Category Archives: Standout Students

May 30 2013

JHS Senior Emily Garland a Record Quadruple DECA Qualifier!

Today, to help celebrate Ms. Garland’s achievements, we will be featuring Emily “in her own words.” It is worth noting that no other Jenison High School Student has ever achieved this level of success in DECA!

Dr. Clark had this to say, “ I am so proud that a student who has worked so hard, understood what it takes to compete at a district, state, and international level, and put in the time and effort needed to do all that work.  She is almost irreplaceable as one of the students I know that when handed any project, large or small, will get it done.  Beyond that she is the ideal student – intellectually curious, motivated, always positive, strong ethics, and a willingness to help wherever needed without complaining.”

We congratulate Emily’s diligence in pursuing excellence.

Emily Garland, DECA, Jenison High School, Jenison Public School

DECA allows you to meet people with the same passions as you from all over the country and, if you qualify for Internationals, from all over the world! I am a very shy person, but through DECA I have learned to get past being shy, to not let opportunities pass me by, and to become a leader.

DECA is a club to help develop the future business leaders of the world. One way it does this is through the competitions it has, such as the role plays where you are given an issue and you have ten minutes to plan out a solution to this.

The first event I worked for was the Stock Market Game. This was an investing simulation from September to December that was a part of my marketing class. We did research into stocks and made investments based on this. I had the 23rd best return out of over 2000 people which qualified me to compete in this event in the International Career Development Conference (ICDC).

The second competition I worked on was the School Based Enterprise in November up until January. I worked with two other people to write a 60 page paper on our new coffee shop, The Green Bean. When this got gold certification (which is the highest it could receive), I had another opportunity to compete at ICDC. I chose not to compete in this and instead give my spot to someone else who had not qualified.

Another event was THRIVE Academy which functioned in conjunction with DECA week. I helped my team mates in some of the daily events such as painting the rock, asking trivia at lunch, and working a DECA question table. In the end they chose that I would get one of the spots.

The last event I qualified in was Principles of Finance. In March I was a state champion in this role play competition along with four other people out of 70 people total. This was the final competition that I qualified for. Quadruple Qualifying means that I qualified in four separate events to go to the International Career Development Conference in Anaheim California. This means that I got to pick which event I’d want to compete in; I chose to go with the Stock Market Game.

I’d like to thank Dr. Clark for helping me so much in every project I’ve done. She allowed me to work on these projects during her classes and was always there for questions that I had. Dr. Clark has helped me become a leader and be the best I can be. This is my first year in DECA but it is because of Dr. Clark that I’ve done what I’ve done. I never thought I would be an officer and I never thought I would get the opportunity to go to California, but her support helped me to achieve so much more than I thought I ever could.

This fall I will be starting my first semester of college at Aquinas. I plan on studying business and work towards starting a collegiate DECA. I’m sad that high school DECA will be done, but I believe that the experiences it has given me will help me to excel in college and in my future career.

Jul 26 2012

Jenison’s 6th Grade ACT Students Say “Goodbye”

It was a warm spring day when Jenison’s sixth grade ACT students filed into Karen Weaver’s classroom for the final time. The mood was thankful. Innocent.

Next year they’ll find themselves moving from room to room in a much larger school, but deep down they’ll always be knit together. They’ll always be family. That’s because this handful of students has been learning and growing together since they began their third grade year.

This past year was a special one for ACT and for the community they touched. Working together, the classes began a Kindness Project. They brainstormed ways to show compassion to individuals who needed an extra smile or a helping hand, and then they encouraged the recipient to “pass it on.”

What began with collecting phone books for Habitat for Humanity slowly expanded to include gathering canned goods, preparing meals for elderly neighbors, and planting money in geocaching locations, to name a few. With students directing 90% of the projects, Mrs. Weaver guided and reminded them that “…kindness is the right thing to do!”

Students involved in the ACT program have shown gifts in the areas of academic studies, leadership, creativity, and motivation. Once admitted, they spend one morning or one afternoon a week with Mrs. Weaver in a small setting which focuses heavily on mathematics, logical thinking, creative problem solving, and project-based learning. They also compete in the Continental National Math Competition regularly, and this year’s 4th grade was recognized as having the highest score in the midwest!

But more than the accomplishments or projects,  the one resounding message shared by these kids was that they’ll miss this place of safety and inclusion. One student shared, “It’s very comfortable to be in here — it’s always fun to learn something new.”

Another admitted, “I can be myself. I don’t have to worry about fitting in. People accept me here.”

After years of operating like pseudo brothers and sisters, these kids now feel the sting that comes with change.  And what they’ll miss most is the teacher who helped the pieces fit together a little bit tighter; who sat close by while they wrestled through a challenge or brainstormed a different solution to an old problem.

They’ll miss the teacher who delivered an extra slice of sunshine every week to kids who couldn’t wait to bask in the light.

“I can’t remember school without ACT. It’s going to be really sad to leave. You just feel warm and happy being in here … and so much is because of Mrs. Weaver.”

Jul 19 2012

JHS Teachers Honored at Jostens’ Annual Leadership Conference

You may not know that Jostens, a company probably best known for class rings and yearbooks, is also an active and passionate participant in the efforts of schools working to better connect and affirm students as they journey through their high school education.

You also may not know that Jenison High School is a Jostens “Renaissance” School, meaning teachers are taking the challenge to step out of boxes and move beyond walls to recognize, encourage, and support kids.

And our teachers are doing it well.

So well, in fact, that this year two them, Mrs. Tracy Mossburger and Mrs. Julie Roby, won the coveted and nationally awarded  “Rockstar” Award from Jostens to highlight their strides they’ve taken to build leaders and applaud students who are doing the right thing every day. The award is a nod to two women who work tirelessly to promote inclusion and put kids in the spotlight. Part of the award included a trip to this year’s conference in Orlando with members of the JHS student congress as well as other school leaders.

*All photos this week courtesy of Mrs. Roby and Mrs. Mossburger

Jostens challenges teachers, principals, and other school leaders to consider this question:

“Who receives the most recognition in your schools? Your top athletes? Your top scholars? Students with recurring discipline problems? The answer is probably yes. But what about everyone else? Think about the students who walk through the halls every day, unrecognized, practically anonymous. How would their lives change and how would your school change if they were given a chance to be in the spotlight?” (quote taken from Jostens’ website)

Members of JHS’ student congress had the opportunity to learn about leadership and recognition while at the Jostens conference.

One of the ways Mrs. Mossburger and Mrs. Roby answered that question was by awarding a “Best Seat in the House” during home basketball games. Students earned the right to sit on huge overstuffed chairs positioned on special platforms rather than on gym bleachers; they were definitely in the spotlight! They also awarded premier parking spots and helped to recognize students in other ways throughout the year.

Mrs. Mossburger and Mrs. Roby note that the Renaissance program has made a notable impact in the atmosphere at school. Mrs. Mossburger shared,

“Since the conference last year, I have noticed higher student participation in events.  I have also felt as though there is a better attitude amongst the student body as a whole.  I also noticed that as students realized that there were more student focused improvement ideas happening they wanted to share thoughts and ideas.  Getting and keeping the kids connected through participation and positive attitude is a huge part of Jostens Renaissance.”

Mrs. Roby added that it’s not only the students who are benefitting — staff and faculty are catching the spark as well:

“We had great responses from support staff, secretaries and other support personnel as we included everyone in our “Staffulty” to be a part of Renaissance and recognition/events in the building.  We did not ask Staffulty for anything at the beginning on the year, but by the end of the year they were approaching us and helped with several events voluntarily.  The feeling of being a part of something big is contagious!”

Congratulations to these outstanding teachers and student advocates, and to the entire staff and administration at Jenison High School!
May 31 2012

Jenison Junior High Honor’s Night Award Winners

One of the best parts of being in education is, without a doubt, the privilege of witnessing kids hit their stride and excel both as learners and as people. The Jenison Junior High Honor’s Night is one of those events where the spotlight gets to land on so many kids that you can’t help but feel proud. Whether it’s work ethic or personal best, perfect attendance or terrific academics, the students of Honor’s Night are to be applauded for their pursuit of excellence.

Photo courtesy of Ms. Wendy Hunt

Today we’d like to not only offer our congratulations to all of those recognized, but to give special kudos to a few select kids who stood out in the best way possible.

Maddie Maurice

Maddie Maurice was one recipient of this year’s Exemplary Achievement Award for all-over success in class, as a volunteer, and in extra curricular activities.

Having served in multiple capacities, Maddie has learned that “doing something to help others to make their lives better” is her passion. She has volunteered at the “Golf for a Cure” fundraiser and organized and served at other events benefitting the A-T Children’s Project. Maddie additionally volunteers in the three-year old classroom at her church, pouring into little lives each week.

At school Maddie enjoys several extra curricular activities: Theatre, Yearbook, and Scrapbook Clubs, as well as Student Congress and Teen Leadership. She has already been elected as the Freshmen Class Vice President for next year!

“I love being involved because I want to help others! But also, I enjoy meeting new people and expanding my own personal network.” Congratulations, Maddie on your achievements at JJHS!

Jordan Henning

Jordan Henning was nominated by at least three different teachers and was the standout recipient of this year’s Principal’s Outstanding Educational Improvement Award. This award recognizes students who demonstrate a marked turnaround in grades, behavior, and “overall attitude toward learning and achievement.”

Jordan acknowledges that his junior high career has been a little bumpy, but is really proud to have made the decision to turn things around.

“One day it just hit me that if I keep going the way I’m going, I won’t have the life I want.” 

Jordan combined personal motivation and the support he garnered from teachers like Mrs. Thimm to start making better choices both in school and out of school. He says that he was actually “surprised that Mrs. Thimm took me back as a student because I had been so disrespectful to her and other teachers. But she did, and I could see that all along she was really trying to help me. I learned to respect her for that. It made me want to do better.”

We think Jordan exemplifies second chances and the power that each of us has to chart a new course for our lives. Congratulations, Jordan!

Savannah VanderJagt

Savannah VanderJagt was this year’s recipient of the Above and Beyond Award. Her artistic prowess and positive attitude made her an easy choice for those who nominate students.

Savannah has been the winner of the assignment notebook cover contest for two consecutive years, earning the right to have her art displayed on the covers of every student planner in the junior high! Additionally she is the winner of the Art Purchase Award where she was awarded $50 when the school bought her artwork.

Savannah dreams of one day building a life around her art, whether it be by going to design school or having her own store; the future is uncertain, but the dream to keep creating is sure. Best wishes, Savannah!

Savannah VanderJagt’s award-winning art

Rachel DeBoer

Rachel DeBoer is another deserving recipient of the Exemplary Achievement Award. She is honored to have been nominated because “the teachers say that an overall award like this is a big deal.” She’s right!

Rachel has served her community by working with second grade students at Townline Elementary, and has made hats, scarves, and played bingo with the elderly in her church. She also enjoys baking, and has made and delivered apple pies to the members of her church.

Rachel has additionally participated in three sports during her junior high career: volleyball, basketball, and track, all while keeping her grades at the top of the class.

She credits the influence of several teachers with her success at school, and wishes to thank Mr. Smith for making school fun, and Mrs. Raab for being “easy to understand” and always “happy and in a good mood.”

She goes on to mention the impact that Mr. VanTimmeren had on her as her basketball coach, explaining, “He seems intimidating when you first meet him, but he’s actually just a big teddy bear. He uses quotes to encourage the team and makes each of us want to try harder.”

Rachel plans to choose a career path that would allow her to help others, such as being a doctor or a surgeon, but admits that being an investor or trader sounds fascinating, too.

From our vantage point, the future is hers for the taking! Congrats, Rachel!

We are so proud of these students and wish them best as they continue their journey into high school next fall! 

May 9 2012

JPS DECA Students Top in the Nation!

(L to R) Ethan Gechoff, Nikole Birdsall, Taylor Achterhoff

When Ethan, Nikole, and Taylor first clicked open the Deloitte Virtual Team Challenge this winter, they never thought their work would bring them acclaim as one of the premier teams in the nation! With well over 400 high school teams competing, their third place finish lands them at the top of the class!

As part of Dr. Clark’s business class, students teamed up and dove into Deloitte’s challenge to enter an online “virtual” city that was recently affected by an oil spill. As leaders of a fictitious non-profit agency, each team was charged to raise money to clean up their city, research the backgrounds of agencies that could be hired to do the work of controlling the ecological disaster, and investigate and identify a charity insider who was secretly siphoning money from the group.

Teams were judged on total overall money “raised” for the charity group. That means that their research into clean-up agencies, for instance, was paramount. Did they secure workers at the best price possible? Did they stop the insider from stealing from the charity?…and after how much money was taken? These things, and more, contributed to the end dollar figure that determined the contest winners.

After three weeks of work together, this team of seniors rang in $212,053!! 

Nikole speculated on their work, “What I think we perhaps did better than other teams was to do our research well. We used the provided tools like an online dictionary and we interviewed correctly so we hired workers at the right price.”

Dr. Brenda Clark explains the intricacies of the DECA challenge.

Dr. Clark estimated that teams contributed 10-12 hours of work to complete the challenge, which, incidentally, is the first of its kind ever attempted by Jenison business students.

“I loved that this project forced students to consider environmental and ethical factors such as finding the right people to hire and making wise decisions about terminating employment. There are endless ways in which ethics play into business, and the Deloitte challenge encompassed many of them,” Dr. Clark explained.

For their third place finish, Deloitte donated $500 to our local United Way chapter, as well as giving each of the three team members $50. Dr. Clark received $50 for classroom supplies and the high school was given $50 for technology, all courtesy of Deloitte!

(photo courtesy of Dr. Brandon Graham)

Adding to the excitement in the high school business department is the amazing work of seniors Nikole Birdsall and Levi Adrianson on the National Financial Literacy Challenge. Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Treasury with the hopes of increasing financial literacy in high schoolers nationwide, this test was taken by all JHS business students and 80,000 students nationwide!

Levi Adrianson and Nikole Birdsall

For the first time in JPS history, both Nikole and Levi scored 100% on this test! Furthermore, their scores have placed them  in the running for one (each) of twenty-five scholarships given to college-bound students.

Our sincere congratulations to the terrific work of Dr. Clark and her business students! We are proud of your exceptional accomplishments!

JPS Art Show, Mrs. VanderPlas, Mrs. Moynihan
Apr 18 2012

Spring Student Art Show at JPS

Art students and teachers from L to R: Kendra Beattie, Mrs. Moynihan, Kendall Farkas, Lorin Jollands, Mrs. VanderPlas, Andrew Bosker

Max Eastman once said, ”It is art that makes life, makes interest, makes importance and I know of no substitute whatever for the force and beauty of its process.” 

For the next two weeks, art students at Jenison High School are making life, interest, and importance part of the conversation by displaying their work for the community to see. Judged by Kendall College of Art and Design as a high school whose art department is in the top 5% of the state, the imagination captured at the art show does not disappoint.

One such student with a passionate imagination is senior Andrew Bosker. Already dually-enrolled at Kendall College of Art and Design, Andrew is interested in pursuing an illustration degree after graduation and thanks Mrs. VanderPlas for the help she’s offered him as he compiles his portfolio.

“I always pop into the art room if I have extra time so I can work on my current projects. There’s a lot of pressure to create an impressive portfolio and include the right things. Kendall wants us to select only about eight pieces.”

Whether it’s drawing, studio art, painting, or his current AP class, Andrew seems to filter all aspects of his world through the lens of an artist. He eagerly awaits a future in which he can fully utilize his talent as part of his career. Best of luck to you, Andrew!

Kendra Beattie is another senior taking advantage of Kendall College of Art and Design’s dual enrollment option. A Kendall adjunct professor, our own Mrs. VanderPlas (affectionately known by her students as “VP”) teaches extra classes twice a week, offering an additional six hours of instruction for serious artists like Kendra.

“I’ve been taking art since my sophomore year with VP, and through taking her classes and getting her advice on a personal level, my art has improved dramatically,” Kendra said. 

Kendra favors working with watercolor and graphite pencil, and plans to take next year off to work on her portfolio. She plans to pursue a psychology/art study path that will lead to a career as an art therapist. We’re excited to see it happen!

Kendall Farkas is a senior ceramics student who plans to study archaeology next year at GVSU. She knows that art will always be in her future somehow–whether she’s creating it herself or helping to discover the work of people from centuries past.

With a love for pottery, Mrs. Moynihan’s recent project to craft a shoe out of clay with an “outside element” was right up her alley.

“I love Mrs. Moynihan,” Kendall smiled. “I’ve had her for two years now. She’s really talented and you can obviously see that. But it’s the personal attention and encouragement she gives that’s amazing.”

Kendall shared that her inspiration for the key comes from her “love of old things” and her hobby of collecting antiques. Mrs. Moynihan helped her find just the right key for this project, adeptly fitting it between the laces of a red shoe that matched the ones on Kendall’s feet the day we spoke.

Best wishes to her as she begins her adventures after graduation!

Sophomore Lorin Jollands is new to art at JPS, but she already lists “pencil” as her favorite medium to work with.

“Sometimes when you’re walking around you don’t always notice how light hits things…but it can be very pretty. Pencil captures that.”

It’s funny how many things in life go unnoticed when you’re walking around. Whether it’s the way light falls against spring trees or the delicate nature of a nest outside your window, life moves at such a pace that we can easily become blind to its beauty.

I’m grateful that these students and all of our artists in Jenison Public Schools remind us to slow down.

To find something of interest.

To ignite our imaginations.

And to count it all as important.

~ ~ ~

The Spring Student Art Show is set up in the high school media center and is open during school hours.

Feb 16 2012

Celebrating MHSAA and NHS Students at Jenison

JHS National Honor Society Students (not all present)

This week I’m excited to highlight some of the phenomenal young people we’re privileged to have walking the halls of Jenison High School: members of our National Honor Society and two MHSAA Scholar Athlete Award winners!

I’ll turn my attention first to our NHS students. I sometimes forget the rigorous requirements in place for students wishing to becoming a member of the National Honor Society. First, only students earning a 3.65 GPA or better are invited to apply for membership. Then, NHS advisors consider each application (hundreds, actually) blindly, narrowing down the field to an elite group possessing outstanding qualifications in the areas of academics, character, service, and leadership.

With annual projects ranging from Thanksgiving baskets to Toys for Tots to a winter blood drive, principal Brandon Graham couldn’t be more proud of this special group of kids.

“They’re characters who have character,” he joked in his office. “Honestly, these students are some of Jenison’s finest.”

We join him in saluting NHS!

We also want to salute the winners of Michigan’s highly coveted MHSAA Scholar-Athlete Award. In our entire state, just 32 of these awards are handed out and Jenison is lucky enough to have two recipients!

Mr. Josh Hoogendoorn

Miss Alexis Stanton

Josh Hoogendoorn is a senior at JHS with aspirations to go on to MSU for accounting.

In the meantime, however, Josh is an All-State powerlifter who dead lifted 385 pounds as a JV lifter.

Did I mention that he only weighed 132 pounds when he accomplished that?

Powerlifting competitions are made up of three lifts: the bench press, the squat, and the dead lift. Josh’s specialty is the latter.

And while he’s not ready to publicly share his goals for his next meet, he quietly shared that he was able to deadlift 460 pounds in the gym during practice.

When he’s not practicing in the weight room, you can find Josh leading the Wildcats as captain of the football team, playing varsity baseball, and working year-round to maintain the high academic standards that got him this recognition.

Congratulations, Josh!

Alexis Stanton is also a senior athlete who divides her time between basketball, cross country, and track.

With dreams of becoming a pediatrician, she is currently weighing her college options between UCLA, Columbia, UNC, and U of M.

She notes, humbly, that she is in a bit of disbelief over her latest accolades. ”I’m not the best player on the team,” she says. “I’m a good team player—I’m balanced. I think they like to choose students who are involved both in and out of school.”

Alexis is a member of the National Honor Society and, like Josh, consistently strives for excellence in the classroom.

Congrats, Alexis!

All of these students demonstrate leadership, integrity, and the pursuit of their personal best in all scholastic and extra-curricular arenas.

We are so proud of their effort and the way they represent Jenison Public Schools! Bravo!