Superintendent Newsletter

Dear Lansing School District Community,

I hope this newsletter finds you well. As always, it is a pleasure to be writing to you all. Like last year, around this time, my parents were in town. We were able to go for a nice walk, have a nice meal, and generally catch up on family goings-on. The trip was particularly special because they brought a large box of family photos. These pictures included family members from many generations ago. Most of the faces in the box were unfamiliar, and my parents spent the entire evening telling stories about numerous relations, many of which I did not know.

Sadly, as my parents get older and are seeing their own mortality more acutely, the need to pass down the family tales is getting more time-limited. It was wonderful to sit with my mother and father, being regaled with tales of our family. It was a great bonding time. It reminded me again of the need for families to spend time together and to truly interact rather than watch the same TV show or be physically present in the same room but not engage fully with each other.

I do hope that during the Thanksgiving week, which is fast approaching, all of us take some time to engage and tell family stories. Our past shapes us and guides us; embracing those stories can help steer our individual ships a little bit better.

I am also reminded of family because this week included Veteran's Day. Last year, I wrote a note about both of my grandfathers, who served during WWII. I also included a discussion of the history of the holiday and a desire for peace in our world. Sadly, I think my words from last year are even more important now. With wars raging on multiple continents and causing the death of thousands of lives, I want to place these paragraphs from last year in this space again. I hope that for as long as I am Superintendent, I can remember Veteran's Day with you all and the memories of my family members and yours who served our country throughout history.

"Both my grandfathers served in WWII, one in the Army, the other in the Navy. One stayed stateside; the other served in the Pacific Asian Theater. Both served humbly and proudly without expecting accolades or honorariums, but I will give them nonetheless. Thank you to Joseph Florentine and Bernie Shuldiner, and thank you to all our veterans for their service to our country. As with all things, it is important that we acknowledge the people who make things possible.

But I would be remiss if I didn't mention that the original holiday was actually a celebration of peace. At the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918, an armistice was signed to end WWI ostensibly. The precursor to a formal treaty, an armistice, is an agreement to stop fighting, stop shooting, and stop killing. On November 11th, 1918, millions of people around the world poured into the streets to commemorate the end of the worst bloodshed the world had ever seen up to that point. I hope that we, today in 2023, can remember that idea. There is far too much fighting in this world, too much shooting, and too much killing. Let us think of an armistice for our time and our community. A Lansing without fighting, without shooting, and without killing. I ask that we all remember the veterans who served but that we also think about how we can remember the original celebration of peace. Remember the Book of Isaiah and the Analects of Confucius; both suggest that we beat our swords into plowshares and our spears into pruning hooks and take implements of destruction and turn them into tools of prosperity."

I hope this still resonates with you all, as it does for me. I hope that the week ahead is good to you all.

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

During last week's Board of Education meeting, staff and key construction partners presented initial renderings of the new Mt. Hope and Willow schools. Built for the 21st century with our learners in mind, both schools will feature ample specialized classroom space, thoughtfully planned common areas, and state-of-the-art technology and design.

The new Mt. Hope (pictured above) will be constructed on the current site. The building has a projected capacity of 400 students and will host 5th through 8th grades. Assuming there is no intervention by Mother Nature, as we all know how Michigan can be, the footings will be installed by the end of this year! Construction is slated to finish in the summer of 2025, with the building officially opening to our students that fall.

The new Willow (pictured below) won't be a single building but a campus, featuring a main building with shared spaces and three dedicated grade-level specific (K-2, 3-5, and 6-8) classroom buildings; the complex will be a first for the district. Family and community involvement has always been big at Willow and the district considered that when designing this one-of-a-kind space. Site amenities and community spaces will be spread between the four buildings, including an open play field, playground areas, a public basketball court, an amphitheater, and more!

The new Willow will be built on the existing school site and host Kindergarten through 8th grade, with a capacity of 450-500 students. It will focus on sustainable systems and design principles, including solar energy and geothermal heating and cooling! Demolition is expected to start in the next several months, with construction expected to be complete in the spring of 2026. If everything goes according to schedule, the new Willow will open its doors to students that fall.

Stay tuned, or better yet, subscribe to this newsletter for more information about our other bond and capital projects. Next week's edition will cover projects at other schools.

The Lansing School District's Native American Education Program originated in 1972 to identify and support the unique cultural and academic needs of the district's Native American students.

We currently have over 400 students who identify as Native American. While a majority represent the Anishinaabe people of Michigan, many of our students are First Nations from Canada. We also have students from tribes outside the Lansing area: the Apache, Mohawk, Cherokee, Navajo, and Creek.

Fraternal twins Nico (left) and Zander (right) Wood are 4th Graders at Cumberland Elementary. They are from the Odawa and Oneida tribes.

The Odawa have many different bands of tribes across the Great Lakes. The Wood family originates from the Burt Lake band of Odawa Indians. The Odawa tribe is part of the Three Fires Confederacy, which is made up of the Chippewa (Ojibway), Potawatomi (Bodawatomi), and Ottawa (Odawa) nations. Together, they are known as the Anishinaabe (The First People). The Burt Lake band of Odawa was forced from their ancestorial lands during a historic event known as the Burt Lake Tribe Burnout on October 15, 1900.

The Oneida nation is also part of the Six Nations Confederacy and shares the Great Lakes area with the Anishinaabe nation. The Oneida, Tuscarora, Onondaga, Seneca, Cayuga, and Mohawk nations joined forces to form the Six Nations Confederacy.

Nico and Zander both participate in Native American program activities throughout the year. The brothers enjoy making cultural crafts and creating artwork. Nico's favorite Native American cuisine is blanket dogs (a hot dog wrapped in Native American-style bread, much like a corndog) and any kind of traditional soup. Zander's favorite Native American cuisine is Indian tacos, but he also loves traditional soups. Both boys are happy they have a program that allows them to learn about their unique tribal culture and history.

Zander won the Anishnaabe Language Challenge that was held during the Native American Program's Halloween event. He was able to pronounce Anishnaabe words using the skills he learned while participating in our summer language camp.

The Wood family are also descendants of the elders who helped develop the Michigan Indian Tuition Waiver, which was part of the historic treaty negotiations made between the government and Michigan's 12 federally recognized tribes. One of the promises the government made for taking the land was to provide Native Peoples with assistance in higher education. This is why the Michigan Tuition Waiver is an integral part of Michigan's history with the tribal nations.

Niishin (good job) to Zander and Nico for being involved in their Native American community and learning about their culture!

Say Anii/Boozhoo! (Hello!) to the Lansing School District Native American Program Coordinator, Ramona Henry. Ramona started working for the school district in 2014 as a young mom who was new to the area. She wasn’t alone, though, because keeping connections to other tribes through sharing culture has always been important to her. As such, she knew some of our native community before coming here, which certainly helps when you’re in a new place.

Ramona’s tribal affiliation is with the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe of Michigan. Known simply as Chippewa, her people refer to themselves as Ojibwe. The language her people speak is called Anishnaabemowin — and it is known to be one of the toughest languages in the world to learn! Along with learning her culture and heritage, she has a passion and drive to revitalize her native language, so it should come as no surprise that language is at the heart of the work she does with our students and the Native American program.

The Lansing School District has over 400 students who identify as Native American, and Ramona’s job is to keep them connected to their culture while supporting their academic success. Half of our students are Canadian First Nations. Still, we have Haudenosaunee from the East Coast, many from southern tribes, many from out west as well as many indigenous cultures from all over South America! We appreciate Ramona for her knowledge, passion, and kindness, as well as the support she offers to our students and staff alike!

As we are currently celebrating Native American Heritage Month, Ramona would like to remind our staff that her program loves to share cultural education with everyone and to reach out if you would like to have a classroom presentation.

Miigwetch, Ramona! (Thank you - from the heart)

The Lansing School District is partnering with Care Solace to bring district students, staff, and families 24/7/365 mental health care coordination services. Getting the help you need can be a daunting process. Let our Care Companions find the help you need for depression, anxiety, stress, and more.

Call CARE SOLACE at (888) 515-0595 or visit www.caresolace.com/lansing

November 15 - Parent Community Advisory Committee Meeting | 519 W. Kalamazoo St. | 6-8 p.m.

November 16 - Board Meeting | 519 W. Kalamazoo St. 6:00 p.m.

November 20-24 - No School | Thanksgiving Break

Financial Literacy with CASE Credit Union

Check out the Community Learning Center's financial empowerment class in partnership with CASE Credit Union and learn about saving and budgeting.

November 13 | 6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.

Eastern High School Library

626 Marshall Street, Lansing, MI 48912

Click HERE to register.

Join Us for Lansing SAVE Night!

Enjoy an exciting evening of food, games, music, MSU Athletics guests, VISA's Financial Soccer featuring celebrity coaches, and giveaways, all while learning more about the Lansing SAVE Program!

November 20 | 5 - 7:30 p.m.

Don Johnson Fieldhouse

400 N. Pennsylvania Ave.

Click here to RSVP.