Mustang Moments

Join Superintendent Dr. Webber and Northville High School Special Ed teacher Kelsey Mikiciuk in a heartfelt conversation about their journey towards creating inclusive environments for students with diverse needs. From pioneering peer mentorship programs to the joy of unified athletics, they share stories of resilience, compassion, and the power of community. Explore the transformative impact of Inclusion Week and the collaborative efforts shaping a brighter future for all students in Northville Public Schools. Stay Curious!

Join Superintendent Dr. RJ Webber in a captivating episode of Mustang Moments as he sits down with the brilliant Sanjana Duttagupta, a senior at Northville High School. In this episode, they unravel the inspiring journey from curiosity to creation, exploring Sanjana's development of the groundbreaking iOS application, "Reveal the Ingredient." Dive into the story of how a simple curiosity during the pandemic led Sanjana to create an app that detects and analyzes chemical ingredients, providing vital information about potential health impacts. From the early days of Visual Basic and Arduino experimentation to the evolution of the app using Swift and Java, this episode showcases the power of curiosity, perseverance, and the fusion of technology with aesthetics. Discover how Sanjana's personal project unfolded during her sophomore year, leading to the development of a life-changing app that empowers users to make informed choices about the products they use every day. Stay curious!

For this episode of Mustang Moments, Superintendent Dr. RJ Webber interviews Jen Lawson, a teacher at Hillside Middle School. Jen shares an emotional journey of supporting the military through heartfelt acts of kindness. The podcast revolves around a special flag flown by Jen's father in Vietnam, now a symbol of gratitude for troops worldwide. From care packages to connecting with military personnel, Jen's initiatives showcase the power of small gestures. Stay curious

For this episode of Mustang Moments, Superintendent Dr. RJ Webber sits down with our athletic director, Brian Samulski. Brian shares his journey from growing up in Canton, playing basketball, to becoming a key figure in one of Michigan's top school districts. Discover the influences, memories, and pivotal moments that shaped his perspective on sports and education. Stay curious!

For this episode of Mustang Moments, Superintendent Dr. RJ Webber sits down with Jackson Garland, a teacher at Northville High School. Mr. Garland explains his extensive international teaching experience, his transition back to the United States, and his diverse interests in education, journalism, film, and music. Stay curious!

For this episode of Mustang Moments, Superintendent Dr. RJ Webber sits down with Beth Santer, the executive director of Special Services at Northville Public Schools. Ms. Santer spotlights community events that are happening during the month of September for Suicide Awareness Month.

For this episode of Mustang Moments, Superintendent Dr. RJ Webber talks to Northville Varsity Girls Soccer Coach, Jeannine Reddy. Coach Reddy talks about how and when she started playing soccer. Plus, she reflects on her coaching journey and what it's like coaching boys and girls soccer and the competitiveness of travel teams. Coach Reddy explained what it was like becoming the new girls soccer coach at Northville and how the team has evolved. They are currently one of the top ranked teams in the state.

For this episode of Mustang Moments, Superintendent Dr. RJ Webber talks to the lady with the green thumb, Jean Gertley. To celebrate National Volunteer Recognition Week and Earth Day, what better person to get to know than Jean Gertley. Jean has been sprucing up our schools for several years. She loves getting the kids involved and the kids love helping her! She is a dental hygienist by trade, substitute teacher whenever possible and the hardest working volunteer gardener Northville has ever seen. Jean shares where her green thumb came from, her proudest projects, and what keeps her going. Stay curious!

For this episode of Mustang Moments, Superintendent Dr. RJ Webber talks to Chelsea Simons, NPS Early Childhood Education and Extended Day Program Coordinator. Chelsea passionately explains where she fell in love with wanting to be an early childhood educator. She also outlines what our program offers and what a complete day looks like for our preschoolers. A couple of our preschool classrooms are piloting a curriculum called High Scope, which Chelsea and Dr. Webber dive into and explain. Dr. Webber also throws a couple curious questions at Chelsea about what her dream outdoor learning space would look like for our preschoolers. Stay curious!

For this episode of Mustang Moments, Superintendent Dr. RJ Webber talks to Genna Davis who is a parent in the district. She explains her latest fundraising campaign for new playground equipment at Amerman Elementary. Genna also talks about how she grew up in the Northville Public School system and why she wanted her kids to go to school here too. Dr. Webber also uncovers one of Genna's favorite passions: collecting and rebuilding old trucks. Wait until you hear Genna light up while talking about her trucks! That's why it's important to always stay curious!

For this episode of Mustang Moments, Superintendent Dr. RJ Webber brings in Zach Ajluni, 12th grader at Northville High School. Zach is also the Student Congress president and shares his leadership journey at Northville Public Schools. He explains where he caught the leadership bug and why he thinks we have the best Freshman Orientation in the area! Plus, Dr. Webber challenges Zach with a couple curious questions.

For this episode of Mustang Moments, Superintendent Dr. RJ Webber sits down with one of our longest standing staff members, Mike Rumbell. Mr. Rumbell is the band director at Northville High School. He has worked at Northville Public Schools for 49 years! Mr. Rumbell shares his inspirations, where he got his love of music from, who he's performed with and all the different venues. You will be in awe of this man's story! 

Superintendent Dr. RJ Webber kicks off our inaugural podcast by chatting with Katie Rork, the district communications specialist, about starting this podcast and her role. Ms. Rork was a television news anchor for 10 years prior to starting at Northville Public Schools. She talks about her new video series called Classroom Close-Up, which can be viewed on the district's website and social media pages. 

What should we call our podcast? Who should we interview next? What topics are you curious about at Northville Public Schools? We hope to release two podcasts a month. Stay curious!