💙 Exciting Results from Ford Field! 💙 The MHSAA D2 Individual Wrestling State Finals wrapped up today, and PHS proudly has TWO STATE CHAMPIONS! Congratulations to the Nieuwenhuis siblings, Madison and Dylan, for becoming 2026 STATE CHAMPIONS!
🏆🏆🏆🏆 Madison Nieuwenhuis achieved victory in the 105-pound weight class, marking her FOURTH consecutive State Title!
🏆 Dylan Nieuwenhuis triumphed in the D2 113-pound State Final!
All seven athletes who competed today earned All-State honors and showcased remarkable performances! Here are some additional highlights from the event:
➡️ Tyler Cooper - 113-pound State Runner-Up
➡️ Avery Lynch - 3rd place
➡️ Grady Erlandson - 4th place
➡️ Evangeline Coutu - 6th place
➡️ Austin Gyorkos - 8th place
🥉 The Plainwell Girls Wrestling team secured 3rd Place in the overall state team standings, regardless of division.
Congratulations to these talented athletes for an outstanding day of competition and for representing PHS with TROJAN PRIDE!
🏆 Conference CHAMPS
🏆 Three-time District CHAMPS
🏆 6th in the STATE!
The PHS Competitive Cheer team had an amazing competition today at CMU, marking their third consecutive appearance at the State Finals. Their season ended with an impressive 6th place finish in Division 2. What a remarkable season it has been for the Competitive Cheer team, guided by ten exceptional senior Trojans - 📣 PLAINWELL PRIDE! 📣
💙 News from Ford Field! 💙 After day 1 of competition at the MHSAA Individual Wrestling State Finals, we have some exciting updates from the Trojans! 🏆 In the D2 113 pound State Final, we have a guaranteed Plainwell State Champion as Dylan Nieuwenhuis and Tyler Cooper will face-off in the final match 🏆 In the 105 pound weight class, Madison Nieuwenhuis will wrestle for her Fourth Consecutive State Title 🤼♂️ Four Trojans will wrestle for placement: Evangeline Coutu, Avery Lynch, Grady Erlandson and Austin Gyorkos Matches start at 9:00 AM tomorrow, with the Finals beginning at 3:00 PM! Let’s show these athletes some 💙 and send them PLAINWELL PRIDE - GO TROJANS! Banners Courtesy of Ryan Lindsey Photography
🏆 DISTRICT CHAMPS 🏆 Congratulations to the Girls Basketball team who beat Three Rivers (53-40) for the Division 2 District 48 Championship! 🏀 GO TROJANS!!!! 🏀
Next up, they play on Monday (3/9) at Otsego High School at 7:00 PM to kick-off the first round of Regionals!
The PHS Cheer team's next stop...STATE FINALS! The Varsity Competitive Cheer team will be competing at Central Michigan University in their State Final competition tomorrow for the third consecutive year! Last night, they held a special send-off performance at PHS, where they also honored their seniors with a special mat signing. To end the event, the team had a youth cheer signing 💙 Trojans leading Trojans! 💙
From all of us at PCS, GOOD LUCK AND GO TROJANS! 📣💙📣
We were excited to welcome Ginny, alongside her handler Jean Freeman, to PCS this week! Ginny, a K9 service dog trained in both therapy and safety, has been exploring all of our buildings, getting acquainted with the district and the Trojan community. Together, Ginny and Jean have spent time with our School Resource Officer, Bob Farris, engaging with our students and staff while learning about the facilities.
On the news! Both Ginny and Jean made an appearance on WWMT, you can catch the story at https://wwmt.com/news/local/plainwell-community-schools-zebra-k9-team-student-safety-ginny-labrador-retriever-emotional-support-education-community-allegan-county-west-michigan.
For more information about this exciting new addition to Plainwell Community Schools, please visit plainwellschools.org/article/2721434.
📚 Reading Month is here! 📚 To help kick-off the month, Gilkey Elementary held a special assembly where they launched their One School, One Book initiative — “Dive Into Books!” This year, thanks to the support of the Gilkey Parents Club and funds raised during their Rock the Block fundraiser, every student at Gilkey received a book to read. Students in Kindergarten–2nd grade are reading Dolphins at Daybreak, while 3rd–5th graders are diving into Turtle in Paradise. 🥽
It is sure to be a great month for the Gilkey Geckos as they engage in memorable reading experiences all throughout March! 🦎
Join us this summer at Camp Invention for PCS K-6th grade students (based on grade level for 2026/27 school year). “Give your young innovator an inspiring action-packed summer adventure! Exciting, hands-on challenges will spark curiosity and build their confidence as they jump into limitless STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) fun with opportunities to imagine, experiment and create.” Camp will be held Monday-Friday from July 27-31 from 8:30 AM-3:00 PM at Gilkey Elementary School. Cost is $285/per student (enter FUN25 for $25 off until March 31).
For more information or to begin the registration process, please visit plainwellschools.org/page/youth-programs.
We look forward to a great summer at Camp Invention!
Pre-K students in Miss Annabelle and Miss Shelly’s GSRP classrooms at Starr wrapped up their weather study with a visit from meteorologist Collin Rogers from WWMT.
FINAL REMINDER! Tickets are available until March 9 at 11:59 PM for the Mother and Son Hockey Night! Join us as the Kalamazoo Wings take on the Indy Fuel in the Annual Green Ice Game!
📅 Saturday, March 14
🕖 7:00 PM
ℹ️ Mothers and sons will enjoy the game, a $5 concession voucher, a free knit hat and a voucher for a free game of bowling at Airway Fun Center!
🎟️ Tickets are available for $20.68/adults, $16.16/kids (12 and under). PLEASE NOTE: Children's tickets will show up once you are on the screen to select your seat.
🚘 Transportation is not available and parking is $10 per car at the event (cash only) or $8 in advance online (https://www.etix.com/ticket/e/1054802/).
Interested in tickets? Tickets are purchased through K-Wings and will be picked-up at Wings Event Center. To purchase tickets, please visit https://www.gofevo.com/event/Plainwellschool2. Tickets are assigned seats, so if you are going with friends or a group, please plan accordingly.
We look forward to a wonderful evening at the 2026 Mother and Son Hockey Night!
Semifinals ☑️! The Varsity Girls Basketball team played Vicksburg last night and WON (37-10)! Next up, they advance to the District Championship game tomorrow night (Friday, March 6) against Three Rivers. Tip-off is at 7:00 PM (doors open at 6:00 PM) at the Plainwell Field House. Tickets must be purchased through GoFan at https://gofan.co/app/school/MI10255 or at the door (credit or debit only) - conference or senior passes are not accepted. Let's fill the stands with PLAINWELL PRIDE 💙🏀💙 GO TROJANS!
📸 Courtesy of Shot by KT
Good luck to Plainwell Divers - Aidan Ranger, Phil Mathis and Logan Stuifbergen - who are traveling to Otsego for the Division 3 Regional Qualification Meet for a chance to dive at the Division 3 State Meet. It's a great day to be a Plainwell Diver - GO TROJANS!
Congratulations to Mia, Tripp and Emily as they are Plainwell Middle Schools' "Book and a Bonus" winners for February 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!
Field House Pool and Walking Track Updates
‼️ NEW HOURS ‼️ Starting Saturday, March 7, Noon Lap Swim will move to a new time from 9:00-11:00 AM. During this time, the Walking Track will also be accessible. Aqua Aerobics will proceed as scheduled, with the exception of March 7 when the class is canceled.
‼️ UPCOMING CLOSURES ‼️ The Field House Walking Track and Pool will be closed on the following dates:
🗓️ Thursday, March 5: Walking Track Closed
🗓️ Friday, March 6: Walking Track Closed
🗓️ Saturday, March 7: Aqua Aerobics is Canceled
🗓️ Friday, March 13: Pool and Walking Track Closed
We apologize for the inconvenience.
As a reminder we have two upcoming half days of school: Thursday, March 5 and Friday, March 6 (end of second trimester).
Half Day Dismissal Times:
🏫 High School: 10:45 AM
🏫 Middle School: 10:45 AM
🦎 Gilkey: 11:45 AM
🐨 Cooper: 11:50 AM
⭐️ Starr: 11:55 AM
PHS is thrilled to announce the introduction of NAMI on Campus this year! The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) stands as the largest grassroots mental health organization in the U.S., and PHS is proud to be the first NAMI on Campus group in Michigan! This program will build on the previous UMatter initiative at the High School, with the goal of fostering mental health discussions among the Trojans.
Earlier this week, the group held its first meeting, where students brainstormed fantastic ideas to raise awareness about mental health, educate their peers and provide support to one another.
Cooper Elementary welcomed some remarkable guests when members of the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra hosted an assembly. 🎺🎶 During their visit, they shared about their role in the symphony and played several songs. It was a wonderful experience, thank you to the KSO for sharing your talents with the Cooper Koalas!
📚🏆Congratulations to the 2026 Battle of the Books Champions – Catching a Win from Gilkey Elementary!
Saturday was an exceptional day filled with thrilling competition, and we are incredibly proud of the 25 teams that participated from eight elementary schools in Hopkins, Martin, Otsego and Plainwell. Their dedication and teamwork were truly shining throughout the entire competition.
Congratulations to all 155 participants and the 42 volunteer coaches who devote countless hours each year to prepare for this book battle. We would also like to extend our gratitude to the 11 K-2nd graders who assisted as runners during the battle. Last but certainly not least, we want to express our appreciation to Mrs. Adams, Mrs. Fazio and Mrs. Potter, the brilliant organizers behind this incredible program!
🏆 Hats off to the winning team – fantastic job, Catching a Win! 🏆
Next Stop – FORD FIELD! Join us on Thursday, March 5, at 12:45 PM for the PHS Wrestling State Send-off at the PHS Athletic Entrance! We have ten wrestlers who have qualified for and are ready to compete for a state title: Austin Gyorkos, Thomas Almaguer, Aiden Beck, Dylan Nieuwenhuis, Tyler Cooper, Grady Erlandson, Madison Nieuwenhuis, Evangeline Coutu, Avery Lynch and Sophia Vega.
Let’s send them off with PLAINWELL PRIDE as they prepare for their State Final competition this weekend! GO TROJANS!
The K-8th grade MyWay Wrestling team achieved an impressive 3rd place out of 32 teams at the Team State tournament! The team included 8 elementary athletes, as well as 9 middle school wrestlers competing in a school-based duel. They finished the weekend with a 5-1 record, narrowly losing to Hudson in the semifinals but defeating Fruitport in the consolation finals.
🤼 Dramatic Victory: The team showcased their resilience by coming back from a 25-point deficit to triumph 43-37 against Birch Run, pinning 5 out of the last 6 matches.
🤼 Clutch Performance: The competition came down to the final match, where Peyton Wyman clinched the victory with a pin to secure a top-four placement for the team.
