Plainwell Community Schools - Today's Learners Tomorrow's Leaders

In honor of Fire Safety Awareness Month, Mrs. Gonyeau's first-grade class at Starr Elementary learned all about fire safety. Mr. Jeffrey Cabello visited to emphasize the significance of creating a family plan in case of a fire emergency. The students also learned about calling 911 and identifying ways to prevent potential fires in their homes. Additionally, they had the exciting chance to try on a real fire safety helmet and each received a fun fire hat to take home! It was a wonderful day filled with learning for the Rock Starrs! 🚒

🎄 Trojan Families! 🎄 Are you interested in applying for holiday assistance through the Plainwell Volunteer Christmas Project? Please stop by your student’s building to pick-up an enrollment form before November 14.

A historic day for the Trojan Marching Band on Saturday! The band went into state semi finals ranked 3rd in the state and walked away with a 2nd place finish and their highest score since returning to MCBA in 2021 of 84.975! The TMB will now take that 2nd place ranking into their 5th straight year of qualifying for State Championships at Ford Field in Detroit next Saturday, November 1st.

Plainwell Cross Country competed at the Regional meet in Portage earlier today. Congratulations to Sophomores Mai Nguyen and Molly Bruggink, as well as Senior Hiro Nguyen for qualifying for next week’s MHSAA State Finals at MIS. Way to go runners - TROJAN PRIDE!

It’s School Bus Safety Week and we couldn’t end the week without recognizing our amazing transportation team! We are so grateful for our bus drivers, who work hard each day to provide safe transportation for our students! With a fleet of 22 buses and special transportation vehicles, PCS provides over 1,800 students with safe and reliable daily transportation service across 75 square miles throughout the district with 1,280 bus stops daily. THANK YOU to each of our drivers for your constant dedication to PCS - you are so appreciated!

Miss Wright’s fifth grade class from Cooper Elementary took a special trip to Gull Meadow Farms earlier this week. They won this mini field trip through a giveaway from Gull Meadow Farms held during Teacher Appreciation Week last spring. During their trip, students had the opportunity to: 🚜 Explore the farm 🍎 Enjoy a wagon ride to the apple orchard where they picked apples 🍩 Enjoy cider and donuts 🦙 Visit the barn animals ⚾️ Enjoy the various farm games & activities 🎃 Pick a pumpkin to bring home Despite the rainy weather, these fifth graders created many wonderful memories. Specials thanks to Gull Meadow Farms for creating this special day for the Cooper Koalas!

Open Swim at the Field House Pool has been canceled tonight (Friday, October 24).

Jessica Hembree and Jeff Lindstrom organized a field trip for students to visit local manufacturing facilities at Parker Hannifin, aiming to introduce them to careers in the manufacturing industry and mechanical engineering. October is Manufacturing Month and this experience offered the Trojans valuable insights into real-world job opportunities and shared what employers are currently looking for in prospective employees.

Mark your calendar, the Plainwell Arts & Crafts Club is hosting their Arts & Crafts Show on Saturday, November 15 from 9 AM-3 PM at Plainwell High School. If you are interested in renting space for the show, please contact the Plainwell Arts & Crafts Club at craft.show@yahoo.com.

IT’S RIVALRY GAME DAY! Join us tonight (10/24) to cheer on the Trojans at their rivalry football game against the Otsego Bulldogs. Game begins at 7:00 PM at Streidl Field at Plainwell High School. To purchase tickets, visit plainwellschools.org/page/athletic-tickets. Tickets can also be purchased with credit/debit card at the gate (cashless gate). We anticipate a large crowd to cheer on the Trojans and Bulldogs, please plan ahead and show up early - gates open at 5:30 PM. Give the Trojans some 💙💙💙, like or comment to show your Plainwell Pride - LET'S GO TROJANS! 📸 Athlete Photo Courtesy of Travis Long Film

The PHS Volleyball team played at home last night against Otsego. Highlights from the night include: 🏆 The Varsity team beat Otsego 3-1. 🎓 It was Senior Night and the team recognized Lauren Marlett, Autumn Gravelyn, Sam McDaniel and Lillie Cross. 👏 Anna Overway earned her 1000th kill last Saturday and her 1000th dig last night! 🏐 The Volleyball program recognized the Junior Spikers program! Thank you to these athletes who showed up and cheered on the Trojans. We are excited to kick-off the Junior Spikers season soon! 💙 The Field House was filled with PLAINWELL PRIDE - thank you to the Trojan fans for your support!

The PHS Multicultural Club is hosting a donation drive to support Christian Neighbors and their efforts to help individuals in our community who are experiencing homelessness. The drive runs through November 7. We invite you to join us in collecting blankets and essential comfort items to help bring warmth during the cold months. Drop-off Locations: The community can drop-off at the PHS Main Office, students can drop-off at the "T" at PHS. Suggested Donation Items: New or gently used blankets, chapstick, travel-size deodorant, mini toothpaste, mini shaving cream, razors, travel wipes, travel first aid kits, hand warmers, reusable water bottles, feminine hygiene products, hats/gloves, snacks (trail mix, granola bars, fruit cups, cracker packs) and $10 laundry or local fast food gift cards. Every little bit helps — your kindness can make a big difference! Let’s come together and spread warmth and care this season!

We are incredibly proud of our PHS Trojans for their recent academic achievements. Please join us in sharing congratulations to the following students who have been recognized for their PSAT/NMSQT scores, along with our 2025 AP Scholars! 🏆 PSAT/NMSQT (Commended Students - top 34,000 scores in country): Josian Grantham, Daniel Mansheim and Claire Pipkorn 🏆 PSAT/NMSQT (Semi-Finalist - top 1% or 16,000 scores in country): Hiro Nguyen 🏆 AP Scholars (granted to students who receive scores of 3 or higher on three or more AP Exams): Chibueze Amaezechi, Grant Comer, Shea Hodapp, Claire Pipkorn, Anna Schierbeek, Brooklyn Wagenaar, and Alyssa Weldon, Josiah Grantham, Harper Johnson, Trevor Velting, Lorelei Hofacre and Javan Mills 🏆 AP Scholars with Honor (granted to students who receive an average score of at least 3.25 on all AP Exams taken, and scores of 3 or higher on four or more of these exams): Joseph Hoffman, Daniel Mansheim, Jack Sherer, Olivia Ranger, Ava Stanton and Truman Summerer 🏆 AP Scholars with Distinction (granted to students who receive an average score of at least 3.5 on all AP Exams taken, and scores of 3 or higher on five or more of these exams): Ava Klann, Josephine Longcore, Hiro Nguyen and Donovan Ryan Congratulations on these outstanding recognitions, Trojans - PLAINWELL PRIDE!

Shoutout to Ayla Jaeger who competed at the Golf State Finals at Bedford Valley. During the competition, she shot an 80 on day 1 and 83 on day two. With a total score of 163, she earned a 3rd place finish among the 18 individual qualifiers and 13th among the 108 total players. Congratulations on an outstanding season and great finish at the State Finals, Ayla - TROJAN PRIDE!

Shoutout to Ayla Jaeger who competed at the Golf State Finals at Bedford Valley. During the competition, she shot an 80 on day 1 and 83 on day two. With a total score of 163, she earned a 3rd place finish among the 18 individual qualifiers and 13th among the 108 total players. Congratulations on an outstanding season and great finish at the State Finals, Ayla - TROJAN PRIDE!

We are excited to announce the Plainwell Middle School Students of the Week for October 20-24! We are proud of your hard work and dedication. Way to go, Trojans! - Peyton (8th Grade) - Zakari (7th Grade) - Addison (6th Grade) Throughout the year, we look forward to continuing to share our outstanding Middle School Students of the Week! Special thanks to our Student of the Week sponsors: Fly Inn, Barbed Wire Cafe, Culver’s and Taqueria San Francisco. We greatly appreciate your support of PCS and our students - Today’s Learners, Tomorrow’s Leaders!

📚 REMINDER 📚 There is a Battle of the Books (BOTB) Informational Meeting this Wednesday, October 22 from 6:30-7:30 PM. Join us in-person at Gilkey Elementary or virtually to learn more about the 2025/26 BOTB season. To RSVP or for a link to attend virtually, please visit plainwellschools.org/article/2494681.  We look forward to a wonderful BOTB season with the 🐨 Koalas, 🦎 Geckos, ⭐️ Rock Starrs and surrounding elementary schools!

Students in Mrs. Trahan's Holocaust class at PHS were granted a remarkable opportunity to enhance their studies through virtual reality. Thanks to a scholarship from the Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center, the museum loaned VR headsets to the class. Through five unique virtual experiences, students engaged in listening to survivors as they shared their childhood experiences and survival stories. This virtual experience proved to be both valuable and deeply moving, as the students explored childhood hometowns, concentration camps and heard firsthand accounts from survivors.

🍁 ATTENTION LIFELONG LEARNERS! 🍁 Due to the inclement weather predictions, the Gull Meadows Farm Visit that was scheduled for Wednesday, October 22 has been cancelled. We hope to see you at our next Lifelong Learner event, the Trip to Christkindl Market in Grand Rapids on November 19. If you are interested in joining us for this festive holiday trip, please contact Anne to register - (269) 685-5823 ext. 1009.

Trojan fans - join us tomorrow (10/21) as Plainwell Varsity Soccer competes in the Regional Semifinal game! ⚽️ Plainwell vs. Edwardsburg 📍Portage Central 🕔 5:00 PM 🎟️ For tickets, please visit gofan.co/event/4807524?schoolId=MI10255 LET'S GO TROJANS!