By: Lena

Lena @ 8:37 am

Nine talented Detroit students have been selected as winners in the first Good Schools Poetry Contest presented by The Skillman Foundation and Good Schools Resource Center at Marygrove College and sponsored by Michigan First Credit Union.

The competition is part of The Skillman Foundation’s seven-year, multi-million dollar education initiative, Good Schools: Making the Grade, which identifies nine indicators of student and school success and invites all Detroit schools to apply for funding and technical assistance to maintain or attain these standards.   The poetry contest was open to K-12 students attending any of the 145 public, charter, private or parochial schools in Detroit that have been named Good Schools during the first three years of the initiative. The topic was: “Why my School is a Good School.” More than 1,000 entries were submitted. 

First, second and third place winners were chosen in each of three grade levels — elementary (K-5), middle (6-8), and high school (9-12). The winning students and their prizes are:

1)      ELEMENTARY: ·        

1st Place ($300 Gift Card) – Bryce Stallworth, 4th Grade, Bates Academy

 2nd Place($200 Gift Card) – Erica Cannon, 5th Grade, YMCA Service Learning Academy 

  3rd Place ($100 Gift Card) – Brandon Hull, 1st Grade, Charles H. Wright Academy 

2)      MIDDLE: 

1st Place ($500 Gift Card) – Najah Johnson, 7th Grade, Gesu Catholic School 

2nd Place ($300 Gift Card) – J′La Williams, 8th Grade, Golightly Educational Center 

3rd Place ($150 Gift Card) – Shabaka DaaJa-Ra, 7th Grade, Gesu Catholic School

3)      HIGH SCHOOL: 

1st Place ($750 Gift Card) – Michael Varano, 12th Grade, Renaissance High School 

2nd Place ($500 Gift Card) – Phillip Hall, 12th Grade, Communication & Media Arts 

3rd Place ($300 Gift Card) – Margaret Clements, 12th Grade, Renaissance High School

The student poetry winners received their prizes at a Good Schools Celebration of Excellence event on May 27th at Chene Park in Detroit. Marygrove College English faculty judged the students’ poems on creativity, originality, content, title appropriateness, style and mechanics, use of language, and voice authenticity. “We were extremely pleased with the response we received in the poetry contest. It demonstrates the creativity of children in Detroit schools and gives them a voice in what makes a Good School,” said Tonya Allen, vice president of program for The Skillman Foundation.  Michigan First Credit Union presented gift cards and award certificates to the poetry contest winners and plaques to the winning students’ schools. “This is our second year sponsoring a Good Schools: Making the Grade contest, and we’re very proud to be a part of this important initiative,” said Michigan First President & CEO Michael D. Poulos. “Michigan First has always been committed to the education and development of Detroit youth.”

The Skillman Foundation’s Good Schools: Making the Grade initiative identifies, recognizes and rewards Good Schools in Detroit. During the first three years of the initiative, The Skillman Foundation awarded more than $5.5 million in Good Schools grants to nearly 150 Detroit schools. The winning schools are recognized in four categories — High Performing, Improving, Emerging and Aspiring — and evaluated on nine standards: Student Academic Performance; Student Attendance; Leadership and Educational Vitality; Data-Driven Decision Making; Challenging Curriculum and Instruction; Student Focus and Support; School Culture; Professional Community; and School, Family and Community Partnerships.   

Other Posts By Lena
add new comment  |  comments (0)

By: Lena

Lena @ 3:18 pm

The Martin Luther King (MLK) Senior High School Marching Crusaders has officially raised the $380,000 they needed to travel to Beijing, China to play during the 2008 Summer Olympics. In early March, Michigan First and its Board of Directors jumpstarted, a community wide effort to help the school raise money for the trip, by making a $10,000 donation to the band and its director, Victoria Miller. The Credit Union also set up a fund for the band so donations could be made at any Michigan First branch.
In addition to Michigan First’s donation, other large donations were made by Gov. Jennifer Granholm, the UAW, The Skillman Foundation, The Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan, The Kresge Foundation, The Detroit Lions, and GMAC, just to name a few. Donations were also made by church groups, individuals, block clubs, small and large businesses, and schools. And now, one of the best high school bands in the United States will get a chance to show the world how good they are when they play at the Olympics in August.

Detroit Lions offensive lineman Edwin Mulitalo (3rd from left) gave the band’s fundraising efforts a big boost with a $10,000 donation from his “Big Ed’s Band Foundation” which supports the development of music programs for children. Also on hand to present the check were (left to right) To’alima, Mulitalo’s daughter; Sandra Tomlin, Vice President, Marketing & Public Relations, Michigan First; three MLK student band members; Victoria Miller, band director; and Detroit Lion Jonathan Scott. After the check presentation, Mulitalo played his ukulele while his daughter To’alima performed a special dance for the band.

Other Posts By Lena
add new comment  |  comments (0)