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.

Today we "Spring Forward." Regardless of your personal feelings around Daylight Saving, it is a wonderfully symbolic action reminding us of the coming of spring, longer days, and the fast-approaching end of the school year. This year we have made great strides. We are now in our second year of universal pre-k, we have successfully opened the Lansing Learning Hub, we have increased graduation rates and attendance rates, and we have done numerous things, large and small, for the betterment of our students, our staff, and our community at large. We certainly know that there is much work yet to be done, but it is always good to remind ourselves of the positive steps we have taken as we continue to move forward. So, for the rest of the year, as we spring forward, let us try to focus on ending the year strong.

On Friday, I went to Willow and read to five different classrooms. It was great to interact with our students, discuss the book, and just spend time with the kids. I know that it was snowing on Friday, and many folks wanted school to be cancelled. But for those students and the thousands of others who went to school and learned, it was a great day. And that is why we try to keep school open as much as we can. The magic and excitement of a new book, or learning new things, of being with your friends and your teachers is irreplaceable.

The book I read to the students was called I Promise, but LeBron James (yes, that LeBron). It is a wonderful story about how students promise to do the right thing, go to school, be supportive of their friends, and a whole host of other positive and caring actions. At the end of the book, there is a list of I Promise statements. When I read the book in one of the classes, the students told me one thing that they would promise to do. It was wonderful and very cute.

I really like the idea of articulating one's promises to others. That way, we can all support each other in helping you keep your promise. I am not sure how we can formalize or codify this idea, but I look forward to finding a way for all of us to promise each other positive actions. If people have ideas about how we can make this a district-wide initiative, I would love to hear them. Or if people just want to send in what they promise to do for the rest of the year, that might be fun. I can even imagine a huge Lansing share-out at the end of the year. Who knows? But I know that if we all work together, uplift each other, and promise to be positive, think positively, and do positive things, our entire district and community will be much better.

Thus, I promise to do my best to make the Lansing School District the best school district in Michigan!

Thank you so much for all of your incredible support of our community. Together, we will do great things for Lansing.

Benjamin Shuldiner, Superintendent

Lansing School District

Chris Manuel is a three-year starter in varsity football and an All-Conference wrestler! You may remember recently reading that the Sexton wrestling team won their first District Title in 31 years. Chris was an integral part of that achievement! His athletic abilities haven't only helped his team excel — they have earned him an offer from Kalamazoo College for football and has garnered interest from several colleges for both football AND wrestling.

A 3.6 GPA senior, within the 91st percentile of the school, Chris has been a consummate student-athlete and leader! We look forward to seeing everything he achieves and are so happy to have him as a J-Dubb!

Mariann Garcia has been an incredible team member in the Lansing School District for thirty-four years and has been a proud Beekman Bobcat for the past nine. Mariann is always there to lend a helping hand and makes every single student feel like a top priority. She loves fiercely and goes above and beyond to benefit the lives of those around her.

When asked to describe what Mrs. Garcia means to them, students proudly reported that she is awesome, kind, sweet, funny, helpful, and has an amazing personality. One student said that Mrs. Garcia is “someone I like to hang out with because she makes me feel safe and always makes me laugh.” Another said, “I love when she helps sign us in in the morning and says good morning to every student she sees.”

In short, Mariann is the beating heart of Beekman, and the Beekman family is unbelievably proud and grateful for her many years of dedication, hard work, and sense of humor. No one deserves this recognition like she does and we are so thankful to have her as a Beekman Bobcat!

If you prefer to enroll in person, the staff at the Dr. Eva L. Evans Welcome Center will be happy to answer any questions you may have and guide you through the enrollment process.

Dr. Eva L. Evans Welcome Center

2400 Pattengill Ave.

Lansing, MI 48910

Questions About Enrollment?

Call us at (517)755-2820

Wednesday, March 8, 2023, Davenport University (Grand Rapids) Head Esports Coach Colin Graham visited Lansing Unified Esports team at Sexton High School. Coach Graham is ramping up recruitment efforts, especially for the Nintendo Switch game, Super Smash Bros Ultimate. Coach Graham spoke with students about the scholarships and competitions available to Davenport students who compete nationwide in several game titles. He shared his contact information, including Discord, with the team.

Sexton senior, Dominique Smith, is proving to be a top recruit in Super Smash Bros having not lost a match set this season! His skills in the game have him in talks with Davenport University Esports team players and he is looking forward to what the future holds.

Students continued the Unified Champion Schools Vikings Project on Saturday, March 11th at Everett High School by painting the murals of the words that were chosen by students, staff, and the community earlier this year. This project was done to help students be surrounded with all of the positive things that Vikings Are as they go to their classes.

We are writing to express our gratitude for your support of the 2022 bond initiative, which will enable us to start the construction of the new Mt. Hope school. Your support has been crucial in making this project a reality, and we are thrilled to be moving forward with this important improvement for our community.

Over the next few weeks, you will notice some preparation work being done in the area where the new school will be built. This will involve demolition work to clear the way for the new construction. We are excited to see this project start to take shape.

As we embark on this journey, we want to assure you that we are committed to keeping you informed about the progress of the construction work. We will continue to provide regular updates and communicate any changes that may impact our neighborhood and families.

We appreciate your patience and understanding during this time and thank you for your ongoing support. Together, we will build Lansing's future.

Lansing SAVE (Student Accounts Valuing Education) is a special savings program that was created by MSUFCU in partnership with the City of Lansing and the Lansing School District. Kindergarten through eighth-grade students enrolling in the Lansing School District are automatically enrolled in this special CSA (Children's Saving Account). This program helps students start saving money for post-secondary educational expenses, and also helps students attain the financial literacy needed to attain their goals and reach their dreams.

If you are interested in helping Lansing Save in their initiative to bring all 8th-grade SAVE students to a $100 account balance click the image below.