Dear Families, Parents and Community Members,

As we continue working to enhance opportunities for our students and improve our district’s facilities, we invite you to be part of the conversation. Join us on March 20, 2025, at 7:00 PM at Colon Elementary for an important conversation about important upgrades for our students and a potential Competition Gym for our community to use through a bond renewal.

This is your chance to:

✅ Learn about the community-driven vision for improved facilities and technology
✅ Share your thoughts and ask questions
✅ Engage with our pre-bond partners, leadership and community members

Your input is essential as we explore ways to provide enhanced opportunities for our students, improved facilities for our beloved staff, and a potential new competition gym for our current families, future students and potentially students who will choose to make Colon their destination district of choice. We hope to see you there—let’s shape the future of our schools and community, together!

Go Magi,

Dr. Kowalski

Superintendent

We are thrilled to congratulate Allison Vinson, our Valedictorian, and Savannah Meyers, our Salutatorian, for the Class of 2025! 🎓 Their dedication, perseverance, and commitment to excellence have earned them this well-deserved recognition. Please join us in celebrating their incredible achievements!

It’s time for our students to put their best foot forward on their final opportunity to show growth on the i-Ready Diagnostic! This is their chance to demonstrate all the hard work and progress they’ve made this year. To help your student feel confident and ready to do their best, here are some simple but effective testing tips:

✅ Sleep Like a Champ – 8-10 hours of sleep the night before will help their brains stay sharp! 💤
✅ Fuel Up – A nutritious breakfast with protein, whole grains, and fruit makes a winning combo. 🍳🍎🥛
✅ Hydrate & Focus – Encourage them to bring a water bottle to stay refreshed. 💧
✅ Pump Them Up! – A quick pep talk, a high-five, or even a "You got this!" can make a huge difference. 💪

Check out the attached schedule to stay informed about testing days and make-up opportunities. Let’s cheer on our students as they give it their all! 🎉

Last week, we witnessed something truly awesome—our 4th graders from Colon Elementary teamed up with Colon Jr/Sr High School students for Week 1 of Math March Madness! It was an incredible opportunity for our elementary students to collaborate with middle school leaders, build math skills, and support each other in learning. A huge thank you to our amazing student leaders, Ms. Kevnick, Ms. Bohanon, and the CHS team for making this possible! Seeing our students mentor and inspire each other was a special moment. Go Magi! 🏀📚💡

Last weekend, the Colon Magi Robotics team showcased their incredible growth and competitive spirit at the FIRST Robotics Competition! In less than two years, this team has evolved into a powerhouse, demonstrating skill, teamwork, and determination. A huge congratulations to all of our talented students and to Mrs. Jordan for an outstanding performance! We’re so proud of how far this team has come. Go Magi! 🎉🔥

🚓🚒🎉 Last weekend, after an incredible showing at the FIRST Robotics Competition, our Colon Magi Robotics team received an unforgettable homecoming! Chief Brinkert, Colon PD, and Colon Fire & Rescue gave our students an unforgettable arrival back to town & CHS, making the moment even more special. A huge thank you to our local first responders for celebrating our team’s hard work and success—we are so grateful for your support! Go Magi! 🤖🔥🚀

March is Reading Month! 📚🎉 We kicked off an exciting month of reading with a high-energy assembly to get everyone motivated! This year’s theme is board games, and to start things off, teachers took on some fun "Minute to Win It" challenges while students cheered on. Students also learned about our reading tickets—for every 15 minutes of reading, they earn a ticket for a chance to win fantastic prizes, including board games and books! After the assembly, classrooms got creative, decorating their doors to represent different board games in a school-wide competition. Which class will take the top prize? The winner will be announced soon! A huge thank you to the individuals and businesses whose generous donations of books and prizes are making this month extra special! Your support helps keep the love of reading alive for our students. 📖

View the calendar here: 2025-2026 School Calendar (https://tinyurl.com/magi25-26-calendar)

📌 First Day of School: August 18 (Half Day)

🎉 Breaks & Holidays:

• Labor Day: September 1
• Thanksgiving Break: November 24-28
• Winter Break: December 22 - January 2
• Spring Break: March 26 - April 3
• Last Day of School: May 29 (Half Day)

📖 Quarter Start & End Dates:

• Q1: Aug 18 - Oct 17 | Q2: Oct 20 - Dec 19
• Q3: Jan 4 - Mar 13 | Q4: Mar 16 - May 29

We’re thrilled to announce the launch of a scholarship application for K-12 students, supporting arts and music in our schools! A huge thank you to Farrand Hall for making this opportunity possible. 🎭🎵👏 The application is attached below and can be completed by clicking the link. Don’t miss out on this chance to celebrate and grow your creativity! ✨

📢 Principal Braman has some exciting updates for our parents and community! Stay tuned for all the fun activities, challenges, and ways we’re celebrating the joy of reading this month! 📖🎉

📢 From Principal Wielenga: Get ready for a student-led, collaborative experience filled with March Madness-style competition! 🎉🔥 This initiative supports our district’s strategic plan and gives students a final push to strengthen essential math skills for life—plus, it’s great prep for the iReady diagnostic and state testing. 📊✅ Let’s bring the energy and make math exciting! 🎯📚💪

We appreciate the time for our teachers to collaborate, plan intentional learning, and support student interventions. As a reminder Wednesday, March 12th and Wednesday, March 26th are early release days. 🕒 Early Dismissal Times: Leonidas School: 12:50 PM, CHS: 1:35 PM & CES: 1:45 PM. Please plan accordingly for student pick-up and after-school arrangements. Thank you for your support in making these valuable planning times possible!

🎲 Afterward, don’t miss out! Join us for a FREE CES Game Night 🎮♟️ AND a Community Forum to discuss exciting upcoming efforts to enhance community resources! 💬💡

Come for the fun, stay for the conversation—we’d love to see you there! 😊🙌

Class of 2025 Graduation Info - Parents & Families: We will continue to post of information about senior events, opportunities & more for students & families. Mrs. Spidle & Ms. Kevnick work to update our scholarship page located on our website, at this link.

Come meet our amazing staff, principal, and district leadership and learn all about the legacy of becoming a Magi! 🎩 🌟 Your child will take part in some quick assessments, but most importantly—there will be tons of fun with activities, games, and family-friendly excitement for everyone! 🎈🎨🎉We can’t wait to welcome you and your family! See you there! 😊👨‍👩‍👧‍👦

Looking for a high-quality, FREE preschool program? The Great Start Readiness Program (GSRP) is Michigan’s top-ranked PreK program, designed for eligible four-year-olds! 🏆 ✨ In GSRP, children learn through fun, hands-on activities while building skills in math, reading, problem-solving, and social interactions—all in a safe, supportive environment where they can make friends, share, and take turns! 👫🎨🔢

🟢 GSRP Eligibility:

✔️ Must be 4 years old by December 1, 2025

✔️ DOB Range: 12/1/2020 – 12/1/2021

🎒 Kindergarten Enrollment 🎓✏️ Is your child ready for kindergarten? According to Michigan law, students must turn 5 by September 1, 2025 to enroll.

🟡 Kindergarten Eligibility:
✔️ Must be 5 years old by September 1, 2025
✔️ DOB Range: 12/1/2019 – 9/1/2020

📝 Need an exception? If your child turns five between September 1 and December 1, you can submit a Kindergarten Waiver Request before the school year begins. Our team will work with you to evaluate your child's readiness and find the best placement for their educational start! 🍎✨

📞 Questions? We’re Here to Help! 🤝

Want to learn more about our programs and enrollment process? We’re happy to assist you! 😊

📩 Contact: Ms. Jill Braman, Principal of Colon Elementary

📧 Email: jbraman@colonschools.org 📞 Call: 269-432-2121

Mark your calendars early! 🗓️ Colon Athletics & Revolution Health have set the date for free sports physicals on May 17, 2025, from 9:00–11:30 AM at Revolution Health (121 E Franklin St, Colon, MI).

A huge thank you to Revolution Health for their partnership in supporting our student-athletes! 💪👏 As the date approaches, physical forms will be available in the office. Stay tuned for more details, and take advantage of this opportunity to get ready for the upcoming sports season! Go Magi! 🎉

It’s AMAZING, thanks to the hard work of our AD Noah Dooley and talented Colon Magi athletes/student interns, Savannah Meyers & Lily Preston! 🙌🎉

🏆Stay updated with game schedules, important info, and more at our NEW athletics website:

🔗 colonathletics.com

📅 Just a reminder to check Eventlink for updates, as schedules may change! 📲

🚨 Eventlink Guidance for Parents & Community to help you stay in the loop!🎉🎽📢

Super Important Eventlink Documents To Help You Add Calendars!

All Events For Colon Community Schools Eventlink Info

NEWLY ADDED: Eventlink Guidance For Parents & Community

High School Baseball, Softball, Track & Field, and Golf practices kick off on March 10th! 🏆💪

📢 Contact your coach for details on practice schedules and preseason info:

📩 Baseball: Ted Stoll – tstoll@colonschools.org
📩 Softball: Sean Stouder – sstouder@colonschools.org
📩 Track & Field: Noah Dooley – ndooley@colonschools.org
📩 Golf: Richie Schumacher – rschumacher@colonschools.org

📲 Stay connected with TeamReach codes!

⚾ Baseball: Baseball1989
🏃 Track & Field: oneteam123
⛳ Golf: Magigolf
🥎 Softball: Uses GameChanger for communication—contact Coach to be added!

🥫 Need Food Assistance or Community Resources? For additional food distributions in St. Joseph County, MI, as well as food pantry hours and other supportive events, check out these helpful resources:

📅 Human Services Calendar & Community Resource Guide:

🔗 SJChumanservices.com

📄 St. Joseph County Community Resource Guide: 👉 Click HERE

Click HERE for Math Resource Access

Visit: https://tinyurl.com/ColonMathMagi

🚌📱 Stay connected with our bus updates! 📱🚌 Stay informed about your child's bus route with timely text alerts for changes or delays. We know unexpected changes can be stressful, so sign up for updates to get notified instantly. Follow the instructions that will be sent home on Monday, or use the provided links. Thank you for trusting us to transport your child!

If you have questions, please contact Heather in Transportation: 269-432-3231 - Press 1 or email hwordelman@colonschools.org More sign-up information is linked here.

Looking for helpful tools and information? Check out our Parent Resource Center! 🏫💡

🔗 Click HERE to access the Parent Resource Document: 👉 Parent Resource Center

Stay informed and connected! 😊📖

📢 Sign up today! Secure your spot by clicking the link: 🔗 CES CARE Program Sign-Up

Don’t miss out on this amazing opportunity for our students! 🚀💡

For the current academic calendar: https://tinyurl.com/magi24-25-calendar

Next year's calendar: https://tinyurl.com/magi25-26-calendar

For access to all Colon Jr/Sr High School bell schedules: click on this link.

Click here for main contacts: https://tinyurl.com/ColonContactsMagi & You can also see our website's staff page for additional staff contacts: https://www.colonschools.org/staff

Super Important Eventlink Documents To Help You Add Calendars!

All Events For Colon Community Schools Eventlink Info

NEWLY ADDED: Eventlink Guidance For Parents & Community

Curious why everyone loves attending and working in our schools? 🤔 Dive into our YouTube page to find out! 🎥🌟 Make Colon Community Schools your destination district or join our team! https://www.youtube.com/@ColonCommunitySchools