East China School District News

February 9 - Rescheduled Regular Board of Education Meeting 6 pm

February 13-16 - Mid-Winter Break (Wellness Weekend)

February 17 - No Students (Professional Development Day)

February 23 - Regular Board of Education Meeting 6 pm

February - 25 - PLC Early Release

Michigan winters are a part of who we are—and so are snow days. Each year, families understandably have questions about how snow days are called in East China School District, how many we are allowed to use, and what happens if winter weather stretches beyond what we planned for.

How Snow Day Decisions Are Made

Calling a snow day is never a decision taken lightly. Our top priority is always the safety of our students, staff, and families. When severe winter weather is possible, we closely monitor weather forecasts, road conditions, temperatures, and wind chills. We also consult with our transportation staff, local road commissions, and neighboring school districts.

On mornings when snow or ice is a concern, I personally go out and drive the roads throughout our district—including back roads, side roads, and main roads—to see conditions firsthand. This allows us to better understand what our buses, staff, and families may encounter across the district. These decisions are often made very early in the morning—or sometimes the night before—based on the best information available at that time.

How Many Snow Days Are Allowed
Under Michigan law, school districts are required to meet a minimum number of instructional days and hours each school year. The state allows districts a limited number of weather-related school closure days to be forgiven without having to make them up at the end of the year. Currently, districts may have up to six days forgiven due to circumstances such as severe weather or other emergencies.

What Happens If We Exceed Those Days
Michigan also recognizes that some winters are harsher than others. If a district uses all of its allowed six snow days and still needs to close schools due to weather, there is an additional option available.

Districts may submit a waiver request to the Michigan Department of Education asking for up to three additional days to be forgiven. These waivers are reviewed by the state and, if approved, allow the district to use the additional three days. Beyond that the district would need to extend the school year further into the summer.

Thank You for Your Partnership
We know snow days affect schedules, childcare, and routines, and we are grateful for the patience and flexibility of our families and staff. Student safety will always guide our decisions, and we appreciate the strong partnership we share with our community during Michigan’s winter months.

Stay warm, stay safe, and thank you for your continued support of our schools.

Sincerely,

Suzanne Cybulla

Students in our East Star Academy Program have been enjoying a variety of cooking experiences throughout the first semester. Thanks to the East China Education Foundation, the program was able to purchase supplies needed for baking and cooking a variety of seasonal specialties throughout the first semester. Students spent time preparing soups and desserts for themselves and other staff members at the Innovation Center and Administration offices.

Students at the Innovation Center got an opportunity to spend time with some puppies from Jeanne’s Half Pint Pups. Thank you to Mrs. Fregetto for working to set up this opportunity for our students to take a small break from their learning. Students had an opportunity to ask questions about raising the puppies and different strategies for responding to their behaviors. Thank you, Jeanne Westrick, for socializing your sweet pups with us at the Innovation Center.

East Star Academy students at the Innovation Center get the opportunity to participate in our Star Links Program with the Early Childhood Center, as long as they are excelling academically on a weekly basis. Star Links recently spent time at the ECC with our youngest learners, engaging with them during structured play time.

Staff members from Northstar Bank visited the Innovation Center to discuss financial literacy topics that are relevant to all students as they work through high school and start to think/plan ahead to their post-secondary lives. Students were shown how to complete basic and everyday tasks related to finance and banking, and were able to ask the staff questions relevant to their own personal lives.

Students were assigned the perspective of an enlightenment thinker and researched key aspects of that thinker’s life. They then went around and interacted with other thinkers to understand their contribution to the enlightenment. Thinkers included Locke, Rousseau, and Wollstonecraft. Thank you to Mr. Leuenberger for allowing the students the opportunity to participate in this engaging and fun activity.

Students in Introduction to Engineering and Design completed the Design Instant Challenge-Create a Christmas/Winter Theme Toy. The objective was to create a winter/holiday-themed toy that included a mechanism of some kind. Types of mechanisms include: simple gear train, chain drive, cam and follower, rack and pinion, bevel gears, and/or motors with LED lights. The toys needed to have color and decorations, must be structurally sound, and should look like a toy (with as little metal showing as possible). For this design challenge, students had to generate concepts and concept sketches, create annotated sketches and multiview drawings of their solution, build and test, make iterations to their design, and finally complete an essay evaluation of the entire process. Thank you to Mrs. Volpe for continually working to create an engaging experience for our students.

Thank you, Mr. McCulloch and his theater class for their work in putting together an original 10-minute Holiday Murder Mystery. The students created the entire production, and it was characterized by suspenseful and ingenious twists. Small groups of staff and students were able to attend the short production. Great job by all!

The East China Educational Foundation (ECEF) is proud to announce that the 15th annual CHILI-HEART event is now open for registration. We ask that you consider supporting the ECEF in this event on Saturday, February 7, 2026 by registering & participating in one, or more, of the following:

📌 5K RUN (t-shirt, medals, awards, & attend the chili cook-off)

📌 2-mile WALK (t-shirt, medal, & attend the chili cook-off)

📌 COMPETE with your chili in a Chili Cook-Off (awards, certificate, compete & attend)

📌 ATTEND the Chili Cook-Off (attend the cook-off & enjoy)

📌 Virtual Participant or Donor (support ECEF)

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact the East China Educational Foundation Chairperson, Mike Domagalski, at 810-689-4447.

*** The East China Educational Foundation is a board of Marine City & St. Clair residents that work on fundraisers like this to provide ECSD teachers and students with supplemental materials and/or enrichment opportunities in the form of awarded grants multiple times throughout each school year. ***

The Art Wall at CO is showcasing a wonderful new collection this month, featuring artwork created by talented students from Pine River Elementary under the guidance of art teacher Lesley Struyk. The display includes a lively mix of drawings, paintings, and mixed-media pieces that highlight both creativity and developing artistic skills.

Staff and visitors have enjoyed seeing the energy and imagination reflected in each piece, making the CO halls feel welcoming and engaging.

Congratulations to the Pine River Elementary artists and Lesley Struyk for sharing their work and representing their school so well through art.

Mariner Drama traveled to Bay City, Michigan for the 31st Annual Mid-Michigan Theater Festival.

They presented an adaptation of P.D. Eastman's beloved children's book Go Dog! Go!

The SCCASB will award up to five (5) $1,000 scholarships to five seniors attending our local district high schools. The scholarship award is a competitive process. Each application received will be evaluated by a committee of school board members from across the county. Applicants will be evaluated together as a group. Points may be awarded for grade point average, leadership, financial need, evidence of self-help, community service, etc. All senior students are eligible to apply.

The SCCASB has eliminated the criteria that the student must choose teaching or some other education-related profession to be considered a candidate. Students who are planning to attend a community college or trade school for any profession are eligible. Students who are planning to attend a 4-year university or college are also eligible, regardless of their career track.

Two ways to apply (choose one):

Click to start the PDF application.

Click to start the online application.

The application, along with supporting documents, must be submitted by March 6, 2026, online or by mail, fax, or email. The documents should be addressed to Kris Murphy, PO Box 1500, Marysville, MI 48040, fax 810.455.4535, murphy.kris@sccresa.org.

St. Clair County RESA’s Blue Water College Access Network, in partnership with Port Huron Schools, will host a Parent Panel on Thursday, January 29, from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. at Port Huron High School.

The free event is designed for families of students in grades 9-12 and will feature local parents sharing real-life experiences navigating post-secondary options, including community colleges, mid-sized to large universities, technical certificates, apprenticeships in skilled trades, and the military. Whether families are just beginning to explore options or actively preparing for life after high school, this panel will provide practical guidance and actionable advice to help them navigate the process.

The event will be held in the Media Center at Port Huron High School, 2215 Court Street, Port Huron. Refreshments will be provided, and attendees will have the opportunity to enter for a drawing for a scholarship sponsored by the Community Foundation of St. Clair County. The panel will also be recorded and posted on the BWCAN website for families who are unable to attend in person.

Visit our website to learn more about enrolling your student and to find important dates, requirements, and resources. You will find step-by-step guidance to help make the enrollment process simple and straightforward. We encourage families to explore the site and contact Lisa Volkman at lvolkman@ecsd.us with any questions. https://www.eastchinaschools.org/o/ecsd/page/enrollment

Visit our website to learn more about enrollment opportunities at our Early Learning Center for our youngest learners. You will find details on programs, eligibility, and important timelines designed to support a strong start to learning. We encourage families to contact Chris Klecha cklecha@ecsd.us with any questions. https://www.eastchinaschools.org/page/early-childhood-center

Superintendent Suzanne Cybulla can be reached at scybulla@ecsd.us or by calling the East China School District at 810.676.1018.

Email: info@ecsd.us
Website: www.eastchinaschools.org
Phone: 810-676-1000
Facebook: facebook.com/EastChinaSchools

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eastchinaschooldistrict/