Fallen Tiger wall in front of Belleville High School almost completed

A memorial wall to hold the names of students who died during their school years in the Van Buren Public Schools is almost completed and the district is accepting applications for the Fallen Tiger Commemorative Wall.
At the April 15 regular meeting of the board of education, School Supt. Pete Kudlak explained that the wall is being put up in the northeast corner of the property at Belleville High School and will carry 4”x6” plaques with the names of the deceased students that are nominated. However they died, if they are Van Buren students in any grade, they will qualify, he said. There will be no charge to the families for the plaques.
There also will be two orange and black benches put up next to the wall, paid for by Waste Management and made from plastic bottle caps collected by student Marina Gerick in her Benches for Belleville project.
Supt. Kudlak said memorials serve an important function in the grieving and healing process. They recognize and honor the deceased, the survivors, and the community members who supported them.
He said it all started when he was approached by parent Tony Spitznagel and his daughter Faith who wanted to honor Savion Robinson, who died in a fire in December 2015 after helping family members escape the blaze. Savion would have been graduating from BHS this year and they wanted a memorial up before graduation. Other schools have such memorials for students.
Kudlak said he reached out to James Williams and Dan Wright to see how the district could make this happen. Williams’ department worked on the wall and Wright and Deb McWilliams put together a form to be filled out by the parents or guardians. The form is located under Parent Tab on the district website. For more information, contact Wright at BHS, 697-9133.
Kudlak said they have two other students whose plaques will be added to the wall, as well.