Mumford's Brionna Grimes

Mumford High’s Brionna Grimes names Kobe Bryant as the biggest influence on how she plays basketball, and it’s not just because of the Los Angeles Lakers star’s physical skills.
     “He’s mentally tough, too, and the game is 10 per cent talent and 90 per cent mental,’’ said Grimes, the Detroit Public School League Proud Strong Learner of the Week.  “I’m mentally tough sometimes.  I get knocked off my square, but I always pull myself together.”
     Grimes, a 6-0 sophomore forward, has kept it together through most of the season in averaging 17 points, seven rebounds and two blocks for Coach Kareem Hogan’s Lady Mustangs.
      Last week, against Northwestern and Western, Grimes turned in back to back stellar performances with 19 points in each game.
   “I work with her every day and she’s a hard worker,’’ Hogan said. “She puts up 300 to 400 shots a day and she’s been working just as hard in the classroom to pull up her grades, She’s got the work ethic a lot of kids don’t have nowadays. With that to go along with her talent, she’s going to be one of the top players in the state by the time she’s a senior.”
    Already, Grimes has college recruiters taking notice, which suits her career aspirations just fine.
    “I hope to pursue my talent and play in college and then go to the (WNBA) league,” she said. “I love basketball and I hope to make that a career. But if that doesn’t work out, I want to be an architect.”
    With two more years left after this season, Grimes is one of the building blocks in Mumford’s girls’ basketball program.
    “Last year, she couldn’t put the ball on the floor, but this year she can put it on the floor, rebound, block shots, score, whatever you need,” Hogan said. “She’s the perfect complement to the twins (junior guards Raven and Raine Bankston).”
     Grimes suffered a torn ACL prior to the season but she hasn’t shown any lingering effects. She’ll be counted on to continue to play strong if Mumford is going to continue to advance in the PSL’s Big D championship tournament.
     “I’ve been doing well and the team has been doing good, too, so other than the injury, the year has gone great,’’ she said. “The competition in the PSL is pretty hard, but I know we can beat every team we face.”

The Detroit Public School League Proud Strong Learner of the Week Award is representative of the league’s top boys’ and girls’ athletic performers and is sponsored by local Detroit area McDonald’s owner-operators

Southwestern's Montrel Hill

Leadership is second nature to Southwestern High’s Montrel Hill, the Detroit Public School League Proud Strong Learner of the Week.
The 6-3 senior forward is the basketball team’s captain. He is the team’s leading player, averaging 17 points and 15 rebounds a game. He’s also a first lieutenant in Southwestern’s JROTC and is the senior class Valedictorian with a 3.57 grade point average, including a 4.0 last card marking.
Still, in keeping with his leadership qualities, Hill is far from full of his worth and is mindful to credit others.
 ”In a way, I’m surprised to receive this award,” he said. “I’m honored and proud of myself and proud of my teammates for putting me in this position. I want to thank everyone involved.”
    Modesty aside, Hill had three strong performances on the court last week to set him apart. He scored 16 points and grabbed 18 rebounds in a 48-46 victory against neighboring rival Western, followed that with 24 points and 20 rebounds in a 57-22 win against CMA and, despite a loss to Central, he still shined with 18 points and 16 rebounds.
     “Montrel is just an exceptional athlete,’’ said Southwestern track coach Windell Hall, noting that Hill is an All-City long jumper as well.
     “I’ve known him for four years and even though he’s made mistakes, he’s always recovered and learned from them and gotten stronger. Other athletes see him as a role model and inspiration. His sportsmanship and his hard work in everything he does, in the classroom and in athletics, are values that are instilled in him and they show his mother raised a great son.”
     With a commitment to community service through JROTC, Hill is involved in several  projects, including visiting senior citizens and military veterans in the hospital.
    “We owe the community for looking out for us,’’ he said. “When you’re doing well, you have to return the favor and give back to your community.”
      According to Southwestern’s athletic coordinator, Hill  is one of just three PSL players in the running for the  Michigan High School Athletic Scholar-Athlete award and demonstrates “the effort, respect and discipline it takes to be a PSL Proud Strong Learner,” Mark Gniewek said.
    Hill says his experience of attending Southwestern and competing in the PSL has prepared him for the next level. He’s hoping to earn a scholarship to play college basketball.
     “I’ve talked with a couple of schools who are interested in me,” he said. “I would love to play college basketball and study to become a lawyer.
    “At Southwestern, I’ve learned how to stay focused on what I’m going for and I’ve received a lot of love and support from everybody. I just want to go even harder as a way of thanking the people who’ve helped me out.”

The Detroit Public School League Proud Strong Learner of the Week Award is representative of the league’s top boys’ and girls’ athletic performers and is sponsored by local Detroit area McDonald’s owner-operators

The students represent the first graduates of the FBI Junior Special Agent Program in Southwest Detroit. Fourth and fifth graders at the school completed five weeks of training conducted by the FBI.

Special Agent-In-Charge of the Detroit Division Andrew G. Arena, Head of the FBI for the State of Michigan, spoke to the students during several training sessions. Arena is a kindergarten graduate of Harms Elementary School.

“It was quite moving when he showed up for the first session,” said Michelle Bouchard, FBI Investigative Operations Analyst, who facilitated the program. “He told them, ‘You can be whatever you want to be. I’m from this neighborhood and this is what I’ve achieved.’ I think that really showed them that it doesn’t matter where you’re from, if you work hard, you can achieve anything.”

During the training sessions, the students learned about how law enforcement works and how they can make a difference in the community.

At the ceremony, each student received a certificate of completion, badge, and credentials stating they are official FBI Junior Special Agents. Several students also spoke about what they learned through the program.

“I really enjoyed all of the presentations because I’ve always wanted to learn how they do their jobs,” said Esmeralda Varela, a fifth grader at Harms Elementary School. “I enjoyed the SWAT team a lot because they talked about defending themselves, and I think everyone should know how to defend themselves.”

The goal behind the program was to encourage students to make the right choices, whether they decide to pursue a career in federal law enforcement, or with any career, said Todd Mayberry, FBI Assistant Special Agent In Charge.

“We discussed anti-bullying, self-defense, physical fitness, and a ton of other issues specific to this age group,” Mayberry said. “The biggest issue for me was clearing up the misconceptions about law enforcement, and helping the students to see the positive things that we do in the community.”

Students Also Recognized for Winning Diversity Art Fair Poster Contest
During the graduation ceremony, a group of art students at Harms Elementary School were also presented with a $125 check from the Detroit Federal Executive Board for winning a poster contest based on their definition of diversity.

The contest was extended to Detroit students in December 2011.

Three schools were selected based on grade level. EMAN Hamilton Academy K-2 students will receive a $100 prize; Harms Elementary School students received a $125 prize; and Farwell Elementary-Middle School will receive a $150 prize. The schools can decide how to use the prize money.

The Detroit Zoological Society and Buddy’s Pizza are honoring the selected schools based on their placement in the Michigan Department of Education’s 2011 Top-to-Bottom school ranking.

According to a commendation letter from the Detroit Zoo, the position of each school in the ranking takes into account student achievement on state tests at the elementary level, improvement in achievement over time, and the largest achievement gap between two subgroups calculated based on the top-scoring 30% of students versus the bottom scoring 30% of students.

To celebrate the schools’ success, a kick-off luncheon was held at Buddy’s Pizza in Farmington Hills for each school.

Alycia Meriwether, Executive Director of the DPS Office of Science;
Reginald Kirkland, Principal of Bates Academy; and Linda Whittaker, Principal of Chrysler Elementary School, attended the recognition luncheon.

Up to 35 students from each school and four chaperones will be rewarded with a fun-filled, educational field trip to the Detroit Zoo in the spring of 2012.

Renaissance meets Southeastern at 11 a.m. and Cass Tech plays Pershing at 1 p.m. Saturday at King High School in the Detroit Public School League junior varsity boys’ basketball  semifinals.

The winners will meet Monday at 6 p.m. at Western High School for the championship.

Mumford defeats CMA in second-round action

The Big D girls’ basketball tournament moves into the “Great Eight” quarterfinal round Wednesday with 4 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. games at two sites.

At King High School, Osborn, the No. 4 seed in the East, meets West top seed Cass Tech, followed by No. 2 East seed King against No. 3 West seed Renaissance.

At Renaissance High School, East top seed Pershing plays No. 4 West seed Cody, followed by No. 2 West seed Mumford against No. 3 East seed Southeastern.

The winners advance into the semifinals, Monday, Feb. 13 at 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. at Western High School, culminating with the Detroit Public School League championship game at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 16 at University of Detroit Calihan Hall.

In second-round games Thursday, Pershing defeated DIA 84-17; King defeated Western 49-21; Mumford beat CMA 75-35; Osborn beat Ford 56-35; Renaissance defeated Denby 66-35;  Southeastern defeated Northwestern 59-41; Cody defeated Crockett 53-31; and Cass Tech advanced by forfeit against City.

     The Detroit Public School League Big D boys’ basketball tournament tips off Friday with four first-round games setting the stage for next Tuesday’s second round.
      Friday’s 4 p.m. openers include Kettering at Northwestern, Central at Western, Southwestern at Finney and CMA at Osborn.
      Pershing, unbeaten in the East, and Renaissance, unbeaten in the West, are the No. 1 seeds. The top six teams from each division automatically advance into the second round, which will pair teams from opposite divisions.
    Next Tuesday’s second-round games, all 4 p.m. starts, include the Northwestern-Ketttering winner at Crockett, Denby at Ford, Cody at King, Central-Western winner at Renaissance, Finney-Southwestern winner at Cass Tech, City at Southeastern, Douglass at Mumford, and the CMA-Osborn winner at Pershing.
     Quarterfinal games are Friday, February 10 at King High School and Cass High School, and the semifinals are Tuesday, Feb. 14 at Renaissance High School. The tourney concludes Thursday, Feb. 16 at University of Detroit’s Calihan Hall with the Big D boys’ championship game for the PSL title (7:30 p.m.).

Big D boys' basketball tournament bracket

The result of hard work, guidance, discipline and talent was in evidence Wednesday at Marcus Garvey Academy’s Harambee Center where beaming parents, proud coaches and loyal Detroit Public School League supporters celebrated 29 PSL scholar-athletes’ acceptance of scholarships on college football’s National Letter of Intent Signing Day.

With print and broadcast media on hand to document the occasion, each scholarship recipient ceremoniously signed a poster bearing their college’s name and mascot, then posed for pictures and answered questions from the press.

To much fanfare, King High running back Dennis Norfleet, who previously had a verbal commitment to Cincinnati, instead chose to sign with the University of Michigan. In all, the PSL’s 2012 football scholarship recipients chose 17 different colleges.

Michigan also landed Cass Tech linebacker Royce Jenkins-Stone and cornerback Terry Richardson, although both players had to miss Wednesday’s program due to a scheduling conflict. They’re in Texas preparing for a weekend prep All-Star game.

Nonetheless, the Division I state champion Technicians were represented by Coach Thomas Wilcher and five other players who accepted scholarships, including linebacker Laron Taylor (Iowa), wide receiver Ruben Lile (Iowa), defensive back Brandon Berry (Buffalo), defensive end Louis Palmer (Central Michigan) and defensive back Will Rembert (Buffalo).

Quarterback Brian Blackburn of PSL Division I champion Crockett signed with Toledo, while Rockets’ wide receiver defensive back James White chose Bowling Green, wide receiver-safety Nicholas Tripp signed with Northwood and fullback-middle linebacker Marcellous McElrath chose Wayne State.

Finney High had eight scholarship recipients, including linebacker Kenyatta Forbes, running back-safety Anton Carter, running back-linebacker Antoine Jackson and defensive back Jovantae Turner, who all signed with Virginia University of Lynchburg. Quarterback Kendrick Mingo (Langston U. in Oklahoma), wide receiver Sean Washington (Graceland U. in Iowa), wide receiver-cornerback Rodney Underwood (Lakeland U. in Wisconsin) and wide receiver-safety Larry Jones (Lakeland) also signed from the Highlanders.

Renaissance’s defensive tackle Jabari Dean (Central Michigan), defensive back Chris Norris (Northwood), offensive lineman Thor Hicks (Robert Morris) and defensive back DeMario Burton (Central State) also signed.

Other signees included King High wide receiver Brandon Tinsley (Wayne State), Douglass High linebacker Marquis Steward (Siena Heights), Mumford offensive lineman Daron Brown (Northern Illinois), Ford quarterback Victor Edge (Northwood) and Ford defensive back Kim Spurlock (Central Iowa).

“We want parents to understand both the student achievement and demographic trends that have led to dramatic turnaround actions, and for families to have information regarding their child’s school for next year at an early point to be able to suitably plan for that educational experience,” Roberts said.

Recommendations for DPS schools to be transferred to the EAA for next school year will be made at a regular Board meeting of the EAA on February 9 in Detroit.

In some cases, schools pursuing their approved Improvement Plan will remain in DPS. Also on February 9, DPS will announce lists of schools planned for consolidation and those that will be turned over to experienced charter operators this fall. All transfers will be based on data-driven decision making. Additionally, seven schools are already planned to consolidate into four new school buildings, two PreK-8 schools and two high schools, being completed with bond construction funds.

School-based meetings will be scheduled during February to explain the process and planned changes.

Parents will have the opportunity to register for schools during an annual enrollment period throughout the month of March. Informational events, open houses and parent shoppers’ fairs will be held during March.

Roberts said that wrapping up the school assignments for current students early will allow for staffing and budgeting decisions to be made on a timely basis, to ensure a smooth start to the new school year including the placement of a teacher in front of every child on the first day of school.

Two teams from Detroit Public Schools received special awards for their displays on safer and greener cities of the future.

Foreign Language Immersion and Cultural Studies School was honored with the Most Healthy Community award, sponsored by Blue Cross Blue Shield-Blue Care Network of Michigan.

Paul Robeson, Malcolm X Academy-Team 1 was honored with the Paul Tucker, Jr. Excellence in Engineering Award, sponsored by Tucker, Young, Jackson, Tull, Inc.

Three DPS teams total attended the competition, two teams from Paul Robeson, Malcolm X Academy and one team from Foreign Language Immersion and Cultural Studies School.

“All three teams worked with an engineer the entire time,” said Alycia Meriweather, Executive Director of the Office of Science for Detroit Public Schools. “Even after weeks of preparation, FLICS worked until 9:30 p.m. the Friday night before the competition to make sure they were ready. All of the teams really represented DPS well.”

The Future City Competition is a national, project-based learning experience where students in 6th, 7th, and 8th grade imagine, design, and build cities of the future in which they would like to live, according to www.futurecity.org.

Students work as a team with an educator and engineer mentor to plan cities using SimCity™ 4 Deluxe software; research and write solutions to an engineering problem; build tabletop scale models with recycled materials; and present their ideas before judges at Regional Competitions in January. Regional winners represent their region at the National Finals in Washington, DC in February.

For a full list of the 2012 Michigan Regional Future City Competition winners, visit the Engineering Society of Detroit’s website at www.esd.org.