The Spartan Family Newsletter

As we wrap up the school year, I want to share our main office summer days and hours with everyone. While most of our staff will be off for the summer, we do have a few team members working in the building.

Main Office Summer Hours:
Mrs. Wickham (Mrs. Erica) will be in the main office every week day of June from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm.

For the month of July, here is the office schedule:

• Friday, July 10th 8:00 am to 4:00 pm.

• Monday, July 13th 8:00 am to 4:00 pm.
• Friday, July 24th 8:00 am to 4:00 pm.
• Monday, July 27th 8:00 am to 4:00 pm.

Starting on August 1st, the main office will be open every day from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm

To ensure someone is available to help you, please try to visit during these designated times. If you need to come by outside of these hours, we cannot guarantee the office will be staffed, so please reach out ahead of time to coordinate.

I will be in the building throughout most of the summer and can always be reached directly via email at Matt.Furtney@waldronspartans.org. If you email me, I will make sure either I or another staff member can assist you.

Thank you,
Mr. Furtney

As we look ahead and plan for the next school year, one of our top priorities is continuing to improve communication between the school and our families.

Over the summer, we will be reaching out to ensure we have an updated email address on file for every parent and guardian. while phone calls are great, we know you are busy at work and we often run into full or missed voicemails. Transitioning to more email updates will allow us to get important news to you quickly and reliably throughout the year.

Thank you so much for your continued partnership and support in keeping our community connected!

As we head into the summer months, our focus is already turning toward making the next school year our best one yet. We firmly believe that strong schools are built on strong partnerships with our families, and I want to invite you to have a direct voice in that future.

If you are looking for ways to get involved, we currently have three unique opportunities for parents and guardians this summer:

Provide Input for Next Year: If you have thoughts, feedback, or suggestions on how we can improve school operations and student engagement for the upcoming school year, I would love to hear from you. We can either meet in person, email, call, or even go get a coffee.

Summer Volunteering: We have several projects happening around our buildings over the summer months. If you have some time to give and would like to help us prepare our facilities for the students' return, your hands-on support would be incredibly welcome.

If any of these opportunities interest you, please contact me at Matt.Furtney@waldronschools.com.

Thank you for your continued dedication to Waldron Area Schools. I hope you and your family have a wonderful start to your summer, and I look forward to hearing from you!

If you know of any elderly, disabled, or homebound community members who could use some assistance with general yard cleanup, please reach out to me so we can coordinate a time to help. I am working with a student "Leadership Team" this summer, and we want to take this opportunity to give back to the community that always supports us!

Dear Waldron Alumni,

As we prepare for some building updates and renovations this summer, we want to take a moment to celebrate the incredible history and personal touches left behind on our walls. Over the years, many students have left their mark through ceiling tiles, handprints, and beautiful wall murals. We absolutely love this artwork and deeply appreciate the time, care, and school spirit that went into creating each piece.

Because these projects were done at various times rather than as a singular, continuous tradition, we want to use this upcoming school year to establish a brand-new, official tradition, one that every single graduating class can carry forward together from year to year.

To make way for this exciting future, these older murals and tiles will be painted over or replaced this summer. However, we know how much these memories mean to you. If you would like to claim your specific ceiling tile, or if you would like to come into the building to take photos of the artwork, we would love to arrange that for you!

Please contact the school office by June 30th, 2026 so we can set up a time for you to visit or collect your piece of Waldron history. Thank you for always being a vital part of our Spartan family!

June 8 – Half Day (Make-Up Day, required by the State of Michigan)

June 9 - Half Day, (Make-Up Day, required by the State of Michigan), Last day of School

We are down to the final stretch with only 2 days of school left (2 half days).

I know half days can be inconvenient, but I am asking all parents to please send their students to school for these remaining days. When we adjusted our calendar due to winter weather days, we designed this schedule specifically to meet the state's required hours.

Please note that if we do not meet the state-mandated student attendance threshold on these half days, they will not count toward our required school year, which will negatively impact our district funding. Let's work together to make every day count this week!

As you wrap up your school year, Hillsdale County Farm Bureau would like to provide you with a Save the Date for the fall Agriculture Career Day scheduled for Tuesday, September 15, 2026 at Nutrien Ag Solutions in Reading.

As we quickly approach summer, there is a lot of excitement in the air. I am sure our students are looking forward to a well-deserved break from the classroom, but for a few of us, the real excitement is just beginning right here at school!

We have a handful of campus projects planned for this summer; some big and some small. As many of you know, our district faces financial constraints, much like many other schools in our area. Because of this, I want to be entirely transparent: we are not using our general operating funds to pay for any of these projects. Instead, these upgrades are funded entirely through specific grants and our dedicated school sinking funds. This is restricted money that legally cannot be spent on day-to-day student or academic costs; its sole purpose is building and school improvements.

If you happen to drive by this summer and see us hard at work, please feel free to stop in and get a quick tour! I look forward to keeping you updated over the coming months as we bring these exciting, much-needed updates to life for our Spartans.

I’ve compiled a list of food pantries in Hillsdale County for anyone who may be in need. Please remember that we are always here to help so don’t hesitate to reach out if there is anything we can do for you.

Additionally, if you need transportation to any of these locations, please contact me at Matt.Furtney@waldronspartans.org, and we will arrange a ride for you. We are truly proud to be partners with such an amazing community!

Looking for ways to encourage a love of reading? This article offers some great tips on how to subtly integrate reading into your child's favorite activities.

https://www.parents.com/expert-approved-sneaky-tips-to-get-your-kid-reading-11810979