Jonesville Community Schools

Attention: Our Comet Cruisers Running Program needs your help! We offer a "couch to 5K" running program for our older students. We call it "Comet Cruisers." We train during March, April, and May culminating with our own Riverfest and compete in a 5K race. This program is designed to encourage active and healthy lifestyles through teamwork and exercise. One of the best points of this program is that students not only get a certificate of completion and a T-shirt, but they also receive a pair of running shoes that they can continue to use after the program is finished. These students can then continue their training and active lifestyle beyond the program. The cost to sponsor each runner is $80. We are hoping to offer the program to 40 students in the 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade and 10 “student coaches” from 6th grade. If you sponsor 3 or more students, your business or personal name will appear on the back of our t-shirt we use at our final run. Thank you for supporting our youngest community members! *Please use the attached form to submit your sponsorship or contact Rachel Mandrelle through email: rmandrelle@jonesvilleschools.org.

COMET CALLOUT! Mrs. Smith has been a Comet her entire life; she attended Jonesville Community Schools from kindergarten until graduating in 2001. The thing she loves most about being a Comet is the Comet Community PRIDE that is seen throughout our school and our community. Mrs. Smith currently serves as the school counselor, for freshmen and sophomores, at Jonesville High School. However, this is her eighteenth year as an employee of Jonesville Community Schools. Mrs. Smith was hired in 2006, upon graduation from Central Michigan University, as the sixth grade science teacher. Continuing to observe the need for student mental health support, Mrs. Smith went back to get her Master's Degree in School Counseling from Spring Arbor University. Accordingly, Mrs. Smith served as the guidance counselor at JMS for 11 years before joining us at the high school. Mrs. Smith deems her true accomplishments to be assisting students as they work through their challenges and watching them develop the skills to regulate/express their emotions as they navigate obstacles in their everyday life. She views the relationships that she builds with students as the most rewarding part of her job. In fact, she was nominated for a national award, in 2019/2020, for the Life Changer of the Year. A couple of fun facts about Mrs. Smith are: A class that she would love to enroll in is the robotics class at both the high school and the middle school; she would love to deepen her knowledge beyond just watching "Battle Bots" on Discovery and be able to better support her son's passion for robots and how they work. Mrs. Smith's first job was working on the grounds' crew at Hillsdale College; this led to her discovery of her love for the outdoors and gardening. Her favorite family tradition is "Air Fryer Friday". Each Friday, the Smiths play games, watch movies, and have quality family time with great food. If Mrs. Smith could create one holiday, it would be "Choose to be Kind Day"- one day to remind everyone to make the choice to be kind (everyday). Mrs. Smith's favorite quote is: “Happiness is not something ready-made. It comes from your own actions.” – Dalai Lama JHS is extremely fortunate to have Mrs. Smith as a member of its staff!

Good afternoon Comet families! I’m reaching out to you to let you know that the buses will be picking up your student(s) on time, but the backroads may cause some delay in normal drop off times. Thank you for your understanding as we want to be as safe as possible. Go Comets!

Comet community! I wanted to let you know that at our school board meeting on Monday, the JCS board unanimously elected Kayla Lewis as our new board President. In my time working with her, she has shown to be inquisitive, hard working, and an advocate for our district. We are fortunate to have her leading our board! Go Comets!!!

Last Spring, our high school carpentry students built 4 structures for various clients. They are all pictured here. We built a horse shelter and three sheds of varying sizes (8x12, 10x12, 8x16). If you attended the Hillsdale County Fair, you might have seen one of them as it found its permanent home there as the Milk Shed. This year we have two classes of students learning the basics of building structures so we are looking for more clients. We try to build structures that include a foundation element, stud walls with headers, rafters, siding, soffit, and fascia- in other words, things you would find on a house. A basic shed includes a door (or doors) like the gray and white sheds have. We can install windows and steel doors, electricity and lights, and plumbing, if desired (like the Milk Shed). Cost for these sheds vary, but a good estimate is the cost of materials plus 40%. So, if materials cost $2500, the shed would cost $3500. For reference, the white and gray sheds pictured were in that ballpark for price. All proceeds go back into our Trades Programs to help us purchase tools and other materials. If you are interested in a student-built shed for this spring, please contact Jeff Dice via phone/text (989-246-4298), or email (jdice@jonesvilleschools.org). Thanks for supporting Jonesville Schools!

Jonesville Community Schools is now accepting applications for trustee of Jonesville Community School Board. If you are eligible to vote in the school district and are interested, please send your letter of interest along with any qualifications or reasons for interest to the Superintendent. The JCS board will review the applications at our February 12th study session, then vote to elect at the February 26th board meeting. Go Comets!

January is School Board recognition month. JCS would like to thank our board members for all the work they do not just on meeting nights, but also behind the scenes. There is a lot to the position that requires hours of work outside of meetings. Their task is not an easy one as they navigate the positions of so many stakeholders, but they always have the kids and staff at heart. It should also be mentioned that last night was Travis Berlin's last night serving on the board. His life has taken him in another direction and we all wish him the best. I will miss his guidance and the patience he showed as a new person to the job. He helped me tremendously. We will be sending out information on filling that vacancy soon. So if you see a board member out there, take a second and thank them for their service!

Comet families! We have more exciting news for our schools! At the school board meeting last night, we were grateful and humbled to officially acknowledge the generous donation by Judy and Rich Hale to JCS. As you know, Judy Hale was a long time teacher of JCS educating many in the community. Additionally, she has been a supporter of the schools with her time volunteering and other donations prior to this one. She states that her family comes first, but Jonesville Schools are her second love. We are grateful for their gift that will impact many different areas of our schools, including a Dustin Hale Fund to be used for plaques, trophies, certificates, etc. for the Dustin Hale Memorial Scholarship, the Dustin Hale Free Throw awards, and the Hale/Dunn Free Throw awards. Thank you Judy and Rich Hale for all you do for our kids and community! Go Comets!!!

Good morning Comet families! Due to the icy road conditions, JCS will be closed today Tuesday, January 23rd. Have a great day and stay safe!

Jonesville High School students disassembling carburetors learning about the parts and what they do. Great lesson Mr. Snyder!

2nd Quarter JMS students had a great time building small walls and installing electrical boxes and plumbing in them. After removing those items, instead of throwing the lumber away, we used it to build a few doghouses. We found some scrap metal at Stoll's Metal Sales (Thanks!), bought some paint and some treated lumber, and put it all together. These beauties are available for purchase by contacting Jeff Dice at 989-246-4298. We are asking for a minimum donation of $50 per doghouse (of course you could donate more) to help cover costs. First come, first served.

January update with JABA cash raffle information!

Good afternoon Comet families! This message is to let you know that route 15 will be running late as some of the roads are still posing problems. Thank you for your patience and have a good evening!

Good evening Comet families! Due to the continued extreme cold temperatures, Jonesville Community Schools will be closed tomorrow Wednesday, January 17th. Stay warm and go Comets!!!

Good evening Comet families! Due to the extreme cold temperatures tomorrow, Jonesville Community Schools will be closed Tuesday, January 16th. Stay home and stay warm! Go Comets!!!

Today is Athletic Director Kathy Bondsteel's retirement from JCS. She has worn many hats over her career from working at Hillsdale College and Hillsdale Academy as an administrative assistant to Hillsdale Community Schools where she was the administrative assistant to the AD. She was also a spot welder, production control clerk, worked at a family owned convenience store, and a secretary at the USDA. However, she is best known for 17.5 years as Athletic Director of JCS. She was a pioneer in that she was the first woman to be the AD in the Big 8. She was elected region AD of the year two times and worked on many MHSAA committees. She is well respected amongst her peers. She always made the officials feel welcome. Her position is not an easy one. There are a lot of moving parts to the position and you, at times, are working with staff and athletes at their lowest in times of defeat. She always remained positive and, most importantly, cared about kids. We hope that her retirement brings her all the love (grandkids) and TIME she has earned. Thank you for everything you have done for JCS! Best of luck and go Comets!

Good evening Comet families! In light of the upcoming winter storm, JCS will be closed tomorrow. Getting to school would not be an issue but getting home will. I know half days can be challenging for some families as well. Have a nice and safe weekend. Go Comets!

Comet Community! We are very excited to announce Jeff Turner as the next Athletic Director/Dean for Jonesville Community Schools. He is in his 33rd year of teaching and 37th year of coaching. He has a coaching background in basketball, football, baseball, and track. He is known for his integrity, passion, dedication, and love for the community. Please welcome Mr. Jeff Turner our next Jonesville Community Schools Athletic Director/Dean. Go Comets!!!

Do you have a passion for volunteering?

The safety and security/mental health presentation will have to be rescheduled. I will let you all know when the new date/time is. I hope you all had a wonder Christmas and New Year. Go Comets!!!