Talk Sup't. June 26, 2012

Superintendent’s Blog

SEAF PROJECT

On May 14th, Western Demographics consultant, Shannon Bingham, presented the West Bloomfield School District Board of Education with a preliminary report resulting from feedback gathered at public focus groups and open houses that were attended by parents, staff and community members. The SEAF committee continues to review and analyze all of the recommended options to minimize adverse impact on educational programs while maximizing budgetary savings where possible. All concerns including special education programs, preschool openings, building closure and the relocation of district administration are being evaluated so that the best decision for all students can be made.
This project is ongoing. The School Enrollment and Facilities (SEAF) Utilization Report that was previously scheduled to appear on the June 25, 2012 West Bloomfield School District Board of Education Meeting Agenda, has been postponed until August 27. This will allow additional time to address unresolved issues in the study.
Shannon Bingham of Western Demographics, Inc. will deliver his report to the board at the August 27 Board of Education meeting. This will give all board members the opportunity to visit all buildings that may be impacted by the initial recommendations that were in the recent draft.

CONGRATULATIONS!
Special Congratulations go to our West Bloomfield High School Diver Claire Forhan who has been named to the All American Dive Team and also a Scholar Athlete by the Michigan High School Athletic Association. Claire was honored by the Detroit News as a scholar athlete as well. A huge thanks goes out to Coach Fraylick for all of the training and preparation that helped Claire reach this outstanding achievement!

Another big congrats go to Track Star Erin Finn who won the state championship in the 3,200-meter run with a time of 10:17.86 at the Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) Division 1 track and field finals at East Kentwood on June 2. Erin’s winning time set a new state record, beating the old record by 5 seconds set back in 2010. in March she set a new national record at the high school indoor National championships in New York in the 5,000-meter dash with a time of 16:19.7.

GRIFFIN MILLER
Thank you to West Bloomfield Optimist member and founder Jeff Leib who led the way to honor Doherty Elementary 4^th grader Griffin Miller. Griffin, who is blind, yet manages to speak English, German, Spanish and is studying Mandarin Chinese, plays guitar and piano and is studying music theory at the college sophomore level. Griffin also has a special teacher since he is doing 11th-grade math, currently advanced algebra.
The club invited Griffin and his family to one of the club’s weekly meetings in order to recognize and encourage him as he set out to compete in the National Braille Challenge in Los Angeles. Through the generosity of the members of the West Bloomfield Optimists, the club presented Griffin with a check for $1000 to help with the expenses for the California trip. In addition, the club had the Optimist Creed transcribed into Braille, so that Griffin could recite the Creed along with the club, feeling his Braille document along the way and following perfectly along.The meeting was attended by Griffin’s parents Rachel and Jeff Miller, his 5 year old sister Morgan, Doherty Principal Molly Funk, Oakland Schools Vision Consultant Sarah Piggott, and Darlene Bahri, Doherty Para Educator. Bahri transcribed the Optimist Creed for him. We received news that Griffin came in Second Place in the challenge. It was also exciting that all 3 Michigan students (2 from Oakland county) placed this year. Here is a link to the winners and photos: http://brailleinstitute.org/Services/The_Braille_Challenge/National_Winners.aspx
This is just another example of the generosity of this community, that always takes the time to think about and recognize our children. Thank you to Jeff Leib, and President Robert Brooks from the Optimist Club!

CUSTODIAL
Starting July 1 you may see new custodial crews cleaning in buildings now as they are being trained currently. New staff will be in assigned buildings as well. We look forward to working with GCA as we transition into this arrangement, and expect that all of our services will continue to go smoothly.

Transportation
We are currently making good progress with the district's goal of hiring many of our former employees. We are pleased that 66% of our drivers have been rehired, and many will be back on the same routes as they were in previous years. There are still opportunities for bus drivers and attendants as West Bloomfield School District is hiring through its contractor, Durham School Services. Training will be provided beginning in July. Those interested should apply directly at the WBSD Transportation office located at 3340 Orchard Lake Road, north of Commerce Road and Abbott Middle School in Orchard Lake, between the hours of 6:00 am until 4:00 pm.
Stop in now as training begins soon.

ROOSEVELT CLEANUP

Special thanks to the Keego Harbor community and especially to Mr. Tim Lata and Mr. Philip Thomas for their  leadership and guidance in their efforts to improve the playground at Roosevelt Elementary School.
All of the volunteers who helped deserve special recognition for replacing the roofs on several play structures, grading the property to remove compact wood chips, installing new handrails and zip lines, and donating time and labor to otherwise improve the play area.

Construction work on Phase III of Bond projects

This summer you will notice construction and renovation going on in some of our buildings. Classrooms are being renovated in the back portion of the high school, along with new boilers, and replacement of other deficiencies. There will be locker room renovations for both boys and girls athletic activities as well as a new swimming pool girls locker room which will have a fresh look in the fall for the students’ return.  These renovations are all a part of the third phase of bond projects to be completed this summer.

GREEN MEDIA CENTER

Soon, you may begin to see renovation at Green Media Center on Walnut Lake Road. At last night’s Board of Education meeting, the board approved Greater West Bloomfield Cable Communications Commission resolution for renovation work to be done on Green Media Center. The general scope includes renovation of the interior of the building to change wall locations, update restrooms for ADA compliance and change interior finish materials. Mechanical and electrical upgrades, an exterior ground mounted sign and also some designated parking spaces will be included in this as well. This work is all being funded by the Greater West Bloomfield Cable Communications Commission.

COMMUNITY EDUCATION

Academic Summer School is going on at OLMS for students grades 9-12 in the fall of 2012, with Principal Joey Spano overseeing the program. West Bloomfield Academic Summer High School Program offers an opportunity for students to gain additional  high school credit or recover credit during the summer. For information call 248-865-4487.
Enrichment programs abound through our Community Education programs, including academic programs, such as ACT Prep courses, fitness, educational and sports camps, along with our Day Camps. Go to www.wbsd.org and click on Community Education!

2012-2013 BUDGET

The West Bloomfield School District Board of Education approved the budget for the 2012-13 school year last evening with a general fund surplus despite cuts in funding from the state.

The budget provides estimates of funding coming into the district of $64.6 million, $2.4 million less than the 2011-12 amended budget. However, a 5.6 % decrease in expenditures over the same time allows for an operating surplus of approximately$1.2 million.

The privatization of custodial and bussing services is expected to save about $5 million over the next three years.

The general fund balance is expected to increase from just over $419,000 to just under $1.6 million.

The $8,646 per pupil foundation allowance, reduced by $470 per pupil last year by the state legislature, continues to hurt revenue. Grants for "best practices" designed to help recoup some of the losses have been reduced this year from $100 to $52 per pupil for the 2012-13 school year.
Taxable values are expected to decline as they have since 2007. In May, a 10-year, 1.5-mill building and site sinking fund millage proposal was approved by the board to be placed on the November 2012 general election ballot.
The board voted unanimously to adopt the budget on Monday evening.

THANK YOU!

As I attended my last board meeting on Monday evening, and our board members had many kind ways of saying goodbye to me, I had a chance to reflect on my time here as Superintendent in the West Bloomfield School District.
This community has been so amazing as we worked through some very difficult issues in the last few years. I have been privileged to have been able to serve the cabinet and staff that I have had to work with, and I think they are the finest to be found anywhere.
The children are the best in the world I am grateful to have had the opportunity to work on your behalf
The parents in this great community are second to none. I want to thank the parents who work so diligently for the district and for our children.
Lastly, I wish to thank our board of education for giving me the opportunity to return HOME and work with you on behalf of children. While our challenges have been many, together we all made a difference in this awesome community.
I am blessed to have been mentored by Dr. Seymour Gretchko and Dr. Gary Faber, so I give a special thanks to both of them. And finally, thank you from the bottom of my heart to my family who sacrificed so much so that I could do my work here. Thank you and bless you all.

GRADUATIONS
Both Middle Schools graduated their 8^th graders as Abbott and OLMS students received awards and honors on Wednesday. I was impressed with the number of students who proudly raised their hands indicating they are going to West Bloomfield High School in the fall! So many things are going on in our elementary buildings as well! All 5^th grades are celebrating their transition and promotion ceremonies in many ways. Gretchko held its Field Day all day yesterday with beautiful weather and lots of activities going on. Check out the video and the photos that were on today’s front page of the Oakland Press and on the website at:
http://www.theoaklandpress.com/articles/2012/06/14/news/local_news/doc4fd9259942262326589811.txt

PROJECT SEARCH & TRANSITION CENTER
Project SEARCH and Transition Center both serve our special needs students. Project SEARCH is a business led, school-to-work program that assists students with disabilities to make a successful transition from school to productive adult lives. It is a volunteer experience consisting of 50% classroom and 50% work program, with the goal being competitive employment. Yesterday, we recognized our first class, graduating 6 students from the program, in a ceremony held in the Atrium of the beautiful Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital. I am so proud of all of our graduates. Two of them have already been hired and I believe that these are very lucky employers to have these dedicated people working for them!

SUMMER AT COMMUNITY EDUCATION
There are lots of Community Education courses and activities to choose from. You can still sign up for summer school and other summer opportunities. High school students who want to prepare for  Advanced Placement testing should register for High School AP Review classes.  WBHS teachers will conduct six hours of review and preparation in Calculus, Chemistry, Physics, World History, Psychology, U.S. History and Government. There are also ACT Practice Test, ACT Stratefy Test Prep and Ace the ACT Writing Test classes to encourage student success. Go to www.wbsd.org and click on Community Education or call 248-865-6462.

FREE LUNCHES
This summer all kids and teens can enjoy free nutritious summer meals at Roosevelt Elementary from June 25^th through July 27 (except July 4). Lunch will be served from 11:30 am – 12:30 pm. This Summer food service program is provided free of charge to all kids under the age of 18, so join them for healthy summer meals!

WEST BLOOMFIELD LIBRARY SUMMER KICKOFF
Summer Family Fun kicks off this Saturday, June 16 at the West Bloomfield Township Library!

Enjoy a day of family fun and register for Summer Reading. The library has lots of fun stuff planned including:
             Miniature Golf, Bounce House & Inflatable Slide 9 AM – 5 PM
             Infinity Photobooth 11 AM – 4 PM
             Pony Rides Noon – 3 PM
             Petting Farm Noon – 4 PM
             Face & Body Painting and Strolling Entertainment 1 – 4 PM
            West Bloomfield Police & Fire Departments 2 – 4 PM (Subject to cancellation if called to duty.)

And more! Complete details online at www.westbloomfieldlibrary.org/summer.The Library has been to all of our buildings meeting with our students encouraging kids to participate. Summer Reading runs from June 16 to August 23, 2012. When you’re part of Summer Reading you may read books, magazines, comics, graphic novels or anything else you’d like. Complete the required goals for your age group and earn tickets to redeem for books at the

Summer’s End Book Fair. In order to qualify for Summer Reading Contest prizes, youth and teens must be registered in Summer Reading and complete tasks that can be found online. Register for Summer Reading at the West Bloomfield Main Library or Westacres Branch or online anytime throughout the summer. For a list of summer programs and registration information, go to www.westbloomfieldlibrary.org/summer. In the fall, our Board of Education will recognize those students who have read the most hours over the summer.

CONGRATULATIONS
Amira Anis and Dunia Zawideh (8^th graders at Orchard Lake Middle School) were announced the winners of the Earth Day Animation Competition that was hosted by the Computer Science Student Network of Carnegie Mellon University. Their stop motion animation, entitled “Save the World in 60 Seconds,” was chosen the best from all student entries received from around the United States. Their animation can be viewed on the CS2N website: http://www.cs2n.org/competitions/NAC022012.

WBEF
The Comedy Slam last Friday night was a great success and I have never laughed so hard! The comedians this year were hysterical, and everyone around me was laughing the entire time as well! This is a great event designed to raise funds for the West Bloomfield Educational Foundation. Remember, it’s not too late to donate to WBEF keeping in mind that all proceeds go back to supporting our kids in the classrooms. I also want to thank you for attending the Open House held in honor of my retirement. Any financial contributions that were given that evening will be donated to the WBEF, so I thank you for your kind hearts! www.wbef.net

SEAF PROJECT
There will be a board meeting on June 25 when Western Demographics will present its final SEAF Project report with recommendations.  The school budget will be presented by Tom Goulding that night as well.

ROOSEVELT CLEANS UP PLAYGROUND
Special thanks to those (who will be honored) for their volunteer work on the Roosevelt playground. Principal Dr. Beth Feiten and members of the Proud Roosevelt Dads, the Roosevelt PTO, parents and the Sylvan/Otter water ski group are to be commended for bringing in equipment and labor to repair and renew the playground so that our children can enjoy it safely. Please see the front page of this week’s West Bloomfield Beacon to see how the Keego Harbor community came together to help support our schools. http://www.candgnews.com/news/volunteers-restore-roosevelt-playground

PONTOON BOAT NEEDED
As always, we are looking for a donation of a gently used and operational pontoon boat for our second  grade curriculum and also for the members of our community to use to visit Apple Island through the Greater West Bloomfield Historical Society. If you have one or know of one, please call the ACS building at 248-864-6454, and we thank you in advance for your concern for our community and your generosity.

Have a wonderful weekend!

TALK SUP’T. May 30, 2012     Superintendent’s Weekly Blog
WBHS GRADS!
I’m looking forward to graduation on Sunday at 10 at Compuware arena, as it’s one of my favorite moments in the school year! We have 450 students graduating this year, and we are so proud of all of them and their families, and I wish them the best in their future plans and endeavors. I also wish all of the students who are attending the prom this evening, a wonderful and SAFE evening! Enjoy!

MEMORIAL DAY

I want acknowledge the Keego Harbor community for the Memorial Day Parade that was held on Monday. A special thank you to Sid Rubin who chaired the parade and the all the facets of the community that came together to make this the phenomenal event that it was. Our West Bloomfield High School Marching Band and Roosevelt students, all came together to perform and march, helping to create a spectacular parade for the rest of our community. All who participated truly made this the BEST parade ever!

COMEDY SLAM

The West Bloomfield Educational Foundation (WBEF) will bring our Second Annual comedySLAM^TM event to the high school auditorium on Friday, June 8. This is a great fundraiser for our foundation and Comedian Joe Nipote has assembled a roster of VERY funny comics that you won’t want to miss this year. Be sure to plan on attending, and order your tickets today!
The festivities begin that evening at 7 p.m. with the West Bloomfield Educational Foundation (WBEF) comedySLAM. The professionals take the stage in the WBHS auditorium with the Comedy Slam featuring Joe Nipote, our local comedian Jeff Dwoskin, Gabriel Nipote, Nate Bargatze, Dana Daniels, and Greg Hahn. WBEF VIP tickets will include priority seating for the auditorium, and an Afterglow at Mezza Mediterranean restaurant after the show, with food and drinks and a Meet & Greet with the Comedians. Tickets can be purchased for $75 for VIP tickets, $25 in advance or $35 after May 31 for show only, and at the door. To purchase your tickets or find out more information, call the WBEF at 248-865-6479 or visit www.WBEF.net.

CONGRATULATIONS
Jennifer McQuillan has reported to us that WBHS Sophomore Alejandro Miranda-Casab has been accepted as a participant in the 2012 Edgar Allan Poe Young Writers Conference. The conference is sponsored by the Poe Museum of Richmond and will be conducted on the campus of Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond this June. In addition, Alejandro was awarded a partial scholarship to attend this conference by none other than Dr. Hal Poe, Edgar Allan Poe's cousin! Alejandro had to submit samples of his academic and fiction writing as well as letters of recommendation from two teachers in order to be selected for the conference. Congratulations to Alejandro on this fantastic opportunity!

PROJECT SEARCH

Students are completing their first year at Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital in the Project Search program. These students are interviewing today for prospective career opportunities throughout the community. I want to thank all of the community businesses and partners who are supporting our special needs students as they transition back into our community in meaningful employment opportunities.
Special thanks to Kay Carpenter and the Henry Ford Hospital  staff  who have made this program a significant and life-changing experience  for our students!

AMERICA’S BEST HIGH SCHOOLS

West Bloomfield High School was selected as one of Newsweek’s best public High Schools in America in both 2011 and 2012. Newsweek has been ranking the top public high schools for the past decade and has recently revamped its selection methodology. The list represents the best 1,000 public high schools in America. Each school’s score is comprised of six components: graduation rate (25%), college matriculation rate (25%), AP tests taken per graduate (25%), average SAT/ACT scores (10%), average AP/IB/AICE scores (10%), and AP courses offered (5%).

DECA

Congratulations to our students who competed in the National DECA competition in Salt Lake City. Join me in congratulating the following students for representing West Bloomfield on a national level!
Twenty eight students competed against the best Marketing students from across the United States and Canada. Aayush Mittal won an event award. Jarrell Ku, Ryan Meyers, and Albert Yerman earned top 20 honors. Timo DeYoung, Connor McInerney, and Jordan Lewis earned International top 10 among honors. Finally, Leah Moskovitz was elected Michigan DECA Vice President for Chapter Development, the first state officer from West Bloomfield since 1990!
Each of the 28 students did an outstanding job and represented the West Bloomfield Marketing Education program with pride. Students enrolled in Marketing, Advanced Marketing, Sports & Entertainment Marketing, Fashion Merchandising and Entrepreneurship are looking forward to next year's competition . . . West Bloomfield Marketing Education is going to DISNEYLAND!
Congratulations to teacher Jerry Whitlock, who was recognized by the national DECA organization for 40 years of leadership and who has brought so much success to this program!

MIDDLE SCHOOL BANDS

Congratulations to the West Bloomfield Bands who performed this past weekend at the Cedar Point Music In The Parks Festival! The Orchard Lake Middle School and Abbott Middle School 8th Grade Symphony Bands combined to form the West Bloomfield School Symphony Band under the direction of Jeremy Figlewicz and Chad Mielens. Congratulations to the band students who brought home three prestigious awards:
- Best Middle School Concert Band (AAA division)
- Best OVERALL Middle School Program
- the esteemed Esprit De Corps Award for being the group at the festival that most embodied the ideals of respect and performance. The West Bloomfield Bands won this over all of the middle school and high school jazz bands, choirs, concert bands, and orchestras!
Congratulations to Linda Trotter and the Orchard Lake Orchestra as well, who also took home the Best Middle School Orchestra and Best Overall Orchestra awards!

NegotiationS Update:

Negotiations with many of our Unions have been underway for the last couple of months and things are moving along well.  Our hope and goal is to have contracts settled in the very near future but unfortunately, at this point, we are not able to accurately plan our financials for next year because of two unknowns related to our budget.
The West Bloomfield School District’s projected fund balance for the close of 2011/2012 school year is just under a half million dollars ($500,000).  In a budget of nearly sixty million dollars annually, this leaves very little margin for any unanticipated changes to the budget, which we often face in public education. 
The two issues related to the budget delaying our process consist of a proposed change to the retirement system, and the State aid funding per student we will receive next year.  The State legislator is currently working on reform efforts to the retirement system (SB 1040) that will have a significant impact on the finances of the district. Until this issue is resolved at the State level, we cannot accurately plan our budget for next year.  In addition, the State Aide, or per pupil funding we receive has not yet been determined. 
Nearly eighty five percent of the district’s budget is allocated for employee salary and benefits which clearly shows how significant these two areas are on the budget.  Newly adopted legislation has helped us to better budget for employee benefits due to the legislative cap that has been placed on the amount that the district can contribute to an employee’s health care.  The salary portion of the budget is collectively bargained with our employee groups and has a direct impact on the budget. Until we have a better understanding of the retirement reform efforts and the State Aide funding we are not able to commit to any employee compensation at this time.  All indications at this point are that the State will have these issue resolved in the near future and once that occurs we can move the bargaining process forward.   

SEAF PROJECT

On May 14th, Western Demographics consultant, Shannon Bingham, presented the West Bloomfield School District Board of Education with a preliminary report resulting from feedback gathered at public focus groups and open houses that were attended by parents, staff and community members. The SEAF committee continues to review and analyze all of the recommended options to minimize adverse impact on educational programs while maximizing budgetary savings where possible. All concerns including special education programs, preschool openings, building closure and the relocation of district administration are being evaluated so that the best decision for all students can be made. The school district appreciates all of the community participation and input in this important project as it moves forward with its goal of reducing operating costs and improving efficiency while continuing to provide educational excellence even during these times of funding and enrollment challenges.

TALK SUP’T. May 18, 2012     Superintendent’s Weekly Blog

SEAF PROJECT

I want to thank the community and everyone who attended Monday night’s board workshop session. Our consultant, Shannon Bingham from Western Demographics had the opportunity to present his first reading of the SEAF project. Since this was the first reading, the SEAF Committee is continuing to work on areas that are of concern from people in the audience or emails that we have received from those who went online to read the SEAF report.
For those who had concerns about Special Ed., please know that we hear you and are responding and working to make this a plan that‘s going to be responsive to students and staff alike.
A meeting has been scheduled for the first of June to review the input we’ve received from you and review our plans to insure that it’s in the best interest of our special needs students and staff.
Our final presentation will be at the June 25 Board of Education meeting. Please go to our website under SEAF Project on the Main Menu to see our work from the focus groups and the Open Houses that were held.
Anyone who sent emails to me or board members, please know that all of those are being reviewed and considered as we move forward. An email address has been added to our website for your comments and suggestions. You may address your comments and suggestions regarding the SEAF Project to: SEAF@wbsd.org.  
There will be a regular Board of Education meeting on Monday, May 21, at 7:00 pm with a closed session beforehand at 6:00 pm, in the West Bloomfield High School Media Center.

WELCOME TO DR. GERALD HILL

We have had a warm welcoming for our new Superintendent, Dr. Gerald Hill, who has been meeting with staff and visiting all buildings over the last couple of days. It has  been a whirlwind tour for Dr. Hill and his lovely wife Cindy, who also attended the choir concert last night with us. Dr. Hill and his lovely wife Cindy both claim to be big patrons of the arts, and commented on what a fabulous concert it was.
In his school visits, he met with all administrative staff and also students.  He was impressed with how warm our students are. There was a sign welcoming him at every building, which was such a nice touch.  
He is looking forward to finding a new residence and quickly moving in and connecting with our community, and spent most of Friday afternoon on a home search.
Today the entire community was invited to attend an Open House from 4:00 – 6:00 pm at the West Bloomfield High School Media Center, to welcome him. I hope anyone who has not had the chance to meet Dr. Hill, will stop by for that opportunity, and help welcome him to our district and community.

CONGRATULATIONS

We had over 130 students who were recognized at the annual Senior Scholar Athlete breakfast this week. This is the largest group in the history of our school, and what a strong statement this is by those students who believe that academics is still first and foremost. These Scholar Athletes represent 80% of our athletes and 25% of the senior class!

MICHIGAN WEEK

A warm congratulations to all those who were honored this morning at the annual Michigan Week Breakfast. I’m so proud of our students who won awards and scholarships from many of our community organizations including both the West Bloomfield and Keego Harbor Optimist clubs, the Greater West Bloomfield Cable Communications Commission, the GWB Community Coalition, the WB Rotary Club, and the GWB Chamber of Commerce. Students that were recognized include:
Alyxis Flaggs, Brooke Buffmyer, Joe Victor, Elizabeth Piontkowski, Sarah Meldrum, Ethan Woelke, Emily Vrbensky, Uzair Khan, Trenice Brown, Shakeer Thomas, and Angela Ng and Samantha Putnam. I feel blessed to be in such a community that has so many organizations that place such an importance on the youth in our community.
In addition, many of our parents, staff and long time supporters of our students were honored, including Lynn Bloom, Barb DeMarco, Christy Forhan, Linda Margetin, CharRhonda Moye, Hertha Woodruff, and good friend Marge Schwartz. Congratulation to all of you!

I also want to thank the Michigan Week Committee and Community for the honor that you have bestowed upon me, the Dr. Seymour Gretchko Youth Advocate Award, which means more to me than any award I could have received. Dr. Gretchko was my mentor and my hero, and I am so proud to have served under him.

MICHIGAN MONTH

To continue celebrating Michigan Month, I encourage you to visit historic Apple Island this weekend on both Saturday and Sunday from 11 am – 5 pm. We are one of the few school districts in the United States who has an island that our students visit every year to learn about the early settlers who helped establish our community.
Next weekend as we celebrate Memorial Day, I hope to see lots of our students at Roosevelt School on Friday to decorate their bikes for the parade on Monday in Keego Harbor.
The bike decorating will be held on Friday, May 25 from 4:00 – 6:00 pm. All of the decorating materials will be supplied and you may also bring your own. ALL children, all ages and adults are invited to participate.
The Keego Harbor Memorial Day Parade will start at  10 am on Memorial Day, May 28th at Abbott Middle School and will conclude at Keego Harbor’s City Hall with a ceremony honoring our current and former Armed Forces members and a fun filled family program including a picnic in Rose Sortor Park. If you are interested in contributing and/or participating in this event contact the Parade Committee at: keegoharbormemorialdayparade@gmail.com

SAVE THE DATE!
The West Bloomfield Educational Foundation (WBEF) will bring our Second Annual Comedy Slam! event to the high school auditorium on Friday, June 8. This is a great fundraiser for our foundation and Comedian Joe Nipote has assembled a roster of VERY funny comics that you won’t want to miss this year. More info to come on the evening’s activities, but be sure to put it on your calendar, as we will all be ready for some comic relief as the hectic school year comes to a close.

TALK SUP’T. May 11, 2012 Superintendent’s Weekly Blog

STAFF APPRECIATION

This is the week that we recognize all staff in our school district, paying tribute to our public school employees and taking the time to recognize and acknowledge the impact of our staff on our lives.

On May 10, Oakland Schools will host the 25th Annual Outstanding Teacher of the Year Awards, celebrating teachers that are setting students on a course of discovery. This year, outstanding teachers from 22 local school districts will be recognized for their great accomplishments in their classrooms. Two of our teachers, Patti McCormick from Abbott Middle School and Shari Pawlus from Scotch Elementary were nominated by colleagues, principals, students, parents and others for this prestigious award. The award is given for engaging students, meeting individual needs of students, demonstrating knowledge of subject area, demonstrating classroom management, relating to parents and colleagues, demonstrating citizenship and leadership in the school community.
I want to thank all of our staff on behalf of all the children in our district - we are blessed to have ALL of you working for us!

SUPERINTENDENT SEARCH
By now, you all have received the message that our Board of Education has unanimously selected Dr. Gerald D. Hill as my successor. I spoke with Dr. Hill yesterday and we are just waiting for his contract to be finalized.

We are looking forward to next week when he joins us to meet with staff, students, parents and members of the community! Everyone is invited to our Open House on Friday, May 18 from 4:00 – 6:00 pm at West Bloomfield High School Media Center, so please join us to welcome Dr. Hill!
Dr. Hill sounds very excited to have the opportunity to come to our district as there are many similarities between our district and his current district.  The board and staff are looking forward to working with him as well.
 
SEAF OPEN HOUSES
I want to thank all of the community who came and offered their input and took the time to complete surveys at our Open Houses. You all have responded so positively in an attempt to make our district a better place for all.
The next process involves a Board Workshop on Monday, May 14 at 6:00 pm in the WBHS Media Center. At this workshop, the Board will discuss the five scenarios associated with the SEAF Project in a First Reading presentation for the SEAF Plan.
On June 25 at 7:00 pm in the WBHS Media Center, there will be a WBSD Board of Education Meeting where it is expected that the SEAF Plan will be adopted.

SAVE THE DATE!
The West Bloomfield Educational Foundation (WBEF) will bring our Second Annual Comedy Slam! event to the high school auditorium on Friday, June 8. This is a great fundraiser and for our foundation and Comedian Joe Nipote has assembled a roster of VERY funny comics that you won’t want to miss this year. More info to come on the evening’s activities, but be sure to put it on your calendar, as we will all be ready for some comic relief as the hectic school year comes to a close.

 
THANK YOU FOR YOUR BEAUTIFUL VOICE!
I want to commend WBHS junior Jocelyn Kirsch on her beautiful singing voice as she performed at the annual honorary dinner for the WB Optimist Club, recognizing Wesley Berry last week. I also want to thank Sheri Hauk, Vocal Music Director at West Bloomfield High School, for always graciously accommodating our community by providing musical entertainment for our events.

CONGRATULATIONS!

VIKING VOICES!
Congratulations to the Orchard Lake Middle School VIKING VOICES, who received the high honors of Excellent Ratings at MSVMA District Choral Festival and as a result, qualified to sing at the State Level of Choral Festival. Best wishes to them as they travel with Mrs. Tini to Jackson Community College on May 17, where they will perform at the MSVMA Junior High State Choral Festival. The OLMS choirs are directed by Mrs. April Tini and accompanied by Mrs. Marjorie Haber.

ROOSEVELT STUDENTS

I am so proud of our fifth grade Roosevelt students; Jewel Evans, Aria Gettel, Shannon Osborne and Lindsey Vassalo, whose team came home with three medals in “A World in Motion” International Fuel Cell Competition hosted by SAE International and sponsored by the General Motors Foundation. The all girl team was facilitated by Magnet Teacher Dennis Rapal, who commended the students for taking the challenge on their own. Competing against middle school students, this team won by constructing fuel cell-powered model cars that compete in speed and accuracy and weighted endurance, winning a Gold Medal for the Endurance Event with Weight.

GRIFFIN MILLER

We wish the best to Doherty student Griffin Miller, who is going to compete in the National Braille Challenge Competition in Los Angeles. This is the Braille Institute's national reading and writing contest in braille, a way to motivate blind and visually impaired students to practice their literacy skills. Contests include reading comprehension, braille speed and accuracy, proofreading, spelling and reading tactile charts and graphs. Congratulations go to Griffin for being among just 60 Challengers out of more than 900 first through twelfth grade preliminary round contestants from 42 states and two Canadian provinces that were selected. He will compete in the Braille Challenge® Finals in Los Angeles on Saturday, June 23, 2012. Best of luck, Griffin!

TALK SUP’T. May 4, 2012

TALK SUP’T. May 4, 2012      

STAND4CHANGE

I couldn’t be more proud of our students and all of the efforts that went into supporting  anti-bullying and today’s Stand4Change events! West Bloomfield High School had a White-Out, with all students dressing in white today symbolizing PEACE, and standing up for change and demonstrating their commitment to putting an end to bullying, at 12 noon along with over 1.3 million students in over 2,100 schools across the country.  These students came together from every state in the United States, as well as, 40 additional countries. I want to give a big shout out to Jeff Sakwa who has worked diligently towards today’s effort.

In addition, 719 OLMS students, staff, and parents attended the movie “Bully” at the Birmingham 8 Theater.  A panel of processed the movie afterwards with the students discussing ways to be a caring community by taking a stand when they see others being mistreated. Our Social Worker Carla Jones indicated that “Our onlookers far outnumber the bullies and those who are bullied and this effort is to assist them in taking an active stand to say ‘NO, we value every student at OLMS."  When students returned to school there were additional activities reinforce the role of bystanders to end bullying, which Carla Jones is calling "Up-Standers" because they are Standing Up!

Abbott Students put on a great show with 30 huge "Stand 4 Change" posters in the shape of 4's displayed evenly throughout the school, a LARGE yellow banner inviting the student body to PRINT their names for the "pledge" during lunches today. Stand 4 Change is posted with cups on the fence along Commerce Road, you can’t miss it! Staff & students all wore school colors (blue & white) and students view the 3 videos during classes  http://stand4change.org/.  Student Council Advisor and W.E.B.  Coordinator Jo-Anne Scheloske reports that at noon, students all joined the rest of the country as they “Stood4Change.

heck out the website to see the “Funny or Die” video and to see all of the efforts that Defeat The Label is putting forth!

CONGRATULATIONS!
DRUMLINE
Congratulations to Jeremy Figlewicz, Chad Mielens, Andrew Markworth, and most importantly the members of the West Bloomfield High School Winter Drumline on their 10th place finish at WGI's Scholastic World Drumline Championship in front of a packed University of Dayton Arena. This year's Drumline performed "Stuck".  This is the School's first year competing in World class, and is a huge accomplishment.  And they ARE World Class!!!

WBHS CHOIRS

On May 1 & 2, all WBHS large choirs performed at Michigan School Vocal Music Association State Choral Festival. ALL Large Choirs, including Chorale, Concert Choir B, and Concert Choir A, received the high honor of Excellents. This is the first time all choirs qualified and performed at State Festival. We are so proud of our students, their dedication and commitment, and kudos to Choir Directors Sheryl Hauk Vocal Music Director
West Bloomfield High School

SUPERINTENDENT SEARCH

The Superintendent’s Search has been narrowed down to four candidates, three of which were interviewed today by our full Board of Education, and the last one will be interviewed tomorrow morning here at the ACS Building.  On Saturday, there will be Public Comment from 8:00 – 8:30, and the final candidate will be interviewed from 8:30 – 10:30. We will keep you informed as more details become available.

SAVE OUR SONS – SAVE OUR COMMUNITIES!

I want to thank all of the families who showed up to the Save Our Sons event on Tuesday, at the High School Media Center.  It was a very full house, as we hosted West Bloomfield, Walled Lake and Bloomfield Hills school districts for this important presentation. A big thank you goes out to MLK Community Coalition Partners and WB Police Chief Mike Patton for helping to coordinate these efforts, as well as Brian Flaggs for bringing in internationally acclaimed author and speaker, Dr. Jesse W. Jackson III. Dr. Jackson delivered an inspiring, dynamic message to our young men, the issues they face as he recommended effective solutions. Each parent identified his advice and with the lessons that could be used immediately.  Dr. Jackson has excelled in helping school districts and organizations keep male students in the classroom and improve academics and social achievement.

MLK 365 Community Coalition Partners include West Bloomfield Police Department, Anti-Defamation League, South Oakland County NAACP, West Bloomfield Clergy Association & Community Forum, Defeat the Label, Optimist Club of West Bloomfield, No Place for Hate, West Bloomfield School District, Walled Lake School District, Bloomfield Hills School District, Greater West Bloomfield Community Coalition, West Bloomfield Township Public Library , and the West Bloomfield African American Parent Association.

SCHOOLS OF CHOICE

This year’s lottery on Wednesday was particularly challenging, as we have reduced the number of Choice slots available. While we would have preferred to accommodate all who apply to our district, there were still 81 slots that we were not able to have placements for due to deliberate downsizing. These efforts are coordinated and working in sync with the SEAF Plan (School Enrollment and Facilities Project).

OPEN HOUSE NEXT MONDAY AND TUESDAY

THE SEAF PROJECT School Enrollment And Facilities Focus Group Meetings
One last reminder that the district will be holding  Community Open House meetings addressing the work of the School Enrollment and Facilities Project (SEAF) on Monday and Tuesday evening. The primary function of the Community Open Houses is to collect community opinion on concrete scenarios associated with the SEAF Project.

Abbott Middle School

            Monday, May 7, 7:00 – 9:00 pm

Orchard Lake Middle School
            Tuesday, May 8, 7:00 – 9:00 pm

Once information has been disseminated at the Open House Meetings, there will be a Board Workshop on May 14 at 6:00 pm in the WBHS Media Center.

At this workshop, a First Reading for the SEAF Plan will be presented.

On June 25 at 7:00 pm in the WBHS Media Center, there will be a WBSD Board of Education Meeting where it is expected that the SEAF Plan will be adopted.

BOARD MEETING

Last Monday evening at our board meeting the board voted to privatize our Transportation and Custodial departments. This was a very tough decision for all involved. In the upcoming weeks we will be working with vendors Durham for Transportation and GCA for Custodial, who will meet with staff to be considered first for employment with our district. Next week these vendors will be in to meet with our staff after the board has finalized those contracts on Tuesday morning. I want to commend our staff as they were the ultimate professionals during this entire process. They continue to provide excellent service to our students, staff and community, and I applaud them for that.

Have a very peaceful weekend!