Dexter Students Recognized for Excellence, Service, & Leadership at BOE

A full house was present to watch Mill Creek Students being recognized for their leadership, service, and accomplishments this past school year at the Dexter Community Schools Board of Education Meeting, Monday, June 11.

Mill Creek Orchestra Director, Alison Campbell, introduced two students who were selected for the All-State Orchestra. “Thousands of students across the State of Michigan audition with only a relative few being selected for the honor,” said Director Campbell. “This year we had two students selected, Evelyn Clemens, a 7^th grade violist and Sophie Arnold who is in 8^th grade and also a violist.”

To be selected, candidates must perform a prepared piece, a series of scales, and sight-read during their 10-minute recorded audition. The recordings are then evaluated by an adjudicator, placed in order, and the required number of instruments is selected to fill each section. After two and a half days of rehearsal with nationally recognized conductors, a concert is held at the Michigan Music Conference.

The next awards were presented by Mill Creek Community Service and Leadership (CS&L) Advisor Marianne Mutschler who explained that there were 115 Mill Creek students involved with CS&L this year who filled more than 55 service requests.

Projects by the middle school students included:

• Collecting $1,400 through a fundraising competition dubbed “Money Wars” with the money being donated to the Education Project at Washtenaw Intermediate School District and a family in need for the holidays.
• Collecting canned goods and hats, coats, and mittens for Faith In Action.
• Preparing more than 75 blankets for the NICU and Pediatric Oncology Unit at Mott.
• Raising money for the Humane Society.
• Planning two school dances.
• Also planning and running a Dance Marathon that raised $4,918 for Pediatric Rehab at Mott and Beaumont Children’s Hospitals.
• Raising $2,500 for the Leukemia and Lymphomia Society.

  

Seventh graders put in a total of 665.25 service hours this past school year with the eighth grade students putting in 1,492.75 for a total of 2,158 hours serving the community.

The students were awarded pins representing the level of service they achieved over the year – 25, 50, 75, or 100-hour pins. The three students with the most hours of service are Clare McCormick with 104 hours of service this past year, Elizabeth Evans with 107 hours, and Emily Root at 117.5 hours had the most of any student.

The entire list of students receiving their service pins is broken-down as follows:

25-hour pin recipients:

• Sophie Arnold
• Nicholas Berenson
• Camryn Chase

  

• Delaney Christy
• Avery Goodrich
• Kilian Bishop
• Hannah Marsik
• Alena Michos
• Nicholas Michos
• Maximillian Nakon
• Aidan Naughton
• Dominic Sortor
• Arion Sunstrum

50 hour pin recipients:

• Claire DeVoogd
• Braden Eisele
• Alex Gilbert
• Emily Hutchings
• Victor Li
• Conner Love
• Isabella Malek
• Elise Manly

  

• Morgan Marsh
• William Palazzolo

75 hour pin recipients:

• Grace Byron
• Ella Diab
• Isabel Reyes
• Rylee Swanson

100 hour pin recipients:

• Elizabeth Evans
• Audrey Hudson
• Clare McCormick
• Emily Root
• Alexis TerBush

“If you know of a community organization that  needs our help, please let us know,” Marianne told the Board and audience. “We’ve been very fortunate with the Lions Club and Dexter Rotary providing opportunities.”

Congratulations to all students. Thank you for your service! And a big thanks goes out to Marianne and her team of advisers for not only getting the kids involved in the community, but for instilling within them a sense of selflessness during these formative years that they will carry with them the rest of their lives to the benefit of those around them.

For more information about the CS&L Program you can contact adviser Marianne Mutschler at mutschlerm@dexterschools.org