Pierce Pride
Congratulations to our musicians
 Jan.
2005 -- Four students have been named to the Michigan School Band &
Orchestra Association All-State Middle School Orchestra. All four will
perform during the weekend of Jan. 19-22 at the Michigan Music Educator’s
Conference in Grand Rapids.
Grosse Pointe South coach is 'pied piper' of cross country
Oct. 2005 -- Pierce teacher Steve Zaranek
develops one of the state's biggest programs by putting focus on the
individual.
Astronaut Mike Fincke
Sept. 2005 --
In a special Pierce Pride assembly, students learned of exploration and
discovery along many frontiers.
Choir feeling 'superior'
The
7th grade choir attended the Music in the Parks choral festival in Cedar
Point in early May. The choir performed three songs for two judges and
received a perfect score of 100, and a superior rating from both
judges. This is the highest score that the Pierce choir has ever
received at the festival In addition Adam K. and Gabriela J. were
named outstanding soloists. The choir also received the “Outstanding
Middle School Group” award.
Earth Day Poster Contest
The Student Council
sponsored a poster contest
for Earth Day. More than 100 students entered work, which is posted around
the school. The ten top posters are hanging near the front door of the
school.
Student publication earns highest honor
 Pierce's
student newspaper, The Trojan Times, was honored with a Gold Crown Award
by the Columbia Scholastic
Press Association at Columbia University. A Crown Award is widely
considered the highest honor a student publication can receive.
The Trojan Times earned its sixth Crown, a national middle school
record. This year’s award was a top-level Gold Crown, one of just three
given out this year. The senior editors were Kate B., Jordan B. and Hannah
S., advised by
Andrew Taylor. Junior editors were Jenna H., Alyssa C., Kaitlin A.,
Daniel D., Marielle H., Alex R. and John S..
The Times is published every three weeks and has a circulation of 700.
More than 1,200 CSPA members submitted magazines, newspapers and
yearbooks for this competition. Publications were judged on
writing/editing, design, concept, photography, art and graphics. The
awards were announced at the association's 81st annual Scholastic
Convention at Columbia University in the City of New York on March 18.
Orchestra awarded
On March 12, Pierce's Grade 7/8 Orchestra
participated in the Michigan School Band & Orchestra Association's (MSBOA
) District XVI Orchestra Festival at Troy High School. The 7/8 Orchestra
received a First Division (Superior) rating. The award is the first
Division I Pierce Orchestra has earned at the MSBOA Orchestra festival in
20 years.
At the district-level festival, each group is evaluated by three
performance judges and one sight-reading judge. Ensembles are rated on a
scale from 1 to 5 with 1 being the highest rating possible. The overall
score is computed using a formula which combines the ratings of each
judge. Ensembles that earn an overall 1 rating (or "Superior") are
qualified for State Band & Orchestra Festival which is held in late April
or early May. The basic structure of State Band & Orchestra Festival is
the same as District, but the ensembles are held to a higher standard.
Participating ensembles that earn a rating of 1 or 2 at District or State
Festivals receive a certificate and are eligible to purchase plaques for
display at their school and medals for each student.
For more information, please contact
Mr. James
Gross.
Students showcase their talents at technology conference
Five students represented Pierce at the MEA/MACUL Student Technology
Showcase at Cobo Hall in Detroit. Bailey, Jennifer, and Charles
demonstrated an integrated science-technology project by using Lego
robotics to explore the concept of controlling energy trapped in a
greenhouse and building a robotic arm that will pick up and place packages
in appropriate shipping bins. Jeremy and Chloe demonstrated software for
an integrated mathematics-art-technology project by creating drawings of
manufacturing parts and fixtures (CADKEY 19) and producing residential
floor plans and elevations drawings (3D Home Architect). For more
information, please contact
Mr. Rex Marshall.
Mr. Marshall with Pierce students.
Students attend robotics competition at MACUL
Student teams from Pierce participated in the Student Robotics
Competition at MACUL. The teams placed 8th, 9th, and 15th out of 19
teams. Students enjoyed the competition and learned a lot! For more
information, please contact
Mrs. Bonnie Middeldorf.
Pierce hosts computer
conference workshop
Michigan Association for Computer Users in Learning explore computer
programming and robotics
On Wednesday, March 16,
Pierce and Defer hosted Michigan educators who enrolled in LEGO robotics,
animation, and multimedia workshops. Mrs. Bonnie Middeldorf (computer
teacher- Pierce and MACUL's SigLogo director) coordinated the sessions.
Students in Mrs. Middeldorf's programming class assisted. Workshop
sessions and instructors included:
-
If They Build It They Will
Learn - Using Legos to Teach Simple Machine Basic Principles - Bonnie
Middeldorf
-
An Introduction to Lego
Robotics and RoboLab - Jon Middeldorf, Anchor Bay Public Schools
-
Lego Robot Sensors and How to
Program Them Using RoboLab - John Folsom, Bay City Central High School
-
Engaging Learners with
Animation and Multimedia - Melinda Kolk, Tech4Learning
-
Lego Discovery Activities and
Challenges - Leave No Students Without a Complete Understanding of
Simple Machines Principles - Bonnie Middeldorf
-
Lego Robotics Challenge
Activities - Bonnie Middeldorf
-
An Introduction to Lego
Robotics and RoboLab - Jon Middeldorf, Anchor Bay Public Schools
Workshop Attendees with Mrs. Bonnie Middeldorf (green shirt)
Workshop Attendees with Mr. Jon Middeldorf (green shirt)
Mrs.
Middeldorf and student assistants
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