Yesterday, a group of our students had the incredible opportunity to attend the 2025 Unified Champions Conference at LSSU!
Rudyard has a long history of promoting inclusion in our building, and Unified Champions is all about bringing students together—celebrating leadership, teamwork, and meaningful connections between students of all abilities.
Our group was a fantastic mix from Links Club, CTE Teacher Cadets, and our Unified Sports Class, showing what collaboration and friendship look like in action.
We’re proud of our students for representing Rudyard and continuing our tradition of unity and inclusion!
Rudyard has a long history of promoting inclusion in our building, and Unified Champions is all about bringing students together—celebrating leadership, teamwork, and meaningful connections between students of all abilities.
Our group was a fantastic mix from Links Club, CTE Teacher Cadets, and our Unified Sports Class, showing what collaboration and friendship look like in action.
We’re proud of our students for representing Rudyard and continuing our tradition of unity and inclusion!
School picture day for all students at Rudyard Area Schools is coming up on Tuesday, October 15. We will be working with Lakeshore Photography.
There is no paper order form this year. After pictures are taken, proofs will be emailed directly to parents, giving you the choice to purchase online or not. Photos will also be mailed directly to your home, reducing the chance of them being lost or damaged on the way home with your student.
There is no paper order form this year. After pictures are taken, proofs will be emailed directly to parents, giving you the choice to purchase online or not. Photos will also be mailed directly to your home, reducing the chance of them being lost or damaged on the way home with your student.
This past week students from our CTE cabinetry program were able to take an industry tour of Maples, sawmill tri county, builders, cabinetry studio, and the Marine Trades Institute in Cedarville.
Reminder: There is NO School on October 13, 2025 (professional development day).
Shout out to our Jr Bulldogs Football team, they finished conference play undefeated and winning the EUP Championship yesterday!
2025 Rudyard Autumn Classic!
Join us for our home cross country meet on Saturday, October 11, 2025, at the Rudyard School Farm. Runners of all levels are welcome! Its been a great season for our teams and only a few days till UP Finals!
Open Race: $5 to participate (packet pickup at the finish line)
Race Schedule:
9:00 AM – Course Review
10:00 AM – Middle School & Running Club Girls
10:30 AM – Middle School & Running Club Boys
11:00 AM – JV Boys & Girls together & Public Open 5K
11:45 AM – Varsity Girls
12:15 PM – Varsity Boys
Start times may shift slightly if previous races finish early.
Extras: Concessions will be available, and Autumn Classic shirts will be on sale for $25 each.
Come out to cheer on our runners and enjoy a great day at the Rudyard School Farm!
Join us for our home cross country meet on Saturday, October 11, 2025, at the Rudyard School Farm. Runners of all levels are welcome! Its been a great season for our teams and only a few days till UP Finals!
Open Race: $5 to participate (packet pickup at the finish line)
Race Schedule:
9:00 AM – Course Review
10:00 AM – Middle School & Running Club Girls
10:30 AM – Middle School & Running Club Boys
11:00 AM – JV Boys & Girls together & Public Open 5K
11:45 AM – Varsity Girls
12:15 PM – Varsity Boys
Start times may shift slightly if previous races finish early.
Extras: Concessions will be available, and Autumn Classic shirts will be on sale for $25 each.
Come out to cheer on our runners and enjoy a great day at the Rudyard School Farm!
We’re excited to announce that this Friday night at 7 PM, our Rudyard Bulldogs take on the Mesick Bulldogs! This week’s game is proudly sponsored by Cloverland Electric. Cloverland staff will be on site with a utility truck and will have some fun activities for kids with them too!
School picture day for all students at Rudyard Area Schools is coming up on Tuesday, October 15. We will be working with Lakeshore Photography.
There is no paper order form this year. After pictures are taken, proofs will be emailed directly to parents, giving you the choice to purchase online or not. Photos will also be mailed directly to your home, reducing the chance of them being lost or damaged on the way home with your student.
Make sure your child is ready to smile for the camera!
There is no paper order form this year. After pictures are taken, proofs will be emailed directly to parents, giving you the choice to purchase online or not. Photos will also be mailed directly to your home, reducing the chance of them being lost or damaged on the way home with your student.
Make sure your child is ready to smile for the camera!
Dig Pink Volleyball Night!
On Tuesday, October 7th, the Brimley Bays Volleyball teams will host our Rudyard Bulldogs in a special match-up dedicated to supporting those impacted by breast cancer. This event known as Dig Pink will help raise funds for the Side-Out Foundation, a national organization that supports metastatic breast cancer research and awareness through the power of volleyball.
The Side-Out Foundation partners with volleyball teams across the country to turn games into opportunities for hope, education, and impact. Every serve, set, and spike helps fund cutting-edge research and empower patients and families facing breast cancer.
There will be raffles, a silent auction, and 50/50 drawings throughout the evening: with all proceeds going toward the cause.
Come out, wear pink, and show your support as our Bulldogs with they Bays for this meaningful event!
On Tuesday, October 7th, the Brimley Bays Volleyball teams will host our Rudyard Bulldogs in a special match-up dedicated to supporting those impacted by breast cancer. This event known as Dig Pink will help raise funds for the Side-Out Foundation, a national organization that supports metastatic breast cancer research and awareness through the power of volleyball.
The Side-Out Foundation partners with volleyball teams across the country to turn games into opportunities for hope, education, and impact. Every serve, set, and spike helps fund cutting-edge research and empower patients and families facing breast cancer.
There will be raffles, a silent auction, and 50/50 drawings throughout the evening: with all proceeds going toward the cause.
Come out, wear pink, and show your support as our Bulldogs with they Bays for this meaningful event!
One of our key focuses this year at the Jr/Sr High School is encouraging students to grow and develop their leadership skills.
A new course taught by Mr. VanSloten, Leadership and You, is giving students the chance to explore what it means to be a leader. The class, open to all high school students, provides a platform for meaningful discussions on leadership styles, participation in service projects, and engagement in book studies. Students will also have opportunities to attend leadership conferences throughout the year.
When one of those conferences was postponed due to a scheduling conflict with the keynote speaker, Mr. VanSloten turned the situation into a new opportunity. With a bus already reserved and plans in place, he connected with Men 's Basketball Head Coach Steve Hettinga at Lake Superior State University, who invited the class to campus. Students spent the day learning from Coach Hettinga, several other LSSU coaches, including Women's Head Basketball Coach Grace Howrigon and Assistant Coach Terrell Modest, and members of many of the college teams about their personal leadership philosophies.
It was a fantastic experience for our students, and they look forward to continuing these valuable conversations with leaders across our region.
A new course taught by Mr. VanSloten, Leadership and You, is giving students the chance to explore what it means to be a leader. The class, open to all high school students, provides a platform for meaningful discussions on leadership styles, participation in service projects, and engagement in book studies. Students will also have opportunities to attend leadership conferences throughout the year.
When one of those conferences was postponed due to a scheduling conflict with the keynote speaker, Mr. VanSloten turned the situation into a new opportunity. With a bus already reserved and plans in place, he connected with Men 's Basketball Head Coach Steve Hettinga at Lake Superior State University, who invited the class to campus. Students spent the day learning from Coach Hettinga, several other LSSU coaches, including Women's Head Basketball Coach Grace Howrigon and Assistant Coach Terrell Modest, and members of many of the college teams about their personal leadership philosophies.
It was a fantastic experience for our students, and they look forward to continuing these valuable conversations with leaders across our region.
Thank You, Rudyard Area Schools Community!
Over the past year, we’ve seen incredible progress across our district thanks to the bond projects made possible by you — our community. From updated classrooms and improved facilities to safer, more modern learning spaces, and athletic updates these changes are helping our students and staff thrive every day.
We would like to recognize our community for making this all happen. Your support and pride in our schools have made a lasting impact on the future of Rudyard students.
A special shoutout goes to Ted Folkersma, Rudyard Maintenance Director; Mike Baker, Great Lakes Services; and Nick Huyck, Norris Contracting for going above and beyond to ensure the success of these projects.
Over the past year, we’ve seen incredible progress across our district thanks to the bond projects made possible by you — our community. From updated classrooms and improved facilities to safer, more modern learning spaces, and athletic updates these changes are helping our students and staff thrive every day.
We would like to recognize our community for making this all happen. Your support and pride in our schools have made a lasting impact on the future of Rudyard students.
A special shoutout goes to Ted Folkersma, Rudyard Maintenance Director; Mike Baker, Great Lakes Services; and Nick Huyck, Norris Contracting for going above and beyond to ensure the success of these projects.
Yearbook Sales for the 2024-25 book start this week. Pre-orders can be picked up from Mrs. Morley. They will be selling them this week during lunch. Students are encourge to bring their yearbook and have others sign/leave notes in eachother's books during lunch.
For those of you that might be wondering our school switched to a Fall delivery several years ago, this allows for spring activities including graduation to be included in the book.
Thank you again to all of the community members and business that donate that help keep the costs down for the students.
For those of you that might be wondering our school switched to a Fall delivery several years ago, this allows for spring activities including graduation to be included in the book.
Thank you again to all of the community members and business that donate that help keep the costs down for the students.
Our CTE Teacher Cadets had the opportunity this morning to learn about the Golden Apple Scholars Program from Alana Albarran, Manager of Recruitment. The Golden Apple Scholars Program is a teacher preparation and scholarship program that supports high school seniors, college freshmen, and sophomores who aspire to become teachers. Scholars can receive up to $15,000 in grants and stipends assistance, gain extensive classroom teaching experience starting early in college, receive mentorship and professional development, and join a network of educators committed to serving high-need schools.
We are proud that there are currently 82 Golden Apple Scholars in Michigan, including 4 Rudyard graduates. One of those graduates, Jaelyn Clark, joined today’s presentation to share her experience and encourage our future educators.
Rudyard is proud to see our students exploring careers in education!
We are proud that there are currently 82 Golden Apple Scholars in Michigan, including 4 Rudyard graduates. One of those graduates, Jaelyn Clark, joined today’s presentation to share her experience and encourage our future educators.
Rudyard is proud to see our students exploring careers in education!
We are proud to officially announce that Carrie Hoolsema has been named a Commended Student in the 2026 National Merit Scholarship Program. About 34,000 students throughout the nation are being recognized for their exceptional academic promise (out of 1.1 million).
Well done, Carrie, keep working hard in the classroom and our school community!
Well done, Carrie, keep working hard in the classroom and our school community!
Reminder:
The 2nd Street Entrances are still closed due to road construction starting till 10/3. Do not drive down 2nd Street.
All students and staff will be entering through the 3rd street side of the building.
For all guests' needs during the school day, please go to door 6 (HS Gym) Entrance. Drop off and pick up can still take place in the library parking lot, along with 3rd street lots.
Construction Update:
The 2nd Street Entrances will all be closed due to road construction starting 9/26 till 10/3.
All students and staff will be entering through the 3rd street side of the building.
For all guests' needs during the school day, please go to door 6 (HS Gym) Entrance. Drop off and pick up can still take place in the library parking lot, along with 3rd street lots.
The 2nd Street Entrances will all be closed due to road construction starting 9/26 till 10/3.
All students and staff will be entering through the 3rd street side of the building.
For all guests' needs during the school day, please go to door 6 (HS Gym) Entrance. Drop off and pick up can still take place in the library parking lot, along with 3rd street lots.
UPDATED HOMECOMING events scheduled.
Excited for the week!
This week's alumni spotlight is Bill Mourufas '09!
I have a lot of good memories from my time at Rudyard High School. Most of which are
from the years playing football and participating on the wrestling team, but my favorite
individual memory was participating in a debate in front of the entire school as part of Mr.
DeYoung’s Advanced Placement Government class. During the debate I was tasked with
portraying then candidate for President Barack Obama and debated fellow student Gail
Berkompas who was portraying Senator John McCain. The Vice President Candidates were
Raymond Schue as Joe Biden and Melanie Case as Sarah Palin.
My favorite class was Mr. DeYoung’s Advanced Placement Government class. He always
found ways to facilitate lively thought-provoking discussions among the class while staying
impartial and challenging both sides of the debate. This is the class that inspired me to
pursue a Political Science degree and work in politics/government.
There is a lot of advice I would give to high school students today, but I think the most
important advice would be that you do not need to have everything figured out today or
feel like you need to have a plan for your entire life. Even if you think you have everything
mapped out at your current age, it is very likely that your plans will change multiple times.
Rather than trying to plan out the rest of your life, work on building the skills that will help
you navigate life’s changes. Work ethic, dedication, adaptability, social skills, and the ability
to keep learning will serve you far more than any single plan ever could. Life rarely moves in
a straight line, and success often comes from being able to pivot, grow, and stay resilient
when things don’t go as expected. A common phrase in the Marine Corps when things do
not go right (which is often) is “adapt and overcome”, so focus on becoming the kind of
person who can face uncertainty with confidence. Not because you have all of the answers,
but because you’ve built the tools to figure things out along the way. In the end, the only
thing you can and should plan on is change, instead of fearing it, prepare for it and let it
shape you into someone stronger, wiser, and more capable.
During my senior year I seriously considered military service but ultimately decided to
enroll at Lake Superior State University to pursue a degree in Political Science. However,
after completing just one semester, I couldn’t shake the calling to serve. In 2010, I enlisted
in the United States Marine Corps and began active duty. I served as an aviation mechanic
on Huey and Cobra attack helicopters, with duty stations in California, Florida, and Hawaii
over the course of five years. During that time, I also got married, which marked another
important chapter in my life. My time in the Marines taught me invaluable lessons about
discipline, adaptability, and resilience. These are the same lessons that reflect the advice I
shared earlier: life doesn't always go according to plan, and that's okay. After receiving an
honorable discharge, I returned home to finish the degree I had started before enlisting.
While completing my studies at LSSU, I gained experience working with local, state, and
federal political organizations and nonprofits. After earning my Bachelor of Science degree
in Political Science, I began working for the State of Michigan’s Department of Labor and
Economic Opportunity where I serve as a Veterans’ Career Advisor, helping to reduce
employment barriers for Michigan’s veteran population. I am currently in the process of
pursuing a Master’s degree in Public Administration and I also have the privilege of being a
husband and a father. My wife and I now have a 4-year-old son and a 2-week-old daughter.
Life has taken many unexpected turns, but each experience has shaped who I am today. I
wouldn’t change a thing.
I have a lot of good memories from my time at Rudyard High School. Most of which are
from the years playing football and participating on the wrestling team, but my favorite
individual memory was participating in a debate in front of the entire school as part of Mr.
DeYoung’s Advanced Placement Government class. During the debate I was tasked with
portraying then candidate for President Barack Obama and debated fellow student Gail
Berkompas who was portraying Senator John McCain. The Vice President Candidates were
Raymond Schue as Joe Biden and Melanie Case as Sarah Palin.
My favorite class was Mr. DeYoung’s Advanced Placement Government class. He always
found ways to facilitate lively thought-provoking discussions among the class while staying
impartial and challenging both sides of the debate. This is the class that inspired me to
pursue a Political Science degree and work in politics/government.
There is a lot of advice I would give to high school students today, but I think the most
important advice would be that you do not need to have everything figured out today or
feel like you need to have a plan for your entire life. Even if you think you have everything
mapped out at your current age, it is very likely that your plans will change multiple times.
Rather than trying to plan out the rest of your life, work on building the skills that will help
you navigate life’s changes. Work ethic, dedication, adaptability, social skills, and the ability
to keep learning will serve you far more than any single plan ever could. Life rarely moves in
a straight line, and success often comes from being able to pivot, grow, and stay resilient
when things don’t go as expected. A common phrase in the Marine Corps when things do
not go right (which is often) is “adapt and overcome”, so focus on becoming the kind of
person who can face uncertainty with confidence. Not because you have all of the answers,
but because you’ve built the tools to figure things out along the way. In the end, the only
thing you can and should plan on is change, instead of fearing it, prepare for it and let it
shape you into someone stronger, wiser, and more capable.
During my senior year I seriously considered military service but ultimately decided to
enroll at Lake Superior State University to pursue a degree in Political Science. However,
after completing just one semester, I couldn’t shake the calling to serve. In 2010, I enlisted
in the United States Marine Corps and began active duty. I served as an aviation mechanic
on Huey and Cobra attack helicopters, with duty stations in California, Florida, and Hawaii
over the course of five years. During that time, I also got married, which marked another
important chapter in my life. My time in the Marines taught me invaluable lessons about
discipline, adaptability, and resilience. These are the same lessons that reflect the advice I
shared earlier: life doesn't always go according to plan, and that's okay. After receiving an
honorable discharge, I returned home to finish the degree I had started before enlisting.
While completing my studies at LSSU, I gained experience working with local, state, and
federal political organizations and nonprofits. After earning my Bachelor of Science degree
in Political Science, I began working for the State of Michigan’s Department of Labor and
Economic Opportunity where I serve as a Veterans’ Career Advisor, helping to reduce
employment barriers for Michigan’s veteran population. I am currently in the process of
pursuing a Master’s degree in Public Administration and I also have the privilege of being a
husband and a father. My wife and I now have a 4-year-old son and a 2-week-old daughter.
Life has taken many unexpected turns, but each experience has shaped who I am today. I
wouldn’t change a thing.
Meeting Reminder: Rudyard is going to London in Spring of 2027! Come to the meeting tonight to learn more. RSVP to the meeting to get more information: https://bit.ly/3JRrPKq
