Dear LPS families,

Our Comets are on fire!

What a great game we had in Frankfort Wednesday watching our Varsity Girls win their district semi-final game! We are so excited to cheer them on Friday, again in Frankfort, at 7 pm. Moomer’s Ice Cream opens for the season on Friday, so there’s a wonderful treat stop on the way for families making the trek!

Best of luck to Minna Danziger (6th) and Levi Ulbrich (8th) as they compete in the Regional Spelling Bee this weekend in Traverse City! Those interested in cheering them on are welcome to attend!

Join us Friday, March 7th, 7 PM @ Frankfort: Girls Basketball District Finals game

Join us Saturday, March 8th, 11 AM @ the City Opera House: Regional Spelling Bee

In other news, we are beginning some anti-vaping education this week as part of our wonderful partnership with the Benzie-Leelanau District Health Department. The CATCH My Breath program is an evidence-based youth vaping prevention program. It’s never too early–or too late!–to talk to your students about the risks of vaping. While youth vaping rates are in decline in recent years, it is still a serious problem and many students believe it is “no big deal” or even “safe.”

I recently learned that high school and middle school students have no problem getting their hands on vapes, even if parents never bring them to a store that sells vapes. All over the internet are vape stores that will sell to children after they just check a box confirming they are over 21. Some will even ship the vapes in Amazon packaging to disguise the contents!  

Families, your homework assignment this week is to check in with your students about their views on vaping. Do they know the risks? Are they comfortable saying no the first time they’re offered a vape hit? Do they know where to go if they’re vaping and need help? The CATCH My Breath website has a ton of resources to support your conversations. 

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

Shelagh Fehrenbach, K-12 Principal

sfehrenbach@lelandschool.com

Girls Basketball 🏀 The varsity girls kicked off their district run against St. Mary’s and brought home the victory—32-23! 🎉👏 Next - District Finals this Friday at 7 PM against Frankfort @ Frankfort. Show up to pack the stands and cheer them on! Let's Go Comets.

Concurso de Deletreo or Spanish Spelling Bee In February, estudiantes from each 3/4 class and the 5th grade class competed in the Concurso de Deletreo or Spanish Spelling Bee. They took turns spelling words in Spanish from a bilingual word list. It took three rounds to narrow down the winners! ¡Felicitaciones a Jack Cypher, Augusta Danziger, Camila Creamer, y Malcolm Whisner!

Leland Robotics Our AstroBots are gearing up for another great competition this weekend in Mount Pleasant! 🚀🤖💫

Boys Basketball Comet pride was on full display last week as the boys' basketball team battled in the playoffs! A packed student section and an incredible community turnout brought the energy as fans cheered on the team. Though the season came to an end, we couldn’t be prouder of their hard work, heart, and dedication.

Nordic Skiing States This weekend, 7th graders James Brugeman (top photo, bib number 110) and Jack Brugeman (above, bib number 119) travelled to Houghton to race in the Michigan State Championships for Nordic Skiing. The two-day event included a sprint qualifier, sprint finals, a 3k classic race, and a 3k freestyle (skate) race. It was these Leland students’ first appearance at States and their performance in the 3k classic was especially exciting—with both boys finishing among the top ten middle school boys in the entire state. Jack and James train with Leland’s own Karen Kirt (below), a 3/4 teacher and PSIA Level III-certified race coach. They skied against middle schoolers from Calumet, Houghton, Marquette, Ishpeming, Traverse City, and beyond. Congratulations, guys!

Top two images: Chris Schmidt

LPS Music & Theater Secondary Music Classes have been getting creative—experimenting with making fog! Thanks to LPS student Nora C. for the awesome submission!

Red Hot Best in Education Our very own Dean of Students and Counselor Mr. Peschel has been nominated for My North Media's Red Hot Best Awards! You can check out all of the nominations and vote for Mr. Peschel here -> https://mynorth.com/the-red-hot-best-of-northern-michigan/rhb2025/#/gallery?group=506516

Important Dates

Monday, March 24th - Friday March 28th - No School, Spring Break

Monday, April 7th - Monthly PTO Meeting, 6pm HS Library

Wenesday, April 16th - No School, Teacher PD

Monday, May 5th- Monthly PTO Meeting, 6pm HS Library, Annual Elections Meeting

Wednesday, May 7th - Half Day for Students/Teacher PD

Monday, May 26th - No School, Memorial Day

Wednesday, June 11th - Approximate Last Day of School

📢 Leland PTO Needs YOUR Help! 📢

March is an open nominations period for any and all elected positions with the PTO—including President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer.

Elections Officer Cassie Burda is especially interested in hearing from those who are willing to serve as the PTO’s next Treasurer, an open seat with no current nominees. Do you know someone who’s great with numbers and passionate about supporting our school community? Maybe it’s YOU! As Treasurer, you’ll play a key role in managing PTO funds, tracking income and expenses, organizing financial reports, and helping shape our budget to benefit Leland students and teachers. It’s an opportunity to make a real impact!

Nominate yourself or someone else today!

It is important for ALL families to fill out the free and reduced lunch forms to ensure LPS receives accurate funding.

Click here, https://leland.familyportal.cloud/ then click "apply for benefits" to complete.

If you have any questions please reach out to Hanna Schaub hschaub@lelandschool.com

Leland Gliders Fundraiser Leland Glider Fleece Scarves are for sale as a fundraiser for the ski club. They are $20 each. Mrs. Klein loves how it keeps her neck warm at outdoor recess time. Our club has had a wonderful winter and we want to sustain this program by offering skis to students as a very reasonable cost. Contact Karen Kirt at: kkirt@lelandschool.com to purchase your scarf today! 

Save the Date for the LPS Summer Program!

Friday, March 7th

Varsity Girls Basketball @ Districts Finals (Frankfort) - 7:00pm

Click Here to see the full LPS Sports Schedule

Leelanau Rotary is currently looking for families that would like to host:

August, 2025 - January 2026: male highschool student from Brazil

Students will be attending Leland Public School. Hosts will need a spare bedroom available in their home.

Families Interested in hosting should reach out to LPS contact - Matt Peschel or SBLC Rotary Contact - Wayne Wunderlich

Walkathon Fundraiser for Guatemala Trip

Description: This fundraiser is being organized to support a group of students from Leland Public School who are raising funds for a cultural and educational trip to Guatemala through the LPS World Learning Club. The goal of this walkathon is to walk the 6,000,000 steps it takes to get from Leland, MI to Guatemala City, Guatemala! As of today there are 39 days left until departure, and we’re challenging our students to walk as many steps as possible in that time.

How it Works:

• Participants will track the number of steps they walk each day over the next 39 days.

• Donors will pledge a certain amount per step or per mile walked.

• Funds raised will go towards the students' travel expenses, educational activities, and community outreach in Guatemala.

We’re aiming to collectively walk 6,000,000 steps to Guatemala City, and with your support, we can reach our goal while helping the students fund their trip. Thank you for your contribution!

Glen Lake Schools Tennis Opportunity

"Any girl who wants to learn the sport is welcome to join the team. So far we have roughly 9 matches scheduled this spring. It should be a lot of fun! The first practice would start March 10.  Please let me know if you have any questions."

- Erin Mitchell 

Text: (630) 853-9183

Erinnateanna@gmail.com

Learn How To Sail

Leland Yacht Club Sailing School Scholarship, provided by the Leland Yacht Club Foundation

The Leland Yacht Club Foundation (LYCF) is partnering with area schools to provide sailing instruction to local students age 8 and older. Classes will take place at the Leland Yacht Club, located at 1221 Juniper Trail in Leland starting in mid June and continuing through early August; and recipients can elect to participate in as many weeks as they are available. Beginner classes are Tuesday through Friday from 9am to 12noon; and Advanced classes take place on Tuesday through Friday from 1pm to 3:30pm.

Apply Today

Together with school Administrators, LYCF will select recipients based on LYCF’s Scholarship Policy criteria, including interest in learning to sail, enjoyment of water and the outdoors, character, resilience, and financial need. Family membership at Leland Yacht Club for summer 2025 will also be provided to the families of scholarship recipients. Applicants must be independent swimmers who are capable of passing a swim test, be a local student who is at least 8 years old during summer of 2025, and reside in Leelanau County. Scholarships are renewable, so past recipients are strongly encouraged to re-apply. Applications will be confidential and are due no later than Friday March 21, 2025 so that recipients can be notified in April, shortly after spring break. Click the link above to join the Leland Yacht Club family today! Questions? Please email LYCF Board member lizzimmerman@icloud.com.

Thank you for your interest in sailing!

Drinks, Drama & Dessert

Sunday, March 9, 6 p.m.

$35 OAB Members | $40 Non-Members

On Sunday, March 9, the OAB presents three short plays based on three Edward Hopper paintings. Drinks, Drama & Dessert will kick off with social time, followed by the three dramatic works, concluding with dessert. One drink, coffee, and dessert included with ticket price.oldartbuilding.com/events/drinks-drama-dessert-an-evening-of-theatre