We have had two big events that have put Georgetown in the news in the past week. Our PTC sponsored a mother/son Whitecaps game this past weekend which was featured on NEWS 8.
The event was a great success with beautiful weather and a good ‘ol fashion game of baseball–Whitecaps style! Many thanks to our PTC for organizing and sponsoring this event.
The second big event was the Team Spencer Junior Race tonight followed by the RiverBank Run this weekend. Miranda spotlighted this very special project and this will be broadcasted Friday, May 10 at 7 pm on WOTV 4.
What is Team Spencer? Our goal is to raise money for the Spencer Meyer Benefit Fund for the Meyer family to go towards medical expenses. Runners in the Fifth Third River Bank races (any race) will wear orange Team Spencer shirts & collect donations from individuals and businesses.
Spencer Meyer is a 7 year old from Hudsonville who was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in 2010. He overcame many obstacles and was doing well. As far as the family knew, Spencer was on the path of remission. In February of 2012, after a year and a half in remission, Spencer relapsed and the cancer was found in his spine. In March 2012 Spencer started an intense three year chemotherapy regiment. Current road blocks in his treatment have included pancreatitis, brain swelling, epilepsy, and intense emotional issues.
Spencer enjoys puzzles and is a big Star Wars fan. He has an older sister Mikayla, who attends Georgetown Elementary, 9, younger brother Vincent 5, who attends Bauer Elementary, younger sister Tiffany 3, and a baby sister Quinnly. Spencer’s parents, Jason & Jodi, are both teachers at Hudsonville High School.
If you would like to know more about Spencer’s journey, you can follow him on carepages.com. His ID is one word: spencermeyer
I am looking for kids and adults who are interested in joining Team Spencer for the junior run, 5k, 10k, or 25k. The 5/3 junior run will take place at the old Roger’s High School on May 8, starting at 5:30pm. The 5/3 Riverbank 5k, 10k, and 25K will take place downtown on May 11 with the 5k starting at 7:20 am. We will be collecting donations again, selling orange Team Spencer 2013 t-shirts and Team Spencer wristbands. Proceeds will go to the Spencer Meyer Benefit Fund. If interested, please contact Michele Sytsma at cmsytsma@sbcglobal.net, 616-662-2858, or find Team Spencer on facebook and ask to join.
It was a sea of orange all over Georgetown on Friday. In honor of Spencer, we sported Team Spencer shirts, shaved heads and walked. Many of our staff and students raised money for the Georgetown FUN RUN.
Five staff members (Mr. Rob, Mr. Gort, Mr. Bowen, Mr. Bialochowski and Mr. Kooiker) promised to have their heads shaved if 100 students participated in the run. We reached that goal and the school itself raised over $5,000 to help the Meyer family cover medical expenses. In addition, several of our students shaved their heads to support Spencer in his fight against cancer.
One of my favorite sites of the day was watching Spencer’s class participate. Check out this line of orange kindergarteners walking for their buddy, Spence!
The Georgetown Fun Run will be held on May 4 at 2 pm on the Georgetown Walking Path. All students will be able to walk in honor of all those we know who have fought or are fighting cancer.
Originally, Mr. Gort and Mr. Kooiker set a challenge of shaving his head if 100 students donated $1.00 or more to Spencer’s medical expense fund. However, that group has grown to a total of five staff members willing to shave their hair for Spencer. These staff members are: Mr. Kooiker, Mr. Gort, Mr. Rob (our custodian), Mr. Bialochowski and Mr. Bowen! We will open the run with head shaving IF we can get 100 students to donate toward Spencer’s Meyer’s Medical Fund. Your form must be in by Friday, April 27…with your donation money.
You also have the OPTION of getting a TEAM SPENCER T-SHIRT. These are $5.00.
NOTE: If your child is participating in the 5th/3rd Fun Run or Riverbank, their donation is sufficient for the school fun run. You do not need to donate to both. Their donation will also be counted in the 100 kids goal.
Many of you are aware that our special kindergartener, Spencer Meyer is fighting leukemia. Spencer is receiving treatment at DeVos Children’s Hospital through the month of April.
To show support, many of students and families have registered to join “Team Spencer” and run either the Fifth Third River Bank Run (May 12), or the Fifth Third Feelin’ Good Fun Run (May 9).
Thank you to everyone who has joined to support this special little boy and his family! “Team Spencer” is such a worthwhile cause, that WZZM 13 reporter Valerie Lego has contacted Michele Sytsma (organizer of Team Spencer) for an interview with all the Team Spencer runners and his kindergarten class on Monday, April 23.
We would like everyone in the school to wear orange on this Monday April 23 and again on Friday April 27 to show support for Spencer and everyone we know who has been impacted by cancer in some way. Monday and Friday are ORANGEdays!If you are interested in more information about “Team Spencer,” please feel free to contact Michele Sytsma by email: cmsytsma@sbcglobal.net All registrations will be accepted through Wednesday, April 25.
Thank you again for everyone’s care and support for our wonderful kindergartener, Spencer.
Spencer Alexander’s story, PAINTBALL AT SPRING HILL CAMP was selected as worthy of a performance by the Art, Music and PE teaching team for our all school JUST WRITE CELEBRATION.
You can view the teacher performance below. Congratulations, Spencer, on being a JUST RIGHT JUST WRITE author!
Paintball at Spring Hill Camp
by Spencer Alexander
“Hurry get on the train Spencer it’s about to leave!” Tom screamed.
It was around nine o’clock in the morning at Spring Hill Camp, the best summer camp ever. The sun was shining through the trees and there was a slight breeze. At that moment I said to my self, “It’s a perfect day for paintball.”
At around nine fifteen my team and I were at the front of the paintball field. The first thing I noticed was a giant net, but I looked closer and there it was, the paintball field. There were also bunkers, pillboxes, and fox holes.
Next, I ran to the new paintball shack and reserved all of my supplies, which consists of a paintball gun, mask, Co2, and ammunition. After that my team and I hit the field. We took the far side of the field, and the other team took the other side. At last, everyone was waiting for the whistle to blow.
“Go, go, go!” one of the older kids yelled at me, “Spencer get in that bunker, and make sure the other team doesn’t take it!”
So I did, but I should not have listened to that older kid because now I was down on my back and couldn’t move or I would get shot.
Finally, about five minutes into the game one of our bunker busters shot their machine gunner. So when I had the chance, I jumped up out of the hole and sprinted around to find a sniping spot. I settled around a big fat thick soggy smelly log.
After finding a spot, I immediately started to fire my gun. I actually hit about three guys, even though that does not seem like a lot. There was a total of fifteen team members on their team. But when I ducked down to reload my gun I heard, “Surround him.” I looked up and found four people where looking me straight into my eyes. I realized at about that time that I was ambushed.
But within seconds, four paintballs were about to hit me! It felt like one hundred hornets had stung me in my chest. When I started to crawl out of the field I realized it does not matter, I got out because I had a whole week left at summer camp!
Wow, that week must have gone by quickly because before I new it, my week at camp was over. I will always remember the time I had at Spring Hill summer camp, forever. I have already reserved my spot for next summer, and I will be bringing a few friends with me. I cannot wait!
The HHS National Honor Society is sponsoring a stuffed animal drive in honor of their bravest and most inspiring hero, SPENCER MEYER! Spencer is a pre-kindergarten student in our building who is battling cancer. His parents are the Jason and Jodi Meyer–both teachers at Hudsonville High School.
The NEW stuffed animal drive will be going on throughout the month of January. Please shop the holiday sales, find a stuffed animal that needs to be hugged and loved by a child patient at DeVos Children’s Hospital, deliver the new stuffed animal to the front lobby of Georgetown, and deposit it in the box by the front office.
Thank you for your support of the HHS National Honor Society, DeVos Children’s Hospital, the 100’s of recovering children who need these stuffed animals and SPENCER MEYER…our Georgetown hero!
The biggest winner of the Teacher Silent Auction was the Lamer Family. As you know, the staff of Georgetown Elementary offered up TIME WITH KIDS as items to bid upon by those who attended the carnival. However…it is fair to say that there were several other winners as a result of the bidding done by parents. One such winner is Spencer who’s parents had the top bid for “ABILITY TO CALL AN EXTRA RECESS FOR YOUR GRADE.”
As a fourth grader, Spencer earned the right to select a day and time for his fourth grade classes to have an additional recess. I met with Mr. Gort (Spencer’s teacher) to determine best options and Spencer was declared the king of recess for Thursday, May 20.
THREE CHEERS FOR SPENCER!
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