Meet Bleau–CLK School’s New Therapy Dog

Students at CLK Schools have a friend to turn to when they need a little encouragement–and maybe their face licked.

Bleau is a school therapy dog, who came to the school thanks to a Trauma Grant from the Portage Health Foundation.

The School Board was introduced to the furry faculty member at their Board of Education meeting Tuesday.

Schools have been utilizing therapy dogs for a while now and teachers and administrators have witnessed the positive effects they have on students.

Having therapy dogs in the classroom provide physical, social, cognitive, emotional and mental health benefits.

Not to mention, they are really cute.

In other business, the CLK Board:

– was introduced to new elementary paraprofessional Danielle Woods;

– congratulated the following students on being valedictorians with a G.P.A. of 4.000 for the 2019 graduating class:

• Jonna A. Berg – Daughter of Matthew & Lynn Berg of Hancock
• Elicia J. Giachino – Daughter of Jonathon & Leigh Giachino of Calumet
• Roxanne R. Oja – Daughter of Glen & Diana Oja of Calumet
• Vera E. Peterson – Daughter of Luke & Hanna Peterson of Calumet
• Miranda E. Rich – Daughter of Dennis Rich & Patricia Mathes-Rich of Calumet
• Kalub R. Strom – Son of Nathan & Mary Parker of Laurium

– congratulated Tajah Davise for taking 1st Place at the Poetry Out Loud State Finals held in Lansing on March 1st & 2nd. Congratulations were also extended to her Advisor Lacey O’Donnell. The Board also wished Tajah the best of luck at the National Competition to be held in Washington D.C. from April 29th-May 1st;

– congratulated those students who placed at the Regional Spelling Bee and wished them good-luck at the U.P. Spelling Bee to be held in Negaunee on March 13th:

• 5th Grade: Hannah Hyrkas – 2nd Place
• 6th Grade: Carter Worm – 1st Place
• 7th Grade: Sheila McDonald – 2nd Place

– congratulated inductees into Calumet High School’s National Honor Society, along with their Advisor Joe Heflin;

The new members are:

• Emma Aho
• Eden Bedore
• Jonna Berg
• Danika Billeck
• Lillian Bruchman
• Morgan Erkkila
• Maija Eskola
• Olivia Hamlin
• Christian Holmstrom
• Abby Isaacson
• Carli Jacques
• Lexi Johnson
• Grace Jung
• Courtney Kangas
• Kristi Keranen
• Ayla King
• Anna Kingstrom
• Scott Loukus
• Ada McDonald
• Elijah McParlan
• Samuel Oja
• Gwendalynn Pasich
• Ty Pellegrini
• Lukas Pfau
• Abby Pietila
• Serenity Snyder
• Hannah Soumis
• Kalub Strom
• Ellen Sturos
• Trevor Torola
• Hanna Tuoriniemi
• Zachary Vaitkevicius
• Thomas Voelker
• Zander Worm

– commended and congratulated the 2019 boys’ varsity and J.V. basketball teams and Coaches’ Mike Ojala and Frank Bonacorsi on their seasons. The Board expressed special recognition to players on their individual honors:

• Matthew Ojala WestPAC All Conference Dream Team
• Travis Ojala WestPAC All Conference First Team Copper
• Elijah McParlan WestPAC All Conference Honorable Mention

– commended and congratulated the varsity and J.V. hockey teams and coaches Daniel Giachino, Josh Frantti and Todd Lightfoot on their seasons. The Board expressed special recognition to players on their individual honors:

• Brent Loukus GLHC Player of the Year Coach
• Dan Giachino GLHC Coach of the Year
• Samuel Erkkila GLHC First Team – Forward
• Tanner Rowe GLHC First Team – Forward
• Cameron Kauppinen GLHC Second Team – Defense
• Dean Loukus GLHC Honorable Mention – Forward
• Joshua VanDenburg GLHC Honorable Mention – Defense
• Alexander Studebaker GLHC Honorable Mention – Goalie

• Brent Loukus All State 1st Team Forward
• Samuel Erkkila All State 1st Team Forward
• Tanner Rowe All State 2nd Team Forward
• Joshua VanDenburg All State 2nd Team Defense
• Cameron Kauppinen All State Honorable Mention – Defense
• Alexander Studebaker All State Honorable Mention – Goalie
• Joshua VanDenburg Hobey Baker Character Award

Academic All-State Team Award – 3.09 GPA

Academic All-State Individual Awards:

• Nickolas Djerf – 3.947
• Brent Loukus – 3.915
• Dean Loukus – 3.790
• Samuel Erkkila – 3.583
• Scott Loukus – 3.517

– commended the 2019 Calumet High School Varsity Bowling team and Coach Bill Bastion on their season;

– commended and congratulated the 2019 Girls’ Basketball teams and Coaches’ Matthew Laho and Alexis Rowe on their seasons. The Board expressed special recognition to players on their individual honors:

• Celia Kiilunen WestPAC All Conference First Team Copper
• Elissa Djerf WestPAC All Conference Honorable Mention

– congratulated the Calumet High School Band on their Division 1 rating at the MSBOA District Band Festival held in Houghton on February 22nd, along with their Director Ryan Watt;

– congratulated the High School Science Olympiad members, coaches and volunteers: Darrell Hendrickson, John Asiala, Nilufer & Soner Onder, Heather and Dave Koskiniemi, Jocelyn Gilliland, Tony Matthys, Peter and Kim Vaitkevicius, Genna Studebaker, Wendy Wiinamaki, and Kris Tienhaara on their 2nd place finish at Regional Tournament competition, which was held in Marquette on Saturday, February 16th. The Board wishes the high school team good luck at the state competition to be held on April 27th in Lansing:

• Ada McDonald & Annastiina Kesti 1st Astronomy
• Annastiina Kesti & Ada McDonald 1st Forensics
• Christian Holmstrom & Zach Vaitkevicius 1st Geologic Mapping
• Leah Riutta & Emma Aho 1st Sounds of Music
• Leah Riutta & Serenity Snyder 1st Water Quality
• Zach Vaitkevicius & Serenity Snyder 1st Write Stuff
• Ada McDonald & Ani Schneiderhan 1st Write It/Do It
• Annastiina Kesti & Emma Aho 2nd Anatomy/Physiology
• Serenity Snyder & Zander Worm 2nd Circuit Lab
• Zander Worm & Lowell Torola 2rd Mission Possible
• Christian Holmstrom & Annastiina Kesti 2nd Protein Modeling
• Zander Worm & Lowell Torola 2nd Thermodynamics
• Leah Riutta & Ani Schneiderhan 3rd Disease Detectives
• Leah Riutta & Jamie Rogers 3rd Dynamic Planet
• Serenity Snyder, Lillian Bruchman, & Ani Schneiderhan 3rd Experimental Design
• Christian Holmstrom & Zach Vaitkevicius 3rd Mousetrap Vehicle

– congratulated the Middle School Science Olympiad members, coaches and volunteers: Darrell Hendrickson, John Asiala, Nilufer & Soner Onder, Heather and Dave Koskiniemi, Jocelyn Gilliland, Tony Matthys, Peter and Kim Vaitkevicius, Genna Studebaker, Wendy Wiinamaki, and Kris Tienhaara on their 2nd place finish at Regional Tournament competition, which was held in Marquette on Saturday, February 16th. The Board wishes the middle school team good luck at the state competition to be held on April 27th in Lansing:

• Shelby Wiinamaki 1st Fossils
• Abby Tienhaara 1st Disease Detectives
• Emma Peters & Shelby Wiinamaki 1st Water Quality
• Ava Nagel & Keating Dinsmore 1st Density Lab
• Reece White & Abby Tienhaara 1st Disease Detectives
• Carolyn Bruchman & Shelby Wiinamaki 1st Fossils
• Reece White & Braden Miller 1st Road Scholar
• Emma Peters & Shelby Wiinamaki 1st Water Quality
• Helen Erickson 2nd Crime Busters
• Emma Peters & Shelby Wiinamaki 2nd Heredity
• Jaremay Moreau 2nd Mystery Architecture
• Helen Erickson 2nd Potions and Poisons
• Helen Erickson 2nd Write It/Do It
• Helen Erickson & Meliina Kesti 2nd Crime Busters
• Braden Miller & Keating Dinsmore 2nd Game On
• Kailin Aho & Abigayle Harris-Berryman 2nd Game On(Alt. team)
• Emma Peters & Shelby Wiinamaki 2nd Heredity
• Jaremay Moreau & Ava Nagel 2nd Mystery Architecture
• Keating Dinsmore & Helen Erickson 2nd Potions and Poisons
• Helen Erickson & Carolyn Bruchman 2nd Write It & Do It
• Jaremay Moreau & Reece White 3rd Battery Buggy
• Nathaniel Geronimo & Jack Sever 3rd Battery Buggy(Alt. team)
• Holly Gilliland & Meliina Kesti 3rd Elastic Launch Glider
• Keating Dinsmore & Meliina Kesti 3rd Anatomy &Physiology
• Braden Miller, Ava Nagel & Helen Erickson 3rd Experimental Design
• Carter Worm & Abby Tienhaara 3rd Dynamic Planet
• Jaremay Moreau 3rd Battery Buggy
• Helen Erickson 3rd Experimental Design
• Abby Tienhaara 3rd Dynamic Planet
• Mackenzie Lishinski & Sabrina Wilkins 3rd Fossils (Alt. team)
• Kailin Aho & Ione Laramore 3rd Water Quality (Alt. team)
• Liam Sullivan & Abigayle Harris-Berryman 3rd Crime Busters (Alt. team)

Alternate Team Members: Mary DeMarois, Liam Sullivan, Sofia Rivera-Lozano, Isaiah Knuuttila, Jared Lundy, Ione Laramore and Maija White, had a strong showing in alternate team competition;

– commended those that took part in the 16th Annual Wake-Up-and-Read Family Breakfast held on Friday, March 1st;

– nominated the following student and staff members on being recognized by the Copper Country Association of School Boards at their 2019 Award’s Ceremony:

• Student Leadership Award: Miss Tajah Davise
• Outstanding Education Employee Award: Mr. Dave
• Cima School Service Award: Mr. Robert Erkkila
• Leadership Award Nominee: Michigan State Police

– commended Dorothy Jamison for her dedication as Athletic Trainer during March 2019 National Athletic Trainer Month;

– extended appreciation to Aspirus Keweenaw Hospital for providing athletic training services free of charge to CLK Schools;

– thanked the CLK Elementary Health Team on being awarded $5500 in grant funds as part of the UP Health Project to improve nutrition awareness, increase physical activity, and address the social-emotional well-being of elementary students. The CLK Health Team members are Tristan Baranowski, Jennifer Davidson, Julie Fenton, Heather Hainault, Amy Hakala, Matthew Hampton, Carol Janckila, Darren Kinnunen, Mike Ojala, Cathy Olsson, Steve Parks, Deb Pavolich, Holly Rivest, Melissa Schneiderhan, Kathy Wetton, and NMU Student Teacher, Taylor Olson;

– extended their appreciation to Meg North for her successful grant totaling $607 from DonorsChoose.org to provide a Monoprice Maker Ultimate 3D printer for her classroom;

– congratulated Deb Pavolich, CLK Elementary School 4th Grade Teacher, on having her book “Last Chance for Outside” published and available for sale on Amazon;

– established Tuesday, September 3, 2019, as the first day of school for the 2019-2020 school year;

– accepted with regret the retirement notice of Mrs. Holly Rivest, CLK Elementary Principal, effective June 30, 2019;

– accepted with regret the retirement notice of Mr. Kevin Heikkinen, CLK Building Supervisor, effective July 1, 2019;

– approved the change to the Evaluation Clause of the Superintendent’s contract;

– extended the superintendent’s current two year continuing contract for an additional year;

– terminated the School Nurse contract with Aspirus Keweenaw Hospital and appointed Carey Sullivan to the CLK School District Nurse position effective April 1, 2019.

– adopted driver education fees for 2019-20 school year: $210/district students and $420/out-of-district students;

– accepted the revised budgets for the 2018-19 school year;

– accepted the Base Bid + Additive Alternate A-2 of H&H Civil Construction for Contract 2 of the Agassiz Field Bond Project;

– accepted the resignation of Mrs. Joni Carlson as middle school girl’s track coach effective immediately;

The next Board of Education meeting will be Tuesday, April 16th at 5:30 p.m.