Dear Lansing School District Community,

Happy New Year! As always, it is a pleasure to write to you all. I hope that you had a wonderful two weeks and that all of you were able to take some time to relax, recuperate, and rejuvenate. You have all worked so hard this year and certainly deserve the time off. Perhaps you were able to take a long trip to visit family in a warm location, or the longest trip you took was a walk around your neighborhood. Either way, getting space from work and physically removing yourself for an extended period allowed you to reflect on last year and think about this new year to come.

As I wrote last time, I had hoped that during this Winter Break, along with the relaxing, you would spend some time thinking about setting education goals. Along with your promise to go to the gym more or eat healthier, it would be awesome if you included "Education Goals" in your New Year's resolutions.

In the previous newsletter, I wrote some suggestions about what some education goals could be, which I have copied here again for easy reference:

Could you set a goal around attendance or getting higher grades? Could you set a goal around teaching the curriculum with fidelity and getting more of your students to proficiency? Could it be that you read more to your child or play more educational games? Could it be setting up a homework chart or grade chart to help mark your scholar's progress? Could it be to talk to a teacher or a parent to say hi and check in rather than only reaching out for a negative or punitive reason? Could it be to visit your child's school once a month just to say hi and thank the educators working with your child? There are a million ways that all of us can set individual goals that will, in turn, move the entire district. We are all in this together and should all do our part. As a student, educator, parent, family member, or community member, what goals will you set for yourself that will help the Lansing School District?

And as I wrote last time, please feel free to email me your goals. I am happy to be your accountability buddy. I look forward to hearing from you all.

However, as you think about starting this new calendar year and shortly jump into the second semester, I ask you to do a real, honest assessment about how you are feeling right now, today, Sunday, January 7th, 2024. We have been out of school for two full weeks, 16 days away from the classroom and the lunchroom. Half a month of no bus pick up and drop off. That is a long time to relax, rejuvenate, and reflect.

So, how are you feeling? Do you want to walk through those halls tomorrow? Do you miss the students and the work? Are you looking forward to hearing the cacophony of sounds as kids are in the hallway and cafeteria? Are you excited to see your classroom, school, or office again? Are you happy to come back to learn, to educate, to teach, to talk with parents, to talk with kids? If the answer is a resounding yes, then that is awesome. However, if you are not looking forward to tomorrow, please be honest about that. For our school district to work as well as it needs to for our 10,000 students and accompanying families, each and every one of us should be looking forward to tomorrow.

As a principal, are you looking forward to standing at the schoolhouse door so you can greet all of your students and parents? As a teacher, are you looking forward to seeing your children's faces and getting back to the deep learning you have been engaged in? As educators, are you looking forward to working together with your colleagues, including principals, central office staff, and families? As a student, are you looking forward to going to class and learning? As a family member, are you happy to send your kid to their school and welcome them home in the evening, wanting to be part of the school community?

I truly hope that everyone is excited about tomorrow, looking forward to tomorrow, and wanting tomorrow to come. But if you are not excited about the prospect of tomorrow, think about why and how you can change that. Talk to someone, a colleague, a principal, a friend. Please go into tomorrow with a smile on your face and love for all our children in your heart. Our children, all our children, every one of our children, deserve us all wanting to be there for them. Let us begin this new year striving for excellence. Let us all help each other perform to the best of our abilities.

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

Let's give a round of applause to all the students and staff brave enough to take the PLUNGE for the Special Olympics in December. Observers gathered at Everett High School on a blustery day to watch participants jump into frigid water. It was a wonderful event that helped Everett raise over $5,000 for Special Olympics. Congratulations!

Join us in celebrating Sexton's Keyshawn Summerville. Keyshawn has been selected as the recipient of the prestigious Walk Worthy Student Athlete Role Model Award. This well-deserved recognition is a testament to his performance on and off the basketball court.

During his freshman basketball season at Lansing Sexton High School, he earned All-Conference, All-Area, and All-State (Honorable Mention) honors, averaging 19.5 points per game. Keyshawn has already received scholarship offers from Youngstown State and Northwood University.

Congratulations, Keyshawn! We wish you continued success in both your academic and athletic endeavors!

We're pleased to feature Lewton's Theresa (Terry) Van Fleet! Terry is the school's student support specialist and Swiss army knife. "She is the most caring person I have ever encountered and goes out of her way to support students far beyond just classroom instruction and behavior," said Lewton Principal Stephen Chartier. Terry's dedication to Lewton and the community that surrounds the school is without equal and is so deserving of being elevated and recognized at a district level. Thank you, Terry!

Mrs. Jocelyn Vanda has been a long-time volunteer at Gardner International Magnet School, working specifically with the school's 4th graders. She is very caring and loving to all of the students and extends that kindness to the staff and anyone else she comes into contact with. In addition to her amazing heart, Mrs. Vanda is famous for her homemade banana bread. Her kindness doesn't stop there — she always brings flowers to make the main office a happy space for all. We are so thankful for her!

Capital Area District Libraries (CADL) announced in December that their 2024 Student Success Initiative Scholarship application is now open. The program began last year and offers two $1,000 essay-based scholarships to high school seniors, and the funding can be used for ANY college-related expenses. This unique opportunity is one of the first in the state, and seniors in the class of 2023-24 would serve themselves well by taking advantage of it!

Many thanks to the Capital Area Transportation Authority (CATA) and all of the donations made through Kroger Community Rewards for funding this amazing opportunity!

Visit the Student Success Initiative Scholarship webpage to get started!

January 8 - School Resumes!

January 11 - Board of Education Organizational Meeting | 5:30 p.m. 519 Kalamazoo St.

January 11 - Board of Education Regular Meeting | 6:00 p.m. 519 Kalamazoo St.

January 15 - No School | Martin Luther King Jr. Day

January 16 - FREE Immunization Event | 2-5 p.m. | 4200 Wainwright Ave.

January 18 - Half day (high schools only)

January 19 - Half day (all grades)

January 24 - Parent Community Advisory Council | 6-8 p.m. | 4200 Wainwright Ave.

January 26 - Last Day of First Marking Period | No School