Chippewa Hills School District

☀️ Summer’s better with a full belly! Free meals are ready to be picked up every Wednesday for any child or teen under 18. 🕚 11–1 at all 3 of our Elementary Buildings (Barryton, Mecosta, and Weidman) 🕓 4–6 at the Middle School No sign-up needed—just swing by!

Last week, our Chippewa Hills FFA members rolled up their sleeves and got to work cleaning the barn and preparing it for the animals! We're proud of their dedication and teamwork to make sure everything is ready and safe for the upcoming school year! Great work, Warriors! ❤️💙

Monday Learning Tip | Celebrate What the 4th of July Means The 4th of July is more than parades and fireworks—it’s a chance to help kids learn about freedom, history, and what it means to be part of a community. ❤️💙 This week, try this with your family: 🔹 Share why we celebrate Independence Day. Talk about words like freedom, independence, and community. 🔹 Read the words of the Declaration of Independence or a children’s version, and ask: “What does independence mean to you?” 🔹 Encourage kids to draw a picture of what they love most about their community or country. 🔹 Ask open-ended questions like: “Why do we use fireworks to celebrate?” “What do the colors of our flag stand for?” “What freedoms are most important to us today?” Then, take those reflections out into the community and celebrate together! Here are local fireworks shows happening nearby: 🎆 July 3 | Big Rapids Freedom Fest 🎆 July 3 | Canadian Lakes Fireworks 🎆 July 4 | Village of Mecosta Celebration 🎆 July 4 | Soaring Eagle Casino Fireworks 🎆 July 5 | Lake Isabella Fireworks Let’s celebrate the day with meaning, gratitude, and togetherness. ❤️🤍💙

🥪 Meet Up and Eat Up Reminder! Wednesdays are for meals... and a little extra fun! 😄 Our amazing staff are bringing the energy, smiles, and even costumes to make meal pickup something families look forward to every week. Meet Up and Eat Up continues tomorrow! Visit any Elementary School from 11 AM – 1 PM or the Middle School from 4-6 PM to get a week’s worth of nutritious meals for your kids—completely free! Come for the food, stay for the fun—you never know what our crew will come up with next! 🎉

School’s out—but our work is just beginning! This summer, we've partnered with Energy Systems Group to revitalize learning environments across our district. With critical infrastructure upgrades, such as: · Significant HVAC repairs/replacements · In-floor heating systems · District wide web-based automation controls We’re creating more efficient, breathable, and comfortable spaces for your return. Enjoy your summer—ESG has got it from here and is hard at work behind the scenes!

📚 Monday Learning Tip | Keep Growing This Summer! Tip: Visit your local library—it’s more than just books! If you're looking for a cool place to beat the heat and keep your kids learning, check out Morton Township Library in Mecosta! This local gem offers something for every age group—and it’s all free. Here’s what’s happening this summer: 📖 Summer Reading Challenge – Sign up and track your reading to earn prizes! 👶 Weekly Preschool Story Hour – Stories, songs, crafts, and early literacy fun 🎉 Exciting Weekly Programs – From animal visits to STEM activities, there's something new every week! Located in Mecosta, the Morton Township Library is a welcoming space that encourages kids to explore, imagine, and grow. Learn more: morton.michlibrary.org Have you visited the library this summer?

📸 #ThrowbackThursday – A Legacy of Hands-On Learning! Check out this awesome photo from 1981 — Chippewa Hills students getting real-world experience under the hood! 🚗🔧 Back then, community members would bring in engines and welding projects for students to work on, giving them a unique opportunity to build skills that last a lifetime. That tradition continues today. 🛠️ Did you know? Chippewa Hills is the only district in our area that still offers in-house industrial education courses like Wood Technology, Welding, and Small Engines. While most schools send students to off-site tech centers, we proudly keep these programs right here — in our classrooms, with our teachers, serving our students and our community. Then and now, hands-on learning is part of who we are. ❤️💙

🍓 Weekly reminder: Meet Up and Eat Up is tomorrow! 🥪 Stop by Wednesday to get free summer meals for your kids! We’ll be at all three of our Elementary Schools (Barryton, Mecosta, and Weidman) from 11 AM - 1 PM, and our Middle School from 4-6 PM!

📘 Monday Learning Tip | Keep Growing This Summer! Tip: Go on a nature walk and turn curiosity into adventure! This week, take learning outside with a family nature walk! Whether you're spotting birds, listening for frogs, or collecting leaves, nature walks build curiosity, vocabulary, and observation skills in a fun, low-pressure way. 🌿🔍 Explore these local trails—right in our own backyard and beyond: 🔹 Chippewa Hills Cross Country Course (Remus): Did you know our district’s own XC course is open to the public during the summer? With miles of wooded trails, it’s the perfect place for a quiet nature walk, scavenger hunt, or even a trail picnic. No travel needed—just step outside and explore! 🔹 Bundy Hill Preserve (Remus): A 100-acre preserve with a summit climb, interpretive trails, and native plant life. Great for adventurous walkers and little trailblazers! 🔹 Sylvan Solace Preserve (W of Mt. Pleasant): A peaceful spot with 2 miles of trails, wildlife viewing areas, and even a butterfly garden—ideal for journaling and exploring quietly. 🌲 What about you? What are your family’s favorite places to explore nature around the Chippewa Hills area? Drop your go-to spots in the comments—we’d love to discover new places too!

🩺 Lifesavers in training! 🐾 Last week, Mr. Jose led some of our amazing staff through their CPR and First Aid certification renewals — and they had a very special helper. Ms. Newman's sweet pup, Louie, joined the class to lend a paw! 🐶 Louie is a much-loved face around the high school and middle school, and he definitely misses the kids! He says he’s ready to save lives too! ❤️💙

🎉 Don’t forget! Free meals for kids and teens are available for pick-up TOMORROW at all 3 of our elementary schools from 11 AM – 1 PM and at the Middle School from 4–6 PM. 🍎 No registration required. Just sign in and pick up!

📘 Monday Learning Tip | Keep Growing This Summer! Tip #2: Cook or bake together—measure, mix, and read recipes. Cooking is a fun way to sneak in learning! From measuring ingredients (math) to following steps (reading comprehension), the kitchen is full of teachable moments. Plus, it’s a great way to bond as a family. Looking for inspiration? Don't miss the Cook the Kit – Berries event at the Mt. Pleasant Farmers' Market on Thursday, June 12 and Saturday, June 21, 2025, starting at 7:30 AM. Each free kit includes: • A featured farm-fresh recipe (like Angel Food Cake with Berries) • Pantry ingredients • A voucher for fresh produce from the market No registration required—kits are available on a first-come, first-served basis while supplies last. One kit per household. This event is a collaboration between the Chippewa River District Library, Mt. Pleasant Farmers' Market, and McLaren Health Plan. Can't make it? Try these free online resources: • PBS Kids Cooking Games: https://pbskids.org/ • America’s Test Kitchen Kids: https://www.americastestkitchen.com/learn?r%5Bsearch_stickers%5D%5B0%5D=ATK%20Kids • Raddish Kids YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@raddishkids What's your family's favorite dish to make together? Share your go-to recipes or cooking photos in the comments! 🍽️

Our June Board of Education meeting is tonight at 6:00 PM in the High School Media Center.

📸 Throwback Thursday | Reunion Edition Last night’s All-Employee Reunion Picnic was full of familiar faces, warm hugs, and Warrior pride! We loved seeing past and present staff come together to reconnect and celebrate the legacy of Chippewa Hills. While we only captured a handful of photos, we know so many of you took your own—and we’d love to see them! 👉 If you snapped a pic or have a favorite memory from the night, please share it in the comments or tag us in your post. Let’s keep the reunion spirit going! Here’s to all the Warrior staff—past and present—who helped shape generations of students and made Chippewa Hills what it is today. ❤️💙

Mother Nature isn't cooperating much for an outdoor picnic today...so we're moving it inside! We'll be in the Middle School cafeteria instead. Looking forward to seeing you tonight!

UPDATE for today’s Meet Up and Eat Up locations! Our morning pickup sites will be at all three elementary buildings from 11 AM – 1 PM. TODAY ONLY: Our evening pickup site will be at the High School Cafeteria from 4-6 PM. Starting next week, the evening pick-up location will move to the Middle School Cafeteria.

Our Warrior All-Employee Reunion Picnic is today! All current and former Chippewa Hills staff are invited to join us from 5:30-7:30 PM on the practice soccer field located behind the Middle School. If the weather doesn't cooperate, we'll meet in the Middle School cafeteria instead. This is a potluck event and to make sure we have a great variety, we’re asking each staff group to bring a different item: • Administration/Central Office: Hot dog buns & condiments • Board of Education: Plates, cups, napkins & silverware • Custodians/Grounds/Maintenance: Chips, veggies & dips • Food Service: Desserts • Support Staff (paras/admins/tutors): Salads & side dishes • Teaching Staff: Hot dogs & brats • Transportation: Beverages (soda, lemonade, water) The Chippewa Hills Sports Boosters will be bringing their grills and helping with the cookout! Be sure to bring a chair or blanket so you can kick back and relax with friends! Please RSVP so we can get a headcount (and we've included a few fun questions to help us create some great memories at the event!) RSVP here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScG39KrGDIvvQr8fHWFCxW6CqzUud2FJ5ttabRHxXChDlqTvA/viewform?usp=sharing&ouid=111397151771466000961 We look forward to seeing you for an evening of fun and reconnection!

Reminder: Meet Up and Eat Up starts TOMORROW! Free summer meals for all kids 18 and under will be available for pickup at the following locations: 🍎 Elementary Schools (Barryton, Mecosta, and Weidman) from 11 AM – 1 PM 🍎 Secondary Complex from 4-6 PM. This week, food pickup will be at the High School cafeteria. Starting next week it will be at the Middle School cafeteria. No sign up needed – just stop by!

📘 NEW: Summer Learning Tips! Starting this week, we’re sharing one simple tip every Monday to help families keep learning alive all summer long. No pressure. No worksheets. Just easy, fun ways to sneak a little learning into your everyday routines—whether you're at home, at the park, or on the go. Because every bit of reading, exploring, or wondering helps our Warriors come back stronger in the fall. Follow along each week right here, and feel free to share your own tips or photos in the comments—we love seeing our Warriors in action! ❤️💙 --- 📚 Tip #1: Make daily reading a family habit—5 minutes is all it takes! Reading together builds language, imagination, and connection. Whether it’s a bedtime story, a poem after dinner, or a recipe you’re trying out together—every word counts. Short on time? Listen to an audiobook in the car or read signs as you drive. Little moments add up! Need ideas? Check out these free and fun resources: • Storyline Online – Celebrities read popular children’s books aloud: http://www.storylineonline.net • Epic! – Thousands of kid-friendly books available online: https://www.getepic.com/sign-in • PBS Kids Read-Alongs – Read along with favorite PBS characters: https://www.pbs.org/parents/read-along 📍 Local Libraries in our District: • Barryton Public Library – Barryton: http://www.barrytonlibrary.com/ • Morton Township Library – Mecosta: https://www.morton.michlibrary.org/ • Sherman Township Library – Weidman: https://www.shermantwplib.com/ • Wheatland Township Library – Remus: https://www.remus.org/library What’s your family reading this week? Drop your favorites in the comments!

🩺 The Chippewa Hills Wellness Center is OPEN all summer! Located within the Middle School, our Wellness Center makes it easy for families to take care of important health needs — without the wait or extra travel. Now is the perfect time to schedule: ✅ Sports physicals ✅ Immunizations ✅ Well-child checks ✅ Mental health support ✅ Sick visits and injuries Summer Hours: Monday – Friday: 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM Call to schedule an appointment: 989-967-2290 ‼️Don't wait until August! The Wellness Center gets extremely busy as the school year approaches — make your back-to-school health appointments now and beat the rush. Warrior wellness starts here — all year long! ❤️💙