Communications / News

Custodian of the Week - Jessica Nagy

Jessica helps keep our middle and high school facilities in tip-top shape.

Q: Do you collect anything?

A: I collect rocks.

Q: What is the top item on your bucket list?

A: Drive the Pacific Coast Highway.

Q: What is your favorite holiday?

A: My favorite holiday is Thanksgiving.

Q: What skill would you like to learn?

A: I want to learn electrical skills. I am fascinated by how power systems work and I want to troubleshoot and fix systems myself.

Q: What is one thing that instantly makes your day better?

A: One thing that instantly makes my day better is talking to people and hearing about their day and helping to solve any problems they might have.

Q: Snack of choice?

A: Chocolate

Q: What is one thing you cannot go one day without?

A: Talking to my kids, James and Samantha.

Q: What did you do as a teenager that makes you cringe today?

A: Walk 8 miles to the mall just to wander around all day.

Q: What would your warning label say?

A: Warning: Asks a lot of questions.

Q: What is your useless talent?

A: I know a lot about nothing.

Q: Who is your hero?

A: The everyday person who works hard, stays honest, and helps their neighbors without expecting anything in return.

Q: Best concert you have attended?

A: Destiny's Child/Backstreet Boys 2000

Q: What movie can you quote by heart?

A: The Wizard of Oz

Q: Favorite quote?

A: "Integrity is doing the right thing, even when no one is watching." -C.S. Lewis

Q: Describe yourself in 3 words:

A: Authentic, Helpful, Curious

Q: What made you want to be a custodian/work in the school?

A: I enjoy helping people and solving problems. This job gives me the opportunity to constantly learn new skills while being there for students and staff when they need a hand—whether it’s fixing something technical or helping them work through a personal problem.

Benzie County Central Schools observes Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Martin Luther King Jr.'s verbiage is a testament to his eloquence and moral clarity. 

His quotes often encapsulate profound truths about justice, love, and the human spirit.

"The time is always right to do what is right." - Martin Luther King, Jr. 

Pizza is for dinner on Friday, January 30. 

Upriver Pizza 

  A portion of the proceeds between 4:00 PM and 9:00 PM will go towards our Benzie Central Bands. 

That is music to my ears. 

Mark your calendars for a night out now. 

-Mrs. Crossman 

Newly Certified National Board-Certified Educators recognized at this evenings Board of Education meeting.

We are incredibly proud to recognize Michaela and Asa as Benzie Central’s FIRST two National Board Certified Teachers which is the highest level of professional certification for teachers with about 3% of educations nationwide receiving this distinction.

Teachers earning this certification must meet rigorous standards through completion of a portfolio, video lessons, reflections, and testing.

This process took over 2 years and they were provided coaching support through TeachMichigan.

Michaela MacGirr – Homestead Hills Elementary
Asa Kelly – Betsie Valley Elementary

Benzie Central has 3 other educators working through this program currently so we hope to see more National Board Certified educators in the coming years.

Teacher of the Week - Mr. Bo Stewart - 

Mr. Stewart is one of our amazing high school teachers, teaching Spanish I, II, and III. 

He is also an advisor for our High School Travel Program.

Q: Do you collect anything?

A: Not officially, but my house is chock full of books.

Q: What is the top item on your bucket list?

A: I would love to write a book eventually! Beyond that, I want to visit all seven continents (three more to go), see every national park in the United States, and hike the Tour du Mont Blanc, South West Coast Path, and Kumano Kodo.

Q: What is your favorite holiday?

A: I would have to say Christmas, but Thanksgiving and Halloween are close behind.

Q: What skill would you like to learn?

A: I am incredibly uncoordinated, but I would love to learn to surf someday.

Q: What is one thing that instantly makes your day better?

A: Seeing my students happy/growing/progressing/succeeding

Q: Snack of choice?

A: Dried mango or good milk chocolate

Q: What is one thing you cannot go one day without?

A: Cup of herbal tea, either first thing in the morning or right before bed (or both)

Q: What did you do as a teenager that makes you cringe today?

A: There are so many plausible answers to this question. A short period of time during which I had blue colored contacts comes immediately to mind.

Q: What would your warning label say?

A: Warning: If not stopped, will talk to you about books for hours.

Q: What is your useless talent?

A: With close to 100 % accuracy, I can name the current congressional delegations of every state.

Q: Who is your hero?

A: The countless people in history, known and unknown to us, who have had the courage to do the right thing, despite the uncertainty of the consequences and how much easier it would have been to maintain the status quo or do nothing.

Q: Best concert you have attended?

A: Avicii, back when I was a freshman in college in 2011

Q: What movie can you quote by heart?

A: Fargo! "There's more to life than a little money, you know. Don't you know that?"

Q: Favorite quote?

A: The final line of my favorite book, Claire Keegan's Small Things Like These: "Climbing the street towards his own front door, with the barefoot girl and the box of shoes, his fear more than outweighed every other feeling but in his foolish heart he not only hoped but legitimately believed that they would manage."

Q: Describe yourself in 3 words:

A: Teacher, adventurer, reader

Q: What made you want to become a teacher?

A:The quick version is that I was an unfulfilled, unhappy corporate lawyer who finally had the courage to leave practice for something that my intuition told me would be work that would fulfill me: teaching high schoolers. It turned out tot be the best major decision I have ever made.