The Kinross Recreation Center got a wonderful surprise when Cathy Jacobson’s class from Pickford schools was doing a project for their eighth grade life management class. Each year, Mrs. Jacobson leads the class with a fundraising project. The students choose the organization, then decide how to raise money. Jared Hatfield, Blake Mastaw, Alec Firack, and Matt Libby chose the Kinross Recreation Center as their project. With a bottle drive as their fundraiser, they collected approximately $150. The class then decided to buy an assortment of athletic balls for the gymnasium, and they delivered them to the recreation center. They are looking into getting new backboards and rims, which the recreation center also needs. This fundraiser is just one project the class will do this year. Deedee Frasure said she was appreciative for everything that the class has done, and she wanted everyone to know about this community project.

Rudyard students participating in the Jump Rope for Heart include (from left) Karrigan Christie, Kristina Noble, Destiny Marra, and Brandon Gravelle. Saturday, February 6, Rudyard Middle School’s team of Abby Berkompas, Elijah May, Alex Warner, and Monica Malaski finished first out of 10 teams at the regional MathCounts competition at Petoskey Middle School. Petoskey finished second, while Cheboygan came in third. Each team member received a trophy and a $100 savings bond for their efforts. The students spent Saturday morning figuring out mathematics problems. There is both an individual and team competition. Miss Berkompas, from Rudyard Middle School, finished the individual portion of the competition in second place, out of more than 100 of the best mathematics students in northern Michigan. She received a trophy and an additional $100 savings bond. Other competitors from Rudyard included Kelsee Horrom, Becky Schwesinger, Jacob Kamisnski, Jonah Sprague, Hannah May, and David English. Rudyard’s MathCounts team will now travel to Grand Valley State University Saturday, March 20, for the state competition.

Turner-Howson Elementary School students of the month for December are (front, from left) Delaney MacDowell, Ethan MacDowell, Diana Shields, Hayden Mills, Alani Germain, Kensey Micolo, Aaron Weber, Aaron MacDowell; (back) Madison MacDowell, Jared Swain, Erin Nicklas, Elizabeth D’Autremont, and Tanner Norton. Missing from photograph is Aiden Yiirs. (Photograph courtesy of Kathy Fountain) Rudyard Athlete of the Month for January was junior Abby LaPointe. This award is voted on by the coaches. Abby plays on the girls varsity basketball team.

March is reading month and a line-up of community members will be reading to the students at the public library then. Both the Turner-Howson Library and elementary school library will sponsor scholastic book fairs the week of Monday, March 8.

Rudyard students had a Jump Rope for Heart event for the American Heart Association in December at the Rudyard Middle Grades School and raised $1,500 to fight heart disease and stroke.