by Justin Gibson | Dec 13, 2019 | Schoolcraft, Schools
Jennifer Gottschalk, president of the Schoolcraft School Board, on the right with Trustee Wade Rutkowski, listen to members of the community at the November board meeting.
By Travis Smola
After hearing concerns from the community on Schoolcraft schools’ failed bond proposal, the Board of Education chose to go to the public on a second proposal in March.
The proposal will be unchanged from the $39.9 million project that failed by 61 votes in November. “The proposal is not flawed; we just need the boots on the ground,” Board President Jennifer Gottschalk said. “We need more bodies. If we can get more bodies, we can get this passed.”
Mitchell Watt, senior vice president of Triangle Construction and one of the district’s potential construction managers, acknowledged it was unusual to go after a bond again in March. But he encouraged the district to do so after observing turnout to the community forum held after the election. Watt said it made sense in this case because they could build on the momentum of this meeting. “There’s three months where we can engage a very passionate, hot off the press group that is interested in success,” Watt said.
The discussion continued for about an hour after the community forum as board members weighed questions on many topics relating to the bond such as athletics and how to engage the community better on the costs of the project compared with other districts.
At one point, Lloyd Peterson, who spoke earlier at the community forum, suggested again that the district either try to take the project in smaller chunks or begin saving money for a project further down the line.
Gottschalk responded, saying the district’s use of state funds is restricted; saving money for the future isn’t an option. “We have a fund balance, but the problem is 80 percent of our budget goes to pay our staff,” Gottschalk said. She noted $250,000 is put into maintenance costs and buying a new bus each year. “We don’t have money to put in the bank for a rainy-day fund,” she said. “And that’s a really cruddy thing to say, but that’s just the cold, hard facts of it.”
She said the district also does not have the funds on hand to deal with a major malfunction to a vital piece of hardware.
“We’ve worked for two, long, hard years. And I am at the end of my fraying rope with this,” Gottschalk said. “Because I don’t know what we’re going to do when the boiler dies. We have a steam line that broke last week. It could have been underneath the building. Thank God it wasn’t.”
“We’ve got to do something. We cannot do nothing,” Gottschalk added.
Eduardo Blanc, the senior vice president for TMP Architecture which would be involved in building design, agreed with this sentiment noting that budget constraints by the state are something every district must deal with. He also said conditions in the current buildings will only get worse as time goes on.
“It doesn’t matter if it is today, March, May or 10 years from now,” Blanc said. “The buildings are going to continue to deteriorate.” He added that at some point building and fire codes would no longer support the current buildings.
Gottschalk then asked board members for their opinion on the matter. Secretary Ryan Ledlow wanted to hear more from the community and think about it some more. But he also noted that timing was important. “We’ve got to move forward,” Ledlow said.
Trustee Rachel Phelps agreed she felt community feedback is important. But she also said it made sense to go after the issue immediately. “March makes sense just because we do have the momentum,” Phelps said.
Around this time, Superintendent Rusty Stitt took a moment to inform the board that if they chose to go for March again, a decision had to be made at this meeting because the necessary paperwork would be due in Lansing the next day.
There were some discussions about not enough people being aware of an election in March. Trustee Wade Rutkoskie said that would be a non-factor because this time they’d make sure there were more volunteers spreading the word on it.
The idea of putting the issue on the ballot next August or November was discussed. But Gottschalk worried the issue would be lost in the shuffle with other proposals and the Presidential election. She also said they wouldn’t do an August vote because of low turnouts due to many residents being on vacation at that time of year.
Trustee Kathy Mastenbrook, who also serves on the village council, told the rest of the board the sewer project is moving at a snail’s pace and she doesn’t expect it would interfere with a March election as some citizens suggested in the forum. “We’re not going to have any more information by March,” Mastenbrook said.
She added that even if the issue were to pass in March, the district will still have to put money into current facilities to get them through the three years of new construction. “To think that we will not have to spend any money, I just want to be fully transparent here because I don’t think that’s real,” Mastenbrook said. “I think there’s a very good possibility we’re going to still have to spend money.”
There was some discussion on whether it was too soon to go for a bond issue again and the message it might send. Rutkoskie noted that Mattawan’s third attempt at a bond was successful. The board there chose to re-run the same bond issue after it failed the second time. He said they learned from those trustees that community support made the difference. “Literally the difference is feet on the street,” Rutkoskie said.
“I’m fully in favor of moving forward,” Rutkoskie said. He added he felt strongly about this after speaking more with the community. He also said he was not in favor of splitting off athletic updates as some had suggested in the community forum. “I heard from far more people that feel we’re not doing enough in athletics than I have heard from people who don’t think we’re doing enough,” Rutkoskie said.
The vote to place the issue on the March ballot was unanimous.
by Justin Gibson | Dec 12, 2019 | Schoolcraft, Schools
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Schoolcraft students have fun playing games at the annual Common Bond X-Treme Kick-Off party in October.
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Pictured left to right: Aaron Beery, special education teacher at Schoolcraft Middle School, Christine Fenner, special education teacher at Schoolcraft Elementary School and Amy Green, special education teacher at Schoolcraft High School.
By Sue Moore
Schoolcraft Schools’ Common Bond program is expanding to include students in third and fourth grades. The first event to celebrate the expansion of Common Bond will take place on Wednesday, December 11. It will focus on some team bonding activities, learning about individual differences and enjoying the entertainment of local magician, Alan Kazam, putting on his “I Can Do It” show.
Led by teacher Amy Green, Common Bond has been an extracurricular club at Schoolcraft High School for over 21 years. The club provides various activities for students of all abilities. Students who attend Common Bond events are provided opportunities to increase relationships with peers, gain a better understanding and tolerance of others’ differences and form friendships. All Schoolcraft High School students are welcome to participate in Common Bond. By doing so they learn to respect and work with others who are different than themselves. “It is a life skill all of us take to the streets every day as adults. The club has been a positive culture builder for students at the high school,” said Green.
Several years ago, the program expanded to the middle school with the help of special education teachers Chris Kato, Aaron Beery, and Alyssa McCoy. Most recently, Christine Fenner has been busy planning this first elementary-grade Common Bond event.
Schoolcraft Schools is dedicated to promoting and accepting an inclusive environment for all students. Common Bond is an extension of building this culture, Green pointed out. Common Bond’s theme is, “Be A Superhero, Join Common Bond!”
by Justin Gibson | Dec 12, 2019 | Schoolcraft, Sports
While trying to hold back tears, the Schoolcraft volleyball team accepts its runner-up trophy in the state volleyball Division 4 championship contest. Photo by Stephanie Blentlinger, Lingering Memories Photography.
By Mark Blentlinger
Schoolcraft’s volleyball team ended a run to the Division 3 state championship with a Nov. 23 loss to Monroe St. Mary Catholic Center’s Kestrels at Kellogg Arena in Battle Creek.
The Eagles in the semifinal a day earlier had won the right to compete in the championship game by knocking out the Saginaw Valley Lutheran Chargers in a convincing win in three sets: 25-10, 25-11 and 25-12.
The Schoolcraft and Monroe teams met on the same court five years ago, also with the Kestrels on the winning end of the match. This Eagle squad hoped to avenge that loss, not only for themselves, but for the 2014 team. If successful, they would bring home the Eagles’ second state championship. The first was in 2008.
Instead, the Eagles lost in one of the most hotly contested contests in all four of the divisions competing in the state finals.
They came into the match with a record of 47-6-1 and were the SAC champion. The Kestrels came with a 48-2 record and were the champions of the Huron League. They had overcome the Beavers from Beaverton 3-0, with sets of 25-20, 25-17 and 25-7 to advance to the championship.
The Eagles jumped out to a big 10-4 lead before Kestrels Coach Karen O’Brien called a time out to give her athletes a small breather and to get calmed down. On the other side, Coach Erin Onken was telling her girls, “Keep up the pressure! Keep playing our game!” The Eagles seemed calm and collected, just taking it a point at a time. Monroe SMCC was able to come back in the set, tying the score at one point 16-16. The Eagles continued to stay the course. They were able to keep focused and continued to feed off the strong fan base that came to support them. Andelyn Simkins placed a soft shot that bounced off of three Kestrels to go out of bounds, giving the Eagles Set 1, 27-25.
In Set 2, the Kestrels were able to string together some points and jumped out to a quick lead 6-3. The score kept bouncing back and forth, but the Kestrels seemed to always find a way to stay one point ahead of the Eagles. Monroe was able to fight its way to the win in set 2, 25-21, knotting the total at 1-1.
Set 3 was again back-to-back points, with one team going up by a point, then back to a tie. Each team struggled to pull away. At this level, both teams were in the finals because of their excellent communication, great defense and ball placement. Andelyn Simkins showed why she was named runnerup in the Michigan Miss Volleyball nomination and a future WMU Bronco with some of her placement kills.
Schoolcraft gained some serious momentum and pulled away, stringing five solid points, making it 21-16, until SMCC called a timeout to gather themselves. Schoolcraft maintained the point distance. Andelyn Simkins again placed a soft kill right on the floor, leaving three Kestrels looking at each other. That point sealed the set for the Eagles, 25-19. The match was now 2-1, in favor of the Purple and Gold.
Set 4, SMCC struck hard and early, knowing it had to win the set in order to force a tiebreaker. If the Eagles were able to seal the win in set 4, then they would capture the Division 3 State Championship. The score was once again close, within a point back and forth. No one was able to pull away until the Kestrels opened it up, notching the score at 25-18 and forcing a tiebreaking 5th set.
Set 5 would decide the Division 3 Volleyball State Championship. Both fan bases screamed, waved pom poms and chanted fight songs to help their team get fired up.
The arena watched two very talented volleyball teams play their hearts out, spiking and diving for the ball. The Eagles at one point were down 3-6, but were able to come back and make it 7-6. The Kestrels forced some errors on the Eagles, bringing the score to 10-10 in the 15-point set. The Eagles went up 12-11, when SMCC called their final time out.
Both teams battled hard and by that point in the match, extremely tired. The Eagles fell hard in the tough tie-breaker set, 12-15 to take the Division 3 State runner-up title with a record of 48-7-1 for the season.
After the teams were awarded their medals and trophies, Eagles Coach Onken said, “We can tell they studied film on us knowing where the weak areas and strong areas were. The game came down to a serve-and-receive battle where both teams made their share of errors. If we were to play them again, maybe we beat them in five. These two schools would go more than three sets every time. We have a ton of respect for SMCC. I feel we came out ready to battle.
“I am very proud of this team and think of all of these girls as my family.”
by Justin Gibson | Dec 12, 2019 | Schoolcraft, Sports
Athletic Trainer Jordan Love tapes Abbi Curtis’ ankles before she dresses for a volleyball game.
By Sue Moore
“Having Jordan Love, Schoolcraft’s athletic trainer full time in the building has brought a reduction of injuries to our athletes,” said Nate Ferency, head football coach and physical education and nutrition teacher. “We consider her a coach and part of our football staff and its program.”
“She is a professional and kids have a lot of respect for her. She helps with pain management and [diagnosing] injuries. Sometimes the athlete doesn’t know if he is injured or where the pain is coming from. Love can get kids back on their feet as quickly as possible so they can be safe and perform at 100 percent of their capabilities. She is a huge asset for us,” Ferency said.
This is the first year the school has paid to have a full-time athletic trainer. Until 2019, certified graduate assistant athletic trainers were sent to area schools through Western Michigan University and Bronson’s Orthopedic teaching unit. They were graduate students while learning on the job. That changed at the beginning of the academic year because WMU was re-positioning its program. Bronson took over and agreed to pay half of the salary of a fully credentialed athletic trainer while asking the school to contribute the other half. Schoolcraft instituted a $50 charge for each athlete which helped to fund the position.
Love was chosen, since she had spent the previous two years working on her master’s degree from WMU as Schoolcraft’s graduate assistant athletic trainer. She received a small stipend that just about paid for gas to get to the school. She was the obvious choice to take the full-time position, said Superintendent Rusty Stitt. “Everyone loves Ms. Love.”
“I ended up at a great place,” Love exclaimed. “This school just fits me. I see about 220 athletes a year even some students from the band and drama club.” She is now reaching out to students in the Middle School but doesn’t have any facilities there for treatment. “I just wonder what we could accomplish if there was a bigger athletic training room, possibly with a window in it so I could see what’s going on outside.”
Love talks with athletes about the importance of hydration and good nutrition so they can perform at the highest level. “Wrestlers get suggestions from me for meals that their moms can cook but then I hear the lament ‘Oh, you want me to cook a separate meal for my son?’ My answer is each athlete needs the proper nutrients to get through the day. It helps to offset any injuries they might incur.”
She has a budget of about $500 for supplies such as tape for ankles. “I’ve never been denied if there was a demonstrated need. The bigger items have been funded by the Schoolcraft Booster Club. During her first two years of training, Love kept a tracking system of the injuries she treated. From it, she was able to show that in total, her work saved $80,000 per year for families in medical expenses. That’s because they didn’t have to take their kids to a doctor’s office for diagnoses and treatments that she could administer.
Impact testing is administered to each student which sets a baseline to help evaluate concussion. It is given by Love every two years for students in all contact sports. “I have the final say as to whether an athlete can compete, based upon what I observe and what the tests show,” Love said. “I am trained for injury prevention, but concussions are different.”
The program has a strong relationship with Bronson Orthopedics. It’s a direct line and works well to get kids in to see a specialist whenever she thinks it is needed. Recently, she was able to call upon Dr. Stacey Majoras in an emergency when two Watervliet football players received major injuries on almost the same play in a Schoolcraft game. “She was on her way home from a long day of work but came immediately to reaffirm to the parents of the two boys that my diagnosis was accurate and they were treated correctly.” Dr. Majoras oversees the athletic trainers in Vicksburg, Three Rivers and Schoolcraft. Brad Toepper is the Bronson athletic trainer in charge of the overall program and both frequently are on the sidelines during games.
Love’s 40-hour week usually results in far more than that, especially when Schoolcraft’s teams compete at a higher level, such as the football team in the Regional championship and the volleyball team playing for the state championship in its division. The softball team was the runner up state champion in a Lansing playoff last spring. Love is on tap for all home and away games.
“My job is to manage the phone calls and texts along with seeing to each athlete’s needs. The principal is not a fan of me taking kids out of class so I manage treatment on their time as best I can,” Love explained. “The kids will tell me, ‘you have so many rules, Miss Love.’ Yes, I do but I’ve got to keep this place running good.
“As their athletic trainer and health care professional, I appreciate the respect parents and coaches give me,” Love said.
by Justin Gibson | Dec 12, 2019 | Schoolcraft, Sports
Andelyn Simkins on the right with her volleyball coach, Erin Onken.
By Sue Moore
“There are a million things to say about Andelyn Simkins,” said Coach Erin Onken of the Schoolcraft Eagles volleyball team. Simkins has been named Miss Michigan volleyball runner up and recently signed her letter of intent to play volleyball close to home at Western Michigan University as an outside hitter. “I chose WMU because of the culture of the coaching staff, teammates and teachers. It was so encouraging, supportive and passionate.”
In her prep career, Simkins became Schoolcraft’s career leader in kills and digs with more than 2,000 career kills, just the 18th player in MHSAA history to do so. Simkins during her senior campaign helped Schoolcraft earn the No.1 ranking in the state›s Division 3 poll and an appearance in the MHSAA Division 3 volleyball finals held in Battle Creek. Simkins is a two-time First Team All-State selection while earning Second Team All-State honors in her freshman season. Simkins is also a three-time First Team All-SAC and All-Region honoree.
“Andelyn has had a tremendous impact on our program for the past four years. She is a once-in-a-lifetime type of player to come through our program. Her positive presence and loyal friendships towards her teammates will leave a mark on each one of them,” Onken said. “What makes her such a great teammate isn’t just the fact that she is a phenomenal volleyball player, it’s the approach she takes in communicating with her teammates. She cares about her teammates as friends and acknowledges and appreciates everyone’s efforts on the court.”
“This has been an exciting, fun and a bit overwhelming time after committing to WMU and playing in the state championship,” Simkins said. Her interest began when she was about six or seven years old. Her dad, Andy, would help her practice by holding up a garden hose as something to hit over. Next came a net. All she wanted to do was be the best, he said. “She works really hard to get better and get more touches.” Her mom, Joni, grew up in Vicksburg while her dad graduated from Portage Northern.
“Schoolcraft players have such great passion for the game,” Andelyn said. “We have a bond with each other. My teammates are fun to be around. They make me so much happier. In practice it is such a fun environment; I’m going to really miss it.”
Simkins carries a 3.8 GPA while taking two classes a day at Kalamazoo Valley Community College in history and nutrition. “I eat a lot as I’m so hungry all the time. I like to eat healthy, especially drinking chocolate milk for building good bones and joints.” She has been successful at that because she was recently measured with a 30-inch vertical jump, especially important for an outside hitter.
“The passion and energy she plays with is contagious. She is ridiculously humble and always striving to better herself and her team,” said Coach Onken. “The biggest change I’ve seen from her junior to senior year is the leadership role she took on. She’s been a three-year captain, and led her team wonderfully, but this year has been different. It’s hard to explain. But on our team retreat, while the team was deciding their team identity for the season, she brought up being grateful for the opportunity we have to play together and to make this season special.
“That’s been our motto all year long. Be grateful for the opportunities we get to experience together, for the memories that we get to create and the fun we get to have together playing this game we love,” Onken said.
“Andelyn is the role model that you wish for your daughter. She’s kind, faithful and hard working. She lives her life with integrity, knows what she wants and is relentless in pursuit of reaching it. But as great a player as she is today, she wants more, knows she can be more and knows that she isn’t there, yet…but she will be!” said Onken.
by Justin Gibson | Dec 12, 2019 | Schoolcraft, Sports
By Sue Moore
Gabi Saxman, Schoolcraft girls’ basketball point guard, will be playing basketball close to home next year at Western Michigan University (WMU). She has all the qualifications to make it big, high school coach Steve Kulczyk said.
She has been a four-year varsity player, a Basketball Coaches all-state player last year, a three-time all-league player who received the most votes of any player last year as a junior and honorable mention all-state. She will likely be a member of the 1,000-point club this season, as she hits well from outside the three-point line, her coach pointed out.
“Gabi is the best point guard I have ever coached,” Kulczyk said in praise of his star player. “I believe Gabi is the best ballhandling and defensive player at the guard position in southwest Michigan. Gabi has a tireless work ethic. She remains extremely coachable and humble. Gabi has grown into being a great leader. She always leads by example but now she is less shy about coaching up the younger girls.”
WMU head coach Shane Clipfell said, “We are excited for Gabi to join the Broncos. She comes from a long line of Broncos in her family, including being the niece of our former long-time baseball coach, Fred Decker. She will bring us a great work ethic and we know she has been well coached throughout her basketball career. She is also a proven winner, a great student, and a high-character individual. We welcome Gabi and her family to our Bronco family.”
The 5-foot-6 senior became a starting point guard for the Eagles in her freshman year and led the program to its first regional title in history, earning first team all-conference and all-state honorable mention accolades along the way. After the conclusion of the 2018-19 season, she was named to the Associated Press all-state team and to the Kalamazoo Area Dream Team. She averaged 16.2 points, six assists and six steals, leading the Eagles to an 18-3 record on the season. She will be eligible to compete for the Brown & Gold starting in the 2020-21 season.
“This whole experience is surreal,” Saxman said. She intends to live on campus as will her good friend, Katie Parker, who has signed to play softball for WMU. They have grown up together since kindergarten, when both started competing in athletics.
Her parents are Bob and Kerri Saxman. Her grandpa’s brother is Fred Decker, a legendary baseball coach at WMU. Gabi’s GPA is 4.2, She is planning on going into a nursing career. She will be rooming with the other two incoming freshman on the basketball team. “I am very excited about this upcoming season, but also sad because it’s my last high school season. I hope to continue to get better every day and better my teammates as well. I can’t wait to see how our hard work pays off and I am definitely going to give my team my all for my last year!” Saxman said.
