Redwing News
December 2025
Competition Theatre Prepping for Excellence
Competition Theatre season is well underway! The 67 participating students are working on two shows as part of the Michigan Interscholastic Forensic Association (MIFA) One-Act Theatre competition. The 146 Point Flame, a drama that will be performed in the studio event, tells the story of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in 1911. This tragic New York City event highlighted the need for stricter fire safety regulations as well as fair labor practices. Beware the Jabberwock, a comedy that will be performed in the mainstage event, is based on the poem "Jabberwocky" from Lewis Carroll's Through the Looking Glass. The student designers' imaginations are running wild as they create the fantasy world in which this show takes place.
There will be several opportunities in the near future to see the work of these talented students displayed on stage.
Saturday, January 24, 2026- Fundraiser Show, 7 pm at SJHS (tickets available at sjdrama.ludus.com)
Wednesday, January 28, 2026- Preview Assemblies for students during the school day
Saturday, January 31, 2026- MIFA Regionals at SJHS (free admission)
St. Johns High School will also be hosting the MIFA State Theatre Finals on February 13-14, 2026. Over the course of two days, 48 shows will be presented in three different events: mainstage, studio, and short plays. Festival wristbands, good for both days, are $20 for adults and $10 for students/senior citizens. Please visit www.themifa.org for more information and to purchase wristbands in advance.
As always, we want to thank Mrs. Jackie Charneski (Head Director), Mr. Nathan Charneski (Asst. Director) and Mr. Luke Smith (Asst. Director) for the tremendous effort they put into our Competition Theatre Program, and our community for supporting the arts in our district!
Annual Send A Hug! Open House is Embraced by All đź’—
Send A Hug! is a classroom-run business that began 25 years ago. It is run by Mrs. Thomas' Work-Based Learning and Ms. Allen's Vocational Education classes, which are set up to help students learn how to be successful in the workplace. Mrs. Allen explains, "This is our annual invite-only fundraiser for the students to showcase their hard work and practice appropriate social skills. This is our favorite night of the year!" Students were proud to share their products and guests enjoyed conversations with the students and refreshments as they selected their purchases. Send A Hug is a lovely way to kick off the holiday season, and support our students' hard work! Thank you to those who attended, and a special shout out to everyone who helped our students to shine: Mrs. Thomas, Ms. Allen, Mrs. Koenigsknecht, Mr. Wright, Mrs. Heupel, Mrs. Lindquist, Mrs. Payment and Mrs. Prohaska!
New Seminar RTI Provides Intervention, Extension & Enrichment
After much research and a site visit to Lowell High School, we have implemented a change to our daily Seminar schedule this year: RTI Days. RTI stands for Response to Intervention. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, to offer more targeted assistance and more varied opportunities, students sign up to attend specific sessions teachers offer. Choices include Intervention (Targeted practice or test review), Extension (additional content or instruction that goes beyond the time limits of everyday class) or Enrichment (an area of interest outside of course content).
In limited data so far this year, we are seeing lower failure rates, and improved test performance in multiple classes! Please encourage your student to take full advantage of the opportunities RTI provides for academic help, as well as for exploration of new information. Photos here include a frog dissection review for Ms. Simon-Pieters' Anatomy and Physiology class, a Geometry review session with Ms. Becker, and a sentence structure practice session with Mr. Ballor. A sample extension session from this month was a student-led RTI presentation on the Christmas Truce of 1914 in Ms. Allen's room to expand on their study of WWI. Finally, our counselors offered enrichment sessions for assistance with college applications, as well as help understanding and completing the FAFSA.
We look forward to seeing how this specialized and focused time twice weekly will help our students to be even more successful!
Wood Tech Visits MSU's Mass Timber Building
Students in Wood Technology II, the new Furniture Building class recently certified as a Career and Technical Education (CTE) completer course, traveled to Michigan State University to check out their new Mass Timber building which houses MSU's STEM Teaching and Learning Facility. Opened in July 2021, this remodeled coal plant next to Spartan Stadium features laminated wood columns, beams and panels to form the two wings on either side of the original structure. Students learned that wood, a renewable resource, can be used to create structures normally made from steel and concrete.
Career Exploration for CAD Students
On Tuesday, December 16th, Mr. Rick LaBar's CCRESA and St. Johns High School CAD & Design students had the good fortune of visiting TowerPinkster Architecture in downtown Grand Rapids. The visit started with a tour of the three-story office which houses 120 plus employees. Then they were given a fantastic presentation by several professionals including former CCRESA CAD student and now Project Architect, Nick Schmitt.
The presentation included a design architect, project architect, interior designer, structural engineer, mechanical engineer and finished with the electrical engineer. They all discussed what they do on a daily basis and what their role is in the design and remodel of buildings as part of the TowerPinkster team. They also explained what the educational path was for each of them to become a licensed professional.
The trip finished with a bus ride through the historic Heritage Hill Neighborhood of Grand Rapids. The students were able to see Frank Lloyd Wright's Meyer May House and the Amberg House along with the many other beautiful homes that make up the famous neighborhood.
A huge thank you to Mr. Labar for providing his students with this unique opportunity!
The Red Zone
If you are attending SJHS sporting events this winter, you will hopefully catch a glimpse of THE RED ZONE! Mrs. Kari Simon and our Student Council have been hard at work fostering school spirit in our SJHS Student Section. Students who attend their first boys' or girls' basketball game this season register and receive a free shirt in an effort to encourage attendance and school pride. Going forward, Student Council plans to ask each winter sport to choose an event for THE RED ZONE to attend. We hope to see our student block expand, and Redwing spirit soar!
Oh, What Fun It Is to Stroll Through the Halls...
Advised by our amazing Media Center Manager Mrs. Trisha Cramer, each year our Renaissance Club encourages Seminar classes to festively decorate their entryways to inspire some holiday spirit. This year did not disappoint! Check out Mr. Miller's Chemistree, Mr. Schmitt's personalized angels (created by Peyton Austin), and Mr. Billings' incredible Snoopy scene!
SJHS Grad Dr. Tyler Dickenson Talks with Freshmen
What is The Positivity Project?
Each week, during Monday's seminar students will be experiencing brief grade specific lessons through a character education program called, "The Positivity Project".
The Positivity Project (P2) is dedicated to empowering students to build positive relationships and become their best selves. Positive psychology’s 24 character strengths serve as its foundation. Ranging from bravery and perseverance to integrity and gratitude, the character strengths are classified and described in the 800-page book Character Strengths and Virtues. These strengths aren’t about ignoring the negative. Instead, they help us overcome life’s inevitable adversities.
Families are encouraged to follow along with the below calendar as we explore these strengths that are present in all of us. P2 for Families is a great resource that allows families to do that. The password is "p2".
9/15/25: Curiosity
9/22/25: Teamwork
9/29/25: Open-Mindedness
10/14/25: Integrity
10/20/25: Creativity
11/3/25: Bravery
11/17/25: Gratitude
12/1/25: Kindness
12/8/25: Self-Control
1/5/26: Optimistism
1/12/26: Prudence
1/20/26: Perseverance
1/26/26: Social Intelligence
2/2/26: Forgiveness
2/9/26: Love
2/17/26: Humility
2/23/26: Love of Learning
3/9/26: Perspective
3/16/26: Humor
4/13/26: Fairness
4/20/26: Appreciation of Beauty & Excellence
4/27/26: Purpose
5/4/26: Enthusiasm
5/11/26: Leadership
