Board Reports

Board+Reports

Good Evening Everyone! 

We bring greetings on behalf of the Home of the Warriors, where every dream has a journey and every career has a pathway!  My name is Benjamin Colding and My name is De’Asia Wells and we’d like to start off by thanking the Board of Education and our Superintendent for giving us the opportunity to represent Southfield High School for the Arts and Technology. 

 

Without further adieu, we’d like to immerse the audience with the amazing events and activities during August and September: 

 

During August 12-19th, In preparation for the upcoming season, The marching warriors ventured out to the wonderful Lions Bear Lake Camp, in Lapeer County, Michigan. During the camp, the band persevered through early mornings and late nights in the spirit of preparation. At this time seasonal music was reviewed and an amazing field show came as a result of hard work and dedication. At the end of the week, all band parents and staff arrived at the camp and witnessed the Marching Warriors as they swept the field, blasting horns, and wearing the proud colors of red, white, and blue.

 

 

  • Before school started, grade level orientations and picnics were held at our school to move from the traditional paperwork of student registration to focus on building relationships with kids.  Building relationships are essential for learning to thrive, thus we started this process before the academic press that will go on throughout the school year. Each grade level orientation consisted of team building and inclusion activities, information sessions, and the photo identification process. Our 12th grade orientation took place on  August 13th, 11th grade orientation on August 14th, and 10th grade orientation on August 15th; members of each grade level were able to meet up at the school, participate in creative activities and be reminded that Southfield A&T is a caring and safe-space where everyone is accepted and learning is encouraged. On Monday, August 19th, the incoming 9th graders had a special orientation to help them prepare for the transition from middle school to high school.  It was new learning for some people because it involved empowering 9th graders to take autonomy over their next steps and to communicate what they learned to their parents. It is important for 9th graders to move beyond the stage of someone doing things for them, to doing things for themselves as high school students. Southfield A&T’s Link Crew, led by Mr. Brock and Mrs. Williams, is helping our 9th graders with this transition. This is the second year of implementing LINK crew and orientation was the kick-off to what will be an entire year of mentoring and support for freshmen. Also, on August 19th, after the 9th grade orientation, the Class of 2020 seniors had a parent meeting where the 2020 class sponsors, Mr. Solomon and Mrs. Butler, handed out a calendar filled with the Seniors’ core events. After the parent meeting, seniors transitioned outside in order to participate in the school’s tradition of painting the rock. Many of the students painted their names, mottos or mementos to themselves on the rock, leaving a bit of themselves as a mark on Southfield A&T. 
  • The week of August 26th was our “Welcome Week”. During the entire week, in addition to teaching and learning, the students and staff participated in a variety of inclusion activities and ice-breakers to help build relationships and collectively identify expectations for the school year. Welcome week has become a tradition at Southfield A & T where school spirit and relationship building are prioritized.  We’d also like to recognize members of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Incorporated for greeting our students at each entrance door on the first day of school. This act of kindness was appreciated by both students and staff, alike.
  • On Labor Day weekend, our Boy’s Varsity Football Team had an amazing win against Clarkston High School during their opening debut at the Oakland County Kick-Off Game in West Bloomfield. We won with flying colors, specifically the colors: red, white and blue.  Our second football game didn’t end in a victory. However, we are looking forward to the home came this Friday against West Bloomfield at 7:00 p.m.
  • One final highlight from August can’t go unnoticed. We would like to thank our Southfield community for the generous support through donations, the honking of car horns, friendly smiles , and of course the bobbing of heads to the immaculate sound of the Marching Warriors during our recent Band fundraiser . We appreciate our community in spreading warrior pride and contributing to such a worthy cause!
  • Last Friday on September 6th, the Boy’s Varsity Soccer team had an astonishing win against Robinchaud’s Soccer Team at home. The Boys Varsity Tennis team, on the other hand, sadly did not win as a whole, but the first and second singles players won their matches with very dynamic scores. Last and far from least is the girls volleyball; they remain undefeated with another victory over Ypsilanti and a win against Chavez.
  • During the second week of September, each class, led by their grade level principal, faculty and their individual class board facilitated a session to start the school year off with goal-setting, looking at data, specifically academic data, grade point averages, test scores, behavior, student code of conduct, including dress code guidelines, and expectations for student success. Each class meeting also included an ice breaker allowing students to open up and see how much they have in common with each other.
  • Now that school has started, it’s time to fall into a club, organization, or co-curricular activity at Southfield A&T.   Project Womanhood, Project Manhood, The Southfield Rotary Interact Club, Winning Futures, The Stepping Warriors, the Robotics team, the Art Club,The National Honors Society, C2 Pipeline and more.  Stop by the D-house office to get more information and utilize your free time in a positive way by getting involved and becoming a game changer. There are so many amazing programs at our school, yet we only have time to highlight one tonight, which is C2 Pipeline. Wayne State University sponsors C2 Pipeline and continues to be a supportive partner in education.   This science based enrichment program is offered on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 2:35pm-5:00pm. Classes are located in O-203. Each weekday pertains to a different STEM based subject: Mondays are for science, Tuesdays are for business, Wednesdays are for Health and Social Services and Thursdays are for engineering and technology. With this enrichment program comes an opportunity to attend an all-expenses paid, STEM based residential summer camp on the campus of Wayne State.  See Mrs. Alber in B-House for more information.
  • During the remaining days of September, please be mindful of the upcoming events:
  • Tomorrow, September 11th, at 5:30pm, there will be a meeting for the parents of all IB Students and anyone interested in learning more about our IB program.  This session will be facilitated by Mrs. Mallory.
  • Also, on September 11th, we will host our annual Curriculum Night from 6-8pm.  Doors will open at 5:30pm for parents and students to report to the Field House to get a copy of our Parent & Student Handbook along with your child’s schedule.  Parents will have an opportunity to follow their child’s schedule to meet every teacher and find out what teaching and learning looks like in the Home of the Warriors.  After Curriculum Night, representatives from Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated will be on our campus to talk about the CAP program. This program is geared toward our 11th grade students interested in learning more about higher learning, college scholarships, and developing an effective plan to carry-out their post-secondary goals.  The meeting will be held on September 11th at 8:10 p.m. in our school library.
  • On Thursday, September 12th, Our Senior College Application Challenge begins – Counselors will visit every senior English class to provide detailed information about the college application process.  After this in-service, English teachers will give seniors the opportunity to use class time to research colleges aligned with their career aspirations, write the applicable essays, and complete the applications while under their teacher’s supervision and support. This is the first of many activities that counselors will provide for seniors over the next few weeks in preparation for their post-secondary endeavors.
  • on Friday the 13th, LifeTouch will be back for Photo ID make-up and school pictures, which will take place in the B-House Cafeteria.
  • Our partnership with Progressive Auto Insurance will begin September 19th to help future drivers prepare for the responsibilities of being on the road and becoming safe drivers.
  • We have a half-day on Wednesday, September 25th with a 11:00 a.m. dismissal.  We are also proud to announce our partnership with Ascension Hospital to provide onsite counseling and therapy sessions to address the social and emotional needs of our Warriors.  Ms. Michele will be housed in O-House and accessible to all.
  • And, the first week of October brings us some exciting news as well:  the state of Michigan’s official COUNT day is October 2nd and our parent-teacher conferences will be held on Thursday, October 3rd from 4-6 p.m.  Please mark your calendar because we need to see you there.

 

 

De’Asia and I would now like to thank the audience for your attention to the A&T announcements. 

 

We’d like to conclude our spiel with a firm warrior clap. *Clap*      

 

Board Meeting for Tuesday, October 8, 2019

 

Good Evening Everyone! 

We bring greetings on behalf of the Home of the Warriors, where every dream has a journey and every career has a pathway!  My name is Benjamin Colding and My name is De’Asia Wells and we’d like to start off by thanking the Board of Education and our Superintendent for giving us the opportunity to represent Southfield High School for the Arts and Technology. 

 

Without further adieu, we’d like to immerse the audience with the amazing events and activities during September and October!

 

On September 11th, Southfield A&T held their annual curriculum night from 6:00-8:00pm. During our informative and fun curriculum night, parents were able to walk-down memory lane as a high school student by following their child’s schedule, learning about each course of study, meeting teachers, and experiencing the classroom environment. Curriculum night was a warm and unforgettable experience for all.  

On September 20th,  our A&T marching warriors competed against 8 other bands at Shaw University in Cleveland Ohio. Of all of the marching bands, A&T’s, hard work with determination resulted in a second place trophy in the  competition. Later in the month of September, our Marching Warriors were selected best performance band at the Circle City Classic in Indianapolis, Indiana! Not only did our Warriors receive a trophy and invitation back to the 2020 parade, we will also be performing our field show for the pregame show at the football game in Lucas Oil Stadium!. Congratulations to the Marching Warriors, Dr. Charles & Mr. Gary for your continued excellence!

 

We are proud to announce that our very own Mrs. Ronda Ellis received a $250 reward for being nominated Teacher of the Year by Michigan First Credit Union.  A former student nominated her for her excellence in education. We are very proud of her leadership.

Please take the time to attend and support our fall sporting events:  tennis, swimming, golf, volleyball, football, cheer, and soccer. Go Warriors!

 

September concluded with a  Senior parent meeting for the Class of 2020.  At this meeting, parents were able to learn about post-secondary options, scholarship resources, families were able to meet our Jostens representative, brainstorm ideas for fundraisers, and network with other parents on this collaborative journey to graduation. Our senior parents were able to organize a tailgate for one of our home games.

 

Speaking of home games, our week is filled with homecoming festivities as we lead up to our homecoming game scheduled for Friday, October 11th at 7:00 p.m.  Our Varsity football team will play Oxford, while our outstanding Marching band performs at half-time, along with the announcing of all of our district’s high school’s homecoming court winners.  We encourage families and alumni to come out and enjoy this exciting game. The homecoming dance will be Saturday at 7:00 p.m. in the home of the Warriors. This is a dress to impress event held after five, thus appropriate attire is required.  Tickets are $20 while supplies last. Refreshments will be provided and certain attire is prohibited. Details and tickets can be purchased at students’ respective high school: University, Southfield Regional, or A & T. Please don’t be alarmed by the attire you see this week because it is Spirit Week.  Monday was teams day, Tuesday was dedicated to the decades, Wednesday is Celebrity day, Thursday is Warrior Attire, and Friday is Class Color day. So, show your school spirit and become a part of the fun!

 

Whether your student’s post-secondary aspiration is for college or a career, we need you to join us on Thursday, October 10th in the field house at Southfield A & T for the College and Career Fair from 6:00 – 7:30 PM.  There will be a Financial Aid 101 workshop taking place in the Media Center during the fair. The first will be from 6:00 -6:45 and the second from 6:45 – 7:30.

We currently have 77 colleges and other organizations signed up to attend.  This event has been organized for your convenience so don’t miss this chance to network, connect with college and career representatives, and secure your child’s future.  No need to sign up in advance. Just show-up and benefit from this experience.

 

October 16th is the PSAT exam.  Grades 9, 10, & 11 will be testing.

 

College Knowledge Night is October 22nd from 3:00 – 5:00 p.m.  This event is hosted by our Counseling department for our seniors.  This event will focus on college applications, scholarships, financial aid, and learning about college life.  There will be games, prizes, and opportunity to learn while having fun. Please save the date and don’t miss another opportunity to prepare for your post-secondary aspirations.

 

Lastly, we want to share some of the mentoring programs at Southfield A& T and thank the staff, counselors, administrators, and Mr. John Dignan for their collaboration of bringing these mentoring programs to fruition. We also want to thank Mr. Kostoff, Mr. Hampton, Mrs. Stewart, Mr. Hampton, Mr. Allen, Mr. Brock, Mr. Collins, Mrs. Biondo, Mrs. Steen, Mr. Eaton and Ms. Lambert for helping to make these programs “come to life.”

*Benjamin gets up to pass out the handout 

 

Here’s a snapshot of the 2019-2020 programs: 

    • Link Crew

 

  • Peer Mediation
  • Women of Tomorrow
  • Finding Your Lemonade

 

    • Winning Futures
    • Detroit Economic Club Career Readiness Academy (CRA)
    • Aspire Detroit Seminar
    • Michigan Bright Futures

 

  • Project Manhood
  • Project Womanhood

 

Our time has expired, therefore, De’Asia and I would like to close by thanking the audience for your attention to the A&T announcements and conclude our spiel with a firm warrior clap. *Clap*      

 

Board Meeting for Tuesday, November 12, 2019

 

Good Evening Everyone! 

We bring greetings on behalf of the Home of the Warriors, where every dream has a journey and every career has a pathway!  My name is Benjamin Colding and My name is De’Asia Wells and we’d like to start off by thanking the Board of Education and our Superintendent for giving us the opportunity to represent Southfield High School for the Arts and Technology. 

 

Without further adieu, we’d like to immerse the audience with the amazing events and activities during October and November! 

 

Parent teacher conferences were held in October as an intervention.  Parents were invited to talk briefly with teachers about students’ progress reports and to gain insight on what students can do to improve during the second half of the card marking period.  Parents who attended reaped the reward of this productive meeting and they also had the opportunity to grow the conversation with faculty about teaching, learning and improvements that students can strive for.  We want to remind everyone that the partnership with parents is essential for success throughout the rest of the school year. 

 

The week after parent teacher conferences, was the week of Homecoming! The week of October 7th was filled with themed days like, Team day, Decades Day, Celebrity Day, Warrior Day and Class Colors day. Loaded with an abundance of festivities, the week ended with the pep-rally, which featured the talents of our students and a local artist. Then, we had a tailgate party and homecoming game at 7:00pm where the A&T Football Team had a victory over our opponents from Oxford High School, the marching band and cheer team provided an amazing performance, and the homecoming courts from all three of our district’s high schools were announced. The unity amongst the schools and our football team’s victory made the homecoming dance much more jubilant and an evening of fun for us to cherish. Our Varsity football season has come to an end, but we want to acknowledge the Warriors for their amazing accomplishments and the continued support of the Football Moms and supporting fans! 

 

College Knowledge Night was originally scheduled for October 22nd. However, due to a power outage, College Knowledge Night was rescheduled for Monday, November 4th. Our counseling department refused to let the weather prevent them from hosting this incredible event for our seniors – the wonderful Class of 2020.  College Knowledge Night was a marvelous event where seniors could attend designated seminars pertaining to post-secondary endeavors. After attending three different 40-minute seminars, a raffle was held where a microwave, laptop, mini-fridge and many other smaller prizes were given away to the College Knowledge Night attendees. College Knowledge Night lived up to its expectations for it truly informed the seniors about college and life after high school.  We want to thank our school counselors, administrators, teachers, parents and community members who donated their time, talents, and gifts to give to the seniors. 

 

On October 19th, The Southfield A&T Marching Warriors hosted their 1st Annual Battle of the Bands! The Warriors sat with poise and class as they welcomed numerous local and out-of-state bands  onto the field. However, would it really be a Warrior event without a fantastic Warrior Performance? As you would’ve guessed, after the respectful giving of awards to all the bands that participated in the wonderful day of music, the Warriors took the field at the end of the event to seal a deal. We thank all of the bands for participating, the special guest judges, band parents, and all of the fans who came to support this phenomenal student activity.  It is our hope to start a tradition of unity through music among all the bands in Michigan. Thank you Dr. Charles and Mr. Gary for leading the way!

 

The weeks of October 21st through 28th was college application week. The English teachers and counselors worked together to give 12th grade students the time, space, and opportunity to research and apply to colleges during their English language and literature classes. The collective effort of our staff was aligned with National College Application month. Colleges like: Bowling Green, Oakland University and Eastern Michigan University allowed interested applicants to apply for free and were quick to deliver many earned acceptance letters, which made several Warriors and their families proud. 

In addition to the joy that those universities brought,  I can’t help but mention the good news that Michigan State University brought when they came to A&T and interviewed students who had applied to MSU prior to their visit. Michigan State’s onsite admissions brightened the day of 9 students, including myself, when we discovered that we got admitted to such a prestigious university. Go Green! Go White! In addition to the 9 of us, 5 seniors are on the waitlist and will join us as soon as they receive their new test scores. We would like to thank Mrs. Mary David, the head of Southfield A&T’s career center for setting up this wonderful on-site visit and bringing joy to families of all the students who got accepted.  

 

October concluded with Southfield A&T’s first Harvest Fest. The Harvest Festival was A&T’s way of rewarding honor roll students and students who exhibited positive behavior and exemplary responsibility as a Warrior.  As part of our school’s PBIS effort, teachers signed student planners daily if they met the criteria for participation. At the Harvest Fest, A&T’s elegant, extravagant, and immaculate dance team performed and then students were allowed to dance and party with their friends in the fieldhouse.  A DJ provided the music and parents and staff members donated candy to provide a safe option for students to get candy on October 31st. 

 

As we transitioned into daylight savings time and the month of November, our vocal Music Department kicked-off the annual Fall concert. The Fall Concert featured all of Mr.  Martin’s choirs: the concert choir, women’s choir, men’s choir, Madrigal singers, the intermediate and advanced piano students and other soloist from Mr. Martin’s music based seminar. We are grateful for the support of everyone who attended the concert and look forward to your presence for future performances! 

 

We are so proud of the Warriors who are members of the mentoring group Aspire Detroit.  The mentor and founder of the program reserved the entire restaurant SheWolf for our male students to apply their dining etiquette skills at a local restaurant.  The Chef cooked each course of the meal for our students and provided a history lesson about the Italian cuisine that was featured for the dining experience. We also had a cohort of students attend a recent TED X talk at the Masonic Temple, and over 200 students attended the Michigan Career Quest at the Suburban Showplace. Students had exposure to hands-on activities, career opportunities, and stimulants that cultivated a spirit of creativity, innovation, and unlimited possibilities.  A team of student leaders were also represented at the Oakland County Student Diversity Forum, where they analyzed student survey data and developed a plan to enhance diversity efforts in our school, with a focus on social justice. I am also proud to announce that 46% of the senior class is currently on the honor roll (3.0 gpa or higher for card marking period one) at A & T, with the junior class trailing close behind them at 43%. Our principal has a challenge to see if we can get to 50% or higher and I believe we can accomplish the goal.  Keep up the good work Warriors! 

 

On November 13th, the National Honor Society is having it’s big reveal, on November 15th NHS will hold its annual Pajama Party, meant solely for the bonding of its members and then on November 21st their annual induction ceremony. National Honor Society is a community-service based organization who identify extraordinary student leaders and scholars who possess characteristics unlike the norm to disrupt the status quo.  The NHS is founded on the ideals of character, leadership, scholarship and service. We look forward to congratulating the new students who have earned membership into the National Honor Society.

 

As we wrap up November, there are four events that we want you to be mindful of: We have a half day on November 20th.  The afternoon is professional development for staff. The Link Crew is sponsoring a class of 2023 dance on November 21st.  Link Crew is a group of upperclassmen devoted to making our freshmen’s year amazing. This dance will help build positive relationships  and hopefully make the freshmen feel more comfortable with their link leaders, with one another and maybe even themselves. The next PTSA meeting is November 25, 2019 at 6:00 p.m. in the library, and Thanksgiving Break will begin Wednesday, November 27th and classes resume on Monday, December 2nd. 

 

Our time has expired, therefore, De’Asia and I would like to close by inviting you to support our PTSA fundraiser tonight at the Southfield ZOUP, a portion of the proceeds will be donated to our school, and

On behalf of the Art Teachers at Southfield A&T and the Southfield Regional Academy, I’d like to present a poster advertising their event, “Empty Bowls.” Students at each school have created bowls that a $15 dinner will be served in on Monday December 5th from 5:30pm to 7:30pm at Southfield A&T. All proceeds will be donated to the Forgotten Harvest organization. We like to wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving and to extend our gratitude to the audience for your attention to the A&T announcements and conclude our spiel with a firm warrior clap. *Clap*      

 

Good Evening Everyone! 

We bring greetings on behalf of the Home of the Warriors, where every dream has a journey and every career has a pathway!  My name is Benjamin Colding and My name is De’Asia Wells and we’d like to start off by thanking the Board of Education, our Superintendent, and our School Administration Team for giving us the opportunity to represent Southfield High School for the Arts and Technology. 

 

Without further adieu, we’d like to inform the audience of the amazing events and activities during November and December!

 

November was packed with spectacular events, and we’ll start with our NHS Induction Ceremony. Our National Honor Society is a community-service based organization meant solely for each school’s top scholars with values focused on character, service, scholarship, and leadership. Congratulations to the students who have crossed over to the 

title of Scholar, please join us in recognizing the efforts of the following 22 Warriors: 

Kiona Cureton 11

Jasmine Croxton 11

Juvar Curtis 10

Toni Yousif 11

Ashamaye Mullings 12

Ethan Vinson 10

Ndudi Ilechie 10

Tiara McCurtis 10

Kelli James 10

Imani Polk 

Brooke Miller 10

Kristyana Hudson 11

Nneka Dike 12

Peta-Shae Brooks 12

QueenMakeeda Taylor 12

Juliett Knight 11

Cherish Kelsey 10

Itohan Enabulele 12

Isaiah Ramsey 10

Falon Harris 12

Benjamin Colding 11

Raine Buchanan 11

 

Again, Congratulations to our National Honors Society inductees, we know that you’ll be servant leaders in our community. 

 

In addition to the Induction ceremony, the Southfield A&T chapter of the National Honor Society hosted a pancake breakfast and fundraiser in November.  This was a sold-out event. We want to thank our Warrior family for supporting this collective effort to support a worthy cause.  

 

Southfield A&T’s one and only Link Crew, a core group of upperclassmen dedicated to mentoring and specifically assisting freshmen with transitioning into highschool, held a Class of 2023 neon-themed dance at the end of November.  Only freshmen and Link leaders were permitted to attend. There were light refreshments, dancing, the school’s own student photographer, Carson Ming, taking professional photos of our freshmen, and of course, an abundance of festive neon accessories. We’d like to thank Mr. Brock, the founding sponsor of Link Crew, for organizing this amazing dance.  We also want to thank and congratulate Mrs. Williams, another sponsor of Link Crew, for her support and the birth of her newborn son! Now, we’d like to turn all of your attention over to the A&T Marching warriors and Stomping warriors. 

 

Saturday, November 23rd, at 2 o’clock in the afternoon, the A&T Step team was on the University of Michigan Dearborn’s campus, in their fieldhouse, waiting to perform at a step show sponsored by the Southfield Alpha Kappa Alpha teens. Being the first to go in the show, the A&T stomping warriors brought home a first place trophy with their performance where they acted as elderly citizens reliving their old days as steppers. Congratulations to everyone on the Southfield A&T Step Team, Mr. Hampton and Mrs. Pleasant for such an extravagant accolade! 

 

The amazing Marching Warriors have recently participated in numerous parades, one being the Berkley Christmas Parade! The band swept through the streets spreading holiday cheer through the songs of Santa Clause is Coming to Town and Winter Wonderland. Dr. Charles was also contacted by a representative of the parade, who then complimented the band on the excellent performance and even near by spectators were amazed by the sound and poise of the Marching Warriors. A job well done!

Our fierce Marching Warriors also brought Christmas Cheer to Canada! The Santa Clause Parade was a great success for the musicians, bringing both exposure and new experiences beyond the borders of the U.S. The Marching Warriors also Plan on participating in yet another Santa Clause parade in Canada this Saturday, December 14th. It is clear that the Warrior Spirit is being spread beyond borders, so add international travel to our resume for sharing musical cheer throughout the land. We are very proud of our Marching Warriors!

Just last Friday, December 6th, the Eastern Michigan eagles swooped down onto our school and took over Southfield A & T.  Learning was facilitated by professors and University faculty in the areas of: cyber security, information and technology, fashion, engineering, business, construction, aviation, simulation, animation, and gaming, along with teacher education.  And, if that wasn’t enough, an EMU admission representative set up an on-site admissions table in our library and conducted interviews and accepted applications from our seniors. We are so grateful for this partnership and we thank our district for making these connections with higher education partners.  

25 seniors benefited from this on-site admissions process, which the application fee was waived.  We extend our thanks to the prestigious college that is also known for being green and white, which is our partner EMU. Congratulations to the hardworking warriors who were able to capitalize on this amazing opportunity! 

The event that allowed our Culinary, Visual Arts, and Music departments to collaborate for such a meaningful purpose was our first annual Empty Bowls fundraiser for Forgotten Harvest.   If you recall, we displayed the poster last month. Well, the event took place on Thursday, December 5th in the warrior cafe and it was phenomenal. The visual arts department put to work their refined ceramics skills and made the bowls that the customers were able to select and take home gift wrapped.  Our culinary department prepared a menu that consisted of chicken gumbo, butternut squash soup, salad, and bread pudding, which warmed the hearts and appetites of many. The music department contributed to the impact of the night with the sounds of light jazz for everyone to enjoy while eating and interacting with each other and the art. This fundraising event  benefitted Forgotten Harvest and the people who are supported by their efforts in the community. Thank you to everyone in our academic community who came out to support such a worthy cause! 

 

Our core value at Southfield A & T is that Warriors C.A.R.E. and our students and staff continue displaying their compassion for the community through  our Peer-to-Peer team. Our Peer-to-Peer students, under the leadership of Mr. Zager, Mrs. Harris and Mr. Pogats, are volunteering at a local food pantry every Monday, starting December 9th through April 2020. Our students served well over 200 people yesterday. In addition to this work, our Peer-to-peer seminar group has determined that they would like to put together care packages consisting of personal hygiene items for students in need. The packages would contain items like toothpaste/brushes, deodorant, socks, wash cloths, soap, feminine hygiene products, a coupon for a free small load to wash in the Warrior Laundry, etc. The items will be placed in a drawstring backpack to ensure that it would be discrete. Once we have enough packages prepared, we will leave the care packages in both the counseling center and attendance office. If a student is in need, they can stop by and get one. In order to make this happen, we will need to ask for donations of washcloths, new socks, travel-size hygiene products, etc. If you would like to donate, please send the items to Mr. Richard Zager at A & T. 

 

In the home of the Warriors, we use data to drive our decision-making.  When our staff discovered a need for academic intervention, they identified a way to provide tutorial support during the school day and after school to accommodate the diverse schedules of our students.  After School tutoring is held in the library on Tuesdays from 2:45 – 3:45 p.m. with Ms. Callaway. Peer tutoring is provided during all lunch periods on Tuesdays and Thursdays in the library atrium courtesy of our NHS scholars.  And, targeted homework help and support is provided for math and English one day a week during seminar with Mrs. Crum, Mrs. Denham, Mrs. Johnson, or Mrs. Webb, whom we thank for volunteering their time and expertise to help our Warriors in academic need of support.  Mrs. Littlefield will kickoff her 8-week after-school test preparation course for Juniors in the new year. Sign-up will be first-come, first-served. We are eliminating excuses and giving students opportunities to achieve because success is the only option.

 

We have to give a quick shout-out to our food service provider, SFE, Mr. Rodel Endaluz, and Chef Ryan Lopez for the cooking demonstration that they provided in the Home of the Warriors.  Their expertise resulted in learning how to prepare stuffed sweet potatoes with BBQ lentils, garnished with roasted kale and a decorative drizzle. 

 

Our basketball teams kicked off the winter athletic season in a Warrior Winning Way.  Our boys Freshmen, JV, and Varsity teams defeated Kettering at their home opener. Our girls JV and Varsity defeated Avondale at their home opener.  Our girls freshmen team showed promise as they stood up to the challenge against Avondale. However, Avondale took the win against our freshmen team.  Catch our boys’ next home game on Friday, December 13th against Southfield Christian. JV at 5:30 p.m. and Varsity at 7:00 p.m. Our boys varsity swim team has a meet tonight, which started at 6:00 p.m. and our varsity wrestling team has a tournament at home on December 11th at 5:30 p.m.

 

Southfield A&T would like to invite you to our school play, titled, “Inside a Mind”, on Wednesday, December 11th at 6:00 p.m. in the auditorium.  Admission is $5.00 to attend the play. We would like to invite all parents to our parent and teacher conferences, scheduled for Thursday, December 12th from 4 – 6 p.m. in the field house and Auxiliary gymnasium.  Our PTSA would like for families to participate in the Shields fundraiser from 11:00 a.m. through 11:00 p.m. on December 12th because 20% of their proceeds will be donated to our PTSA. Mark your calendar for Monday, December 16th for the next PTSA meeting, which will be held in the library at 6:00 p.m.  Southfield A & T will host a Dance Recital on Friday, December 13th from 6-8 p.m. in the auditorium. Admission is $10 for the dance recital. Senior night at Shields will occur on Friday, December 13th until 10:00 p.m. Therefore, support the Class of 2020 by enjoying another pizza night this Friday. We would also like to invite you to our Fine Arts Winter Festival! This event takes place on Thursday, December 19th in our auditorium, from 6pm-8pm. This wonderful night, hosted by A&T’s very own Fine Arts department, is sure to be filled with laughter, love, and most importantly, Holiday Cheer! At the fine arts festival, three of Mr. Martin’s choirs will be performing, students from the advanced piano classes will be playing, Mrs. Schinke’s dancers will be elegantly prancing across the stage and the amazingWarrior Concert Band will be making an appearance as well, as they immerse the audience in the spirit of Christmas with festive selections. We hope to see you at all of these events!

 

Unfortunately our time has expired, therefore Ben and I would like to wish you all Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year! We’ll see you in 2020!

And last but certainly not least, we would like to end with a Warrior clap

*clap*

 

Good Evening Everyone! 

  My name is Benjamin Colding and My name is De’Asia Wells and we bring greetings on behalf of the Home of the Warriors, where every dream has a journey and every career has a pathway!  We’d like to thank the Board of Education, our Superintendent, and our School Administration Team for giving us the opportunity to represent Southfield High School for the Arts and Technology.

Without further adieu, allow us to tell you about the amazing events and activities taking place in January!

 

Southfield A&T’s music department would like to shine a spotlight on the symphonic side of our musicianship.  Our Warriors are currently preparing for the MSBOA Solo and Ensemble, taking place Saturday, January 25th. During this event, the young musicians will participate in an array of musical pieces, including duets, solos, trios, quartets, and quintets. The performances will then be judged by world class musicians.  We encourage our Warriors to continue practicing and putting in the hard work like experts do. We know that your hard work will yield excellent results. Our music department would also like to acknowledge R. Buchanan. She was selected to perform in this year’s All-District Honors Band Festival. She was the only one selected out of the district and the first in A&T history to have the opportunity to perform under the direction of Associate Director of Bands Dr. Courtney Snyder. She will also be performing for this year’s solo and ensemble. We are extremely proud of her musicianship and academic achievements this school year!  She is an example of Warrior Excellence.

 

In addition to student success, our science teacher, Mrs. LaSovage’s proposal titled “Fake News or Real Science? Building Information Literacy in Today’s Students” was selected this year for the 2020 Michigan Science Teachers Association Annual Conference.  As a presenter, she will share her science expertise with other science teachers across the entire state of Michigan.

 

Members of the Business Professionals of America – Southfield A&T Chapter participated in Regional Competitions held at Henry Ford Community College in Dearborn, MI on Friday, January 10th.  Our A&T Chapter came out on top in several events as part of the BPA Workplace Skills Assessment Program. Skills that students learn through participating in a variety of business experiences are beneficial and will help prepare them for various careers in the workforce.  This was evident as they excelled in the following events:

 

 

  • 1st Place, Individual Interview Skills
  • 3rd Place, Individual Computer Security
  • 1st Place, Broadcast News Production Team
  • 2nd Place, Presentation Management Team

 

 

These 14 students now qualify to attend the State Leadership Conference, March 11th-15th, at the Amway Grand Hotel in Grand Rapids, MI.  At this conference, students will participate in business-related events and compete for top honors once again. Eligible students will continue on to the National Leadership Conference in Washington, DC in the month of May.  Business Professionals of America is full of bright, young people wishing to enter a fulfilling, business professional career. This beneficial organization is helping our youth to have a brighter future.  

 

It’s a new year and soon to be a new semester, Warriors are now studying for final exams. Faculty and students have been engaged in the teaching and learning process throughout the semester one and now it is time to measure our academic achievement. Summative assessments are scheduled for January 15th through January 17th with a 10:30 a.m. dismissal time.  Also, all OSTC students are excused during our final examination period.  Semester two begins on Wednesday, January 22nd.  Members of the Class of 2020 can also mark their calendars for January 29th.  We will host our Senior Pinning Ceremony at Burton manor.  This sentimental ceremony will begin at 6:00 p.m.   

 

 

Aspiring Warriors and their families are cordially invited to attend our 8th grade Open House on January 30th at 6:00 p.m.  This event will be held in our auditorium with special performances scheduled to showcase the talents and skills of our peers.  Also on January 30th, we will host an 11th grade parent meeting at 7:30 p.m. to dialogue with our juniors and their parents about the significance of SAT testing and developing a collaborative approach to preparing for success on the test.  Our next PTSA meeting is January 27th at 6:00 p.m., followed by another PTSA ZOUP fundraiser on January 28th from 5:00 – 8:00 p.m. in Southfield.  

 

Lastly, we proudly conclude with great news about our Varsity boys’ basketball team.  Our Warriors are 6 and 0. This is a remarkable start of something big. Congratulations Coach Buchannan and our mighty Warriors.

Before we go, Ben and I invite you to join us with our Warrior Clap  *clap*