Cub Connection

Welcome to Spring!

It is hard to believe summer break is right around the corner! Please scroll through this update communication to stay informed about many of the exciting happenings in Wildcat country this month.

Finish Strong!

Go Wildcats!

Mr. Fleenor

For a translated version, please select a language by clicking on the tab at the top of the page.

Unfortunately, the state did not approve our forgiven days request. Therefore the following adjustments have been made to the year-end calendar for this year in order to stay compliant.

• Friday, June 2 - 1/2 day for all students, records PM for staff
• Monday, June 5 - full day for elementary; half day for 6-12
• Tuesday, June 6 - 1/2 day for all students, records PM for staff
• Wednesday, June 7 - 1/2 day for ECEC ONLY (they had one add'l day to make up due to a water main issue earlier this year)

Click on the button below to view the 2023-2024 Academic Calendar

We're excited to help our youngest Wildcats build a strong foundation in social, pre-academic, and general life skills that will give them a leg up in school! Now enrolling for Young 5's & Preschool! Conveniently begin at the link below.

We can't wait to welcome kindergarteners to school! Registration is now open.
Let the Learning Adventure Begin!

The District will partner with Kid Builders in providing on-site (housed at EES/LES), before/after child care beginning this fall. Stay tuned or more information on this program, including rates and how to register.

We are well underway in this process. Thank you for your feedback on the recent survey!

Search Timeline

• COMPLETE March 1 - Job posting opens
• COMPLETE March 6 - Input survey sent to students, staff, and parents; develop a candidate profile
• COMPLETE April 15 - Job posting closes
• April 19 - First-Round Interviews
• Week of April 24--> - Second Round Interviews
• By Mid-May --> - Announcement of the new principal
• July 1, 2023 - Start date

February

• COMPLETE Internal Staff Survey
• COMPLETE Internal Focus Group Feedback Sessions (each building/department)

March

• IN PROGRESS - Internal Review - Facilities Assessments
• COMPLETE - Review Internal Survey/Focus Group Feedback Data
• COMPLETE - Steering Committee Formation

April

• COMPLETE - First Steering Committee Meeting Held on April 18.

May

• UP COMING - Community Forum Meeting #1
• UP COMING - Community Survey

A Program to Promote Health and Wellness for Mattawan Staff

On any given school day, Mattawan teachers, support staff, and administrators work hard to help our students reach for and realize their potential. They go about this work with drive, a deep passion, and some long days. It takes formidable energy to power through the remaining weeks of the school year! That’s why our district nurse, Tracy Brewer, launched a district-wide health and wellness program called “Wellcats.” The goal is to promote a culture that supports all eight aspects of the well-being of all district staff. We hope by promoting a culture of wellness among our staff, we will positively impact the educational experience of our students. The Wellcats are kicking off the first Mattawan Miles Challenge! There is a monthly newsletter, presentation opportunities, and encouragement to get staff moving, enjoy the outdoors, reduce stress, and feel great! To brand the Wellcats program, Nurse Brewer commissioned student talent in a logo design contest. We are pleased to announce that Ryu Ando, a 10th grade digital media student, developed a logo for the newly formed district health and wellness Wellcats initiative. Thanks to all of our entrants for helping make the contest a success. Congrats Ryu, fantastic job!

Mrs. Smith Hosts Teachers in Training

Mrs. Smith’s 4th grade students learned from a team of teachers in training! Through a partnership program with Kalamazoo Valley Community College, some energetic students in the teaching certification program simulated a day in the life of an elementary school teacher. The team of KVCC students developed lessons and practiced teaching skills through a writing and poetry lesson. Fourth graders were asked to begin with a rough draft of an “I Remember” poem where they use experiences and memories to write a poem. Moving through the lesson, the KVCC student team applied effective instructional strategies like writing prompts, think time, checking for understanding, and participation signals (thumbs-up/down) for students to indicate when they were finished with their poem. Short “brain/movement breaks” were also built-in to the lesson to help our kids stay focused and productive. Dr. Cheryl Almeda, KVCC Education Department Chair, accompanied her team of students. She commented that the partnership is an extremely valuable opportunity for KVCC students pursuing a career in education. “This experience allows students in the teaching certification program to practice and apply learning in a real-world setting.” With a look of approval, it was clear that Dr. Almeda was proud of the KVCC students who had a successful start with well-prepared creative lessons, engaging instruction, and a positive classroom presence. We think they had a bit of fun working with Mattawan kids too! The visit was a powerful learning experience for everyone. A joy of teaching AND learning emanated in Mrs. Smith’s 4th grade classroom. Special thanks to Kalamazoo Valley Community College for partnering with schools and preparing future teachers for the rewarding career of shaping the lives of students!

The WiredCats robotics team had a great time at the Michigan State Championship. The team placed 14th out of 40 teams after qualifying matches and ended up ranked 50th in the state out of around 450 teams! With their exceptional performance this year, we have earned our way to the World Championship in Houston! This will be held from April 19-22. Good luck team!

Laura Oldberg, Mattawan High School Maintenance Team

In schools there is work that takes place behind the scenes to keep kids learning. We acknowledge that each member of the MCS team is critical to school success. Remove just one cog on that behind the scenes team and our schools just won’t tick. So today we recognize the dedicated efforts of Laura Oldberg, a vital member of our custodial maintenance team. Laura has been on staff for 7 years and has worked in most of our buildings, before landing her current role at Mattawan High School. "It's the students and people that I enjoy most", said Oldberg. Laura is invested here, and we're deeply grateful for her work ethic and care for our schools. Join us in celebrating the work of Laura Oldberg.

Burning Pre-Spring Break Energy

Mr. Frank and his kindergarteners were burning good energy, learning basic fundamentals. Set up in stations, students were learning their launching skills for soccer, bowling, lacrosse, and Frisbee. Mr. Frank is all in when it comes to his students learning the value of physical activity. Beyond learning the fundamentals, our kindergarten kids are learning to challenge their bodies and brains through trying new tasks. They were eager to accept the challenge that comes with new movements and sportsmanship too. Thank you Mr. Frank setting a firm foundation of fitness in MCS youth!

Hard Work in High School Geometry

Step into Mrs. Willit’s Geometry class and you’ll notice all the students are focused and on task. Her class of 9th and 10th grade students powered through the work behind a lesson in the Geometry of polygons. “What do you know about consecutive angles in a parallelogram?” Mrs. Willit coached her students to recognize the geometry in a situation, apply geometric principles, and solve the problem. This comprehensive review of key concepts like interior/exterior angles of convex polygons, slope formulas, consecutive angles, parallelograms, parallel and congruent opposite sides, and linear pairs, to name a few, helped increase a complete understanding of a complex unit. Mrs. Willit and her students pair hard work, rigorous study, and a growth mindset to breed success in learning. Mattawan teachers are deeply dedicated to the craft of teaching and learning. We appreciate Mrs. Willit for keeping Mattawan kids inspired, motivated, and committed to giving their best.

A "Behind the Scenes" Shout Out

Every day, members of the Mattawan team go about “behind the scenes” work to keep the mission of “Empowering the Future Together...With Mattawan Pride” moving forward. We love to reflect on the extraordinary amount of work that goes on behind the scenes so that Mattawan kids can show up and start learning. To show up, we need skilled and caring school bus drivers who set the tone for students’ day of learning. Today we acknowledge Terri Baughman, proud school bus driver of 9 years. “It’s truly a great feeling when kids excitedly point you out with a ‘there’s my bus driver!’, said Baughman. "Watching them grow and mature through the years is wonderful.” Her work only begins at driving as she works to build positive relationships with her passengers, volunteers for field trips, adjusts routes as needed, and maintains a clean bus for travels. We know our families depend on our drivers and we agree, they are a critical cog in our organization. To Terri, her work is also her passion, “It’s such a rewarding experience to be a part of their day.” We honor the work of Terri Baughman and the entire transportation team who keep us rolling. Interested in joining this fantastic team and make a difference in the lives of kids? Join us. www.mattawanschools.org/employment

The #powerhalfhour is a time where staff, target #instruction to build #necessaryskills based on #data. It is part of the professional learning community movement happening in Mattawan! Thank you for your leader ship! #plc #ckh #rockstars #ees

• Apr 22 Prom
• M-STEP Testing Continues through May
• May 2 1/2 Day, PD
• May 8 BOARD MEETING, 6:30 p.m.
• May 24 Graduation
  
• May 29 No School
• June 6 Last Day of School for EES, LES, MMS, & MHS
• June 7 Last Day of School for ECEC
• June 26 BOARD MEETING, 6:30 p.m.

Please don't hesitate to reach out with questions!

Email: rfleenor@mattawanschools.org
Website: https://www.mattawanschools.org/
Location: 56720 Murray Street, Mattawan, MI, USA
Phone: 2696683351
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MattawanCSD
Twitter: @mattawancsd