At this week's board meeting, we were able to celebrate School Board Member, Ruth Writer!

Ruth has served on our school board since 2012, and she has played an instrumental role in shaping the educational experiences of thousands of students and families. Her wisdom, dedication, and leadership have guided key decisions that have left a lasting impact on our community.

As your current school board term comes to an end, we thank you Ruth, for your service and dedication to the students, staff and community of Buchanan Community Schools.

This year, our collective efforts have made a big difference in the lives of those in need. Together, we’ve provided warmth and comfort to 71 incredible people in Buchanan!

Here’s the breakdown of the impact we’ve made:

• 43 kids now have winter jackets, and 21 of them are also rocking new snow pants!
• 30 kids have cozy gloves, and 17 of them now have snug winter hats!
• And for 5 lucky kids, those winter boots are ready to tackle the snow!
  
  

But it doesn't stop there! We also provided 28 adults with winter coats, and almost all of them received warm hats too!

All in all, 71 people are safe and warm this winter thanks to YOUR generosity!

This is definitely worth celebrating! Let's take a moment to reflect on the difference we've made, and know that each item has helped make someone’s winter a little brighter. Thank you for being part of this amazing effort! We also would like to thank BHS National Honor Society for coordinating the winter clothing drive, along with BHS Student Services for passing out the items. GO BUCKS!

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

We are thrilled to announce an exciting new opportunity for families in our community! Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Southwest Michigan is proud to announce that we’ll be piloting a new, school year Club in Buchanan, dedicated to providing a safe, engaging, and supportive environment for children ages 6-12 thanks to the Michigan Department of Education 32n Out of School Time grant. The summer program had such a wonderful reception from the community and we have worked in partnership with Buchanan Community Schools leadership to make the school year Club a reality.

Our afterschool programs are designed to inspire and empower children through a variety of activities that promote academic success, healthy lifestyles, and good character and citizenship. Whether your child is looking for help with homework, opportunities to explore new hobbies, or a chance to build lasting friendships, our Club is here to meet their needs and help them thrive.

Key Details:

• Location: Buchanan Middle School, 610 W. 4th Street, Buchanan

• Ages Served: 6-12 years old

• Programs Offered: Academic support, arts and crafts, sports and recreation, character and leadership development, life skills, and more

• Hours of Operation: 2:30 - 6:00 pm, Monday through Friday

• Opening Date: January 21, 2025

• Closing Date: June 5, 2025

• Transportation: Transportation will be provided to Club from Ottawa and Moccasin Elementary Schools
  
  

We are committed to making high-quality afterschool programming accessible to every family. Our team of dedicated staff and volunteers is trained to provide a safe and inclusive space where every child feels valued and supported.

Registration is now open! Space is limited, so we encourage you to register early to secure your child’s spot. Registration will close on Friday, January 10, 2025 or earlier if the registration target is reached before January 10th.

Register today at https://bgcswmichiganmch.my.site.com/portal/s/login-home.

We look forward to welcoming your child to the Boys & Girls Club in Buchanan and working together to help them reach their full potential. Thank you for your continued support as we expand our mission to serve the children and families of our community.

Contact us at info@bgcbh.org with any questions.

Regards,

Alloyd Blackmon
Chief Executive Officer
Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Southwest Michigan

TIN SHOP THEATER

121 Oak Street Buchanan Michigan. 49107

(269)-695-6464

_____________________________________________

Students! We are excited to invite you to participate in an essay contest in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. and the National Day of Service. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. believed in the power of service and taking action to create positive change in our communities. In your essay, please answer the following question: What is one issue in your community that needs to be addressed, and what steps would you take to make a meaningful difference?

We can’t wait to read your thoughtful and inspiring ideas!

Cash prizes for the top 3 entries!!!

$300-1st Place

$200-2nd Place

$100-3rd Place

Prizes are available from a private donor.

Winners must be able to present their work on January 18, 2025 at the Tin Shop Theater MLK program.

Sponsored by the Fine Arts Council, the Buchanan Writers Guild,

and the Buchanan Community Schools.

Submission Guidelines

Document’s heading must include participant’s:

• Full Name, Grade and School

• Title

• Email address
  
  

Submission must be:

• No more than 300 words (300 words does not include citations, headlines, titles, names)

• In Microsoft Word or PDF (No google docs please.)

• Font - Times New Roman

• Size - 11.

• Spaced- 1.5

• Submissions are due on Wednesday January 8, 2025

• Email submissions to: 2025MLKEssay@buchananschools.com

Build Up Michigan helps preschool age children ages 3-5 and their parents with developmental delays and/or disabilities. Children grow and learn at different rates but most will reach several milestones between the ages of 3 and 5. If they are not meeting those milestones and/or are struggling to learn they may need additional supports to help them prepare for kindergarten

Intervening as early as possible helps to develop skills to strengthen the child's foundation for future learning.

Program Details

What is a developmental delay?

A developmental delay is seen when a child’s rate of growth and learning is different from that of most children the same age.

A developmental delay may be in one of the following areas:

• Thinking

• Talking

• Hearing

• Seeing

• Moving

• Taking care of basic needs

• Responding to others
  
  

How can Build Up Michigan help?

Build Up Michigan can help children ages 3-5 and their families get additional educational supports and other services as needed.

If an evaluation shows that your child needs help, we'll tell you how and where to get it at no cost.

Who can receive services from Build Up Michigan?

Build Up Michigan services are available to any Berrien County family with a child age 3-5 who has a developmental delay or an established medical condition such as:

• Speech/Language Impairment

• Specific Learning Disability

• Cognitive Impairment

• Autism Spectrum Disorder

• Emotional Impairment

• Traumatic Brain Injury

• Hearing Impairment

• Visual Impairment

• Physical Impairment

• Early Childhood Developmental Delay (ECDD)

• Severe Multiple Impairment

• Other Health Impairment (including attention deficit disorder and health problems such as asthma, epilepsy, and diabetes)
  
  

Developmental Milestones

Every child goes through developmental stages but remember, no two children develop and grow at exactly the same pace. The guide below lists a few things you can look for as you watch your child's growth and development. If you have questions or concerns about how your child is growing or developing, you may want to talk to your child's doctor or complete an online referral.

By 3 years your child should...

• Copy adults and friends

• Take turns in games

• Follow instructions with 2 or 3 steps

• Play make-believe with dolls, animals and people

• May get upset with major changes in routine

• May copy a circle with a pencil or crayon

• Turn book pages one at a time

• Run easily

By 4 years your child should...

• Enjoy doing new things

• Want to play with other children than by him/herself

• Sing a song or say a poem from memory such as "Itsy Bitsy Spider" or "Wheels on the Bus"

• Be able to say their first and last name

• Be able to name some colors and numbers

• Catch a bounced ball most of the time

• Be able to tell what's real and what's make-believe most of the time

By 5 years your child should...

• Be able to hop; maybe even skip

• Be able to print some letters or numbers

• Like to sing, dance and act

• Be aware of gender

• Be able to tell what's real and what's make-believe

• Be able to play simple games such as Candy Land and Go Fish

• Want to be like their friends

• Is sometimes demanding and sometimes very cooperative

Contact Patrick Conley
Supervisor of Birth to Three Services
269-471-7725 ext. 3384
Fax: 269-473-1113

How to Get Help
Any concerned adult may make a referral for a child if they suspect a developmental delay or if the child has a pre-existing health condition(s).

Nominees included:

Erin Kratky, BMS Technology Teacher

Hayley Sater, 3rd Grade Teacher

Jordan Haynes, Moccasin Noon Supervisor

Kelly Smith, Elementary Instructional Coach

Mark Kurland, Director of Operations & Instructional Systems Coordinator

Melissa Prestine, Elementary Music Teacher

Shelby Beasley, BMS Principal

Shelley Lietz, Speech Pathologist

Tom Cousinseau, 4th Grade Teacher

Congratulations to all!

Here are 10 Cold Weather Safety Tips to Protect Children:

1. Layer up! Bitter cold and snow can cause frostbite. Dress your child in several layers, and make sure their head, neck and hands are covered. Dress babies and young children in one more layer than an adult would wear.
2. Play it safe. Even when roads are closed to traffic, it’s not safe to play or sled in the street. Visibility may be limited due to snowbanks and ice on the roads makes braking difficult.
3. Beware of clothing hazards. Scarves and hood strings can strangle smaller children so use other clothing to keep them warm.
4. Check in on warmth. Before kids head outside, tell them to come inside if they get wet or if they’re cold. Then keep watching them and checking in. They may want to continue playing outside even if they are wet or cold.
5. Use sunscreen. Children and adults can still get sunburned in the winter. Sun can reflect off the snow, so apply sunscreen to exposed areas.
6. Use caution around fires. Wood-burning stoves, fireplaces and outdoor fire-pits are cozy but can present danger – especially to small children. Use caution and put up protective gates when possible. If you’ve lost power or heat and are alternative heating methods like kerosene or electric heaters, be sure smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors are working.
7. Get trained and equipped. Children should wear helmets when snowboarding, skiing, sledding or playing ice hockey. And to avoid injuries, teach children how to do the activity safely.
8. Prevent nosebleeds. If your child suffers from minor winter nosebleeds, use a cold-air humidifier in their room. Saline nose drops can help keep their nose moist.
9. Keep them hydrated. In drier winter air kids lose more water through their breath. Offer plenty of water, and try giving them warm drinks and soup for extra appeal.
10. Watch for danger signs. Signs of frostbite are pale, grey or blistered skin on the fingers, ears, nose, and toes. If you think your child has frostbite bring the child indoors and put the affected area in warm (not hot) water. Signs of hypothermia are shivering, slurred speech, and unusual clumsiness. If you think your child has hypothermia call 9-1-1 immediately.

Ottawa Elementary
Moccasin Elementary

Buchanan Middle School

Buchanan High School

We pledge our best efforts to make Buchanan Community Schools a premier school district, and we strive to create safe, welcoming, engaging, and innovative schools that develop all students’ academic, athletic, artistic, and social growth. We take pride in our community and we appreciate the support of our stakeholders! Thank you!

But we do realize that sometimes something might not go right, or you might have a question about what we do or how we do it. We welcome that communication, and we will work to solve your issue for you as efficiently as we can.

In order to do that, we ask that you follow our Chain of Command process shown in the diagram. On the left side of the process chart, you will see the common areas of district programming, and then following to the right would be the next step(s) in the Chain of Command for that district program area. Please start by contacting the staff member listed in the second box of each program area. The contact information for our leadership staff members with responsibility for addressing concerns is listed at the top of the diagram. Other contact information for building staff is available on our website in the “Staff Directory” section of each building’s web page. It is expected that most issues should be able to be resolved at these initial steps in the Chain of Command.

Buchanan Community Schools is a school district located in Buchanan, Michigan. In 2020, Buchanan was named the Nicest City in America and is known for its community concerts and parades. Buchanan Community Schools has over 1500 students and over 200 employees. The school district has four schools based on grade bands, Ottawa- PreK-1, Moccasin-2-4, Buchanan Middle School 5-7, and Buchanan High School 8-12.

Email: probinson@buchananschools.com
Website: https://www.buchananschools.com/
Location: 401 West Chicago Street, Buchanan, MI, USA
Phone: 269-695-8401
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100065665262514

To develop responsible, resilient, creative citizens capable of succeeding in a global society.