The Plainwell Middle School Penny War concluded this week, marking a collaborative effort between the National Junior Honor Society and the PBIS teams. NJHS volunteers energized the school with announcements, sorted coins and tallied the funds raised. The results are in and the school successfully collected over 10,000 pennies! Here are the final results per grade level:
🥉 Third Place: 8th Grade with -9,223 points
🥈 Second Place: 6th Grade with -5,726 points
🥇 Champion: 7th Grade with a total of 7,548 points!
A heartfelt thank you to all the students who contributed to the Penny War. Thanks to your generosity, Plainwell Middle School raised $561.30 for Christian Neighbors! Excellent job, Trojans!
‼️ Attention Middle and High School athletes and marching band students! ‼️ Plainwell and Otsego High Schools are joining forces to offer FREE physicals for the 2026/27 school year to PMS/PHS/OMS/OHS athletes and marching band students on Wednesday, June 3 at the Plainwell Field House. Doors open at 5:00 PM - physicals begin at 5:30 PM. You must be in line by 7:00 PM in order to receive a physical.
📋 Forms are available at plainwellschools.org/page/high-school-athletics and in the athletic office (please bring your completed and signed form with you).
This morning, the Middle School Honors Choir performed at the MSVMA West State Choral Festival in Grand Rapids where they received a high Division I rating! All students received a blue medal signifying their accomplishment and Division I rating. They performed beautifully and truly represented Plainwell Choirs with confidence and enthusiasm - TROJAN PRIDE!!
We are excited to share that registration is now open for the upcoming 1st-8th Grade Boys Basketball Camp. Camp will be held from July 13-16 at the Plainwell Field House. Two age groups available (based on grade in fall 2026):
🏀 1st-4th Grade: 9:00-10:30 AM
🏀 5th-8th Grade: 11:00 AM-12:30 PM
To register, please visit plainwellschools.org/page/youth-programs. We look forward to welcoming your Trojan to the 1st-8th Grade Boys Basketball Camp where they will focus on fundamentals of the game, while having fun!
🦎 New Gilkey Record! 🦎 Congratulations to Jaxson, a fourth grader at Gilkey Elementary, for breaking the Gilkey Fitness Gram Push-up record this week. He surpassed the previous record of 60 by completing an impressive 66 push-ups. Great job, Jaxson!
Last week, Mr. MacQueen, an educator at Renaissance High School, took the stage to present at the Michigan Alternative Education Organization's annual conference held in Traverse City. He discussed his approach to creating personalized GED plans for each student, highlighting how this method has helped numerous learners discover their purpose in their GED studies. His presentation inspired many alternative educators from all over the state. Great job representing RHS, Mr. MacQueen - PLAINWELL PRIDE!
Congratulations to Mia, Lucy and Lyla as they are Plainwell Middle Schools' "Book and a Bonus" winners for April 2026. "Book and a Bonus" is a monthly reading incentive program for MS students that is supported by Ransom District Library.
Keep up the great reading PMS students! Special thanks to Ransom District Library for your ongoing support of PCS and the “Book and a Bonus" program! PLAINWELL PRIDE!
Registration is open for the 2026 Rocket, Flag and Pee Wee Football programs, as well as the 2026 K-6th Grade Rocket Camp. All programs provide an introduction to Plainwell's football program with an emphasis on learning skills while having fun.
🏈 Rocket Football: The Rocket Football program is open to 3rd-6th grade athletes (must be 8 years old by 9/1/26). Practice begins August 17, with Saturday games beginning September 12. Cost is $100 per athlete (includes jersey)
🏈 Flag Football: The Flag Football program is open to 1st and 2nd grade athletes (based on grade in fall 2026). Two practices a week begin August 24 with six Saturday games. Cost is $75 per athlete (includes jersey t-shirt)
🏈 Pee Wee: The Pee Wee Football program is open to Kindergarten athletes (based on grade in fall 2026). Two practices a week begin August 24 with six Saturday games. Cost is $75 per athlete (includes jersey t-shirt)
🏈 K-6th Grade Rocket Football Camp: The Rocket Football Camp is open to K-6th Grade athletes (based on grade in fall 2026). Camp will be held on July 29 and 30 at Streidl Field. Cost is $35 per athlete (includes t-shirt, must register by 7/12 to guarantee a t-shirt)
For more information about the programs or to begin the registration process, please scan the QR. code or visit https://www.plainwellschools.org/page/youth-programs. If you are in need of financial assistance, please contact kathy.elliott@plainwellschools.org. For questions regarding the Rocket Football program, please contact Adam Reichow at adam.reichow@plainwellschools.org.
The Plainwell Middle School National Junior Honor Society (NJHS) induction ceremony took place on April 23 at the Performing Arts Center. During the event, 47 seventh and eighth-grade students were welcomed as new NJHS members. By joining, they pledged to uphold the NJHS values of scholarship, leadership, service, character and citizenship. This commitment marks the beginning of their dedication and selfless leadership, as they strive to support the community in every possible way. Congratulations to the new inductees - we are all excited to see what they will achieve through their membership in the NJHS. PLAINWELL PRIDE!
We are excited to announce the Plainwell Middle School Students of the Week (April 27-May 1)! We are proud of your hard work and dedication. Way to go, Trojans!
- Penny (8th Grade)
- Annabell (7th Grade)
- Gerardo (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!
As a reminder, there are a few registration deadlines quickly approaching. Please register today!
➡️ KICKBALL: Deadline to register is May 4, please visit plainwellschools.org/page/youth-programs to register today!
➡️ DANCE LESSONS: Deadline to register is May 6, please visit PCS RevTrak by scanning the QR code on the flyer to register today!
➡️ YOUTHBALL: Deadline to register is May 11, please visit plainwellschools.org/page/youth-programs to register today!
Join us in honoring the Class of 2026 at their Baccalaureate Service on Sunday, May 17, at 3:00 PM in the Performing Arts Center. This event is an optional, non-school-sponsored, non-denominational community worship service organized by Young Life.
Young Life is thrilled to revive this cherished PHS community tradition, where they will celebrate and express gratitude for the education and bright futures of the Class of 2026. They warmly welcome graduates, parents, grandparents, extended family, PCS teachers and staff, along with the greater community to attend.
⛳ Registration is now open for our upcoming 2026 Youth Golf Lessons at Lake Doster Golf Club. Junior Golf is geared for girls and boys who will learn different aspects of the game. It's fun for the novice as well as those who have experience. Each day will focus on something new. Two sessions available! To register, please visit: plainwellschools.org/page/youth-programs (limited to 15 participants per class, no sign-ups will be accepted at Lake Doster - no exceptions).
Plainwell Middle School organized a reality fair for their eighth grade students, sponsored by Arbor Financial. The goal of this event was to provide students with practical experience in managing finances. Each student was assigned a career, salary and family scenario, requiring them to make financial decisions such as purchasing cars, securing a mortgage and handling various life expenses. A very special thank you to Arbor Financial Credit Union for hosting this special event for our 8th grade students!
Congratulations to PHS Senior, Sam Harper, on signing his letter of intent for swimming at Nova Southeastern University! We are incredibly proud of Sam's athletic achievements while at PHS and wish him all the best next year. From all of us at PCS, congratulations and best wishes!
Plainwell Middle School 8th grade families, please mark your calendar for Friday, May 29 from 5:30-7:30 PM for the 8th Grade Celebration. Join us to celebrate the 8th grade class with celebration boards, followed by a special event for the students which will include music, games, food, prizes and FUN! We look forward to celebrating the Class of 2030 on May 29! GO TROJANS!
The 5th grade classes at Gilkey Elementary recently held a badminton competition during their PE classes. It was a fun event, with Max and Finley emerging as the 2026 Badminton CHAMPS. 🏸
As a friendly reminder, registration is open for our 2026 Summer Volleyball Camp!
🗓️ Camp will be held June 8-11
📍 @ the Plainwell Field House
Times (based on grade in fall 2026):
🕗 9th-12th Grade: 8:00-10:00 AM
🕥 1st-4th Grade: 10:30-11:30 AM
🕛 5th-8th Grade: 12:00-1:30 PM
💲Cost is $50 per athlete or $85 for 2 siblings
🌐 Register by May 15 to guarantee a t-shirt by scanning the QR code or visiting https://events.hometownticketing.com/boxoffice/plainwellschools/L2VtYmVkL2V2ZW50LzYxMg%3D%3D
We look forward to growing our Trojan Volleyball program this summer!
The 7th graders recently enjoyed a “staycation” field trip. They spent their morning at the Field House enjoying a variety of activities, including: bingo, swimming, dodgeball, reading, volleyball, basketball, karaoke and KONA Ice. In the afternoon, they relaxed with a movie at the Performing Arts Center. It was a great way for these 7th graders to bond outside the classroom.
Congratulations to the PHS Swim and Divers who earned Individual Academic ALL STATE honors from the Michigan Interscholastic Swim Coaches Association.
- Felipe Del Matto
- Grady Nugent
- Hiro Nguyen
- Joseph Hoffman
- Olaia Dominguez-Trincado
- Phillip Mathis
- Sam Harper.
To receive this recognition, athletes need to have a 3.5 GPA or higher.
In addition, Sam Harper was also voted zone 6 swimmer of the year! GO TROJANS!
