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Hemlock Public School District is excited to announce the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the newly expanded Lockwood STEM Center on November 6, 2024, at 5:45  PM. This event marks a pivotal step in the district’s continued dedication to providing innovative educational opportunities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

The Lockwood STEM Center, named in honor of Thomas and Dana Lockwood, long-time champions of STEM education, now boasts cutting-edge resources and collaborative spaces designed to inspire and prepare students for the future.

Superintendent Dr. Don Killingbeck expressed his enthusiasm for the project: “This expansion represents the culmination of community vision and dedication. It’s not only a testament to the power of education but also a sign of how we, as a district, are committed to providing our students with the best opportunities to succeed in a rapidly changing world.”

The district would like to extend special thanks to Pumford Construction for their expertise and tireless work in making this expansion possible. A big shout-out goes to Greg Turner, Hemlock alumnus and community champion, for his instrumental contributions. Greg’s leadership and passion for his hometown have played a crucial role in this project’s success.

Matt Wesener, President of the Hemlock Public School District Board of Education, added: “The Lockwood STEM Center expansion is a major investment in our students’ futures. This facility is more than just a building—it’s a launchpad for the next generation of thinkers, creators, and innovators. We’re grateful to Tom and Dana Lockwood, as well as all of our partners who helped make this possible. Hemlock continues to be a community that supports progress and education.”

Following the November 6th ribbon-cutting, Hemlock Public School District will host a public open house in the spring of 2025 (date to be determined), offering the community an opportunity to explore the new facility and see firsthand how it will benefit students.

For more information about the ribbon-cutting or the upcoming open house, please get in touch with the Hemlock Public Schools Superintendent’s Office at (989) 642-5282 or email gronski@hemlockps.com.

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This past Friday evening, the Lockwood STEM Center hosted a Staff Tailgate before the home football game against Ithaca. The evening was filled with laughter, catching up, and plenty of activities for all ages. Guests enjoyed hot dogs fresh off the grill, face painting, and even train rides around the grounds. The highlight of the night was the presence of our special guests of honor, the 1985 Girls Track Team and their families, who were celebrated at the football game for their incredible achievements. 

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Earlier today, Lonnie Newton and Kevin Smith of Nexteer took a tour of the Lockwood STEM Center and the soon-to-be-open STEM Labs. Nexteer's commitment to providing students with meaningful experiences using embedded programming (like Arduinos) has been unwavering. We’re looking forward to their input as we develop curriculum pieces for our STEM Pilot program and inspire students to pursue Computer Science education and careers.

Funding for the STEM Pilot Program is provided by the Office of Future Mobility and Electrification and MICHauto.

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Time flies when you're building STEM Labs! Construction is chugging along at the addition to the Lockwood STEM Center. 

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The Lockwood STEM Center recently hosted an exciting 4-day camp, offering students hands-on experience in circuits, Arduino programming, construction, electrical basics like soldering, and 3-D modeling and printing. A highlight was a first-class welding workshop provided by Merrill Institute, where participants learned welding basics, practiced on simulators, and created projects using real welders. A special thank you to the Saginaw ISD for making this camp possible, as well as to the dedicated volunteers who helped throughout the week. 

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The FIRST in Michigan State Championship finished last week, and for the first time in team history, Gray Matter has won a State Championship! Along with our partners Team 27 Team RUSH, Team 51 Wings of Fire, and Team 4405 The Atoms Family, our alliance went undefeated in the InterDivisional Playoffs. Gray Matter also won the Autonomous Award for the first time in team history and set the event high score numerous times, including the top high score of 138 in the State Championship-clinching match.

On Sunday, the community was invited to the STEM Center to congratulate Hemlock's Gray Matter on their State Championship win, see demonstrations, and cheer on the team as they prepared to leave for the 2024 FIRST® World Championship in Houston, Texas.

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Great things are happening at the Lockwood STEM Center. Not just robots, romance! Mentor Joel Olivares surprised Kasey Jones yesterday and are now engaged to be married The two of them met while mentoring our robotics teams.

Congratulations as you begin your new journey in life.

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Day 2 of the Michigan State Championship has been a blast! Gray Matter ended qualification matches ranked 1st. Our team picked Team 27 Team RUSH and Team 51 Wings of Fire to join our alliance. It has been an incredibly eventful weekend with our team setting the high score for our division. To end the day off, the Lockwood STEM Center opened its doors to both of our alliance partners for a space to eat dinner, socialize, and strategize for the upcoming day of playoffs!

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This evening teams Comets FRC Team 3357, 3452 GreengineerZ, FRC Team 3175 Knight Vision, and 3620 Average Joes visited the STEM Center this evening in preparation for the State Championships this weekend. These teams all hail from different areas of the state, and we are very glad they could stop by!

Good luck to all of the teams competing and visit us on the Hemlock Semiconductor Field! 

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Hosted at the Lockwood STEM Center, the 3rd Annual Brain Bowl was a massive success! Teams had the opportunity to practice with other robots to prepare for the FIRST in Michigan State Championship. Congratulations to Team 5603 WarriorBots for winning the Brain Bowl and to Team 6067 St. Charles Underdogs for winning the Wooden Flower Award. This award was given to the team that brought the most socks. The socks will be donated to Saginaw Rescue Mission and the Underground Railroad. We appreciate Team 5216 E-Ville Empire, Team 8517 Bounty Hunters, and Team 5166 Freeland Fabricators for joining us! 

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Gray Matter is coming to a TV near you! WNEM stopped by the Lockwood STEM Center to interview students and mentors and check out the 2024 robot, Apollo. Stay tuned for a release date. 

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This Saturday, the STEM Center was filled with anxious students and mentors as the 2024 First Robotics Competition Season "Crescendo" kicked off! The team brainstormed, reviewed, and strategized about the next steps in building a highly competitive robot for this year's game. On Sunday, the team met for more in-depth discussion and analysis.

Good luck to all teams as they prepare for the 2024 season!

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This Saturday, the STEM Center was filled with anxious students and mentors as the 2024 First Robotics Competition Season "Crescendo" kicked off! The team brainstormed, reviewed, and strategized about the next steps in building a highly competitive robot for this year's game. On Sunday, the team met for more in-depth discussion and analysis.

Good luck to all teams as they prepare for the 2024 season!

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For a second time, the STEM Center opened its doors to programmers from all over the tri-cities. In a set of coding camps hosted by Gray Matter, those interested were able to learn hands-on about coding swerve modules and specific functions for FIRST Competition gameplay. 

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In a Spin-off of Hemlock's very own Sawdust Days festival, the Lockwood STEM Center hosted its own "STEM-Dust Days" open house during the festival weekend. The doors were open for a fun day of drone flying, robot driving, 3D printing demos, and more!

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DELRAY came to the Lockwood STEM Center earlier today and hosted an informative presentation about the 3D printing industry. Students then gave a presentation on our team to business leaders in the area. 

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This Monday the Lockwood STEM Center hosted its 2nd Brain Bowl. The pre-states scrimmage hosted local FRC teams from the area, giving them a chance to practice and calibrate before the competition. Attendees included teams: 5166 Freeland Fabricators, 5216 E-Ville Empire, 5424 Rogue Robotics, 5603 WarriorBots, 5712 Hemlock's Gray Matter, and 6753 Robokings. Good luck to all those competing at Michigan State Championships!

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State Senator Kevin Daley and State Representative Amos O'Neal stopped by the Lockwood STEM Center earlier today! While visiting, students led the elected officials around the STEM Center, showing off the new game and the impressive skills taught right here in Hemlock.

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Today the STEM Center hosted a field trip from a local parochial middle school as part of a Chief Science Officer (CSO) action plan. The students were able to listen to engineers from Hemlock Semi Conductor about their careers and STEM backgrounds. Additionally, the students learned about FIRST, participated in demonstrations, and got a tour of the facility.

The Chief Science Officer program is a program designed to encourage students to become advocates for STEM in their community. Representatives from each school must create an action plan designed to expand STEM influence. This year, one of Hemlock High School's action plan was hosted in it's very own STEM Center.

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We’d like to extend a special thank you to Hemlock Semiconductor for the generous donation of $50,000 toward the construction of the STEM Labs. Andy Ault, Vice President of Manufacturing at HSC said, “When given hands-on opportunities, students develop a love of science and engineering. These programs provide a well-rounded platform for students to engage in design, coding, construction, and technical problem-solving. I am looking forward to the next phase of growth of the Lockwood STEM Center and the impact that it will have in creating the engineers and tradespersons of the next generation." 

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We’d like to extend a special thank you to Saginaw Control and Engineering and Kerkau Manufacturing. Today they presented a check for $50,000 to Hemlock Public Schools to support the STEM Labs, the expansion of the Lockwood STEM Center. They also provided the team with annual support so that the team can continue to flourish. SCE and Kerkau have been incredible partners as they have helped the team financially since our founding.

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This weekend, the STEM Center was busy with fabrication and field construction efforts for the 2023 FRC Season. New field elements have been constructed and painted and are ready for lots of use and practice!

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This Saturday, the STEM Center opened its doors to local teams from Merrill and Swan Valley to celebrate the kickoff of the 2023 FIRST Robotics Competition season and the official introduction of the Charged Up game. It was a fun-filled day with planning, strategizing, and focusing on moving forward.

Good luck teams in the 2023 season!

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Friday night the STEM Center hosted a "Game Night" for their students and mentors. The evening was filled with board games, Mario Kart, Super Smash Bros and snacks for everyone to enjoy!

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On Thursday, students of all ages from Hemlock Robotics were invited to attend a check presentation sponsored by MERRILL Technologies. There, it was revealed that MERRILL Technologies Group is supporting the expansion of the Lockwood STEM Center with a $100,000 donation with an additional $50,000 donation per year for the next four years. 

"We are a growing, forward-looking company that needs highly skilled talent; the STEM Center is part of the solution.", states Bob Yackel, Merrill TG's CEO/President. 

Thank you MERRILL!

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Hemlock's FIRST Lego League Team had one of their weekly meetings on Tuesday at the Lockwood STEM Center. They had snacks, learned about Gracious Professionalism from some members of the high school team, and helped design and color wreaths! 

Hemlock Robotics is pairing with Swanhaven Manor Retirement Community in Saginaw to decorate a wreath for their wreath raffle. All benefits will go to Major Chords for Minors, a program that helps provide music education to children in need. 

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Gray Matter hosted a lunch and learn with business leaders from around the community. Students shared their knowledge about FIRST and gave tours and presentations during this eventful afternoon.

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As of lately, the Lockwood STEM Center has welcomed Swan Valley and St. Charles FTC teams to come use its practice field and build space.  We wish them the best of luck with their competition season. Go Vikingbots and Bulldog Bots!!

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Michigan State Senator Kevin Daley toured the Lockwood STEM Center to learn more about FIRST robotics and all the amazing opportunities Gray Matter has to offer!

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Hemlock’s annual staff tailgate was hosted this evening at the Lockwood STEM center.  It was a great gathering of friends and family for Hemlock Public School staff members.

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Hemlock’s FTC and FLL Robotics team seasons have begun. The FTC team took this opportunity to meet outside and plan their robot design. The FLL team kept inside and had an exciting day building robots.

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Amos O'Neil visited the Lockwood STEM Center to take a tour of the facility. He also stopped for an interview on The Bulb which can be listened to here: The Bulb

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The SME Prime Camp at the Lockwood STEM Center was a mission success! Mark Lyons, the Program Director of Instructional Technology & STEM Integration at Saginaw ISD taught kids coding and drone skills using Tello's.

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Merrill gave $1,000 to Gray Matter and an award to recognize Gray Matter’s amazing season. Thank you Merrill for your dedication to our team.

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MTU Blog 

Hemlockps.com Article

Hemlock Public School District (“HPSD”) and Michigan Technological University (“Michigan Tech”) are thrilled to announce a collaborative effort to provide a $1,000 annual scholarship opportunity to students who successfully complete the robotics program at the Lockwood STEM Center during their time at Hemlock High School. 

This exciting new partnership will work to deepen engagement in areas of mutual expertise between HPSD and Michigan Tech. "Students who excel at Michigan Tech are more than just smart; they show grit, integrity, and develop innovative approaches to solve our world's problems. Our partnership with the Lockwood STEM Center is in recognition of the incredible academic opportunities it provides to HPSD students, and we are thrilled to show our support for the Hemlock community and Great Lakes Bay region,” said Cassy Tefft de Muñoz, Executive Director of Enrollment Initiatives at Michigan Tech.  

The particulars of the Lockwood STEM Center Scholarship are:

• Michigan Tech agrees to a scholarship in the amount of $1,000 annually (renewal contingent upon satisfactory academic standing, conduct, and minimum enrollment status) for students who successfully complete the robotics program at the Lockwood STEM Center and enroll at Michigan Tech as first-year students. 

• Hemlock agrees to provide a list of students at the beginning of each academic year and confirm completion.

• This scholarship goes into effect immediately with two recipients, HHS seniors Clay Urbaniak and Ben Lockwood, for Fall 2022. 

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Gray Matter hosted the 1st Annual Brain Bowl at the Lockwood STEM Center. It was a blast and it was a great precursor to the State Championship later this week! Thanks to Freeland Fabricators, Swan Valley High School Vikingbots, E-Ville Empire, Garber’s E-Ville Bounty Hunters, BlitzCreek Robotics, CBA RoboKings, and SASA for attending.

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On March 17th, the STEM Center opened its doors to a local team- Team 5166 Freeland Fabricators. It was a great night of collaboration involving discussions of missions and goals and practicing together in preparation for the Midland Competition. Good luck Fabricators!

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On March 7th, middle school students from St. Peter Lutheran School visited the STEM Center. There they were able to hear presentations from Nazir Jairazbhoy and Oliver Zemanek about their careers at Hemlock Semi Conductor. The students also participated in fun activities, learned about FIRST robotics, and got a tour of the STEM center.

This was organized by Hemlock's Chief Science Officers, who's job is to empower STEM connections within their community.

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Unable to attend the grand opening, Congressman John Moolenaar who represents our community in Washington D.C. reached out to schedule a visit. During his visit Moolenaar toured the facility, talked with students, drove a robot on the competition field, and flew a drone. 

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The Lockwood STEM Center would not be possible without the gracious donations and support of our friends. We hosted a lunch and learn for our STEM Center sponsors. 

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The Hemlock Middle School robotics season has officially kicked off! Students will work hard over the next 5-6 weeks to build a robot to compete in this year's game,  Freight Frenzy.

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The Hemlock Public School District engaged a group of senior citizens for our first of a series of lunch and learns dedicated to connecting our school and community. The session was focused on the Lockwood STEM Center and had seniors flying drones and operating robots before the day was over. According to Newton’s laws, an object in motion will stay in motion and so it is with people as well that never stop having a passion for learning.

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The Lockwood STEM Center will be hosting part of a Social Stream Live event to be featured on 94.5 The Moose.

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The camp attracted students from around Saginaw County. In addition to SCE students heard presentations from Fullerton Tool, Hemlock Semiconductor, and Genuen.

Students learned to fly and program drones, drive robots, build a tower for optimum strength, CNC machine, and weld. It was an action-packed, fun four days. The camp was led by Dana Lockwood and Heath Marietta, both teachers at Hemlock High School. Several members of Hemlock’s Gray Matter robotics team helped Mr. Marietta and Mrs. Lockwood with their presentations and hands-on activities.

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The Lockwood STEM Center held its grand opening today, along with tours of the new home for robotics and other STEM-related programs for Merrill, Swan Valley, St. Charles, Freeland and Hemlock school districts.

The new 60x80 foot facility, funded through a commitment of more than $100,000 from Hemlock Semiconductor Operations (HSC) as well as other donors, will provide opportunities for kindergarten through high school students to have a new, high-tech location for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) learning. It also will be home to FIRST Robotics teams and serve as an advanced learning space for STEM-related programs.