Schools
Ealy Elementary Families, Staff Celebrate 'Legacy of Excellence'
Current and former families and staff pay tribute to the school, which will close later this month.
Ealy Elementary Eagles stood tall Friday afternoon during a program that paid tribute to the school's 48-year legacy.
School board members voted in 2012 to close Ealy at the end of this school year. Doherty Elementary is being converted to a kindergarten through second grade building and Sheiko Elementary to a third through fifth grade building.
Superintendent of Schools Gerald Hill said Ealy leaves a "legacy of excellence".
"Closing a school is a bittersweet moment," he said. Hill noted that despite the impending closure, the school's principal Roderick MacNeal, Jr. and staff members ensured students received a "high quality education".
West Bloomfield school board president Randi Sakwa thanked parents, staff and the community for supporting Ealy.
"Yes, it takes a village to raise a child," she said, "and we have one of the best villages in West Bloomfield."
MacNeal said he was "overwhelmed" by the turnout for the event, which included former students, staff members and administrators. He read from a June 5 tribute to Ealy that Congressman Gary Peters gave on the floor of the U.S. House, making it a permanent part of the Congressional Record.
Representing the West Bloomfield Historical Society, Helen Peters accepted a large trunk that serves as an Ealy time capsule. It will be on display at the Orchard Lake Museum, at 3951 Orchard Lake Road, where visitors will have the opportunity to guess what's inside.
The time capsule will be opened on June 7, 2023, during a school reunion, Peters said.
Correction: The date of the Ealy school reunion was incorrectly reported in the original version of this article.
School board members voted in 2012 to close Ealy at the end of this school year. Doherty Elementary is being converted to a kindergarten through second grade building and Sheiko Elementary to a third through fifth grade building.
Superintendent of Schools Gerald Hill said Ealy leaves a "legacy of excellence".
"Closing a school is a bittersweet moment," he said. Hill noted that despite the impending closure, the school's principal Roderick MacNeal, Jr. and staff members ensured students received a "high quality education".
West Bloomfield school board president Randi Sakwa thanked parents, staff and the community for supporting Ealy.
"Yes, it takes a village to raise a child," she said, "and we have one of the best villages in West Bloomfield."
MacNeal said he was "overwhelmed" by the turnout for the event, which included former students, staff members and administrators. He read from a June 5 tribute to Ealy that Congressman Gary Peters gave on the floor of the U.S. House, making it a permanent part of the Congressional Record.
Representing the West Bloomfield Historical Society, Helen Peters accepted a large trunk that serves as an Ealy time capsule. It will be on display at the Orchard Lake Museum, at 3951 Orchard Lake Road, where visitors will have the opportunity to guess what's inside.
The time capsule will be opened on June 7, 2023, during a school reunion, Peters said.
Correction: The date of the Ealy school reunion was incorrectly reported in the original version of this article.
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