Gratiot-Isabella Regional Education Service District

The GIRESD Student Leadership Community has released a powerful new podcast episode created entirely by local students from Alma, Ashley, Beal City, Fulton, and St. Louis schools.
The conversation focuses on Student Mental Health and Belonging. In this candid episode, our student leaders share their firsthand perspectives on:

The Biggest Stressors: What is truly impacting students today.
Support: Ideas on how schools & parents can support student mental health.
Coping Skills: The tools and strategies they use to manage daily stress.

It is an incredibly insightful conversation from the youth in our community. Please take 20 minutes out of your day to give it a listen and support our students!
🎧 Listen Here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mILIlvaJpxeZvXP-FxGsR3IGk56efvTy/view?usp=drive_link

Educators from across the region met for two days at Winding Brook Conference Centre for the AI and Media Literacy Leadership Collaborative. Participants gave up two days of their summer to make plans to help students and staff learn appropriate ways to use AI in schools, and were able to share ideas for students, teachers, and families. This joint venture from the REMC of Michigan and ALP was made possible thanks to a grant from the Michigan Department of Education.

Educators from Gratiot and Isabella County school districts participated in the annual GIRESD Educator to Industry Tour on June 5, 2026. This professional development opportunity is designed to connect educators with local employers through on-site tours and presentations, providing valuable insight into the technical competencies, employability skills, and workforce expectations that are essential for student success. The businesses selected for the tour are intentionally aligned with Gratiot-Isabella Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs, helping educators better understand career pathways and industry trends relevant to their students. This year's tour included visits to American Mitsuba Corporation, Mount Pleasant Public Safety, and concluded at Bucks Run Golf Club, where participants learned about careers in advanced manufacturing, law enforcement, firefighting, hospitality, and event management.

The Michigan Moves Coalition spotlighted our PE and Health Consultant Josh Boutwell and the Gratiot-Isabella RESD on their socials. Check it out here!

The Gratiot-Isabella Classroom Activity and Movement Program (GCAMP) was created last year and 300 educators in our region had some sort of training on it. GCAMP was created to get students and adults moving more throughout the day and provide a recharge for their school work. It consists of movement games and videos students can play for a short amount of time, either transitioning from subject to subject or planned throughout their day.

Each year, GCAMP is awarding a Classroom of the Year award to teachers and students that go above and beyond the program to provide opportunities to move. Teachers had the opportunity to be able to modify or adapt any exercise or activity to their students. Teachers fill out tracking sheets and provide feedback on the activities.

Congratulations to Ms. Peterman and her 2nd grade classroom at Breckenridge Elementary on the 25-26 GCAMP Classroom of the Year! A highlight of her class is that Brooke gave her students a project option of creating a movement game. Her students presented the games to our PE/Health Consultant Josh Boutwell. Next year, the games created by the students will be on the 26-27 GCAMP Activity List. Below is an example of the group work.

Congrats again to Ms. Peterman's 2nd grade class and Breckenridge Elementary on all their work to add movement to their days!

Link to the GCAMP Activity List:

In the state of Michigan, a proclamation was issued in support for May 2026 as Michigan Moves Month. On May 12th, our PE/Health Consultant Josh Boutwell, Beal City Public School's PE and Health educator Holli Crowley and two of her students, had the opportunity to run a movement station at the Michigan Moves Day at the Capitol in Lansing on the Capitol lawn.

The event was sponsored by the Michigan Moves Coalition and the Michigan Association for Health, PE, Recreation, and Dance (MAHPERD). Over 600 students were on the Capitol lawn going through multiple stations promoting movement. The students learned about the importance of moderate to vigorous activity and how to check their heart rates. The slogan of the event was, "Be smart, take care of your hearts, finding your pulse is a great place to start."

Here is more information on the event:
https://wwmt.com/news/state/hundreds-students-michigan-capitol-lawn-promote-physical-activity-exercise-mi-moves-health-education

#GIRESDSupportingWellness

At the conclusion of the Michigan Moves Day at the Capitol on May 12th, the Michigan Moves Coalition rolled out the Michigan Physical Activity Plan (MPAP). Michigan is the 2nd state to develop a physical activity plan and builds directly upon the framework of the National Physical Activity plan that was developed in 2010. The MPAP is a comprehensive, statewide roadmap designed to increase physical activity across the population by aligning efforts across sectors that shape how people live, work, learn, and play. Physical activity is one of the most powerful and accessible tools available to improve health, prevent chronic disease, strengthen communities, and enhance quality of life.

Our PE and Health Consultant, Josh Boutwell had the opportunity to be on the Education Sector of the plan to help develop strategies and tactics for the sector. At the rollout event, state officials were in attendance in support for the plan and improving physical activity.

Download the MPAP here: https://mimoves.org/mpap-pdf-form/

More information: https://mimoves.org/mpap/

National Physical Activity Plan: https://paamovewithus.org/npap-plan/

#GIRESDSupportingWellness