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

Lots of fun was had at Starr Elementary’s Kindergarten Round-up last night as we welcomed the Class of 2038 Rock Starrs! If you were unable to attend, you can still join us for this special event to welcome the 2025/26 Young 5 and Kindergarteners to Plainwell Community Schools. Join us this evening (Wednesday, April 30) at Cooper or tomorrow (Thursday, May 1) at Gilkey. Students/families can: meet the staff, tour the buildings, sign-up for readiness testing and more! For more information or to begin the enrollment process, please visit: plainwellschools.org/page/kindergarten. For those looking to learn more about preschool at Plainwell, our preschool staff will also be in attendance to share information about their 2025/26 programs. We look forward to welcoming your student to Plainwell Community Schools - GO TROJANS!

Congratulations to Plainwell Middle School Trojan Tennis who had two victories in their matches last week - winning 5-3 against Three Rivers and Otsego! More importantly, they all played with poise, worked well together and kept improving as a team and individually! We are incredibly proud of all our tennis athletes!

Lighting the Way: A Conversation on Youth Suicide Prevention PCS families - register today for the upcoming TRAILS webinar: Lighting the Way: A Conversation on Youth Suicide Prevention. This free webinar will take place via Zoom on Thursday, May 1 from 4:00-5:30 PM. To register, please visit plainwellschools.org/article/2174047.

Congratulations to Plainwell High School's Wolverine Conference Scholar Athletes for the class of 2025 - Hannah Erlandson and Claire Vos! Throughout their time as Trojans, these dedicated scholar athletes participated in the following sports: 🏆 Hannah: Varsity Cross Country (4 years), Varsity Track (3 years) and Girls Soccer (1 year) 🏆 Claire: Varsity Cross Country (4 years), Varsity Track (4 years) and Girls Basketball (2 years) Great job, Hannah and Claire - TROJAN PRIDE!

Congratulations to our remarkable PHS student artists who are featured at the KIA! We are thrilled to announce that the following talented students from Plainwell High School have been accepted into the juried Kalamazoo Institute of Arts High School Area Show: - Sadie Boven - Hannah Browneye - Oceana Dos Santos - Sarah Lagenour - Maxwell Maschke - Landon Pierce - Mara Jade Roberts The opening reception took place this past Friday, where eight scholarships and awards were presented. The exhibition will be open to the public until May 25 at the KIA — make sure to visit and witness the incredible talent on display! We are so proud of our PHS artists, it is an outstanding achievement to have works accepted into this prestigious show! 👏🏼

During this week, in celebration of Earth Day, Food Service Director Michael Ritsema visited the elementary schools with the Discovery Kitchen. He provided samples of fresh snap peas, along with activity sheets and a "Grow Your Own Snap Peas" kit. These kits contained seed packets with instructions and biodegradable pots, allowing students to cultivate their own vegetables. It was a fantastic opportunity for students to engage in growing healthy food choices.

💬 Do you have parenting questions? REMINDER - register today to join us for a live, one-hour anonymous Q & A session for Plainwell parents (anyone living within the PCS district) on Monday, April 28 at 5:00 PM. Plainwell Community Schools, in partnership with Clayful, is excited to invite you to a one-hour virtual Q & A session with a small panel of certified coaches and supervisors from Clayful who have worked closely with families and understand the everyday ups and downs of parenting. It’s a chance to hear from others, ask what’s been on your mind and connect with a community of parents who understand the highs and lows of raising kids today. Register today by visiting plainwellschools.org/article/2163178.

Our Kindergarten and Young 5 Round-up is next week! Join us for this special event to welcome the 2025-26 Kindergarten and Young 5 students to Plainwell Community Schools. Students/families can: meet the staff, tour the buildings, sign-up for readiness testing and more!  Three Round-up options available: - Tuesday, April 29 at Starr from 4:30-6:00 PM - Wednesday, April 30 at Cooper from 4:30-6:00 PM - Thursday, May 1 at Gilkey from 4:30-6:00 PM For more information or to begin the enrollment process, please visit: plainwellschools.org/page/kindergarten. For those looking to learn more about preschool at Plainwell, our preschool staff will also be in attendance to share information about their 2025/26 programs. We look forward to welcoming your student to Plainwell Community Schools - GO TROJANS!

Middle School Athlete of the Week - Sydney Wilson! Congratulations to Sydney, who was nominated by her Soccer Coach, Derek Dunn, who stated: “Syd stepped into goal in the second half with no goalie experience and had some saves and faced a PK. Thanks to her, we held off Paw Paw with a 6-2 win!" Way to go, Sydney! 👏🏼

The Middle School and High School Jazz Bands traveled to Hastings to participate in the TAC Jazz Festival. Both ensembles performed at the Barry Community Enrichment Center and received a clinic led by renowned jazz educator Mark Greer. The students delivered outstanding performances and proudly represented our district with true Plainwell Pride. During their lunch break at Kloosterman’s, they also had the opportunity to enjoy a live jazz trio performance, further enriching their musical experience! It was an amazing day and we are so proud of these PCS musicians!

Cole’s 4th Grade Crew at Starr Elementary had a buzz-worthy visit from Mrs. Amy Bender, a beekeeping hobbyist from B5Ranch in Martin. After reading articles about the challenges facing honeybee populations, students deepened their learning through hands-on insights and thoughtful discussion. 🌍📚🍯

It was a beautiful evening at the Performing Arts Center as the Cooper upper elementary classes performed at their spring concert. The amazing show was all about the ❤️ red, 🤍 white and 💙 blue. Way to go, Koalas! 🐨🇺🇸 Unable to attend? The entire show can be viewed on the Plainwell Performing Arts Facebook page.

Attention PHS students (and families) - You could be one of the 50 Michigan students who’ll win up to $50,000 for tuition through the Ticket to Tuition giveaway! Visit https://tickettotuition.com/ for more information!

The Middle School tennis team kicked off their season last week against Paw Paw on Wednesday and Gull Lake on Thursday. They tied Paw Paw 4-4 and ended 3-5 against Gull Lake. The matches showcased excellent sportsmanship, with athletes demonstrating resilience while embracing opportunities to learn and support each other. We are excited to see all the Trojans accomplish this tennis season - GO TR🎾JANS!

Registration is now open for our upcoming 2025 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! For more information or to register, please visit: plainwellschools.org/page/youth-programs (limited to 15 participants per class, no sign-ups at class).

We are excited to share the Plainwell Middle School Students of the Week for April 14-18 and April 21-25. We are proud of your hard work and dedication. Way to go, Trojans! April 14-18 - Brooklyn (8th Grade) - Levi (7th Grade) - Tatum (6th Grade) April 21-25 - Quinn (8th Grade) - Harper (7th Grade) - Kaelyn (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 and Taqueria San Francisco. We greatly appreciate your support of PCS and our students - Today’s Learners, Tomorrow’s Leaders.

The Rock Starrs spent some time outside today beautifying the grounds at Starr Elementary. What a wonderful way for these 5th grade students to celebrate Earth Day! 🌎

📅 Virtual Parent Q & A – Monday, April 28 at 5:00 Join us for a one-hour, anonymous space to ask, share, and connect. Plainwell Community Schools, in partnership with Clayful, is excited to invite you to a one-hour virtual Q & A session with a small panel from Clayful who have worked closely with families and understand the everyday ups and downs of parenting. Some highlights about the upcoming Q & A session: - WHAT IS CLAYFUL: Clayful is a mental health coaching platform that PCS is currently using that is designed to provide PCS students with mental wellness coaching. - WHO IS ON THE Q & A PANEL? Clayful's certified coaches and supervisors. - WHAT WILL BE DISCUSSED? It’s a space to ask questions, hear how others are handling similar parenting challenges and gather practical advice from professionals who have worked closely with families. - DO I NEED TO ASK QUESTIONS TO JOIN? No! There’s no pressure to share, just an open space for learning and connection. Event is open to all families within the PCS district boundaries. Please RSVP by visiting plainwellschools.org/article/2163178. In addition, please be on the lookout for an in-person event in May!

Lending a helping hand! Students in Ms. Pierce's fourth-grade class at Gilkey Elementary have been exploring a reading unit centered around Global Guardians, guided by the Big Idea Question: "What can people do to care for our planet?” In a remarkable response, student Hunter has embraced an inspiring initiative...in honor of Earth Day and as part of Gilkey's annual Earth Week celebration, Hunter has committed to picking up trash around his home and neighboring streets each day after school. Way to go, Hunter, for being a true guardian of the Earth! Keep up the fantastic work! 👏🏼

🚌 It’s National School Bus Driver Appreciation Day and we must take a moment to honor our INCREDIBLE bus drivers. They are the first and last to see many of our students each day, providing them with safe transportation to and from school. A heartfelt shout-out and THANK YOU to our remarkable bus drivers for their unwavering commitment to our district and for keeping our students safe every single day! We greatly appreciate each one of you. Please join us in sharing a 💙 or thank you to our transportation team!