Issue link: http://frankenmuthcvb.uberflip.com/i/1172334
24 E.F. Rittmueller Middle School Principal, Kristen Hecht, spent three busy days in Washington DC the end of June at the National Middle Schools to Watch Conference. Four hundred sixty-five middle schools across eighteen states were represented at the conference. Keynote speakers at the conference included Rick Wormeli and Gerry Brooks. Rick Wormeli is one of the first Nationally Board Certified teachers in the United States who spent a majority of his teaching career at the middle level, is an author and educational consultant. Mr. Wormeli spoke to conference attendees about grading practices at the middle level. Gerry Brooks is a principal, author and recent social media sensation who uses real-world educational experiences, in a humorous way, to improve climate and culture in schools. Kristen was also selected to be a featured speaker at the conference. Her session entitled, Making a PAW-sitive Difference: Therapy Dogs in Schools, allowed her the opportunity to share EFR's journey of adding a therapy dog to their staff. While in Washington DC, Kristen had the opportunity to meet with John Moolenaar, who represents Michigan's Fourth Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. "It was wonderful to have his undivided attention for forty minutes allowing me to express my concerns about the current state of education in Michigan and the challenges facing middle school students," Hecht said. Another conference highlight was accepting the Schools to Watch Award on behalf of E.F. Rittmueller Middle School. Kristen summed up the experience saying, "It was an incredible conference specifically dedicated to learning more about and advocating for the young adolescent." SCHOOLS TO WATCH E.F. Rittmueller Middle School receives Schools to Watch award in Washington, D.C. Thank you! The Frankenmuth School District is thankful to the community of voters for their support in the recent election. The next few years will be very exciting. We strongly encourage our families to stay involved in our schools, and we invite those who don't have students to please visit our campus. Our Community Education department always has a great show just around the corner, see what's next at fmuthcommunityed.com/community-ed/ or check out our athletic events by going to frankenmuthathletics.com. If you are 62 or older, please stop into the Frankenmuth School District Office for a free athletic pass to our regular season games. The students appreciate the crowds – and we make great popcorn!