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INSIDESee What’s New atThe Meemic FoundationSimple Do’s and Don’tsof Fireplace SafetyYour Meemic AgentDear Member,John and Diane MaceMace Insurance Agency2743 West JeffersonTrenton, MI 48183734-692-1100For office hours visit our websiteMaceInsurance.comrtus excited quite like the statsgeingthnou,yoofnyLike mal, it’s ayone who works in a schooanrFoar.yelooschwneof as, readyw batch of students arriveneaasiseomprofllfuaryeSummerite that “W hat I Did Over(we hope) to learn and wrVacation” essay.pledgedonnect with the folks we’rerectoceanchait’s,usrFoneweting teachers, welcomingto ser ve: educators. It’s meMembersily and impressing currentMembers to the Meemic famto makemer ser vice. It’s continuingwith our best-in-class custokes youre Account Center so it maimprovements to our onlinlife easier.throughd opportunities availableAnd it’s sharing the myriature of Education and theFuethforntiodaunFocThe Meemintw partnerships and new granetgo’veWe.ubClntioFoundashopsas well as more free works,rkwoethiniesnitrtuoppoon a variety of topics.ingter to read about these excitLook inside this fall newsletitfulst wishes for a fun and fruupdates and more. And beschool year.being a Meemic Member.Our sincere thank you forBest,Tips & news from Meemic and The Foundation, serving the educational community over 65 years Fall 2016

You Gotta Have ArtPartnershipWhat started as an employee’s idea to spruceup the walls at Meemic’s headquarters becamea hugely successful grant round for The MeemicFoundation when more than 1,300 artworksarrived at our offices in Auburn Hills, MI.Meemic Masterpieces was a K-12 grant and artcontest. From the 1,300 entries received, drawnby students, 51 winners were selected (not aneasy task). The winning sponsoring clubmembers received 300 grants for art supplieswhile the student artists each received a KindleFire HD. Every student who submitted artworkreceived a personalized certificate of recognition.The deadline is Sept. 30, so visit your agent’swebsite for the link to apply today.Fore! EducationThe Meemic Foundation held its first Fore!Education golf outing fundraiser at IndianwoodGolf and Country Club in Lake Orion, MI. Almost100 golfers gathered for a round of golf anddinner, and participated in a silent auction ofsports memorabilia and artwork. One-hundredpercent of the proceeds from the golf outing willgo directly to fundingeducation programsfor our schools.Link & Learn WorkshopsOne of the benefits of joining the FoundationClub is access to free workshops that provideprofessional and personal development opportunities.On Aug. 11, Meemic held a public art galleryreception to showcase the professionally framedartwork. All of the artwork is now hangingthroughout Meemic headquarters as an endearing reminder of why we do what we do tosupport the educational community.Foundation Club members, look for MeemicMasterpieces Round Two in October.New Partner, New GrantOpportunityThe Meemic Foundation has partnered withLakeshore Learning for a new grant opportunityfor Classroom Enrichment. 1,500 grantrecipients will be selected to receive up to 100to spend online at Lakeshore Learning, a topresource for classroomaccoutrements and supplies.2014 -15 Michigan Teacher of the Year MelodyArabo conducted a series of bully preventionworkshops based on her book, “Diary of a RealBully.” Registered dieticians in Illinois andMichigan shared tips and recipes for healthymeals to pack for hectic school days.Caryn Wells, Ph.D., associate professor atOakland University and author of “Mindfulness:How School Leaders Can Reduce Stress andThrive on the Job,” led an engaging workshopon the topic of Mindfulness in the Classroom.This month, Wisconsinclub members canregister to attend a series of workshops ongreen and healthy schools.Keep an eye out for more of our Link & LearnWorkshops — where Foundation Club memberscan network with colleagues while learning.To learn about exclusive grant opportunities, freeworkshops and other Foundation Club benefits, visitMeemicFoundation.org/FoundationClub

Improved AccountCenter OpensPossibilitiesIf you’re a Foundation Club member, we’remaking life simpler for you. We’re bringingtogether the club and the Account Center soyou only need one sign-on to access both yourMeemic insurance policy information andexclusive Foundation Club benefits.With our improved Account Center,Foundation Club members will be able toview grant history, track the status of theircurrent applications and more, while being aclick away from reviewing their insurancecoverages and billing information.To access these convenient features, you’llhave to be registered with the Account Center.To sign up, visit Member.Meemic.com.NEW! Meemic policyholders who are not or areno longer members of the educational communityare welcome to sign up for the Foundation Club.Whether you are simply a supporter of theeducational community, a student teacher or aretired education employee, we invite all policyholders to join the Foundation Club for exclusiveaccess to workshops and grant opportunities.At Your ServiceWe look at every interaction with you as an opportunity to help oneof our own as a colleague, friend and family member. Here are afew of the faces — from leadership to claims to customer service —dedicated to serving you.Executive leadership team: Brad Roeber, Pat Ruhlman, Matt Michalski and Rob Ross BOTTOM RIGHT Claims management:Vicki, Matt, Kimberly, Chris, Rachel, Jeff and Tuesday TOP RIGHT Customer service management: Sara and DannyLEFT

Join the Conversation! Read new Meemic Foundation grant stories, getinsurance news and find out the latest safety information at our pages onFacebook and Twitter – and tell us what you think.Facebook.com/MeemicFollow us @MeemicYou also can send comments or feedback directly to your Meemic agent orto communications@Meemic.com. We look forward to hearing from you!Flue Season – Fireplace Safety TipsDispose of ashes safely after the fire has hadtime to completely cool (this can take severaldays, depending on the fire) by transferringthem to a metal container away from allcombustibles and wetting them down. Aftersoaking, the water can be poured in the yard toprovide nutrients.Sitting around a cozy, warm fire can be awonderful experience for a family. But thatexperience can quickly turn to tragedy if youdon’t follow some simple do’s and don’ts offireplace safety.First, have your fireplace and chimney inspected.After that, there are several other steps youshould take before ever lighting a fire:Put a guard on top of your chimney to keepout birds and small animals. The guard willalso shield sparks that could set your roofon fire.Keep newspapers, magazines, rugs andcarpeting a safe distance away from thefireplace.Remove any holiday decorations from thefireplace and mantle before lighting a fire.Teach children to stay away from the fireplace.Be sure that an adult is in the room at alltimes when a fire is burning.Keep a fire extinguisher handy in case of anemergency.There are also some things you should neverdo when you light a fire:Never burn charcoal in your fireplace becauseit produces carbon monoxide, which is deadly.Never light a fire without enclosing the fireplace’s opening with glass doors or a sturdyscreen. This will prevent sparks from escapingthat could ignite curtains or furniture.Never close the flue while a fire is stillsmoldering because it could result in a buildup of carbon monoxide.Never use gasoline, kerosene or lighter fluidto start a fire. Burn dry, seasoned hard wood.Never light a fire with anything other thanlong-stemmed matches.If a large fire breaks out, act immediatelybecause smoke and flames will spread quickly.You and your family should leave the house atonce. Don’t stop to call the fire department anddon’t try to extinguish the fire yourself. Fumesovercome most victims long before flames do.If you must go through the smoke to escape,get down on your hands and knees on the floorand crawl with your body as low to the floor aspossible. Keep your head about 12-24 inchesabove the floor. After you and your family aresafely out of the house, call the fire departmentfrom a neighbor’s home.MeemicFall 2016

‘Each Day Is anOpportunity’Tracy Horodyski is Michigan’s Teacher of the Yearfor 2016 -17, the 10th year Meemic has partneredwith the Michigan Department of Education tosponsor the award. She’s a third/fourth gradeteacher at Zinser Elementary and has more than15 years of classroom experience.We talked with Tracy about her teachingexperience. For the full conversation, andto follow Tracy’s experience over the courseof the year, visit Meemic.com/Blog.What is the biggest change in your classroomfrom when you first started teaching? Learningto listen to and honor the thinking of my studentshas helped me understand the importance ofsuspending judgement and to simply listen tolearn. By inviting them to “Say more about that,”I quickly discover that there are often manylayers below the surface responses they mightinitially give.What is the most important thing your studentshave taught you? Students have taught me thevalue of responding with wonderment and awe.They exude joy when they discover somethingnew, and that joy is contagious.Do you have any words of advice for teachers(rookies or veterans)? Be curious. Collaborate.Celebrate mistakes and the opportunities theyprovide for growth. Remember that each dayis an opportunity to be better than we wereyesterday.time, and AAA will send aid for a variety ofservices, including towing, fuel delivery andlock-out service.AAA MembershipOpen to MeemicAAA is synonymous with roadside assistanceand hotel discounts, and now Meemic members are eligible to join the network at specialpricing and take advantage of those popularperks, plus many other benefits of membership: AAA’s Legendary Roadside Assistance: Callthe toll-free number on your AAA Card at any Car Travel Interruption Protection: Getreimbursed for eligible personal expenses dueto a qualifying breakdown or accident iftraveling 100 or more miles away from home. AAA Travel: Book your vacation through theleading full-service leisure travel agency in NorthAmerica. Find exclusive deals on Disney trips,get free TripTik routings and TourBook guides,and purchase international driving permits. Member Discounts: Save money at thousandsof retailers, hotels, restaurants, theme parksand automotive repair shops nationwide.Interested? Talk to your agent.MeemicFall 2016