Jack Schneider's "Pandora's Serpentine Heart" ceramic box was selected to be among the artwork at the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts Juried High School Area Show. The show is May 19 to June 10. The juried exhibition celebrates works of high school artists living in Allegan, Barry, Berrien, Branch, Calhoun, Cass, Kalamazoo, St. Jopseh and Van Buren counties. Schneider, a junior, said this is his first year taking art classes at the high school. His ceramic piece is based on the myth of Pandora.
The Thornapple Kellogg School Board is pleased to announce that Rob Blitchok will be the district’s next superintendent. The Board voted unanimously on Monday night to enter into contract talks with Mr. Blitchok. He will begin July 1.
Mr. Blitchok is currently the assistant superintendent overseeing business and finance, human resources, facilities, transportation, and food service. He came to Thornapple Kellogg in 2014. Prior to coming to TK, he was a teacher, varsity wrestling coach, and principal at Forest Hills Public Schools. He has also served on the Grandville School Board.
The Board interviewed him Monday before an audience of staff, administrators and parents.
Board members agreed that he meets the expectations expressed by the Board, staff and community. Stakeholders said they want a collaborative leader who drives continuous improvement in student learning. They also said they want a transparent leader who will communicate clearly and consistently with the public and with staff to keep people informed.
Mr. Blitchok holds a law degree from Wayne State University, a Master of Business Administration in Finance from Western Michigan University, and a Graduate Teacher Certification from Grand Valley State University. Prior to going into education, he worked in corporate finance.
The Board extends its gratitude to the all who participated in surveys, focus groups, and the interview.
Mr. Blitchok will succeed Superintendent Tom Enslen, who has been an educator for 35 years and Thornapple Kellogg’s top administrator for the last six years.
Brittany Brown knows that dressing up makes everything fun, including contractions — which can be a bit tricky for 6-year-olds to understand.
Although they are just beginning their school careers, it won't be long before today's kindergarteners will be planning their futures and heading off to colleges, trade schools and other post-high school learning.
The Board of Education will meet in special session at 5 p.m. Monday to interview Rob Blitchok for the position of Superintendent of TK Schools. The meeting is open to the public and will take place in the Middle School Room 1616. The board will then have a regular board meeting at 7:30 p.m.
Over the last few weeks, individual board members have received many questions about our superintendent search process. We are grateful that so many of you care deeply about this process. Selecting a superintendent is a decision of enormous consequence to our community, our staff, and most importantly, all 3,100 of our children.
Please click on the title "Superintendent Search Q & A" to access a link with answers to the most frequent questions the Board is hearing.
Inspired by texts from a pilot program called "Reading Street," Lee Elementary students in Nathan Fischer's class felt the need to help out their community in some way. They decided to focus on their furry friends in the community, so they contacted the Barry County Animal Shelter to see how they could help.
