Local blues artist Jimmie Stagger and retired educator and musician David “Dr. Hamfat” Marin made a return trip to CTA on Friday, February 10 and once again “wowwed” our students with two assemblies, one for grades K-5 and one for grades 6-12.  “The wealth of historical knowledge of these gentlemen, combined with their love of the blues and expert musical performance, make this our most popular assembly of the year,” said School Leader Dan George.  “It also fits in with our classroom emphases this month on contributions made to America by African Americans.”

Marin and Stagger offer the program free of charge to area schools and their love for what they do is apparent to the students they teach.  They get all the students involved by singing and clapping to songs from blues artists including Brownie McGhee, Lead Belly, Charlie Patton, and B.B. King. Their slideshow includes historical photographs and biographical information on each artist.  The duo play a variety of instruments ranging from a homemade “Diddley Bow” and a cigar box guitar to a harmonica, a guitar made of steel, and a traditional 12 string guitar. CTA teachers received information in advance with lesson plans for art, creative writing, and history.

“Our kids love listening and participating with Mr. Stagger and Mr. Marin,” said Kyle Bohl, CTA Director of Student Services.  “We want them to come back as often as possible.”

CTA Middle School

Name     Grade      GPA

Allen, Lillian 07 3.00

Armstrong, Dawson 06 4.00

Beck, Brandon 07 3.78

Bouma, Jarod 07 3.84

Bouma, Richard 07 3.00

Caldwell, Anna 06 3.84

Davison, Joshua 08 3.75

Foster, Lyndsey 07 4.00

Grabinski, William 06 3.59

Heukels, Destiny 08 3.08

Hofstra, James 06 4.00

Howard, Austin 06 4.00

Keech, Kaleigh 08 3.17

Knott, Ryan 07 3.33

Konrad, Arabelle 07 4.00

Korody, Michael 06 3.44

Kyser, Jordan 08 3.33

Kyser, June 07 3.11

Lange, Emily 07 3.00

Lehman, Ethan 07 4.00

Miner, Leslie 06 3.75

Rogers, William 06 3.17

Salmon, Dennis 07 3.00

Schullo, Brittany 06 3.25

Schultz, Jesse 08 3.33

Shelagowski, Autumn 07 4.00

Stahle, Jared 08 3.00

Thebo, Tayler 06 3.33

VanEnk, Annalise 08 3.75

Watson, Autumn 06 3.33

CTA High School

Name     Grade      GPA

Armstrong, Austin 11 4.09

Batey, Monica 10 3.00

Beck, Alicia 10 4.00

Biddlecome, Kandice 12 3.15

Bricker, Brianna 09 3.52

Bulatnikova, Darya 10 4.00

Burgess, Traci 11 3.33

Chilcote, Cole 12 3.45

Coffman, Chelsea 12 3.38

Colburn, Lydia 10 3.89

Colburn, Naomi 11 3.85

Couturier, Esther 11 3.47

George, Dani 10 4.09

George, Jonathan H 09 3.95

Holmberg, Matthew 12 3.00

Hoops, Jonathan 09 3.76

Howard, Emily 12 3.13

Hubbard, Esther 11 4.09

Hubbard, Hannah 09 3.86

Huizinga, Maria 11 3.42

Ingersoll, Skyler 11 3.92

Johnson, Travis 11 3.70

Kibitz, Cassie 10 3.00

Knott, Stephen 10 3.53

Marek, Ashley 11 3.09

Marek, Caitlin 11 3.45

Mead, Justin 10 3.64

Munger, Erin 10 4.00

Nutt, Aaron 10 3.82

Patchett, Sage 11 3.76

Schaner, Amber 10 3.82

Schutter, Jacob 10 3.03

Smith, Michaela 10 3.58

Solomon, Margaret 12 3.61

Spoelhof, Ashley 12 3.61

Taber, Hope 12 3.03

Temple, Rachelle 09 3.43

Tomandl, Benett 09 3.82

Tomandl, Mikayla 10 4.03

Tow, Jacob 12 3.92

Tow, Kathryn 10 4.08

Uplinger, Amber 10 3.13

VanEnk, Grace 11 4.03

White, Zachary 12 3.15

Whitlatch, Robert 12 3.78

Whitney, Cecelia 10 3.45

Winters, Andre 11 4.09

Winters, Derek 09 3.33

Wortz, Jeremiah 11 3.64

Wortz, Olivia 09 3.13

Yarrington, Dylan 09 3.56

Making a Difference in the Things that Matter

CTA is now enrolling for the 2012-13 School Year

Contact Mr. Bohl, Mrs. Atkins, or Mrs. Hardenburgh at (616) 696-4905

Spring Parent/Superintendent Town Hall Meeting

(originally scheduled for April 23)

Has been rescheduled to Thursday, April 19, 2012 7-8 PM

This is also Family Night at CTA! Hope to see you all there!

February

17                                    Boys and Girls Bball @ Waypoint Academy,Muskegon, MI 5:30 PM and 7:00 PM

22                                    Boys and Girls Bball Tournament @ WMAES,Grand Rapids, MI 5:30 PM and 7:00 PM

22-24                              No School for Students and Staff – Mid-Winter Break

27                                    No School for Students – Teacher PD Day 9 AM – 3:30 PM

28                                    Boys and Girls Bball Tournament @ WMAES, Grand Rapids, MI   TBA

March

2                                    End of 2^nd Trimester

6-8                                ACT/MME Testing (Regular School Day for other students)

9                                    No School for Students and Staff – (possible make up day)

15                                   CTA Board Meeting

They are popping up like wildflowers! These colorful jars to support the Cedar Springs Library are popping up at local businesses everywhere. Look for these matching fundraiser jars and throw in your loose change (we take paper money, too) to help the library get closer to the $50,000 matching grant towards a new building.

Thanks to the CTA staff and students for their part in decorating the containers—they are truly works of art! Also, a big thanks to the Cedar Springs Post and the many others who have put in their time and effort to support our local library.

CTA’s boys varsity basketball team traveled up north to take on two Traverse City teams.

Friday night, CTA tipped-off against St. Mary’s of Lake Leelanau. The Eagles of St. Mary’s bested the Chargers with a final score of 42-24. 14 of the Charger’s 24 points came from Senior guard, Cole Chilcote. Early in the 3rd quarter, Chilcote hit a 14-14 game tying 3-point basket. However, St. Mary’s found a way to convert turnovers into baskets, and make it difficult for the Chargers to score for the remainder of the game. Guards, Travis Johnson and Austin Armstrong each added 4 points.
The good news was the Chargers did not have to hang their heads long over Friday night’s loss. They played the Bulldogs of Traverse City Homeschool early Saturday. The first half looked shaky for Creative Tech, as the Bulldogs used their 6’3” center to have their way around the basket on both ends of the court. The Chargers made a few adjustments on the defensive end, and held the center to just a few touches for the remainder of the game. The Chargers were also more determined to attack the basket and get their forwards involved. Creative Tech took the momentum of a buzzer-beater 3-point shot from the hand of junior Austin Armstrong into halftime to trail the Bulldogs by just 2 points. However, the biggest points may have come from senior Zach White from the charity line. With less than 30 seconds left in the game, White’s made free-throws put the Chargers up by 4 points, making it a two-possession game. The Bulldog’s settled for a desperate 3 point attempt as time ticked away. The shot came up short bouncing out of bounds, possession to the Chargers. The Chargers were able to play keep away for the remaining 10 seconds and win with a final score of 26-22.
Creative Tech improves to 5-4 as they reach the halfway point in the season. Tuesday, they take on Waypoint, of Muskegon, and end the week with a trip to Grattan Academy.

CTA Grades K-6

Daddy/Daughter Dance

February 9, 2011
CTA Cafeteria

$10.00 per family
Refreshments, Desserts, Photo Included

Spring Parent/Superintendent Town Hall Meeting

(originally scheduled for April 23)

Has been rescheduled to
Thursday, April 19, 2012

This is also Family Night at CTA!

Hope to see you all there!

January     27     Boys and Girls Bball @ Grattan Academy, Greenville, MI 6:00PM & 8:00PM
31     Boys and Girls Bball @ Fremont Home School, Fremont Christian Middle School 6:00Pm & 8:00PM

February    3    Boys and Girls Bball @ Wellspring Prep, Grand Rapids, MI 4:30 PM and 6:15 PM
7    Boys and Girls Bball @ WMAES, Grand Rapids, MI 5:30 PM and 7:00 PM
9    Daddy/Daughter Dance (K-6th Grade) CTA Cafeteria 7:00 – 8:30 PM
10    Boys and Girls Bball @ Lakeshore Christian, Grand Haven, MI 6:00 PM and 7:30 PM
13    Boys and Girls Bball @ Grand Rapids Prep, Grand Rapids, MI 5:30 PM and 7:00 PM
17    Boys and Girls Bball @ Waypoint Academy, Muskegon, MI 5:30 PM and 7:00 PM
22    Boys and Girls Bball Tournament @ WMAES, Grand Rapids, MI 5:30 PM and 7:00 PM
22-24    No School for Students and Staff – Mid-Winter Break
27    No School for Students Teacher PD Day 9 AM – 3:30 PM
28    Boys and Girls Bball Tournament @ WMAES, Grand Rapids, MI TBA