State Senator John Proos has wrapped up his annual Southwest Michigan school spirit contest and announced the winner.
The social network contest spanned six weeks and the schools were divided into four brackets named for features characterizing Southwest Michigan.
Marcellus students and fans submitted over 300 photos in the contest to earn the win. In addition to the traveling trophy, the school was given a special tribute signed by Governor Synder, state representatives Al Pscholka and Matt Lori, state senators Proos and Bruce Caswell, and Congressman Fred Upton.
Summer is winding to a close and another school year is about to start. As parents, it is time for us to play our important role of ensuring that our children are prepared to learn.
A good education is critical for children to become tomorrow’s skilled workers and strong leaders, and an active parent can have a huge impact on a child’s desire to learn.
Research has shown that students whose parents are involved in their school work are more motivated and set higher career goals than students with less-involved parents. While helping our children understand classroom material at an early age helps improve their chances for success, visiting a child’s school has also been cited as a key factor in a student’s development.
I encourage all Southwest Michigan parents to try and make time to help and support your young students. The Michigan Department of Education has many helpful resources in the “Parent Engagement” section of its website at: http://www.michigan.gov/mde.
To parents of first-time students, this time may seem daunting, but the best thing you can do to ensure a child’s academic success is simply to be there for them. Ensure they get plenty of sleep, arrive to school on time, complete their homework and eat healthy meals.
And remember that the framework to success also lies in building up a child’s self-confidence with positive reinforcement and encouragement.
Senator Proos speaks with sportsmen at the annual Sportsman’s Jamboree in Dowagiac
Hunting in Michigan’s great outdoors is a tradition for many Southwest Michigan families and out-of-state visitors. Helping attract more hunters to Michigan than any other state, our rich hunting heritage plays a key role in our economy and way of life.
Deer firearm season is Nov. 15-30 and is the most popular deer hunting season, but it’s not the only one. In fact, antlerless deer license applications are already on sale through Aug. 15.
I encourage interested hunters to apply for an antlerless deer license. The good news is that there are no limits on the number of public-land licenses you can buy during the season until the quota is met. The bad news is that the quota has been reduced this year as a result of the harsh winter. This means that licenses may sell out.
Hunters may apply for one license in any open deer management unit (DMU). A nonrefundable $5 fee is charged at the time of application. Starting Sept. 4, drawing results and leftover license availability may be viewed at http://www.michigan.gov/huntdrawings. Beginning Sept. 11 at 10 a.m., any leftover licenses will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis.
Residents may apply for one private-land or public-land license at http://www.mdnr-elicense.com. Young hunters, ages 9-16, can also purchase one junior antlerless deer license over the counter until Aug. 15. No application is required.
For all but one DMU, hunters are limited to purchasing five private-land licenses. However, private-land licenses within certain DMUs can enable hunters to take advantage of the early or late antlerless firearm seasons.
The early antlerless firearm season is Sept. 20-21 in DMUs generally located in the Grand Traverse Bay area and in eastern Michigan from Monroe to Presque Isle County.
The late antlerless season runs Dec. 22 to Jan. 1 in the same DMUs as the early season, plus every county south of Ludington – including all of Southwest Michigan.
State Senator John Proos 