The Buzz

The Boys and Girls track team had a busy week! Saturday they competed at regionals and Wednesday was the Big 8 Conference Meet. The girls' team did an outstanding job wrapping up the regular season. They had several state qualifiers. Jacey Hutchins, Skylar Thompson, Rylee Weeks, and Shianne Alejandro will each be ready to take on the best in the state on June 5th.

The boys' team was also pretty incredible. They put it all on the line and won both the Regional Meet and the Big 8 Conference Meet. They qualified as a team for the state competition and had individuals finish in the top spots in almost every single event. The team is very excited about the State Meet Saturday, June 5th in Hudsonville. #ONEHIVE #FEARTHESTING #SHATTEREXPECTATIONS

Kayla Miller and Paityn DeForest have been raising funds for their student group "The Puppy Protectors," a project for their Application of Leadership class. They have been holding various fundraisers throughout the year, and on Wednesday they were able to donate nearly $500 to the Jackson County Animal Shelter! Shout out to these amazing students who are doing great things for the community!

Our fourth-grade students were the centerpieces of the first outdoor Fourth-Grade Wax Museum this week. They have spent the last four weeks reading, researching, and writing about interesting and influential historical figures. They worked so hard, and we are so proud of the effort they put in and the work they completed. Despite the wind and blowing boards, the students were tough and persevered through the obstacles - the sun shone so brightly on them. It was spectacular!

Our second graders have also been doing a lot of research over the last couple of weeks. They have each picked an animal and shared facts in several areas. Our second graders were able to represent their learning in a variety of ways from Slide Decks and Boards to action videos. The work was also outstanding!

SENIORS

Graduation Rehearsal - Wednesday, June 2nd at 8:30 am in HS Gym

Graduation- Sunday, June 6th at 1:00 pm

5TH GRADE

5th Grade Graduation is Thursday, June 3 at 6 pm via zoom

CHROMEBOOK RETURN

Monday, June 7th – EL return

Tuesday, June 8th – MS AND HS return

Wednesday June 9th – 8-10am EL & MS drive & drop online return, 10-2 HS drive & drop online & more return

Thursday, June 10th – 8-10 am remaining HS returns

Tuesday, May 25th the middle school and high school bands put on their first performance in over 18 months, and the night was magical. They faced many obstacles this year including the inability to consistently play their instruments for a large part of the first quarter. Mr. Spect was not deterred. He was creative and found solutions to his problems from bucket drums to instrument PPE which were financially supported by the Concord Educational Foundation and the Jackson Community Foundation. The band program was by far the most impacted by the COVID restrictions, so it was amazing to see them perform in such a powerful way. Mr. Specht and his team of students, friends of the band, and alumni came together to put on a show that shatered expectations.

As we move into the summer, I am stuck with a bittersweet feeling. There is so much to celebrate, but it is hard to see the kids grow up and leave us for the next 12 weeks. I am blessed and fortunate to be the superintendent of such an amazing school with the most fabulous students, staff, and families. It is hard to put into words why I can say that without hesitation because the reality is good schools are everywhere. BUT - I am reminded why I do not hesitate to say we shatter expectation when I get emails like the one below - Concord is #ONEHIVE

I am a fan of Concord. I attended the band concert on Tuesday, May 25th, and was amazed at the quality of sound and the show of commitment by the students and director. Excitement by Mr. Specht and the students was undeniable. . .and contagious. We left smiling.

I attended the Big 8 Track Invitational on Wednesday night. There was so much excitement and laughter from the athletes who were finished with their event but still there supporting their teammates. At the end of one of the girls' races, I watched one of our Concord Seniors finish and then walk back down the line to put her arm around a freshmen runner in support--"Classy, I thought, and so like our Seniors to do." Near the end of the event, which was between 8:30 p.m. and 9, I looked across the field while the girls were running their 3200, and I saw this: Parents and family members cheering enthusiastically; I saw Concord athletes still there, running to different places on along the track to cheer on the Concord athletes who were competing; I saw the Varsity Football coach; I saw the Varsity Girls' Basketball coach along with the Varsity Track coach and several assistant coaches--all there supporting Concord students.

And it just made me feel proud to be part of a community that really IS a community.

We are excited to announce that one of our Concord Alumni, Daniel Mikovits, graduated from Notre Dame. He earned a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering. Plus, he has already accepted his first position in the field and will begin work in August in the bustling city of Chicago. CONGRATULATIONS DANIEL!!

As you may have already heard, we are done with new ES Trait of the Week traits and MS Good Human Skills Challenge Activities for the year (awesome job, Jackets!). So, for the remainder of the year, we will be posting weekly feedback questions for students on the K-8 Morning Announcements about the Traits we've explored, and self-care suggestions on Fridays.

To kick off your weekend, here's a self-care recommendation to try:

We will be offering several summer learning opportunities. Please see below for more information about each option.

High School and Middle School Credit Recovery: This program is offered to our students that failed to earn credit in one or more of their courses this year. Eligible students were invited to enroll in the program via a letter sent home from the building office. This is a three-week opportunity to continue learning on-site with a teacher. Bussing and meals are available.

Kids Read Now (KRN): Elementary Students … KRN books are on the way

Kids Read Now has started to mail books to students' homes. Books may take 10-14 business days to arrive, but we have seen many arriving much sooner. Each student will receive nine books this summer. If families have any questions, please direct them to the KRN team. They will have support available all summer long!

KRN Phone Number: 877-536-0130

Chat: https://kidsreadnow.org/

Email: support@kidsreadnow.org

Link for families to update information: https://portal.kidsreadnow.org/

Parent Guide

We are also mailing each family our Parent Guide as an extra engagement piece for the program. Click here to view the online version.

K-8 Summer Learning Camps: We were excited to find out this week that we will be able to offer our K-8 students the chance to register for a free camp experience provided by one of our organization partners. Details of this opportunity will be sent home early next week. Please be watching the backpack, email, and text notifications as registration will open and close quickly. We know the notice will be short and the turnaround fast, which we were hoping to avoid, but we did not want to miss the opportunity altogether as our families have done so much for us this year. STAY TUNED!!

yyou are able to sign your child up for the Washington DC trip for a few more months, this Sunday is the deadline to receive the Earlybird discount to save 50 dollars. If interested, please click the link below. Don't forget to enter the discount code of Earlybird. The earlier you sign up, the lower the monthly payment will be.

www.explorica.com/Smith-2022#.YK-7oT4yqys.link

Child Tax Credit

As a part of pandemic relief, there is a new Child Tax Credit that is worth $3,000 per year, per child ages 6-17 and $3,600 per year, per child under 6 years old for families making $150k/year or less. In addition, this includes families with no income at all (for which the “regular” tax credit is not available).

These funds will be paid out in regular payments directly to families. However, for families to be eligible, they MUST file their 2020 taxes. This is designed specifically to address child poverty and is expected to lower childhood poverty by at least 45%.

Please share this information widely with families participating in your programs.

Families may be eligible for $50 per month off of their high-speed internet. Please widely share the link below!

Lt. Governor Gilchrist Encourages Michiganders to Sign Up for Federal Program to Lower Cost of High-Speed Internet | Michigan Business

Thank you so much for your patience with the constantly changing traffic patterns. We are getting very short notice before major changes occur. We will do our best to get new information to you as quickly as possible.

We were told we will be able to use the high school entrance for the remainder of the year. There will be a day in the coming future where the pavers put down a layer of topcoat asphalt. When that occurs we will do our best to notify our families as that will change traffic patterns again. If anything changes, we will do our best to make sure you know.

CONCORD IS GRATEFUL FOR THEIR TEACHERS!! The work our teachers have done this year has really been incredible, and we are very thankful for them! Therefore, we are sharing two different ways you could help us honor them.

You could nominate your teacher for the Shaheen and WILX Teacher Appreciation Contest

Calling parents & students! Recognize & celebrate your AMAZING teachers in our community by nominating them for the Shaheen & WILX Teacher Appreciation contest between 5/1/21 and 5/20/21! Enter by emailing your teacher’s name, school and how they’ve inspired you to myteacherrocks@wilx.com.

If selected, they could win a pizza party for the entire staff of their school ($500 max). Two teachers/schools will be randomly selected to win. Some entries will be featured on Studio 10 & News 10. Click HERE for official rules and terms.

SUBMIT YOUR ENTRY HERE!

You could also nominate your teacher for JACKSON MAGAZINES TOP TEACHER AWARD

Parents and students: Jackson Magazine is now accepting nominations for the 2022 Top Teacher. If you know a teacher that is an outstanding leader, is dedicated to students, and has gone above and beyond to help students and parents, especially during the pandemic, please visit their website at www.jacksonmagazine.com, go to the events tab, and select Top Teachers. The due date for 2022 nominations is October 15, 2021.

Have you liked the Elementary/Middle School Facebook Page?

If you have not yet, this week is a great time to start. The Elementary and Middle School use the Facebook page to post many updates and announcements. This Friday was the first-ever Facebook live-streamed morning announcements. Don't miss the news - like the page today.

https://www.facebook.com/Concord-ElementaryMiddle-School-593772624020990/

5/31 Memorial Day - No School for Students and Staff

6/10 LAST DAY OF SCHOOL - Half Day

Email: rebecca.hutchinson@concordschools.net
Website: www.concordschools.net
Location: 405 South Main Street, Concord, MI, USA
Phone: (517)524-8850