June 2, 2025

Congratulations on making it through another great school year!! This is the last week of school for the 2024-2025 school year. Monday - Wednesday are full days, and Thursday and Friday are half days.

Tuesday, June 3rd - Locker Clean Out at 2:10 p.m. Students who have lockers will be allowed to clean out their lockers on Tuesday.

The exam schedule is:

Wednesday, June 4th - full day, 5th period exams start at 12:50 p.m.

Thursday, June 5th - half day, 3rd & 4th period exams. School dismissed at 10:40 a.m.

Friday, June 6th - half day, 1st & 2nd period exams. School dismissed at 10:40 a.m.

Students will not be allowed to bring backpacks into the building on Thursday and Friday. Students should bring their Chromebooks with them to school if they need them for their exams.

Congratulations to the KC Track and Field Teams on their success at the MHSAA State Championships on Saturday. It was truly a day for the record books, as the Giants shattered seven school records throughout the day!

Senior Jeremy Dixon capped his incredible high school career by running a personal best and school record time of 10.45 in the 100 meter dash and finishing third overall, while also running a personal best and school record time of 21.11 in the 200 meter dash and claiming the title of STATE CHAMPION in that event! Dixon was joined by Maurice Streeter, Curtis Whitfield, and Jeremiah Marshall on the 4x200 meter relay team, which also broke the school record with a time of 1:27.10 on their way to a fourth place finish. Rounding out the boys performances, Maurice Streeter was 10th in the 100, Andrew Wright was 13th in the 1600 and 26th in the 3200, Unydice Thomas was 12th in the 300 hurdles, Aiden Thomas was 10th in the discus, and Jeremiah Marshall was 20th in the long jump. The 4x800 relay team of Sam Baker, Andrew Wright, Ty Billings, and Elijah Thompson finished 27th, and the 4x100 team of Whitfield, Streeter, Dixon, and Khy'Miere Bowen finished 17th overall. As a team, the boys finished in a tie for 8th place, giving them their fourth consecutive top-ten finish!

In the girls action, we saw a trio of amazing performances from senior Annie Alkema, the Kalamazoo Central Distance Running Queen! Annie finished 19th in the 3200, 9th in the 1600, and turned in an all-state 6th place finish in the 800, breaking her own school records in all three events in the process. The girls celebrated another all-state performance from junior Aaliyah Young, who smashed her previous personal best time in the 300 meter hurdles to finish 5th overall and claim her spot on the podium. In addition, the girls 4x100 meter relay team of Daviya McCoy, TeMyrra Moore, Kynnedi Patterson, and Aaliyah Young set a new school record with a time of 48.79 on their way to a 10th place finish. Kynnedi Patterson rounded out the day with a strong performance in the 100 meter dash, finishing 25th. Out of over 150 D1 teams in the state of Michigan, the girls finished 27th overall!

Congratulations to all KC Track and Field Giants on a great season. You are the ones who make Kalamazoo Central TRACKCITY!

Congratulations to our Varsity Softball Team for being back-to-back district champs! Through hard work and determination, these ladies have proved that anything is possible! Last Saturday, they defeated Portage Northern 2-1 to secure a spot at the district finals. Later in the day, they defeated Mattawan 8-3. They will take on Temperance Bedford in the Regional Semi-Final on Saturday, June 7th at Ypsilanti Lincoln High School at 12:30 pm. Best of Luck Ladies!

National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA) Project Pipeline is the first step for engaging students, parents, and community into the world of architectural design. This free 3-day Kalamazoo camp hosts students 12-18 years of age at WMU’s Richmond Institute for Design and Innovation. As students arrive at the Kalamazoo Camp, they are welcomed by local Architects and designers that go through standard background checks. They will be introduced to fundamental architectural drawing techniques and vocabulary. Teams are created and students are guided to create design narrative statements, plans, elevations, sections, perspectives, site plans and 3D models. In the spirit of collaboration that is essential for finding success in this industry, communication with related disciplines including interior design, engineering, and environmental science will be highlighted. A KPS school bus will be hired to transport students to off site visits at a local architecture firm, furniture showroom, and project site. Each year, the design project is modeled after a real opportunity in the students’ community. This breaks down the barrier of abstraction for students beyond their time at camp; in the years to come, they will be able to see changes and development of the site they studied. Jamauri Bogan will host the project site to develop a mixed use project in a historic Kalamazoo neighborhood. Kalamazoo is unique to be one of the only “small” cities to host this camp in the nation. Hayward Babineaux started this summer program in 2017 that works as a satellite function from NOMA Detroit who will also be hosting a camp this summer. To sign up please visit: This would not be possible without grant funding from the Michigan Architecture Foundation and donations form TowerPinkster and Abonmarce.

The start date for boys Soccer conditioning is June 23 at 8:30am. Please plan on attending if you are interested in trying out for the boys soccer team this fall.

If you owe any monies for School Id's, Chromebook repairs, Library books or Sports uniforms. Please plan on getting these taken care of in the next few weeks. Especially for the Seniors, you cannot receive your diploma on graduation night if these are not taken care of before hand. If you have any questions regarding these fees please see Mrs. Garza, Ms Willis, Mrs. Colvin or Mrs. Rice.

We want to make sure everyone has a smooth and safe school day, so here’s a quick reminder about our food procedures:

No DoorDash, Grubhub, or Fast-Food Deliveries – Managing food deliveries during the school day is a safety issue and disrupts the routine. We also cannot call students out of class to pick up food.

Packed Lunches from Home Are Allowed – Students are welcome to bring lunch from home, but outside food purchased during the school day cannot be brought into the building.

Food Brought in Will Be Discarded – To keep things running smoothly, any outside food arriving during school hours must be thrown away.

Thank you for understanding and helping us keep our school safe and focused on learning!

Parent(s)’/Guardian(s)’ Responsibility:

• It is the responsibility of the parent(s) and/or guardian(s) to notify the student’s school as early as possible on the day of an absence and explain the reasons for the absence.

• Written or email verification of a student’s absence by a parent/guardian is required (unless otherwise indicated by the appropriate administrator) and should be provided to the school the day after an absence.

• Student absences are considered unexcused if documentation supporting an excused absence is not provided.

• After 3 consecutive absences, a medical note from a physician may be required.

• It is the responsibility of the parent(s) and/or guardian(s) to make arrangements with the teacher to obtain missed assignments due to absences.

What is an excused absence?

• Student illness and/or appointment verified by the parent/guardian or medical professional

• Medically verified extended illness or hospitalization

• Attending a funeral

• Religious holiday

• Absence due to a subpoenaed court appearance

• Any time missed due to KPS school transportation issues

Please send email absence excuses to chsattendance@kalamazoopublicschools.net

We ask for your support in reinforcing the following school expectations with your children:

• Chromebooks: Students must bring a fully charged Chromebook to class daily. All Chromebook issues will be handled in the Chromebook Room during lunch

• ID Visibility: Students are required to wear their ID visible around their neck at all times. Pulling them out of pockets or backpacks is unacceptable. IDs are required to gain entrance into the building. They must be worn at all times around your neck and displayed. You may purchase an extra ID from Mrs. Garza for five dollars.

• Lunch Procedure: Each student is allowed to take only one lunch. Students who violate will serve dention and/or suspension

• Timeliness: Students must arrive to classes on time. Pattern of behavior will result in student loss of privileges up to and including suspension.

• Respectful Behavior: Students should keep their hands to themselves. Any physical aggression will be treated as an individual fight and students will be suspended.

• Detentions: Students must serve assigned detentions; failure to do so may result in suspension.

• Clean Environment: Students must throw away their trash after breakfast and lunch. They must also respect the bathrooms by putting paper towels in the trash can, flushing the toilet, and reporting vandalism. Students may receive lunch duty and other consequences.

• Safety and Welfare: Students can be suspended for behaviors that interfere with the safety and welfare of others, including walking the halls, vaping, attending more than one lunch, and any form of physical or verbal aggression.

• Hats, Hoodies, or Bonnets: are not allowed to be worn in the building at any time.

• Cell Phones may not be used during class time or while on bathroom breaks. Students may use cell phones before school, passing time, lunch, and after school.

• Attendance: To send in all student absences to CHSattendance@kalamazoopublicschools.net. If the absence is for a doctor's visit please remember to send in the doctor's office note with your email.

We appreciate your help in encouraging students to adhere to these expectations.

Arrival

• Please drop off students in the front of the building, not the back.
• Buses have a limited time for picking up, dropping off, and transporting students to the elementary schools.
• If you are dropping off your student at the curb please drop off and pull away from the curb. If you are planning on waiting until the doors open please pull into a parking spot. It creates a traffic jam and is unsafe for our students walking into the building.

Dismissal

• To ensure a safe and efficient pick-up process, please adhere to the following guidelines:
  1. Pick up students in the front of the building.
  2. Do not cut in front of buses.
  3. If picking up after 2:45 PM, you may pick up in the back.

Safety Matters
Students darting between buses can create an unsafe environment. Let's work together to maintain a safe and orderly dismissal process.

Seniors! The Kalamazoo Promise Pathway Coaches will be hosting Open Labs every third Wednesday in lab 553. Starting November 20th. Open Lab is a one stop for everything post secondary. Applying to college, trade programs, promise paperwork, FAFSA and more. You will need a pass to and from Open Labs. Reach out to your Promise Coach, Ms. Trenae Dunigan, with questions and for more information.

Aunt Flows Lockers are officially stocked! If you need any period products look for the lockers next to Women's restrooms marked with pink tape. If you need a more consistent supply of products don't hesitate to get in touch with kcwomensadvocacy@gmail.com.

Chess Club is meeting every Wednesday in room 221 from 2:30- 3:30. Any and all levels are welcome.

State Representative Julie Rogers is seeking enthusiastic students to join her Youth Advisory Board! This is a fantastic opportunity to learn about government and make your voice heard. Interested? Check out the application linked below! For more information or questions, contact Kaitlyn Ozanich, who participated last year. Don’t miss your chance to get involved!

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeUHZeK5sEB68_rrDK_-AQmRmAYiC6QIDahsFhGGnPfXbl48Q/viewform