Dear Families,

As we move into the fall season, many exciting events are happening in our district. 

In this edition of MacGregor's Message:

• Coffee Chat

• Howell High School Presents "Sense and Sensibility" 

• Sponsors Needed for the Christmas Elf Program

• Arc of Livingston Sibshop

• Engaging, Positive, and Safe Learning Environments

On Tuesday, October 15, from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. in the Edinburgh Room of the district's administrative offices, I will be hosting my first Coffee Chat of the school year. Hosted quarterly, Coffee Chat is an informal opportunity for families and community members to hear updates on the district and ask questions they may have. For the first Coffee Chat, I will share updates on our bond projects and discuss the Livingston ESA Special Education Millage Renewal and Restoration on the November 5 ballot. To read more about this event, please visit https://bit.ly/4eFgPdo. 

Our talented high school students have been preparing for this year's fall play "Sense and Sensibility." "Sense and Sensibility" follows the lives of the Dashwood sisters, Elinor (Kaiyah Luethy) and Marianne (Addie Watts), as they navigate love, heartbreak, and societal expectations after their father's sudden death. The play balances humor and heartbreak as the sisters learn valuable lessons about love, resilience, and the importance of reason and emotion. The show will run November 1-3 at the Howell High School Rod Bushey Performing Arts Center. To read more about the production and for tickets, please visit https://bit.ly/3Y6ubbZ. 

Howell Public Schools has been invited to participate in the 7th Annual Christmas Elf Program, which partners with Livingston County schools and generous sponsors to support underprivileged students in our community during the holiday season. Last year, the program helped over 435 children and families in Brighton Area Schools,  Howell Public Schools and the Livingston ESA. There are two ways to support this wonderful program: 1) by sponsoring a student or 2) by making a monetary donation to help provide gift cards for high school students. To sponsor a child, please visit https://bit.ly/3zUHOTq, to make a monetary donation, please visit https://bit.ly/3YjQTyv. 

The Arc of Livingston will host its first Sibshop event of the year on Sunday, October 20. This program is designed for children ages 7-13 with a sibling with a disability. Sibshops offers a supportive space for kids to connect with others in similar situations, share their thoughts and feelings, and, most importantly, have fun! Each session has engaging activities, including games, food, and themed events. The October 20 event will be a spooktacular Halloween party. Kids can wear costumes, enjoy delicious food, and join in on pumpkin painting for a fun afternoon. Sibshops will meet every other month, each with a new theme for children to enjoy. To learn more, please visit https://bit.ly/3ZGp98l. 

One of the focus areas of the district's Adaptive Plan is to create "Engaging, Positive, and Safe Learning Environments." We are embracing this commitment by working to meet our goal of fostering "a shared Highlander identity that appreciates each student's individuality while bringing all students together." For example, programs like Unified Champion Sports and TIES help foster inclusion and acceptance in the area of disability awareness. Our focus on Global Literacy, seen in the high school's Global Scholars Endorsement and the elementary dual language immersion program, encourages students to understand the world's interconnectedness. To build on these efforts, we are introducing an optional program that is not part of the curriculum or classroom instruction, where students can highlight celebratory months. We are launching this program by celebrating Disability Awareness Month and Hispanic Heritage Month. Participation is voluntary, and students who choose to engage will be invited to create artwork, writings, or other creative projects on their own time to recognize these months. More details will be shared in upcoming newsletters. 

Good luck to our high school equestrian team as they compete at this weekend's State Championship event. Go Highlanders!

Sincerely,

Erin J. MacGregor, Ed.S

Superintendent

Howell Public Schools