TCS News to Know

As we begin the month of November, we are reminded that this is a great time to practice gratitude. Gratitude can be a difficult concept for students to truly grasp. Teaching gratitude in concrete ways that show actions helps to make this a life-long practice. According to Giselle Shardlow, M, Ed, author of mindful.org, by modeling acts of gratitude with our children, "we're building individual resilience in each family member while simultaneously deepening our relationships with one another. We develop a shared language of appreciation that helps our family navigate challenges, stress, and uncertainty as a team."

Here are some creative family gratitude activities that you can practice with your children that Shardlow highlights in her article 7 Creative Family Gratitude Practices That Make Appreciation Meaningful and Accessible:

Family Appreciation Walk

Take a brief weekly walk together where each family member takes “mental photos” of things that remind them of someone they love. Maybe a certain flower reminds your daughter of Grandma’s garden, or a basketball hoop makes your son think of his best friend. As you walk, use your hands like a camera viewfinder and say, “Click!” to capture the moment in your mind. When you return home or gather for dinner, share your mental photos and explain the connections.

Helper Hero Cards

Invite your kids to create simple thank-you cards for people who helped them during the week. These might be teachers, bus drivers, siblings, neighbors, or anyone who lent a hand. Include drawings, stickers, or just a few heartfelt words. Then deliver them together. This practice makes gratitude tangible and teaches children to notice helpful actions in their daily lives.

Mirror Moments

This thirty-second daily practice is simple but powerful. Have your child look in the mirror and say one thing they’re proud of about themselves. It might be, “I was kind to my sister today” or, “I tried really hard in soccer practice.” The key? Parents should model this, too. Kids love (and need) to see adults appreciate themselves. This builds self-compassion, self-esteem, and confidence—for the whole family.

To read more creative ways to actively practice and model gratitude with your children, check out Shardlow's article at https://www.mindful.org/7-creative-family-gratitude-practices-that-make-appreciation-meaningful-and-accessible/

Varsity Volleyball Districts will be held on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday of this week at Bellevue HS. Our girls play their first round against Marshall Academy tonight at 7 pm. All tickets cost $8 each, and must be purchased through GoFan at https://gofan.co/app/school/MI10267. Bellevue recommends that individuals take a screenshot of their ticket, as service can be limited for pulling up tickets while at the school.

To help get in the spirit for the big game on Saturday, November 7th between Michigan State University and the University of Michigan, all students and staff are encouraged to choose their team and wear their colors on Thursday, November 5th! Let's have some fun!

Last Friday, our first weekend food bags went home to those families that signed up for the weekend Backpack Program with the South Michigan Food Bank. Be sure to sign up if you have not already done so. Those that previously signed up will continue to receive weekend food packs at each distribution.

The food packs include boxes of macaroni and cheese, oatmeal, canned ravioli (or something like this), canned fruits and vegetables, shelf-stable milk, and juice. This is avaiable to any family in Tekonsha Schools that signs up.

It was a great Volleyball for a Cause game on Tuesday, October 27th! The team had a lot of activities planned to raise funds for our local recipient Abbey Stimer, who has had a long ongoing battle with cancer. The Tekonsha girls each presented Abbey with a rose before the game! Thank you to all of the players and families that donated for this event. It was a great night of volleyball, with a win for Tekonsha to end the night!! It was also Volleyball Parents Night. To see photos of all of our volleyball players and their parents, be sure to check out the Tekonsha Community Schools Facebook page!

The Elementary Fall Festival is one of the most successful fundraisers for the Tekonsha PTO. Funds raised by the PTO go toward paying for class field trips, prizes for Tekonsha Bucks, special programs and prizes for March is Reading Month, and more! One way that the event can be so successful is through the generous donations received in advance for the Silent Auction and BINGO game, as well as baked goods donated the day before the event for the cake walk! This is a great way to help out the PTO and support our students!

This year, the Fall Festival will be held on Friday, November 20. That seems like a long way away, but the PTO is collecting donations NOW! If you would like to donate a gift basket for the silent auction or even individual items that can be auctioned off or be used for BINGO, all items are appreciated! All items can be dropped off at the Tekonsha Elementary School or you can contact Heather Mack at 517-767-4121 ext. 300 or mackh@tekonsha.k12.mi.us for more information!

Senior Max Barron is going to state!!!! With an amazing 3rd place finish at Regionals in Portage on Friday, October 20, Max set a new personal record of 17:04!!! Max also set a new Tekonsha Cross Country record becoming the first runner to qualify for the state meet all four years!!! Next week, it’s on to the MHSAA Cross Country State Finals at MIS on Saturday, November 7th! Way to go, Max!!!!

The annual Cash Raffle will be starting this week at Tekonsha High School! This fundraiser helps support all classes with their dances and class events. All tickets will be $10 each, and the drawing will be held on December 16, 2026 at 10:30 am in the Tekonsha High School library. There are a limited number of tickets for sale, so if you are interested in purchasing some, be sure to let a student know! Tickets can also be purchased by contacting Michele Stuart.

Prizes include:

• 1st - $400
• 2nd - $300
• 3rd - $200
• 4th - $200
• 5th-8th - $100 each
• 9th-14th - $50 each

The Tekonsha Athletic Boosters is looking for individuals to join them in supporting our Tekonsha Athletic programs! They will be holding a meeting on Thursday, November 12 at 6 pm in the HS library. They will be discussing the Fall season, hold a financial presentation, and planning for the upcoming winter sports season. Also any other topics/ideas are welcome. This is a great opportunity to learn about the organization and ways to help.

Friday, October 30 was a full day of fun from start to finish at Tekonsha Community Schools! Tekonsha Elementary kicked off the day with its annual Halloween Parade, with a full house of parents and family members that stopped in to watch the fun. Class parties happened throughout the day, and high school and middle school students and staff also got into the spirit with costumes. The Halloween holiday finished on Saturday night with trick-or-treating, including special treats in front of the elementary school. We hope all students and their families enjoyed the day!

Congratulations to our POLITE Indians of the Week for October 26 - October 30!

Breakfast and lunch menus for both the elementary and the MS/HS are now available on the website! Click on the links below to access these. Breakfast is available for FREE for all students and is served in the elementary from 7:50 - 8:25 am (times vary by grade) and in the MS/HS from 7:50 - 8:00 am. Lunch is also available for FREE for all students, served from 11:00 am - 12:10 pm in the elementary (times vary by grade). In the HS, lunch is served from 10:45 - 11:11 am and from 11:41 - 12:06 pm for the MS.

• Breakfast Menu
• Lunch Menu

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Website: www.tekonshaschools.org
Location: 245 South Elm Street, Tekonsha, MI, USA
Phone: 517-767-4121
Facebook: facebook.com/TekonshaCommunitySchools