The Dryden Red and Black

Dryden Junior High Boys Basketball Open Gyms are continuing through November, offering students in grades 6, 7, and 8 the chance to get ready for the upcoming season. Open Gym sessions will be held on Wednesdays, October 22 and 29, from 6:00–7:00 p.m. in the Dryden High School gym. The official basketball season will begin on December 16, and a full schedule will be shared soon. Students with questions are encouraged to contact Coach Josh at 313-283-8112.

🎉 Support Project Graduation and enter to win delicious prizes in our Meat Raffle sponsored by The Country Market! 🥩🍗🥓

For just $5 per ticket, you could win:
🥇 1st Prize ($475 Value): A huge variety of steaks, chicken, pork, and more to fill your freezer!
🥈 2nd Prize ($200 Value): Ground chuck, sirloins, sausage, whole chickens, ribs & more.
🥉 3rd Prize ($85 Value): Ground chuck, hotdogs, pork steaks, bacon, and more.

📅 Tickets will be drawn on December 19th – just in time for the holidays!

Every ticket purchased helps support our graduating seniors.
👉 To purchase tickets or for more info, contact Ashley at agammon@drydenschools.org.

Thank you for supporting Project Graduation and our students’ futures! ❤️

We’re Hiring!

Dryden Community Schools is looking for dedicated individuals to join our team!

We have openings for:

• Behavior Interventionist
• Special Education Paraprofessional
• Recess/Lunch Aide
• Part-Time Cook
• Maintenance Tech
• Crossing Guard

If you’re passionate about supporting students and making a difference in our schools, we’d love to hear from you!

Call (810) 796-2201, (810)796-2266, or apply online below.

by Jayden Stankevich

Last week, Topher Strunk from Western Michigan University visited Dryden High School to educate students about his college. Topher graduated from Western and now works for their admissions office. He played club hockey there and highly enjoyed his experience. Western is located in Kalamazoo, Michigan, which is about 2 ½ hours from us. They have a beautiful campus, and they are well known for their hockey.

The first thing that drew my attention was their hockey program. Last year, they won the national championship. They were also voted first for the loudest student section. This kind of atmosphere is what I am looking for in a college. Hockey is a big factor in my life, so that will be really cool to experience that.

Another thing that caught my attention was how he mentioned that there are a lot of activities to do. Their college is near the water, so a lot of college students go to the lake on the weekend or after class. They also offer a Student Recreation Center and many club sports and events. Being able to stay active and find things to do is also an important factor in my college experience. Besides their activities, they also have a good academic program. They are well known for their science, as well as their business programs. Hearing this is a good sign for me because I am looking to go into a business program.

If I were to talk to him again, I would like to know more about the scholarships they offer and what they can do to make it more affordable for me. Western is not too expensive, but they are not one of the cheapest. I would also like to know more about the internships they offer when going into business. These questions would help a lot when deciding what college is best for me. This is a school I will be highly considering now, and I am really thankful he came in to share his experience at Western.

by Brenden Peter

Mott is one of the top community colleges on my list, and the visit from Gary Campioni made me even more excited to apply there. He brought a great attitude and personality to show us all about Mott.

The presentation he had wasn't very long, but he did a great job getting every detail in about Mott, including Majors, Sports, the cost if you were out of county, and the people around Mott. He ensured that we all understood the Michigan Community College guarantee and how it can serve as a way to kickstart the rest of our college process. With Mott, you can take two years of classes, and if you decide you want to go somewhere with more students or perhaps the program you're pursuing is better suited there, you can spend the two years at Mott, then transfer and retain all your credits.

Overall, Gary did a great job at showing us all about Mott, and although I had already applied and it was one of my top community colleges, he made me want to go there even more than before.

Stay updated on our progress with funds from the bond passed in May 2023 by using this checklist! We appreciate your continued support of our students, our schools, and our community.

Dryden Athletic Booster Meetings

November 19

December 17

<---- Winter Concessions Sign Up

by Claire Wright

When you find someone who’s interested in you for your brains, that’s a sign they’re a keeper.

Or a zombie.

Attention #proudcardinal Class of 2026 Parents:
If you're looking for a great way to honor your 2026 graduate, consider purchasing a Recognition Ad in this year's yearbook. A 1/4 page ad costs $80. There are several formats from which to choose. Here are some examples from last year's yearbook. A limited number of ads are available and are sold on a "first come - first served" basis. If you have any questions, feel free to contact Mrs. Palmerini at bpalmerini@drydenschools.org.

Last week's riddle:

I’m tall when I’m young and short when I’m old. What am I?

What am I? A candle!

Congratulations, Ella Gustner! You were the first with the correct answer.

This week's riddle:

The more you take, the more you leave behind.

What am I?

Submit your answer below for a shoutout next week!

The Dryden cross country team competed at the Regional Meet on Saturday, October 25th at Wagener Park.

The girls varsity team finished in 3rd place and qualified for states as a team! Cara Prusakiewicz led the team with a 2nd place finish in 19:41.49, which set a new school record! She was followed by Claire Wright in 7th (20:45.74), Ella Gustner in 9th (21:06.24), Lilyana Lasher in 30th (24:05.24), and Caila Fitchett in 39th (24:56.39).

The boys varsity team finished in 2nd place and are also state qualifiers! The team was led by Logan Romain in 4th (17:13.39) and Levi Fitchett in 7th (17:21.28). They were supported by Jaycen Roberts in 20th (18:54.12), Brenden Peter in 26th (19:22.92), Dylan Lasher in 28th (19:44.75), and Tyler Roberts in 32nd (19:55.81).

The Dryden Girls Volleyball team went up against both Deckerville and Kingston, losing both games with scores from Kingston; 6-25, 6-25, and 10-25. 11-15, 18-25, and 16-26, the scores of the Deckerville game, some of the overall stats from both games combined Karley Phillips served 8 times with 1 ace, 4 digs, 4 kills, and 2 assists. Caila Fitchett had 8 serves, 2 digs, 5 kills, and 5 assists. Molly Wilkey - 10 serves, 2 digs, 3 kills, 2 blocks, and 10 assists. Mallory Barker - 9 serves, 7 digs, 4 kills, and 1 assist. Mckinley Gammon, 6 serves with 3 aces and 7 kills. Bella Blatt with 4 serves. Elaina Yatros 1 serve, 4 digs and 1 kill. Kayla Lapka 5 serves, 1 dig and 4 assists. Hailey Messerschmitt had 2 digs and Aubrey Joseph had 1.

In their game against Kingston, Dryden played hard but ultimately fell 78–38.

Gianni Coscione led the offense with a strong performance, completing 16 of 28 passes for 230 yards and 2 touchdowns while rushing 15 times for 88 yards and 2 more scores. Santiago Perales was a major playmaker with 5 receptions for 122 yards and a touchdown, plus an electrifying kick return for another score. Brady Schneider added 7 receptions for 73 yards and a touchdown, while Rowan Handley caught 2 passes for 21 yards and Luke Taylor added 2 receptions for 14 yards. On defense, Schneider and Coscione each recorded 6 tackles, Taylor and Logan Korth had 5 apiece, and Callum Brown and Joshua Adams each added 4.

Scoring plays included a Coscione-to-Schneider touchdown pass, a 5-yard rushing score by Coscione, a kick return touchdown by Perales, a 25-yard rushing touchdown by Coscione, and a 38-yard touchdown pass from Coscione to Perales. Despite the loss, the Cardinals showed heart and determination, keeping it close early against a talented and experienced Kingston team.

• 5:30 PM-7:00 PM - Boys Basketball open gym for grades 9th thru 12th, HS Gym

• 6:00 PM-6:45 PM - Boys Basketball Meeting Grades 9-12, Library

• 7:10 AM - 7:25 AM - Weekly Encouragement (Library)
• 2:30 PM-3:30 PM - Weekly Encouragement Club Movie Event, Library
• 6:00 PM-8:00 PM - Halloween Escape Room - Link Crew Event, Library & MPR
• 6:00 PM-9:00 PM - Varsity Volleyball at Peck, Bus departs at 4:20 pm

• All Day: Wear it Wednesday (HS) - Halloween/Orange and Black
• 12:00 PM-2:00 PM - ASVAB Testing, MPR
• 5:30 PM-7:30 PM - Varsity Volleyball at Richmond Quad, Bus Departs at 3:40 pm
• 6:00 PM-7:00 PM - Junior High Boys Basketball Open Gym, HS Gym
• 6:30 PM-7:30 PM - Weight Room Training/Workouts, Weight Room
• 7:00 PM-8:30 PM - Boys Basketball open gym for grades 9th thru 12th, HS Gym

• 7:30 AM-7:45 AM - NHS Meeting
• 2:30 PM-3:30 PM - The Theater Kids Club, Band Room
• 6:30 PM-7:30 PM - Weight Room Training/Workouts, Weight Room
• 7:00 PM-8:30 PM - Boys Basketball open gym for grades 9th thru 12th, Elementary School

• 2:30 PM-3:30 PM - Dryden Elementary Halloween Parade

• MHSAA Division 4 Cross Country State Finals

November 10

December 8

January 12

All meetings begin at 7:00 p.m., will be held in the Dryden High School Library, and are open to the public.

Check out the 2025-2026 Dryden Community Schools District Calendar here!

Faculty Advisors:

Ms. Sheryl Czerwinski & Mrs. Breanne Palmerini

Editors:

Caila Fitchett & Cara Prusakiewicz

Reporters:

Logan Romain & Claire Wright

Email: Cardinal@drydenschools.org
Website: https://www.drydenschools.org/
Location: Dryden High School, Rochester Road, Dryden, MI, USA
Phone: (810) 796-2266
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drydencommunityschools

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