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EDWARDSBURG — The Edwardsburg School Board celebrated their principals for National Principals Month and heard updates on new electives and building upgrades at their meeting on Monday.

Edwardsburg Middle School Principal Josh Bourne, along with students and teachers, presented reports on new elective courses, including Yearbook, Digital Design, Advanced Family and Consumer Science, and Practical Law and Debate.

The yearbook team consists of ten eight graders, chosen by an application process that includes interviews and reviews of attendance and academic performance. The students take on the responsibilities of choosing the yearbook theme, designing pages, taking photos, and working with a deadline.

The current school year is the first for the Middle School Digital Design Class. Students use the software Canva and tablets to learn design, fonts, color theory, and marketing and have contributed with the creation of flyers for school events.

The goal of the Advanced Family and Consumer Science (FCS) classes is to equip students with practical skills for “personal, family, and career success”. Students in the advanced have completed previous FCS courses or were recommended for the advanced classes by a teacher. The topics covered in the course include human development, caregiving and nurturing, food science and nutrition, hospitality, exploring career paths, and a deep study of fashion through the 1900s to 2000s.

Classes on practical law and debate include materials and guidance from the American Bar Association, the Michigan Bar Association, the Michigan Supreme Court and Hall of Justice, and the National Council for Social Studies. Students learn how laws develop and practice skills related to criminal law and procedure, constitutional law, consumer law, and learning to read contracts. Learners participate in debating, writing and speaking persuasively, passing mock laws, and holding mock trials, while emphasizing respectful approaches to disagreement.

Eagle Lake educators Patricia Lawson and Frannie Semrinec were recognized during the meeting for their contributions. Lawson is a current Title I teacher who has held several positions in the school and Semrinec is a third grade teacher, a member of the Buildings School Improvement team, and the facilitator of Girls on the Run at Edwardsburg.

The board received a Bond Update from construction managers from The Skillman Corporation. Many projects are winding down at Eagle Lake Primary School, Edwardsburg Intermediate School, Edwardsburg Middle School, and Edwardsburg High School, including new secure entryways, restroom and classroom updates, and the new drop-off loop. Some projects are delayed due to material shortages, including doors at the High School and Middle School, that are expected to be installed over the holiday break.

During the meeting, the board also approved a high school trip to Japan facilitated by EF Tours, planned to take place in June of 2026, and heard the latest updates on the district financial audit.

It was announced that school staff would be participating in safety training with first responders on November 10th, which will include the presence of emergency vehicles. No students will be present during the training.

The next school board meeting will take place at 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 24 in the District Administrative Center.