By Travis Smola
The Schoolcraft School Board made the hiring of new physical education teacher and football coach Nathan Ferency official at its June meeting.
High School Principal Ric Seager said they look for employees based on values. It quickly became obvious Ferency was their man. “When we went through that process, Nathan just stood out,” Seager said. “As soon as he stepped out of the room, the teachers on the panel said ‘This guy will fit right in here.’”
Ferency brings a host of coaching experience in a number of sports from Shepherd, near Mt. Pleasant. “I feel it’s an honor and a privilege to be a part of your district and your community,” Ferency said.
The board also approved moving to a trimester schedule for the elementary and middle schools. The move means the schools will have three equal trimesters of around 60 days each. The first will run from Sept. 4 to Nov. 29, the second from Dec. 3 to March 14 and the third from March 18-June 13.
The change isn’t a huge one, even for teachers and staff. But elementary principal Matt Webster said it does allow for better alignment across the district, especially with professional development dates and card marking since the board approved an “unbalanced calendar” for the high school back in February.
Board President Darby Fetzer said the move just made common sense. “I love the flexibility of this district,” Fetzer said.