East China School District News

April 2 - Delayed Start

April 4 - Half Day All Students (PM)

April 10-12 - SCHS Theatre Troupe Presents Shrek the Musical at 7 p.m. at the PAC

April 16 - Delayed Start

April 18-21 - Easter Recess - No School

April 25-26 - Mariner Drama Presents Little Shop of Horrors 7 p.m. at the PAC

April 28 - Regular School Board Meeting

Dear Parents and Community Members,

We are excited to announce a new feature on our school district website: the “Just Ask Us” button. This soon-to-launch initiative is designed to enhance communication between our schools, families, and the wider community, and we believe it will provide numerous benefits for everyone involved.

The “Just Ask Us” button will allow parents and community members to submit questions directly through our website. This user-friendly tool aims to ensure that everyone’s voice is heard and that we can respond promptly to any inquiries you may have.

We are dedicated to making our school district a supportive and responsive environment for our students and families. The “Just Ask Us” button is a step in our commitment to transparency and accessibility.

We invite you to visit our website and take advantage of this new feature once it goes live. Thank you for your continued support and partnership in creating the best possible educational experience for our children.

Sincerely,

Suzanne Cybulla

Superintendent, East China Schools

The Board of Education would like to Introduce Shawn Treadaway as their new board member. Shawn was appointed at the March 14, 2025, Special Board Meeting to fill the vacant board seat. The district had seven applicants. Thank you to all that applied.

Each year our 5th graders at Belle River get to learn about the Great Lake Sturgeon from the Friends of the St. Clair River organization. First, the Friends of the St. Clair River visited Belle River, along with a young Sturgeon, to teach the students all about the Lake Sturgeons’ history.

One interesting fact they learn is that at one time there were so many Lake Sturgeon in the river that a person could walk on the backs of the fish to cross the river. Unfortunately, due to overhunting, invasive species, and the destruction of their habitat, Lake Sturgeon are dangerously close to being labeled endangered. The students then learn about conservation efforts to help the survival of Lake Sturgeon.

They even get to check for an identification tag on the live young Sturgeon. Then later in the year during the spring, the 5th graders get to go for a ride aboard the Huron Lady II on Lake Huron. During that trip, students get to see a large Lake Sturgeon that was caught that day. The students get to do water tests and other tests that the conservationists do in order to help the Lake Sturgeon survive. They also get to hold a Sea Lamprey, which is the invasive species that is hurting the Lake Sturgeon.

We are so lucky to be able to have these amazing experiences through amazing programs offered in partnership with the Friends of the St. Clair River organization.

Belle River 3rd graders recently took a trip to the Experience Center on SC4’s campus. Students rotated through three different areas of the center. They had the opportunity to explore a museum full of fossils and ancient artifacts. They even got to dig for fossils and take one home for themselves! In another section, students got to be chemists and make their very own bouncy balls using everyday household products. In the last activity, students interacted with many hands-on STEAM activities, including engineering a boat, crafting a derby car out of Legos, and having fun taking pictures in front of a green screen. Students had a blast and left with more enthusiasm and excitement for STEAM.

Looking back, do you remember that teacher who dressed up as…? Do you remember that teacher you had who tried to make something you were learning about come alive? Today, a fifth-grade class at Belle River had a special Boston Tea Party with General George Washington. In fact, he stayed the whole day and taught 5th grade. He also took an amazing class of 5th graders around to different elementary classrooms to do a poetry flash mob based on a poem about the Revolutionary War.

Mr. Mackewich, a fifth-grade teacher at Belle River, wanted to make a social studies lesson about the American Revolution come alive for his students. Mr. Mackewich dressed up as General George Washington and his goal was to help his students gain a better understanding of the people and events connected with the Revolutionary War period. He also wanted his students to learn a life lesson about overcoming adversity. Mr. Mackewich shared, “Even when the odds seem against you, you can do it. It didn't seem like the Patriots would win the Revolutionary War, but they did. Stay strong. Show grit and give your best effort."

The 100th Day of School is a big deal in kindergarten and first grade at Belle River Elementary! We start counting the days we have been in school on our very first day in September. Every day, we add another counter to our chart, and we practice making groups of ten and counting, counting, counting! The 100th Day usually falls in February and is a culminating celebration of all things 100.

Some of the activities surrounding the number 100 include:

100 exercises, making a 100’s day necklace from Froot Loops, 100’s day mystery pictures with a 100’s chart, 100 themed stories, and songs and dancing. To further commemorate this special day, we encourage students to dress up like they are 100 years old. This really brings the day to life and is so much fun!

At Belle River we love MATH and we love the 100th Day of School!

Each year the St. Clair Art Association partners with the East China School District to spotlight many of our talented young artists. The exhibit was on display from February 25th through March 6th at the Alice W. Moore Center for the Arts inside the St. Clair Plaza. We are so proud of all of our artists. This year the following Belle River Elementary students had entries in the exhibit under the instruction of Mrs. Dana Wilson:

1st Graders: Nora Bassett, Daniel Fisher, and Mia Lusko

2nd Graders: Joelle Atkins, Molly Martin, Adelynn Sparkman

3rd Graders: Jessalyn Atkins, Cora Blunden, Nova LaPlante

4th Graders: Jase Fortuna, Adalyn Fustin, Ava Kohler, Hannah Myers, Raelynn Rice

5th Graders: Kesyn Duda, Riley Griffor, Morgan Weiss, Macie Waelens

The entire Belle River staff and all of our Sailor families joined together to spend the month of March reading Nim’s Island by Wendy Orr. Families were invited to read or listen to a chapter from the book each night. Then the next day at school students had the opportunity to answer questions from the chapter. Students turned in their answers and each day there were 12 winners drawn. Our PTO graciously donated themed prizes for our daily winners.

The entire building was decorated in a Nim’s Island theme and as students entered the building on the morning of Monday, March 3rd they were excited to discover their school had transformed into a magical tropical island full of all of the wonderful story elements and characters from the book.

We had an amazing adventure together along with Nim, Fred, Selki, Chica, Alex and Jack. We learned that bravery, teamwork, and determination are great characteristics to possess. We would encourage everyone to set sail through the enchanting story of Nim’s Island.

Belle River wrapped up the month of March with a Scholastic Book Fair the week before Spring Break. Students had opportunities to shop at the fair at different times throughout the day and then the fair was also open to the public on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. Mrs. Servick volunteered many hours to make sure everyone had a variety of opportunities to shop and enjoy the Book Fair.

Book Fairs foster a love of reading, encourage literacy at home, offer a wide variety of books that cater to different interests and reading levels, provide students an opportunity to discover new authors and genres, and ignite curiosity and imagination. Just like all of our “March is Reading” events, the Book Fair brought the school community together in a shared celebration of learning. Funds raised through this event go back to the school, supporting new educational resources and books for teachers, students, and classrooms.

Thank you, Dana Wilson, art teacher at Palms and Belle River Elementary Schools for the winter wonderland from Palms with cute polar bears, snowmen, and owls. Belle Rivers art has a nautical theme including sailors, beautiful water scenes, and lions! Everyone was very impressed with the art!

Sylvie Larch at St. Clair High School earned a Gold Medal in Toys that Teach: Storybook, where participants designed and constructed an original storybook tailored to the developmental and educational needs of a specific age group.

Autumn Markel at Marine City High School earned a Silver Medal in Teaching Strategies, where participants demonstrated their knowledge, expertise, and proficiency in applying research-based teaching strategies. Each student designed an original lesson plan tailored to any grade level and content area.

Congratulations to Cristian Haslem who won the 120-pound state championship for Division 2 on March 1 at Ford Field! He also finished the season 41-0.

Superintendent Suzanne Cybulla can be reached at scybulla@ecsd.us or by calling the East China School District at 810.676.1018.

Email: info@ecsd.us
Website: www.eastchinaschools.org
Phone: 810-676-1000
Facebook: facebook.com/EastChinaSchools