Bay Area

Retired School Personnel

V O L U ME 2 7 I S S UE 4 B A Y A RE A RE T I RE D S CH O O L P E RS O NNE L PAGE 1

Officers
President President’s Message
Joyce Sigelko

President Elect
Barb Skowronski March 11 will be our first meeting for 2019. Come and join us,
learn about Do All Inc., and enjoy a delicious lunch at Lumber
Program Barons. Bill Jones is seeking candidates to run for BARSP
Vice President
Janet Brandt offices. It is only a two year term from 2019-2021, and since we only have 6
Ardith Reszke meetings a year it will not take much of your time. Please contact Bill Jones
(989) 316-2345 and let him know you would like to offer your time and talent
Secretary to serve as an officer. We all need to help give new life to our Chapter. Please
Margaret Bird step up and keep our chapter going, help members keep their retirement
Treasurer benefits and add new members. It is a great privilege to serve fellow school
Connie Frank district retirees. Hope to see you all in March.

Past President Joyce

Sandy DeWaele

BARSP
Luncheon Meetings
Lumber Barons In Memoriam
Brewery
804 E. Midland St. Arvilla R. MacPhail
2nd Floor Please turn in all information for
January 12, 2019—Age 100 the April issue of the BARSP
March 11, 2019
11:00 Arthur I. Nixon newsletter to Kathy Cull by
April 8, 2019 Thursday, March 14.
11:00
November 30, 2018—Age 88
May 13, 2019 Selma Pett
10:30
January 4, 2014
Bernadine C. Rys
Bios Coming Soon
May 12, 2018—Age 82
Janette Taglauer March: Jeanne Townsend
April: Charlie Brown
December 13, 2018 - Age 80 May: ?
Donald G. Templin Please contact Kathy Cull or Rika Smith to
volunteer to write a short article
October 17, 2018 - Age 80 introducing yourself.
Audrey I. Yost
April 5, 2018 Age 77

PLESE
BE
VOLUME 27 ISSUE 4 BAY AREA RETIRED SCHOOL PERSONNEL PAGE 2

Grants Awarded November 7, 2018

Amy Lynne Pobanz Bangor John Glenn /Christa McAuliffe Schools Art Department
Amy would like to create outdoor murals at the aforementioned schools on wood sheets with her students. They would be framed by
fence posts. The murals would be maintained, painted and reproduced each year by students. This project would be part of the class
lesson plan.

Rebecca Oudekirk Pinconning Schools Kindergarten

Rebecca would like to purchase items online from Teachers Pay Teachers such as activities for reading, writing and math. Also, she
would purchase activities for Workstations. She would also purchase beginning readers and implement the Accelerated Reading
Program which is offered in their building.

Holly Fouchia Linwood Elementary Fourth Grade

Holly transforms her classroom once each month into a virtual experience. She explains that she has turned her classroom into a
Surgical Lab…students wore hats, gowns, masks, bootie covers and gloves. They also had IV bags, pretend shots gauze and
bandages to treat pretend wounds. It involved a lot of math and reading and decision making. Her plans for the year include a glow
day, Christmas around the world, the big game, a book café, Harry Potter and revisiting the Surgical Lab by the end of the year.

Mari Mullen Washington Elementary, Bay City Schools Second Grade

Mari will use the money to enhance the STEAM program in her classroom. STEAM lessons are hands on, break traditional gender
roles, while offering opportunities for developing thought processes through the use of manipulative such as legos, blocks, magnetic
pieces. thereby offering a hands on experience. These objects will provide the hands on approach needed for experiential learning
and problem-solving.

John Van Den Boom Essexville-Hampton Schools Music Educator Grades 2-5
John would like to purchase a small video camera/accessories for use in his classroom. Children would be able to view themselves
preparing for performances for the purpose of evaluation while learning. They will be able to evaluate strengths as well as areas of
improvements. Videos would also be used for the performance itself and shared with parents….possibly even offering DVD’s to
families as a means of raising additional funds for programs.

March PrePays A Note about Mailings;

In November many of you did not receive your newsletter in a
Dee Bishop Bill Jones timely fashion. Joyce spoke to post office personnel and was told
that many of the candidates for the November election were doing
Dr. Mary Boettger Marion Jones
bulk mailings at the same time. The BASRSP newsletter was
Kathy Bremer Janet Kanicki therefore delayed because of a very heavy bulk mailing situation.
Just a reminder that getting your newsletter via e-mail if possible
Shirley Clemens Arlene Lambert will alleviate this situation.
Betty Clifford Mary Larive Greeters 2018-201
Kathy Cull Kathy McMillan March 2019

Mary Ida Doan Marilyn Morales Marion Jones, Bill Jones, Mary San Clemente
April 2019
Mary Garcia Ardith Reszke
Nancy Rochow, Sylvia Sporman, Bob Sporman
Leon Giffel Mary San Clemente May 2019
Marge Giffel Florine Schutkowski Kathy Bremer, Marty Gilkey, Carole Hoyle
Substitutes: Arlene Lambert, Jeanine Link, Mary Moskal, Phyllis Woody
Marty Gilkey Joyce Sigelko

Lois Gottleber Bob Sporman

Franklin Grant Sylvia Sporman

Maria Grzincin Lou Ann Thompson

Joan Hildinger JoAnn VanOver

Ron Hildinger
VOLUME 27 ISSUE 4 BAY AREA RETIRED SCHOOL PERSONNEL PAGE 3

BARSP Meeting Reservation Form

Monday, March 11, 2019 11:00 am at Lumber Barons Brewery on Midland St.
$11.00 per person
Name(s)_________________________________________ ________________________________________

No. Attending ________________ Amount Enclosed __________________________(please do not staple)

Make check payable to BARSP and mail by March 6
Presentation by : Carl Learman
Chris Girard 6353 Lawndale Rd.
Do All Inc. Saginaw, Mi 48604

BARSP MEETING MINUTES---November 10, 2018

INSURANCE: Joyce announced that informa-
The meeting was called to order by President tion from Priority Health is available for mem-
Joyce Sigelko at 11:00 AM. bers who may be interested in changing insur-
ance coverage.
The meeting began with the “Pledge of Alle-
giance” and the singing of “America the Beauti- LUNCH RESERVATIONS: Carl Learman re-
ful.” ported 52 reservations and 52 meal tickets re-
Members who are veterans were recognized turned.
and thanked for their service.
NEWSLETTER: Rika Smith requested informa-
PROGRAM: Entertainment was provided by tion for the next newsletter be sent to her by
three members of the Jolly Hammers Dulcimer January 21, 2019.
Group.
PRESIDENT’S REPORT: Joyce reminded
Secretary’s Report: accepted as printed.
snowbird members to take insurance cards and
relevant telephone numbers with them as they
Treasurer’s Report:
head to warmer climates. Calls to BCBS,
Income 983.32 MSPERS, or MARSP may resolve problems en-
Expenses 876.50 countered.
Check Acc 14,011.41
Sav Acc 171.13 BLESSING: Jane Muir offered this month’s
CD 7,052.01 blessing.
BARSP Life Acc-CD 7,052.01
Florine Schutkowski moved and Bill Jones sec- 50/50 DRAWINGS: Marge Giffel, $47; Carole
onded a motion to accept the treasurer’s report Hoyle, $16; Jeanine Line, $16; Mary San
as presented. Clemente and Marvin Webber, lunch vouchers
donated by Sunshine Family Credit Union.
MEMBERSHIP: Joyce Sigelko reported that a
letter had been sent to new retirees inviting Our next meeting is Monday, March 11, 2019
them to become members of BARSP. Dee at 11:00 AM at Lumber Barons.
Bishop reported that there had been a problem
with delivery of the latest newsletter. Joyce Submitted by Margaret Bird
plans to go to the post office to question the
mailing problem.
BAY AREA RETIRED SCHOOL PERSONNEL
3361 Canterbury Dr. Presorted
STANDARD
Bay City, Michigan 48706 U.S. Postage Paid
Bay City, MI
Permit No. 30

VOLUME 27—ISSUE 4 March 2019

MEET JEANNE TOWNSEND

Hello, my name is Jeanne Townsend. I am married to Rick Townsend and we have two
wonderful daughters, April and Alyse. In 2016, I retired as a Midland Public School Art teacher
with 33 years of service. I come from a family of teachers. Two of my three sisters, Lorraine Jeske and
Nancy Hollerback, were teachers and also retired in 2016. My parents Charles and Lorraine Crandall are
retired teachers. The legacy continues with the next generation. My sister’s daughter Kaitlyn Hayward is a
kindergarten teacher in Bangor Twp. and my youngest daughter Alyse is currently student teaching in K-12
Art in Breckenridge. Being an art teacher can be trying sometimes because there are fewer positions
available at all grade levels. Other times you can be the entire department in a district. This being said, it’s
interesting that I also had two cousins who are retired Bay County Art teachers, Chet Montana and Colleen
DeSanto.

I started subbing the year after getting my degree, and then spent my career with Midland Public Schools.
My career differed from my entire immediate family, in that I taught exclusively at the secondary level,
Northeast Intermediate and Midland High School. My mentor, and the man who hired me into the district ,
was James Hopfensberger to whom I will be eternally grateful for his knowledge, insight, patience and
humor. As a result of his motivation and inspiration, I was a proud member of an exceptional team of art
teachers. My favorite project will always be the one that Hoppy was pushed into by a student. He was
teaching cast jewelry at the time, and a student of his, Amy Dunlap, told him, “I don’t want to cast jewelry I
want to do bronze.” That might have been the end of it if Amy hadn’t come into class the next day and set
a stack of bronze casting books on his desk. Hoppy would not only learn the process, but also teach it,and
eventually create public life size bronze sculpture. I myself am immortalized as a life size bronze casting in
Kaukauna WI as part of Hoppy’s “Family and Friends” series. I take great pride in knowing that long after I
am gone, my former students will be passing along bronze sculptures as family heirlooms, along with their
love of art. Hopefully in small part thanks to my efforts as a teacher.
Thanks teachers for all your hard work and dedication over the years.