News and Announcements

Students who have to stay inside for recess for various reasons don’t always have a lot of options for things to do. But with the help of a grant through the Barry Community Foundation’s Wilson H. Craig fund, Lee Elementary second-grade teacher Nathan Fischer is adding an exciting and challenging option.

Students in Nathan Fischer’s second grade classroom wiggled and fidgeted on their wobble seats as they methodically tried to solve the Rubik’s Cube. Spinning the colored sides this way and that way, students tried to figure out the secrets to getting all one color on each side of the cube.

Lee Elementary students let out cheers as they learned who’s in the Final Four – not teams in the basketball competition - books in the Lee March Book Madness contest! Just like the NCAA collegiate basketball tournament, the March Book Madness contest pits 16 books in one-on-one contests with students voting for their favorites to advance until the favorite book is crowned at the end of the month.

Thornapple Kellogg Elementary music programs received a boost from three grants this year.

Wearing her warm-up athletic pants, a whistle around her neck and a t-shirt that says “I Kicked Kawasaki Disease,” Lee Elementary second-grader Georgia Mosley was all geared up for her special day as a PE assistant teacher. All day Wednesday, she demonstrated exercises to classes, helped set up equipment, and explained rules for games and activities.

Do you know how many pounds of mint it will take to flavor 135,000 sticks of chewing gum? Or why Faygo Pop is called the “one true pop?” Did you know the Civil War would lead to the discovery of Vernor’s Ginger Ale or that a mistake led the Kellogg brothers to discover corn flakes?

Each link of a paper chain draped around the Lee Elementary library holds a pledge from second and third grade students. Their pledges are ways they can help make the world and their community a better place – pledges like loving each other, helping others, being kind and staying positive - all in honor of Martin Luther King day.

In an age of immediate electronic messaging, some Thornapple Kellogg third graders are learning and loving the art of old-fashioned letter writing as they get to know elementary school pen pals in Texas. It’s a writing lesson with a real-world purpose that helps them practice basic writing skills like grammar, punctuation and writing complete sentences.