TALK SUP’T. August 31, 2011

I hope you have all had a great summer, and that you are as excited as we are to get back to the classrooms and the things that we do best!  I want to give you a brief note about things that are happening in the district. We are happy to report that we are OUT OF DEFICIT and plan to stay there.

Class assignments and bus schedules have been mailed on August 26, so be assured that you should have them in the mail by today or tomorrow.

I am excited to present to you our newly designed, and much easier to navigate website.

As all content is being migrated over, I ask for your patience until everything has been completed. All teachers’ websites will be available after they return to the classroom, and are trained by Oakland Schools staff, as those sites will be maintained by Oakland Schools. This is a short term inconvenience that will provide a long term solution to our website’s ease of navigation.

There is a buzz generated by all of the energy and enthusiasm as we look forward to the new school year. Students will be returning to improved classrooms and buildings, and new technology that will provide us with improved multimedia on the Internet, wireless applications, electronics and computers. Many teachers have been learning new initiatives through staff development in order to provide new and rich experiences at every level.

Please continue to refer to our website for information on new class starting and ending times as well as transportation information.

THE LAKER

Also note that our new Back to School issue of the Laker will be in your mailbox today, tucked inside of your Beacon newspaper. For those who do not receive the Beacon, copies of the Laker will be available in all school buildings as well as the ACS building. Note that the center of the Laker is your 4 page Back to School Supplement that you should save throughout the year to refer to for all contact information, calendar departments, Board of Education meeting dates, and important information on our new Electronic Grading System and Emergency Notification System.

The Laker also give you more indepth information on what the future looks like for West Bloomfield Schools in terms of technology and new opportunities that are being provided to us through Comcast.  Also tucked inside your Laker is the Fall Community Education catalog with enrichment classes, recreation activities and career certification and adult education opportunities.

STUDENT ORIENTATION

Thank you to all of the parents and students who attended the orientations to get your child acquainted with our school buildings. All elementary buildings held Popsicles with the Principal day, so the child could not only see the building, but get acquainted  with the staff and develop a comfort level as they made them feel welcome.

Several are returning to the buildings in new positions as administrative leaders, and are excited to assume these new roles as administrators. In light of many staff changes (except in Special  Education) the buildings have hired 4 new teachers and all elementary staff that was laid off have been recalled.

Buses have been riding routes during a test period to insure that your child will be picked up and delivered home safely and on time.

Family Fun Night – Save the Date!  SEPTEMBER 23, 2011

I remind you again to mark this date on your calendar! The West Bloomfield School District will be holding a Family Fun Night, saluting our U.S. Military, Police and Fire Heroes, in honor of the tenth anniversary of 9/11.

This will be a great evening with FREE games and fun activities put on by each school in the district before our Friday night Football Game against Troy on September 23. Tailgates and Football, Policemen and Firemen, Military and School Spirit will all add  up to an evening of enjoyment for everyone in the family beginning at 5:30 pm.

Vehicles will be on display from Police and Fire Departments, and each school building will have an activity, including Bounce Houses, Face Painting, Inflatable Football Toss, Dunk Tank, and a Rock Climbing Wall among other fun things for kids! Concessions will be open, and there will be a special Tribute Ceremony before the football game to honor our heroes. PLUS there will be a half-time show with giveaways, and all elementary and middle school students who wear their school spirit, will get into the game for free!

Mark your calendars now and plan on joining us!

WELCOME BACK!

TALK SUP’T. August 5, 2011

I hope you all are having a great summer, and that it is relaxing and rewarding for you. I wanted to catch you up on a few things that are happening in the district.

WELCOME!

Just this week the board approved the hiring of Molly Funk as the newest member of our staff as she becomes the principal at Doherty Elementary. We welcome her to the district and to the Doherty “family” as she gets settled in. Molly comes to us from the Wayne Westland district where she was Principal of Hamilton Elementary. Molly’s background is in Reading Recovery as she was a Literacy Coach before becoming a principal. She says she already feels comfortable as the last two buildings that she was in were very similar to Doherty in terms of size and student population.

Molly is finishing work on her doctorate, and is mother to four children ages 8,7,3 and 2.

At the same time, we are saying goodbye to Susan Crocker, who has done a wonderful job for the West Bloomfield School District and leaves an incredible legacy behind with all the she did over the past 13 years that she has spent at Doherty. Raman Singh commented at the board meeting that the Doherty “family” was emotional about losing their “mom”, but all were very comfortable that this would be a smooth transition after having met Molly.

Susan commented that one thing that helped her as she cleared out her office and went through the archives, was seeing how far the school has come. She complimented the Board of Education, on being so unique and how much they make a difference to our district because of their support. We wish you well, Susan, and thank you!

There is so much energy and enthusiasm this summer as we look forward to settling in to a new school year in the fall. Robin Kocher, Principal at Sheiko Elementary has been getting her building ready for fall as well. She is looking forward to starting the year as she says she has heard nothing but good things about the staff, students and their families. Having served as a building principal for seven years, she is looking forward to providing the kind of leadership that she has been so successful at in her previous districts.
I am having a great summer too, but I am actually getting anxious for school to begin just to see what the new year brings forth with energy and new ideas emerging.

“BLEED FOR THE BAND” BLOOD DRIVE

Please help by donating blood next Friday. Local blood supplies are at the dangerously low level, so every donor is especially important these days.

The WBHS Marching Band "Bleed for the Band" Red Cross Blood Drive is being held  at Abbott Middle School.

Sponsored by West Bloomfield High School Marching Band

Friday, August 12

2:00-8:00pm

Abbott Middle School Media Center

3380 Orchard Lake Road

Schedule by calling 1-800-RED-CROSS or by visiting www.redcrossblood.org , the online scheduling system for the Red Cross. Our sponsor code is wbhs13, which helps donors find the right blood drive.

The marching band will receive a small donation from the Red Cross if we get at least 30 good pints, so it's in our group's best interest for this to be successful.  But really, the cause is so important, and the need for blood so great, that it's a noble event to promote, no matter who is sponsoring the drive. 

Family Fun Night – Save the Date!  SEPTEMBER 23, 2011

I remind you again to please mark this date on your calendar! The West Bloomfield School District will be holding a Family Fun Night, saluting our U.S. Military, Police and Fire Heroes, in honor of the tenth anniversary of 9/11.

This will be a great evening with FREE games and fun activities put on by each school in the district before our Friday night Football Game against Troy on September 23. Tailgates and Football, Policemen and Firemen, Military and School Spirit will all add  up to an evening of enjoyment for everyone in the family beginning at 5:30 pm. Mark your calendars now and plan on joining us! More activities are being prepared throughout the summer as this event is being planned.

Enjoy the rest of your summer!