WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.920 --> 00:00:05.839 Welcome to Macina Island Moments, hosted by lifelong islander Jason saint One. Through 2 00:00:05.839 --> 00:00:10.400 conversations and interviews with fellow island locals and residents, Jason will bring you the 3 00:00:10.439 --> 00:00:14.119 real stories and characters that to find life on the island. Whether you're a 4 00:00:14.119 --> 00:00:17.719 seasoned visitor, new to Macna Island, or even an island or yourself, 5 00:00:17.879 --> 00:00:22.760 you'll be sure to learn firsthand about the island with Jason on Macin Island Moments. 6 00:00:28.000 --> 00:00:32.240 And welcome once again to another episode of the mac and Island Moments podcast. 7 00:00:32.679 --> 00:00:36.960 I'm Jason saint One coming to you from Macin Island, the only podcast 8 00:00:36.960 --> 00:00:41.000 to my knowledge that's by a Macin Island resident, year round resident on Mcan 9 00:00:41.039 --> 00:00:45.600 Island. Today's episode we're gonna call it School Days. We're gonna talk about 10 00:00:45.600 --> 00:00:49.840 the Macin Island Public School and we actually have a teacher here joining us later 11 00:00:49.880 --> 00:00:54.039 on in the discussion. I want to thank our sponsors, Macina Island Tourism 12 00:00:54.039 --> 00:00:59.920 Bureau. Your trip begins at Macan Island dot org. Talking about the school, 13 00:01:00.159 --> 00:01:03.880 I said in the previous podcasts we'd get into the school and more year 14 00:01:03.960 --> 00:01:07.640 round life. I attended Maclan Public School K through twelve, and after college 15 00:01:07.680 --> 00:01:11.640 I coached for a year and then in two thousand I was elected to the 16 00:01:11.680 --> 00:01:15.000 Board of Education. So basically, of the fifty years on this earth, 17 00:01:15.040 --> 00:01:19.519 I've been associated with that school one way or another for thirty eight of them, 18 00:01:19.079 --> 00:01:22.760 and I'm proud of that. I'm a proud alum, and I cherish 19 00:01:23.040 --> 00:01:26.159 and speak fondly of my time there. Public education has a long history on 20 00:01:26.200 --> 00:01:30.239 the island, with Thomas Ferry starting the mission way back in the early eighteen 21 00:01:30.319 --> 00:01:37.439 hundreds and kind of continuing up through the fort The current school, which opened 22 00:01:37.480 --> 00:01:41.599 in nineteen sixty. The current school building, which opened around nineteen sixty and 23 00:01:41.799 --> 00:01:45.519 had a major expansion in nineteen eighty nine and in two thousand, it houses 24 00:01:45.640 --> 00:01:49.560 roughly seventy kids pre school through twelve. Previous to that, the kids attended 25 00:01:49.560 --> 00:01:53.719 the Thomas W. Ferry School, which was in Marquette Park. The building 26 00:01:53.760 --> 00:01:57.959 is still there. It's commonly called the Indian Dormitory, but it's now known 27 00:01:57.000 --> 00:02:02.840 as the Richard and Jamie new Guinum of Art. The Island school up until 28 00:02:02.920 --> 00:02:07.080 nineteen seventy only went to tenth grade, and then you'd either commute to the 29 00:02:07.080 --> 00:02:13.840 mainland or go live with the relative to finish and that ended, like I 30 00:02:13.840 --> 00:02:19.199 said, nineteen seventy and we've been having a graduation every May since. A 31 00:02:19.199 --> 00:02:21.639 little known facts well to the school. We have an athletic department. We 32 00:02:21.680 --> 00:02:24.560 compete in girls and boys basketball, girls volleyball, soccer, golf, and 33 00:02:24.639 --> 00:02:30.159 track, and we even have e sports. I've always kidded that McK island 34 00:02:30.159 --> 00:02:36.719 belongs to the largest smallest conference athletic conference in Michigan. It's large, and 35 00:02:36.759 --> 00:02:40.479 that geographically our conference is huge, but it's made up of the smallest schools 36 00:02:40.479 --> 00:02:45.639 in Michigan. And they include Paradise, Michigan, which is Whitefish Township, 37 00:02:46.159 --> 00:02:49.439 Grand Ray, Michigan, which is Burt Township, which is way up by 38 00:02:49.439 --> 00:02:54.000 the beginning of pictured rocks, Hannahville School which is out by Escanaba Munising Baptists, 39 00:02:54.000 --> 00:02:58.479 which of course is in Munistering. Maplewood Baptists is just north of here. 40 00:02:59.039 --> 00:03:01.439 And of course our late Michigan foes on Beaver Island. The Beaver Island 41 00:03:01.439 --> 00:03:07.159 Islanders are in our conference. So geographically i'd say tremendously large, student body 42 00:03:07.159 --> 00:03:13.039 wise, it's tremendously small. We fly to our away games in the winter. 43 00:03:13.159 --> 00:03:15.639 Imagine that being in high school of basketball and flying for an away game, 44 00:03:15.919 --> 00:03:20.599 it always sounds fun to say we're flying for a game. They don't 45 00:03:20.599 --> 00:03:24.439 do that till college, of course, anywhere else. Another interesting facet is 46 00:03:24.719 --> 00:03:30.199 we generally play an overnight series. And what I mean is, because of 47 00:03:30.240 --> 00:03:32.800 the costs and the unpredictable weather, we usually have a home game on Friday 48 00:03:32.879 --> 00:03:37.360 night, and the visiting team spends the night in our gymnasium, and then 49 00:03:37.360 --> 00:03:39.000 they get up in the morning. They play against Saturday morning, so they 50 00:03:39.080 --> 00:03:45.960 handle two games sort of over the course of just two days, one Friday 51 00:03:46.039 --> 00:03:50.199 night and one Saturday morning. The Friday night games are usually the big happening 52 00:03:50.240 --> 00:03:53.000 in town. You go down to the gymnasium and there's a concession stand, 53 00:03:53.080 --> 00:03:57.000 hot pizza, and I would say the better part of the whole town shows 54 00:03:57.080 --> 00:04:00.039 up to not just for the sport, but for the social aspect of it, 55 00:04:00.120 --> 00:04:05.759 certainly, and it's a lot of fun, you know. Oftentimes friendships 56 00:04:05.759 --> 00:04:11.080 are forged between these schools because they get so close from spending so much time 57 00:04:11.120 --> 00:04:14.039 with each other. And to this day, I'm still friends with some of 58 00:04:14.039 --> 00:04:17.600 the kids they played against in high school high school basketball. The school is 59 00:04:17.920 --> 00:04:23.040 well funded. Proposal A wasn't great to every district Michigan, but Proposal A 60 00:04:23.160 --> 00:04:27.040 worked out well for us. Twenty years ago. I would say, our 61 00:04:27.120 --> 00:04:30.879 kids don't want for much in regards to what money can buy. While I've 62 00:04:30.920 --> 00:04:33.879 always prided myself as a fiscal conservative, and if you don't believe me, 63 00:04:33.920 --> 00:04:39.279 ask my kids, the one place I don't hold back is the school. 64 00:04:39.399 --> 00:04:41.680 Now, what I'm going to say next is probably going to anger some of 65 00:04:41.720 --> 00:04:45.920 our tax payers, but my position is resolute. And that one day I 66 00:04:45.920 --> 00:04:47.959 was at a board meeting and we were kind of working over pennies and dimes 67 00:04:47.959 --> 00:04:51.759 and I glanced out the window we meet in the library of the school, 68 00:04:51.759 --> 00:04:56.319 and you can see the Grand Hotel, And at that moment, my philosophy 69 00:04:56.439 --> 00:05:00.680 changed. These kids, our kids are going to Scho School literally in the 70 00:05:00.720 --> 00:05:04.759 shadow of a hotel up there that's charging three thousand dollars a night for a 71 00:05:04.800 --> 00:05:10.680 suite and sells bottles of wine for nine hundred dollars. There's no way that 72 00:05:10.800 --> 00:05:15.279 our kids should glance at that opulence all around them and then say, but 73 00:05:15.319 --> 00:05:16.480 hey, here at the school, we don't have money for this. And 74 00:05:16.600 --> 00:05:21.199 it really kind of changed my thinking and going forward from that moment. If 75 00:05:21.199 --> 00:05:26.639 it's any issue that can help our kids in one iota, then if the 76 00:05:26.680 --> 00:05:30.120 money's there, I say, spend it and let's do it. So now 77 00:05:30.160 --> 00:05:31.959 to that end, I won't say we're a spendthrift. And the board does 78 00:05:32.079 --> 00:05:35.680 manage its finances quite well, but when it comes to our student's advantage, 79 00:05:35.720 --> 00:05:41.680 I pull no punches. So okay, enough pontificating. I graduated with two 80 00:05:41.680 --> 00:05:45.120 other kids. Most classes are between four and ten students. I had a 81 00:05:45.120 --> 00:05:47.360 really small class. Of course, we just had three. We've never had 82 00:05:47.360 --> 00:05:51.040 a class reunion, as I have them all the time by happenstance walking to 83 00:05:51.079 --> 00:05:55.959 the Mustang. There's my classmates. You can get a fine education at the 84 00:05:55.959 --> 00:05:59.160 school. The one on one attention is on paralleled. And our guest is 85 00:05:59.160 --> 00:06:01.639 going to talk about that shortly. I'm sure. In fact, I remember 86 00:06:02.120 --> 00:06:05.800 going to teachers' houses after school for help on homework, and I presume that 87 00:06:05.839 --> 00:06:10.040 stuff still kind of goes on, and Liz is nodding yes, and I 88 00:06:10.040 --> 00:06:14.519 remember Ms Voiko, excuse me, miss Bennett, she's married now meeting meeting 89 00:06:14.519 --> 00:06:16.839 with the kids on Sundays at the school to help them, and mister Daren 90 00:06:16.920 --> 00:06:20.160 of course, always took any and all requests to help the students and kind 91 00:06:20.160 --> 00:06:25.199 of really set the bar for commitment from the staff. One of my favorite 92 00:06:25.240 --> 00:06:29.639 stats, one of my favorite statistics about our education is one year we had 93 00:06:29.639 --> 00:06:33.439 seven seniors and four of them were accepted at the University of Michigan. I'm 94 00:06:33.480 --> 00:06:36.920 not sure there's even an elite prep school in Michigan that can boast a fifty 95 00:06:36.920 --> 00:06:43.399 seven percent U of M acceptance rate in one year. That was pretty amazing, 96 00:06:43.639 --> 00:06:46.920 and of course, you know, I really like that. So anyway, 97 00:06:46.959 --> 00:06:48.680 as I said, this podcast will tell more and more into growing up 98 00:06:48.720 --> 00:06:53.360 here and going to school here, and we'll start more at that aspect. 99 00:06:53.360 --> 00:06:57.639 Now with our next guests, we have macnown Public School teacher Liz Burt. 100 00:06:58.199 --> 00:07:01.480 Liz is the senior teacher at the school. She's been on staff for thirty 101 00:07:01.560 --> 00:07:05.839 years. And oddly enough, Liz and I go way back, and I 102 00:07:05.879 --> 00:07:11.120 have probably known Liz longer than anybody on mcin Island, as when I was 103 00:07:11.680 --> 00:07:15.079 a little guy about eleven years old playing drums and Fort mcannon, Liz was 104 00:07:15.120 --> 00:07:17.079 with the girl Scout troop that would come in and stay for a week and 105 00:07:17.519 --> 00:07:21.240 raise the flags and kind of help maintain the park. And oddly enough, 106 00:07:21.480 --> 00:07:27.360 I've known Liz all these years and she ended up getting married and moving to 107 00:07:27.399 --> 00:07:31.199 the island and taking a job teaching. Funny thing for those in education or 108 00:07:31.279 --> 00:07:36.279 on school boards. Liz is on the negotiation the union negotiations team for the 109 00:07:36.279 --> 00:07:42.839 island, and I'm on the board of Ed's negotiation team. Now one would 110 00:07:42.879 --> 00:07:47.160 think we can't even be in the same room without giving each other the stink 111 00:07:47.199 --> 00:07:50.839 guy or jeering at each other, but it's not like that on mcanaland we 112 00:07:50.879 --> 00:07:54.959 all have a couple of responsibilities. We all have multiple jobs we take on 113 00:07:55.040 --> 00:07:59.279 to get it done. So it's just something we handle and it's not a 114 00:07:59.319 --> 00:08:03.720 big deal. So, without further ado, I'm going to introduce Liz and 115 00:08:03.800 --> 00:08:07.600 she's going to talk a little bit about how her career came to mc and 116 00:08:07.639 --> 00:08:11.920 Island. Liz, thanks for being here. You are very welcome. It's 117 00:08:11.959 --> 00:08:18.439 wonderful. So my classroom is the most amazing classroom in Michigan. So my 118 00:08:18.199 --> 00:08:22.759 room, you know, of the four walls, two of them are all 119 00:08:22.800 --> 00:08:26.439 windows, one of which is a bay window. It's like they pay me 120 00:08:26.519 --> 00:08:28.639 to work in this room. And I can see the straits of mackinaw. 121 00:08:28.680 --> 00:08:31.879 I can see the bridge. So every morning in my room, I see 122 00:08:31.879 --> 00:08:35.399 the sunrise. It's amazing. You can see the sun set if I'm there 123 00:08:35.399 --> 00:08:41.240 working late. And it is like when we get new principles and they talk 124 00:08:41.240 --> 00:08:43.919 about moving staff around, it's like, I'll teach whatever you want me to 125 00:08:43.919 --> 00:08:46.759 teach, just you can't take me out of that room. I've been in 126 00:08:46.799 --> 00:08:50.799 that room. Literally, this is year thirty one, and I can't imagine 127 00:08:50.360 --> 00:08:54.639 being anywhere else. So, like, you know, you're thirty one, 128 00:08:54.679 --> 00:08:56.720 it's getting close to retirement. People start asking me now on the street, 129 00:08:56.759 --> 00:09:01.240 oh, why are you going to retire? And I just that room in 130 00:09:01.279 --> 00:09:05.320 that school is so much of who I am that I can't even think about 131 00:09:05.360 --> 00:09:09.559 it. Plus there's this little third grader that regularly asks me, you're not 132 00:09:09.600 --> 00:09:13.120 going to retire yet, missus burt right, so got to stay till she's 133 00:09:13.120 --> 00:09:16.639 in seventh grade. Well that'd be nice. So, if I'm hearing this 134 00:09:16.720 --> 00:09:20.320 correctly, a teacher, salary negotiations should be easy. As long as we 135 00:09:20.399 --> 00:09:24.559 let you stay in that room, you'll vote for no rais exactly okay, 136 00:09:24.600 --> 00:09:28.080 perfect, off the record. Off the record, of course, are there 137 00:09:28.080 --> 00:09:33.480 ever times when you're envious of mainland teachers, and based on your experiences, 138 00:09:33.799 --> 00:09:37.000 are other times when mainland teachers are envious of you? Or is it more 139 00:09:37.039 --> 00:09:43.320 curiosity? So absolutely I'm envious of mainland teachers. In November, when I'm 140 00:09:43.399 --> 00:09:46.320 riding my bike to school, it's thirty four degrees and I'm going through horizontal 141 00:09:46.399 --> 00:09:52.080 rain that is not pleasant, but it's worth it, you know, when 142 00:09:52.080 --> 00:09:56.200 you get to school. Probably the only other time I'm envious of mainland teachers 143 00:09:56.320 --> 00:10:01.360 is when every school district within fifty miles US has a snow day and we're 144 00:10:01.360 --> 00:10:05.639 in school. Because so in thirty one years, I sat down and figured 145 00:10:05.639 --> 00:10:09.960 it out, we've had about ten Yeah, you know, a couple days 146 00:10:09.000 --> 00:10:13.200 when the boiler was on the fritz. There was a day when the custodian 147 00:10:13.279 --> 00:10:16.879 couldn't like she couldn't shovel out the snow drifts before the kids got to school. 148 00:10:18.519 --> 00:10:22.679 There was one day years ago we had power outage, and other than 149 00:10:22.679 --> 00:10:24.240 that, you know, a couple days for cold tempts. But in thirty 150 00:10:24.279 --> 00:10:28.759 years it's been less than ten days. So I'm jealous on those days, 151 00:10:30.200 --> 00:10:33.240 but other than that, not really. You know, we have challenges. 152 00:10:33.320 --> 00:10:37.919 There are things about teaching on mac and Island that absolutely are more challenging than 153 00:10:37.960 --> 00:10:43.159 teaching on the mainland. So you know, most mainland teachers would have one 154 00:10:43.200 --> 00:10:46.080 grade level, they'd teach sixth grade, they'd teach fourth grade. All of 155 00:10:46.120 --> 00:10:50.360 our elementary classrooms are splits, so you know, it's first grade and second 156 00:10:50.399 --> 00:10:54.480 grader, it's third grade and fourth grade. This year, I have fifth 157 00:10:54.519 --> 00:10:58.440 grade and sixth grade and fourth grade, so I only have nine students, 158 00:11:00.000 --> 00:11:03.679 but I have three grade levels. So you know, there are days when 159 00:11:03.720 --> 00:11:07.240 I'm the thought of only having to prep one math lesson would be nice, 160 00:11:07.240 --> 00:11:11.679 because you know, I'm doing three math lessons every day and three reading lessons 161 00:11:11.679 --> 00:11:13.720 every day, and three levels of spelling and three levels of reading. So 162 00:11:13.840 --> 00:11:18.919 in teacher speak, that's a prep. So I have more preps than a 163 00:11:18.960 --> 00:11:26.320 mainland teacher would. But you know it's worth it because I really get to 164 00:11:26.440 --> 00:11:33.000 know my students. I can build relationships with them that mainland teachers just when 165 00:11:33.039 --> 00:11:35.759 you only have a kid for a year, you don't you don't get to 166 00:11:35.840 --> 00:11:43.080 know them nearly as well as human beings. You don't get to see them. 167 00:11:43.519 --> 00:11:45.759 You know, I get them for three years and then even when they're 168 00:11:45.799 --> 00:11:48.600 out of my room and they're up on the high school end. I usually 169 00:11:48.639 --> 00:11:50.080 can't keep track of what grade they're in anymore. It's like are you a 170 00:11:50.159 --> 00:11:54.480 junior? Are you a senior? But I get to see them graduate and 171 00:11:54.519 --> 00:11:56.559 I get to see them go off. You know, there are kids who 172 00:11:56.559 --> 00:12:01.080 I had as students who I still see every day in town and they're like, 173 00:12:01.120 --> 00:12:03.879 Hi, missus Burt, how are you. You know, most teachers 174 00:12:03.000 --> 00:12:07.720 the kids out of their room and they don't they don't know what happens to 175 00:12:07.759 --> 00:12:13.200 them, so that that's amazing. Probably one of the harder things, though, 176 00:12:13.519 --> 00:12:18.480 would be having your own kids in your classroom. That was definitely challenging. 177 00:12:18.519 --> 00:12:20.799 And if I was on the mainland, that probably wouldn't have happened. 178 00:12:20.799 --> 00:12:24.080 You know, they would have arranged it. So I got asked, when 179 00:12:24.120 --> 00:12:26.919 you had your own kids did they did? They say Mom? Or they 180 00:12:26.919 --> 00:12:31.360 say missus Burt. You know, we talked about it, kind of had 181 00:12:31.360 --> 00:12:35.559 a family meeting, like what did they want to do? And they thought 182 00:12:35.600 --> 00:12:39.720 calling me missus Burt was a pretty stupid idea, so they called me mom. 183 00:12:41.320 --> 00:12:46.159 It was we had to make arrangements at home. So like I had 184 00:12:46.159 --> 00:12:50.080 my kids for four years at that point. I was teaching fourth, fifth, 185 00:12:50.200 --> 00:12:52.080 sixth, and seventh grade, so I had four or five for half 186 00:12:52.120 --> 00:12:56.279 the day and six seven for half the day, but just math and science. 187 00:12:56.159 --> 00:13:00.440 So we kind of worked it out as a family where all right, 188 00:13:00.559 --> 00:13:03.000 Dad, he was in charge of homework. He was in charge of signing 189 00:13:03.000 --> 00:13:07.159 permission slips, because you know, as a kid, you have a rough 190 00:13:07.240 --> 00:13:11.320 day at school, you come home, you want to cry with mom, 191 00:13:11.360 --> 00:13:13.320 and it's like, ooh, Mom's the reason I had a bad day. 192 00:13:13.799 --> 00:13:20.480 So having him sort of take over that that aspect of things made it easier 193 00:13:20.480 --> 00:13:22.559 for those four years. Well it's like good cop, bad cop situation going 194 00:13:22.559 --> 00:13:28.080 on, but I would argue it was another just wonderful, unique experience that 195 00:13:28.120 --> 00:13:31.720 you get living on Mcin Island that you might not get somewhere else. Very 196 00:13:31.759 --> 00:13:35.480 true. My next question was to talk about challenges, but you kind of 197 00:13:35.519 --> 00:13:41.000 handled that. I have a question for you and and feel free to be 198 00:13:41.039 --> 00:13:45.080 as honest as you would like. You kind of touched that on the sideways 199 00:13:45.159 --> 00:13:48.279 rain in November, and I've mentioned that actually in the previous podcast, everyone 200 00:13:48.320 --> 00:13:54.120 talks about the sideways November rain. In your thirty plus years you've been here, 201 00:13:54.279 --> 00:13:58.559 have you ever thought of moving on or have you always felt like your 202 00:13:58.600 --> 00:14:03.159 move to Maccana was your last move. So I would definitely say that Macinaw's 203 00:14:03.200 --> 00:14:07.879 my forever home. That you know, I started coming here at fourteen with 204 00:14:07.960 --> 00:14:13.080 the Scouts, and then I I didn't want to not be on Macinaw anymore, 205 00:14:13.120 --> 00:14:16.840 so I got a summer job here in college. I worked at the 206 00:14:16.879 --> 00:14:22.679 Fort and at Dowd's all the summers that I was in school. And a 207 00:14:22.720 --> 00:14:26.799 lot of people who come to Macina Island regularly get it that there is something 208 00:14:26.960 --> 00:14:31.000 about Macina Island that just for some people, it is this magical place and 209 00:14:31.039 --> 00:14:35.639 it gets into your blood. And you know, I would go away to 210 00:14:35.679 --> 00:14:39.879 Michigan State, Sorry, and I would be at school, and you know, 211 00:14:39.159 --> 00:14:43.120 coming back to the island in June that was coming home, going back 212 00:14:43.159 --> 00:14:46.240 to school, going back to my parents' house, that it didn't feel like 213 00:14:46.279 --> 00:14:50.600 home anymore. Mackinaw was where I needed to be, and it was just, 214 00:14:52.360 --> 00:14:54.240 you know, it was like the universe wanted me to be here because 215 00:14:54.279 --> 00:14:58.960 the year I graduated from college, there was a teacher who you know retired 216 00:15:00.120 --> 00:15:05.039 or left and you know, it just was was meant to be. And 217 00:15:05.519 --> 00:15:07.519 funny how that works out. Have you ever said, jeez, had that 218 00:15:07.600 --> 00:15:11.600 not happened, I think I'd be working where I would never even enter your 219 00:15:11.600 --> 00:15:15.840 mind because it never had to. Well, thank goodness, it never had 220 00:15:15.879 --> 00:15:20.559 to. I had interviewed with Detroit public schools. I had interviewed with some 221 00:15:20.720 --> 00:15:24.559 districts in Texas because at that point in nineteen ninety three when I got my 222 00:15:24.679 --> 00:15:28.840 job, there were not a lot of teaching jobs in Michigan. You know. 223 00:15:28.879 --> 00:15:31.519 It was where there were, you know, you might get several hundred 224 00:15:31.559 --> 00:15:37.440 applications for one job. So those were my just in case. So I 225 00:15:37.879 --> 00:15:39.879 would not have ended up in Texas. When I interviewed it was one hundred 226 00:15:39.879 --> 00:15:43.399 and one on May thirty first, And having grown up my whole life in 227 00:15:43.440 --> 00:15:50.519 Michigan, I knew I cannot do that, So probably would have ended up 228 00:15:50.519 --> 00:15:52.879 at least for a couple of years in Metro Detroit until I could have have 229 00:15:54.000 --> 00:15:58.120 moved somewhere else. Sure, so obviously it's a small town, speaking of 230 00:15:58.159 --> 00:16:03.080 the year round pop. That is how different for you was it to be 231 00:16:03.120 --> 00:16:07.639 a teacher in such a small district Having grown up in Metro Detroit. I 232 00:16:07.639 --> 00:16:11.799 mean here you run into students and teachers daily. You go to the post 233 00:16:11.799 --> 00:16:12.840 office, there's one of your teachers, or for you, there's one of 234 00:16:12.879 --> 00:16:15.039 your kids. You go to the store, there they are, you're on 235 00:16:15.080 --> 00:16:18.720 the ferry. Was that weird at first? Or did not? Phasia? 236 00:16:18.799 --> 00:16:22.840 It's wonderful, you know. So when I was I did my student teaching 237 00:16:22.840 --> 00:16:26.559 and lansing, and I remember being out at Meyer one night and one of 238 00:16:26.559 --> 00:16:30.440 my students saw me at Meyer and he was appalled, like, what are 239 00:16:30.440 --> 00:16:33.279 you doing here? You shop at Meyer? You know, he honestly thought 240 00:16:33.480 --> 00:16:37.679 teachers eight in the school at cafeteria and there must have been some secret room 241 00:16:37.679 --> 00:16:41.320 that we all slept in, and here the kids know that. You know, 242 00:16:41.440 --> 00:16:45.799 teachers aren't this mysterious group of people. They're fire just like firefighters or 243 00:16:45.799 --> 00:16:51.440 police officers or the mayor. You know, they're just normal people with jobs 244 00:16:51.519 --> 00:16:56.159 who go home to their families. It's very true. What do you think 245 00:16:56.679 --> 00:17:02.480 are the pros of attending Macna in public school? And what are the cons 246 00:17:02.519 --> 00:17:07.039 or the downside of going to school on mac And Island? And I'll have 247 00:17:07.079 --> 00:17:10.640 a follow up for you, but go ahead with that one. So I 248 00:17:10.680 --> 00:17:15.319 think the pros of our school absolutely a million times over outweigh the cons, 249 00:17:15.680 --> 00:17:19.279 like, there absolutely are some cons, and I think I want to start 250 00:17:19.319 --> 00:17:22.359 with the cons first, just because you know, I want to end on 251 00:17:22.400 --> 00:17:26.920 the positive note. Sure so, so, not only am I a teacher 252 00:17:26.960 --> 00:17:30.400 at the school, but I do have my own children have gone through the 253 00:17:30.440 --> 00:17:34.279 school. So my son graduated last year, class of four, my daughter 254 00:17:34.359 --> 00:17:41.440 graduates this year class of eleven. Big class, big class. And so 255 00:17:41.480 --> 00:17:45.759 certainly compared to my own high school experience or the high school experience of my 256 00:17:45.880 --> 00:17:49.480 nephews, you know, they have fewer class choices. You know, there 257 00:17:49.559 --> 00:17:55.079 aren't every language you can imagine and every art class that you can imagine. 258 00:17:55.279 --> 00:17:59.200 Now, since we've gotten Michigan Virtual High School, which if you're not familiar 259 00:17:59.279 --> 00:18:03.039 with that, that is an online platform where like we don't have a Spanish 260 00:18:03.039 --> 00:18:07.920 teacher and language is a graduation requirement, so kids can take a language over 261 00:18:07.039 --> 00:18:12.680 Michigan Virtual High School. It's like an online class. So they have fewer 262 00:18:12.720 --> 00:18:17.599 classes that they can take in person. They don't, like you mentioned with 263 00:18:17.640 --> 00:18:19.759 sports. You know, if you don't like basketball or volleyball, or soccer 264 00:18:19.880 --> 00:18:25.079 or track golf, you know, there's not a whole lot you want to 265 00:18:25.079 --> 00:18:29.119 play football, you want to play some other rugby. You're not going to 266 00:18:29.160 --> 00:18:33.400 be able to do that. My kids complain about social opportunities. You know, 267 00:18:33.440 --> 00:18:36.960 when I was in high school there every month there was a dance, 268 00:18:37.319 --> 00:18:40.160 or you and your friends could go to the movies or do things like that, 269 00:18:40.599 --> 00:18:45.279 and so kids don't have the same social opportunities here. Both of my 270 00:18:45.400 --> 00:18:51.319 kids would complain about dating that. You know, even the kids my kids 271 00:18:51.319 --> 00:18:55.039 aren't related to anybody, unlike many kids in the high school who it's like 272 00:18:55.079 --> 00:18:59.359 cousin cousin, cousin cousin. My kids would argue even the kids they're not 273 00:18:59.440 --> 00:19:03.559 related to, they feel like their cousins because they've grown up together, like 274 00:19:03.599 --> 00:19:07.599 they've been together since preschool. So dating, I think was hard. Everybody 275 00:19:07.680 --> 00:19:14.079 knows everything about everybody else. You sneeze and people six doors down are you 276 00:19:14.119 --> 00:19:18.240 feeling okay? So that lack of privacy sometimes I think can be hard. 277 00:19:19.519 --> 00:19:27.039 But at the same time, the pros are amazing. So growing up here 278 00:19:27.400 --> 00:19:33.880 today is like it was in the seventies, but with bikeomets, you know, 279 00:19:33.240 --> 00:19:37.559 like you think about the seventies where we it was go outside and play, 280 00:19:37.960 --> 00:19:41.599 come come home when the light the street lights go on and kids here 281 00:19:41.920 --> 00:19:45.920 do that. They're out in the woods catching snakes, they're building forts, 282 00:19:47.039 --> 00:19:52.039 they're you know, outside with a gaggle of neighborhood kids, and a lot 283 00:19:52.119 --> 00:19:56.480 of my friends in the cities their kids. You let your kids play outside, 284 00:19:57.119 --> 00:20:02.559 yeah, all the time. Don't go with them, No where are 285 00:20:02.559 --> 00:20:07.079 they going to go? You know they're going to be fine. The kids 286 00:20:07.119 --> 00:20:11.119 get a driver's license for snowmobile at twelve, you know, twelve years old. 287 00:20:11.279 --> 00:20:15.359 They have a sense of independence on top of the independence that they already 288 00:20:15.359 --> 00:20:19.759 have. And then when you think about the school, they're in very very 289 00:20:19.759 --> 00:20:25.039 small class sizes. So my class of fourth grade, fifth grade, and 290 00:20:25.119 --> 00:20:30.240 sixth grade is nine kids. So even though I'm trying to teach different math 291 00:20:30.359 --> 00:20:33.319 lessons, because there's only nine of them, I know, all right, 292 00:20:33.359 --> 00:20:37.000 this one is struggling with this. I need to find time to help them 293 00:20:37.000 --> 00:20:40.200 with this. This one needs help with that. Whereas if you had thirty 294 00:20:40.720 --> 00:20:44.039 I don't think as a teacher I would be able to be as in tune 295 00:20:45.200 --> 00:20:51.200 with those things. Our special ed department is amazing. So like all of 296 00:20:51.240 --> 00:20:56.039 our kids who are involved in special education are in mainstream, you know, 297 00:20:56.279 --> 00:21:00.200 they might go see the special education teacher for an hour, but nobody is 298 00:21:00.200 --> 00:21:06.279 segregated off by themselves. And because of that, the kids all grow up 299 00:21:06.640 --> 00:21:14.200 knowing that everybody has different abilities. And I personally have never experienced one of 300 00:21:14.200 --> 00:21:18.920 our kids with maybe some special needs being bullied. It might happen a little 301 00:21:18.920 --> 00:21:22.079 bit, but I don't think it happens like maybe in some of those bigger 302 00:21:22.119 --> 00:21:26.440 districts where those kids are not. I mean, these kids are on the 303 00:21:26.519 --> 00:21:32.559 varsity basketball team. Everybody is on the varsity basketball team. Doesn't matter how 304 00:21:33.119 --> 00:21:37.200 wonderful of a player you are. Everybody wont one team, and that really 305 00:21:37.200 --> 00:21:44.160 fosters that sense of togetherness. You know, they're really because we are so 306 00:21:44.319 --> 00:21:48.720 small. There aren't like we talk about kids falling through the cracks. We 307 00:21:48.759 --> 00:21:52.440 don't have cracks, or if we have cracks, they're so small. You 308 00:21:52.480 --> 00:21:56.920 know. I remember years ago, mister Yerman. You remember, mister Yerman, 309 00:21:56.000 --> 00:22:00.359 we had a student who was in danger of not graduating, and that 310 00:22:00.400 --> 00:22:03.839 student ate lunch in mister Yeerman's office every day so that mister Yerman could make 311 00:22:03.880 --> 00:22:07.400 sure, Okay, you're getting this done. You're getting this done. You 312 00:22:07.400 --> 00:22:10.599 know, if you don't graduate from our school, it's because you are kicking 313 00:22:10.640 --> 00:22:15.079 and screaming as they were trying to drag you, because there's just this huge, 314 00:22:15.319 --> 00:22:19.400 like you were talking about, Missus Bennett, the staff investment in the 315 00:22:19.480 --> 00:22:25.400 kids. And then you know, even though they don't necessarily have all of 316 00:22:25.440 --> 00:22:29.279 the class choices, there are a lot of things that our kids can do. 317 00:22:29.480 --> 00:22:33.480 They can go to the mainland and do you know CTE welding classes, 318 00:22:33.519 --> 00:22:38.000 things like that. Our DPW has just started this youth apprenticeship program where the 319 00:22:38.079 --> 00:22:42.160 kids are going to the water plant to learn the chemistry and all of that. 320 00:22:42.319 --> 00:22:48.359 At the water plant. There's just all they can do. The dual 321 00:22:48.480 --> 00:22:51.480 enrollment program. You know, you think, oh, they're on mac and 322 00:22:51.559 --> 00:22:52.559 Island, how are they going to do that? Well, they go up 323 00:22:52.559 --> 00:22:56.079 to Lake State and so a lot of those things that you'd think our kids 324 00:22:56.160 --> 00:23:03.480 couldn't do they can. We still have a senior trip. How many schools 325 00:23:03.799 --> 00:23:07.920 still take kids on a senior trip? You know, I know to a 326 00:23:07.920 --> 00:23:10.960 lot of the kids, that's a really big deal that that's a special thing 327 00:23:11.000 --> 00:23:14.519 that they still get to do. And then another really neat things that our 328 00:23:14.599 --> 00:23:18.079 kids get is they get for the kids that attend our school, there are 329 00:23:18.240 --> 00:23:25.480 like limits for how many years you have to attend. Our community supports our 330 00:23:25.559 --> 00:23:29.839 kids with huge scholarships, tremendous, you know, the community Foundation, the 331 00:23:29.880 --> 00:23:33.680 Poulti Foundation really support the kids so that if they want to go to trade 332 00:23:33.680 --> 00:23:37.400 school, if they want to go to college, finances aren't as much of 333 00:23:37.400 --> 00:23:41.839 an issue as maybe they could be. Yeah, that's definitely changed over the 334 00:23:41.920 --> 00:23:45.440 last thirty years. Yeah, it's huge for sure. So Liz, I 335 00:23:45.519 --> 00:23:48.640 know this is kind of a this subject being taught at school has kind of 336 00:23:48.839 --> 00:23:53.079 left the school districts and they're doing a different setup. But I get a 337 00:23:53.079 --> 00:23:56.839 lot of folks asking me how we do it on the island, and I, 338 00:23:56.960 --> 00:24:00.240 you know, I can't really answer how it's done nowadays. But my 339 00:24:00.440 --> 00:24:03.960 day when it was time for Driver's Ed, I have a ton of people 340 00:24:03.000 --> 00:24:07.960 ask me how did you do drivers ad on macin Island. So mister Weillnet's 341 00:24:07.960 --> 00:24:11.039 and mister Duncan would come over from Cedarville. They were the Driver's Ed teachers 342 00:24:11.039 --> 00:24:14.880 and they would they do the classroom session on a Saturday. It'd be a 343 00:24:14.880 --> 00:24:18.279 couple of saturdays. You'd spend six or seven hours down at the school and 344 00:24:18.319 --> 00:24:21.319 then you had to get your hours in and since it wasn't a one hour 345 00:24:21.400 --> 00:24:23.880 class. We'd go over on a Saturday or Sunday and go get in the 346 00:24:23.880 --> 00:24:27.680 little Ford Escort with the yellow triangle on top that says student driver, and 347 00:24:27.880 --> 00:24:33.319 we'd get our hours in. So to maximize our time, we would we'd 348 00:24:33.359 --> 00:24:37.000 drive all day. And in fact, I remember driving a Cadillac and back 349 00:24:37.119 --> 00:24:38.799 and the Escanaba and back, and I mean these are you know, it's 350 00:24:38.799 --> 00:24:41.319 two hundred miles each way or one hundred and fifty miles each way, and 351 00:24:41.359 --> 00:24:44.759 we'd get all of our hours in in a matter of a day or two. 352 00:24:45.079 --> 00:24:48.160 Take your examine. You're all set. You're the mother of teenagers. 353 00:24:48.200 --> 00:24:52.640 Now, how are the kids doing? Drivers? Sad now? So it's 354 00:24:52.680 --> 00:24:56.039 done now through a private company that you have to pay. They're the one 355 00:24:56.079 --> 00:25:00.799 that we used was based in Sheboygan, and they we would get all the 356 00:25:00.799 --> 00:25:04.680 island kids together and they would send the person to the island or to the 357 00:25:04.680 --> 00:25:07.680 mainland. The kids would all come over on the boat and then they'd go 358 00:25:07.759 --> 00:25:11.599 off driving. You know, it usually was three or four of them that 359 00:25:11.640 --> 00:25:14.640 would go. They'd have a couple cars, so they might go for two 360 00:25:14.759 --> 00:25:18.279 or three hours at a time, depending there were a couple times where it 361 00:25:18.319 --> 00:25:21.039 was just my two kids in the car, so they'd go for you know, 362 00:25:21.039 --> 00:25:23.519 a couple hours. The hard thing now is in Michigan where they have 363 00:25:23.599 --> 00:25:27.720 these three tiered driver's licenses, right, so they don't have learners permits anymore. 364 00:25:27.720 --> 00:25:33.319 It's a level one and to move from a level one to a level 365 00:25:33.359 --> 00:25:37.960 two you have to log fifty hours of driving, ten of which are at 366 00:25:37.039 --> 00:25:41.119 night. Holy So with the boat schedule the way it is, you know, 367 00:25:41.160 --> 00:25:45.680 in the summertime, even it's late, it's light out so late, 368 00:25:45.880 --> 00:25:48.599 we can't do night time driving in the winter time, you know, the 369 00:25:48.680 --> 00:25:52.759 last boat over to the island's four can't can't do night time driving. So 370 00:25:52.839 --> 00:25:55.200 you know, at Christmas time when we were at Grandma's, it was like, 371 00:25:55.240 --> 00:25:59.079 oh, we're going to Walmart, you need to drive. We're driving 372 00:25:59.119 --> 00:26:02.799 ten hours to Indie. You need to drive. That's funny, there you 373 00:26:02.839 --> 00:26:04.480 go, Folks didn't I didn't know how it was. I guess I'll be 374 00:26:04.519 --> 00:26:08.480 dealing with that in about eight years. So I don't mean to ambush you 375 00:26:08.519 --> 00:26:12.519 with this question. And I don't want this to be like a Hallmark commercial 376 00:26:12.839 --> 00:26:18.480 or Lifetime television for women. Movie of the Week, but so every teacher 377 00:26:18.519 --> 00:26:25.759 talks about that moment where they say to themselves, this is exactly why I 378 00:26:25.839 --> 00:26:29.480 became a teacher. Do you have that moment or is it moments? Or 379 00:26:29.480 --> 00:26:32.599 does it happen weekly or is it that monthly or oh, I would say 380 00:26:32.599 --> 00:26:36.319 it happens weekly. You know, there are moments when a kid just looks 381 00:26:36.319 --> 00:26:38.720 at you and they've just had an epiphany, and you're like, that's why 382 00:26:38.759 --> 00:26:44.720 I'm here. But there are definitely a few moments that that stick out in 383 00:26:44.799 --> 00:26:52.279 my mind, and one of itch would be years ago, probably. So 384 00:26:52.319 --> 00:26:56.440 I started in ninety three, so this might be ninety five. You know, 385 00:26:56.839 --> 00:27:00.359 ninety six. I was just married to my husband, got married in 386 00:27:00.400 --> 00:27:04.599 November of ninety six. So, and I had this one particular student who 387 00:27:06.119 --> 00:27:08.279 was really challenging. I know, he's Jason sitting here trying to figure out 388 00:27:08.319 --> 00:27:12.079 who I'm talking. I graduated ninety two. It's not me, And you 389 00:27:12.079 --> 00:27:17.200 know, this student really struggled. And you know, my job as a 390 00:27:17.240 --> 00:27:21.680 teacher sometimes is to push you into doing hard things and to show you that 391 00:27:21.759 --> 00:27:26.480 you are capable when you think you're not capable. So sometimes it seems like 392 00:27:26.519 --> 00:27:30.519 a teacher doesn't like you or they're they're trying to make you do things that 393 00:27:30.559 --> 00:27:34.839 you don't want to do. And I was convinced that this kid just hated 394 00:27:34.880 --> 00:27:41.440 me. This kid just, oh, can't stand And I got married in 395 00:27:41.519 --> 00:27:45.279 November, and we didn't take a honeymoon then, but you know, I 396 00:27:45.279 --> 00:27:48.559 took a long weekend because we were getting married that weekend. And I came 397 00:27:48.640 --> 00:27:56.240 back on Monday and this sixth grade boy had embroidered on a piece of fabric 398 00:27:56.680 --> 00:28:03.039 Congratulations missus bird. And it must have taken this kid hours to do this, 399 00:28:03.200 --> 00:28:04.960 and you know, it was the quality you would expect of a sixth 400 00:28:06.000 --> 00:28:08.039 grade boy. But it was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. Still 401 00:28:08.079 --> 00:28:12.480 have it, I still do. That's that's wonderful. It's a great story. 402 00:28:12.599 --> 00:28:18.480 So also in addition to teaching, I understand you're a blogger. Yeah, 403 00:28:18.640 --> 00:28:21.799 do you have been blogging since two thousand and eight, So you're blogging 404 00:28:21.839 --> 00:28:25.519 before blogging was cool long time. It's like, oh, I'm old enough 405 00:28:25.519 --> 00:28:30.000 to say that. Yeah. My blog's name is The Quilted Turtle because that's 406 00:28:30.000 --> 00:28:33.000 one of the things I do for fun. I like to sew. So 407 00:28:33.839 --> 00:28:37.160 Quilted Turtle dot blogspot dot com. If you just google the quilted turtle. 408 00:28:37.400 --> 00:28:41.559 It'll come up wonderful. Let me ask you this last question. There's a 409 00:28:41.559 --> 00:28:44.880 lot to learn still about going to school and living here year around on the 410 00:28:44.880 --> 00:28:47.480 island. Do you think you'll come back and chat with us again anytime? 411 00:28:47.759 --> 00:28:49.920 That'd be great, you know, Liz, I did want to mention a 412 00:28:49.960 --> 00:28:53.599 special treat our students get that. It's not only unique, but it kind 413 00:28:53.599 --> 00:28:59.920 of exemplifies the partnerships we have with our surrounding business community and our other nonprofits. 414 00:29:00.720 --> 00:29:03.839 Each and every enrolled student of Maclaaland Public School gets a pool pass to 415 00:29:03.920 --> 00:29:08.880 Grand Hotel, a season pass. The first week of January, each student 416 00:29:08.960 --> 00:29:12.559 is name is forwarded to Grand Hotel and they issued a pool pass for the 417 00:29:12.599 --> 00:29:18.559 upcoming season. It's another perk and a unique situation and we love it, 418 00:29:18.440 --> 00:29:22.960 folks. Once again, I'm Jason Saint and coming to you from Mcina Island. 419 00:29:22.559 --> 00:29:27.559 You can always reach out to us at macamoments at gmail dot com all 420 00:29:27.640 --> 00:29:33.440 lower case. You can reach out to us on Facebook and give us suggestions, 421 00:29:33.839 --> 00:29:36.960 tell us what we're doing wrong. Missus Burt, thanks for joining us, 422 00:29:36.960 --> 00:29:40.519 and we want to thank our sponsor, the Macleland Toursenbrero. Your trip 423 00:29:40.599 --> 00:29:45.599 begins at Macina Island dot org. Everybody, thank you and good day.