Wednesday, April 3, 2013
A public visitation will be held in Sterling Heights Thursday for the 41-year-old second grade teacher and mother of four.
The Gill Elementary School community is mourning the unexpected loss of second grade teacher Deborah Raad, who died April 2. She was 41. A public visitation will be held from 3 p.m.-9 p.m. on Thursday, with a 7:30 p.m. prayer service, at Wujek-Calcaterra & Sons, 36900 Schoenherr Rd. in Sterling Heights. A family service will be held on Friday. Memorial donations may be made to Our Lady of Redemption Church, 29293 Lorraine, Warren MI. A Farmington resident, Mrs. Raad is survived by her husband of 7 years Joseph, and their children Sara, Michael, Mary and Nicholas, according to an obituary posted by Wujek-Calcaterra & Sons. Her father George Courey also survives; her mother, Katherine, preceded her in death. Farmington Public Schools sent…
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Chris Suliman aims to keep up a tradition established by former principal Mark Morawski.
Do you know a Farmington-area public or private school administrator, teacher, support staffer or student who has an interesting story or deserves an extra pat on the back? Send details in the format below to farmington-mi@patch.com. Meet this week's honoree: Name: Chris Suliman Title: Administrative Interim Principal School: Gill Elementary Here's why she's cool: Farmington Schools named Ms. Suliman to her current position last month, after the departure of long-time principal Mark Morawski. He had a tradition of bringing school assemblies to an exciting close, which Ms. Suliman continued during her first school assembly on Monday. As she points out, while he may have done a cartwheel, "Mr. Morawski never did one in heels."
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Gill Elementary School
21195 Gill Rd, Farmington, MI
/articles/gill-interim-principal-cartwheels-to-close-her-first-all-school-assembly
706852
/locations/8954515
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Seven elementary schools will participate in the March initiative, which provides everyone in those buildings with a copy of the same book that everyone reads and discusses.
Gill Elementary students took a virtual trip to New York City Monday morning, as part of the "One School, One Book" initiative happening this month in seven Farmington Public Schools. At each school, every family and staff member will receive a copy of the book, thanks to support from PTAs, the Farmington Community Library Friends of the Library and West Oaks Civitan. Families are asked to read one chapter of the book each day, which they can discuss the next day with anyone in their building. The schools will host special events, including kick-off assemblies, guest readers and family visits to the Farmington Community Library. In their second year, Gill, Longacre and Lanigan are joined this year by Kenbrook, Forest, Wood Creek and …
Saturday, January 19, 2013
The long-time district employee will replace current principal Mark Morawski, who leaves for another post in mid-February.
- SCHOOLS
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Saturday, January 19
Chris Suliman, who currently serves as the Administrative Intern at Warner Upper Elementary School, has been selected to serve as the Administrative Interim Principal for Gill Elementary. Suliman will take over for Principal Mark Morawski, who has accepted a new principal position in Birmingham Public Schools and will leave the district Feb. 15. “We had a number of qualified applicants for this position and we feel that we have found a great fit for the Gill school community,” said assistant superintendent Dr. Catherine Cost. “I believe that Chris will continue to shine in this new position.” To minimize disruption to the school, Supt. Susan Zurvalec opted to post the principal position to be filled by July 1. Gill staff and parents will …
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Gill Elementary School
21195 Gill Rd, Farmington, MI
/articles/farmington-schools-names-suliman-interim-principal-at-gill-elementary
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/locations/8631558
Saturday, December 1, 2012
Gill Elementary principal Mark Morawski confirms the job offer in a note sent home to Farmington parents Friday.
Mark Morawski, principal of Farmington's Gill Elementary School, recently accepted the position of principal at Birmingham Covington School. A final decision is dependent on approval from the Birmingham Board of Education on Dec. 4. Morawski confirmed the job offer in a note sent home to Farmington parents Friday. On Saturday morning, Birmingham's Deputy Superintendent for Educational Services Paul DeAngelis confirmed that Morawski was recommended to the school board for the position, but said the district would release more information after Tuesday's meeting. Morawski was named a finalist for the position in mid-November alongside Lake Orion's Oakview Middle School principal John Bernia. Both candidates met with parents at a community …
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Grace Couture, a Gill alum, receives the $500 memorial award.
- GRADUATION
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Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Grace Couture has been selected by the Gill Elementary PTA (Parent Teacher Association) as this year's recipient of the Megan and Michael McKennett Memorial Scholarship. The $500 scholarship is awarded to a Gill alum attending Farmington High School (FHS), in memory of a brother and sister who were killed in a car accident. The recipient must demonstrate qualities and values upheld by the McKennetts: music, religion, art, sports and community service. In an essay required as part of the scholarship application, Couture described Gill Elementary teacher Jon Vondrasek as being an important influence on her education and growth as an individual. "Mr. V" talked to her about her leadership abilities, and Couture never forgot those words of …
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Student clubs help their schools by encouraging recycling, energy conservation and other environmental protection measures.
From the littlest "Pee Wee Power Savers" to high school Interact Clubs, local students are working hard to make their schools more environmentally friendly. Farmington Public Schools (FPS) officials during their regular meeting Tuesday at North Farmington High honored 10 buildings that have achieved Michigan Green School status, along with the clubs whose work got them there. Jim Pearse, the District's energy manager, said schools were eligible for three levels of recognition – Green, Emerald and Evergreen – based on the number of points accured in their applications. The state-wide program, established in 2010, requires a minimum of 10 points on a 20-point scale is required to achieve Green School status. Pearse said benchmarks on the …
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North Farmington High School
32900 W 13 Mile Rd, Farmington Hills, MI
/articles/ten-farmington-schools-earn-michigan-green-schools-status
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/locations/7117837
Monday, May 14, 2012
Thomas Lichtenberg talks with 4th graders at Gill Elementary about how he uses optimism to overcome the challenges that come with his condition.
Despite being bullied and knowing he has Asperger's syndrome, Thomas Lichtenberg is an optimist. "I have so much optimism, I have even bcome an optimist about Asperger's," the Power Upper Elementary 5th grader told a group of Gill Elementary 4th graders Friday. Thomas openly talks about his condition, which is an autism spectrum disorder, and he has even helped his classmates understand it. "He's amazed me this year," his teacher Nancie Jahshan said. "The joy he's brought to our classroom has been amazing. He has a voice that needs to be heard." Jahshan felt so strongly about Thomas' message that she made arrangements for him to speak to four classes at Gill. He met the first two on Friday and will speak to a second group on May 17. …
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Gill Elementary School
21195 Gill Rd, Farmington, MI
/articles/power-5th-grader-talks-with-gill-students-about-asperger-s-bullying
706852
/locations/7004260
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Power Upper Elementary School
34740 Rhonswood St, Farmington Hills, MI
/articles/power-5th-grader-talks-with-gill-students-about-asperger-s-bullying
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/locations/7004261
Saturday, March 31, 2012
The Farmington Hills school's Junior Optimist Club project benefits the Break Through Library for Children of Detroit.
Today, a group of students from Gill Elementary School will deliver a very special gift to the children of Detroit. The school's Junior Optimist club is bringing 1,256 books to Break Through Library for the Children of Detroit. Created last summer by volunteers with Central Detroit Christian (CDC), the library is a resource for CDC's tutoring program and summer day camp. "They really want kids to read, but their parents don't have enough money," club president Halie Hayes, 10, said. "They just want to give children a chance to read." Halie said club members wanted to help "kids who aren't as fortunate as we are." The collection has been on-going since the middle of January. In addition to announcements at school, the club sent an email …
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Gill Elementary School
21195 Gill Rd, Farmington, MI
/articles/gill-elementary-students-deliver-1-256-books-to-detroit
706852
/locations/6696506
Monday, March 12, 2012
The older students read a chapter of the book 'The World According to Humphrey' in elementary school classes.
- SCHOOLS
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Monday, March 12, 2012
On one of their days off from school last week, 14 Farmington High School students came to Gill Elementary to read a chapter of the book, The World According to Humphrey to the elementary students. The book is being read by the entire Gill community, as part of the One School One Book initiative, launched March 2. Lanigan and Longacre elementary schools are also taking part in the program. Farmington High students who volunteered as readers were Christopher Green, Anthony Gerbs, Jake Zervos, Corey Sheltrown, Cole Hazeltine, Maya Gallo, Mike Doa, Olivia DeMarios, Trycia Piontek, Brennan Benoit, Nick Ryba, Halle Nienhaus, Megan Campbell and Zerina Mulaosmanovic. The information and photos for this story were submitted by a Farmington-…
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-83.38536
Gill Elementary School
21195 Gill Rd, Farmington, MI
/articles/farmington-high-students-take-part-in-one-school-one-book-event-at-gill
706852
/locations/6563040
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-83.362476
Farmington High School
32000 Shiawassee Rd, Farmington, MI
/articles/farmington-high-students-take-part-in-one-school-one-book-event-at-gill
705169
/locations/6563041
Dr. J. Harold Ellens
10:21 am on Thursday, April 4, 2013
If there is a way I can be of help to Deborah Raad's family as a psychotherapist and pastoral counsellor, my door is open to them or I can visit them. Dr. Jay Harold Ellens, www.jharoldellens.com, jharoldellens@juno.com, Phone: 248 231 4433. more ›