Instructional Services Newsletter

The Instructional Services Office with Saginaw ISD hopes you have had a great start to the 2024-25 school year. We are excited to share the latest version of our newsletter with you. The office has been working hard to ensure that we can provide support and service to all local districts, staff, and students. The ISD has made a shift to help connect efforts at the secondary level, and we are happy to share that the CTE staff is now a part of the Instructional Services office, and we continue to work to find ways to connect and support our grade 6-12 and 13 students.

In this month’s newsletter, you will find updates on professional learning, offerings for administrators and teams, and CTE happenings. You will also learn about our Healthy Bodies Healthy Minds programming.

As we come up in the winter season, the staff is always ready to support you in any way we can. I hope you enjoy these updates, and if you have any needs or questions, don’t hesitate to contact the Instructional Services staff at any time. 

Leadership Update

Principals LEAD

Saginaw ISD and building leaders from 12 districts are collaborating with Michelle Allen of "Lead Resourcefully". The focus this fall has been on the leader as a "Coach" and "Building Strong Teams". The LEADers are also collaborating around legislative updates and looking for implementation of initiatives in classroom observations.

McKinney-Vento

SISD and local district staff are working to ensure that students in transition have the clothing, bedding,  and school supplies they need to start the school year.

The Mustard Seed and Innerlink shelters have each hosted monthly meetings and tours of their facilities for ISD and local staff. This collaboration strengthens the support system for youth experiencing homelessness in Saginaw County.

Grant funds permitted Saginaw to be represented at the Special Populations Conference by nine in-person and two virtual representatives. The contingent comprised staff from the Saginaw ISD and eight local districts. The conference provided learning opportunities and practical application tips for supporting Multilingual learners and for those who are experiencing homelessness.

Systems Work

Lastly, this fall SISD has had the opportunity to have representatives from the MDE present to groups on MICIP and Federal Grants and Programs. The December meeting will focus on the MTSS requirements in the new Dyslexia legislation. In January, Brad Brunner from the College Board will help district teams disseminate test data and use it to inform decision-making.

CTE Update

The Career and Technical Education (CTE) team has been hard at work providing resources and opportunities to empower students on their paths to college, careers, and beyond. This fall, we focused on student recruitment, connecting students with hands-on career exploration experiences, and enhancing the skills of school counselors and career advisors across the county. Our team also volunteered at MiCareerQuest, supporting students in learning more about career possibilities across industries. Additionally, we’ve organized activities for the Youth Ambassadors program, facilitated college application completion events, and provided essential support for social-emotional learning and special populations.

We’re excited to expand our efforts with additional professional development sessions, including talent tours, scholarship application assistance, and workshops on best practices. The upcoming months promise even more enriching opportunities, so stay tuned for further updates in Career and Technical Education!

CTE October Newsletter

For more information, see the Saginaw ISD website: www.sisd.cc/page/instructional-services

Instructional Coaching and Literacy Update

Saginaw ISD Instructional Coaches have enhusiastically started the year with supporting districts through focused coaching cycles and professional learning opportunities. From district campuses to SISD sites, the coaches have been helping educators strengthen their instruction. Coaching cycles have zeroed in on key areas such as UFLI implementation, enhancing small group instruction, and advancing passage-based writing using thinkSRSD strategies. SISD is proud of the coaches' dedication and their positive impact, which ensures that teachers have the tools they need for student success.

There has been an incredible turnout for this year’s County Coaching Alliance. The high number of attendees speaks to the dedication of our coaching community. Participants have been diving deep into powerful coaching tools and strategies that will enhance their support for teachers and students across the district. It’s exciting to see so much collaboration and energy in one space! The alliance events are open to all county coaches, administrators, and lead teachers. 

Instructional Services hosts a variety of events for November and December. Registration and more information is available on the Saginaw ISD website: www.sisd.cc/page/instructional-services

The Healthy Bodies, Healthy Minds

This program is designed to help reinforce the importance of eating a healthy diet and getting exercise. The team consists of Josh Miller (Team Lead and Nutrition Facilitator) and three nutrition facilitators: Shari Hatfield, Leslie Blumer, and Allie Nye. Together, they serve 27 schools across four counties! Together, this team has been providing services in Saginaw County and beyond for 37 years. 

Each week, students in the program learn about things such as hand washing, food safety, MyPlate, edible parts of the plant, as well as smart snacking.  The final lesson for each learner always centers around healthy celebrations. This year we are also placing major focus on physical activity in the classroom.

The team can also be found after school attending parent engagement activities such as STEM night, science night, as well as math or reading nights.

In the summer months, you may see a familiar team face at your local park. The HBHM team has created a StoryWalk in St. Charles at Coal Miner’s Park. They also have a StoryWalk behind Center Courts in Saginaw and recently have branched out to include two StoryWalks in Bay City

In addition to StoryWalk in the summer, the team also helps to facilitate the local farmer's markets. From helping customers navigate the market to teaching about the Double Up Food Bucks program to stretch your food dollars, these helpful faces are sure to make your market experience a great one!

Block #1 HBHM Statistics

In the first 5 weeks of the HBHM season:

• 1232 Students served

• 240 Healthy Bodies, Healthy Minds lessons taught

• 6,160 recipe samples served

• HBHM students had 18,480 minutes of physical activity in one 5-week period.