Albion College Maymester students and Marshall staff highlight classroom projects, PBIS and transportation

At its May 9 meeting the Marshall Public Schools Board heard presentations from Albion College Maymester students and district staff highlighting end-of-year projects, building initiatives and transportation operations.

Albion College student-teachers described unit plans they developed with Marshall classrooms that will be showcased at the district’s Showcase Learning Fair on Wednesday, May 27 at Albion College. Presentations included community problem-solving projects, environmental units with field trips, a poetry slam, instrument-building using recyclables and a kindergarten chicken-hatching partnership with Delaney Farms. "I had the pleasure to work with Ariel Norris and her eleventh graders at Marshall High School," said Emmanuel Rocha Gonzales, one of the Maymester presenters, describing a unit that asks students to research and propose solutions to local issues.

Marshall Middle School principal Tara Varner and assistant principal Jerry Wilson presented building highlights and schoolwide operations. They described a focused initiative on explicit instruction and an overhaul of the PBIS system, now organized around a new HAWKS acronym (Having respect; Accountability/Responsibility/Working hard; Keeping safe; Showing honesty). The team discussed tiered interventions (check-in/check-out, check-in connect), expanded student leadership, and increased communication through weekly grade-level updates and a student news crew.

Transportation Director Monique Bryant reported that the district transported about 1,200 students so far this school year, used roughly 50,000 gallons of diesel, and logged about 367,297 miles. The district operates a fleet of 28 buses across 22 routes with 26 transportation employees; staff said the district is leasing two buses for the coming year and emphasized behavior-management and family communication strategies on buses. "Transportation is not always easy...but despite it all, this team continues to show up with positivity and dedication because we know what is at the center of it all, our students," Bryant said.

The board thanked presenters and was reminded of graduation dates and the Showcase Learning Fair. No substantive public comments were offered during the meeting.

Next steps: the Showcase Learning Fair will take place May 27; staff will continue PBIS implementation planning and coordinate transportation leasing and fleet maintenance.