Summer School

Ms. Vosburgh's Contact Information

Email: vosburghs@harpercreek.net 

School Phone Number: 269-441-8411

We value your feedback! Please fill out the weekly parent survey!

Our Learning Snapshot Week 3: 

This week in summer school has been full of learning and creativity! We spent time working on our "About Me" books, which we’ll proudly share at our showcase at the end of summer school. We also practiced telling time using analog clocks, helping us become more confident in reading the clock face. On Thursday, we’re excited to dive back into learning about money, building on what we’ve already learned about coins and bills. It’s been a fun and productive week!

Our Learning Snapshot Week 2:

This week, we learned all about money!

• We practiced identifying coins (penny, nickel, dime, and quarter)
• We talked about how much each coin is worth.
• We worked on counting groups of coins to find out how much money we had.

We also got to explore the alphabet!

• We played some fun games to match letters with their sounds.

On Thursday, we had a celebration in the classroom!!

• We’re celebrating Madison’s birthday with special cards the class made and yummy cupcakes she is bringing in! If your child has a birthday during summer school, please let me know so we can plan something special for them too!

Our Learning Snapshot Week 1:

• We kicked off the week by learning each other’s names and building classroom community.
• We dove into some fun math, reading, and writing activities to get our brains warmed up.
• The class helped me, the "alien teacher," learn how to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich! We practiced writing clear instructions first—lots of laughs and learning!
• On Wednesday, we had a special in-house field trip with different occupations.
• On Thursday, we took a trip downtown to visit the fire station and police station ("cop shop")—a great hands-on experience!

Ms. Whitmore's Contact Information

Email: whitmorej@harpercreek.net

School Phone Number: 269-441-8411

We value your feedback! Please fill out the weekly parent survey!

Our Learning Snapshot Week 3: 

This week, we’ve focused on building strong friendships and celebrating our unique strengths! We created Friendship Soup by adding colorful beads representing their best qualities and mixed them together to make special friendship bracelets. We also explored our Superpowers! We designed our superhero badges and suits. Be sure to ask them what their superhero name is! With all the hard work over these three weeks, students got to Glow Around and Dance to celebrate their efforts with a fun and glowing surprise! Ask your student how they ended the week!

Our Learning Snapshot Week 2: 

This week, we’ve been settling deeper into our summer school routines. Students spent time reviewing key skills through focused academic activities while also enjoying fun breaks to build relationships and classroom community. 

On Wednesday, students had the opportunity to participate in the What-A-Do Theater activity! Ask your students what they got to see and do during the performances! 

Our Learning Snapshot Week 1: 

We’ve had a fantastic start to summer school! Students began the week by building connections through engaging games, meaningful conversations, and hands-on learning centers, easing into our summer routines. On Wednesday, our classrooms were transformed for Career Day, where students rotated through stations hosted by local community partners, learning about a variety of professions. Then, on Thursday, we extended our career exploration with a field trip to downtown Battle Creek. Be sure to ask your students which moment stood out to them the most!

Ms. Byer's Contact Information

Email: byersd@harpercreek.net 

School Phone Number: 269-441-8411

We value your feedback! Please fill out the weekly parent survey!

Our Learning Snapshot Week 3: 

In science, we explored hydroponics—a cool way to grow plants without soil! Our young scientists observed how roots grow in water and nutrients, and we even began growing our very own classroom plants. Ask your child what they learned about how plants can thrive without dirt! One of the week’s favorite activities was giving step-by-step directions to make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches! We practiced using clear instructions—turns out, it’s harder than it sounds, but we had lots of laughs and even tastier results. 

Our Learning Snapshot Week 2:

This week in our classroom, we’ve been shining a light on light and sound! Students explored how light helps us see and how sound travels.  But the learning didn’t stop there! We are also continuing to build strong friendships and a classroom community. Whether it’s through sharing materials, working in teams, or helping a classmate with a tricky activity, we’re learning what it means to be kind, respectful, and supportive friends.

Our Learning Snapshot Week 1:

• We kicked off the week by learning each other’s names, building classroom community, and building friendships.
• We dove into some fun math, reading, and writing activities to get our brains warmed up.
• We started working on our summer showcase projects!
• On Wednesday, we had a special in-house career day with many different kinds of careers 
• On Thursday, we took a trip downtown to visit the fire station and police station, a great hands-on experience!

Ms. Cleary's Contact Information

Email: clearya@harpercreek.net 

School Phone Number: 269-441-8411

We value your feedback! Please fill out the weekly parent survey!

Our Learning Snapshot Week 3:

This week, we continued to dive into the curriculum as a whole group and in small groups. In math, we focused primarily on counting and valuing money in preparation for the second half of our candy shop projects!

In reading, we have been learning about different types of cycles in nature and participated in a classroom debate about which came first, the chicken or the egg, as part of our curriculum. The students have also been working in small groups at different points of the day to receive additional one-on-one instruction. 

Our Learning Snapshot Week 2:

In our classroom this week, we talked about different cycles in nature. We will be working on this unit next week as well.  We also identified coins and matched their values in order to prepare for the next phase in our candy shop project, which is pricing! We also spent the week continuing to create a positive classroom community. We played games, reflected, and resolved conflicts as a team! 

The students have been working so hard and learning a lot!  I am beyond proud of them! 

Our Learning Snapshot Week 1:

• Monday and Tuesday: Both these days we began building a classroom community, played games, created a classroom playlist, and discussed interests! We also did daily independent reading as well as math ‘pixel art’ graphing.

• Wednesday: We had an in-house career day! Some of our class favorites were What-a-do theatre, DNR, and Binder Park Zoo!

• Thursday: We went on a field trip to the City Commission Office, Police Station, Fire Station, and Health Truck!

Ms. Wiggins' Contact Information

Email: wigginss@harpercreek.net 

School Phone Number: 269-441-8411

We value your feedback! Please fill out the weekly parent survey!

Our Learning Snapshot Week 3: 

• On Monday, we did an experiment with S'mores. We wanted to see if we could “cook” the s'mores with the sun's heat. This was a very fun experiment, and the kids really enjoyed it. 
• We continued to work on our insect journals and learned more about the bee and the dragonfly this week. 
• We have almost finished our “All about me” book. The children will be bringing it home soon. 

Our Learning Snapshot Week 2: 

• This week, we began learning about insects. We will be learning about insects and making an insect journal!
• We learned about airplanes and how they fly! The kids made their own airplanes and flew them with their classmates. 
• We dove into money math and will be continuing into next week.

Our Learning Snapshot Week 1: 

This week, we got to know each other and the classroom expectations.  We worked on a project called “My future is so bright”. The kids drew what their future will look like in a pair of glasses and a self-portrait.

We will be making our own All About Me books, and this week we worked on our favorite colors and families. 

Mrs. Martin's Contact Information

Email: martinj@harpercreek.net 

School Phone Number: 269-441-8411

We value your feedback! Please fill out the weekly parent survey!

Our Learning Snapshot Week 3: 

This week, we designed our own zoo using area and perimeter to determine what we had room for. 

We also practiced some of our multiplication facts and watched a few short films to encourage empathy towards uniqueness.

Our Learning Snapshot Week 2:

As a class, we took time to reflect on how we feel about the math stations. We discussed things that we liked and suggestions on how to make them better.  

Our stations this week focused on adding, subtracting, and multiplying money as though they went to a pet store. Some of our stations were more challenging, with logic puzzles and word problems. 

Many of our students took the opportunity to participate in “What A Do” theater workshop.

Our Learning Snapshot Week 1:

• This week, we focused on learning about each other and how math can actually be enjoyable. 
• I encourage movement and conversations while we are doing our math stations. When students are done with a station, they may move to another that has an open spot. This allows students to take the time that they want and need in order to complete work at their own pace while not feeling rushed or behind.
• Our class has done so well with this style of learning that next week, I will be able to implement another seating option: inner tubes! That’s right! Who doesn’t want to do math while sitting on an inner tube?

Middle School Summer School Coordinator Information

Ms. Erin Wagaman

Email: wagamane@harpercreek.net 

School Phone Number: 269-441-8411

We value your feedback! Please fill out the weekly parent survey!

Ms. Whitmyer's Classroom Snapshot:

The first week of summer school has been a fantastic start, with students diving into important Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) activities and engaging in thoughtful discussions. One of the highlights has been our classroom debates, where students explored current issues like whether kids should be able to choose their own teachers and if there should be stronger regulations on social media. The level of maturity and insight they've shown has been truly impressive. A special shout-out goes to Brogan, who has stood out as a natural leader—consistently kind, helpful, and supportive of his peers. We’re off to a great summer!

Mr. Fronsman's Classroom Snapshot:

During the first week of summer school, our students have shown great enthusiasm and maturity as we kicked off with a strong focus on Social and Emotional Learning (SEL). Through thoughtful discussions and activities, they explored their personal goals and began considering possible paths for life after high school. A key theme this week was learning to respect different perspectives and understanding that different approaches or viewpoints aren’t necessarily wrong, just different. The students embraced this message with openness and empathy. They have also proven to be strong leaders, both in the classroom and during our first two field trips, demonstrating responsibility, kindness, and teamwork throughout. We’re off to a great start!

Mr. Crackel's Classroom Snapshot:

Throughout the first week, students have worked on building a positive classroom community and establishing a culture of respect and collaboration for the remaining weeks of summer school. On Wednesday, students met with a wide variety of entrepreneurs, community leaders, and other professionals as they began considering their own passions and a career path that might be right for them. The week culminated with a trip to downtown Battle Creek in order for students to get a behind-the-scenes look at the key services and operations that keep the city running smoothly on a daily basis.

Mr. Gawne's Classroom Snapshot: 

Summer school is off to a racing start for these soon-to-be 6th and 7th graders! Throughout the first week, students have been immersed in exploring a variety of career paths. On Wednesday, they were visited by professionals from diverse fields in Battle Creek, including lifeguarding, acting, STEM, veterinary medicine, physician assistant roles, and the Department of Natural Resources. On Thursday, the determined Beavers headed downtown to meet with professionals and ask questions about their occupations in person. I’m excited to be part of the summer school staff. I will be instructing ELA as well as an entrepreneurship class. For their final project, students will design their own food truck, an activity that ties together entrepreneurship, ELA, and math standards.

Mrs. Eddy's Classroom Snapshot: 

We started summer school with a week of relationship and community building, getting to know each other and finding common interests. I will be instructing math this summer and working with 5th and 6th grade students to practice manipulating fractions (adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing), calculating the area, perimeter, and volume of objects, and applying math concepts to running a small business out of a truck. Pictured below is the first math/engineering problem the students tackled: helping dinosaurs cross a river by constructing a bridge using limited time and materials, while following strict guidelines.

Mrs. Crackel's Classroom Snapshot:

We began this week by getting to know one another and building a classroom community. We participated in morning meetings and learned a lot about each other. Several local businesses came in for career exploration later in the week, including the zoo, a vet’s office, Starbase, and many others. The week culminated in a field trip downtown to visit the police station, health truck, city commission building, and fire station. Students were able to see firsthand how various public workers do their jobs.

Middle School Summer School Coordinator Information

Ms. Erin Wagaman

Email: wagamane@harpercreek.net 

School Phone Number: 269-441-8411

We value your feedback! Please fill out the weekly parent survey!

Ms. Whitmyer's Classroom Snapshot:

This week in summer school, our students focused on building their writing and collaboration skills through engaging group activities and shared projects.

They also created personal “Education Lifelines,” mapping out the highs and lows of their learning journeys, as well as their goals for high school. This activity helped them reflect on their experiences, progress, aspirations, and future paths.

In our social-emotional learning sessions, students explored self-awareness, healthy relationships, and strategies for managing anxiety—important tools for both academic and personal success. We’re proud of their progress and teamwork!

Mr. Fronsman's Classroom Snapshot:

During the second week of summer school, students continued exploring their futures by taking career interest surveys to help them identify potential paths after high school. They then researched the education or training needed for those careers, the average salary they could expect to earn, and where they might be able to work in those fields. This activity helped them start thinking realistically and intentionally about their goals beyond graduation. 

To wrap up the week, we watched Hidden Figures, a powerful film that highlights the experiences of African American women mathematicians at NASA during the space race. After the movie, we held thoughtful discussions about the obstacles people have faced, and still face, due to discrimination based on race, gender, and other factors. The students engaged respectfully and insightfully, showing growth in empathy and awareness.

Mr. Crackel's Classroom Snapshot:

This week, students began exploring the world of invention and entrepreneurship while also deepening their reading and writing skills. After defining the terms invention and entrepreneurship, students brainstormed common problems that people have solved by inventing new products and processes. From there, they learned about a particular type of prototype called a physical prototype that inventors use when developing their ideas. Finally, students gained hands-on experience by creating physical prototypes of various products, including smartwatches and phone stands. 

Mr. Gawne's Classroom Snapshot: 

This week in summer school, Mr. Gawne’s 5th and 6th grade class dove into Look Both Ways by Jason Reynolds, a book made up of ten different stories about kids walking home from middle school. The students have been making real-life connections to the characters and situations in the book, which has been awesome to see. They’ve also been logging daily journal entries to keep an organized account of each character. Two big themes that have really stood out are “don’t judge a book by its cover” and “sometimes you have to take two steps back to move one step forward.” The students are exploring these ideas through the various perspectives in the book, and it's helping them understand how these themes relate to their own lives. We’re excited to keep diving deeper into this book throughout the summer!

Mrs. Eddy's Classroom Snapshot: 

This week’s focus was on creating our own food trucks. By the end of summer school, students will have physical models of their business plans, along with menus, a brand logo, and a budget. In math, we focused on how to lay out a food truck, including the appliances and storage space needed. Students quickly discovered that running a business is harder than it looks! They all completed the planning phase and concept art, and next week we’ll move on to building the physical models of their food trucks.

Mrs. Crackel's Classroom Snapshot:

This week began with an exciting introduction to hydroponics, the method of growing plants without soil. Students learned about the stages of germination, identified the parts of a plant, and planted their own seeds using hydroponic materials. We discussed how water, light, and nutrients support plant growth even without traditional soil. Everyone is eager to observe and document the progress of their plants over the next several weeks as we continue exploring this innovative growing method.

Middle School Summer School Coordinator Information

Ms. Erin Wagaman

Email: wagamane@harpercreek.net 

School Phone Number: 269-441-8411

We value your feedback! Please fill out the weekly parent survey!

Ms. Whitmyer's Classroom Snapshot:

We had a great Week 3 with our students! In Social Emotional Learning, we focused on integrity and the power of influence in decision-making. Students and staff also shared and celebrated one of their life's accomplishments.

In ELA, we worked on analyzing quotes and developing strong supporting arguments. We also began our drone lessons, covering safety, potential dangers, equipment, and vocabulary. All students who were present for the drone assessment passed with flying colors! When we return from break, we’ll begin our basic skills training to earn the HC Summer School Pilot License. See you next session!

Mr. Fronsman's Classroom Snapshot:

During the third week of summer school, students continued their exploration of future careers by gathering important information about how to attain those jobs, such as the required education, training, and skills. They also began writing their own résumés, practicing how to present their strengths and experiences in a professional way. We’re excited to return after the upcoming break and begin applying math skills to build models based on their future career goals. To wrap up the week, we took a field trip to the RMTC and the National Guard base. Students had a great time and learned a lot about hands-on training opportunities and career paths in both the technical trades and the military. It was an inspiring and informative experience for everyone!

Mr. Crackel's Classroom Snapshot:

Throughout Week 3 of summer school, students dug deeper into the world of entrepreneurship as they explored what it takes behind the scenes to launch and manage a successful business. Specifically, they analyzed the characteristics and attributes that successful entrepreneurs often share, including persistence, innovative thinking, and a willingness to take risks. In addition, students learned about the manufacturing and packaging process by analyzing the efficiency of common items they use regularly. After the break, students will begin developing ideas for their own businesses, applying everything they've learned so far to create all the key components of a successful venture.

Mr. Gawne's Classroom Snapshot: 

Fifth and sixth graders recently had an exciting opportunity to explore their creativity by designing a food truck menu using Canva, a popular graphic design tool. Each student created a unique logo, designed a colorful menu, and wrote clear, detailed descriptions of their food items. This project helped them practice organizing information while using bright colors and fun fonts to make their menus eye-catching. The students showed great imagination, coming up with creative food names and descriptions that made their menus stand out. Not only did they have fun designing, but they also learned valuable skills using Canva. By mastering Canva, students are building confidence in digital design and presentation skills that will support many future projects across subjects. This hands-on experience encouraged them to think like real designers while learning how technology can bring their ideas to life. Their food truck menus are a wonderful example of how creativity and technology can come together!

Mrs. Eddy's Classroom Snapshot: 

Our Food Truck Project is coming along beautifully! After spending time developing their two-dimensional designs and layout plans, students are now in the process of bringing their ideas to life by constructing three-dimensional models of their food trucks. As part of this hands-on math and design activity, students are learning how to create and assemble nets for 3D shapes, reinforcing their understanding of geometry. In addition, they are calculating the usable volume inside their trucks to determine how much space they’ll have for equipment, storage, and cooking areas, just like real-world food truck designers and entrepreneurs. This project not only strengthens math skills but also fosters creativity, spatial reasoning, and problem-solving!

Mrs. Crackel's Classroom Snapshot:

Wow! The excitement this week was incredible as students saw their plants begin to sprout! They’ve been filling out their observation journals, comparing growth, and learning about the plant life cycle. On Thursday, we visited the National Guard and RMTC, where students explored high-tech military equipment and learned about various trade jobs and the important impact these careers have on our homes and communities.