The Highlighter - October 2026

As we breeze through October, we would like to recognize our Building Principals in honor of National Principals Month. We are grateful for their dedication and leadership each day. Whether it be observations in the classroom, meeting with students or staff, subbing in a classroom, or a variety of other items that are added to their daily schedules each day, our principals are always here to serve our students, staff and families. I encourage our parents, staff, and community members to take a moment to thank their principals for all they do. A simple thank you can mean so much! Thank you, SJPS Principals, for all you do!

We continue to focus on engaging our students inside and outside the classroom. This includes engaging our families. As the saying goes, "it takes a village", I know this firsthand being a parent. Our principals have created opportunities this fall for our families and community members to take part in various events, including the grand opening of the Little Wings Early Learning Center, Community Night for both the Middle & High School, which included free admission to extra-curricular events, and the High School's "Paying for College" event. Other upcoming events include Family Night and Halloween celebrations at our elementary schools. Be sure to check your building newsletters for more details.

I want to leave you with one final thought. I hope you were able to take advantage of our in-person parent/teacher conferences. Building strong relationships and engaging with our family’s needs to be a focal point to help support our students in their academic journeys!

Thank you for your continued support of St. Johns Public Schools!

Happy Halloween and Go Redwings!

Sincerely,

Anthony Berthiaume, Ph.D.

Superintendent

St. Johns Public Schools

SJPS Shout out to Mrs. Motz’ 2nd grade class! Go Redwing Writers!

“My second grade students have been working diligently on expanding their sentences! For the last two weeks of writing instruction, we started each of our writing lessons with a singular picture of a noun. To encourage student talk, my students did a turn-and-talk for each part of speech we are focused on: adjectives, verbs, adverbs, and prepositional phrases.

At the end of each turn-and-talk session, we gathered as many adjectives to describe that one singular noun, verbs, adverbs, and prepositional phrases. We placed these awesome ideas on our chart at the front of the classroom.

My students were then able to practice saying their sentences out loud before heading off to write. After their sentences were complete, they went back into their writing and color coded each part of speech to double check their thinking. It was amazing to see the growth amongst my writers from the beginning to end. Go, second graders!”

Congratulations to Redwings Cross Country and Track and Field star, Ava Schafer! The Redwing State Champion had an amazing week, starting with winning the Greater Lansing Cross Country Championships for the third time in her high school career. Ava capped the week off by committing to run Cross Country and Track for Michigan State University next year! Go Redwings! Go Green! Go White! Read the LSJ article here.

The St. Johns Equestrian Club is a dedicated group of students from St. Johns School, all sharing a passionate commitment to equestrian sports. Unlike official school sports teams, this club operates independently, with each rider taking full responsibility for their own horse. This means the club members need to own horses and cover all associated expenses themselves. Despite these challenges, the club fosters a strong sense of camaraderie and determination among its members.

The road to state-level competition was paved with challenging meets. The team first competed in three district meets, including a one-day and a two-day event. St. Johns took the Championship Title! Successfully placing in the top two at districts qualified them for Regionals, which took place two weeks later over three days. Their outstanding performance at Regionals (Reserve Champions 2nd out of 32 teams!) secured their spot at the State Championships, marking a significant achievement for the St. Johns Equestrian Club.

The State Championships, held from October 14th to 18th, were a landmark event for the team. It was their first qualification for States in over a decade, a milestone that has generated excitement and pride within the club. Despite being uncertain of the exact year they last qualified, this achievement is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the current members.

Competing in the C Division, which is determined by the number of riders (three to five in this case), the St. Johns team impressively placed 4th, placing Top 5 at States! This remarkable accomplishment placed them among the top teams in their division, out of a total of 40 teams across four divisions.

C Division St. Johns riders:

Haley Huffman (So), Robin Simmons (Fr), Oakley Davis (Sr), Dalilah Geiger (Jr), Ally Elton (Jr)
• Haley and Mega– All showmanship classes, Western Equitation, Bareback, Reining, and Trail

• Robin and Odie– Reining, Western Showmanship, Flags, Cloverleaf, and Two-Man

• Ally and Bella – Saddle Seat Equitation, Western Horsemanship, Cloverleaf, and Two-Man

• Oakley and Gunner – Trail, Reining, and all speed events

• Dalilah and Meatball – Keyhole, Flags, and Two-Man

Professional photos credit to Weisler Photography

St. Johns Public Schools is proud to recognize and highlight the daily efforts of the following staff members who go above and beyond every day, making sure our students have the safe and functional environment that's necessary to succeed.

Zach Cole, Todd Feldpausch, Dave Hufnagel, Mike Kohagen, Jim Martens, Justin Mcconnell

Our district relies heavily on this six person maintenance staff. Under the direction of the Director of Operations, Rob Gleeson, these six staff members are responsible for all general maintenance and grounds upkeep at seven school buildings, the transportation department, numerous outbuildings, our concession buildings, the locker rooms, several storage sheds and all of our athletic facilities. More specifically, this includes: Around 650,000 interior square footage, around 180 acres of land, and 16 athletic fields and facilities.

To get an idea of what this means in terms of daily coverage, in a typical day's coverage is divided into the following areas. High School - 1 maintenance team member, Middle School - 1 maintenance team member, Oakview and Riley - 1 maintenance team member for both, Gateway and Eureka - 1 maintenance team member for both, Grounds upkeep, special projects, cleaning around the district, whatever is needed - 2 maintenance team members.

A typical day for a maintenance team member includes, but is not limited to:

- Stopping at Shipping and Receiving to pick up the mail for their building/buildings

- Deliver mail to the office of the building and complete daily building checks

- Check for work orders for buildings

- Check heating and cooling and comfortability

- Talk with Main office

- Talk with onsite custodian

- Touch base and make rounds in buildings (be seen)

- Mowing, snow plowing

- Pool Maintenance

- Plumbing

“Every day is different including work orders, special projects and being pulled in different directions by district needs. The team always has to be willing to adjust and change on the fly depending on what is needed by the district. Every team member is different with a different set of skills, because every building is different. Half of their day is about adapting.”

“Whether or not a bond passes, their job won't get easier. New equipment brings more things to learn. There will still be the same amount of things to take care of. So, it’s about the district and the students, these guys are going to keep doing what needs to be done.”

On October 2nd we celebrated National Custodian Day. Thank you to our 25 incredible custodians who care for 7 school buildings and approximately 650,000 square feet of space. You make learning, sporting events, concerts and Redwing Pride possible every day!

On October 5th we celebrated approximately 150 incredible teachers serving students across our eight PK–12 buildings: Eureka, Riley, Oakview, Gateway, SJMS, SJHS, Little Wings, and Strive Academy. Thank you for inspiring, guiding, and supporting our students every day. There would be no Redwing success, growth, or pride without you!

Special shout out to our own Mr. James Matice who has been recognized for the 2nd year in a row for his outstanding work in education. He is one of only three Assistant Principals in the state to be nominated by the Michigan Association of Secondary School Principals (MASSP) for the prestigious Middle School Principal of the Year Award! Learn more here.

We would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to the St. Johns Lions Club for their generous money donation for the McKinney-Vento program that supports students and families experiencing housing instability or homelessness. A check was presented to Lion Aleisha Wenzlick, District Office Executive Assistant, who serves as the Designated McKinney-Vento Liaison for the school district. Community partnerships like this make a meaningful difference in the lives of our students.

The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Program helps students and families experiencing housing instability by providing support with school supplies, clothing, transportation, and other essential needs. Whether a family is staying with others due to financial hardship, living in temporary housing, or facing other housing challenges, our goal is to help students feel supported and remain successful in school.

If you know of a student in St. Johns Public Schools who is experiencing homelessness or housing instability, please contact Aleisha Wenzlick at wenzlicka@sjredwings.org or 989-227-4002. We are here to help make sure students have the support and resources they need to continue their education during challenging times.

Pictured: Lions Club President Dean Hartenburg and Aleisha Wenzlick, Executive Assistant to the Superintendent and McKinney-Vento Liaison.

The Homecoming celebration was an event that brought the Redwings community together. With perfect weather, the day began with a parade that displayed the school's spirit and creativity. The homecoming court was memorable, capturing the crowd's attention. The football team put up a strong effort, almost defeating the eventual league champions. It was great to see alumni and current Redwings unite, celebrating their shared pride and tradition. The day was a reflection of the Redwings community's enduring spirit. Let's Go Redwings!

Congratulations to newly crowned Homecoming King and Queen; Cody Carn and Rachel Kirk!

This year's Homecoming Court: Freshmen: Breanna Boettger & Blake Speerbrecker - Sophomores: Lilly Becker & Truman Davis - Juniors: Summer Bailey & Owen Parker

Senior Court: Girls : Madi Wheeler, Bella Payment, Ava Schafer, Caroline Wiseman and 👸Rachel Kirk Boys: Tommy Burnhan, Ian Smith, Merlin McNitt, Bryce Foster, and 👑Cody Carn