The Highlighter - October 2025

Dear St. Johns Families, Staff and Community,

October has been a full and rewarding month, filled with learning, and connection. Our teachers continue to focus on their instructional goals, creating lessons that both challenge and support every student. I want to extend a sincere thank you to our staff for their ongoing dedication to building strong relationships and creating an environment of productive learning.

This is evident by our recent state assessment test scores (M-STEP/PSAT/SAT) we received this past September from our assessment window last spring, where our 3rd-8th & 11th grade students tested well above the state average in all fourteen math and English Language Arts (ELA) tests and above county average in six of the fourteen areas assessed.

As we begin to move into the second trimester, I encourage everyone to stay connected, reach out to teachers, celebrate achievements, and offer support where it’s needed. Together, we can be sure that every student keeps growing both academically and personally. Thank you for your continued support!

Sincerely,

Anthony

Dr. Anthony Berthiaume

Superintendent

St. Johns Public Schools

The SJPS Transportation Department stands as one of the most essential pillars of our school district, ensuring that every student arrives safely, on time, and ready to learn. Behind the wheel of every bus and within every maintenance bay are dedicated professionals who embody reliability, teamwork, and an unwavering commitment to student safety.

Our team includes: Nicole Bendt, Jordan Blank, Karla Bradley, Jeff Brewer, Lynette Brock, Tonia Denslow, Chuck DeSander, Emojune DeSander, Jean Hibbler, Sue Kinney, Jackie Mehney, Tonya Phinney, Rick Pieters, Tonya Rhines, Eric Swanson, Kendra Thelen, Rhonda Weaver, Mike Whiteford, Paul Williams.

SJPS wishes Dr. Dobson success in his new role and is proud to introduce the new interim administration team for the high school: (from left to right) Mrs. Cali Sackrider and Mr. Zane Ballard, Interim Lead Principals, along with Mrs. Jessica Gleeson as the Interim Assistant Principal.

Cali Sackrider

I have been blessed to work in St. Johns for my entire career in education and chose to raise my family here; this is truly a special place. The decision to leave my classroom was not an easy one because 32 years in, I still love my job and working with young people every day. I was prompted to make this change by realizing that my commitment to students, parents and staff will not be changing - the umbrella will just be larger. I am excited by this opportunity to be an instructional leader for an exceptional staff!

Personal Info:

BA in English/Spanish from Hillsdale College

MA in Secondary Administration from The University of Southern Mississippi
Married to Bob

Two kids (Sam, attending University of Iowa Law School; Lily, attending Hope College studying pre-med - both SJHS grads!)

32 years in the classroom

10 years Girls’ Varsity Swim Coach

32 years as part of our School Leadership Team

25 years as World Language Department Chairperson

Jessica Gleeson

My husband and I have enjoyed raising our two children in St. Johns Community. Prior to working at St. Johns High School, I was a school counselor for 9 years. Loving the community I live in, I decided to transition my enjoyment of supporting students as a counselor and have served as the St. Johns High School Student Success Coach for the past three years. Last year, I started working on my administrative certification, believing my career path would eventually lead to a role as an administrator. I am looking forward to continuing my commitment to student success and supporting the high school community.

Personal Info:

BA in Family Studies from Central Michigan University

MA in Professional Counseling from Central Michigan University

Certified School Counselor

Anticipated: Certified School Administrator in December 2025

12th year working in education

Married with two children (Chase 8 and Devyn 10)

Zane Ballard

I’ve been part of the St. Johns School District for 25 years now, both as a teacher and an administrator. For the past seven years, I’ve had the privilege of serving as the assistant principal at St. Johns High School. I also graduated from here and have lived in or around the community my whole life, so this place really does feel like home. I’m confident the transition will go smoothly because we have such an incredible office staff and a team full of dedicated people who know what they’re doing and care deeply about our students.

Personal info:

BA in Criminal Justice from Grand Valley State University

5 years as a Juvenile Probation officer

Teaching Cert from Spring Arbor University

MA in School Principalship from Central Michigan University

25 years in Education

10 years as Varsity Wrestling Coach

7 Years as Assistant Principal

Married to my wife Tammi

Two kids (Jack attending Grand Valley and Mia attending LCC)

Jamie Stanley is proud of the success she and the staff have experienced in her first few months as the Principal at Gateway North Elementary. She shares three main points of emphasis the team has used to improve some past behavior issues affecting the learning environment.

They have had zero days with evacuations (removing students from a classroom when a student is causing a disruption) so far this year. Jamie credits a "boots on the ground" approach that includes being available to respond to most calls, removing the one student that is having an issue and letting them calm down before returning to class. In this way, the learning of the entire class is less affected and also helps the student who needs support in that moment.

A revamped PBIS (Positive Intervention Behavior Support) system has become a consistent main system of support in the building. The ticketing system awards good behavior structured around Tier 1 interventions (Tier 1 interventions are universal, school-wide strategies that support the academic, behavioral, and social-emotional success of all students). Students can redeem their tickets at the school store for great prizes which have been donated by the PTO and parents.

Gateway's amazing staff has been working together on consistent systems and levels of instruction. Their instructional practices have impressed Principal Stanley and the staff seems to be appreciative of the goals and streamlined direction.

"Moral seems very high. “I'm someone who loves to have fun and laugh, I truly do enjoy my job and what I do. I think that feeds into the staff as well. The parents are very complimentary and supportive as well, they love seeing me outside everyday welcoming kids.

It's a team effort. It's We, not Me. A lot of teacher input has gone into the PBIS structure, the staff consistency and teamwork has been a big part of it."

Uncle John’s Cider Mill Event Kickoff Social

On October 16th, 125 of our staff members & their families came together to enjoy a beautiful fall day filled with fun, food, and festivities. From exploring the corn maze to savoring donuts and cider, everyone had a wonderful time connecting and celebrating. We extend our heartfelt thanks to the entire staff at Uncle John’s Cider Mill for hosting us and providing such a warm and welcoming environment for this great event!

The St. Johns Public Schools Wellness Committee is made up of district staff members dedicated to promoting the health and well-being of the entire SJPS staff. Their mission is to create, coordinate, and support programs and initiatives that encourage physical, mental, and emotional wellness. Through a variety of activities, resources, and events, the committee fosters a positive and healthy work environment where staff can thrive both personally and professionally.

The Redwings traveled to Ypsilanti Lincoln on 10/24 and defeated the Railsplitters 28-23 to end a 5-4 winning season! The win put them into the D4 playoffs where they will take on the Haslett Vikings at 7pm at Haslett on Friday (10/31). The winner would play the winner of the Williamston/Sexton matchup. Let's Go Redwings!

On October 23rd the middle school and high school choirs performed their 2025 Fall Concerts. The concert was directed by Mr. Jarod Moyer and Accompanied by Mrs. Julie Konieczny.

featuring St. Johns Orchestras
Jennifer Parker, Director

October 30, 2025

Opening night for the SJHS production of The Little Mermaid is only a week away! 109 hard working cast and crew members have been hard at work since the start of the school year learning music, memorizing lines, practicing choreography, gathering props, creating costumes, building and painting set pieces. Earlier this week WILX's Studio 10 took viewers behind the scenes and spoke with senior leaders Allison Burns and Amber Wissel. Tickets for next weekend's production are available at sjdrama.ludus.com. Performance times are:

Friday, November 7 @ 7:00 p.m.

Saturday, November 8 @ 2:00 p.m and 7:00 p.m.

Sunday, November 9 @ 2:00 p.m.

Watch the WILX Studio 10 video: https://www.facebook.com/reel/816346531093285