The Gilkey students had some very special visitors for reading month – the K-Wings! Mascot Slappy and players Todd Skirving, Quinn Preston, Orlando Mainolfi and Hunter Strand were guest readers and the students LOVED it! The players shared a story and took time to answer questions. It was a very special time for the Geckos! THANK YOU to the K-Wings for taking the time to visit Gilkey Elementary during reading month!
♻️ Recycling Challenge Update ♻️ Thank you to the Trojan community for your support of the Recycling Challenge program! With your support, in the last three years we have collected enough plastic to receive seven new benches throughout the district - THANK YOU!
We would like to share an update regarding the program, as there have been recent logistical changes. Beginning in May, the district will no longer serve as a drop-off location for plastic recycling. If you have plastic donations, they can be taken to other local sites for recycling.
🍎 REMINDER - OUTSTANDING PEOPLE FOR EDUCATION NOMINATIONS DUE! 🍎
Do you know someone who has made a difference in our district? We are accepting nominations through Friday, March 13 for the 2026 Outstanding People for Education Award.
🍎 About Outstanding People for Education: The purpose of the Outstanding People for Education award is to honor and recognize people in public education who are excelling in their field and/or making an impact in the quality of education in Allegan County.
🍎 Examples of whom you might nominate: A teacher or classroom aide; an administrator, secretary or board of education member; a bus driver, custodian, food service or other school support staff; a social worker, therapist, or consultant; a volunteer or community member who supports education.
🍎 To submit a nomination for the 2026 Outstanding People for Education award, please scan the QR code or visit https://forms.gle/y8UX42khgQRbs7rXA by Friday, March 13.
Registration is open for our upcoming Spring Tae Kwon Do program. Join us to improve coordination, gain strength and increase your flexibility while learning self-defense techniques, taught by Mr. Mitch. Program is open to participants 7 and up and will run on Monday evenings through June 1 (excluding 4/6 and 5/25) from 5:30-7:00 PM. Practices will be held at Plainwell Middle School.
Cost is $60 per individual or $85 per family. To register, please visit plainwellschools.org/page/youth-programs. GO TROJANS!
This Thursday 💛 Free Family Night at PCS! In partnership with Clayful, PCS invites you to a free family workshop. Join us on Thursday, March 12 for a FREE family workshop where parents, teens, and kids practice real skills together!
We'll practice:
✨ Managing stress as a family
✨ Setting boundaries that connect, not divide
✨ Working through conflict together
✨ Saying "no" with confidence
Hands-on activities. Real scenarios. Strategies you can use at home.
📅 Thursday, March 12 at 6:30-8:00 pm
📍 Plainwell High School Cafeteria
🍴 Free dinner, transportation & childcare included
RSVP at clayful.co/plainwell
📚 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!
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
📚🏆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! 🏆
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.
As a friendly 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!
The 2026 Battle of the Books competition is coming soon! Teams of 3rd-5th graders from Hopkins, Martin, Otsego and Plainwell Elementary Schools are set for Battle Day on Saturday, February 28. Teams have worked hard to read and study six different books and are now ready for the book battle at the Plainwell Performing Arts Center. Battles will be held at 8:00 AM, 9:15 AM, 10:30 AM and 11:45 AM and the top two teams from each battle will advance to the Grand Battle at 1:30 PM.
Unable to attend? All the Battles will be live streamed!
🌐 Plainwell Performing Arts Center Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/PlainwellPAC)
🌐 YouTube - TrojanTV: @PHSTrojanTV (https://www.youtube.com/@phstrojantv)
Good luck to all the teams - wishing you a great Battle Day!
Plainwell Community Schools is dedicated to creating a safe and secure learning environment for both our students and staff. As part of this commitment, we are excited to introduce the Trojan community to Ginny, a K9 service dog trained for both therapy and bomb/firearm detection. Ginny, along with her handler Jean Freeman, will be at PCS beginning March 2, 2026. For more information about this new addition to Plainwell Community Schools, please visit https://www.plainwellschools.org/article/2721434.
As a reminder, tickets are still available 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. Deadline to purchase tickets is March 9 at 11:59 PM.
We look forward to a wonderful evening at the 2026 Mother and Son Hockey Night!
The 2026 Daughter Dance was filled with so much ♥️♥️♥️!! Thank you to everyone who joined us for the annual Daughter Dance last Saturday. Over 450 attendees enjoyed a fun Valentine's afternoon at Plainwell Middle School where they danced, enjoyed sweets and treats and some even walked away with gift cards to Build a Bear. Thank you to Kathy Elliott, Carly Braginton and the Middle School NJHS for volunteering at the event! We also appreciate Becky Howrigon and her team for capturing formal photos. It was a wonderful and special afternoon at the 2026 Daughter Dance!
Do you know someone who has made a difference in our district? We are now accepting nominations for the 2026 Outstanding People for Education Award.
🍎 About Outstanding People for Education: The purpose of the Outstanding People for Education award is to honor and recognize people in public education who are excelling in their field and/or making an impact in the quality of education in Allegan County.
🍎 Examples of whom you might nominate: A teacher or classroom aide; an administrator, secretary or board of education member; a bus driver, custodian, food service or other school support staff; a social worker, therapist, or consultant; a volunteer or community member who supports education.
🍎 To submit a nomination for the 2026 Outstanding People for Education award, please scan the QR code or visit https://forms.gle/y8UX42khgQRbs7rXA. PCS will accept nominations through Friday, March 13.
❤️ Valentine’s Day Celebrations ❤️ Classrooms throughout the district celebrated Valentine’s Day on Friday with special activities, treats, games and lots of fun!
Registration is still open for the 2026 Daughter Dance - avoid the line at the dance, online registration is available until midnight on February 13!
All PCS K-6th grade daughters are invited to join us on Saturday, February 14. The event will be held at Plainwell Middle School from 4:00-6:00 PM (doors open at 3:30 PM for pictures only) and includes a formal digital photo, DJ, selfie station, refreshments, entry into a raffle and a flower. Bypass the registration line at the event and register today by visiting https://plainwell.revtrak.net/community-ed-and-rec/RW-Community-Ed-Rec/ (cash and check only accepted at the door).
PICTURES: Formal photos are digital this year! Photos will be uploaded to a shared digital file and families can download and print their photos from there.
We look forward to a wonderful evening at the 2026 Daughter Dance!
Gilkey Elementary held their January Student and Staff of the Month ceremony. Each month, Gilkey teachers select one student and a staff member who they felt did an outstanding job throughout the month and the recipients are celebrated at a special award ceremony with their families. In January, those who were selected had strong integrity. Way to go, Geckos! 🦎
As a friendly reminder, there is no school from Thursday, February 5-Monday, February 9 for Mid-Winter Break. We look forward to welcoming our students back to school on Tuesday, February 10.
We wish our students, staff and families a wonderful break.
