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

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!

Recently, students from Mr. DeWolfes’ and Ms. Harper’s classes at Starr Elementary participated in their own taco Tuesday. They had the opportunity to make their own tacos or, if they weren’t interested, they could read about them. This was a great way to encourage students to try new foods.

The Plainwell Middle and High School Choirs did an amazing job at their Fall "Let's Groove Tonight" concert, featuring a fun tribute to the ‘70s. It was a wonderful evening, showcasing outstanding music to kick-off the 2025/26 season at the Performing Arts Center. Unable to attend? You can view the entire performance by visiting the Plainwell Performing Arts Facebook page.

We are excited to announce the Plainwell Middle School Students of the Week for October 13-17! We are proud of your hard work and dedication. Way to go, Trojans! - AJ (8th Grade) - Charlie (7th Grade) - Violet (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!

Shoutout to Aidan Ranger on his success at the MIHA State Championship where he finished as the Reserve Champion. Congratulations on this remarkable accomplishment and for all your successes this season, Aidan - PLAINWELL PRIDE!

Plainwell Swim and Dive hosted an exhibition 11 dive meet tonight where they welcomed teams from Portage, Bridgman, Allegan and Marshall to compete in a scrimmage to prepare divers for their championship season. Special shoutout to local coach, George Wilson, for providing awards to the top 8 finishers! It was a great night at the Field House - THANK YOU to the Plainwell community for your support in providing us with such a fantastic venue to host these events - PLAINWELL PRIDE! 💙

🏆 DISTRICT CHAMPS!!! 🏆 Congratulations to the PHS Varsity Soccer team on their 2-0 victory over Harper Creek to win the District Championship tonight! GO TROJANS! Next, the Trojans will advance to the Regional Semifinals on Tuesday (10/21) where they will play the winner of the Edwardsburg vs. St. Joe game. The Regional Semifinals game will be held at Portage Central beginning at 5:00 PM!

This year, Cooper Elementary introduced “The Friendship Group,” a dedicated team of students who act as mediators during recess to help peers resolve conflicts. While on duty, the group creates mediator slips to monitor recess behavior. Each mediator then chooses a specific issue and designs a poster that illustrates ways to prevent or address it. These informative posters are then displayed around the school or shared with classmates, empowering students to cultivate effective conflict-resolution skills, strengthen friendships and promote positivity during recess. Way to go, Koalas! 🐨