Superintendent Newsletter
August 28, 2023
Update from Superintendent Shuldiner
Dear Lansing School District Community,
I can't believe that today is the first day of school. I am so thrilled to be starting my third year here in Lansing. I am extremely proud of all the hard work our students, staff, and families have done to help move our district forward. In the two years I have been in Lansing, we have done extraordinary things. We are entering our third year of universal pre-k. We are opening up Lansing Tech. We have raised our graduation rate. We have increased our attendance rate. We have higher test scores. The district is moving in the right direction. And this is all because of you!
Those of you reading these newsletters represent the heart and soul of the district. Parents and teachers, principals and uncles, grandmas and paraprofessionals, every family member and staff member, every bus driver and lunch aide, all of you are doing what you can to help get the Lansing School District to higher heights.
I believe that this year will be the best one yet. Our first year together was spent shaking off the rust of 18 months of no face-to-face instruction. The 2021-2022 school year was difficult. Students and staff hadn't been together in the same room for more than a year; bussing was extremely problematic; we were all wearing masks. I was happy we were able to make as much progress as we did. But I think we would all agree that our first year back was hard.
This last year, we really focused on systems and structures. We had to get our human resource department in a better place. We needed to focus on our facilities so our kids could attend safe and welcoming schools. We needed to create an alternative education program and credit recovery weekends. We had to get our compliance in order for special education. There were so many nuts and bolts within the district that needed tightening. This was where a lot of our focus, especially from central office, was directed.
Through these last two years, everyone had been working hard, trying their best to help students succeed, but we needed those systems and structures to work. Now with many of our departments on sound organizational ground, it is time to shift our main direction onto one of the hardest and most important parts of education: teaching our curriculum to fidelity and getting our students to the appropriate state standards. Of course, our staff has been working hard to do this all of the time, but this year, it will be the primary focal point of our work.
Our wonderful staff has spent hundreds of hours crafting new pacing guides and curriculum maps to be unveiled in the coming days. Our teachers have immersed themselves in our chosen curriculum. One of the great things about the district's curriculum is that it is approved by our Instructional Council, a joint group of teachers and administrators, a true collaboration of educators. We are all in this together and we are ready to take on this immense challenge. But we need everyone's help. Over the next few months, we will try to share, as much as we can with our entire community, the curriculum our students should be taught. We will also work hard to show our families the specific state standards your child should be learning. I have placed a link to all the Michigan Academic Standards and specific links to the English Language Arts and Math Standards. The more all of us know about our work, the better we can support our students.
https://www.michigan.gov/mde/services/academic-standards
I can't wait until all of Lansing knows our curriculum and state standards. Our educators are wonderful and the more we all can support their work, the better.
Thank you so much for all of your incredible support of our district. Together, we will do great things for the children of Lansing.
Benjamin Shuldiner, Superintendent
Lansing School District
🤩 Lansing Soccer Teams Net a TRIPLE VICTORY! 🤩
Universal PreK Awaits YOUR Child!
Check Out Our FREE Preschool Program!
The Lansing School District offers a FREE Preschool Program designed to prepare children for kindergarten. Classes are offered Monday through Thursday during the school year, at various locations throughout the Lansing School District.
To apply, your child must:
- Be four years old on or before December 1st of the current school year.
- Be a resident of the Lansing School District or have a Lansing address.
- Children who are eligible for the Great Start Readiness Program and do not have a Lansing address but live in the Ingham Intermediate School District Service area may be considered.
- Priority for all preschool slots is given to Lansing School District residents.
For more information, check out the Universal Preschool page!
Questions about Universal PreK?
Call 517-755-3390 or
Attention 9th Graders — Don't Miss Your Chance!
There are still a handful of seats open at Lansing Technical High School.
Take advantage of the unique opportunity to have FOUR years of Career Technical Education.
Enroll today before it's too late.
Student Feature of the Week!
Everett Viking Theatre Guild
This summer, students of the Viking Theater Guild participated in the VERY FIRST summer theater camp at Camp Ebersole! Over four days, they were able to work on their theatre skills and do some team-building through activities organized by the incredible staff at Ebersole.
They were able to learn an intense section of a dance, develop their set-building and painting skills, and even complete their own custom painting using the skills they had learned. They learned new sewing skills and worked on creating poodle skirts that will be used for their upcoming fall musical! A 'deep-dive' into the script, specialty make-up application, and sound and lighting design also helped them prepare for this year.
Students pictured are Finn Crenshaw, Ruby Abaalkhail, Jonah Miller, Janay Smith, Alex Keiffer, Lux Comer, Ally Tamayo, Ava Bella Stadel, Emily Vang, and Max Wilson.
Everett Viking Theatre Guild looks forward to making this a yearly tradition and Ebersole can't wait to host all of the district's high schools in the future!
Make Sure Your Child is Enrolled!
Food, Training, and Resources — FREE to Lansing Students
Staff Feature of the Week
Dr. Jeff Hager — Principal, Cavanaugh STEAM Elementary
Dr. Jeff Hager became principal at Cavanaugh STEAM Elementary during the 2018-2019 school year. Having taken over as principal during an unprecedented time, he has become a guiding light to the school community.Dr. Hager goes above and beyond for his staff, students, and the families he serves. The staff at Cavanaugh couldn’t think of a more deserving individual to recognize for this week's staff feature.
Dr. Hager jumped into the role of the principal as a strong, calm, supportive leader whom his staff believes in and stands behind. Jeff is a continuous inspiration and a driving force in changing the culture at Cavanaugh. He is a central part of our school community and has been an integral building block in the successful school Cavanaugh is today, most recently leading Cavanaugh to the high achieving scores the school boasts today. He leads with confidence, understanding, and a commitment to excellence.
Dr. Hager started his professional career by attending Specs Howard for broadcasting, where he spent several years before going back to school to pursue an undergraduate degree in education. He was the first in his family to complete college, and he did this with enthusiasm as he attended Michigan State University for his undergrad, master's, and doctoral degrees. Dr. Hager taught in both the Lansing School District and Waverly School District before becoming principal at Cavanaugh. His passion for education was inspired by his son Jason who was the driving force for him to pursue a career in teaching, with a concentration in special education.
Not only is Dr. Hager an active member of The National Association of Elementary School Principals, he also participates in Leadership Matters, and the Michigan Elementary & Middle School Principals Association (MEMSPA). He is currently leading a team from Cavanaugh through Michigan State's Fellowship of Instructional Leaders program. He has a way of rallying the troops to get involved and out of their comfort zones, pushing his staff to try new things, and encouraging collaboration. Cavanaugh staff are a stronger ensemble because of Jeff's dedication to education and relationships. He has worked hard to establish and maintain community partners throughout Lansing in order to bring various opportunities to his school community.
When you walk the halls of Cavanaugh, you can find Dr. Hager wearing many different hats throughout the day. He is always asking, “How can I help support the work at Cavanaugh?” He is a respected mentor, encourager, listener, motivator, coach, positive voice of reason, and a champion for all students. He knows all students by name and is continually encouraging students to do their best and set high goals for themselves. Cavanaugh is known as a neighborhood family school and Dr. Hager drives this home with his attention to and connection with all families.
In his spare time, Dr. Hager can be found spending time with his wife Becky, or one of his six children. If you don’t see him with his family, he is probably on a walk, playing a round of golf, or watching a sporting event. He is an avid reader, outdoor enthusiast, and podcast listener. The staff at Cavanaugh is so proud of Dr. Hager and all he has accomplished as the leader of their school.
Dr. Hager is a shining example of excellence and dedication. We are so proud to have him as part of the Lansing School District family.
Make This the Year You Visit the Equine Center!
The Equine Center for Learning (ECL) at the Lansing School District, nestled just behind the Beekman Center, offers unique field trips, day camps, and lesson opportunities for Lansing learners. Our herd of horses loves to make our students feel comfortable and safe, increasing academic engagement and fostering personal growth and life-long learning. Our programming — which is open to all Lansing residents and surrounding communities — supports the development of fundamental life skills such as responsibility, empathy, self-control, and leadership.
The ECL held eleven themed summer camps filled with hands-on experiences with horses. Students learned all about horses, gave them baths, learned how to ride, solved the mystery of the missing saddle, decorated unicorns, and more!
New this year is an additional field trip opportunity! We are excited to offer half-day field trips on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays during the school year with teachers being able to pick from four super fun THEMED field trips while scheduling!
The ECL is already booked through December so please register soon to get a spot in 2024!
Ready to schedule your field trip? Click the link below to complete our field trip registration form.
Field Trip Registration Form - Click here!
Return to Nature at the Ebersole Center
Owned and operated by the Lansing School District, the Ebersole Center is a four-season, barrier-free, residential environmental education center and youth camp located in beautiful Wayland, Michigan - approximately 75 miles west of Lansing.
Boasting 238 acres of undisturbed natural beauty and exceptional biodiversity, the Ebersole Center provides a unique opportunity for Lansing students. Guests are encouraged to take a hike over two miles of accessible boardwalk trails where nature will beckon them to explore wetland and forest areas alike. While the central campus is clean and modern, every effort is made to preserve natural areas in the most pristine state possible.
Guests enjoy the center site for a variety of reasons. For students, it is a great place to study the natural world in a "hands-on, minds-on" way. For retreat groups, it is a peaceful getaway far from the hustle and bustle of the office. Everyone agrees that Ebersole is an inspirational place to connect with nature, to renew, and to refresh, or to feel, for the first time, the wonder and awe of our natural world.
Ebersole memories last a lifetime — ask any Lansing native.
Ebersole offers more opportunities than ever, including:
- New for 2023-24! Credit Recovery Programs: Building off the success of our PILOT programs last year, we have expanded our efforts and are planning to offer several different varieties of onsite credit recovery programs this year.
- New for 2023-24! Private Rentals & Community Events: With the recent investments that have been made in the campus, Ebersole is well-positioned to begin marketing and recruiting guests for private rentals and community events! Whether you are looking to have a baby or bridal shower, engagement or wedding, graduation, birthday party, or family reunion — Ebersole Center is the venue for you!
- Day or Overnight Visits: Ebersole offers safe and secure accommodations and amenities for school groups year-round! Visit for a day, or plan an overnight experience. Our goal is to have every 3rd-grade and 6th-grade student visit this year!
- Virtual Programming: As an alternative to an onsite visit, we offer a series of live web-based interactive experiences. We will deliver all of the content and provide any of the supporting documents and/or materials needed for each session. We can connect with the whole class, while they are in a classroom, or we can connect with individual students on their own devices in a classroom (or even while at home).
- Outreach Programs: Can't make it to Ebersole? Let Ebersole staff come to you through their outreach programs. An alternative to an onsite visit, our team is also able to provide programming right at your school. These programs are planned and facilitated by our naturalists and all materials, etc. will be provided. At this point, we are limiting outreach programs to students who would not otherwise have an opportunity to visit the center.
- Online Resource Library: In addition to the above options, we have also created a digital resource library of photos, videos, and tours of the center that teachers and students can browse independently. Some of these videos will be whole sessions (or lessons) along with supporting documents, while others (most) will be much shorter teasers and supporting artifacts that can be drawn upon as needed.
- Professional Development & Consultation Services: Another type of support that we are able to offer is professional development related to utilizing the outdoors as a learning space and providing technical support related to the development of useful outdoor learning spaces (i.e., outdoor classrooms, butterfly gardens, rain gardens, composting areas, and more)!
- Summer Camps & Programs. The Lansing School District understands that summer camp can be an impactful part of a young person's development. As such, we are thrilled to offer a variety of no (or low) cost exciting summer camp opportunities for students K-12. Stay tuned for more information about these opportunities this spring!
Stay tuned for credit recovery opportunities!
Universal PreK Open Houses 9-11:00 am OR 1-3:00 pm!
Get your PreK student ready to start the year strong by attending their school's open house.
During these events, you will be able to:
- Meet teachers
- Receive a school tour
- Meet other families and students
- Get more information on programs and resources
Visit www.lansingschools.net for information like the school address and phone number.
Wednesday, Sep 6, 2023, 09:00 AM
At Your Child's School
Regular Board Meeting
Not able to make it? Watch the meeting live on the Lansing School District's YouTube page.