TCS News to Know

It's Homecoming Week!!! This is a great time to celebrate all things Tekonsha! We invite all current and past Tekonsha students and community members to come cheer on our students at the football game on Friday night, with kickoff at 7 pm! If you are an alumni and were in the band in school, it is not too late to play the national anthem with the band! Admission to the game is $5, but any alumni playing with the band will be given free admission! Remember that all Tekonsha students get into home games for free, so come down and cheer on the Indians!

Homecoming Day Schedule:

• 8:00-8:10 Football team walk-through at the elementary
• 8:00-8:56 Regular 1st hour class (Court members and band will be practicing outside)
• 9:00-9:30 HS/MS assembly in gym
• 9:30-11:45 Float building
• 11:45-12:15 Lunch grades 6-12
• 12:20-1:00 Pep rally w/ cheerleaders on football field
• 1:10-2:00 Dodgeball in gym
• 2:00 Parade line-up
• 2:15-2:45 Homecoming parade through town
• 2:50 School dismissed
• 5:00-6:30 pm Brats for Bots - Robotics tailgate fundraiser
  
• 5:00 Alumni band meet and rehearse in the band room
• 6:45 Pregame
• 7:00 Kickoff!
• HALF-TIME - Crowning of the 2024 Homecoming King and Queen
• High School Homecoming Dance is immediately following game until 11:30 pm!

Please note: Parents that are planning to help with float building must have prior approval from their student's class advisor, sign into the office in the morning, and wear a visitor badge while helping. Thank you for helping to keep our students safe!

All week long, students can put money in a bucket for the senior king and queen candidate that they would like to see get a "Pie in the Face" at the Homecoming Pep Rally on Friday, October 11. Students will then have the opportunity to bid for the chance to throw a pie in the face of the two court members that have the most money collected. The right to throw the pie will be auctioned off to the highest bidder at the 12:20 - 1:00 pm pep rally with the cheerleaders, out on the football field on Friday afternoon! Bring your change and join in the fun!

The 2024 Homecoming Dance is for current Tekonsha High School students in grades 9-12. The dance will be held immediately following the end of the football game and will be held in the HS gym. The Class of 2027 have planned a fun evening around the theme of a masquerade ball! THS students can bring a pre-approved guest that attends another school, but a dance guest form must be completed and on file with the office by Wednesday, October 9. Guests must be current high school students or recently graduated within the last two years. Dance guest forms can be picked up in the HS office.

As we previously reported, last week was our opportunity to recreate the 100 year old photo of Tekonsha Schools' total student body taken October 1, 1924. On Tuesday, October 1, 2024, we gathered all of the students and staff, PreK-12, to take another photo in front of the HS/MS building. We were blessed with beautiful weather, cooperative students, and a supportive staff to make this historic photo happen! We had some pesky bees that tried to get in on the photo, but thankfully, no one was stung! Special shout out to board member Roy Henry for being our official photographer! We can't wait to see the official cleaned up and edited finished copy, but here is a sneak peek from a phone pic!

When we posted this picture on Facebook, we had a great question posed of what was the population of Tekonsha in 1924 compared to the population today. According to US Census records, the population of Tekonsha Township in 1920 was a total of 1390 residents (https://www2.census.gov/). According to the May 2024 US Census, the population of Tekonsha Township is at 1531 residents (www.tekonshatownship.com).

The Tekonsha Athletic Boosters will be selling poinsettias, Christmas cactus, amaryllis bulbs, and decorative metal pots to fit the plants. Orders and money will be due by October 23rd, and deliveries are expected around December 9th. Click on the link below to view the full order form with all of the colors and options. Orders can be made by calling the HS office at 517-767-4121 or by printing the order form and dropping it off at the high school office.. Please make checks payable to Tekonsha Athletic Boosters.

On Thursday, October 3, Tekonsha HS and MS students with zero tardies and no unexcused absences from September 16th - October 3 were surprised with a hot apple pie from McDonald's! In an effort to improve attendance and reduce tardies to class, students are randomly rewarded with special treats. Thursday was also the day that Tekonsha Athletics received 20% back on all sales made on the McDonald's app, so it was a win-win for all involved!

We will be using Lifetouch this year for school pictures. All students will have their pictures taken on Wednesday, October 16. If your child is a fully virtual student, please contact the office to set up a time to come in for pictures! To review package options, picture forms were sent home with all elementary students or can be picked up in the HS/MS office. Families can also preview package options online at mylifetouch.com. To access information for our school picture day, please enter the Picture Day ID: EVTKH7496.

The month of October is considered Michigan College Month across the state and is also recognized as National College Month across the country. There are many activities happening within our school and state to help students prepare for their next steps and to make underclassmen aware of the opportunities available to them after graduation.

According to Michigan's Hot 50 Job Outlook through 2032, for Michigan's high-demand, high-wage jobs, 92% will require formal education beyond high school and 84% will require a bachelor's degree or more. Additionally, within the State of Michigan, post-secondary learning has never been more accessible for all individuals. According to proclamation from Governor Whitmer issued on October 1st, "the Michigan Achievement Scholarship and Community College Guarantee offer an unprecedented opportunity for Michigan students, especially students from underrepresented populations and students from low-income backgrounds, to achieve better economic outcomes through affordable pathways to degrees and certificates."

Tekonsha Community Schools completes a number of different career exploration and awareness activities with students at all grade levels. This month, elementary students will be visiting our fire station, to not only learn about fire safety, but also get exposure to public service careers available right in our own community. Middle school students in 8th grade will be able to attend MiCareerQuest, a hands-on career exploration fair held in Kalamazoo. Sophomore students will be taking a trip to visit the Regional Manufacturing and Technology Center through KCC to learn about trades and manufacturing career options. Juniors and seniors will also have the opportunity to visit Glen Oaks Community College, to learn about a local community college that also offers a residential experience. In fact, throughout a students' high school experience at Tekonsha Schools, they will have the opportunity to set foot on the campus of a community college, a private college, and a larger public university.

As a final challenge for College Month, all seniors are challenged to apply to at least one college, university or trade school during the month of October. During this month, many colleges have waived their application fees to make the application process more accessible to all students! Check out the flyer below for even more information!

For any students or parents that have questions about career exploration or post-secondary options, please reach out to HS/MS counselor, Mrs. Brenda Tew, at tewb@tekonsha.k12.mi.us.

The Elementary Fall Festival is one of the most successful fundraisers for the Tekonsha PTO. Funds raised by the PTO go toward paying for class field trips, prizes for Tekonsha Bucks, special programs and prizes for March is Reading Month, and more! One way that the event can be so successful is through the generous donations received in advance for the Silent Auction and BINGO game, as well as baked goods donated the day before the event for the cake walk! This is a great way to help out the PTO and support our students!

This year, the Fall Festival will be held on Friday, November 15. That seems like a long way away, but the PTO is collecting donations NOW! If you would like to donate a gift basket for the silent auction or even individual items that can be auctioned off or be used for BINGO, all items are appreciated! All items can be dropped off at the Tekonsha Elementary School or you can contact Heather Mack at 517-767-4121 ext. 300 or mackh@tekonsha.k12.mi.us for more information!

Congratulations to our Tekonsha Elementary School RESPONSIBLE Indians of the Week for the week of September 30 - October 3!

Breakfast and lunch menus for both the elementary and the MS/HS are now available on the website! Click on the links below to access these. Breakfast is available for FREE for all students and is served in the elementary from 7:50 - 8:25 am (times vary by grade) and in the MS/HS from 7:50 - 8:00 am. Lunch is also available for FREE for all students, served from 11:00 am - 12:10 pm in the elementary (times vary by grade). In the HS, lunch is served from 10:45 - 11:11 am and from 11:41 - 12:06 pm for the MS.

• Elementary Menus
• MS/HS Menus

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Website: www.tekonshaschools.org
Location: 245 South Elm Street, Tekonsha, MI, USA
Phone: 517-767-4121
Facebook: facebook.com/TekonshaCommunitySchools