My Writing
One of the first things I learned in Yearbook was how to write a story. While writing stories taught me that not only was I a good listener when gathering quotes but the fact that I could depict important moments in a place that students and faculty can look back at and see that what they did in high school had an impact. Below are some stories that I wrote during my time in high school.
Change of Decor - The Executive 2022- MIPA 1st place
AVID and Woodshop students support building beautification by planting mums
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As rain hit her car windows on the way to school, teacher Kate Walker only had one plan in mind. Beautify that school.
On Friday, October 8, freshmen and sophomore AVID classes planted mums in the newly hand-made flower beds Woodshop classes created for the front entrance of the school. As community members donated dirt, mums and hosta's, Walker, Interact and AVID found new homes for the plants.
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"It was a community endeavor; the wooden planters were made by Mr. Davis woodshop students: the plants were donated by Superior Scape, a local landscaping company," Walker said. "The activity promotes community outreach, and it helps beautify our school."
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Planting flowers is a lot of work. Trying to figure out where to dig and still ensure the planters look nice was one of the most difficult parts. When the classes weren't working on the new flower beds, they were planting perennials in front of the main office.
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"It made me feel like a decent person being part of the community, and it allows me to be able to help people in need," sophomore Megan Gifford said.
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The underclassmen AVID classes planning to adopt a Ford family during the holiday season and continue their efforts in school beautification.
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"I hope to contribute more community service and help the school to become more beautiful, by either planting more or even picking up the grounds outside of the school," freshman Jessica Blake said.
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As the clouds start to clear, and the sun shines, the area in front of the main office turns into a bright, colorful array of Mums and Hosta's that welcome guest into the building.
Although I struggled with spelling and grammar the help of my editors and advisor helped make me more confident in my writing. During my freshman year I ended up becoming a frequent writer, with a total of 15 stories written that year. By writing so many stories I was able to by the end write a well written story within one class period which is 52 minutes long.
Reflection
Pink power - The Executive 2022
To honor principal Lori Singleton, seniors Shaelyn Minor and Vanya Calandrucci sells ribbons to raise money for a breast cancer charity
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After returning to school, senior Shaelyn Minor couldn't take her mind off of principal Lori Singleton's absence. Minor was driven to do friends. I feel very blessed to have them in my something special for Singleton.
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As October and Breast Cancer Awareness Month approached, Minor continued to think about Singleton and her battle with Breast Cancer. Minor had a few ideas of how to show support for principal Singleton during the month of October. She chose to make a video, sell pink ribbons during all lunches, and then donate the profits of the ribbons to the Susan G. Komen Foundation under Singleton's name
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"It is very important that our school recognizes Mrs. Singleton. I felt a drive to be part of bringing awareness to her story," Minor said. "I wanted her to know people were still thinking about her even though she is not here."
Office staff supported her by making "Team Singleton" shirts to wear on treatment days.
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"The journey is hard; some days are better than others. Everyone faces illness differently, but I never felt alone because I have so many people who love, pray, and support me. That has kept me strong and focused on the future," Singleton said. "The level of support left me speechless. I have received such an outpouring of support from family, staff, students, and friends. I feel Very blessed to have them in my life."
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All the support has allowed Singleton to be able relax, take care of her medical needs and take time to adjust to her new routine.
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"One of the hardest adjustments for me is sitting at home," Singleton said. "I have been in education for 23 years, so seeing everything happening from the sidelines has been hard."
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Even though treatment has been difficult, Singleton finds ways to stay part of the community and maintain hope.
"I try to keep a positive outlook. At this point in my treatment the statistics are on my side and that gives me hope," Singleton said.
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Minor brought the student body together and ended up selling all of the pink ribbons and raising over 300 dollars to donate under Singleton's name. Singleton later returned to school following spring break.
One of the things that made this story unique was the fact that I never met the principal of our school who had cancer before I wrote this story. Due to Our Principal being out on medical leave I had to Interview her over the phone. That alone made me very nervous, because not only did she not know me I wanted to make sure that I was getting the facts straight, and respecting her boundaries, Now that I am In my senior year my principal and I have one of the best relationships, and the fact that how we meet was over the phone because I was writing a story will always leave a lasting impact on me. By writing this story it taught me everyone has a story to tell
Reflection
Be O-Pin to New Things- The Executive 2023
With many new players lining up at tryouts, the JV bowling team welcomes first time bowlers
As the player releases the ball, bowlers wait to see if it hits the second arrow.
The start of the season is the time for teams to get new recruits. Contrary to what the coaches expected, many first-time bowlers showed up to join the team.
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"The reason I joined the team is because I wanted to get better at bowling and I thought that it was a good atmosphere when I was talking to people on the team about it," senior Alex Dubey said. "Something I realized throughout the season is that no matter how you are doing at a meet or a tournament you need to just have fun."
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Although most of the boys on these teams are new to the sport, the main contributor to their success is the team atmosphere.
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"I have learned a lot from Hunter Earl especially when trying to get better rotation and take it slow when walking on the approach," sophomore Derek Droelle said. "I learned a lot of team work because when your team is down you have to cheer them up so they don't get in your head especially when you are having a rough game."
Even though they are two separate JV teams, they still practice together and baker against one another, so they are ready when they go to tournaments and meets.
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"The proudest that I have been this season was when we won our first tournament," sophomore Christopher Keiser said. "When working with everyone I have learned that when you are getting ready to bowl, I try to think about something different so I won't get in my head and mess up."
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As the ball makes its way down the lane the team hopes it hits the pocket perfectly.
While writing this story about JV bowling, I was on Varsity Girls bowling team. By being on one of the bowling teams myself gave me the knowledge to write the story using the correct terms along with being able to talk to people for quotes in a timely manner. By having the proper knowledge, it made the story more personable for the bowlers along with more factual. Even though that I was on the team we continued to have to go back and get more information make the story better, which taught me to never give up until you have enough information to have a great story.
Reflection
From Fashion to Passion- The Executive 2023
Senior Lilly Steele ventures into the world of fashion & skating
As she sets up her sewing machine and chooses the correct thread, senior Lily Steele begins creating her own outfits.
Back in the eighth grade is when Steele first discovered her love for design through different TV shows and designers.
"When I watched the show called Scream Queens, one of the show's fashion designers was Karl Lagerfeld; he was one of the clothing designers for the show." Steele said. "He made me intrigued with all of the unique aspects of being a fashion designer and made me want to look into it as a possible hobby."
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From skirts to dresses, Steele creates all types of clothing pieces.
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"My favorite things to design and make are dresses, because I love seeing the final product of the design," Steele said. "It is always amazing to see how it looks on an actual person and how it moves when they walk."
Knowing how to design and sew also allows Steele to design and create her own figure skating costumes for her shows. Because she has knowledge of creating all types of clothes, she is able to come up with new ideas of her own.
"I'm a figure skater and a fashion designer, and making my own costumes gives me more freedom in choosing them because I can make them myself," Steele said. "Being a figure skater lets me show off two of my skills at one time."
Stepping onto the ice in her newly designed costume, Steele glides on her skates, expressing herself through her clothes and technique.
Knowing that I was going to primarily work on the people section my sophomore year I started to write this story at the end of my freshman year. By writing this story at the end of the year it made my job easier going into the next year knowing that a story was already done, but also by having not looked at it since the past school year it helped me learn how to edit my own work and how to edit others work. I was put in charge of the people section because I had to take the journalism class instead of yearbook due to a scheduling conflict. By being in the journalism hour, it made me more independent, and I was able to learn more aspects of journalism other than just writing stories and captions.
Reflection
It All Starts Here Divider writing
Before You know It- Weekley Divider 2025 Executive
As the school year begings, and the weeks going by, we don’t realize how quickly the four years we have with each other before saying goodbye arrives. Each year we only have 180 days to accomplish our common goals, through joining clubs, sports, or even new classes- it all starts HERE.
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From performing in school plays like “Seussical” or “Night at the Macabre” to conducting experiments in Chemistry, competing in the dodge ball tournament , or cheering on the sidelines, we know although the daily schedule may be changing, the motivation to thrive together is unchanging.
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HERE is where our futures begin. From attending the career fair, deciding where we want to go to college and or taking a mental break to celebrate the end of a quarter, the time we are given to make it count shows our determination to follow through. With each new event or path taken truly shows that it all starts HERE.
All Roads Lead Here- Reference Divider 2025 Executive
Throughout the year we see all the ways our school becomes its own community and supports those around us.
From donating 10,000 cans of food for shelters and local churches, to raising money as a part of DECA projects, to earning community service hours by participating in clubs, and coming together as a student body to celebrate holidays and the end of the semester with spirit week and cookie decorating, we see the impact we have HERE on our community.
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Giving back allows us the opportunity to see the effect we have on our community and how every event brings us together in one location where we can relate to and help each other.
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Learning the meaning of giving back allows us to see ways we can impact the future and how we can help others. At school or hanging out with friends, every corner we turn we see the effect on the community we have HERE and now but also how we can change for the future.
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Being part of our community shows that we belong here.
Even though I was a primary piece of helping figure out our yearbook theme for 2025, having to write our theme pages was a challenge for me. Unlike my Co-Editors I didn't have the opportunity to write a divider during my junior year. Even though that was the case I ended up writing two dividers that I believe helped develop or theme even further.
Reflection
Welcome to the "Zen Den"
Ever need a space to relax or just be quiet? Welcome to the Henry Ford II “Zen Den.”
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An initiative that was made this year by school counselor, Wendy Johnson, and supported by principal Lori Singleton, was to create a space where students can go and relax by doing calming activities, or just hanging with their peers. Once they finalized the details and the logistics of this space, the counseling department introduced the new Zen Den. The Zen Den is located right off the lunchroom where students can access it during lunch.
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“The Zen Den was introduced to address this growing prevalence of teenage anxiety and depression to provide emotional support for students while learning about wellness strategies. Research has shown that utilizing these strategies can lead to lifelong benefits in all aspects of their life,” Singleton said.
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By creating the Zen Den at Henry Ford II High School, Singleton and Jonson want it to align with their broader mission to support student wellness, improve school culture, and enhance academic outcomes by addressing students' mental health needs.
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“I really like how relaxing the Zen Den is, and how it allows me to unwind during the middle of the school day,” Henry Ford II High School senior, James Thomas, said. “The Zen Den gives me a breather from the noisy, overcrowded commons which is nice.”
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In the Zen Den students have access to board games, puzzles, crafts, fidgets and so much more. Knowing that the new area would need some of these activities Singleton prioritized funding the initiative, which ensured the program would meet the needs of the student population.
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“The Zen Den allows me to recharge, refresh, and give me energy for the second half of the day,” Henry Ford II Highschool junior Coleton Polk said.
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Within the short time the space has been open, they have continued to receive positive feedback and have more than 100 students visit the room every week.
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“The emotional well-being of students has become one of the top priorities at Henry Ford II High School, with the importance of providing a safe and quiet space for students to reset and develop coping skills. The idea has been positively received by both students and staff,” Singleton said. “Students appreciate the emotional support and coping skills offered, and the space has been well-utilized by all.”
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Henry Ford II High School hopes that providing the Zen Den will help students develop effective coping strategies for emotional resilience, ultimately benefiting their academic performance and overall well-being.
As a part of my new job working as the Community Relations Intern for Utica Community Schools, which is the second largest school district in the state of Michigan I was tasked to write a story about a new concept about the "Zen Den" at henry ford II High School. By the story being related to my home school I was able to finish it only one and a half hours. With it being finished so quickly my managers we shocked, but what shocked them even more was the little number of corrections that needed to be made.
Reflection
From School to Success: Teaching Professional Skills for Real-World Impact
Students learn the importance of reading, writing and arithmetic throughout their entire K-12 years. Now, two Henry Ford II High School business students are reinforcing the importance of professional skills with elementary, junior high and high school students.
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Senior Isabella Lucaj and sophomore Lily Camps attended schools across the district to help teach students the importance of professional skills that they can use in the future. Professional skills are a habit, personality trait or ability that positively affects your performance in the workplace, like leadership, teamwork and more.
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“From our presentation and activities, I hope students can learn how to apply these skills and why they make such a difference, even in a casual conversation. By simply maintaining eye contact, demonstrating a good work ethic, and engaging in discussions, you show that you are paying attention and care about what the other person is saying. People take note of your daily actions, and by adapting these characteristics, people think more highly about you,” Camps said.
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In March Lucaj and Camps will be competing at DECA States in downtown Detroit for a spot to compete at DECA Internationals located in Orlando, Florida.
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"My class wishes them good luck. Their idea is unique and essential for this generation. They did an outstanding job of engaging students with relevant information to help them be successful in their professional lives," Shelby Junior High School teacher Erin Chambers said.
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To help hold the attention of all ages, the girls used activities like a Kahoot and puzzles which helped teach the importance of communication skills and leadership.
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“Professional skills are a vital part of life. It is amazing watching high school DECA members help the younger students learn about these skills and prepare for their futures,” Henry Ford II High School teacher Jennifer Milke said.
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Not only did this teach students valuable skills for the future but it also informed them of the opportunities and clubs that they have access to once they get to high school.
After receiving a tip from a teacher in the school district about these girls going to the elementary schools and junior high schools teaching students about skills that are known as soft skills. My managers decided to have me follow up with the students and then write a story about what I now know was a part of their DECA project. Writing this story taught me not only the valuable skills that soft skills are but also the impact that our generation can have on the younger generations.