TCS News to Know
For the Week of March 18, 2024
Dear Families,
Spring Break is right around the corner! We will have a half day dismissal on Friday, March 22 at 11:30 am, and students will return to school with their regular schedule on Monday, April 1st!
There is a change to our calendar when we return after Spring Break, and we want families to be aware of this now. We will have a half day, with dismissal at 11:30 am, on Monday, April 8, 2024. This is the day of the eclipse. It is predicted that Tekonsha will experience a 97% total eclipse, beginning at 1:55 pm and lasting through 4:25 pm. One of the most critical things that has been shared over and over is the importance of wearing safety glasses when viewing the eclipse, which we will be providing to each student. However, we recognize that during bus transportation home, we cannot ensure that all students will wear these in a manner that fully protects their eyes. Because we are concerned about the safety of all students if we dismiss at our normal time, we will be doing an early release to have all of our students delivered safely home prior to the start of the eclipse. We appreciate your understanding regarding this issue.
Girls on the Run!
Tekonsha Elementary is excited to have our first ever Girls on the Run program this year!!! Girls in grades 3-5 week meet twice a week with their coaches, Erin Hardy and Pat Shedd, to learn life skills, build self-esteem, practice physical fitness, and most importantly, have fun!!! Each girl received a t-shirt and a pair of brand new running shoes! They are working on their endurance, and the entire group will get to participate in a 5k together! Our girls were fortunate to receive financial support from Girls on the Run of Calhoun County to make it more affordable. Then we had an amazing anonymous donor that paid the balance, making this program completely free for our students!
State Testing Schedule
The school year is flying by and spring is quickly approaching! This means that spring state testing is also right around the corner! As directed by the Michigan Department of Education, Tekonsha Community Schools will be participating in the required standardized testing for students in grades 3-11. All testing will begin in April, after we return from Spring Break. Students in grades 3-8 and 11 will take the online M-Step (Michigan Student Test of Educational Progress). Students in grades 8-11 will also take the College Board PSAT/SAT assessments. For the first time, these will also all be delivered in an online format!
Please be sure to look at the testing calendar and ensure that your student is present for all testing days. Immediately following Spring Break, students will be participating in some digital readiness checks to ensure that all of the technology is ready to go for them to be successful, so attendance during this time is also very important!
Bringing Nutrition Education Into the Classrooms
Community Nutrition Instructor, Nisha Ritchie, has been visiting kindergarten and second grade classrooms in the elementary school. The MSU Extension program she is delivering consists of 6 lessons which teaches students about MyPlate, vitamins and minerals found in each food group and how to incorporate physical activity into their daily lives. After each lesson, students even get a healthy snack!
She has already completed the program with the third graders in the fall. The elementary program is called Show Me Nutrition and has a slightly different focus for each grade. There is also a middle school/high school program called Teen Cuisine which helps teens learn about healthy snacks and limiting added sugar in their diets. We are grateful to Mrs. Ritchie and the MSU Extension office for providing this free program to our students!
Special Guest Readers!
Each week during March is Reading Month, Tekonsha Elementary has hosted a short assembly to bring in a special guest reader. For our first week, it was Deputy Matthew Schimmel from the Calhoun County Sheriff's Department. This past week, it was Tekonsha Township Librarian Sharla Vincent. I wonder who will stop by this week?
Encourage your children to keep reading every day! Remember that PreK-2nd grade are expected to read for 15 minutes each day, and 3rd - 5th grade students need to read for 25 minutes.
Elementary Leprechaun Escapes Again!
Students at Tekonsha Elementary tried their best to catch that pesky leprechaun that seems to show up year after year at the school. This year, to keep students on their toes, he showed up a few days early on Friday, March 15, but he got away!!!
Maybe next year those traps will finally catch him! To see lots of pictures highlighting the fun, check out the district Facebook page!
State Police Victorious Over the Seniors!
Members of the Class of 2024 played hard against a team of Michigan State Police troopers in an exhibition basketball game to raise money for the senior trip. Held on Friday, March 15, there was a large crowd in attendance, to cheer on both the students and the MSP. This was the second year of the charity game, and this year, the Michigan State Police team walked away with the win! It was a very successful fundraiser for the senior class, as they get ready to head out on their trip to Myrtle Beach over Spring Break. We are very appreciative of all of the members of the Michigan State Police that showed up to support our Tekonsha High School students!
Reading Buddies
2024-25 Kindergarten Registration
We are excited to begin our planning for the 2024-25 school year with kindergarten registration for the Class of 2037! We have a new format this year! The program will include an informational presentation on what to expect in kindergarten, time to complete all of the required enrollment forms, making copies of important student and parent papers, a tour of the building, and time for the student to spend in the classroom with the teacher! If you cannot attend either time, please complete the form to show interest in enrolling and someone will contact you with enrollment information!
Winter Awards Banquet
The boys and girls basketball teams, along with the cheer team, will be holding their end of season awards banquet on Tuesday, March 19, 2024 at 6:30 pm in the HS cafeteria. A special shoutout to two Tekonsha athletes receiving special honors:
- Reagan Henry - Honorable Mention All-Conference
- Blake Griffith - Honorable Mention All-Conference
Pi Day
Pi has been calculated to over 50 trillion digits beyond its decimal point. While only a handful of digits are needed for typical calculations, pi’s infinite nature makes it a fun challenge to memorize, and to computationally calculate more and more digits. (Source: piday.org)
Students working with Mrs. Thompson at Tekonsha Elementary got in on the Pi day fun!
Boosters Selling Fence Banners
A special message from the Tekonsha Athletic Boosters...
Spring is here and we are busy getting our fields in shape for the season. This year we have a few projects scheduled to enhance our athletes' spring sports experience. These upgrades will also provide a safer environment for players. The Boosters are financially responsible for all of our athletic needs and are asking the community for support.
Projects include but are not limited to:
- New batting cage with electric outlet for pitching machine
- Purchase of clay to upgrade and maintain pitching mounds & home plates
- Softball helmets & bat
- Baseballs & wiffle balls
- Uniform needs
To help offset these costs, we are selling banners to be placed along the outfield fences. These banners are of the highest quality to sustain outdoor elements and will be stored at the end of the season. Banners will be placed the following spring season, however if damage occurs we will reach out for replacement options.
All payments or donations can be made payable to Tekonsha Athletic Boosters and sent to Sara Griffith at 707 W. Randall St., Tekonsha, MI 49092 Be sure to include a contact phone number so someone can contact you to discuss details. If you have any questions, please contact Brandie Aldrich at 517-677-0638 or Sara Griffith at 517-677-7130.
PTO Pancake Breakfast Coming Soon!
Spring Flower Sale
The Tekonsha Athletic Boosters are beginning their annual spring flower sale. This year, the following are available for purchase:
- Succulent Combo (6 pack) - $14.00
- Wave Petunias (6 pack) - $12.50
- Vegetable & Herb (6 pack) - $11.00
- Landscape Flats (36 pack) - $16.50
- 12" Hanging Basket - $18.50
- 11" Color Bowls - $18.50
All of the flowers must be ordered and paid for by April 3rd. The expected delivery date is around Mother's Day. Click on the link below to view the full order form with all of the colors and options. Orders can be made by calling the HS office at 517-767-4121 or by printing the order form and dropping it off at the high school office. Please make all checks payable to the Tekonsha Athletic Boosters.
Student Congrats!
Congratulations to our Tekonsha Elementary GROWTH Indians of the Week for the week of March 11-15.
Menus for the Month
Tekonsha Community Schools
Website: www.tekonshaschools.org
Location: 245 South Elm Street, Tekonsha, MI, USA
Phone: 517-767-4121
Facebook: facebook.com/TekonshaCommunitySchools