Dear Lansing School District Community,

I hope this newsletter finds you well. As always, it is a pleasure to be writing to you all. Today, I write this newsletter after paying witness to three wonderful graduations. Graduation day in Lansing is a unique spectacle where we celebrate Eastern, Everett, and Sexton all on the same day, in the same space. It is a powerful day, where we see all the district's graduates cross the stage decked out in gown and mortarboard. Each student's story is special, and each child's journey is important.

The graduate was able to receive their diploma because of individual work and grit. Long hours of studying and writing essays, creating projects, and taking tests. Thousands of hours of class participation. Thousands of hours of listening, writing, and reading. My sincere thanks to all the students who graduated. Thank you for the long hours and the hard work. Thank you for making it through to this wonderful day. Congratulations!

But, we know that each graduate was about to succeed because of the incredible support of Lansing School District staff. In some cases, for 14 years, a student was loved and nurtured by the district, starting in Pre-K all the way up to 12th grade. I want to thank all of the wonderful staff, from teachers to paraprofessionals, from principals to secretaries, from public safety officers to lunch assistants, from bus drivers to the custodians. Everyone had a hand in getting that child to become a graduate. So, thank you to all Lansing School District members.

And, of course, the student couldn't do it without their families. Be it the late-night hot chocolate brought to your child as they study for their final exam to an uncle reading to a 5-year-old kid; no one gets to cross that graduation stage without help from family. Mom and dad, brother and sister, grandma and grandpa, aunt and uncle, cousin and "cousin" -- everyone, together, made it happen. So, I want to thank all of you as well. It is because of our Lansing families that we are able to succeed.

It was a beautiful day, one filled with cheers and tears of joy. I thank you all for allowing me to participate, and I thank you all for the untold hours of hard work and determination that went into this year's graduation. Congratulations!!!

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

Above: Tyrese Griffin and Lansing School District Board of Education Secretary Dr. Nino Rodríguez.

Each month, the Culturally Responsive Positive Behavior and Intervention Support (CRPBIS) team at Eastern High School highlights one of the International Baccalaureate (IB) Learner Profile traits (inquirer, thinkers, principled, caring, balanced, knowledgable, communicators, open-minded, risk-takers, and reflective). They then ask Eastern staff to nominate students that exemplify the trait for Quaker of the Month. In May, the IB Learner Profile trait of the month was reflective, and Freshman Tyrese Griffin won the nomination for Quaker of the Month!

Amanda Valdez, Eastern Medical Assistant, who nominated Griffin, said:

"I have had the pleasure of working with Tyrese each day for the last two years. I nominated him for "Quaker of the month" for several reasons. First being that he is a very respectful young man. He always uses his manners when speaking to me or in my room. Most of all I have noticed how much growth he has made this year. At the beginning of the year, he was dealing with some behavioral issues. I used to have to find him for our meetings, now he just comes in at lunch on his own.

I lost my mother in March and was out for two weeks. When I returned, Tyrese was very empathetic and even gave me a card with the sweetest words. I look forward to watching Tyrese continue his growth over the next three years."

Congratulations, Tyrese, on being an excellent young man and Eastern's Quaker of the Month!

The Lansing School District is thankful to welcome Luke Kane to its staff! Kane, who graduated from Michigan State University with an M.A. in Serious Game Design, has taught and evaluated Video Game Design courses across the country, including here in the Lansing School District. He has been working in the Greater Lansing community for over 20 years as a teacher, coach, director, and researcher. Now, he is bringing that experience to the Lansing School District as our Community Learning Center (CLC) Coordinator!

During his professional life, his focus has always been on educating and empowering students through their interest in and passion for exploration and creativity. Luke is going to continue the amazing programming that the CLC already offers, but utilizing his background in technology and education, he will be adding Video Game Design and other programs to help our students and families navigate the rapidly changing landscape of how technology is integrated into our society.

He looks forward to supporting, empowering, and connecting our students, families, and community. Welcome, Luke, we're looking forward to your new programming ideas!

To follow CLC programming and updates, please visit their website.

What started as a humble challenge to a classroom of Willow Elementary students, "do well during testing and I will spray my hair different colors for a day" ended with one Lansing School District educator looking a little like a certain DC Comics character last Tuesday. After his students achieved their testing goals, Stephen Taft, Willow teacher, made good on his end of the deal during an early-morning assembly by enlisting Ms. Williams and Mr. Rollins to spray his hair shades of pink and blue which he then sported for the remainder of the day.

In the spirit of their hard work, Taft also wanted to give his students something they could take home with them. So, Ms. Williams created award sheets for the students to show how much they had grown in both Math and Reading. Other classes were invited to celebrate and highlight their students' academic achievements during the event.

What a fun way to drive and celebrate student success!

Last Tuesday, seniors at Eastern High School attended their Senior Breakfast. The event was created to reward the school's students ahead of their senior awards program. "It was amazing to see all the families that enjoyed time spent having breakfast with their graduate," said Principal Marcelle Carruthers of the event.

The Lansing School District has received a grant of nearly $1 million through the State of Michigan Department of Education to support a “Grow Your Own” program designed to recruit and support local Lansing teachers and staff who want to be certified instructors in a specialized area of education.

“This grant is specifically targeted at helping Lansing teachers and people who want to qualify to become Lansing School District teachers,” said superintendent Ben Shuldiner. “There are many specialized areas of teaching that require state certification. This grant will be a fantastic tool in helping recruit, attract and create certified teachers who want to be here working in our Lansing schools with the kids they know in the school district they love.”

The grant totaling $959,69 is part of the America Rescue Plan Funding (ARPA) money and is designed to support schools hit hardest by the COVID pandemic. The Lansing School District has been struggling like other districts over the past several years hit hard by COVID as teachers have retired or left the profession for many reasons, including seeking higher paying jobs. Classes in some schools have been covered by substitute teachers or fulltime district-employed substitute teachers who may not have qualified certifications in areas like Special Education, Art, Math, Physical Education or many other education specializations required by the state.

The Lansing Grow Your Own program will screen applicants working in the Lansing School District now who are recommended and want to pursue an education specialization certificate, and then through a partnership with Central Michigan University the grant money will used to help pay for the required education credits and classes if the participant meets established goals for certification. The teacher is then guaranteed a job in the Lansing School District teaching in their area of specialty.

Celebrate kindness, friendship, and unity from June 1 - August 5

with Capital Area District Libraries' Summer Reading Challenge!

Visit cadl.org/summer for more information and to sign up!