Take a 15 minute break and get your body moving!

Chris Barr- Blue Cross Wellness Coordinator will be leading a quick break time exercise on your campus!

Monday, December 11:

  • 9:30 a.m.- University Center Room 106
  • 11 a.m.- Great Lakes Campus Room 103
  • 1:30 p.m.- Health Science Room 101
  • 3 p.m.- Parsons Stulen Room 101/103

Kudos

KUDOS- (praise or respect that you get because of something you have done or achieved) defined by Merriam-Webster.com

Submit a Kudos here.

Kudos to Human Resources: A big thank-you from the NMC Green Team for going paperless for the 2018 Benefits Enrollment package. We appreciate your use of technology over trees as we seek to transition NMC toward a more sustainable future!


 

Success Story: Alumna doubles day care this fall

November 22, 2017

Emily SpicaIn this season of gratitude, quality child care is near the top of the list for the young families fortunate enough to have found it.

This fall, one NMC alumna took a step toward filling that crucial community need by doubling her home child care capacity, including more desperately-needed infant care. Alison Burns’ Healthy Start Child Care in Traverse City also now employs two NMC child development students, (including Emily Spica, above) providing them valuable work experience.

Alison Burns and infantA licensed provider in Michigan since 1996, Burns (right) originally chose child care as a way to stay home with her own three children. Until this year, her license limited her to six children in care simultaneously, only two of whom could be under a year old. However, Burns self-limited infant enrollment to one. She frequently had a waiting list, and felt badly for the families she had to turn away.

“There’s such a demand for infant care,” she said.

Then this fall, timing and preparation coincided, allowing Burns to help meet that demand.

Back in 2011, inspired to learn more about children with special needs after one came into her care, Burns enrolled in an Exceptional Child psychology class at NMC. Child development program coordinator and instructor Cheryl Bloomquist then persuaded her to complete the entire Child Development certificate course sequence — 32 credit hours. Even after practicing child care for 15 years, Burns found herself invigorated in the classroom.

“It reinforced what I already knew, (and) I learned so much,” she said. An Infant and Toddler Development class was especially beneficial, she said, bolstering her knowledge of best practices for that age group and confidence working with them.

She completed her certificate in 2013 and returned to running her six-child daycare home. She also made time to serve on Bloomquist’s Early Childhood Advisory Committee.

“Her input is so valuable, because I don’t always have a family home provider there,” Bloomquist said.

Fast-forward to this fall, when Burns’ youngest daughter left for college, creating more physical space for child care in their home. Simultaneously Burns was up for relicensing, and the lack of child care regionally had become an acknowledged obstacle to continued economic growth.

“Babies need care, and they need good care,” said Bloomquist. “They take up a lot of space and they take up a lot of employees.”

Burns decided to expand her license to allow her to care for 12 children, up to four of whom can be younger than 18 months. All those slots are filled, and in fact she cares for 19 different children over the course of a week, since some attend part-time.

She also turned to NMC to find staff. Both Kalee Lown, lead infant and toddler teacher, and Spica, lead preschool teacher, are NMC students. On a recent brisk morning, Spica played with preschoolers in Burns’ backyard while Lown and Burns each held an infant, and another napped.

“I get to apply the things we’re learning in class,” said Spica, who will graduate next spring. “A lot of (the work) coincides with the assignments we’re given.”

Burns empowers them to use their education on the job.

“These teachers are teachers. They’re not just waiting for me to tell them what to do,” she said.

“Now she is the mentor,” Bloomquist said. “It’s just been a really good fit.”

For information on Healthy Start Child Care, call (231) 933-7002.

Door Lock Update

NMC Facilities and Security would like to thank you for your help during the transition into the new exterior door lock system on our campuses. Here are a few updates on that process:

  • If you notice any problems with the exterior doors, please call security immediately at (231) 995-1111.
  • Do not prop open exterior doors.
  • During the next two months, facilities is beginning the process of changing the keyed locks on all exterior doors. Previously issued keys for those doors will no longer work and users must use key cards to enter through exterior doors. Keys to interior doors will not change.

Thank you for your continued help during this transition to make our campuses even safer. If you have any questions, call (231) 995-1111.

President’s Update for November 20, 2017

Thank you all for everything you do in pursuit of “Keeping Learning at the Center.”

Notable Accomplishments provided by Faculty and Staff

This section recognizes the good work being done and linkages to the Strategic Directions (SD) and Institutional Effectiveness Criteria (IE) are provided where possible. (more…)

Spring Arbor University at NMC

Spring Arbor University will have a display table in the lobby of NMC’s Health and Science Building on December 7 from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Spring Arbor University allows students the opportunity to complete their bachelors degrees and masters degrees in Traverse City and across Northern Michigan in a format that is geared for working adults. We offer Bachelor’s degrees in Organizational Management, Nursing, BSW, & Human Services. We also offer MBA, MSW, and MSN (along with the RN-MSN program). Classes are 1 night a week for less than 2 years. We have programs available online, as well. SAU is very VA friendly; it meets 6 out of 7 of the MVAA’s Gold Standards. Ask if you are eligible for a VA discount!

NMC Food Pantry

Want to help distribute food to NMC students and their families? Just sign up using the link below and then meet up in the Advising Center in the library to serve your shift. 

We’re using SignUp.com (the leading online signup and reminder tool) to organize our upcoming activity. 

Please sign up for Food Pantry Volunteer! 

Here’s how it works in 3 easy steps: 
1. Click here to go to our invitation page on SignUp.com.
2. Enter your email address: (You will NOT need to register an account on SignUp.com) 
3. Sign up! Choose your spots – SignUp.com will send you an automated confirmation and reminders. Easy! 

Note: SignUp.com does not share your email address with anyone. If you prefer not to use your email address, please contact Paul Kolak at pkolak@nmc.edu to sign up manually.

Thanks for supporting this cause and helping students get their needs met!

Kudos

KUDOS- (praise or respect that you get because of something you have done or achieved) defined by Merriam-Webster.com

Submit a Kudos here.

Kudos to Emily Martin: she is our fantastic student worker in the Foundation department! Every month, she makes thank you phone calls to people who made donations to the NMC Foundation in the previous month.

Emily noticed that many donors wanted to know about students in the program to which they made a donation, and she couldn’t always answer those questions. Emily took the initiative to recruit and train some of her peers to make thank you calls.

Now, she can have a student in the Maritime Academy, for instance, make the thank you call to a GLMA donor. The donor can hear about the experiences of cadets, and cadets can make connections with GLMA alumni and supporters.

Great job Emily for identifying a need and creating a solution!


 

Math Bootcamp

The Student Success Center will be hosting one math bootcamp session over winter break this year. It will run 9 a.m.-12 p.m.January 2-5. The cost will remain $25. 

Students who completed math bootcamp over the summer increased their math placement 1.5 levels on average!

Interested students can call 231-995-2134 or e-mail studentsuccesscenter@nmc.edu to register.

Holiday concerts

TRAVERSE CITY — NMC’s performance ensembles will present the following holiday concerts:

Sunday, November 19: NMC Children’s Choirs holiday concert. 3 p.m., Lars Hockstad Auditorium. Reserved seating. MyNorthTickets.com and at the door. (800) 836-0717.

Saturday, December 2: The NMC Jazz Bands and Vocal Jazz Ensemble present Winter Jazz Ensemble Showcase. 7:30 p.m., Milliken Auditorium. Tickets $12 for adults, $7 for students and seniors at MyNorthTickets.com and at the door. (800) 836-0717.

Saturday, December 9: The NMC Choirs join the Traverse Symphony Orchestra for “Home for the Holidays.” 7:30 p.m., Lars Hockstad Auditorium. MyNorthTickets.com. (231) 947-7120.

Sunday, December 10 The NMC Choirs join the Traverse Symphony Orchestra for “Home for the Holidays.” 3 p.m., Lars Hockstad Auditorium. MyNorthTickets.com. (231) 947-7120.

Monday, December 11: Hip hop dance performance of “Hip Hop Nature” by NMC dance students. 7:30 p.m., Milliken Auditorium, free.

Sunday, December 17: The NMC Grand Traverse Chorale and Chamber Singers join area choirs for a concert featuring the music of Dan Forrest. 2 p.m., First Congregational Church. Tickets (231) 947-6698.

Tuesday, December 19: The NMC Concert Band presents an evenng of holiday music. 7:30 p.m., Milliken Auditorium. Tickets $12 for adults, $7 for students and seniors at MyNorthTickets.com and at the door. (800) 836-0717

Release date: November 16, 2017

For more information:

Jeff Cobb
Director of Music Programs
(231) 995-1338
jecobb@nmc.edu

NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY NOTICE

Northwestern Michigan College is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, disability, genetic information, height, weight, marital status or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions. nmc.edu/non-discrimination

Emergency Management: Intimidation or threats

NMC has established a Zero Tolerance Standard with respect to acts of intimidation, threats of violence, or acts of violence relating to the campus or classroom. A safe and secure campus is essential to carrying out the mission of the College; the campus and its community are committed to working together to create and maintain a campus that is as free from forms of harassing and threatening behaviors. (more…)