The Spartan Family Newsletter

As we head into the summer months, our focus is already turning toward making the next school year our best one yet. We firmly believe that strong schools are built on strong partnerships with our families, and I want to invite you to have a direct voice in that future.

If you are looking for ways to get involved, we currently have three unique opportunities for parents and guardians this summer:

Provide Input for Next Year: If you have thoughts, feedback, or suggestions on how we can improve school operations and student engagement for the upcoming school year, I would love to hear from you. We can either meet in person, email, call, or even go get a coffee.

Summer Volunteering: We have several projects happening around our buildings over the summer months. If you have some time to give and would like to help us prepare our facilities for the students' return, your hands-on support would be incredibly welcome.

Join the Assistant Principal Interview Committee: We are currently preparing to hire a new K-12 Director of Student Success and Engagement / Assistant Principal. Because this role directly impacts our students and school culture, we want parent representation on our interview panels.

**Important Note regarding Interviews: To ensure we find the right match, we will be using a rolling interview process rather than holding them all on a single day. This means we will interview qualified candidates as their applications arrive. If you would like to commit to this committee, please note that it will require attending several separate interview sessions, most of which will take place during the daytime.

If any of these opportunities interest you, please contact me at Matt.Furtney@waldronschools.com.

Thank you for your continued dedication to Waldron Area Schools. I hope you and your family have a wonderful start to your summer, and I look forward to hearing from you!

If you know of any elderly, disabled, or homebound community members who could use some assistance with general yard cleanup, please reach out to me so we can coordinate a time to help. I am working with a student "Leadership Team" this summer, and we want to take this opportunity to give back to the community that always supports us!

June 1 – Walk-A-Thon K-5

June 1 - End of Marking Period (Elementary)

June 3 – Full Day (the half day was moved to the last day of school) Notice the change.

June 4 – Full Day (Make-Up Day, required by the State of Michigan)

June 5 – Half Day (Make-Up Day, required by the State of Michigan)

June 8 – Half Day (Make-Up Day, required by the State of Michigan)

June 9 - Half Day, (Make-Up Day, required by the State of Michigan), Last day of School

We are down to the final stretch with only 7 days of school left (4 full days and 3 half days).

I know half days can be inconvenient, but I am asking all parents to please send their students to school for these remaining days. When we adjusted our calendar due to winter weather days, we designed this schedule specifically to meet the state's required hours.

Please note that if we do not meet the state-mandated student attendance threshold on these half days, they will not count toward our required school year, which will negatively impact our district funding. Let's work together to make every day count this week!

As you wrap up your school year, Hillsdale County Farm Bureau would like to provide you with a Save the Date for the fall Agriculture Career Day scheduled for Tuesday, September 15, 2026 at Nutrien Ag Solutions in Reading.

As we quickly approach summer, there is a lot of excitement in the air. I am sure our students are looking forward to a well-deserved break from the classroom, but for a few of us, the real excitement is just beginning right here at school!

We have a handful of campus projects planned for this summer; some big and some small. As many of you know, our district faces financial constraints, much like many other schools in our area. Because of this, I want to be entirely transparent: we are not using our general operating funds to pay for any of these projects. Instead, these upgrades are funded entirely through specific grants and our dedicated school sinking funds. This is restricted money that legally cannot be spent on day-to-day student or academic costs; its sole purpose is building and school improvements.

If you happen to drive by this summer and see us hard at work, please feel free to stop in and get a quick tour! I look forward to keeping you updated over the coming months as we bring these exciting, much-needed updates to life for our Spartans.

When we hosted our Computational Thinking Family Game Night, we never imagined we’d inspire other schools to follow our lead. It’s an incredible feeling to be at the forefront of such an awesome learning program!

"Waldron Area Schools in Michigan recently hosted their own Family Game Night, where families munched on walking tacos while learning about CT, then headed into the gym to play board games together — practicing problem-solving strategies and using CT vocabulary to talk through their thinking."

Computational Thinking Article

Waldron Summer Ball Fundraiser Incentives!

Who’s ready for a little friendly competition?

The TEAM that raises the most money will earn an ICE CREAM PARTY!

The PLAYER who raises the most money will receive a $25 Amazon Gift Card!

This is a great chance to support our Waldron Summer Ball program while having some fun competition between teams and players! Every order helps support our athletes and our program.

Let’s get out there, sell, and make these fundraisers a huge success!

We’re offering these awesome Waldron Spartan blankets—perfect for football, volleyball, basketball, baseball, softball, track, or any sporting event at Waldron! Also great for camping, cool evenings, or showing your Spartan pride anywhere you go!

Large 50” x 60” Super Soft Micro-Plush Blankets
Only $20 each
Simply scan the QR code on the flyer to place your order online!
Printed order forms will also be available in the school office for anyone who would rather order that way.
Payment is due at the time of ordering. Cash only for paper orders, unless ordering online.
Orders must be placed by June 30th!
Every purchase helps support equipment, field improvements, and opportunities for our Waldron Summer Ball players.

We’re excited to partner with Buffalo Wild Wings in Adrian for a special Waldron Summer Ball Fundraiser on: Sunday, June 14, 2026 ALL DAY

Buffalo Wild Wings – 125 E US-223, Adrian, MI
Just show the fundraiser ticket (printed or on your phone) to your server, and 20% of your total bill will be donated back to our Waldron Summer Ball program to help support our young athletes!
Important: Fundraisers are only available for Dine-In orders or call-in / walk-in takeout orders.
Online ordering, DoorDash, or other third-party delivery orders do NOT qualify for the fundraising program.
Grab your family, friends, teammates, and come enjoy some great food while supporting a great cause!

I’ve compiled a list of food pantries in Hillsdale County for anyone who may be in need. Please remember that we are always here to help so don’t hesitate to reach out if there is anything we can do for you.

Additionally, if you need transportation to any of these locations, please contact me at Matt.Furtney@waldronspartans.org, and we will arrange a ride for you. We are truly proud to be partners with such an amazing community!

Looking for ways to encourage a love of reading? This article offers some great tips on how to subtly integrate reading into your child's favorite activities.

https://www.parents.com/expert-approved-sneaky-tips-to-get-your-kid-reading-11810979

Breakfast & Lunch are both free to ALL students.

Served in the cafeteria.

Breakfast 7:40 - 8:05

Lunch H.S. 11:10 - 11:40

M.S. 11:40 - 12:10

Elem. 12:10 - 12:40

Waldron’s Sporting events for (6/1 - 6/5)

Spring Sports Banquet is tentatively scheduled for Tuesday, June 2nd starting at 6pm.

High School – Main Dish. Jr. High School – Dessert

The Waldron Class of 2029 presents You Are My Sunshine Daddy Daughter Dance.

ATTENTION parents of students taking an E2020/Edgenuity class. We will be switching platforms and students have until July 31st to finish any Edgenuity courses they would like credit for. If you would like to know how far along your student is in their class, please reach out to Mrs. Crist. Once we switch over, we will not have access to any of the Edgenuity classes and what they don't complete will be gone.

Update: I wanted to those who have reached out to me regarding the dress code. For the most part, parents are happy that we will be enforcing the dress code. We are going to be lenient tights/yoga pants. I understand that these are a majority of some students wardrobes. As long as they are not see through, or exposing too much. But please remember if there is any doubt about dress and appearance, the principal or superintendent will make the final decision.

As we hopefully start having warmer days, I'd like to remind all of you about the Student Handbook Dress Code. If you would like to view it, the link is below. Please know that all students and staff are required to abide by the dress code set forth by the district. While some parents might not like it or agree with it, it is in our code of conduct and must be followed. If you ever have any questions or concerns regarding the dress code, please let me know.
It is never the intention to embarrass or humiliate any students about their attire. We will always provide an alternative clothing item before asking a parent to bring something up.

This link takes you to the student code of conduct and you will see the dress code on pages 30 and 31.

Waldron Dress Code

See the attached information for a free kids fishing derby put on by the Hillsdale Kiwanis organization.

I am incredibly proud to announce that three of our Spartan athletes were honored at the Hillsdale Sportsman Awards banquet this weekend. These students have not only excelled within their respective sports but have also maintained a commitment to high academic achievement. Balancing a demanding athletic schedule with rigorous coursework is no small feat, and we celebrate their dedication to excellence both on and off the field. Congratulations to Aiden O'Haver, Aiden Boyd, and Troy Shamplo!

Mr. Usher is looking for any possible musical instruments that you might not have a need for. While we are looking for any and all instruments, we currently don't have any saxophones. The district is working on getting our music program back to something our students can be proud of and any assistance you could provide would be wonderful!!

We are excited to announce that the weight room will now be open daily for MS/HS students from 3:15 pm to 4:15 pm.

All participating students must remain in the weight room for the duration of their workout; wandering the building will not allowed. A staff supervisor will be on-site at all times. Please ensure your student will have a ride home, as after-workout transportation will not be provided.

If you have any questions, please let me know.

We will not be using the April 6th date as a school make-up day. Unfortunately, the state did not authorize any extra days for schools this year. We will be adding 4 days to the end of our school year. Our last day of school will be June 9th. This will not affect when our seniors last day is.
We will have more details in the next couple of weeks.
Thank you for your cooperation with this.

OK2SAY is a 24/7 confidential safety tipline for reporting threats against students or schools. Contact them by phone at 855-565-2729, text at 652729, email at okaytosay@mi.gov, the OK2SAY app, or via their website.

Waldron Senior Night has been scheduled in the Multi-Purpose room for Thursday May 13th at 7pm.

If you are interested in volunteering with the Waldron Boosters, please let me know and I will put you in contact with them. They are a great group of people who do a lot of work for our school and students.

If you are late dropping off your student, after 8am, please be sure to drop them off at the front door. All other doors will be locked at 8am and with it getting so cold out, we can't have any students standing at the door waiting for someone to come let them in. Thank you for help with this.

Our elementary students are still going outside for recess, please ensure that they are bringing appropriate clothing for the cold temperatures. If you need any hats, gloves, coats for your child please contact Mr. Furtney

We are so glad to have you visit and hope you feel welcomed in our building! To best ensure the safety of our students and staff and maintain the daily flow, we have a couple of important requests for visitors:

When you arrive, please use the front doors to check in and sign out at the main office.

Please do not leave your vehicle unattended in the front bus loop during the busy morning drop-off or afternoon dismissal times. We need to keep this lane clear for our buses to maneuver safely and efficiently.

Your cooperation with these small matters is greatly appreciated!

The class of 2027 advisor is in need of some additional volunteers. There are many opportunities to support your students. The money raised goes towards their Prom, graduation, and senior trip. Even if your student doesn't plan on attending the senior trip, they could definitely use the help to raise funds for prom and graduation. If you are interested, please contact their class advisor, Diane Evers. Phone - (517)260-2291. Email - gypsy.snickers@gmail.com