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Livonia superintendent highlights Read Across America events, Early Childhood Center visit and student achievements
Summary
At the March 17 Livonia Public Schools Board of Education meeting, trustees heard a Read Across America resolution and a district update from Superintendent Oakquist that reviewed early childhood programming, a visit by Governor Whitmer, athletic and arts achievements, and upcoming events.
At the March 17 regular meeting of the Livonia Public Schools Board of Education, trustees heard a resolution recognizing Read Across America and a monthly district update from Superintendent Oakquist that summarized reading-month activities, a high-profile visit to the Livonia Early Childhood Center, and a range of student achievements across athletics, arts and career-technical programs.
The board considered a Read Across America resolution that the district presented to recognize March as Reading Month and Doctor Seuss’s birthday. Trustee Liz Jarvis read the resolution into the record alongside representatives from the Livonia Education Association. The resolution text calls on community members to “assure that every child is reading together with a caring adult throughout the month of March” and to recommit the district to reading programs. The motion language was read into the record; the meeting transcript does not unambiguously record a formal final outcome for that resolution and the outcome is not specified in the public record provided.
Superintendent Oakquist gave the monthly district update, describing classroom and school activities tied to Read Across America, including guest readers, book fairs, author visits and school-wide events. Oakquist said the district hosted a March 12 visit from Governor Whitmer to the Livonia Early Childhood Center, where the governor read to preschool students and distributed books in partnership with a costumed character. Oakquist told the board the Livonia Early Childhood Center has five Great Start Readiness Program (GSRP) classrooms and that the district received a community award for the new center.
The superintendent highlighted multiple student accomplishments across extracurricular programs. Athletic updates included Stevenson High School hockey finishing as state runner-up in Division 2, multiple swimmers and gymnasts qualifying for state competition, and several bowlers advancing to state. Oakquist also summarized Unified Sports activities, noting joint events with neighboring districts and student participation in state-level showcases.
On the arts and career-technical front, Oakquist noted recent theatrical productions including Phantom of the Opera and The Addams Family, straight-one ratings for band and orchestra ensembles at MSBOA festival competitions, and that the district will host robotics competition events at Churchill High School in March (admission and parking free). Global education teams earned top honors at a Model UN–style competition, and DECA competitors were advancing toward the International Career Development Conference in Orlando.
The superintendent’s update also thanked volunteers and community partners, highlighted awards given to staff (including a statewide Student Activities Advisor of the Year), and previewed upcoming events such as the Fine Arts Festival and a student fashion show at St. Mary’s Cultural Center.
Superintendent Oakquist summarized the update by thanking staff and families and noting the breadth of student accomplishments across academic, athletic and extracurricular programs.
