Allegan Area Educational Service Agency

Press Releases

Arialink Signs Allegan County Fiber Agreement with AAESA lead Education Consortium

Arialink announced today ten school districts of Allegan County signed agreements to purchase Arialink services through a consortium led by the Allegan Area Educational Service Agency (AAESA). The services will include fiber optic (Gigabit) Wide Area Network (WAN), Local and Long Distance Telephone Service and fiber delivered Internet services.

Arialink will bring fiber optic capacity to 14 participating sites, which will add 105 new route miles to Arialink’s current statewide fiber optic network. The network will bring fiber optic capacity to underserved areas of West Michigan that suffers from a lack of competitive broadband or advanced telecom options. Arialink hopes to leverage this network extension for the benefit of all regional business and residential consumers.

The Allegan AESA will use the fiber optic network to facilitate educational resource sharing, cost reduction and integration of advanced curriculum into the region’s education programs.

Kerenda Applebey is Recognized as Allegan County Child Advocate of the Year

At the Safe Harbor Advocacy Center’s Annual Recognition Banquet on January 18, 2007, Kerenda Applebey, Allegan Area Educational Service Agency’s (AAESA) Early Educational Services Parent As Teachers Coordinator, will be recognized for her dedicated work with Early Childhood Education.

“She a passionate and persistent force supporting families and children,” said Wendy Menifee, Supervisor of Children’s Services at the Department of Human Services, in her nomination of Applebey for this award. “She’s willing to seek out different, creative avenues to make sure children are protected and their needs are met.”

Hillside Learning & Behavior Center Recieves Delano Foundation Grant

Principal Robin Melvin proudly announced at the December AAESA Board meeting that the Hillside Learning & Behavior Center has received a Delano Foundation Grant for the development of a Sensory Room at the center.

Robin is the principal of the Allegan Area Educational Service Agency (AAESA) Hillside Learning & Behavior Center (Previously the Allegan County Development Center). Melvin wrote the grant with Center Occupational Therapists Shelly Boerman and Shelly DeVries. The Sensory Room will serve student, ages 2 to 26, with severe impairments who also have sensory deficits which further disrupt their every day lives.

Hillside Center Early Childhood Students Give to Iraq Soldiers

With the Holidays approaching, the students in the Early Childhood Developmental Delay Classroom, ages 3 - 7 years of age, at Hillside Learning and Behavior Center (Previously the Allegan County Development Center) have experienced a great lesson in giving. They gathered 12 large boxes of food, snacks, hygiene items, reading materials, games and other items to send to soldiers in Iraq.

Teacher Martha Adams has a nephew, Ryan Walter, who is currently serving as a medic to a marine unit stationed in Fallujah Iraq. Walter’s and his unit are serving their second tour of duty in Iraq and have just recently lost 3 soldiers.

Development Center Becomes Hillside Learning and Behavior Center

Allegan - The Allegan County Development Center has a new name. Approved by the Allegan Area Educational Service Center (previously the Allegan County ISD) School Board at their November 20, 2006 board meeting, the center is now called the HILLSIDE LEARNING AND BEHAVIOR CENTER.

“This new name reflects who and what we are”, explains Robin Melvin, Hillside Principal. “We are a school that serves quite a different student population than when we started 30 years ago.”

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