Comet Weekly

Friday, September 5th 2025

Principal's Message

Dear LPS families,

Wow! These halls were missing your students over the summer and I was happy to have them back this week! One of my favorite parts about being a principal is how much the rhythm of the day changes when students are back. The bells, the lunches, the backpacks, the laughter, and the joy–it felt great to be back in the swing of things!

This week’s Principal Message has a lot of little messages, and not all will apply to all families. Here we go:

  • 📸For all: School photo day has changed. We did not have the correct date published previously and now it is correct. See the important dates below. Our code is 4125 if you’d like to order photos online. Paper forms come home soon!

  • 🚌Bus rider families, check your email for a BusRight login invitation. It’s great to be able to track the bus location!

  • 🚸Walking/Biking students: Don’t forget to turn in a Walking/Biking Waiver for K-5 students. Printed copies are available in the office.

  • 🥳Middle school families, be sure to register for LIFT, even if you’re not sure you’ll attend regularly. This gives you a safe, fun, and on-site (usually) afterschool program option!

  • 💧Elementary families, be sure to send a water bottle with your student. Due to the new FilterFirst requirements, classrooms no longer have drinking fountains but our hallways have many water bottle filling stations.

  • 🚘Our Afternoon Car Line is getting faster every day. Remember to wait until you are along the straight curb before loading/unloading, and always pull forward as far as possible to make space for others behind you! 

  • 🪪High school drivers should turn in parking forms as soon as possible. PAC spaces are reserved for those with PAC passes.

Did you know that you can see prior Comet Weekly newsletters on our website? Visit https://www.lelandschool.com/page/newsletters. 

As always, don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions:
📧
sfehrenbach@lelandschool.com
📞 (231) 256-3802

- Shelagh Fehrenbach, K-12 Principal

Important Upcoming Dates

Tuesday, September 2: First day of school!
Wednesday-Thursday, Sep 3-4, 3:30-5:30: Sound of Music auditions, 6th-12th grades
Friday, September 5: Senior Sunrise Breakfast, 6:30 am
Saturday, September 6, 9:00 am-12:00 pm: Sound of Music auditions, 2nd-5th grade
Tuesday, September 9: PTO Open House, 6 pm
Wednesday-Friday, September 10-12: 6th/7th Grade to Camp Henry
Monday-Tuesday, September 15-16: 9th Grade to Camp Daggett
Monday-Friday, September 15-19: Spirit Week + Agriculture Week
Thursday, September 18*: School Picture Day (Note date change as of 9/2/25)
Thursday, September 18: School Farmer's Market and visiting Farm School Bus
Saturday, September 20: Homecoming
New* Monday, September 22: Hope College Admission Rep Visit, 12pm, HS Library
Wednesday, September 24: Half Day, 11:30 Dismissal
Tuesday, September 30: Community Okay2Say Presentation, 6:00 pm, PAC
New* Wednesday October 1: PTO Fall Parent Social, 6 - 8 pm, The Leland Lodge
Tuesday, October 7: PTO October Meeting, 6 pm
New* Wednesday, October 15: PSAT for 8th & 9th Grade 9:15am
New* Thursday, October 16: PSAT/NMSQT for 10th & 11th Grade 9:15am
Monday, October 20: School Picture Retakes
Wednesday, October 22: No School, Teacher Work Day
New* Thursday, October 23: Kalamazoo College Admissions Rep Visit, 12pm, HS Library
Friday, October 24: Sound of Music opening night
Wednesday-Thursday, October 29-30: Half Days for Conferences
Friday, October 31: Half Day, 11:30 Dismissal
Tuesday, November 4: No School, Teacher Work Day
New* Tuesday, November 18: Central Michigan University College Admissions Rep, 12pm, HS Library
Wednesday-Friday, November 26-28: No School, Thanksgiving Break

Important Information & Events

Coffee
PTO

Never Been to a PTO Meeting? This One’s for You! Join the Leland PTO for our first meeting of the year on Tuesday, September 9, with special guest Dr. Ryan Huppert. If you have not had the chance to meet our new superintendent, please stop by! This meeting will be an open house, where attendees can come learn about the PTO, provide input on priorities for the organization, mingle, and enjoy light refreshments — maybe even win a LPS raffle prize! This Open House will be held in the High School library at 6:00 pm. Everyone is welcome to attend! 

Social

Fall Parent Social Looking for Sponsors + Save the Date The Leland PTO is gearing up for our 2025 Fall Parent Social and we are seeking sponsors. If you would like to be involved in this year’s event by joining the planning committee, or with a sponsorship please email ptoleland@gmail.com. And make sure to save the date on your calendar! We'd love to see you there!

sports

Golf Scramble to Support Leland Athletics The Leland Comets Legacy Fund is hosting a golf scramble on Sunday, October 5 to benefit all Comets athletic teams.  Teams of four can register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/leland-comets-legacy-fund-golf-scramble-tickets-1602882146649?aff=oddtdtcreator

Soccer
yearbook

Yearbooks For Sale The 2024-25 Leland High School Yearbooks have arrived, and they are available to purchase for $20. The yearbooks can be reserved by emailing rknudsen@lelandschool.com, and can be picked up in the main office.

robotics

Welcome to Leland Robotics & Coding!

Sign Up Now for our Fall Seasons: https://forms.gle/a9zDuLxM7LtTJyVc6 

We welcome everyone who has interests in design, robotics, engineering, arts, and math and wants to be part of a team.

Every level of robotics helps every other level, whether a high school senior listens in to an elementary innovation project or a middle school student asks our mentors how to make something work the way they want it to.

We encourage parents and family, community and visitors to get in touch and see how we can make amazing opportunities for our students.

If you are interested in something and don't see it here, ask us! Like drone racing. Or outdoor robotics. Or skits. Or pudgy dragons.

https://www.lelandschool.com/page/robotics-club

CC
CC
CC

It's time for back-to-school paperwork!

We have a mix of paper and digital forms. You can get started on Digital forms here:

🛜Grade K-5 Technology Agreement (1 per student)
Click the link above or visit https://tinyurl.com/LPStechformELEM25


🛜Grade 6-12 Technology Agreement (1 per student)
Click the link above or visit https://tinyurl.com/LPStechformMSHS25s

🌮Free/Reduced Lunch Form (1 per family)
(Please, we need 100% of families to complete this regardless of benefit eligibility!)
Click the link above or visit https://leland.familyportal.cloud/ and click "Apply for Benefits"

🚌Transportation Request Form (1 per family if needing school bus transport)
Click the link above or visit https://tinyurl.com/LPSbusform

Paper Forms
Paper forms started coming home at Open House. Advisory and Homeroom teachers will also pass paper forms out during the first week for return.
Paper forms include:
Emergency Contact Update (1 per student)
Parking Pass (required for all driving students; new this year are reserved PAC lot passes!)
Health Plan Updates (if needed for a school-managed medical condition)

Rankings

Dear Leland,

I’m excited to share some wonderful news: Leland High School has been ranked the #8 high school in Michigan by U.S. News & World Report! Making the jump from 67th in MI last year to the top 10 is a HUGE accomplishment!

This recognition is a direct reflection of your hard work, dedication, and belief in our students. Every lesson planned, every conversation with a student, every moment you’ve invested in creating a welcoming and challenging learning environment has contributed to this honor.

While rankings can never fully capture the heart of what makes Leland special, this acknowledgement shows that others can see what we already know—this is an extraordinary place for kids to learn and grow.

Thank you for everything you do each and every day to ensure that our students are known, challenged, and supported. I am honored to serve alongside you and look forward to all we will accomplish together in support of Leland’s students and families.

Ryan Huppert
Superintendent
Leland Public School District

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