Superintendent Newsletter

April 9, 2023

Update from Superintendent Shuldiner

Dear Lansing School District Community,

I hope this newsletter finds you well. As always, it is a pleasure to be writing to you all. I hope you had a wonderful Spring Break and were able to relax a little, spend time with loved ones, and just generally enjoy life. I also want to wish people a Happy Easter, Happy Ramadan, and Happy Passover. This week three major holidays coincide, and I want to acknowledge all of you who celebrate these incredibly important days. Our district includes people of different faiths and histories, and thus it is important that we show our respect and love for all.

I also want to thank everyone who sent in questions and comments over the break. The emails were great. Some of them were individual and thus, I will respond to you personally, but many were generic enough in nature that I will respond next week with a broad answer-filled weekly update. However, today, I want to write about Lansing Tech.

This week the Lansing School District unveiled the opening of a brand-new four-year career and technical education high school we are calling Lansing Technical High School, or Lansing Tech for short. We are so thrilled with this new school. It will have four areas of focus: Culinary Arts, Building Trades, Computer Science, and Fire Science/Medical. If anyone you know is currently an 8th grader and thinks Lansing Tech would sound interesting to them, please have them go to www.enrollinglansing.com

There has been some wonderful news coverage about our announcement, which you can see here:

CLICK HERE for Channel 10.

CLICK HERE for Channel 6

And HERE IS A LINK to the full press conference that goes into greater detail about the new school.

I don't want to repeat what we said in the videos, but just know that we believe this new school will be a wonderful addition to our current educational offerings. If you have any questions about Lansing Tech or enrollment in general, please reach out to us.

Enrollment is now open for the district. We have numerous programs, from Spanish Immersion to Mandarin Immersion, from Montessori to International Baccalaureate. We have universal Pre-K and Adult Education. Now that we are back from Spring Break, it is time to enroll in school for next year.

So please, please, spread the word. If you know people with young ones who will be Pre-K or Kindergarten age, tell them to go to www.enrollinlansing.com. If you know families that are looking for new innovative and supportive schools in the Lansing area, tell them to go to www.enrollinglansing.com. If you know families that want their children to go to school online but want a high level of engagement and academics, tell them to go to www.enrollinlansing.com. The only people who shouldn't go to the website are those that are already enrolled in our schools 🙂 We promise to keep you enrolled.

Our graduation rate is rising, our attendance rate is rising, new buildings are being built, and new programs are starting; wonderful, exciting, and terrific things are happening in the Lansing School District -- and we want as many students and families as possible to experience our offerings! So please enroll today.

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

Preschool & Kindergarten Registration Event April 11 4:30-730 p.m. At the Dr. Richard J. Halik Professional Development Center 4200 Wainwright Ave. Lansing MI 48911

open_in_new zoom_out_map

Meet Our Featured Student!

Sexton Valedictorian, Jeffrey Stych, pictured in his yearbook photo.

Jeffrey Charles Stych, Sexton High School

We are honored to have Jeffrey Charles Stych as Sexton’s (currently in-the-lead) Valedictorian. His current GPA is 4.165 and we are waiting for the second semester’s grades. Jeffrey has been a dual-enrolled student since 2021 and has completed five early college classes. After high school, he plans on attending a combined program that includes attending LCC first and then MSU for the 2+2+2 program. He wants to focus on computer science and engineering programming with a minor in mathematics and cybersecurity. Jeffrey enjoys giving back to the community by volunteering.

While at Sexton, Jeffrey is known as a dedicated person that likes to get things done. His accomplishments not only apply to academics but also to sports and various school groups. He has participated in student government, volunteering for Special Olympics, MSU’s Talented and Gifted Program (GATE), NHS, the Lansing School District High School Advisory Board, marching and concert band (lead trumpet), varsity swimming, varsity baseball, and participates in Eric Thomas Playbook Program to name a few. Jeffrey is a team player and respects all opinions.

Jeffrey submitted the following statement:

“The diversity at not only Sexton but also in everyday and everywhere “real world” experiences, has allowed me to become aware of diverse cultures, beliefs, practices, and barriers. I strive to continuously become more culturally competent, as it is significant in our society and country overall.

I’m able to think critically and make personal and professional connections and advocate for myself in any given situation. I am trustworthy, caring, compassionate, and respectful.

Also, and most importantly, I’m most grateful for all the support and opportunities I have been fortunate to have received in the past, present, and ongoing. These include, but are not limited to, the Lansing School District, Sexton teachers, counselors, Principal Boggan and Assistant Principal Scott, coaches, and friends. And last, but certainly not least, I’m grateful for all the support and guidance of my mother and Cindy Wilton, a great friend. They certainly have been my biggest fans throughout my life.

My intention for my future is not only based on academic success, financial independence, and self-sufficiency and independence but more importantly, being a good and productive and active person in society, in hopes of making a positive difference.”

Congratulations Jeffrey! You are forever a JDubb!

Staff Feature of the Week

Cynthia Armstead, Secretary to Chief Financial Officer

Very few people can say that they have been employed with the same organization for forty years but, if you’re lucky, you may be blessed with the opportunity to have such a knowledgeable gem as a coworker. You’ll likely be aware of their tenure, but sometimes that is hidden in plain sight. Such is the case with Cynthia Armstead who began her storied career with the Lansing School District back in 1983. You wouldn’t know unless you have been in Lansing since at least the middle of former Mayor Hollister’s career, but before Capital Area District Library (CADL) we had the Lansing Public Library, which was owned by the Lansing School District and staffed by, you guessed it, Lansing School District staff!

It was there that Ms. Armstead got her humble beginnings in the district. While she was a senior at Sexton High School, she worked part-time as a page, making sure that returned books and other items made it back to their homes on the shelves. When you’re as kind, genuine, and helpful as Cynthia, people want to keep you around, so, after she graduated, she was hired on full-time as a clerk. After seven years of serving as a clerk at two different library branches, she became the secretary at the district’s warehouse where she stayed for twelve years before she moved downtown in 2005. Since then, she worked in purchasing for ten years before serving as secretary to the former Chief of Operations Teresa Szymanski until Szymanski’s retirement in 2019.

Our current Chief Financial Officer Jon Laing did not hesitate to scoop the marvelous Ms. Cynthia up for his own department when he had the chance. “Cynthia has been incredible to work with since I started with the district myself in 2008. Her knowledge of the people that she’s worked with and events that happened in the district is incredible,” says Laing. “There’s a reason we call her “Ms. Universe” as she has been a constant in the history of the Lansing School District since she first came here as a student.”

Her love for others and willingness to go above and beyond doesn’t stop at the finance department either. Whether another department needs a helping hand, or a coworker is in need of a shoulder, Ms. Cynthia doesn’t hesitate to roll up her sleeves and put in the work. Recently the district’s Print Shop needed another set of hands for a large project, and who showed up? None other than Ms. Armstead. The communications team would thusly like to add another reason to call her Ms. Universe — she is everywhere, all the time.

We should all be fortunate enough to meet someone as amazing as Ms. Universe because, wow, what a wonderful exemplar she is.

Eastern's QUAKE Robotics Team Takes Rookie All-Star Award

Eastern's QUAKE Robotics team poses with their team banner after netting the Rookie All-Star Award.

Eastern High School’s QUAKE Robotics team, lead by Head Coach David Bills, received the Rookie All-Star Award while competing at their second FRC (First Robotics Competition) event in Troy. This follows up a Rookie Inspiration Award from their previous competition. They will now be headed to the District Competition for a chance to compete for the District Rookie All-Star award and the opportunity to represent Eastern High School at the Worlds Competition in Houston! Way to go, Quake. Keep “Shaking things up!”

Student Development Program

Student athletes run drills on our new indoor turf.

zoom_out_map

New "Turf"

zoom_out_map

New Partners

zoom_out_map

New Equipment

On Monday our Student Development program held an official open house to showcase its offerings to interested 6-12th grade students and their families. This new program offers personalized sessions in academics, athletics, and general wellness including tutoring, sport-specific skill development, and strength and conditioning (to name just a few). Participating students will also receive an after-school snack and dinner to fuel their progress!

Students are able to attend two self-select sessions each day, Monday through Thursday, and can also participate in an "open gym" on Fridays while school-based sports teams are able to reserve the weight room on Fridays. Interested students must have a signed permission slip and medical conditions form on file to participate.

Sign up now for a free session with our Scheduling Assistant!

2023-24 Enrollment now open! Enroll now at www.enrollinlansing.com

open_in_new zoom_out_map

If you prefer to enroll in person, the staff at the Dr. Eva L. Evans Welcome Center will be happy to answer any questions you may have and guide you through the enrollment process.

Dr. Eva L. Evans Welcome Center

2400 Pattengill Ave.

Lansing, MI 48910

Questions About Enrollment?

Call us at (517)755-2820