The Dryden Red and Black

Congratulations to the February Students of the Month!

February's theme is Love of Learning, which describes the way in which a person engages with new information and skills.

7th Grade

Elayna Handley

Jaxen Hearold

8th Grade

Gavin Prusakiewicz

Elaina Yatros

9th Grade

Tyler Roberts

Collin Tyrkus

10th Grade

Caila Fitchett

Madilyn Thorman

11th Grade

Sean Finnigan

Asako Hama

12th Grade

Ryan Conn

Raeshell Richardson

Support your #proudcardinal Varsity Boys Basketball team!

MHSAA Boys Basketball District 126 Dryden vs. TBD

Wednesday, February 28, 2024 5:30 PM

Waterford Our Lady of The Lakes Gymnasium

Everyone needs a ticket.

Stay updated on our progress with funds from the bond passed in May 2023 by using this checklist! We appreciate your continued support of our students, our schools, and our community.

Spanish teacher Mrs. Yurk began her studies at Mott Community College and transferred credits to University of Michigan- Flint, where she earned her Bachelor of Arts in secondary education with a major in Spanish and minor in history. She also took a graduate course at Baker College to earn her professional teaching certificate. Mrs. Yurk chose to teach at Dryden because she "loves the small town feel and closeness of our district. We have so many opportunities for students and I am very proud to be a Dryden Cardinal!"

Her favorite things about Dryden is our early college program, as it is a tremendous opportunity for students. She thinks it is wonderful that we can offer students free college classes and the possibility of earning an associate's degree with no money out of pocket for them or their parents (aside from books). Mrs. Yurk also loves that our small size allows staff and students to get to know nearly everyone relatively quickly. This really makes our school feel like a family.

In her spare time, Mrs. Yurk enjoys reading, watching shows in Spanish, shopping, and of course, spending time with her family. In the summertime, she loves going on nature hikes and birdwatching. Feeding birds out of her hand was one of the neatest experiences she has ever had, and she plans to do that again this summer at Kensington Metro Park with family. She's been a vegetarian for over 14 years and does not eat any meat, but she does eat eggs and dairy. Mrs. Yurk loves eating healthy, but she also enjoys her dessert! Chocolate is a necessity for her! Her favorite drink is room temperature purified water.

When asked what advice she'd give to students, Mrs. Yurk replied "Work hard to pass your classes the first time you take them, especially if you don't like the class! Why suffer through something you don't enjoy longer than necessary? Keep your head up! Don't let negativity get you down. Storms always pass and the sun will shine again."

We asked students about their experiences with Mrs. Yurk. Celia Bowman loves that Mrs. Yurk encourages inspiration and creativity. Celia enjoys being in Mrs. Yurk's classroom and has learned to be creative while she still has a mind to be creative with. Last year when Lillian Stein was in Mrs. Yurk's career class, every morning was wonderful. Lillian also added that Mrs. Yurk is super nice and that she has learned to always try to be positive. Finally, Zechiah Bryant loves that Mrs. Yurk gave birth to him and has fond memories of a trip to Mackinac Island with her.

Editor's Note: Senior Seminar students concluded their semester course by listing what they wish parents knew about graduating seniors and their final year of high school. We'll feature their ideas here.

by Aiden Fitchett

What Families Should Know About Their Senior and College

1. Lack Of Motivation - During a senior’s senior year, senioritis is very real and hits very

hard. They will have almost no motivation to do anything whatsoever. However, it is

important that they stay motivated during this time and complete some essential things

before their deadlines, such as college and scholarship applications.

2. Last Sports Season - Just like classes, this will be the last year that Seniors get to play

sports. This can be really important to some athletes as they are trying to best personal

records, and school records, or hit certain marks. The last thing they want is to end their

season with “What If?”. So, it is very important that they do and get everything they need

to perform their best. That could be making them healthier food or reminding them to get

to bed earlier. Whatever it is, do it.

3. Talk to Your Student - A lot of seniors are unsure about what they want to do in life or

where they want to go, and that is perfectly normal and okay. However, by talking to your

student, you could get an idea of what their interests are and what they like and

potentially give them advice on what they should look for in a college and what career

they might like.

4. Let Your Senior Relax - Senior year can be very stressful, so it is important to not let

your senior get too stressed out. The countless deadlines, applications, and

requirements for the senior year could burn your senior out if they aren’t too careful. It is

important to make sure that there is time for relaxation and de-stressing.

5. Don’t Let Your Senior Relax Too Much - Senior year can be stressful for a lot of students,

and it is okay to let your Senior relax and try to relieve their stress. However, it is also

important to make sure that you are still making sure your students are turning in

applications on time and doing the work they are supposed to.

6. Encourage Extracurriculars - It is never too early to encourage extracurriculars for your

student. Things like student council, NHS, band, etc., look great on a college resume. It

can also give your student something to look forward to during their busy time of

applying for colleges and scholarships.

7. Stay Aware of Deadlines - There are many different deadlines during senior year. These

could be senior photos, college applications, and scholarship applications. Every single

deadline is very important and should not be taken lightly. Keep track of these deadlines,

and make a calendar if you have to. There’s no need to stress out about the different

deadlines but keep track of them so you know when they are and when you should start

working on them.

8. College is Different - Just like the job market, colleges are constantly changing. Colleges

are completely different from what they were twenty years ago. The college life,

application process, and even just the colleges themselves are going to be nothing like

when the parents of said seniors went to college. Parents should keep this in mind when

seniors are trying to figure out what they want to do and start applying to colleges.

9. College Visits - College visits are essential in helping seniors narrow down what college

they want to attend. Some seniors aren’t motivated to visit a college or don’t want to,

while others have such a busy schedule that it makes it hard to visit. Whatever the

situation, parents should try their best to get their students to visit at least a couple of

colleges, as it can help the students figure out what college is like and narrow down their

options.

10. Fear - Senior year can be a very scary time. It is a big change in a senior’s life and a lot

of them are unsure of their future, which is a scary and stressful time. Talk to your senior

about it. Work them through some of their worries and give them some advice. And most

of all, make sure they understand that not being sure what they want to do or where they

want to go is 100% okay.

by Claire Wright

Celia Bowman is a 7th grader who has been going to Dryden since preschool but took a 5-year break between grades. Her favorite thing about Dryden is the library that we have. Celia plays volleyball and is in Drama. Outside of school, she likes to listen to music and Celia sometimes likes to do her makeup. Celia would love to become a big actor. Also, her best friend is Elyana Handley, “I wouldn't be here today without her."

by Lily Finnigan

This past weekend, the Varsity Bowling teams took the trip out to B’s Bowling in Flint to go against teams and individuals from all over in an attempt to bowl at the state meet next weekend.

On Friday, the boys would start off slow in baker games rolling a 189 game. They would end bakers in 4th place. In five on five, Tyler Biggs led the boys with a 223 game. They would have a 754 team game. In the second five on five, the boys would be led by Sean Finnigan with a 174 game, but would have a 704 team game. The boys would take an unfortunate loss where they would end in fifth, missing the cutoff by 400 pins to Atherton and Bentley.

The boys would end their season 10-1 (8-0 conference) as the Eastern Michigan Bowling Conference Champions!

The girls would start off strong with a 177 baker game. They would struggle for a few games before they got back into it, finishing bakers with a 148. Girls would be in third finishing the bakers out of the cut by 10 pins. In five on five, the girls would be led by Lily Finnigan with a 145, but would finish the team game with a 620. Going into the last game, the girls would be behind 24 pins. Raeshell Richardson would lead the girls with a 161, closely followed by Mikayla Fleming with a 158. They would get a 678 team game, which would be just enough to move the girls into second place, which qualified them for the state meet in Muskegon next weekend!

Moving onto Saturday, day two of regionals, the boys had a lot of ups and downs. Most of the boys would start off slow and finish strong. Matthew Hickmott who finished in 10th, would just miss the cut by three spots with games of 169, 160, 142, 180, 162, and 155. In 12th place was Connor Wolff who had games of 190, 191, and 168. Michael Hickmott would finish in 23rd place with high games of 167, 158, and 157. Tyler Biggs would take 26th with games of 191, 184, and 150. Close behind was Sean Finnigan with a high game of 202, and last but not least was Ian Weier in 33rd with games of 175, 162, and 153. Sadly, none of the boys were able to make the cut, which officially ended the season for the boys, five of which whom will be graduating in May.

The girls had a similar outcome with lots of highs and lows as well. Three girls would finish in order with one another. In 23rd was Kaitlynn Knuth with games of 155, 145, and 143. One place behind was Raeshell Richardson with a high game of 154, and following her was Mikayla Fleming in 25th with a 145 high. In 35th was Chloe DeLoy who had a high game of 143. Josclynn Mohler had a high of 96 in her first singles event ever finished in 50th. Lily Finnigan would start off to a slow start with games of 130 and 128 before rolling a 162 followed by a Dryden girls high game record of 266! She would follow that game with a 157 and a 207. The performance would qualify Lily 2nd overall in the region, qualifying her for the state meet next weekend!

Next weekend, the girls will make the trip to Muskegon where they will bowl in the team finals on Friday! Lily Finnigan will also bowl in the finals for singles on Saturday! Good luck girls!

by Audrey Napolitano

On Tuesday, February 20th, the Dryden Varsity Boys Basketball team played a league game at home against Peck High School. Dryden obtained a win against Peck, 60-36. Dryden outright won the NCTL championship and had a ceremony where each member of the team cut the basketball net. Jacob Burgess acquired 15 points. Brady Schneider landed 12 points. Sonny Coscione accumulated 10 points. Gianni Coscione secured nine points. Hayden Blair, Josh Harris, and Jaylin Taylor each obtained three points. Gabe Haick and Luke Taylor each earned two points. Hunter Hughes contributed one point. "We did not want to share the league championship with anyone. It was one of our team goals,” stated Coach John DelCampo. “It was a great team win. The team played well and unselfishly. We were able to celebrate with our home crowd.”

In the final game of the regular season, Dryden visited Mayville on Friday, February 23 and came home with a league win, 65-38. Senior Jacob Burgess led the team with 20 points. Luke Taylor, Hayden Blair, and David Insley added eight points each. Sonny Coscione put up six, and Jaylin Taylor scored five. Hunter Hughes had four, and Santi Perales and Gianni Coscione rounded out the scoring with three each. Coach DelCampo reflected “We did what we needed to do. Now we have to get ready for districts.” Dryden finishes the season with a 19-3 (10-0 league) record.

Congratulations on a winning season, and congratulations on the league title, boys! The next Varsity Boys Basketball game will be the district semi-final on Wednesday, February 28th at Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes at 5:30 pm. Good luck at districts, boys!

by Lily Finnigan

The Dryden Junior Varsity Boys Basketball team won both games in their final week of the season.

On Tuesday, the Cardinals beat Peck 75-33. Owen Gall scored 12 points, and Santi Perales added 11. Nick Abromaitis and Hayden Blair put up ten each, and David Insley banked nine.

The last game of the season at Mayville on February 23 had a thrilling finish. Rowan Handley (scoring nine points overall) came in clutch with a trey at the buzzer, sending the game into overtime. At the end of the extra period, Dryden came away with a win, 47-42. Brady Schneider and Owen Gall scored eight points each. Junior Dain Raymond put in the work defensively and contributed five points to the winning cause.

by Claire Wright

The 7th grade boys basketball team had two wins and a loss last week. They topped Akron-Fairgrove, 40-23 and Chatfield, 25-16. Their lone loss came at the hands of Mayville, 40-6.

4:30 PM-6:30 PM - 7th/8th Boys Basketball vs Chatfield - 6th/7th grade game @ 4:30 pm - 8th grade game @ 5:30 pm

7:15 AM-7:30 AM - Weekly Encouragement Club Meeting

2:30 PM-4:30 PM - Drama Club Rehearsal - MPR - High School

2:30 PM-4:00 PM - Homework Club - Room 133

Wear it Wednesday - Dress like students day

2:30 PM-4:30 PM - Drama Club Rehearsal - MPR

2:30 PM-3:30 PM - Spanish Club Meeting - Room 224

5:30 PM-7:00 PM - Districts Semi-final Boys Basketball game @ Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes - bus departs @ 3:45 pm

2:30 PM-4:30 PM - Drama Club Rehearsal - MPR - High School

2:30 PM-4:00 PM - Homework Club - Room 133

7:00 PM-8:30 PM - Districts Final Game Boys Basketball @ Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes - bus departs @ 5:15 pm

Previous Riddle: What 2 things can you never eat for breakfast?

Answer: Lunch and Dinner!

Winner: Nobody!

Current Riddle: What was the highest mountain on Earth before Mount Everest was discovered?

Where do pirates get their hooks?

Secondhand stores.

March 11

April 8

May 13

June 10

All meetings begin at 7:00 p.m., will be held in the Dryden High School Library, and are open to the public.

Check out the 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 Dryden Community Schools District Calendar here!

Editor:

Ava DeVlaminck

Reporters:

Lily Finnigan

Audrey Napolitano

Claire Wright

Faculty Advisor:

Ms. Sheryl Czerwinski

Email: Cardinal@drydenschools.org
Website: https://www.drydenschools.org/
Location: Dryden High School, Rochester Road, Dryden, MI, USA
Phone: (810) 796-2266
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drydencommunityschools

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