Leona Group Michigan - News & Features

Arizona:
The Leona Group, L.L.C.
7878 N. 16th St.
Suite 150
Phoenix, AZ 85020

Tel: 602.953.2933
Fax: 602.953.0831

Midwest:
The Leona Group, L.L.C.
4660 S. Hagadorn Rd., Suite 500
East Lansing, MI 48823

Tel: 517.333.9030
Fax: 517.333.4559

Florida:
The Leona Group, L.L.C.
6915 S.W. 57 Ave., Suite 228
Coral Gables, FL 33143

Tel. 305.667.2720
Fax 305.667.2744

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MIDWEST NEWS

Creative teachers… excited learners!
Sparks were flying at the Athenian Academy of Pinellas when kindergarten teachers LoRandy Manning and Tara Cline decided to transform the hallway leading to their classrooms into a dinosaur cave.

Rather than teaching the unit on dinosaurs from books or films, the entire school and staff participated in learning experiences involving science, art and writing. The hallway was lined with black paper and the younger students drew pictures of dinosaurs and wrote stories about them. The older students created dinosaurs to lurk in the cave. The students created dinosaur eggs using various materials. The entire unit was wrapped up with a field trip to Dinosaur World where the students were able to go on an expedition, digging for dinosaur bones.

Kathy Manrique, school leader, sums up the event: “The excitement here was incredible and the students learned so much. I do not think that the students will ever forget this incredible educational experience!”

Francis Reh hosts ribbon cutting ceremony
The journey begins here for Francis Reh Public School Academy students as the academy unveiled its brand-new kindergarten building on a snowy afternoon on February 6. The new building replaces the school’s previous kindergarten classrooms that were claimed by a fire last winter.

The ceremony began in the school gym with several speakers including Dr. Lawrence Wells, director of the Ferris State University charter schools office, Stanley Krajkowski, board president, Diane Hofman, school leader, Reginald Shaw, assistant school leader, Judy Herald and Nicole Kalbfleisch, kindergarten teachers, and Barbara Barrett, regional vice president.

Guests were treated to a lively performance by soloist Connor Johnson, grade 1, and the kindergarten and grade 1 classes. Guests then relocated to the new building where kindergartener Akilah Weaver and Devin Mitchel, grade 1, had the honor of cutting the ribbon. Attendees toured the new facility, which was bright and cheerful – featuring all new furniture, “cubbies” and piles of great classroom materials. Kindergarten parents and board members enjoyed refreshments with the kindergarten students and staff following the ceremony.

Mentoring matters
Kyona Cook has many accomplishments of which to be proud! A junior at Saginaw Valley State University, Cook is the reigning Miss Black Michigan and is competing for Miss Black USA. Just as important is the commitment she has made to mentor Briana, grade 6 student at Northridge Academy. “She relates to me because we shared a similar environment growing up,” says Cook. Despite her hectic schedule, she is able to participate in the school’s mentoring events and see Briana each month. “I teach her to believe that she can be anything she wants to be. She has taught me the importance of a positive role model and that makes me proud!”

This one-on-one mentoring relationship is made possible by two mentoring grants from the U.S. Department of Education. Through the grants, eight Leona Group schools are able to offer formalized mentoring programs: MARK (Mentoring Always Reaches Kids) serves students at Francis Reh. Northridge, William C. Abney and Mildred C. Wells academies and LINK (Local Intervention Network for Kids) is at four Detroit-area schools, Academy for Business & Technology and Hope of Detroit, Joy Preparatory and George Crockett academies. Combined, the fledgling programs match over 200 adult mentors with students in grades 4-8; 70 additional students are on a waiting list for mentors.

The week of April 21 is national Public School Volunteer Week. The MARK and LINK programs would like to encourage you to “Make a difference. Be a mentor!” Just one hour a week is making a huge difference in these students’ lives.

Leona's limelight
Congratulations to Serena Cash, Lake Erie Academy, and Gretchen Mossing, Wildwood Environmental Academy, who recently were confirmed as having achieved National Board Certification, one of the teaching profession’s top credentials.

Thank you, boards!
January is School Board Appreciation Month. With much gratitude, we salute our boards of directors. Board members volunteer their time, vision and talent to build support and understanding of charter schools and drive
each school’s mission and vision. Of special note we would like to recognize the following board members who celebrate 10 years of service this school year:
Lynne Alexander, Charlotte Forten Academy
Judith Donnell, Voyageur Academy
Dr. Lyn Lewis, Charlotte Forten Academy
Paul Neitman, Charlotte Forten Academy
Pauline Pryor, Northridge Academy
Dr. Martha Smydra, Charlotte Forten Academy

Delivering the dream
Each year, the Michigan Association of Public School Academies
(MAPSA) recognizes schools and individuals for excellence in
education. This year, we are pleased to announce that Deepak Shivraman,
Academy for Business & Technology (ABT) high school social studies
teacher, was a top-five finalist for the coveted Teacher of the Year Award.
Liz Walker, Academy for Business & Technology senior, nominated him
for the honor.

Shivraman makes learning relevant and captures students’ attention by
focusing on real-world learning examples. Shivraman says he is “elated
and a little embarrassed by the attention because all of the attention
should go right to the students who worked extremely hard.” In the past
three years, Shivraman’s students led a humanitarian effort by collecting
money to build a well in Darfur, Sudan, used positive activism to argue
against the high cost of gasoline and raised enough money to build a
Red Cross medical supply tent for Tsunami victims in Asia, among
other projects.

Shivraman and his colleagues and administration at ABT make
experiences like this possible by providing the framework, support
and project-based curriculum that fuels learning and innovation.