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.

On Wednesday, April 17th, our phones started buzzing, sirens began blaring, and for the first time in years, the Lansing School District was under a tornado warning during the middle of a normal school day. It is during these kinds of emergencies that we are "stress tested." Mother Nature has a way of showing her immense and awesome power when we least expect it.

However, rather than fearing the winds and rains, the Lansing School District and the Lansing community acted quickly, thoughtfully, and lovingly to keep our 10,000 students and 1,500 staff safe and protected. From the moment the alarms began, we turned the Superintendent's office into a command center; the COO, the Director of Public Safety, the President of LSEA (who happened to be in the building), and senior staff gathered around our conference table (away from the windows). Immediately, we took out our cell phones and divided the district so that we could be in direct verbal contact with all schools and buildings. At the same time, we loaded up our school cameras onto a large computer screen and immediately started to toggle through every school to have a visual on our students and staff.

Within minutes, we were able to get in touch with every school and office building via phone and video camera to make sure that our entire district had a direct line to the central office and any support they needed. And what we saw via video and phone was a district that took this warning seriously and acted wonderfully. The principals, the teachers, the secretaries, the aides, the public safety officers, and all of the staff followed our protocols incredibly well. The students were terrific, gathering in the hallways or gymnasiums, sitting on the floor, protecting themselves and others.

Our parents need to be thanked and commended, too. In times like these, when we need the community to trust our district to act appropriately, the community did so by not rushing to the school, trying to take their children out of the building, causing more concerns. Our families trusted us to protect their children. The parents who happened to be coming to the school for previously scheduled pick-ups or meetings were invited in and stayed safe within the walls of our schools. I hope we all believe that during a tornado, being inside the strong confines of a school building would be better than driving in a car.

It is during these acute times that try our souls that we can either show our better angels or our worst demons. I am incredibly grateful and happy to report that what we witnessed was a community coming together in the best of all possible ways. Thankfully, the tornado and bad weather passed us by with very little damage, a bit of hail here, and some water there. But what it presented was an excellent real-life test of our emergency preparedness. From what I saw from our command center, the Lansing School District staff, students, and families gave a Grade A performance.

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

In the landscape of education, there are individuals whose dedication and vision transcend the ordinary — leaving an indelible mark on the fabric of the school districts they support. This week, we pay tribute to two extraordinary individuals who made invaluable contributions to the Lansing School District, transforming our lives and communities.

As we mourn the loss of Robert "Bob" Bruce Ebersole (September 25, 1943 - April 11, 2024 ) and Alfreda Schmidt (July 20, 1926 - April 14, 2024), we are reminded of the profound impact that visionary leadership can have on the lives of students and the future of education. Their unwavering dedication, passion, and commitment to excellence inspire us all, challenging us to strive for greater heights and brighter futures for all students, no matter their background or circumstances.

Bob graduated from Sexton High School and received a bachelor's degree in criminal justice from MSU, then a Juris Doctor. (J.D.) from Cooley Law School. Bob served the Lansing community for over 20 years as an Ingham County Prosecutor and was elected to the Holt Public School Board. During retirement, he served as a consultant at the Michigan Association of School Boards (MASB). Bob also served as a member of the Ebersole Foundation, supporting the Vernon D. Ebersole Environmental Education Center and its mission to bring nature to as many children as possible.

Alfreda grew up on her family farm in Dansville, where she learned the value of hard work. Later, as a young woman, she learned the reward of serving others. Alfreda had what locals remember as a servant's heart, serving as an Ingham County Commissioner for four years and working tirelessly to represent the city's south side on the Lansing City Council from 1981 to 1993. She was a fixture on numerous city and community boards — actively serving on the Mayor's Veterans Commission at the time of her passing. Schmidt impacted Lansing's south side by orchestrating a community-built playground at Hawk Island Park and installing a Fit Core playground at the Southside Community Center, which was renamed in her honor in 2012. She was also instrumental in the widening of Cedar Street and the creation of the Maplewood Women's Shelter, among many other community projects.

Lansing lost two legends last week, but their legacies will live on through the thousands of lives they touched.

Alivia Brayton is a dedicated two-sport athlete from Eastern High School who has excelled in volleyball and softball over the past four years. In addition to her athletic pursuits, Alivia is an active member of the National Honor Society and the Quaker Varsity Club. All of which she takes in stride while maintaining an impressive 4.108 GPA! Her favorite class is Animal Science and Zoo Management through Eaton Regional Education Service Agency (Eaton RESA), where she enjoys working with the animals at Potter Park Zoo. Alivia looks forward to attending Michigan State University, where she plans to enroll in their renowned animal science program.

Kere Milow, Lansing School District Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Youth Program Manager and Flint native, has dedicated over 23 years of his life to education — focusing on improving the lives of young people. Before joining the Lansing School District, Kere developed programs in Flint that were aimed at removing barriers and improving the lives, educational experiences, and outcomes of youth in Flint and the surrounding areas. Kere is deeply passionate about helping our youth discover their skills and believes that programs like WIOA can be the difference between life and death for struggling students. He aims for “occupation by graduation” for each student. He is thankful to have a dedicated staff that works hard to build authentic relationships to help achieve this goal.

If you will be a freshman or sophomore next year and are interested in career technical education, check out Lansing Technical High's upcoming open house! Guests can participate in a variety of engaging activities that will help them explore career options in Culinary Arts, Construction Science, Computer Science, and Health Science. Join us from 5:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. on May 1st to see if one of our pathways is a fit for you!

Already interested in Lansing Tech?

At 25 seats per grade per pathway (or 100 total students admitted each year), this is an opportunity you want to take advantage of. Enroll NOW to ensure placement in your preferred pathway.

Congratulations to Sexton Senior Amalia Villarreal, who has been selected for the U.S. Under-19 Women's Youth National Team (U-19 WYNT)! The news comes on the heels of the Bronze Medal Campaign at the Pan American Games, where Villarreal led the U.S. in scoring with four goals, including the first goal in the bronze medal match versus Argentina! This was the first time that U.S. Soccer has sent a women's team to the Pan American Games since 2007. Villarreal will be joining her new team for their first practice of the season in West Palm Beach, Florida, from April 21-26!

Last week, we featured student artists who were winners of the Ingham ISD Youth Art Contest. We have one more winner to add: Jeriyah Edwards at Beekman! Her artwork, "Shimmering Hearts," along with last week's winners, will be hanging at the Lansing Art Gallery (300 S. Washington Square in downtown Lansing) through the end of April! At the end of April, all of the winning artwork will be displayed at either Ingham Intermediate School District (ISD), Lansing Art Gallery and Education Center (LAG), Michigan Education Leadership Group (MELG), or Consumers Credit Union in Lansing!

Congratulations, Jeriyah!

Interested in applying for scholarships through Junior Achievement? Click here to get started!

Make sure to fill out your transportation application as soon as you can—this ensures that you can get the transportation your child needs, whether it be a seat on the school bus, a gas card, or a CATA card. At the jump, you will be able to get instructions for filling out the application and using gas cards, as well as CATA maps.

Questions regarding transportation for the 2024-25 school year?

Call the Transportation Assistance Team at (517)755-3017.

April 24 — Parent Community Advisory Council Meeting | 6:00 p.m. | 519 W. Kalamazoo St.

May 2 — Board Meeting | 6:00 p.m. | 519 W. Kalamazoo St.

May 9 — Board Meeting - Information Study Session | 6:00 p.m. | 519 W. Kalamazoo St.

May 10 — No School | PD Day

May 16 — Board Meeting | 6:00 p.m. | 519 W. Kalamazoo St.

May 24 — Half Day (Elementary Schools)

May 27 — No School | Memorial Day

May 29— Parent Community Advisory Council Meeting | 6:00 p.m. | 4200 Wainwright Ave.

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.