TCS News to Know
For the Week of April 22, 2024
Dear Families,
ProtectMiChild is a free and secure program that keeps kids safe from adult-oriented advertising via social media, text, and email. Parents can register their children’s social media handles, phone numbers, and email addresses to block ads for products like alcohol, tobacco, pornography, and online gambling. The registry currently allows parents to add their child's Snapchat, Instagram, and Twitter accounts.
For more information on cyber safety, check out the State of Michigan e-book, Internet Safety: A Guide for Teachers and Parents, with practical tips to keep kids safe online. This guide addresses how to speak to kids at every age, five things parents can do today, and social media safeguards.
PTO Pancake Breakfast THIS SATURDAY!
Mark your calendars to come to this fun PTO event! Last year, we had a great turnout for the first annual PTO Pancake Breakfast, and we are looking forward to another great day this year! April 27th is also the day of the Tekonsha Baseball/Softball Invitational, so you can get some breakfast and stay to cheer on the teams!
This Week in State Testing
Be sure to check out the schedule below to be prepared for your child's testing days!
- Tuesday, April 23 - ELA M-Step for 3rd, 4th, 5th and 7th grade
- Thursday, April 25 - Social Studies M-Step for 5th grade; Math M-Step for 7th grade
Sheriff Visit
Fourth graders at Tekonsha Elementary enjoyed a special visit from Calhoun County Sheriff Steve Hinkley and Undersheriff Tim Hurtt. The students were all “deputized” and given a book challenging them to be the best they can be! Thank you to Sheriff Hinkley and the Calhoun County Sheriff's Department for the visit and the books!
Successful Kindergarten Round Up!
Tekonsha Elementary had a nice turnout for Kindergarten Round Up last Wednesday, April 17. Thank you to all of the families that are signed up to be part of the Class of 2037! Students and parents had the opportunity to learn about what to expect in kindergarten, take a tour of the building, meet their teacher, and of course, fill out all of the required paperwork. If you or someone you know has a student that has not yet registered for kindergarten, it is not too late! Please call the elementary office at 517-767-4121 ext. 300 for more information. Getting registered now ensures that families are kept up to date with what to expect in the fall!
Senior Spotlight
We are in the final month of school for our seniors, so we want to honor them! We will be featuring a handful of seniors each week to recognize and celebrate all of their accomplishments!
Emily Wunder
Emily Wunder is the daughter of Cassandra and David Emison and Aaron and Doris Wunder. Her siblings are Sarah, Caleb, Ryan, Kara, Shanelle, Dylan, Jaylynn, and Isaac. Emily has attended Tekonsha Schools for the last five years. Her favorite teacher was Mrs. Newland, sharing, “Until I had her I never understood math. I always struggled. She helped me one on one and explained things more in depth if I didn’t understand. She also understood my health issues and was always there if I needed to talk.” During high school, Emily was on the cheer team and on the Student Leadership Team at the CACC. She also volunteered at her church. After graduation, Emily plans to continue her career working at JSY Elder Care, taking care of her wonderful residents. Her advice to underclassmen is, “No matter how hard it gets, never give up and keep pushing through.”
Andrew Morrill
Andrew Morrill is the son of Jessica Morrill and Scott Morrill. His siblings are Jadyn and Emma. He has attended Tekonsha Schools for one year. He picked Mr. Young as his favorite teacher, sharing that he has always helped out with his online classes and he made things fun when he was in class. Andrew participated in wrestling and football at Tekonsha. After graduation, he plan to attend Albion College to do a 3-2 program for engineering before transferring to Michigan State University to major in Engineering and Construction Management. His advice to underclassmen is to “always put schoolwork first and do your best no matter what.”
Chloe Michielsen
Chloe Michielsen is the daughter of Tia Michielsen. Her siblings are Hailey Michielsen and Allie Hall. Chloe has attended Tekonsha Schools for 13 years. Her favorite teacher is Mr. Young. She shared, “I selected Mr. Young because he has been a wonderful mentor. He has repeatedly given me motivation to do the things that I need to do. He has consistently been there for me to talk to, when I was attending Tekonsha Schools in person, and even now, virtually.” In high school, Chloe played volleyball and has been part of the yearbook staff. After graduation, Chloe is still considering her options, with plans to attend a local university in the fall and possibly study business. She shared that the best piece of advice she could give anyone is to just enjoy yourself. “It's so easy to let people discourage you from living your best high school experience. Attend the dances, go to football games, and have sleepovers. What people think of you does not matter…once high school is over, it's over.”
Emmitt Blashfield
Emmitt Blashfield is the son of Trisha Blashfield and Daryl Blashfield. His siblings are Ashlyn, Garrett, Wyatt, and Lydia. He has attended Tekonsha Schools his entire academic career. Emmitt listed Mr. Jenkins as his most influential teacher. He said, “Mr. Jenkins has always been kind to me and given me great opportunities throughout my years at Tekonsha High School, paving me a successful path for my future life. Thank you Mr. Jenkins.” Throughout high school, Emmitt has been played football, basketball, wrestling, baseball, and track. Emmitt is also a member of the National Honor Society and is an honor student for the Class of 2024. After graduation, he plans to attend Kellogg Community College for an applied associate’s in health sciences and become a licensed paramedic. His advice to underclassmen is “Work hard - it pays off in the end.”
Rachel Eishen
Rachel Eishen is the daughter of Shannon and Jerry Eishen. Her siblings are Mandi Pyke and Marissa Eishen. Rachel has attended Tekonsha Schools for 12 years. She listed Mrs. Runyon as her most influential teacher, commenting, “She is one of the nicest teachers (though all the teachers here are incredibly nice) I've met and she has made me feel good every day I went to school.” While in high school, Rachel has been involved in art club and the D&D club. After graduation, she plans to enter the workforce to save money before pursuing an art degree. She offered this advice to underclassmen, “Try not to stress, enjoy your time when you can.”
A Community of Learners
Last week, our seniors teamed up with the sixth grade class to assist in the editing and revising process of writing a research paper. Mrs. Krista Groholske's senior class helped Mrs. Chloe Butler's sixth grade with focusing their thesis and overall organization of their research paper. The sixth graders agreed that "it was really fun" working with the seniors and hope to partner with them again!
Dress Code Reminders
Please help remind your students of school dress code expectations. Current styles often make it difficult for parents to know what is appropriate for school. Here are some basic guidelines:
- All undergarments should be fully covered.
- All shirts should be able to fully cover a student's midriff.
- Shorts should have at least a 3 inch inseam or be at approximately a fingertip length when a student is standing straight with their arms extended down.
- Clothing items cannot contain profanity or advertisements for alcohol, tobacco products, etc.
The best rule of thumb is that if you are wondering, "Is this appropriate for school?" then it is probably best to not wear it! Save those outfits for evenings and weekends!
If your student does not have items that are school appropriate, we can help! We have a large selection of clothing items in our Free Store that students can go through at any time! We appreciate your help with this!
PROM!
The 2024 Tekonsha Prom is just around the corner! A Starry Night is the theme for this year's prom, which will be held on Saturday, May 11 from 8 pm to 11:30 pm at Country Happenings on M-99 in Homer, MI. The prom will be for only sophomores, juniors, and seniors. All guests that are not a Tekonsha student must have an approved guest pass on file in the office by Friday, May 3. Tickets are $25 each.
Concession Stand Helpers Needed!
Baseball and softball concessions are in need of some volunteer workers! If any of the dates below could work for you, please click on the link to sign up! Any questions can be directed to Sara Griffith at griffiths@tekonsha.k12.mi.us.
- 4/25
- 4/27
- 4/30
- 5/10
- 5/14
Student Congrats!
We missed a couple of weeks of pictures, but we want to be sure to celebrate these students! Congratulations to the Tekonsha Elementary CREATIVE Indians of the Week for the week of April 1-5!
Menus for the Month
Tekonsha Community Schools
Website: www.tekonshaschools.org
Location: 245 South Elm Street, Tekonsha, MI, USA
Phone: 517-767-4121
Facebook: facebook.com/TekonshaCommunitySchools