MPS Big Red Education Fund

Celebrating Student Achievements - Students of the Month and Big Red Pride Ticket Programs

Big Red Ed grant funds have been instrumental in recognizing and celebrating student achievementsthrough the Students of the Month and Big Red Pride ticket programs. These funds allow us to honorexemplary students who demonstrate outstanding character, academic excellence, and school spirit.By providing certificates, small rewards, and celebratory events, the grant helps foster a positiveschool culture and encourages all students to strive for success and embody the values of Big Red Pride.

Below are just a few examples of how the funds have been used thus far in the school year.

- Thank you, Kelli Postema, Assistant Principal, MHS

The Big Red Ed Fund paid for bussing so all MPS 5th graders could attend an MHS student concert including Choir, Orchestra and Band. The purpose of this event is to get 5th graders excited about choosing to play an instrument or to join choir as electives for their middle school experience and beyond. 

This event happened Feb 7 and was a huge success! 

Music Recruitment - MHS Students Inspire Music Education Choices for incoming CHMS 6th Graders 
Great job to our music educators and their students for leading a Music Recruitment event at MHS. Clap (or drum) along as our amazing MHS Big Red Choir, Orchestra and Band perform for our Big Red 5th graders on Feb 7, getting them excited about exploring music courses in middle school. Thank you to the Big Red Ed Fund for providing a grant to cover bussing so all our 5th graders could attend the program. 

Thank you to the Big Red Ed Fund for funding transportation from the elementaries to the high school to make this program possible!

- Emily Staley, Instructional Support Specialist, Office of Curriculum & Instruction
Photos HERE

The Freedom Writers Seminar has been a truly impactful experience for our students at CHMS during their seminar hour. Thanks to the Big Red Ed Fund's generous support, we've brought in guest speakers who are former Freedom Writers students of Mr. Chauncy Williams, provided every student with a personal diary and journal, and hosted a "Toast for Change" professional development event for educators this past spring.

We are excited to take qualifying CHMS students to the Charles H. Wright Museum in Detroit on May 22, 2025. As part of our expectations, students were informed in January that earning credit in their Freedom Writers seminar required participation in the field trip.

In addition, we are actively working on a curriculum study to get the Freedom Writers Curriculum approved as an elective course for the 2025–2026 school year.

Lastly, here is a link to the presentation we shared during the recent district professional development:
Freedom Writers PD Presentation

Thank you again for your continued support through the Big Red Fund — it’s truly making a difference.

Warmly,

Chauncy R. Williams
I AM Coach PK-8 MCECMuskegon Public Schools

I am writing to express my gratitude for the Big Red Ed Fund's generosity in granting me money this year to purchase glockenspiels for the Oakview Music room.  We purchased three instruments to add to what we already had, which meant that students in smaller classes did not have to share.  My plan is to gradually build the collection to accommodate even larger classes.  The ones I purchased are very well made and have a pleasant sound, and all of my students K-5 had a chance to use them several times this year.  On behalf of myself and my students, Thank you so much!

~Sandra Elder

We at the Muskegon High School JROTC Big Reds Battalion appreciate being selected to receive the Big Red Fund for school year 2024-2025.

These funds enabled the program to pay for transportation to the cadet military ball held by the Grand Rapids Public School JROTC programs. The ball was held at a church across from Union High School in Grand Rapids, MI.

This exposed our cadets to cadets from other schools and taught them how to conduct themselves in a formal social setting, to include correct way to greet, introduce, and speak. It also introduced them to the rich history and ceremonies practiced by the United States Army to pay tribute to our countries MIA, POWs and fallen comrades who sacrificed everything for the freedom that Americans enjoy today.

JCLC will take place at Ft. Custer in Battle Creek, MI this year for the Muskegon High School JROTC Cadets. This year the program projects on sending 12 cadets to JCLC this year. We partner with the Detroit Public School system who sponsor JCLC. The Muskegon High School JROTC Program will utilize the Big Red Fund to cover transportation costs to and from Battle Creek, MI for our Cadets.

See below for a description of how vital these funds were to enable us to attend events that are designed to motivate our young people to be better citizens.

Military Ball 2025

The cake cutting ceremony. This is where the CDT Battalion Commander (Justice Sims for Muskegon) cuts the cake with a saber and passes the piece to the oldest cadet who takes a bit and passes the cake to the youngest cadet symbolizing the passing of leadership from old to young,	Followed by a formal dinner. Cadets were taught dining etiquette in the classroom and were able to put it in practice.	Then there was dancing and having fun.

JCLC 2025

JCLC develops cadets to assume leadership roles within their school’s JROTC program while developing their self-discipline, confidence, communication skills, leadership skills, and self-esteem.

JCLC is a mentally and physically demanding summer camp. Cadets wake-up at 5:00 AM and start the day with a Flag Raising Ceremony at 5:50 AM, followed by physical fitness training, swimming, or an obstacle course. The day is full of adventure, strategy, team-building exercises, and leadership skills that end around 5:00 PM. This is followed by cadet led sports competition after dinner (relay race, basketball, soccer, kickball, water polo, and volleyball). Lights out are 10 PM. All cadets have responsibilities while at JCLC and may be assigned as company commanders, company First Sergeants, down to a squad leader. Cadets from Detroit, Jackson, Grand Rapids and Muskegon JROTC schools, attend Detroit’s JCLC. 

 Events at JCLC - JROTC Cadet Leadership Challenge

Rope Bridge

Cadets work together to tie a rope over a body of water to move their squad across. One cadet, the swimmer, takes one end of the rope and swims across and ties the rope opposite the team, across the body of water. The squad, except one, hooks their harness to the rope and works their way to other side. The last cadet unties the rope and swims across the body of water to their squad. The rope is usually tied between two points 50 feet apart.

Rappel Tower

Cadets rappel down a 50-foor tower and face their fears and find confidence in themselves as they go down. Cadets can also complete a climbing wall.

Water Survival/ Rafting

Cadets have the opportunity to enter the water in a lake where they learn water survival techniques, such as turning their pants into a floatation device. They also receive plastic 55-gallon drums, rope, and wooden board to build a floating and functioning raft. Each team must be able to float their raft, with one cadet on top, and take it to a point in the pond and back.

Leader Reaction Course

These Leader events allow cadets to work on their communication and planning skills by challenging them with five round-robin tasks such as the Spider Web. In this event, cadets must get their entire team through the web, by only using each opening once and not go above or below the web. These events require cadets to work on crossing each other's personal boundaries in a respectful manner.

Land Navigation

Cadets start off this with a hike to the training area, where they learn the map reading basics, where things are on a map by using a compass and a protractor. Map reading is crucial to land navigation. Cadets are put in teams, given their map, protractor, compass, and coordinates then must find their points in the fastest time.

Rifle Marksmanship

Cadets are taught how to safely handle a Crossman air pellet rifle. They learn marksmanship techniques and compete in a marksmanship range with three different shooting positions.

Thanks to a generous grant from the Big Red Ed Fund, we were able to provide lunch for students during our monthly MHS Admin/Student meetings this year. These gatherings allowed us to hear directly from students about the topics that matter most to them.

In May, we wrapped up our final meeting of the school year by taking 10 students to local businesses as part of our ongoing transformation into the Innovation Academies of Muskegon. This experience gave our students a chance to share their perspectives and shape decisions that will impact future Big Reds.

Thank you to the Big Red Ed Fund for supporting our mission to empower student voice and choice!

Lindsey Crockford
Assistant Principal, MHS

This year, I was able to create a Positive Behavior Support System for the middle school band classrooms at Charles Hackley Middle School. Each grade level has various ways to earn points. I had posters printed with each of the goals they needed to accomplish, as well as a prize list. These posters were hung up in all of the music classrooms so students could always reference them in class. I have attached PDFs of these to the email.

Cadet Band (Beginning) earned points for each belt they passed off on their instrument. The belts are similar to the karate belt system, where each belt color introduces a new musical concept and difficulty progresses. They also earned points for having materials each week in class (instrument, music, reeds, pencil, etc). This enforced individual accountability and responsibility within the program. Additionally, students had opportunities to perform in front of the class for points.

Prep (7th Grade) Band and Concert (8th Grade) Band had similar goals to accomplish in order to earn points. Instead of belts, students passed off major scales for points. Scales in music are fundamental and make up any music they will perform. They also earned points by performing and having materials each week in class. Students had the opportunity to participate in Solo and Ensemble to earn points as well. Points were tracked through Class Dojo. We wanted to have points seperate from the CHMS PBIS store, so they could only accrue points by active performance and participation in band class.

Students can redeem points at any point throughout the year once they acquire enough. Prizes included food (Takis, cookies, candy), musical instrument materials (reeds, cleaning kits, valve oil, metronomes), games (card games, Kanoodle), bracelet making kits, stickers, plushies, and slime, which was a huge hit. We ran out within the 3rd week of starting the store. I surveyed students on which items they would like to see in the PBIS store before purchasing these items. I combined the Big Red Ed Fund grant and a Teacher Mini Grant through the Muskegon Community Foundation to purchase these items.

Overall, we saw an increase of independent practicing, more students being excited and motivated to play their instrument, and increased music fundamentals and quality across our 6-8 bands because of this. Students seemed genuinely excited and willing to perform in front of the class, and always wanted to show us what they practiced at home so they could earn points. Student literacy improved as they learned scales, and students were more inclined to have their materials each week in class, which increased overall participation. I would love to continue this next school year and expand it to our high school band program.

Sincerely, Hope Spaw, MPS Director of Bands

Through a Big Red Ed Fund grant, we were able to purchase caterpillars and supplies for 3 second grade classes to raise the Painted Lady Caterpillars into butterflies in our classroom. Students got to witness first and three of the four stages of the butterfly life cycle which enhanced their understanding of the process. 

Our students are wrapping up a science unit called Plant and Animal Relationships in which we talk about life cycles, predators and prey, pollination, and more. The ability to raise butterflies in our classroom tied in perfectly with this science unit. 

Thank you so much for the grant which enabled us to broaden our students’ understanding. We really appreciate it!

Sincerely,

Mindy Johnson
Second Grade Teacher
Bunker Elementary School

The Big Red Ed. funds has made a meaningful impact on our school by supporting both essential academic resources and student-led charitable initiatives, particularly for students in economically challenged circumstances. These funds have helped provide classroom material and nutrition services—creating a more equitable and supportive learning environment for all.

The Big Red Ed funding has also empowered our student leadership teams to organize impactful charitable events for the school community. These include the Halloween Celebration, Toys for Tots toy giveaway, Salvation Army Canned Food Drive, and our annual Black History Month program. Students also led the charge on important awareness efforts, including participation in Relay for Life, which raised cancer awareness and honored those affected by the disease.

Another significant aspect of student development is their involvement with the Student Leadership Council. Through this program, students are given positions that allow them to understand and actively participate in conducting meetings, organizing events, and making decisions that directly impact their school and community. These experiences provide valuable leadership skills that students can carry with them throughout their academic and professional journeys.

In addition to direct academic support, students were given the opportunity to visit Ferris State University as part of a grant-supported academic enrichment initiative. This visit provided exposure to higher education, inspiring students to consider college pathways and explore future career goals

These student-led efforts not only provide critical support to peers and families in need, but also foster leadership, civic responsibility, and a deep sense of community. Through these experiences, students are gaining more than education—they are building character, compassion, and confidence.

Thank you for awarding us the grant.

Mrs. Turner-Terry

All MPS 3rd graders attend Pool School on the Muskegon High School campus to build confidence and swim and safety skills around water. This is a big undertaking for our district, rotating through five sessions of five weeks each from October-May to be sure all our 250 3rd Graders in 11 different classrooms have this opportunity, which is particularly important in our lakeshore community. 

Big Red Ed Fund provides a grant to pay for transportation from the elementary schools to MHS and back for Pool School. The grant is needed to ensure this opportunity for all our 3rd graders and enables them to get to and from this opportunity for learning water safety skills. 

Each week at Pool School, the students spend 50 minutes in the classroom learning water safety topics, and then head to the MHS pool, bathing suits on and towel in hand, to practice their skills in the water. Our MPS teachers don bathing suits and get into the pool to partake in the fun as well. Pool School is taught by the YMCA with certified instructors and lifeguards. 

We are grateful to the Big Red Ed Fund for providing the much needed transportation for this opportunity for learning, safety and fun for our 3rd Grader Big Reds. Thank you!

- Emily Staley
 Instructional Support Specialist, Office of Curriculum & Instructions