Pinckney Schools Use STEM To Promote Creativity & Innovation
STEM education is being integrated at a local school district to teach its students to think outside of the box. John Sadowski teaches 7th and 8th grade at Pathfinder Middle School in Pinckney. The school currently offers wood design and design technology classes, but Sadowski felt there was a component missing when it came to electronics and robotics. Using bond money, the school purchased robotics kits and Sadowski is planning to implement them into one of the existing classes in hopes of creating a class dedicated solely to robotics in a year or two. Sadowski and a couple of his students came before the district’s Board of Education Thursday night to show off robots that have been created from the kits and to promote the program and its potential expansion. The program is STEM related, based on the skills that are acquired and used. The STEM curriculum educates students in four specific disciplines- Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics. Students are taught in an approach that integrates their learning based on real world applications. Read more> 
NAVIGATOR STUDENTS RAISE MONEY FOR VETERANS
The Team Courage Challenge was a competition between Mrs. Simon's homeroom and Mrs. Kanerva's homeroom to see which class could raise the most money to benefit homeless veterans through Volunteers of America. There was a catch to the competition, the money donated had to be earned by doing chores or received as a gift. The students had to keep a log of how the money was earned or given, how much money was received, and the date the chore was completed or money was given. This competition was created by Mackenzie Bell. She was inspired to do this outreach project because of her grandfather who served in the Vietnam War. She spent many hours organizing this successful event. In the end, the team raised $120.00. The winning team was Mrs. Simon's homeroom. The picture includes the kids who donated money. From left to right front row: Liz Wheeler, Ashley Ashba, Mackenzie Bell, Sofia McDonald, Gage Strauss 
PCHS ACT2 THEATRE COMPANY SWEPT MSU FESTIVAL
Our high school Act2 Theatre Company SWEPT the Michigan State Thespian Festival this past weekend at Saginaw Valley State University! Their Main Stage performance of Peter Pan, before over 1400 student and adult delegates to the Festival, was just the beginning! In Individual Event competition, ALL entries received Superior rankings and an invitation to compete at the International Festival this summer: Julia Janda for Solo Musical, C.J. Stema for Playwriting, Maija Veinbergs and Company for Group Musical, and Julia Janda and Company for Group Musical as well. In scholarship competition, Seniors Emily Erdt, Jacob Lindquist, and C.J. Stema were offered over $150,000 total, and Maija Veinbergs was awarded the Thespian Scholarship: the highest honor bestowed by Michigan Thespians acknowledging her as among "the best of the best"! Congratulations Act2! Many legs broken! Rick Todd PCS, Superintendent |
STEM at Navigator Upper Elementary
As part of our continuing focus on STEM education, 6th graders at Navigator Upper Elementary participated in our first Engineering Day in which students spent the day researching, planning, collaborating and building. It was so inspiring observing 250+ students fully engaged in their work as engineers, which included building a prototype gum-ball machine with Legos, creating a wind powered vehicle out of life savers, straws & paper, building a tower out of pipe cleaners, paper clips & straws and lastly, researching which type of plastic bottle (and the amount of water necessary) is best for "water flipping". Throughout all of the activities students were involved with, they were tasked with using their deductive & inductive reasoning skills, mathematical reasoning skills, creativity, communication and collaboration, which are all essential in being effective engineers. I would like to thank the 6th grade teachers at Navigator who helped to create this relevant and fun learning event, along with all of the parents who came to help and to observe. I would also like to thank Navigator principals, Mrs. Ruth Badalucco and Mrs. Janet McDole for their leadership and support in making this event possible. Have a great weekend, Rick Todd PCS, Superintendent 
STEM AT COUNTRY ELEMENTARY
Students at Country Elementary presented their STEM based projects to the school board last night. Some of these projects included working with New Tech students from the high school. Below is the video they shared. They are doing some amazing things! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErrA01MJuNk 
VARSITY CHOIR EARNS SUPERIOR 1ST DIVISION RATING
Pinckney Community High School Varsity Choir traveled to the Brighton Center for the Performing Arts to perform at the Michigan School Vocal Music Association (MSVMA) District Choral Festival. The students performed two pieces of music from memory for a panel of adjudicators, attended a clinic with Shirley Lemon (Director of the Grand Valley State University Singers), and demonstrated their ability to sight sing a brand new piece of music using solfege (Do, Re, Mi, etc.). You can see a brief video of the choir's performance on the "Pinckney Schools Music" Facebook page. The adjudicators complimented the Varsity Choir on their outstanding performance on stage, professional appearance, and open-mindedness in the clinic setting. Overall, the Varsity Choir earned a superior 1st Division rating at District Festival which qualified them for State Choral Festival. Please congratulate the men and women of the Varsity Choir on continuing to develop a tradition of excellence in the Pinckney Community High School choral program. Go Pirates! Sincerely, Rachael Palajac 
PINCKNEY SNOWBOARDER WINS YOUTH OLYMPIC GOLD
Seventeen-year-old Jake Vedder stood atop a podium almost 4,000 miles away from his hometown of Pinckney in Halfjell, Norway. He was in the middle experiencing what just might be the best moment of his life thus far. As he stood tall, waving to the crowd of spectators who had just watched him compete in and win all five of his men’s snowboard cross heats, the semifinal and then the final, around his neck hung something very few in the world get to don: An Olympic gold medal. Read more > |
Mr. Todd,
I thought it would be appropriate for me to forward a picture of my daughter Amanda Jorgensen. She is receiving her diploma at Air Force technical school. She made the Dean's list and if you notice the white rope on her left shoulder she received that for her contributions of time and service at the on base church services. I credit much of her success to the Pinckney school system and its great programs. But more than anything to the caring, loving staff and teachers who loved and nurtured my daughter during good times and bad. Sincerely, Eric Jorgensen 
PINCKNEY COMMUNITY SCHOOLS 1ST IN NATION TO CREATE CYBER INSTITUTE Pinckney Community Schools is the first school district in the nation to create an institute aimed at addressing the rising need for people certified to address cyber crime. Gov. Rick Snyder issued a video message during Wednesday night's grand opening of PCS Pinckney Cyber Training Institute and Sentinel Center. "Cyber attacks happen more than we know, so I'd like to thank Pinckney Community Schools for developing this hands-on cyber institute for students, business professionals and the community," Snyder said Read more> 
PATHFINDER COMPETES IN QUIZ BOWLThe Pathfinder Quiz Bowl team took our group down to Saline for a competition on February 25. The team met once a week in February to practice trivia, and competition rules and regulations. Most importantly, we have been meeting to have fun answering questions with like-minded individuals. The team would start some of the practices by listening to music and sometimes they broke out in dance and did some air guitar. We finished the season with a trivia and pizza party. The team had a big group hug after our party. They all had sucha great time. What a great group of kids!
Members of the team include: Coach Tom McHugh *Indicates the students that were able to go to the competition in Saline 8th graders David O'Connell *Alex Whitus Dory O'Dell *Abby Marek *Shae Eckles *Olivia Ohmer *Bell Howard Shane Doran *Grant Clark *Brendan Bart 7th graders *Nolan Denton *Allison Singleton Ruben Mikitaroff *Avery Moricz Jacob Bloom Aiden Hinzman Elizabeth O'Connell Nicholas Benzie |
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