Dear Families and Fellow Community Members,

For years, our community has talked about the need for another space - a gym that truly meets the needs of our students, athletes, families, and the entire community. Now, we’re closer than ever to making it a reality—through a bond renewal, simply continuing the same investment we've always made in our schools. Over the past year, a group of community members brainstormed, provided ideas and explored this opportunity. To support them, the district conducted a comprehensive assessment of our buildings. We have engaged our community in shaping this proposal. This renewal supports academic, technology, and facility upgrades while ensuring our schools remain strong for the future.

Now, we need YOU to help bring this vision to life.

📢 Join the conversation 📅 Thursday, March 20 | 7 PM

📍 Colon Elementary (right after Game Night!)

This is an opportunity to shape the future of our schools and community. Parents, students, alumni, business owners—your voices matter. Come share your thoughts and ask questions. As a homeowner in Colon and member of this community I am so excited about this potential and our future projects!

Have a GREAT week, everyone!

Dr. Kowalski

Superintendent

A few weeks ago, a vintage 1960s photo of Colon teachers began circulating, sparking a wave of nostalgia and appreciation for the incredible educators who have shaped generations of students. From the early days of Colon’s history, we have been fortunate to have dedicated, passionate educators guiding our students. Teachers like Susan Mettler, Gilbert LeRoque, and Sherry Engle have not only left their mark in the classroom but continue to give back to our community in meaningful ways. Their commitment to education and to children and families is a testament to the lasting impact of great teachers. Here’s to the past, present, and future of Magi educators—may we continue to inspire, teach, and support our students for generations to come! 🎩

Inspired by the past, our Colon Elementary team decided to recreate the look, celebrating both our history and the legacy of education in our community!

As we celebrate March Reading Month, we’re taking a trip down memory lane with a special flashback from the St. Joseph County Historical Society of Michigan! 📖 Colon Schools once celebrated with the theme “Soar with Reading”, featuring two of our dedicated former leaders—Jill Groenindyk (Leonidas Principal) and Gary Seeley (Colon Principal)! 🎉A perfect reminder that the love of reading and the impact of great educators never fades!

🎉 Exciting News! 🎶🎨 We’re launching this scholarship application for K-12 students in the March 17th edition of the Monday Magi Messenger! 📰✨A huge thank you to Farrand Hall for supporting arts & music in our schools! 🎭🎵👏

📢 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! 📖🎉

We’re inviting our community, business owners, staff, families, alumni, and parents to an important discussion about a potential new competition gym for our students and community! Your voice matters! Come share your thoughts, ask questions, and be part of the conversation.

📅 Thursday, March 20 | 7 PM
📍 Colon Elementary (following March Is Reading Month Game Night @ CES!)

📢 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! 😊🙌

SENIORS ⏳ 1 WEEK LEFT! 🎓✨ The scholarship application deadline is just one week away! 🚀 The portal closes at 3 PM on March 7th, so don’t wait! 📞 Questions? Contact the Branch County Community Foundation Office at 517-278-4517 or 📧 email info@BrCoFoundation.org. Reach out to Ms. Kevnick, Mrs. Wielenga or Dr. Kowalski if you need help! 🎯 Seniors – Click the link and complete your application today! 👇✅🔗 Apply Now!

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

🎉🐾 A BIG Celebration for Wicker! 🐶✨ A huge shoutout to Colon Jr/Sr High School’s Facility Dog, Wicker 🐕, his home handler, Principal Wielenga 👏, and the amazing school handler team—Ms. Bohanon, Ms. Kevnick, and Mrs. McClish (keeper of treats 🍖, daily schedule 🗓️ & walkies coordinator 🚶‍♂️)! After months of training and hard work, Wicker is now officially a certified Paws With A Cause® Facility Dog! 🎓🐶 While his fees were covered by a grant, the care and responsibility for Wicker rest with his handler and the Wielenga family, who provide him with an amazing home life where he gets to just be a dog too! 🏡🐾 Each day, Wicker goes to work 🏫 and brings joy, comfort, and structure to students and staff. We can’t imagine our building without him! Even though he’s now “official,” he’s been a Colon Magi since the day he arrived in August! ✨ Our journey with Paws With A Cause® started a year ago when Three Rivers Community Schools invited Dr. Kowalski and Ms. Kevnick to see the impact of facility dogs in schools 🏫🐕. We are so grateful for their invitation and for PAWS—their support and guidance helped us ensure Wicker was the perfect fit for our students and school community! 🐾 Way to go, Wicker! 🎉🐶

Our students had an amazing showing at the Districts tournament in Battle Creek this weekend! 🚀👏 Thank you to Mrs. Jordan!!!

🎉✨ Congratulations to our February Magi of the Month! ✨🎉

Friday marked the grand finale of the 2025 Jump Rope for Heart campaign at CES! 🏫💖 Led by our amazing gym teacher, Austin Stoll 🏀🏃, our students jumped, learned, and gave back in a big way! They discovered the importance of staying active, keeping their hearts healthy, and even picked up life-saving CPR skills along the way! 🫀🩺 💰 Giving Back: Our incredible students went above and beyond, smashing our fundraising goal of $2,000 for the American Heart Association! 💵👏🥧🎉 The Ultimate Reward! As a thank you for their hard work, our top fundraisers got to smash pies 🥧 in the faces of Ms. Braman, Ms. Brigham, and Mr. Stoll—AND spray them with silly string at a school-wide assembly! 🎈😂 Way to go, CES! 🎊 We had a blast and can’t wait to do it all again next year! 🚀🏅

👏 Your hard work, teamwork, and determination paid off—way to bring home the WIN! 🏀🔥

Tuesday: https://gofan.co/event/3257469?schoolId=MI10200

Wednesday: https://gofan.co/event/3307173?schoolId=MI10200

Recently, we had the honor of recognizing our incredible elementary, middle, and high school scholar-athletes—students who show dedication both on the field and in the classroom! 🏀📖 Their hard work, perseverance, and commitment to excellence inspire us all! 💪✨ 🙌 A HUGE thank you to our coaches, families, and staff for their unwavering support of these student-athletes in their athletic and academic journeys! 🏫 We are so proud of each of them and can’t wait to see what they accomplish next! 🚀🎉

📸 Check out some amazing photos of our scholar-athletes! 📷👇

🔗 Colon Community Schools Facebook

📸 A BIG THANK YOU to the amazing Mike Woodruff for capturing these moments! 🎥👏
🔗 Mike Woodruff’s Photography

Eight of our athletes attended the SCAA Leadership Conference, which takes place every two years! They engaged in various activities, heard from inspiring speakers, and gained valuable insights to benefit our teams for years to come. A big thank you to Braelyn, Lane, Jaci, Jeremiah, Amaya, Michael, Lily, and Colin for representing us so well!

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! 🚀💡

https://tinyurl.com/magi24-25-calendar

For access to all 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