Jayhawk Nation!

Congratulations to our Student of the Month honorees! These exceptional students were selected for demonstrating strong character, excelling academically, and consistently meeting all the standards of our Jayhawk Success Criteria. For the 6th grade, Annora Jonas and Samuel Tomes were chosen for their outstanding efforts, while 7th grade highlights Brody Butterfield and Brooklyn Tinklepaugh. The 8th grade recognizes Savannah Rice and Mckenna Tingley, and the 9th grade celebrates Troy Elvin and Mercedes Lusby. The 10th grade celebrates Alex Havens, Isaac Chorba, and Izzabella Schrauben . Rounding out the high school grades, 11th grade honors Allison Hunt and Lillie Benjamin, and 12th grade recognizes DJ Bramlett and Eadon Briston for their accomplishments.

The Band Booster Meeting will take place on Wednesday, October 28th at 5:30 p.m. in the Band Room, followed by Bingo Night in the High School Cafeteria at 6:30 p.m. 🎟️ If you are interested in joining the Band Boosters or have any questions, please contact our band director, Noah Sutter. 🎺

On Thursday, October 29th, College and Career Access Center advisors Arlene Duncan and VCL academic counselor Jada Rostic will hold class meetings in the MS/HS library for high school students. The 9th graders will focus on planning for success by connecting their personal interests and strengths with high school choices and future goals. The 10th graders will navigate their options by exploring and comparing different college, career, training, and workforce pathways. The 11th graders will concentrate on readiness and action planning to develop a defined postsecondary plan and prepare for key senior year decisions and action steps.

Come Start Your Future Workshops

• 9th grade from 8:38 AM to 9:23 AM
• 10th Grade: from 9:35 AM to 10:20 AM
• 11th Grade: from 12:51 PM to 1:36 PM

Get ready for a night of music and fun at the Middle School Halloween Dance! The event will take place on Thursday, October 29th, from 4:30 PM to 6:30 PM in the Middle School Cafeteria. Entry is $5 at the door, and the event will be fully supervised by middle school class advisors. Come dressed in your favorite costume and celebrate Halloween with your classmates! 👻✨

Students are invited to dress up for Halloween on Friday, October 30th! To ensure a fun, safe, and positive learning environment for everyone, please review the following costume safety rules with your child before they get dressed for school:

• Visibility & Identification: Costumes must allow students to walk, sit, and participate safely in class. No full face-covering masks are permitted. Decorative or full-face masks are not allowed so that staff and students can easily recognize everyone.

• No Costume Props: Realistic or fake weapons (such as toy guns, knives, swords, etc.) as well as large, rigid, or pointed props are strictly prohibited. Please leave all props at home.

• Appropriate Attire: All costumes must comply with the standard school dress code (detailed on page 16 in the VCL Student Handbook ).

Daylight Saving Time ends on Sunday, November 1st at 2:00 AM. Please remember to set your clocks back one hour before you head to bed. Don't forget to enjoy that well-deserved extra hour of sleep!

Help give back this Thanksgiving season by participating in our school food drive, running from November 2nd through November 6th! We are collecting canned goods and nonperishable food items to support local families in need, and High School Student Council members will be stopping by during 6th period classes each day to collect your donations. To make things extra exciting, the classroom that collects the most points by the end of the week will win a donut party. Every donation counts, so bring in your items and help your class take home the prize!

Our 7th graders are invited to participate in Challenge Day on Tuesday, November 3rd, 2026, at Jackson College. Running from 7:45 AM to 2:15 PM with transportation provided, this workshop focuses on self-reflection, empathy, and positive change. Through interactive activities, students learn to build a safe, supportive environment, boosting self-esteem while reducing bullying and improving our school climate. Permission slips have been sent home, so please return them as soon as possible, and feel free to contact our Challenge Day school lead Jada Rostic with any questions. We look forward to seeing the positive impact this event brings to our students and community.

The high school fall sports banquet will take place on November 10th at 5:30 PM in the high school cafeteria. Attendees will be provided with food during the event as everyone gathers to celebrate the athletes and their achievements this season 🎉.

Support staff and administration will pull Jayhawk Success Data on November 10th and inform middle school students of their eligibility status on November 11th. Details regarding expectations can be found on page 34 of the 2026–2027 Student Handbook. To be eligible for this field trip, MS students must have meet the Jayhawk Success criteria for September, October, and November. Qualifying 6th–8th grade science students with Mr. Jacobson and Mrs. Schleich will attend an exciting trip to the Air Zoo Aerospace & Science Museum in Portage, MI on Friday, November 13th!

While there, students will participate in the Green STEAM educational workshop, which fulfills a key requirement for our Michigan Green Schools certification. Mr. Jacobson and Mrs. Schleich have sent permission slips home and emailed all 6th through 8th-grade students describing the event and eligibility criteria.

Students, staff, and chaperones will depart campus at 7:45 AM and return before the end of the school day at 2:40 PM to ensure bus transportation for students who ride the bus home. Bus transportation to and from the venue, as well as lunch, will be provided for all attending students. If you have additional questions, please contact the Mr. Jacobson and Mrs. Schleich.

The 35th Annual Downtown Jackson Christmas Parade takes place in Jackson, Michigan, on Friday, November 20, 2026, at 6:00 PM. Procession floats and participants will march right down Michigan Avenue in Downtown Jackson, celebrating this year's theme, "America's 250th Star Spangled Christmas." Following the parade, families are invited to attend an afterglow event where they can visit Santa and Mrs. Claus for photos, cookies, and hot cocoa. 🎅🍪☕

Staff and administration will meet with classes on November 23rd and 24th to review expectations, discuss academic progress, and share strategies on how to finish strong for the remainder of the semester.

November 23rd

6th grade (7:45–8:15 AM)

7th grade (8:40–9:10 AM)

8th grade (9:40–10:10 AM)

November 24th

9th grade (7:45–8:15 AM)

10th grade (8:40–9:00 AM)

11th grade (12:51–1:21 PM)

12th grade (1:50–2:20 PM)

• 3rd-6th Grade Basketball Camp 10/31, 10:00-11:15am
• District-Wide Food Drive 11/2-6
• 3rd-6th Grade Basketball Camp 11/7, 10:00-11:15am
• Fall Sports Awards Banquet in HS Cafeteria 11/10, 5:30pm
• Board Meeting– Informational in MS/HS Library 11/11, 5:30pm
• Air Zoo Museum-MS Field Trip 11/13, 9:00am to 2:00pm
• Youth Basketball Tournament, TBD
• JOLC-11th Grade Trip 11/17, 8:00-2:00pm
• Food Pantry Thanksgiving Event– RSVP 11/17, 6:00pm-7:30pm
• Board Meeting– Regular in MS/HS Library 11/18, 5:30pm
• Downtown Jackson Christmas Parade 11/20, 6:00pm
• Handprint Wall-Alumni 11/23, 6:00pm
• NO School –Thanksgiving Break 11/25-27
• Band Booster Meeting in Band Room 12/2, 5:30pm
• Bingo Night in HS Cafeteria 12/2, 6:30pm
• Seniors-Hot Chocolate & Scholarship in HS Cafeteria, 12/4, 1:45pm
• Scholastic Book Fair in MS/HS Library, 12/7-11
• Scholastic Book Fair Family Hours 12/8, 6:00pm-7:00pm
• MS/HS Band/Choir Concert 12/8, 7:00-8:00pm
• Board Meeting– Informational in MS/HS Library 12/9, 5:30pm
• Food Pantry Christmas Event– RSVP 12/15, 6:00-7:30pm
• Board Meeting– Regular in MS/HS Library 12/16, 5:30pm
• Half-Day for Students (Community Outreach Event)/ Teacher Workday PM 12/17
• Half-Day for Students/Teacher Workday PM 12/18
• No School - Winter Break for Students & Staff 12/19-1/3
• School Resumes 1/4