The Dryden Red and Black

A first in the Public Safety program history—what an incredible milestone!

Kayla Lapka (Dryden), Jayden Landis (CFI), and Brooke Caplin (Imlay City) have each earned the prestigious Statesman Award at SkillsUSA—the first time ever for our Public Safety program.

This recognition goes far beyond competition. The Statesman Award honors leadership, service, character, and a true commitment to excellence—and these three represent all of that and more.

*courtesy of Lapeer EdTech

A meaningful full-circle moment took place at Saturday’s Fine Arts Festival as alumna and former Drama Kid Delaney (Hull) McNulty returned to celebrate Ms. Czerwinski’s final production.

During the event, it was discovered that current Drama Kid Charlee Bowerson shares a unique connection with McNulty: Charlee was the kindergartener Delaney walked with in the 2018 Memorial Day Parade. The two recreated their photo from that day, highlighting the lasting sense of community within the program.

The moment served as a reminder of the enduring relationships and traditions that connect past and present members of Dryden’s Drama family.

Congratulations to the Drama Club on their impressive performance of Nine Girls!

Cast and Crew: Liberty Arquette, Kayla Baughman, Charlee Bowerson, Celia Bowman, Dominick Cohoon, Willow DuBuis, Kaeleigh Gourieux, Amy Gucciardi, Elayna Handley, Breena Kenny, Lilyana Lasher, Jaedyn Owens, Penelope Spencer, Vee Strangway

We're working on a special project, and we need your photos!

If you have group photos from any play you've been in,

please email them to Ms. Czerwinski (SCzerwinski@drydenschools.org).

Thanks for your help!

Our College Decision Day celebration

has been moved from

May 1 to May 5 at 11:30 a.m.

Seniors and Class of 2026 families,

please check your email for important information.

Friday, May 15, 2026, has changed from a full day of school to a half day of school at Dryden High School ONLY.

Dryden High School will host the MHSAA Track and Field Regional 39 meet at Stremler Field on May 15. The event begins at noon. Because some members of the high school staff volunteer at the meet, many students are participating in or attending the event, and the parking lot will be needed for visitors, only Dryden High School will have a half day, dismissing at 10:35 a.m.

We’re Hiring!

Dryden Community Schools is looking for dedicated individuals to join our team!

If you’re passionate about supporting students and making a difference in our schools, we’d love to hear from you!

Call (810) 796-2201, (810)796-2266, or apply online below.

Stay updated on our progress with funds from the bond passed in May 2023 by using this checklist! We appreciate your continued support of our students, our schools, and our community.

Dryden Athletic Booster Meetings

May 13
June 17

by Logan Romain

Rowan Handley is a senior at Dryden High School who has attended Dryden since kindergarten. He is actively involved in football, basketball, and baseball, and enjoys being part of the school’s athletic programs. Rowan’s favorite things about Dryden are the sports and the people he has met along the way. Outside of school, he likes to play sports and hang out with friends. Rowan dreams of becoming a head football coach in the future. After high school, he plans to attend community college and earn his associate’s degree.

by Claire Wright

What do you say when it’s raining chickens and ducks in April? FOUL (fowl) spring weather.

Attention #proudcardinal Class of 2026 Parents:
If you're looking for a great way to honor your 2026 graduate, consider purchasing a Recognition Ad in this year's yearbook. A 1/4 page ad costs $80. There are several formats from which to choose. Here are some examples from last year's yearbook. A limited number of ads are available and are sold on a "first come - first served" basis. If you have any questions, feel free to contact Mrs. Palmerini at bpalmerini@drydenschools.org.

Our seniors are going to college! Please help Dryden High School's Class of 2026 celebrate.

On May 5, our College Decision Day Celebration allows students to declare their intentions

and proudly state their college, university, trade school, training program, or military choice.

Items from this list will be given away to seniors at College Decision Day

to send them off with what they'll need in the fall!

Last week's riddle:

What gets more wet the more it dries?

A towel!

Congratulations, Elise Roth! You were first with the correct answer.

This week's riddle:

A woman shoots her husband, then holds him underwater for five minutes. Next, she hangs him. Right after, they enjoy a lovely dinner. Explain.

Submit your answer below for a shoutout next week!

On Friday, April 17th, Dryden Track showed up with many highlight performances at the Marlette Invite.

On the boys side, Levi Fitchett led the way with a 2nd-place finish in the 800m and added a 4th-place finish in the 1600m, while Brenden Peter secured 4th place in the 110m hurdles.

The girls team turned in an especially strong performance. Cara Prusakiewicz claimed 1st place in both the 1600m and 3200m, while Caila Fitchett took 1st place in the 300 hurdles. Claire Wright contributed a 4th-place finish in the 800m. The 4x800 relay team of Claire Wright, Ella Gustner, Caila Fitchett, and Cara Prusakiewicz earned a 2nd-place finish to round out the highlights.

Last Tuesday, the track team attended the Wildcat Relays, a non-typical fun meet! For the boys, medalists include: 2nd place - Shuttle hurdles (1:18) and 2nd place - Distance Medley Relay (12:05), placing the boys 7th overall as a team! For the girls, relays that medaled include: 3rd place - 4x600 (8:30) and 2nd place - Distance Medley Relay (15:03), giving them 29 points and a 5th place as a team.

Unfortunately, last Friday's meet got canceled part way through due to lightning. However, a few events were still completed. The girls 4x800 took 3rd in the small school division, and a few field eventers accomplished new PR's!

On Thursday, April 23, 2026, the Dryden Boys Varsity Baseball team played against Kingston. In the first game, Dryden scored 0 points while Kingston scored 8 points, taking the win. In the second game, Dryden scored 7 points while Kingston scored 3 points, taking the win overall.

On Monday, April 20, 2026, the Dryden Boys Varsity Baseball team played against Brown City. In the game, Dryden scored 5 points while Brown City scored 15 points, taking the win overall.

On Tuesday, April 21, 2026, the Dryden Junior High Baseball team played against Bentley. In the first game, Dryden scored 8 points while Bentley scored 7 points, taking the win. In the second game, Dryden scored 13 points while Bentley scored 5 points, securing the overall win.

On April 21, 2026, Dryden Golf competed in the Sandusky Jamboree at Woodland Hills Country Club in Sandusky, finishing 5th out of 11 teams with a score of 193, which was based on the lowest four scores out of six golfers. The counting scores were Gianni Coscione with a 42, Kai Grabowski with a 48, Nick Abromaitis with a 49, and Hayden Blair with a 54. Gianni led the team and tied for 5th individually out of 56 players, recording two pars and avoiding anything worse than a bogey. Kai Grabowski, one of the team’s rookies, also stood out with a 48 and showed potential to score even lower. The coaches noted there are still areas to improve, but they were happy with the strong start to the season.

On April 22, 2026, Dryden Golf competed in the Brown City Jamboree at Holly Meadows Golf Course in Capac for their second match of the season, finishing 4th out of 10 teams with a team score of 182. This marked an 11-stroke improvement from their previous score of 193 at Woodland Hills the day before. The counting scores were Gianni Coscione with a 42, Nick Abromaitis with a 43, Gavin Prusakiewicz with a 48, and Hayden Blair with a 49, with all four scores coming in under 50. Gianni led the team again and tied for 9th individually out of 55 players, recording three pars, while Nick followed closely with a 43 and also had three pars on the day. Hayden Blair recovered from a tough start to finish strong, and sophomore Gavin Prusakiewicz showed progress by posting a counting score for the first time. While both Gianni and Nick mentioned some struggles with putting due to inconsistent green speeds, the overall performance showed clear growth as the team continues to build momentum heading into their next match on April 24 at the North Huron Jamboree at Bird Creek Golf Course in Port Austin.

• 4:00–8:00 PM – JH Track @ Akron Invite (Bus 1:45)
• 4:00–8:00 PM – Varsity Baseball @ Akron-Fairgrove (Bus 1:45)
• 4:00–7:00 PM – Varsity Golf @ Ubly Invite (Ubly Heights)

• 7:10–7:25 AM — Weekly Encouragement (Library)
• 2:30–3:30 PM – Color Me Green (Room 153)
• 5:00–5:45 PM – Final DC Meeting (Library)
• 5:00–8:00 PM – JH Baseball vs Kingston
• 5:00–8:00 PM – JH Softball vs Kingston

• All Day: Wear it Wednesday (HS) - Squad Day
• 7:30 AM–2:25 PM – English Dept Meeting (Room 121)
• 1:30–6:30 PM – Varsity Golf @ Capac (Holly Meadows)
• 2:30–3:00 PM – FCA Meeting (Library)
• 4:00–8:00 PM – JH Track @ Mayville Quad (Bus 2:15)
• 6:30–7:30 PM – Weight Room Workouts

• 8:00–9:00 AM – Varsity Baseball @ Mayville (Bus 2:30)
• 2:30–3:30 PM – Theater Kids Club (Band Room)
• 4:00–8:00 PM – JH Baseball vs Faith Baptist
• 6:30–7:30 PM – Weight Room Workouts

• 9:30 AM–3:30 PM – Varsity Golf @ Ubly Invite (Ubly Heights)
• 12:00–9:00 PM – Varsity Track @ Davison Twilight Meet (No bus)

May 11

June 8

July 13

August 10

All meetings begin at 7:00 p.m., will be held in the Dryden High School Library, and are open to the public.

Faculty Advisors:

Ms. Sheryl Czerwinski & Mrs. Breanne Palmerini

Editors:

Caila Fitchett & Cara Prusakiewicz

Reporters:

Logan Romain & Claire Wright

Email: Cardinal@drydenschools.org
Website: https://www.drydenschools.org/
Location: Dryden High School, Rochester Road, Dryden, MI, USA
Phone: (810) 796-2266
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drydencommunityschools

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