Retiree wants TC to reach for the starsHATS By JAN MALMOVIKING VIEWS

I get to say goodbye today; goodbye to all my colleagues and former students. Goodbye to sharpening 30 pencils at a time, handling 5 mini crises in 5 minutes, saying the pledge daily, grading thousands of pa-pers like each one was the most important, ordering the same amount of lined paper and crayons year after year, and praying for snow days in February and only outdoor re-cesses in May and June! I have put on the last band aid, gotten out the last bottle of calamine lotion, given the last envelope for a lost tooth, ripped off the final paper towel for an owie, and sent the last child to the “i” dungeon (you who you are!) I am leaving a position in the community that I have held for 27 years, leaving a life that I never re-ferred to as a job. I always said, “I am going to school.” I annually told my students that I also was still learning and capitalized on the moments when I did, letting them see that adults don’t know everything and the more I know, the more I realize I don’t know. I have sung the birthday song to almost 1000 children and have always stopped at 8 or 9. How can it be that I have aged when they have not? When I started the second generation of students a few years ago I jokingly referred to them as my “grand stu-dents”...the joke was on me. I have gotten older! Truly, I must still be 32 as I was years ago, but then I am reminded of my own 7 grandchildren and reality hits! My time to leave the classroom and reach out into the world is beginning. How fortunate I am to be healthy enough to do whatever it is that God is leading me to do. I pray to do His will with my life as I have for the last many years here at Tri County. I leave with a multitude of delightful notes from appreciative parents and students that I kept in a special file all these years. The written words always helped me get through some of the darker moments in my life and in the world. Thank you. My last thoughts are for you to remem-ber that God helps those who help them-selves, always act as if everything depends on you and pray as if everything depends on God, because it does. And so, I’m going to click my heels to-gether and repeat, “There’s no place like home” and continue my journey skid-ding and sliding through life proclaiming, “Wow! What a ride!”

offTC celebrates itsgraduating class of 2013

To John’s Friends:

We would like to thank all the students who took the time to get to know John Hodges. For not just seeing his Autism, but seeing John for who he is (great sense of humor!) and treating him as a peer. When John told us he wanted to come back to Tri County in 9th Grade, we weren’t sure if that was the best choice. But John missed his friends, friends he’s had since kindergarten. We are so glad we listened to John. His friends did not forget him and have helped him through many situations, more than they even know. We weren’t sure John could handle Graduation, but he proved us wrong. Se-niors, you were so kind to him that day. From taking pictures while saying “Plea-sure Island,” to cheering for John as he crossed the stage. Thank you for making his day! We are so proud of all of you!We will be having an Open House for John on June 22nd from 3 to 6 PM. John would love to see his friends and we would love to thank you personally. So if you have time, please stop by. The ad-dress is 7445 Marble Road, Howard City.

Thank you again,Sam and Sandy Hodges

By JENNIFER LASKEYVIKING VIEWS

In our winter 2012-2013, my team expe-rienced much success. We earned many first and second place finishes. My girls worked hard at practice every day, three hours a day. They strive to be the best! I could not be more proud of their team accomplishments this past winter. They are Conference Champions, District Runners-Up and Regional Finalists. Very commend-able achievements. In earning those titles, several of our athlete earned individual honors as well. First Team All Conference honors went to Michaela Lytle, Opal Tafe, Jordin Rub-ingh. Second Team All Conference honors went to Alex Hershberger and Emily Rienks, and All Conference Honorable Mention went to Morgan DeVault and Baylee Zemla. Our First Team All District awards went to Michaela Lytle, Opal Tafe, Jordin Rub-ingh and Alex Hershberger. Second Team All District Honors went to Emily Rienks, Morgan DeVault and Lauren Olsen. All District Honorable Mention went to Bay-lee Zemla and Jamie VanSetters. First Team All Region honors went to Michaela Lytle. Second Team All Region went to Opal Tafe and Jordin Rubingh, and All Region Honor-

able Mention went to Alex Hershberger and Emily Rienks. This was an amazing season and our program continues to get stronger every year, in ability and skills along with num-bers. We have six young ladies that we said goodbye to at the end of our winter season. Emma Bowen, Brooke Besemer, Lauren Olsen, Stephanie Lukas, Alyssa Moggo and Mallorie Taylor, good luck to each of you beyond graduation and thank you for all of

your time and dedication to our program! Come check out our program this com-ing fall and winter. You won’t want to miss what is a head. We will be offering three kids camps this summer, two different tumbling camps and one cheer camp. Check out our school website in the Athletics link to find the flyer or watch your students backpack for one to come home before the end of the school year!

In March, Sand Lake Elementary was the recipient of a Wildflower Association of Michigan Educational Grant. The Wild-flower Association of Michigan awards grants annually to organizations that sup-port the preservation and restoration of Michigan’s native plants and native plant communities. With the support of Master Naturalist Laurie Grant, Nelson Township, and the Sand Lake Library, Sand Lake Elementa-ry’s Green School Club will use the award to continue to develop and enhance the native prairie garden and outdoor educa-tional classroom at the Sand Lake Library. This grant will help students build upon the work already accomplished by provid-ing additional native plant species. Last year, in partnerships with various

businesses, Sand Lake Elementary’s Green School Club completed a handicapped ac-cessible pathway through the garden and raised funds to support the building of an informational kiosk. If you have not had the opportunity to tour the prairie and rain garden at the Sand Lake Library, check it out this sum-mer! Student-created flyers that identify and provide information about the native plants in bloom will be available in the kiosk throughout the summer months to assist visitors. Student volunteers will also be working this summer to maintain and enhance the library garden. If your child is a student at Sand Lake Elementary and is interested in becoming a Summer Citizen Scientist in our Summer Gardening Club, please contact Melanie

Gould @mgould@tricountyschools.com or Michele VanderVelde@mvandervelde@tricountyschools.com.

Sand Lake elementary awarded WAM educational grant

Happy days: Sand Lake Elementary students proudly display the $500 WAM grant.

Hard work pays off for varsity cheer team

Award-winning: The Tri County Varsity Cheer team found much success this season.

Story time: Alex Hershberger, a student in Mrs. Patin’s class, reads a Spanish children’s book that she created to students in Mrs. Overbeek’s kindergarten class.

Attention future 6th, 7th, and 8th grade Tri County Middle School students:On August 26 (6th graders), August 27 (7th graders), and August 28 (8th graders) from 7-8:30 PM,

students and parents are invited to hear Mr. Johnson talk about the upcoming school year. They will also get their lockers, schedules, have their pictures taken, and meet teachers. We hope to see you then!