Saranac Community Schools

Happy Summer!
Our elementary office remains closed for one more week. Our office staff will return Aug 4th. However, I am starting to receive messages about back-to-school shopping, so hopefully the information below will be helpful.

Our school supply lists look a little different than they have in years past. In an effort to reduce the number of items families purchase for their students, we have asked teachers to provide a specific list of what students need in their respective classrooms.

https://www.saranac.k12.mi.us/o/ses

You can find this list on the link provided. If you have difficulty using the link, it can be found on our school website. Click on the tab for Saranac Elementary, and you will see a link for Supply List 2025-2026

Sincerely,
Mike Catrell

The work on campus has come a long way since the last update. We greatly appreciate the cooperation of everyone staying out of the work zones. Our Central Office remains open and is accessible via the service drive towards the water tower, it is also marked with signage. Please use Pleasant St. to access the service drive.

The Elementary Office is still closed for summer break and remains closed until August 4th. Starting August 4th, if you need to enroll new students, please park at our Central Office and walk to the building for enrollment paperwork until construction finishes. If this is a barrier, please visit our Central Office and we will be glad to help.

The JSH Office will remain closed until August 4th. To access the JSH please use Otto Laabs Dr. (by the cemetery) and use the entrance in the back of the building by the baseball and softball fields. This is the current plan until August 8th.

Summer school for the JSH students begins July 28th. Please use the back entrance, arrive at 8am. There are days the office is not staffed, and the doors will be locked if you arrive late.

Summer school for the Elementary will begin on August 4th and will be hosted at the JSH. Those students will need to be dropped off and picked up at the back of the JSH via Otto Laabs Dr. Their teachers will be there to greet them and send them off.

Finally, the new lights are up at the football field. They are finishing work at the entry points and this will remain closed for one more week to make sure everything is ready for our upcoming season.

Thank you for your support and flexibility. Enjoy this next month!

Wishing all our students the best as we approach the Ionia Free Fair. Our students devote so much time, energy, and dedication to their projects. Best of Luck to all!!

Happy 4th of July

"Dead Week" for SCS athletics runs now through July 6th. During this time, there are no athletic activities for coaches/athletes and all facilities are closed. The JSH gyms will be refinished tomorrow and will remain closed through the dead period. Thank you for your cooperation. Enjoy some time to relax!

Here is a photo update of the progress happening on campus at Saranac Community Schools. The roof at the Elementary School is almost complete. The crews continue working on the roof at the JSH, even in these summer temperatures. Our retention ponds have been cleaned up, allowing for improved drainage. Asphalt has been removed from a large portion of the campus, and crews are working on improving the grade, preparing for new asphalt. We are so grateful for the support of our community in making these great things happen. Otto Laabs Drive, the east side of campus, including the track and football field, is still closed. There is very limited access to the Elementary Building for staff only via the service drive. Thank you for your patience as we make improvements to our beautiful campus.

The JSH Office will be closed this Tuesday and Wednesday, June 24th and 25th. The office will reopen on June 26th and 27th. We will close for the summer at 2:30 PM on Friday, June 27th. The office will reopen for the 2025-26 school year on Monday, August 4th.

A special shout-out and "Thank You" to our neighbors at Belding Area Schools. With our freezers shut down for a roofing project, we appreciate the support of some freezer space for our Food Service Department. Thanks again, neighbor!! Go Black Knights.

We are frequently asked what kids can do over the summer to continue making gains instead of experiencing the dreaded summer slide. A few helpful suggestions include having students maintain some type of routine with regular bedtimes and dedicating part of the day to acadmeic activites. These activies can include a trip to the library, a nature walk where they identify different things they see, or practicing math facts. We know that many kids love their tablets. The school has licenses for all of our students for IXL. https://www.ixl.com/signin/saranac IXL is an excellent way for kids to practice both reading and math skills. Students used this program during the school year and have usernames and passwords. Students should have taken this information home with them on he last couple of days of school. If they don't have this information, you can click' Forgot Password/Username'. All students were registered with their school email address. The student email format is the first 5 letters of their last name, followed by the first 3 letters of their first name, and then a zero (@) and saranacschools.org. i.e catremik0@saranacschools.org

Our athletic dead week is June 28-July 6th. Our facilities are closed to athletes, coaches, and volunteer coaches during that time. We plan to take full advantage of the quiet campus and make great gains on the paving and roofing progress. Removal has gone quick and has been ahead of schedule. On June 28th our auxiliary and contest gyms will be refinished. This works great with the athletic dead week period. As of today, Wednesday June 18th, they have started removing asphalt at the Elementary School. Starting tomorrow, the only way to access Central Office will be the service drive that runs to the water tower. If you do not need to be on that part of campus, please don't. Parking is limited and we would like it for our staff that is still working this summer. We do not want the public to be in the construction areas. Removal of asphalt at the front (west side) of JSH is scheduled to start on Monday 6/30. Those that are still working will need to park at the church or on the side road and walk across. There will be a limited period where both sides of the JSH are torn up. Paving will start at Otto Laabs drive (east side of campus) no later than July 3rd. Very shortly after paving begins, we will regain access to that side of campus. Track and football field access will be closed to all starting June 20th, we will notify all when the track and football field are accessible to the public. The gates will be locked until the new lights are up and equipment has been removed. We appreciate your flexibility and grace as we work with different contractors and the weather while still trying to maintain access to our summer programs and facility usage.

Congratulations to the 2024-25 SJSH Second Semester Honor Roll Students. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1oPbjlq2Zr6fhxpl0rI3lblXNKKYgSDjj/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=105164101622644049204&rtpof=true&sd=true

Saranac RedHawk Softball is hosting youth camps this summer. See the attached images for information.

Reminder: SCS will be conducting athletic physicals this Friday for K-12 student athletes in the JSH cafeteria from 2:00 to 4:00 PM. The cost is $20 per athlete. Thank you again to Dr. Barker for providing his services. Due to construction on Otto Laabs Lane, participants will need to park in front of the JSH.

Great community opportunity. Please register using the QR code or the following link. https://runsignup.com/Race/MI/Saranac/BT4SBridgeFest5k

The Michigan Supreme Court Community Connections (CCC) Program was held in April at the Lowell High School Performing Arts Center. About 30 Saranac students and several other schools were in attendance, as well as people from the community, and judges from Ionia and Kent County. This offered students a unique opportunity to witness the Michigan Supreme Court in action as it heard People v. Curtis Allen Morris. Following oral arguments, students engaged in a Q&A session with the Justices and participating attorneys, providing valuable insight into Michigan’s judicial process and the role of appellate courts. It was a great learning experience about the justice system and getting to see Michigan’s highest court in session, bringing our government to life.

Saranac Community Schools would like to extend congratulations to our colleague and friend, Mrs. Teri Brunette. Mrs. Brunette will be retiring at the conclusion of the 2024-25 school year. Teri started at Saranac in 1988 as a 6th-grade teacher, coming to us from Aquinas College. She taught 6th grade, 1st, 2nd, Reading Recovery, pre-school, Title I, and served as Literacy Coach/Interventionist. Her positive impact on students has been truly amazing. Please join us in congratulating and celebrating Mrs. Teri Brunette.

Special thanks to the following for supporting our end-of-the-year luncheon. Amy Herbruck, Greenridge Reality, Jones FarmMeat, and Pinckney Hill Meat Co.

As we approach the end of the year, please remember there is a half day of school on June 5th and June 6th. JSH dismissal is 10:55 am ELE dismissal is 11:00 am

The Saranac FFA will be having their last plant sale Tuesday, June 3rd at 3-4pm. Due to greenhouse construction, there will only be tomato and pepper varieties available. Pepper varieties include Red, Yellow, Hot Banana and Jalapeno. Tomato varieties are Better Boy and Mariana Roma. $1 for a pack of 4 plants

Community members Summer break is quickly approaching. I know many of us have become quite familiar with all the potholes and ruts in our parking lots and driveways. However, it is time to move on from the maze of holes throughout the district. If anyone would like to get pictures with a favorite pothole, time is running out. Construction will begin as soon as the school year ends. This summer's projects will include: * Repaving and painting of parking lots and driveways * Roof work at the JSH and Elementary * New lights at the football/track The district will post updates throughout the summer to inform everyone which areas will have access and which areas will be closed off. The first update should be available next week and will be posted on Facebook, sent out via our email system, and available on our website. The current plan is that buildings will remain open for regular summer hours and dates, but access will be altered throughout the summer. Saranac Community Schools appreciates the community support as we work through our site improvements. Thank you!