East China School District News

February 23 - Regular Board of Education Meeting 6 pm

February 25 - PLC Early Release

March 18 - PLC Early Release

March 23 - Regular Board of Education Meeting 6 pm

March 27 - 1/2 Day Elementary Only (End of 3rd Marking Period)

March 30-April 6 - Spring Break (No School)

Dear East China School District Community,

I am proud to share that the East China School District Board of Education has officially approved the ECSD Strategic Plan 2026. This important milestone represents months of thoughtful collaboration, meaningful dialogue, and shared commitment to the future of our school district.

The development of this Strategic Plan was truly a community-driven effort. We are deeply grateful to the many parents, staff members, students, and community stakeholders who participated in surveys, focus groups, and work sessions. Your voices, ideas, and feedback helped shape a plan that reflects our collective vision and priorities for the district.

Our Strategic Planning work groups carefully developed Target Statements with clear objectives across five key focus areas. These categories will guide our decision-making, resource allocation, and continuous improvement efforts over the next several years.

In the coming weeks, the full ECSD Strategic Plan 2026 will be available for viewing on our district website. I encourage all community members to review the complete document to learn more about the specific objectives and action steps that will guide our work.

This Strategic Plan is more than a document—it is a shared commitment to our students and to one another. Together as we move into the future, we will continue building a district where every learner has the opportunity to thrive.

Thank you for your continued partnership and support.

Sincerely,

Suzanne Cybulla

Cold temps couldn’t cool the spirit at the ECEF Chili Heart Event! Runners and walkers braved the chilly weather, then warmed up with some truly amazing chili from our talented cooks.

Chili Cook-Off Winners

• 1st Place: Robyn Smith-Herr
• 2nd Place: Olivia Donnell
• 3rd Place: Jeff Cook (Big River BBQ)

5K Top Finishers

• Paul Short II – 18:35.55
• Katelyn Schweihofer – 24:35.18

Thank you to everyone who sponsored, ran, walked, cooked, volunteered, and cheered! It was a great day for a great cause!

We are very proud and grateful to share that St. Clair Campus is a part of the Red Glasses Movement and officially a Red Glasses School. The Red Glasses Movement teaches and reminds us to Live Boldly, Love Big, and Pass it Along. In doing so, we proudly wear our red glasses to remind us of these powerful words and way of life.

The Red Glasses Movement began 8 years ago in Grand Rapids. A beautiful little girl wore red glasses, whose name was Audrey Louise. Audrey lived boldly and loved big, and shared her contagious energy with everyone she met. In her passing, her family decided to share her love of life by passing out red glasses to family and friends, spreading the message to Live Boldly, Love Big, and Pass it Along. There are now over 70,000 red glasses shared to the world.

We began the campus rollout of our school takeover with High School and Middle School staff. They learned about the movement and received their glasses. Then we moved on to Peer 2 Peer, Student Council, and NHS.

We have opened an opportunity for students to join the Red Glasses Movement St. Clair Campus Student Chapter. So far, we have about 20 students sign up to help spread the message all throughout campus. These students have boldly stepped up to meet together to brainstorm and develop ideas to implement activities developed around the movement's message. As part of our rollout, the students have been going into classrooms and presenting to their peers, running workshop discussions, and passing out red glasses. These student chapter members are getting nothing in return other than the intrinsic reward of passing on these positive messages, in hopes of making our school and community an even better place full of love, acceptance, and kindness. Isn’t that incredible? We are so proud of our staff and student body for their openness, ideas, and support.

We expect everyone on campus to have their red glasses by the end of February. The sky is the limit to how far this movement can go. Our plan is to implement the message in fun ways throughout the year and in the future. Some ideas are small acts of kindness, lunchroom challenges to sit by someone new, spirit days, staff and student shout-outs, “red glasses” theme nights at games…the options are endless.

In the words of Audrey’s mother, Kelly, “It’s just all good, it’s 100% good.” If you would like to learn more about the Red Glasses Movement, visit their website.

Congratulations to Jacob Melczarczyk as he signed with the University of Michigan Dearborn to continue playing lacrosse at the collegiate level. We are so proud of Jacob and wish him the best in this next new chapter! Go Saints!!

Hayley McFarlane to play softball at Mott Community College.

Congratulations to Evan Trudeau on signing with Grand Rapids Community College to play basketball next year. We wish Evan the best as he begins this exciting next chapter.

Congratulations to Haylee Mills on signing to play tennis at Kalamazoo college next year! We are excited for Haylee as she continues her athletic career at the collegiate level!

Intro to weights students using our velocity training system to get instant feedback on their lifts.

Mark your calendars! You are cordially invited to a historic centennial celebration.

On Sunday, April 12th at 2 PM, the St. Clair Bands will perform in honor of their first-ever concert, held exactly 100 years ago to the day. Alumni and friends are invited to play selections with the current band members in the St. Clair High School gym.

Free and open to the public. A major milestone in our history!

The Art Wall at CO is showcasing a dynamic new exhibit this month, featuring artwork created by students from Marine City High School under the guidance of art teacher Marney Williams. The display includes styles and techniques demonstrating the creativity in the MCHS art program.

The collection offers a powerful glimpse into how students use art to explore ideas, express perspective, and build confidence in their work. The exhibit has quickly become a conversation starter for staff and visitors as they move through Central Office.

Thank you to Marney Williams and the Marine City High School art students for their collaboration in making this exhibit possible. This display reflects the talent, dedication, and creative growth of its student artists.

Join SC4 for the 5th Annual STEMFest on Saturday, March 7, 2026, from 10 a.m.–2 p.m. at St. Clair County Community College!

Enjoy 150+ handson STEM activities for learners of all ages — robotics, science experiments, engineering challenges, animals from the Reptarium, planetarium shows, and more!

Featuring partners including Michigan Tech Mind Trekkers, Cranbrook Institute of Science, Mad Science–Detroit, Saginaw Valley State University, Michigan State University, and the University of Michigan.

• Free and open to the public.
• SC4 Campus, Port Huron
• Register at: sc4.edu/stemfest

Don’t miss this incredible day of discovery!

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/