Superintendent Newsletter

Dear Lansing School District Community,

I hope that this newsletter finds you well. As always, it is a pleasure to be writing to you all.

In this week's update, I would like to acknowledge and commemorate Black History Month. As I wrote last year:

"I find Black History Month bittersweet. The idea that we have to create a month to make sure that we as a society focus on all of the incredible contributions of African Americans to America is, in some way, already hurtful. Black History is American History. It shouldn't need a month of focus; it should be embedded in our societal framework. But, if we are honest, we know that it is not. Black History tends to be marginalized and put off to the side. That is why Black History Month is so important. We can never underestimate the power of representation. When a student sees someone that looks like them, there is a kind of immediate recognition and understanding.

If we truly care about supporting our youth in becoming great contributors to our community, then we must not only tell them that they can do great things but show them that they can do great things. If all we ever discuss is disconnected to our students' own lives and being, then it is harder to see oneself as the next contributor. If students never see themselves as the main character or the hero, it is harder to take those next steps in picturing yourself as such."

Last year, I mentioned the great pedagogical framework developed by Emily Style called windows and mirrors. "In its simplest form, the idea behind windows and mirrors is that school and the curriculum should expose all students to windows (seeing the amazing attributes of folks very different than you) and mirrors (seeing the great attributes of people that are more like you.)."

Of course, I still believe what I wrote last year, so I am copying it again. But this year, I want to go further. Much of what we discuss around Black History Month, as a society, is based on representation or "inputs." The idea that our students and our society should have equal access to the curriculum and programs. This is incredibly important. All children should have access to a curriculum that acknowledges their background. All children should have access to high-level programs and high expectations. For years, the fight for civil rights was centered around access, be it access to schools or fighting in integrated battalions. Be it fighting to play in the same baseball league or using the same hotel, water fountain, or cake decorator.

But for true equality and equity to exist, we as a society should start to focus on outputs. We need to ask ourselves why Black students graduate at a lower rate than White students. Why do Black students get suspended more than White students? Why do Black students have higher absentee rates and lower test scores? If we truly believe that children are equally capable of excellence, then we have to dig deep into the societal constructs that are causing these "output" disparities.

It is a difficult and sometimes uncomfortable conversation, but one that needs to occur and be part of our daily focus. So, I ask us all, this Black History Month, to start to shift our focus around Black History and the larger conversation around equity to one grounded in outputs rather than inputs. Let us think and act on ways to impact the outputs, get the graduation rates of all our children to be high, get all our students' test scores to be terrific, and get all of our outputs to be great. If we do that, the Lansing School District will serve as a national leader in the fight for justice, racial equality, and equity.

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

The Adult Education GED Program honors Elisha Anderson for his steadfast dedication in earning his high school equivalency credentials. Elisha was organized and interested in his individual and classroom studies, passing each subject area test on his first attempt.

More importantly, Elisha is one of the kindest, big-hearted souls to have entered our Adult Education program. He is always eager to help his classmates, working to help them understand materials and rooting for their successes. We are proud to be associated with such a fantastic person and know that Elisha makes a difference.

Each month, the City of Lansing organizes a mobile food pantry and delivers to homebound residents — primarily the elderly — some without much family support. So when the Mayor's office reached out to Pattengill's 2nd-grade team in December to ask if they would be willing to help with a project, they were happy to engage. Students made beautiful holiday cards for shut-in community members. The cards were included with food boxes that were donated. Following this, students also made holiday cards for a senior citizen's home's holiday party. Three classes of 2nd-graders made 150-holiday cards.

Lucianna Solis, the Mayor's Community Relations & Faith-Based Initiatives Manager, told us how appreciative she was of the 2nd-grade team at Pattengill. She told us that the response was incredibly heartwarming and that our students brought immense joy to the community. We wanted to introduce the team and say thank you for making such a difference.

Meet Pattengill's 2nd-grade team:

• This is Maureen Miller's (left) first year at Pattengill, but she has worked for the Lansing School District for 30 years. She enjoys getting to know our students and other fantastic community members!

• David Griswold (center) has been a teacher for two years and loves the collaboration and culture of Pattengill. He enjoys teaching kids to read and spending time with his own children.

• Madison (Maddy) Payne (right) is a second-year teacher at Pattengill Biotechnical School. She is thankful to be part of the amazing Pattengill family! She looks forward to participating in her student's academic and personal growth as the year continues.

Thank you all for what you do — not just for our students but also for the Lansing community!

Check out a short video that includes footage of one of the beautiful cards in all of its glory.

Tammy Balyeat (pictured left with Kendon Lead GSRP teacher Amy Renouf) is truly a one-of-a-kind who gives without wanting anything in return. Balyeat, who has been volunteering with PreK @ Kendon, is a retired Head Start bus driver and semi-driver for Penske. She loves volunteering in any capacity, whether helping kids in Lansing, assisting other organizations in their endeavors, or even volunteering in third-world countries!

Tammy has a heart of gold and keeps her eye out for items that could be useful at the school. She recently donated several riding toys that benefitted Early Childhood Special Education students and a turtle for the playground at Kendon! Tammy gives much more than amazing learning tools; she donates her time graciously. When she comes in for the day, she is happy to do whatever needs to be done and loves playing with the students. She even donated two books her friend wrote and illustrated after reading them to the students!

The PreK at Kendon program can't thank Ms. Balyeat enough for her kindness.

City Life continues to provide a safe, fun, and welcoming experience for Lansing School District students! Whether through student advocacy, tutoring, 1 to 1 mentorship, character development, coaching, special assemblies, Social Emotional Learning (SEL) development, or any of the myriad of services they graciously offer, City Life offers something for everyone.

What does four full years of technical education in high school look like?

Contact Lansing Tech or visit us online to find out!

(517)755-1090 or www.lansingschools.net/lansingtech

Our Multilingual Learner Guidebook helps families, service providers, and community partners who support our families navigate the Lansing School District. Make this your go-to guide from enrollment through graduation.

In this guidebook, you can learn about:

• Enrollment and how to connect with your school
• School year basics and how to help your students succeed
• Programs, services, policies, and procedures
• Important resources and contact information

Check it out today!

The Michigan Seal of Biliteracy is an award given in recognition of students who have studied and attained proficiency in English and one additional world language by high school graduation. It encourages students to study world languages and also inspires students to embrace their native and heritage languages. The seal can highlight language skills for potential employers and serves as a tool for colleges and universities to recognize applicants’ language abilities for admission and placement.

For more information about the Michigan Seal of Biliteracy, visit us online!

Ready to apply? Fill out the form!

February 19 — President's Day (No School)

February 22 — Board Meeting - Information Study Session | 6:00 p.m. | 519 W. Kalamazoo St.

Did you know that you can subscribe to our calendars?

Visit www.lansingschools.net/district/calendars, select the school(s) whose calendar you would like to subscribe to, and tap the tiny calendar at the top right. For more detailed instructions, click here.

Team Wrestling · Finals: Feb. 23-24

Boys Bowling · Finals: March 1-2

Girls Bowling · Finals: March 1-2

Individual Wrestling · Finals: March 1-2

Boys Swimming & Diving (LP) · Finals: March 8-9

Boys Basketball · Finals: March 16

Girls Basketball · Finals: March 23

All sports must qualify at the district and regional level tournaments

in order to advance to the MHSAA Finals.