Happy Monday Panther Families! It was another great week here in the middle school.

This is the last week of the second trimester. This means students only have one week left of their current RASL class. Starting next Monday, March 10, 2025, they will start their third trimester RASL class. If students are trying to raise their grade in their current RASL class they will have to talk with their teacher to see what can be done in this final week.

Parent/Teacher conference invitations were sent home Friday with specific students. If you received one of these invitations please have your child return them to school by Wednesday March 5, 2025. Students can return these invitations to any one of their teachers. If you did not receive an invitation, but would like to have a parent/teacher conference, there will be a conference Sign-Up Genius link emailed on Friday March 7, 2025. Conferences will be held on Thursday March 13, 2025 from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm and again from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm. If you have further questions about parent/teacher Conferences please contact the middle school office at (269) 623-1541 or email me at bobby.tillman@dkschools.org.

With the weather getting a little warmer (on some days ) and the snow has melted off our field, students have headed back outside for recess. Please make sure your child is dressed for the weather. The only reason moving foward that they will not be outside for recess is if it is raining. Students are allowed to bring their own basketball, football, volleyball, and kick ball to recess. The goal is always for them to be safe, get some fresh air, movement, and have socialization time with their peers.

As always, I would like to thank our students, staff, families, and community for all of their hard work and support. We have made it through another month of school. I hope we are done with snow days, wide sweeping sickness, and cold weather! Have a wonderful week!

It's a great day to be a PANTHER!

Thank you,

Bobby Tillman

Principal

Delton Kellogg Middle School

6325 Delton Rd

Delton, MI 49046

(269) 623-1541

Wednesday, March 5th - Kick Start Deposit Day 🏦

Thursday, March 13th - Half Day Students ( Dismissal 11:30 am) - Parent / Teacher Conferences (As Needed)

Friday, March 14th - Half Day (Dismissal 11:30 am)

Friday, March 21st - Popcorn Friday at Lunchtime🍿

Monday, March 24th - Wednesday, March 26th - 5th grade camp. Sherman Lake YMCA ⛺

Wednesday, March 26th - Mobile Dentist 🦷

Thursday, March 27th - Mobile Dentist 🦷

Charleigh Loveland, a 6th grader at Delton Kellogg Middle School, is making a big mark in wrestling! She recently tried out for the Girls Southwest Regional Wrestling Team, made the team, and earned a spot on the Varsity squad!

The team only had a few weeks to prepare for the MyWay Duals Team State competition at Wings Event Center. After a strong performance, Charleigh and her team won gold, taking 1st place and a State Title! Charleigh won all her matches, including her fastest pin in just 10 seconds and another in 15 seconds.

Charleigh is already a skilled wrestler with two titles in her age and weight division. She’s ranked 3rd in the State for Co-Ed OPEN and 3rd Nationally for Girls in her weight class for 2024.

Charleigh trains with several programs, including Delton Kellogg Middle School Wrestling, Delton Wrestling Club for MyWay, and Apex Wrestling Academy in Portage.

Her next challenge is the MyWay Individual State Championship Finals on Thursday, March 20th, 2025, at Wings Event Center in Kalamazoo, MI, where she’ll compete in the Girls Division. Watch out for Charleigh—her wrestling journey is just getting started!

On Tuesday, February 25th, Mrs. Podolan’s 7th-grade academic plus students visited the Delton District Library to explore nonfiction resources for their upcoming research papers. The library staff warmly welcomed the students and gave them an overview of how to find and use the information they needed.

The visit started with a tour of the nonfiction sections, where students learned how to search for materials more effectively. The librarian shared useful tips that sparked the students' curiosity and excitement.

Throughout the trip, students were encouraged to ask questions and engage with the resources, creating an interactive and enjoyable experience. This visit wasn’t just about seeing the library—it was about inspiring a love for reading and research that will support students in their academic work.

We are excited to share that Heidi Tyner, our 8th grade ELA teacher at Delton-Kellogg Middle School, was recently highlighted in the Bright Ideas newsletter by the Calhoun Intermediate School District!

Mrs. Tyner was recognized for her innovative approach to preparing her students for the digital PSAT. After taking the Digital Assessments Made Easy course, she developed a weekly routine that includes test-taking strategies from PIRATES (University of Kansas) and short PSAT practice tests using DnA’s Item Bank. This practice helps her students build confidence and become comfortable with digital testing.

Thank you Mrs. Tyner for your dedication to your students and your commitment to finding new ways to help them succeed.

We are thrilled to announce that Mr. Fleser’s class was the proud winner of this year’s Kindness Week Challenge. Throughout kindness week, students were encouraged to perform and report random acts of kindness, and Mr. Fleser’s class went above and beyond, reporting the most acts of kindness in the entire school!

As a reward for their hard work and dedication to spreading kindness, the class was treated to a fun and well-deserved ice cream party. It was a sweet celebration of the positive impact they’ve made on their peers and the entire school community.

Let’s continue to inspire each other with random acts of kindness, and remember that every positive action, no matter how small, contributes to making our school a better place for everyone!

Congratulations to this week’s Panther Paw winners! These students have shown outstanding SK2R behavior – being Safe, Kind, Responsible, and Respectful. As a reward for their positive actions, they were allowed to choose a treat of their choice!

We are so proud of these students for making our school a better place. Keep up the great work, and let’s all continue to show our Panther Pride!

The Little Mermaid play at Delton Kellogg Middle School is coming soon, and we need your help! We're still looking for more students to join the cast and crew, as well as volunteers to help with the production.

If you're interested in being part of the show or lending a hand behind the scenes, we would love to have you involved!

To sign up or get more info, contact Ms. Renee at susan.renee@dkschools.org.

Let’s work together to make this performance great!

Reminder: The 5th grade camp at Sherman Lake YMCA is coming up soon! The trip is scheduled for Monday, March 24th, to Wednesday, March 26th.

The $205.00 payment deadline is Friday, March 14th. Payments may be made to the middle school office via cash or check. Please bring the exact amount, as we will not be able to provide change.

This camp is a wonderful experience for students, incorporating team building, character development, and nature exploration—all valuable parts of their curriculum. We hope to see all students participate and take advantage of this incredible opportunity!

Who’s in your family?

I have my husband, Gary, my daughter Kylee, my grandson Kyle, and his dad, Cody.

Do you have any special family traditions?
Yes! We hang a pickle on the Christmas tree, love chocolate advent calendars, and use a penguin ice bucket as a bun warmer during holiday meals.

Do you have a favorite family vacation spot?

We love to camp, so anywhere we can enjoy the outdoors is our favorite spot. If I could travel anywhere, I would love to travel to Venice, Milan, Paris and different parts of Scotland and Ireland.

What do weekends with your family look like?

Weekends are spent baking, cleaning, and I usually work my second job at the Hastings Aldi grocery store.

Is there a favorite meal your family enjoys together?

We don’t have one favorite meal, but there are certain foods we always enjoy. For the holidays, we have collard greens, cranberry salad, tomato soup cake, pig lickin' cake, and pecan pie.

What is a fun fact about you or your family?
A fun fact about my family is that my brother, who is retired from the Army, has traced our family’s history all the way back to the Civil War and Revolutionary War service. A fun fact about me is that I sing tenor in both my church and community choirs. In my free time, I love designing and sewing clothes, as well as gardening and homesteading on my small farm.

If you could have any superpower, what would it be and why?
I would love to fly. I’ve always wanted to experience what it would be like to be a bird.

If your family had a theme song, what would it be?

I’m not sure, but I’m sure there’s a country song out there that perfectly captures the chaos theory of my family!

If you weren’t working in education, what would you be doing?

When I was younger, I wanted to be a pediatrician or an interior designer. If I weren’t teaching middle school students, I’d probably be teaching sewing privately or working with a sewing machine dealership or quilt shop.

How long have you been a part of our school community, and what initially inspired you to work in education?

This is my fifth year at Delton Kellogg and my third year as a teacher. All of my jobs since college have involved some form of teaching, so when a paraprofessional position opened up, I jumped at the opportunity. I’m now working on earning my teaching certification.

What is one of your favorite things about working at DKMS?

One of my favorite things is that we’re like a family here. We’re always willing to help each other, and there’s no sense of cliques or keeping information to ourselves. We share assignments, resources, and support one another.

What is a book, movie, or music recommendation you would give to students?

I’d recommend forcing yourself to listen to all kinds of music, not just the songs you already like. With the internet and free streaming services, you can explore so many genres. Set a timer for 30 minutes and listen to classical, jazz, electronic, salsa, and anything else you can find. You might discover that different types of music are perfect for different tasks throughout your day!

What advice would you give to students about staying motivated?
Keep your eye on the big picture of your life. In the grand scheme, this is just a small part, but the habits, decisions, and friendships you make now can have a big impact on your future. Think carefully and choose wisely.

What is one thing you think is important for students to know about learning?

Learn how you learn best. Do you need to hear it, see it, or write it down? Once you understand how you learn, remember that you’ll never stop learning, and there’s nothing you can’t teach yourself to do.

Who is a teacher or person who inspired you growing up?
At Delton, Ms. Brand taught me how to write with clarity, and Mr. Mais taught me drafting skills that I still use today. I also learned many principles of geometry from Mr. Brunner, which have been really impactful.

At Wayne State University, Stanley Rosenthal taught me that my creative work was just as important as my traditional studies. JJ Masuda also inspired me by showing me that I could succeed in the creative world as long as I "think shark." To think shark means to approach situations with a mindset of being aggressive, assertive, focused on achieving goals, and not afraid to take calculated risks, much like a shark in the ocean actively hunts for prey.

What is one thing that always makes you smile during the school day?
The things that come out of my students' mouths always make me smile. I also enjoy using their lingo to come up with fun comebacks!

Calling all young soccer players! On Saturday, March 15, from 6–9 PM, Western Michigan University’s Men’s and Women’s Soccer players will be hosting a Youth Soccer Clinic at MSA Shoreline (6875 Norton Pines Dr, Norton Shores, MI).

Open to both boys and girls, this exciting event includes skills training, team play, and a Q&A panel with Division I student-athletes, including Braxton Appachinda and Sammi Glover. Participants will not only sharpen their soccer skills but also gain insight into the collegiate athlete experience.

Spots are limited, so be sure to sign up soon!

Register here.

Voters in the Delton Kellogg School District will have the opportunity to consider a bond proposal for school facility improvements on May 6, 2025.

This proposal includes important projects such as:

• Safe and efficient infrastructure
• Maximizing space
• Building for real-world skills
• Other project highlights

For more information about the bond proposal, please read below. Flyers are also available in the middle school office.

PIE is excited to announce that their fundraising website is now live! Each grade level has its own unique code , making it easy for students to participate.

Personalized Fundraising – Within each grade level, students can set up their own individual fundraiser to track their progress. This also allows whoever sets up the fundraiser to receive email updates on the total amount raised.

Maximizing Donations – Donors have the option to cover the 3% processing fee, ensuring that 100% of their donation goes directly to the student’s fundraiser. If they choose not to cover the fee, it will be deducted from the donation amount.

Every contribution helps make our field trips possible and creates unforgettable experiences for our students. Thank you for your support!

We’re excited to announce that the Mobile Dentist will be visiting our school on Wednesday, March 26, and Thursday, March 27, 2025.

If you’d like your child to see the Mobile Dentist, please complete the attached form:

• Online Option: Fill out the form online using the link provided.
• Paper Form Option: If you prefer, you can complete the paper form and return it to the middle school office.

Delton Kellogg Athletics has teamed up with ProMed in Richland to offer sports physicals for our athletes on April 16th, 2025. This physical will fulfill the requirement for the 2025-2026 school year. Athletic staff will be available to upload the physical directly to Final Forms. Please note that you and your student will still need to log into Final Forms to complete the annual sports forms after June 20th. To participate during school hours, your student MUST return this form, the completed MHSAA Sports Physical Form, and payment by April 3rd to the high school office. If these items are not submitted by the deadline, your student may participate during walk-in times after school hours with completed forms and payment in hand between 2:50 - 4:00 pm.

Please sign, complete, submit payment, and return to the office by April 3rd.

The athletic department has implemented some new tools and strategies to streamline communication and transparency throughout the department. These new programs should help streamline communication, event ticket purchases and potentially some registrations in the near future.

* Eventlink.com is where information for athletic events and facility usage can be found. Tickets and season passes can be purchased through Eventlink, and you are able to customize your experience by choosing which sports you would like communications from.

* Finalforms.com is where physicals and other important documents should go. These documents can be uploaded by your phone by taking a picture of the document.

* The Athletic Department would prefer all pay to participate payments go through this virtual portal for all Middle School and High School athletes.

Pay to Participate Fees can be paid HERE

PDF of Sports Participation Fees

* Hudl.com is where fans can subscribe to watch live streams of home events that occur at the turf stadium or the High School main gymnasium.

Click here to visit the Delton Hudl Fan Account

* You can also stay up to date with our new athletics social media accounts:

Facebook: Delton Kellogg Athletics

Instagram: DKpanthers

Twitter (X): DKpanthers

Email: tammy.whitmore@dkschools.org

Location: 6325 Delton Road, Delton, MI, USA

Phone: 269-623-1542

Email: brittany.griffith@dkschools.org

Location: 6325 Delton Road, Delton, MI, USA

Phone: 269-623-1542