Your Trojan Marching Band are the 2025 Silver Medalists of MCBA Flight IV State Championships at Ford Field in Detroit! This was the 5th year in a row qualifying for state finals. The TMB had a historic finish to the 2025 season and set a new standard for excellence with their highest score in MCBA ever of 85.3. Prior to this season, the highest placement for the TMB at state finals was 4th in 2021. Congratulations to the Trojan Marching Band for a truly memorable season!
Today, Plainwell's Cross Country team was represented by three outstanding runners at the MHSAA Division 2 State Finals.
Girls Race Highlights
🏆 Mai Nguyen, a sophomore, achieved All-State honors with an impressive 29th place finish (18:40). This marks the first time PXC has had a girl earn All-State recognition since 2021.
🏆 Molly Bruggink, also a sophomore, showcased her determination by overtaking several competitors in the final 400 meters, finishing 99th and breaking the 20-minute barrier.
Boys Race Highlights
🏆 In the boys race, Hiro Nguyen delivered a remarkable performance, clocking in at 16:51 to secure 116th place in a highly competitive field.
Additionally, all three runners qualified for Academic All-State honors based on their performances today - Trojan Pride! Congratulations to Mai, Molly and Hiro!
October is National Principals Month, and we can't let this month pass without honoring our outstanding building administrators. At PCS, we feel incredibly fortunate to have eight remarkable principals who dedicate themselves daily to the success of their students and staff. As outstanding leaders, they uphold the highest standards of support and care, and we are immensely grateful for their commitment to our district! From all of us at PCS, we extend a heartfelt THANK YOU to our Principals:
✏️Nicole Keorkunian (Cooper Elementary Principal)
✏️ Cody Gregory (Gilkey Elementary Principal)
✏️ Kari Luckett (Starr Elementary Principal)
✏️ Ben Manting (Middle School Principal)
✏️ Jeff Hattendorf (Middle School Assistant Principal)
✏️ Heidi Huizenga (Renaissance Principal)
✏️ Marvin Taylor (High School Principal)
✏️ Brian Huberty (High School Assistant Principal)
Please take a moment to share a 🩷, 👍 OR THANK YOU to these dedicated administrators!
Our elementary classes had so much fun celebrating Halloween today! Students enjoyed lots of fun, laughs, special activities and treats! We hope our students, staff and families have a safe and HAPPY HALLOWEEN! 🎃🎃🎃
‼️ Upcoming Walking Track Closure (11/6) ‼️ Due to a class activity, the Field House Walking Track will be closed on Thursday, November 6. We apologize for the inconvenience.
The teachers at Starr Elementary were in for a fun surprise when they took their second-grade students to the Kalamazoo Civic Theatre to watch “Frozen Jr.” They soon discovered that the character “Kristoff” was portrayed by a former Starr student, Blake. While in elementary school at Starr, Blake was in Mrs. Miller’s second-grade class, as well as Mr. Brodie’s for gym and Mrs. Hoekstra’s for music. This unexpected discovery made the performance even more meaningful for these educators, filling them with immense joy as they witnessed Blake’s talent shine on stage!
Reminder- tickets are still available for our upcoming Family Hockey Night at Wings Event Center. Join us on Friday, November 14 at 7:00 PM as the Kalamazoo Wings take on the Fort Wayne Komets at their Lavender Ice Game. Families will enjoy the game, a $5 concession voucher, 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 $5 per car at the event.
Interested in tickets? Tickets are purchased through K-Wings and will be picked-up at Wings Event Center. To purchase tickets, please scan the QR code or visit plainwellschools.org/page/youth-programs. Tickets are assigned seats, so if you are going with friends or a group, please plan accordingly. Deadline to purchase tickets is November 10 at midnight.
This fall, the Middle School ECO Club has been hard at work tidying up the courtyards after school. They have also put their gardening skills to the test, successfully growing a few pumpkins just in time for Halloween. In honor of their previous ECO Club advisor, the students admiringly named the orange pumpkin Kerry and the green one Oostdyk. Mr. James, their new advisor, has eagerly stepped into his new role, helping to carry on the fantastic initiatives that Mrs. Oostdyk started to enhance and beautify Plainwell Middle School. 🍁🎃
The 6th graders in Ms. Brinks and Mr. Polasek's Middle School Western Hemisphere classes have dedicated this month to studying various types of government in their social studies classes. They kicked-off the unit with an engaging activity: constructing the tallest free-standing tower with their team. Each group represented a different form of government found worldwide, with particular restrictions assigned to each group to accomplish the task. Through this collaborative project, students gained knowledge in how different government systems operate and learned who has the power to make certain decisions. Moving forward, the students will apply what they have learned as they begin their next project - creating their own fictional nation-state.
The Kindergarten and Young 5 students from Cooper, Gilkey and Starr took a trip to Plainwell Public Safety. During their visit, students received a tour of a fire truck, sprayed a fire hose and met with firefighters to learn all about the importance of fire safety. A very special THANK YOU to Plainwell Public Safety for a great visit and an awesome learning experience at the fire station! 🚒
Last week, the PHS language department took a trip to Lansing to participate in the Michigan World Language (MIWLA) Conference. There, they gathered valuable tools and insights to bring back to their classrooms. During the event, PHS educators Andrew Hansen, Julie Trahan and Sarah Boven proudly represented PCS as presenters, sharing their experiences to support other language departments throughout the state. They discussed strategies for keeping students engaged in the fast-paced environment of language teaching. Their presentation featured clickable activities and lessons that fellow educators could immediately implement to enhance student engagement. It was a fantastic opportunity for these Trojan educators to learn and exchange knowledge at the MIWLA!
Last week, the 4th grade students from Starr Elementary enjoyed an exciting field trip to Swisslane Farms. During their visit, they took a wagon ride that allowed them to explore the entire farm and learn about cows. One of the highlights was the opportunity to meet the calves, which quickly became a class favorite! The students gained insights into dairy farms and their significant contributions to Michigan’s agriculture and our health. It was a fun learning experience for the Rock Starrs!
Plaiwnwell High School counselors emphasize the importance of having a plan for life after graduation and celebrate all post-secondary paths, whether that includes college, career, or military service. Throughout the month of October, PHS counselors and the school registrar collaborated with all seniors to:
📝 Complete Educational Development Plans (EDPs)
📝 Learn how to send transcripts
📝 Understand the basics of the college application process
📝 Familiarize themselves with financial aid fundamentals
Michigan College Month is an integral part of the American College Application Campaign, a nationwide initiative aimed at ensuring every graduating high school senior has the chance to apply for college and financial aid. This month serves as a pivotal moment for students, motivating them to take essential steps toward higher education during their senior year. It highlights the connection between college applications and funding, while also addressing some of the most frequently encountered obstacles to attending college.
Plainwell High School Drama proudly presents "Back to the '80s". Tickets are available for all three performances:
🎟️ Friday, November 7 at 7:00 PM
🎟️ Saturday, November 8 at 7:00 PM
🎟️ Sunday, November 9 at 2:00 PM
Shows will take place at the Plainwell Performing Arts Center. General admission tickets can be purchased for $10 each by visiting plainwellschools.ludus.com or scanning the QR code.
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!
