Student Achievement is in place to display the excellence of the students in our district.  It is a means by which we exhibit how our students demonstrate excellence in their daily academic activities.

2007 Waterford Foundation Select 50

Kettering High School

Mott High School

(Front Row l t r): Kettering Principal Josh Wenning, Dan Kostecke, Bee Yang, Ashley Polidan, Katie Broyles, Jayna Salk, Zenaida Castro, & Jordan Angott. (staircase 1st Row l to r): Heather Kazimierczuk, Andrea Stewart, Sarah Miller, Cory Pitzer, Kyle Smalstig, Andrew Lane, Natalie Rolph, & Alex Cohen. (2ndRow l t r): Zachary Boyda, Amanda Johnston, Aaron Hensler, Brittany Vandermeer, & Jaclyn Johnston. (3rd Row l to r): Melinda Huntoon, Anthony Karagosian, Brenden Kirchner,Lindsay Koenig, & Counselor Sandy Asciutto. Not Pictured: Jennifer Nicholson-Faris

(Bottom Row l to r) Margaret Bryce, Ornela Mirashi, Lizzy Jones, Lara Stephenson, Anna Cooperrider, Aleksandra Perepelytsya, Elizabeth Weed, Ilyssa Beltzman, Martha Gallardo, Jessica Leroux, and Raymond Nester. (Second Row) Michelle Sova, Ashley Builta, Kourtney Fultz, and Lauren Else. (Third Row) Katie Tackaberry, Heather Marks, and Anthony Spray. (Top Row) Jeffrey Kelly, Nick Stepanski, Stephen Bazner, Eric Checkley, JJ Ciennik, and Judson Waack. Not Pictured: Brian Gesaman, Aaron Jackson, and Nicholas Earl.

The Mott Girls Track team won the OAA Division II Girls Track meet. This is the first league championship for the Mott girls ever. The girls are coached by Amy Coughlin and Mike Wilburn.

Student Hero –The District was pleased to introduce two very special Waterford School District students, Steven Seth and Ben Schwimmer. Seth and Schwimmer are third graders in Carol Gaddes’ class at Cooley Elementary School. While having lunch in the lunch room at Cooley, Ben began to choke. Recognizing this, Steven immediately jumped into action and performed the Heimlich maneuver, forcing the blockage out allowing Ben to begin breathing again.

Danny Kostecke was selected to perform with the All-state Honors Band, which is one of the highest honors that can be bestowed upon a high school band student for achievement on his or her musical instrument. Selection to the prestigious band was based on his score at State Solo & Ensemble and the needs of the ensemble. He is only the third Kettering band student to qualify for the All-State Honors Band.

Judy Blavin, forth-grade teacher at Adams Elementary, along with third, forth, and fifth-grade students, raised $4,108.25 for St. Jude Children’s Hospital. Blavin has been involved in fundraising for St. Jude for the last twelve years and this is the most money ever raised.

At the first running of the Molly Brennan relays, the Corsairs placed first out of four teams. 1st place finishers included Kelsey Chapman, Ainsley Losh, Emma Beasley, Lauren Gagnon, Alyssa Osika, Paige Woods, Porchea High, Asia Rawls, and Chanel Hernandez. Woods received a special award for being the winner of "Molly Brennan 200M Dash" and she was featured in the Oakland Press. Chanel set a new school record in the shot put, throwing 37'11.5." The old record was held by Julia Hall (2001) at 36'7".

Pierce Middle School students recently competed in the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital Math-A-Thon that raises money for children who need cancer and other catastrophic disease treatment. To participate in this event, students must obtain sponsors for the number of math problems completed in special workbooks provided for K-9 students. Pierce students raised $3,845.58, surpassing previous Math-A-Thon competitions. The students at Pierce received a plaque recognizing their accomplishments.

Senior Kettering percussionist Danny Kostecke has been selected to perform in the Youth Arts Festival All-State Honors Band. Based on his score at State Solo & Ensemble last month and the needs of the ensemble, Kosteckie was selected to perform in this prestigious band. He is only the 3^rd Kettering band student to qualify for the All-State Honors Band (Melissa Lane in 2005, Kyle Landry in 2006). 
The Youth Arts Festival is held at Western Michigan University and has been showcasing the artistic excellence of young Michigan artists since its beginning in 1963.  The Michigan Youth Arts Festival believes it is essential to develop, recognize and encourage emerging young Michigan artists.
Danny is the son of Dan & Tammy Kostecke. Danny plans to attend Michigan State University this fall in the Pre-Dentistry program.  This year he is Co-Section Leader of the Marching Captains Drumline.  He is also Set Drummer for the Kettering Jazz Ensemble and is first chair Percussionist in the WK Wind Ensemble.

Waterford School District students from Pierce Middle School, Jordan Masek and Tandalea Tatum, participated in the second annual Career Mentoring Day 2007 sponsored by the Waterford Coalition for Youth and the Waterford Chamber of Commerce. Their mentor, Rhonda Lessel, Community Relations Specialist for the Waterford School District, provided exposure to a career in public relations and marketing. While on the job, the students learned about producing a television/video production, marketing concepts, and web design.
                                                                
 

 (Left to Right) Jordan Masek, Tandalea Tatum, Rhonda Lessel

Kettering and Mott DECA Chapters competed at the State Career Development Conference. Over 127 high schools were represented. Students were required to take a marketing occupational test, present a role-play in their chosen occupational area and/or defend their research projects. Four Waterford students qualified to compete at the national conference. They represented the top 2% of marketing students in the United States, Guam, Germany, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The conference will be held in Orlando, Florida. Their teachers are Jennifer Karpushenkoff, Kettering, and Nancy Haller, Mott. Congratulations to the following students: Ryan Kilgore, Kettering, Sarah Nagel, Kettering, TJ Tisler, Kettering, and Megan Miller, Mott.

Jadrian Stanley, student at Kettering High School, is the first-place winner of the Waterford Optimists’ Annual Oratorical Essay Contest. Jadrian received his medal and read his essay at the regular meeting of the organization. The essay topic was "I want to make a difference because…" The first, second, and third place winners received scholarships totaling $1,000 and Jadrian will have the opportunity to win a $5,000 scholarship in the national contest. Congratulations and good luck at the national level.

At a Board Meeting a few weeks ago, we heard the Waterford Kettering Chamber Orchestra, shortly after they performed in the National Orchestra Festival competition at Orchestra Hall in Detroit. Not to be outdone, the students from BOTH Waterford Mott and Waterford Kettering Jazz Ensembles earned straight "I" ratings at the MSBOA State Jazz Festival recently. As such, both groups have been invited to perform at the very prestigious Detroit International Jazz Festival over Labor Day weekend next fall. The line-up has not been announced yet, but past headliners have included Dave Brubeck, Sarah Vaughn, the Modern Jazz Quartet and many other legends of jazz. Chris Braue is the director of the Mott Jazz Ensemble, and Scott Adkins is director of the Kettering Jazz Ensemble. Congratulations to these students and their instructors.

Mott Senior James Land received a Navy ROTC full scholarship to the University of Michigan and will become a commissioned officer in the US Navy.  He plans on majoring in aeronautical engineering and hopes to go on to Navy Flight School. His scholarship covers all tuition and books as well as providing him with a monthly stipend. 

Several of our automotive technology students recently participated in the USA Skills VICA competition at Washtenaw Community College. VICA (Vocational Industrial Clubs of America) is a career and technical student organization for students participating in automotive, drafting, and manufacturing technology programs. Seventy-five students representing ten schools competed in several areas. Four Waterford students placed in the top five for the area in which they competed. Those students included Fred Wiles for brakes, Aaron O’Rourke for electrical and general; Cameron Armstrong for electrical, and Kurt June for brakes.

Mott High School Varsity Hockey Team has earned All State Academic Honors. In addition, the following students were named All State Academic Student Athletes: Jarrett Boroniec, JJ Ciennik, Jeff Kelly, Brian Peters, and Jed Waack.

The Superintendent of Schools and Board of Education honored Kettering student, Alexandra McGregor, who was recently named Michigan’s top youth volunteer for 2007 by the Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, a nation-wide program, conducted by Prudential Financial in partnership with NASSP, honoring young people for outstanding acts of volunteerism. Alex, a junior at Kettering, waged a successful campaign to persuade local, state, and federal officials to declare a special day of recognition honoring American soldiers serving around the world. After receiving encouragement from a county commissioner, she began contacting officials at all levels of government, urging them to declare March 26, 2006 as “Support our Troops Day.” Ms. Kathy Doucet, Prudential Representative, presented Alexandra with the Presidential Sprit of Community medallion.

Mott Senior James Ciennik was selected as a 2006-2007 Scholar-Athlete Award winner by the Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA). Ciennik’s application was one of 2,205 applications received from 492 schools throughout Michigan. Ciennik has a grade point average of 3.93 and excels in hockey and baseball. He is an Anti Defamation League (ADL) Trainer, Positive Peer Intervention (PPI) Mediator, Freshman Student Mentor, and a member of the National Honor Society.

Four Kettering High School students were named to the MSBOA All-State High School Orchestra. Hundreds of student musicians from every part of Michigan auditioned for this honor. Andrew Lane, violin; Samantha Bogner, violin; Michael Lively, cello; and Anthony Marquise, cello were all chosen to be members of this group. Merylyn Beard is their director.

The Waterford Kettering Symphony Strings and Chamber Orchestras have both qualified for the National Orchestra Festival at the American Strings Teachers Association National Conference at the Max Fischer Orchestra Hall. The Chamber Orchestra is the only Michigan high school orchestra that was invited to compete against top tier orchestras from as far away as Kansas, Idaho, Georgia, and California, among others.

Coach Jen Roesthlisberger and members of the Mott Varsity Volleyball Team were selected as All State Academic. The team had a combined cumulative GPA of 3.4. In addition, the following players received individual all-state academic honors: Katie Tackaberry 3.93; Heather Marks 3.92; and Laura Spangler 4.02.

Waterford Mott Senior Art Student Ashley Ritter received top honors in the 2007 Scholastic Art Awards in the Southeastern Michigan competition. Ritter’s art portfolio won a Gold Key and Best of Show Art Portfolio status from a field of 185 portfolios from Wayne and Oakland Counties.

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Pierce Middle School students, Andrew Pan, first, and Allison Dunny, second, have been named local winners in the 38th annual America & Me Essay contest, sponsored by Farm Bureau Insurance. The topic was "My Personal Hero." Both received award certificates for their achievement.  First place winner, Andrew Pan has his name engraved on a plaque for permanent display at Pierce.

Congratulations to the Mason Middle School Ambassadors for being selected by the Waterford Coalition for Youth as the Youth Group of the Year. The members of the Ambassadors program attended the Taste of Waterford, to receive this exciting award for their outstanding work as role models and mentors at Mason.

Ten Mott students have earned the designation of AP Scholar by the College Board in recognition of their exceptional achievement on the college-level Advanced Placement Program Exams. The College Board’s Advanced Placement Program offers students the opportunity to take challenging college-level courses while still in high school and to receive college credit, advanced placement, or both for successful performance on the AP Exams.

Mott Senior Caroline Horste received the Presidential Scholarship form Eastern Michigan University. The scholarship was based on testing and an interview. She was awarded approximately $65,000 over 4 years and includes full tuition, room and board, books, and lab fees.

The Waterford Mott Polaris yearbook won a Gold Award from the Michigan Interscholastic Press Association for the 2005-2006 yearbook.

Waterford Mott student, Lizzy Jones, was recently the recipient of the Daughters of the American Revolution Good Citizen Award. Lizzy read her essay on preserving our American heritage. She was then chosen to move on to the State level.

Four Waterford Kettering students were named to the MSBOA All-State High School Orchestra this year. Hundreds of student musicians from every part of Michigan auditioned for this honor.  Andrew Lane, violin, Samantha Bogner, violin, Michael Lively, cello, and Anthony Marquise, cello, were all chosen to be members of this group, which will perform at the Michigan Music Conference in Grand Rapids in the DeVos Performance Hall. Merlyn Beard is their director.

The Mott Football team received Honorable Mention Academic All State with a 3.526 grade point Average. This was the tenth year in a row Mott has received Academic All State or Honorable Mention Academic All State.

The Waterford School District Robotics Team was awarded the Oakland County Championship Judges Award, “Spirit of OCCRA”. This team exemplified the overall goals of the Oakland County Competitive Robotics Association, such as teamwork, design for a specific function to compete and steady improvement of their robot from the first competition to the last. Congratulations to all of the students on the Robotics Team!

Congratulations to twelve students from Adams Elementary School, in grades 3-5, who attended the Young Authors Conference at Oakland Schools. These students shared their own work, listened to an author, and made writer’s notebooks.

Mott High School Student Lindsay Donaldson was named Channel 7 Athlete of the Week. She was presented her award and interviewed by Sports Director Don Shane. That presentation will air on Saturday, January 20 during the 11pm news and on Sunday, January 21 during Sports Update at 1130pm.

Each year, the Journalism Education Association holds an on-site competition in writing, design, and photography at its annual national convention. Eight Kettering yearbook and newspaper students were announced as winners in this extremely prestigious competition. Only the best and brightest journalism students from across the nation participate in these contests. Winners represented a total of 37 different states.
Kettering students brought home a new school record of eight awards! Five students were awarded with an EXCELLENT rating, and three with HONORABLE MENTIONS. Complete results are available at jea.org.

Cooley students, Zach Haapala and Anthony Joliat, participated in the National Young Scholars Program during the Summer of 2006 in Chicago, IL. They were among a group of students nominated by teachers, Deanna Barcey and Jamie Detter. Zach and Anthony chose to attend the program in Chicago. They met with some of the most highly acclaimed 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders in the nation for the opportunity to explore their areas of interest in depth, expand their knowledge, and above all, advance at the accelerated pace that is commensurate with their unique abilities. Young scholars chose a Leadership Strand, which is designed to sharpen their skills and abilities in seven key leadership areas.

The second annual Waterford Kettering Scholastic Marching Band Invitational took place at the Kettering High School stadium. Marching bands from ten different high schools competed, and attendance was again outstanding. This event gave people from all over metropolitan Detroit and beyond a chance to glimpse the wonderful new facilities of the Waterford School District, and every comment about the event was positive. Congratulations to band directors, Scott Adkins and Katie Stone, as well as the Kettering Band Boosters, who worked tirelessly to ensure the success of this event. Waterford Mott High School virtually swept the field, receiving awards for: -Best Overall Effect -Best Overall Marching -Best Overall Music -First place award for category Scholastic AA

Haviland fourth grade student, Melanie Batchelor, was presented with the "Peters Principals" (Medical Weight Loss Center) essay contest award. This award, sponsored by Peter Neilsen on WDIV Channel 4, discusses Health and Exercise. Melanie is one of 6 students from the Metro-Detroit area to be featured on this program. She was chosen because of her well-written speech and her commitment to live a healthy lifestyle through proper nutrition and exercise.

Ted Grossnickle, 2006 Mott graduate, is the recipient of a Leadership Advancement Scholarship at Central Michigan University. This $8,000 scholarship was awarded to 40 incoming freshmen out of a pool of over 1300 applicants. Ted will participate in a leadership cohort, taking a variety of specially designed classes with other leadership scholars, and will take part in planning and facilitating a variety of campus programs. At the completion of his bachelor’s program, he will have a minor in leadership. Central Michigan University is the only public institution in Michigan to offer this leadership concentration. While at Mott, Ted was involved in leadership positions in National Honor Society and SADD.

Mott Senior Awarded Certificate of Merit - Mott senior, Brittany Jean Vickery, was awarded a Certificate of Merit, from the Society of Women Engineers. She was recognized for her excellence in science and mathematics. Brittany was nominated by John Beinkowski, drafting and design teacher.

Kettering student, Ryan Chalou, received the congressional l medal of honor from Congressman Rogers for leadership/scholarship. He was awarded his medal at the State Capital.

Kettering students won 1st and 3rd place in the Micro Electric Vehicle Design competition held by the Society of Automotive Engineers. The students worked in teams of 2-5 people to design and build an electric vehicle that would run on one AA battery and tow a 6 oz. trailer up an inclined ramp.

Waterford Mott Freshman, Asia Rawls qualified for the State Track Meeting held at Rockford High School.  Asia qualified by placing first in the 400 meter at the Regional Track Meet.

The Michigan Interscholastic Press Association recognized Kettering and Mott High School students at its annual awards ceremony. Kettering was represented well in both the newspaper and yearbook competitions, including nine first-place finishes. Mott students garnered awards in the yearbook category as well with a first place finish and a gold award for the 2004-2005 Mott yearbook.

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