Dear Lansing School District Community,

I hope this newsletter finds you well. As always, it is a pleasure to be writing to you all. Today, I want to talk about Teacher Appreciation Week! Across the country, from May 8th until May 12th, educators will be and should be celebrated. The immense importance of a great teacher to an individual student, a class, a school, and a district is unparalleled when it comes to student learning. Research study after research study shows that the single most important person in a school, when it comes to increasing student success, is the teacher in the room. It's not the principal, it's not the director, and it is certainly not the superintendent. It is the teacher!

I am sure everyone reading this newsletter had a favorite teacher that impacted you greatly. Every one of us can think of a lesson or a trip, or a project that made you think differently, see the world in a new light, or just got you to enjoy learning. Of course, teachers deserve our appreciation every day, every week, every moment, but it is important to have a specific week so that we can focus that appreciation.

So, during this week, May 8th to May 12th, I ask all of us reading this newsletter to do something great for a teacher. If you are a family member of a current student, write a kind note or an email. Send your student to school with something that says thanks. If you are a principal or administrator, think of a fun and exciting way to appreciate your teachers. Maybe a lunch or a little token of thanks. Maybe invite your staff out for a coffee or something perhaps stronger. Showing appreciation can go a long way to building trust and support and comradery.

And from the district vantage point, we certainly can send some goodies to all the schools. We can send thank you baskets to each building. But the most important thing a district can do for its teachers and entire staff is to provide you with a fair and commensurate wage, safe and supportive schools, respect, love, and adequate resources to provide a great education to your students. I can't say that we, as a district, have always done this. But please know that we are working hard this year to better support you and all our staff. If there are specific actions or items that you think the district should do, please don't hesitate to email me directly. Your voice is important in shaping the future of this district. Again, you deserve appreciation not just this week but all year round.

So . . . Thank you, thank you, thank you -- Happy Teacher Appreciation Week!!

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

Adaptable. Dependable. Tenacious. These are just a few of the adjectives that may come to mind if you were asked to describe someone who would be a successful firefighter. They also describe this week's featured student Connor Flynn.

Flynn, a student at Everett High School, is in his second year of the district's Fire Science Academy and was nominated by Fire Science and EMT Instructor Kevin Christiansen as this week's featured student.

Connor is an exemplary young man who is dedicated to his goals and goes above and beyond to better himself each day. Over the course of the two-year program, he has shown tremendous growth in adaptability, leadership, self-management, teamwork, and problem-solving.

Connor is creative, disciplined, and honest, and he also has a great sense of ambition. He is polite and treats everyone with respect, whether in a professional or personal setting. Connor truly embodies the best characteristics of humanity and, by extension, his future profession.

Connor is an excellent representative of the Lansing School District, and we are so proud that he is a part of our family.

This week’s featured staff may have only started at the district just over a year ago, but he’s already a well-known pillar of its structural integrity — quite literally. Caleb Thelen, or Tex as most of our staff know him, is the person you call when something goes wrong with your building, and you can always depend on him to make sure your issue gets resolved. Originally one of two counterparts tasked with managing district facilities, Caleb now oversees all facilities, inside and out, as something of a one-man dynamo. “He is a complete rockstar with an infectious positive mentality,” said Director of Operations Kattie White, “even if he’s buried in work orders he always says “let’s getter done!”

It should come as no surprise then that Tex is a master multitasker — taking on seemingly innumerable tasks with an amazing ability to execute them all on time. He’s not afraid to take on new responsibilities such as sinking fund and bond project management and hit the ground running around the same time the Zero Mill Increase Bond was passed. His favorite part of the workday is his morning talk with White and Todd Coe where they discuss their current projects and plan for future ones. He is also enjoying the process of earning his Certified Facilities Management (CFM) and Certified Playground Safety Inspector (CPSI) certifications.

When asked how he keeps his cool and overcomes challenges, Tex cites his willingness to ask questions. Removing the fear most people associate with asking questions allows him to assess a situation and generate innovative — and successful — solutions. Of course, there is also a fair amount of compartmentalization and, above all, composure, involved in his process. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle outside of work doesn’t hurt either. Tex spends a lot of his free time working on himself as an FNX-sponsored athlete and certified personal trainer

Tex is always willing to climb the ladder, dig the hole, fix the sink, and otherwise conquer anything that comes his way. We are thankful to have him as an integral part of our family!

A huge congratulations to Karl Brooks!

Karl Brooks, Bowling Green Falcons defensive lineman and 2018 Sexton High School graduate, was drafted by the Green Bay Packers last week! This makes him not only the first Greater Lansing Area grad drafted by the NFL since the Carolina Panthers drafted Okemos' Taylor Moton in 2017, but also the first defensive lineman to be drafted from Bowling Green since Chris Jones was selected by the Houston Texans in 2013.

Brooks is a force to be reckoned with which earned him the position of team captain with the Falcons where he started in all 13 games. He earned the No.3 spot for a season in Bowling Green history during his final season when he registered 10 sacks. This also secured Brooks first-team All-Mid-American Conference selection, and All-American accolades from Pro Football Focus.

We can't wait to see what the future holds for this rising star, as for now, Brooks says he's cherishing every moment.

We are so proud of you!

Photo credit of Brian Calloway/Lansing State Journal

Jourdyn was this week's featured 'Extraordinary Student' with WLNS News 6. Click through the link below to watch the video!