LCS Supt's Corner

On behalf of Linden Community Schools, I would like to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving. Thank you for your continued support of our students and staff. LCS is very fortunate to have you!

Linden Community Schools will be closing down at the end of the day on Tuesday, November 22, 2022. Students and staff will report back to school on Monday, November 28, 2022.

The 2022-23 LCS School Calendar can be found on the LCS webpage.

Have a HAPPY Thanksgiving!

Linden Community Schools continues to make headway with the community-supported bond program. We are closing in on the end of Phase 1 projects, and preparing for Phase 2 projects.

Phase 1: Multipurpose Center

The exterior concrete is complete. The asphalt company was able to get most of the asphalt base coat down, all except the community pathway. The community pathway and top coat of the remaining asphalt will most likely happen in the Spring. The electrical switchgear (power unit), for the Multipurpose Center, is now scheduled to ship on December 29th. The final rooftop unit has been built, shipped, and delivered to the mechanical contractor. We expect to crane lift all of the units on November 22nd. The building is enclosed and we have added temporary heat to continue interior construction.

Phase 1: Linden Elementary

The video surveillance system is installed and operational. Interior classroom doors with secure locking systems have been installed. We continue to wait for delivery of the PA system, the door access control system and student lockers. Interior casework is currently being installed. The new collaboration zone is close to completion and we have received temporary approval from the State of Michigan and the State Fire Marshall.

Phase 2: Linden High School

Development and design meetings have been completed allowing LCS to move forward with attaining bids for the proposed LHS project. Bid openings on the LHS project are scheduled for December 8, 2022.

Phase 2: Hyatt Elementary

Final design meetings will take place toward the end of December. Once the final design meetings have been completed, final bid documents for the Hyatt Elementary projects will be put together for an anticipated February 2023 bid posting.

Monthly updates can be found on our LCS Bond Information webpage.

Student safety is always our number one concern, and we will always err on the side of caution when making a decision to cancel school because of bad weather conditions. The rule of thumb, in regards to temperature, that we use when making the decision to cancel school is when the ambient temperature and wind speed result is a wind chill temperature of -19*F. Under these conditions, exposed skin can freeze in 30 minutes. Other factors that are included in the decision-making process are snow accumulation, icing, temperature, road conditions, visibility, blowing snow, and weather forecasts.

The process, when making the decision to cancel school for weather conditions, is ongoing. Linden Community Schools is in constant contact with other local districts, the Genesee County Road Commission, our transportation department, local police departments, and we have individuals driving roads to help determine the conditions. Again, there is no exact science to making this decision. Student safety is our main concern.

Wind Chill Temperature Index

Wind Chill Brochure

How do we communicate to you when school is canceled? In order to get the message out as quick as possible we will be using our all-call system and posting information on our District's website. Other forms of communication that we will use include social media (Facebook and Twitter), local media outlets (Channel 12, WNEM TV5, WXYZ Channel 7, and WHMI.

During the month of October, the Linden Board of Education took action on several items:

• Appointed Jenny Hammill as the Linden parent to serve on the GISD Parent Advisory Committee for special education. Thank you Ms. Hammill for representing LCS!
• Approved purchase of new high jump and pole vault systems for our students.
• Approved new School Resource Officer Agreement with the Linden Police Department for Hyatt and Linden Elementary Schools.

During the October 5th Board Work Session, students from every school were recognized as Student of the Month for their outstanding qualities in leadership, kindness, academics, and more. We have some amazing students!

School Board Election 2022:

We have not received the official canvass of votes for the November election, but the unofficial counts from Genesee and Livingston Counties indicated Mr. Steve Murphy was reelected, and Brook Hansen is a newly elected board member who will begin in January. Congratulations!

A special thanks to Trustee Greg Durkac who has served on the Linden Board of Education since 2021.

Gratitude to the other candidates who looked to serve the community and Linden Community Schools by running in the election...Paul Armstrong, Terra Phillips, and Tabitha Ramberg.

Information about the Linden Community Schools Board of Education, including meeting dates, agendas, and meeting minutes can be found on the LCS Board of Education webpage.

Our Linden Middle School Robotics Team did a fantastic job at their first competition, the Howell Qualifier, against 35 other teams. Team 7031-Battle Blazers finished 19th out of the 36 teams and we were chosen by the third-place alliance captains for playoffs. As part of the alliance, they won the semi-finals, upsetting the second-place seed. Unfortunately, they were eliminated in the finals and finished as a member of the Finalist Alliance. Team 7031-Battle Blazers were recognized as a Think Award Finalist, and earned a spot at the Michigan State Championships at Calvin University in Grand Rapids, December 15th-17th.

Linden Community Schools follows "Child Find" requirements of Federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Michigan Administrative Rules for Special Education (MARSE). As a parent, if you suspect your child (birth through 25 years of age) may have delays in physical, social, emotional, communication, and/or cognitive development which interferes with learning, please contact your child's teacher, building principal or special education office to discuss the need for pre-referral strategies, a potential parent-teacher meeting, and/or information on the testing process.

Email: rciesiel@lindenschools.org
Website: www.lindenschools.org
Location: 7205 Silver Lake Road, Linden, MI, USA
Phone: 810-591-0983
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LindenCommunitySchools/
Twitter: @LindenSchools