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HomeProfiles of Students, Staff, Teachers

Profiles of Students, Staff, Teachers

Hark! I hear she’s Teacher of the Year

Rockford Riley Kelley
MSVMA Teacher of the Year Mandy Scott leads the choir at Rockford High School

From pain to passion to PE

East Grand Rapids Riley Kelley
When Tarwo Konbloa came to the U.S. from Africa, he never thought of teaching as a possible career path.

‘My kids are counting on me’

Kent City Beth Heinen Bell
In conjunction with SNN’s first decade of education reporting, we sat down with teacher Amber Powell to talk about her first 10 years in education: the changes she’s seen, the new perspectives she’s gained and the dreams she has for the future.

Sandy Hook anniversary: Schools, parents support new safety measures

SNN 10th Anniversary Charles Honey
To celebrate our 10th anniversary, your School News Network team is re-publishing some early stories from each school district. This story, originally published in December 2013, examines what school safety measures looked like throughout Kent ISD districts just one year after the 2012 Sandy Hook school shooting.

‘They have the potential to be whatever they want to be’

Wyoming Erin Albanese
Principal Dana Stein helps students thrive by learning mindfulness and self-regulation.

A voice for others, he inspires and educates

Lowell Erin Albanese
“When people say I overcome these disadvantages, they are not innate disadvantages within me,” he says, “they are disadvantages placed on me by the world.”

To be or not to be, or to just be all the things

Grandville Beth Heinen Bell
This fifth-grader has a whole host of dreams for his future, and while he doesn’t know what direction life will take him, he’s excited for it all. 

She keeps this garden growing

Byron Center Alexis Stark
Parent volunteer Christie Koester’s green thumb and grant-writing capabilities helped Countryside Elementary receive $1,700 for their school garden. 

Music teacher awakens ‘dead guys,’ seals grant money, gets students moving

SNN 10th Anniversary Erin Albanese
To celebrate our 10th anniversary, your School News Network team is re-publishing some early stories from each school district. This story, originally published in June 2014, profiles a Comstock Park teacher who provides a “full-body, hands-on experience” for students in her elementary music classes.

She teaches by day, performs whenever she can 

Byron Center Alexis Stark
Byron Center orchestra teacher Madison Peters has integrated her first love — music — with her second: teaching.

A place for greatness: Student art display dates back decades

Sparta Riley Kelley
A student art showcase at Sparta’s administration building gives the school an opportunity to celebrate success.

Keeping kids in school to increase success

SNN 10th Anniversary School News Network
To celebrate our 10th anniversary, your School News Network team is re-publishing some early stories from each school district. This story, originally published in fall 2013, takes a look at Godfrey-Lee’s “All Day Every Day” initiative and its impact on absenteeism, grades and graduation rates.

Already thinking page count & merch

Kent City Alexis Stark
Fourth-grader Xavier Beiter isn’t waiting until he grows up to pursue his passion of writing and illustrating comic books. 

Can she convince you to take a pie in the face?

Northview Morgan Jarema
This elementary school volunteer and PTC president had the confidence of the community behind her to take on another commitment to the district: school board member.

Senior shines on the soccer field, looks toward the future

Godwin Heights Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
Henry Lopez-Pinedo’s plans after high school include continuing to play soccer, whether professionally or in college

Fourth-graders use their voice to lift up peers

Wyoming Erin Albanese
Delivering sack suppers, planning school improvements and helping kindergartners are all ways these fourth-graders are helping out.
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School News Network reports on the 20 public school districts in Kent County, which enroll more than 90,000 students. Founded in 2013, we are an editorially independent news site funded by Kent ISD, local districts and community sponsors, and powered by an experienced team of reporters, editors and photojournalists. We specialize in covering classroom teaching and learning, analyzing the many issues that enhance or discourage student success, and highlighting the education magic that happens each day in our public schools.

Contact us: snn@kentisd.org

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