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VOL. 29, NO. 40

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2013 Weave the Web:

Make sure to click on www.heritage.com around the clock for the most in-depth coverage. See most popular story ... Dexter sophomore with Down Syndrome named homecoming queen.

Board approves funds for new classroom equipment

By Jerry LaVaute
Heritage Media

BELLEVILLE Officials on the Van Buren Public Schools Board of Education recently approved $68,000 for high-tech equipment for four new classrooms in Belleville High School. The new classrooms, approved by the board in June, were estimated to cost more than $500,000. Both projects were funded by the bond project. They feature two Learning Labs and two Student Centers, each on different floors of the high school. The Learning Labs will feature several rectangular tables and chairs spread throughout the room, with space for an instructor in the center of the room. The design will encourage students to work with their peers to learn from each

other, supplemented by formal instruction. The Student Centers feature technology booths, set up a bit like a booth in a restaurant, with a large computer monitor on the closed end of the booth. Students will face each other and will share ideas via laptop computers whose screens will be featured on the monitor. In each center, three of these booths will be included, as well as other tables and chairs designed to encourage student interaction. The 14 computer screen monitors were the big-ticket item in the purchase. Each LG widescreen 47-inch monitor was priced at $763, for a total of $10,682. Other hardware included touchscreen monitors for $18,000, wall mounts for the monitors, a range of audio-visual equipment and installation. In other business, the school board unani-

mously approved two bids for supplying pizza to district students. Board President Brent Mikulski put it succinctly when he declared, Pizza passes. Food Service Supervisor Jennifer Yee had recommended that Benitos and Dominos be awarded the bid, partly because each had provided service to other schools in the past. Benitos price was $5.99 per pizza. Dominos had two prices, $5.99 for standard bread crust, and $6.50 for wheat bread. The low bid was from Happys Pizza, at $5.50 per pizza. According to Yee, Happys was not selected as a supplier because it had no experience supplying pizzas to schools, did not provide reduced fat or reduced calorie pizza and did not respond to a couple questions, including nutrition information.

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An example of the new Student Centers planned for Belleville High School.

Preliminary student count sends mixed message to school board

By Jerry LaVaute
Heritage Media

Library hosts learning events; museum gala coming up

By Daniel Heraty
Heritage Media

The Marketplace:

VAN BUREN TWP. School Supt.Mike Van Tassel shared the results of a preliminary student count with the school board Sept. 23. The official student count for Michigan schools was to be taken yesterday. Van Tassel said that the preliminary count of 5,221 students was within the range of the administrations expectations. They had assumed a decrease of 120 students compared with last year, whereas the preliminary count showed a smaller decline. In the fall of 2012, the Van Buren Public Schools student count was 5,314 students. It decreased to 5,187 students in the spring, but rebounded a bit recently at 5,221 students. Kindergarten is up; very positive, Van Tassel said. Board President Brent Mikulski was encouraged by the relative accuracy of the forecast. We were extremely close, he said, and complimented the administration for its work. Board member Scott Russell discussed the difficulty of accurately forecasting student count in such a volatile environment, particularly with increased competition from charter schools in the picture. Martha Toth, board vice president and

longtime board member, noted, however, that getting an accurate forecast of student count has always been difficult, given the volatility of automobile sales and their impact on jobs in this area. Referring to the past, Toth said, If the auto industry went south, so did students and their families literally. Board Member Sherry Frazier was encouraged by the increase in students enrolled in kindergarten. She said that the school district needed to do especially well with students in kindergarten through the second grade, because a student should be able to read by the third grade. She also raised the issue of classroom size, saying that 30-31 young students in a classroom was too many students, and needed to be reduced to improve classroom management and teaching effectiveness. Van Tassel said that average class sizes for early learners were 27.9 students for kindergarten, 24.1 students for first grade and 26.5 students for second grade. Jerry LaVaute is a special writer for Heritage Media. Follow his blogs Pas Blog and The Eye of the Storm at http://jlavaute.blogspot.com. He can be reached at glavaute@gmail.com or call 1734-740-0062.

The Belleville Area District Library is hosting a series of interactive learning events for children ages six to 12 called Science Kidz! every Tuesday through Dec. 17. Children will learn about science in various experiments such as creating edible cells while learning about their creation and making and learning about magnets. For more information, contact the library at 1734-699-3291. The library is also hosting free tutoring for adults. Once a week for two hours, and confidential, those who need help learning to read can meet on a one-on-one basis with trained volunteers. For more information, visit the library or contact them at 1-734-6993291. The Yankee Air Museums annual gala Nov. 9 will pay tribute to Vietnam Veterans. The event, entitled Welcome Home: A Tribute to the Vietnam Generation, will honor two local Vietnam veterans: Donald E. Odell and the late Gary Little. Speaking at the event will be Brig. Gen. Steve Ritchie and Yankee Air Museum volunteer B-17 pilot Ray Hunter will be awarded the Yankee Award for Valor. For information on ticket prices, contact the museum at 1-734-483-4030.

Local ads are just a hop away at the MIcentral.com marketplace. While you are there, you can check out all the special supplements of Digital First Media newspapers in Michigan. Click on marketplace on the home page of our website or go directly to www.marketplace.micentral.com.

INDEX
Editorial Calendar Sports Page 6-A Page 3-A Page 1-C

Death Notices Page 10-A

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