Talk Sup't. November 18, 2011

TALK SUP’T. November 18, 2011              Superintendent’s Weekly Blog

LAKER
The latest issue of the Laker should have arrived in your mailbox tucked inside the Beacon newspaper, on either Wednesday or Thursday. Make sure you see it and check out all that has been happening in our district since school started in September! For those who do not receive the Beacon, you can read the entire Laker online at:

http://wbsdweb.binarystarsinc.netdna-cdn.com/wbsd/userfiles/wbsdadmin/School/News/The_Laker_Online/Laker_2011_Nov-Dec.pdf

Enjoy!!

SAVE THE DATES!

MARK O’CONNOR
On Thursday, December 15^th at 7:00 PM, New York city based violinist/fiddler, composer and multi-Grammy winning recording artist Mark O’Connor will join West Bloomfield School District Orchestras for “An American Festival” concert. The event will be led by Lynn Brosnan, Orchestra Director at Abbott Middle School, and Linda Trotter, Director of Orchestras at West Bloomfield High School and Orchard Lake Middle School. Sponsored by internationally famous violin company, SHAR Music, and Mr. O’Connor, the concert will be held at West Bloomfield High School Auditorium, located at 4925 Orchard Lake Road.

The program will feature favorite tunes from the popular new O’Connor Orchestra Method, in addition to solo works played by Mr. O’Connor. The public is invited to attend this major event. Tickets can be purchased at www.ShowTix4u.com or by calling 1-866-967-8167; ticket prices: $10.00 Adults, $5.00 Students.

Lynn and Linda both envisioned the positive effect that such a concert would have on their students and the String Program in the West Bloomfield School District. Encouraging students’ involvement in writing essays to be submitted to SHAR Music, they were ecstatic when Abbott Middle School emerged as one of four national winners of the Mark O’Connor Concert, out of hundreds of schools that entered.

CHIPWRECKED!

The West Bloomfield Educational Foundation is sponsoring another movie night on Saturday, December 17, 2011 to see the new Alvin and the Chipmunks film. It will be held at 11:00 am at the Emagine Theater – Novi. The Cost is just $10 and all seats are general seating. A limited number of tickets will be sold, so be sure and save this date and get your tickets early through the Community Education office.

THANK YOU

A big thank you goes out to Jeff Sakwa and Kevin Goldman for donating tickets to a Cody Simpson Concert. Singer Cody Simpson helps to promote Defeat the Label, our anti-bullying campaign in the district. All ticket proceeds benefit Abbott Middle School. Thanks for your support of the West Bloomfield School District.

GABE & IZZY

Gabrielle Ford, A Voice for the Bullied made a presentation at both middle schools yesterday, and moved many students to tears. West Bloomfield Youth Assistance and Optimist Club of West Bloomfield sponsored the speaker and author to speak to our students about bullying. Gabrielle never dreamed that a long-eared coonhound could change her life. But that’s just what happened when she cared for her ailing pet Izzy and found the voice to help others in need as a nationally-known motivational speaker. Speaking out for the voiceless Izzy gave her the courage to speak out for another voiceless group: the thousands of children bullied in American schools every day. Through countless personal trials, Gabe found her way back to the stage as an outspoken advocate against school bullying. In addition to her school visits, she has also been a keynote speaker at conferences and conventions. Her dedication earned her the 2011 Communications & Leadership Award from Toastmasters International as well as the Community Hero Award in 2008 from the Fenton Regional Chamber of Commerce.
Over 100 students lined up to speak with Gabe afterwards, pet her dog, hug her and ask her questions, and sometimes share a story about themselves. This was a great presentation and we thank the Optimist Club and Youth Assistance for helping to bring the program to our schools!

SNOWMAN PINS

Don’t forget to purchase a Snowman Pin for $10 each to benefit Our Children’s Fund.
Proceeds are used to purchase gift certificates for less fortunate children and their families in
the West Bloomfield School District. Contributions of checks, cash, and store gift cards in any amount will gladly be accepted to help us meet our goal this year of helping as many families as possible. These can be dropped off at any school office through December 16th. You can see the new Snowman Pin designed by Claire Forhan in this week’s Laker on page 11.
Also, Our Children’s Fund Tribute Cards are available individually for $5 and are a wonderful way to thank your child’s teachers or other staff members at the Holidays as well as throughout the year.
All contributions are tax-deductible. And as always, thank you for your support!!
Pins are available at all school offices and the Administrative Community Services building.

Strategic Visioning

Community and staff that has worked on the Strategic Visioning since last spring met again on Monday evening to bring closure to the Budget Prioritization process. We looked at long range planning for our district. Many items have been put into operation or have been completed, and others were explored to determine what the next steps will be. The core of our mission is teaching and learning, and how we look in 3-5 years will be filtered through that very core.

PCN (Parent Communication Network)

Yesterday, we had a really good, informative PCN meeting at Scotch Elementary our host this month for our Parent Communication Network. This month we had a special two part meeting consisting of a presentation by  Dr. Robert Martin who explained the MEAP/MME Cut Scores and a Q & A forum on the topic: “Why You Should Attend West Bloomfield Schools”. A panel consisting of Amy Hughes, Principal of Abbott, Sonja James, Principal of OLMS, Parent Ellen Simmons, Dr. Robert Martin, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction, Tom Shelton, Principal of WBHS, Parent Sheryl Lederman, and WBHS Senior Ryan Eaton, answered parents’ questions, concerns and issues regarding our middle and high schools.

We had a very good turnout, with a lot of questions that seemed to inspire even more questions, as our meeting ran over time. I got a lot of positive feedback from those that I spoke with after the meeting, and from emails that I received later. Parents seem to feel more settled once some of their personal questions were addressed from those at every level, from administrators to students.

Please join us at any of our Parent Communication Network meeting, as all are invited to attend each month to learn about what is happening in our schools. Next month we will meet on January 19 at Abbott at 7:00 PM. For future meeting dates, go to wbsd.org and click on PCN in the Quicklinks on the left side.

DISTRICT WIDE OPEN HOUSE

Tuesday night’s Open House was incredibly impressive!
People who came in with pre-conceived ideas left informed after talking to teachers and administrators and seeing the outstanding displays that were arranged in a new format this year. WBHS held its Curriculum Fair at the same time showcasing the best of our district, with an overview of our unique offerings and programs. Linda Trotter’s strings orchestra played lightly in the center of the room, which energized the entire event!

All Parents were invited to attend whether they were looking ahead to high school, middle school or kindergarten – the theme was All Roads Lead to West Bloomfield High School!

Although the Open House is but one night, if you were unable to attend, you still have the opportunity to see what is happening in our schools. Contact our principals for a tour or information on shadowing at the high school.  Principals can answer any unresolved issues or questions that you might have.

Have a safe weekend and a wonderful and Happy Thanksgiving!

Talk Sup't. November 11, 2011

Veterans Day, 11-11-11
We are so proud of our students’ patriotism and recognition of our Veterans and our troops that will be returning home soon. At Abbott, Joanne Scheloske’s Leadership class is sponsoring the following activities at Abbott in honor of today, Veterans Day.

The students spelled out Thank You Veterans (with 1,200 cups) and flags on the fence along Commerce Road and painted the exterior windows along D hall with Patriotic symbols & sayings.

Thank You Veterans signs are hung up in school, as well as a display case with memorabilia from staff members & parents who are Veterans. In the main hall/lobby area there is a LARGE Patriotic wall thanking members of our Abbott families for their service. Students, staff, & parents are allowed to write out their Veteran’s name and place it on one of the golden stars. EVERY student was given a Patriotic (live strong band) bracelet (red or blue) that says "Freedom", "Honor", "Strength", "Spirit" and were asked to wear them in recognition of Veterans Day. All of the student body and staff was asked to wear red, white, & blue today.
Abbott students also collected over 4,400 pieces of candy in "1" day from Halloween – which  was taken to the Oakland County Sheriff's department on 11/1/11 to be shipped overseas to our Michigan military men & women as part of their "Treats for the Troops" program.

FREEDOM CENTER

Today, The Detroit Metro Airport opened the new Freedom Center in the Delta Terminal to welcome the returning military and their families (mifreedomcenter.org). The dedication will took place on at 11:00 am. (1100 hours on 11/11/11)

Located adjacent to Gate A43 in the McNamara Terminal, the 1100 sq. ft. Freedom Center will serve members of the Armed Forces and their dependents. Hosted by a dedicated staff of trained volunteers, the special needs of the thousands of military travelers who travel through Detroit Metro monthly will be now be met seven days a week, 365 days a year.

Ealy Elementary School prepared a major greeting for these troops. Teacher Marla Gartner planned a project to recognize the men and women that will be coming through the Freedom Center for the first time on this Veteran’s Day, 2011.

The Ealy delegation consisted of students Lindsay Schwartz and Maxwell Martin and their parents, along with Marla Gartner, Principal Rod MacNeal, Ass’t. Superintendent Rick Arnett and Dr. Kenneth Wolf to the dedication. They met the troops at Detroit Metro Airport Freedom Center, and presented them with a video thanking the Armed Forces personnel for the mission they perform in keeping our country safe. The DVD will play on a continuous loop at the Center so all Armed Forces personnel can see and hear the words of our Ealy Elementary students showing thanks to the Armed Forces personnel.

Students also presented them with a book of 450 pictures, poems, and thank you letters written by each student of Ealy grades K-5 (ages 5-11). Japanese families also made a huge origami crane consisting of 1,000 small cranes symbolizing hope and the future.
They believed that seeing and hearing this appreciation from children was particularly gratifying for their sacrifices of time, injury, and commitment they have made for their country.

The Grand Opening was a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony followed by the National Anthem and a beautiful medley of service songs. It was emceed by WJR host Paul W. Smith, and was attended by dignitaries including Senator Carl Levin, Congressman John Dingell and the Brigadier General of the Michigan National Guard, among others. Principal Rod MacNeal noted that this was “a very exciting, moving ceremony. For the students to see the impact that their efforts could make on our community and the veterans from overseas, he was glad that they were able to be part of this great experience.”

Ealy students said that this was an exciting project, and particularly appropriate on Armistice Day (Veterans Day). Marla Gartner said it was especially meaningful to the troops who have children and grandchildren of those ages and touched them emotionally.

BOARD OF EDUCATION
Congratulations to Board Member Nick Hersh and newly elected Board Member Carol Finkelstein. The election on Tuesday was a closely run race. We are inspired that so many dedicated people have taken the time to invest in the best interests of our students, and we welcome and congratulate them both, and look forward to our new year.

A Night at Cranbrook Science Center with Mr. Miller
Richard Miller, Science Teacher at Orchard Lake Middle School had almost 50 OLMS families that took the opportunity to explore Science at Cranbrook last Friday night with him. The 7th and 8th grade students along  with their families, attended planetarium shows on the "Sky Tonight" seeing the new 3-D projector that Cranbrook installed over the fall. A 3-D presentation on Natural Selection featuring scenes from the life and times of Charles Darwin had direct ties to the 7th grade Science curriculum. The students also explored a new traveling exhibit at Cranbrook’s "Life on Earth". The Sky Tonight" was a cumulative activity for High School benchmarks that 8th grade students will see with the ACT. The highlight of the evening was the use of Cranbrook's large telescope to see the planet Jupiter. Clearly visible were the 4 Galilean Moons, Io. Europa, Callisto, and Ganymede and many students could discern the cloud bands of Jupiter. Mr. Miller expects another good turnout tonight at Cranbrook Science Center as they repeat the visit.

 

ATHLETICS

Congratulations to the following students for all of their athletic accomplishments and recognitions!
Cross Country State qualifiers:
Erin Finn                              Bjorn Kempf
Ben Griessman

Cross Country All League:
Erin Finn                              Bjorn Kempf
Ben Griessman                  Megan Eiswerth
Luke Bersche                     Braden Burton

Swim and Dive All League:
Maison Moore                  Krysia Chesire
Niki Robichaud                  Emily Edwards
Claire Forhan                     Mallory Moore
The Laker Swim Team finished second at the league meet.

Soccer All League:
Mark Shaona                     Ryan Stern
Nick asker                          Richey Capriccioso
Joe Rosenthal
The Laker Soccer Team finished second in the OAA.

Erin Finn has been selected as the Oakland Press Female Athlete of the Month for October. As part of the promotion a photo and video interview of both the Male and Female Athletes of the month are published in the paper and on the website. Erin will receive a trophy; and West Bloomfield HIgh School will receive a plaque and a check for $250 from Sunkist for the Athletic Department. Congratulations, Erin! You continue to make all of us shine!

Allyson Kus, a senior at West Bloomfield High School, will pitch for Western Michigan University beginning next fall. Allyson maintains a 3.6 grade-point average and is a member of the National Honor Society. She is excited for opportunities to grow within WMU's pre-med department as she hopes to attend the school's new School of Medicine, which is scheduled to welcome its' first class in 2014. Allyson is happy considering that she wants to be a doctor in the field of sports medicine or pediatrics. Congratulations, Allyson!

Strategic Visioning

A reminder to the community and staff that worked on the Strategic Visioning/Budget Prioritization in the spring: we will meet again on Monday November 14 from 7:00 – 9:00 in the West Bloomfield High School Media Center as we look to bring closure to the process. This will be a broader Strategic Vision as we begin to look at long range planning for our district. Some groups will end as they complete their missions, and others will be explored to determine what the next steps will be.

PCN (Parent Communication Network)
Next Thursday, November 17th, Scotch Elementary will be hosting our PCN meeting at 10:00 am in the media center. This month we have a special two part meeting planned.

·        Dr. Robert Martin’s presentation will focus on MEAP/MME cut scores.

·        TOPIC: “Why You Should Attend West Bloomfield Schools”

A panel from our middle schools and high school will answer parents’ questions, concerns and issues with regard to our middle and high schools.
The panel will consist of:

·        Amy Hughes, Principal of Abbott

·        Sonja James, Principal of OLMS

·        Ellen Simmons, Parent

·        Dr. Robert Martin, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction

·        Tom Shelton, Principal of WBHS

·        Sheryl Lederman, Parent

·        Ryan Eaton, Student

Please join us at the Parent Communication Network meeting, as all are invited to attend each month to learn about what is happening in our schools

DISTRICT WIDE OPEN HOUSE

All Parents looking ahead to high school, middle school or kindergarten - Mark your calendars and JOIN US NEXT TUESDAY on November 15^th, as we kick off our District Wide Open House: All Roads Lead to West Bloomfield High School! Come and explore all that West Bloomfield has to offer, so you can make good decisions regarding your child’s education.

WBHS will hold its Curriculum Fair showcasing the best of our district, with an overview of our unique offerings and programs. Elementary and middle schools will be on site with Principals who can give all the information about their buildings.  This Open House is for all levels – so be sure to attend regardless of the age of your child. There will be information for everyone!

Real Estate professionals will be on hand as well for those looking to relocate in the district, with home information right on-site. I look forward to seeing you there!

Have a wonderful, safe weekend!