| Mission Statement: |
|
| The staff of the Andy Steensma Insurance Agency is committed to providing prompt, efficient and friendly service. |
 |
| Where integrity and service make the difference. |
|
|
We would like to be involved in your school. Do you have activities you would like us to help sponsor? We are always looking for new ways to partner with schools to help students and teachers in these difficult economic times.
Congratulations to Eugenia Marve, one of nineteen educators that received the Michigan Youth Arts Festival's Outstanding Educator of the Year award. The Michigan Youth Arts Festival Outstanding Educator of the Year Award was established to
recognize the exemplary achievements of educators in the areas of creative writing, dance, film/video, music, theatre and visual arts.
Ms. Marve was recognized at the Awards dinner, sponsored by MEEMIC Insurance Company, on May 11 2007. Ms. Marve works in the Grand Rapids Public School district and was presented with $250 for her school by representatives from the Steensma Agency.
Congratulations to the following MEEMIC mini-grant recipients:
Sheri Ippel, Trudy Ngo-Brown and Dr. Judith Vander Woude of the RIDE (Readers in Determined Education) Institute at Calvin College recieved a $1,500 mini-grant from the MEEMIC Foundation for the Future of Education. The team petitioned the foundation to underwrite the RIDE Institute, a summer learning program for students with below grade level rading skills.
Ms. Ngo-Brown said, "The RIDE Institute, as part of Calvin College's Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology prgram, was designed to improve the literacy skills of students in grades 2-5 who have limited success with traditional classroom reading instruction. The RIDE Institute served over 60 elementary students in the Grand Rapids area this past summer, helping them to improve their reading, memory and comprehension. Parents liked the small teacher to student ratio (1:5) and noticed improvement in their children's attitudes toward reading. We're very thankful that the MEEMIC Foundation is providing support in our efforts to help children succeed."
Mrs. Gail Aldridge, a math teacher at Thornapple-Kellogg Middle School in Middleville, MI receive a $1,300 mini-grant from the MEEMIC Founcation for the Future of Education. Mrs. Aldridge petitioned the foundation to underwrite the cost of LEGO Mindstormer kits for her 8th grade robotics class.
Gail Aldridge said, "In the LEGO robotics class last year, my students worked in teams and learned to program and build a variety of robots. Each pair of students worked at their own pace with a computer and a robotic kit. This program was so successful that I just had to find a way to make it available for our 8th graders, too. It was truly amazing to see how interested students were in this class! I acutally had a wating list of kids, so I'm very thankful to the MEEMIC Foundation for their support. Now, we'll be able to offer robotics to even more students at our school.
Congratulations to Kristen Gray of Bursley Elementary School in Jenison. She received a $750 mini-grant for software which enabled teachers to create visual supports (or language labels) for children with limited communication skills due to autism.
Congratulations to Gary Schmit for receiving a MEEMIC Foundation mini-grant for 2006. The money will help fund the Youth Writing Festival for students in grades Kindergarten through Twelfth from area public, private, and charter schools. The Festival targets under-funded inner city schools that may not have school libraries, and where many students struggle to develop reading and writing skills. This program is more than just a couple days out of the classroom for students. It was put in place in order to create in children, young and old, a passion for reading and writing. The children have the opportunity to meet nationally recognized authors and illustrators, receive instruction on their own writing from local authors and poets, and are provided with the opportunity to explore vocational opportunities in the field of writing. This program serves about 1,600 Elementary students, 800 Middle School students and 450 High School students. In addition, it also encourages about 300 area teachers and librarians to expand teaching strategies by providing lesson plans and web sites and bringing authors into the schools to enhance both classroom teaching and learning. We hope this funding will provide the Festival with resources to help teach these children to not only improve their reading and writing skills but also develop a passion for doing it.
Mr. Dale Dykema, a teacher at Pinewood Middle School in Kentwood, MI, received a $2,336 mini-grant from the MEEMIC Foundation for the Future of Education.
Mr. Dale Dykema petitioned the Foundation for funds to promote and sustain the Pinewood Puppets project. Ms. Sue Meier said, "Pinewood Puppets will allow my students to bring healthy living skills to students in grades Kindergarten through Sixth in the Kentwood Public School System. Many outcomes will be seen in the choices and decisions made by students as they learn how to live a healthy and safe lifestyle."
Local MEEMIC Insurance Company Agents, Andy and Phyllis Steensma of the Andy Steensma Insurance Agency located in Kentwood, MI said, "The Andy Steensma Agency is committed to offering support to our local schools, and, as part of that mission, we're happy to spread the word to area teachers about the MEEMIC Foundation mini-grant program. Mr. Dykema's Pinewood Puppets project is sure to keep students excited about healthy living skills and its application to the real world --and we're delighted his program was chosen to be funded!"
Congratulations to Ellane Kleckler, a bus driver with Kentwood Schools, who received a 2005 MEEMIC Foundation grant for $1500. The grant will be used to fund a program to teach school bus safety to Kindergarten through Second grade students in all eleven Kentwood elementary schools. She uses a robot to teach kids how to be safe both on and off the bus. The lessons show students how to wait, ride and unload safely by teaching them to stay away from the "Danger Zone". This program is now entering its seventh year and has contributed greatly to the safety of many students. We are delighted to be able to support this important program.
Congratulations to Ed Boer for receiving a MEEMIC Foundation mini-grant of $1,066. He used the grant to fund a Quiz Bowl for 2005. This program focused on Wyoming Public School sixth graders at both Jackson Park and Newhall Middle Schools. It was a contest setting, similar to the formal Academic Quiz Bowls, where students compete against each other by "buzzing in" on electronic buzzers to answer questions of increasing difficulty. They started in their classrooms, and those that excelled were able to participate in an assembly for the 'Final Contest' where each student strived to be the best. The main goal of the Quiz Bowl was to enhance classroom instruction by raising awareness of current events, promoting thinking and listening skills and rewarding academic mastery. This goal was accomplished as many students enjoyed not only the game, but learning new things and feeling a sense of accomplishment for doing well. One student said, "It was exciting and I learned a lot! It stretches your thinking skills!" Our hope is that this grant helped the program to grow so that more children can enjoy learning new things in this forum.
For information on how to apply for a grant see the MEEMIC Foundation
The Andy Steensma Insurance Agency supports numerous activities in the Kent and eastern Ottawa county school districts.
Our agency works with MHSAA in presenting to the athletic directors or coaches the "Good Sports Are Winners" awards for the surrounding districts.
The Andy Steensma Insurance Agency sponsors golf "holes" and makes donations to various schools and athletic teams.
Our agency works with many districts in sponsoring:
Staff Breakfasts
New Teacher/Staff Lunches
Teacher Orientations
Treats for staff meetings
Awards honoring staff or students
The Michigan High School Athletic Association's Good Sports Are Winners! Award honors schools at all levels of selected tournaments for displaying the highest levels of sportsmanship throughout the competition. Winning schools receive commemorative banners and crystal trophies from MEEMIC Insurance Company, the Association's corporate partner in sportsmanship efforts.
The Good Sports Are Winners! Award made its return in 2002-2003 with the corporate underwriting of MEEMIC Insurance. The program had previously been offered from 1989 to 1996, and again during 2000-2001.
At the District and Regional level of MHSAA tournaments, all schools which meet a set of sportsmanlike standards are recognized. There are standards in the program which automatically disqualify a school from consideration from the award. Any team which is disqualified for the Good Sports Are Winners! Award at the District or Regional level of a tournament becomes ineligible for the award at higher levels of that same tournament. Teams are recognized through the publication of their names in the MEEMIC Website, MHSAA Bulletin, the MHSAA Finals program series, and on the MHSAA Web site.
|
