS 2022 Bond Groundbreaking Cer...
READ MORE >
wave award winners. Footloose: the musical wins in 3 categories, outstanding choreography, musical direction and leading actor. Kristofer Perkins 10:32 AM (25 minutes ago) to me 3 person photo left to right Amelia Gibbs chorus member and Dance Captain accepted the Choreography Award on behalf of Sophia Marie Louden, Kris Perkins for Best Direction Max Crawford Outstanding Leading Actor. 5 Person Sydney Heasley Pit Conductor Amelia Gibbs, Kris Perkins, Max Crawford Max Wagner Music Director

PPHS "Footloose: The Musical" Wins in 3 Categories at Wave Awards

May 25, 2023
For Immediate Release: Contact: Tammy Southworth, High School Principal tammy. southworth@ppps.org 269-415-5600 Paw Paw, MI - At Last night's WAVE Awards for Excelle...
READ MORE >