Talk Sup't. March 16

TALK SUP’T. March 16, 2012 Superintendent’s Weekly Blog There are some great things on tap this weekend and in the coming weeks in the West Bloomfield School District, along with some great news to share, so read on!

Roosevelt Winter Carnival

Don’t miss the Roosevelt Carnival tonight, Friday, March 16 from 5:30 – 9:00 pm. Bring the entire family for fun and prizes. It really is Out of This World!
This is such a big event for the Roosevelt Community.  Not only does it provide the families at Roosevelt and the Community the opportunity to come together for a night of family fun, it is also Roosevelt's 2nd biggest fundraiser of the year.
The Silent Basket Auction and the Coffee Can Raffle were the biggest hits last year with some beautiful baskets and great prizes. Bring your family for a fun-filled night!

MUSIC

Congratulations all large choirs, Chorale, Concert Choir B and Concert Choir A for receiving excellent and qualifying at MSVMA District 4 Choral Festival. This is the first time Concert CHhoir B has qualified. They will all be singing at MSVMA State choral festival May 1 &2. WAY TO GO!

OPTIMIST CLUBS: KEEGO HARBOR AND WEST BLOOMFIELD

Abbott Middle School Students Win Keego Harbor Optimist Club Essay Contest
On Thursday, March 1, Abbott Middle School students read their winning essays to the Keego Optimist Club. The topic was “How My Positive Outlook Benefits My Community”. Winners were (from left to right) 1^st Place Nina Ross, 2^nd Place Bridget Farmer, and 3^rd place Josh Plyer.
Nina Ross was awarded a certificate and a medal for the honor. In addition, the essay will be sent to the district level to be judged along with winners from other Optimist Clubs in the district. College scholarships are available for top winners at the district level and that winner will be sent to the international-level contest. “Nina did a wonderful job of articulating this year’s theme. She expressed herself well through the essay and deserved the honor of first place,” Club President Kathy Sparkman said.
Orchard Lake Middle School Students Win
Optimist Club of West Bloomfield Oratorical Contest
On Tuesday, March 13, Orchard Lake Middle School students joined the West Bloomfield Optimist Club to deliver their winning oratories at the Stage Deli for the West Bloomfield Optimist Club.  The topic was “How my Optimism Helps Me Overcome Obstacles”. Eight dynamic and eloquent young speakers, five girls and 3 boys, between the ages of 13 and 16, participated in the competition and wowed the audience with their creativity, articulation, knowledge and use of personal experiences as they spoke to the topic.

Due to the quality of the presentations, the task of selecting the winners for the male and female categories was not an easy one. The qualified judging panel of judges including the Honorable Denise Langford-Morris, the Honorable David Gubow, the Honorable Leo Bowman, and judging coordinator Attorney Jeffrey Leib, however, were up to the challenge. In the female category, first place went to Veronica Liu, 8^th grade who spoke about her trip to Cambodia. Second and third places were won by Olivia Bowyer and Hanna Martin, respectively, all from OLMS.

In the male category, Rishabh Parekh, 6^th grade OLMS, captured first place, with Michael Russo from West Hills Middle School coming in second place and Jake Cohen, OLMS third.

CROSS COUNTRY
MORE kudos to junior Erin Finn, who won the National Indoor Championship in the 5,000 meter run at the New Balance Indoor Nationals at The Armory in New York City last week. Finn led from start to finish, crushing the previous national record by 16 seconds and winning the race by 12 seconds in 16 minutes, 19 seconds. This win at the national indoor championship is simply the latest in a long line of Finn's wins over the past year.

WBHS DECA Marketing Students Capture 87 Awards

Congratulations to Jerry Whitlock and the DECA students!
Eighty three West Bloomfield High School Marketing students attended Michigan DECA’s 69th Annual State Career Development Conference and won 87 awards last weekend. Thirty-five students earned State Finalist awards including 29 moving on to represent Michigan at DECA’s International Career Development Conference being held in Salt Lake City, Utah, in April. DECA is the only international student organization operating through schools to attract young people to careers in marketing, merchandising, management and entrepreneurship.

Also announced, Leah Moskovitz was elected by Michigan DECA to serve as part of the State Officer Team. After a month of intensive campaign planning and implementation, chapter leaders elect Michigan DECA’s candidates for state office. Once elected, these eight leaders will begin their year-long term representing and leading over 7,100 Michigan DECA members.

Every one of the students should be congratulated for the fine way they represented the West Bloomfield School District during the 3 day conference. The West Bloomfield School District wishes all students the best TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS in Salt Lake City.

AVID
Motivational speaker Eric Thomas’ visited AVID students at Abbott Middle School on Friday March 2 and they couldn’t get enough of him. His message to youth might best be summed up in his You-Tube video that has been viewed over 500,000 times: “When you want to be successful as badly as you want to breathe, then you’ll be successful.”

Now, in its sixth year of existence at Orchard Lake Middle School, AVID is continuing to help students achieve academic success.  One unique element of the AVID program is its use of guest speakers and motivational activities.  Enter Eric Thomas.  When the AVID elective teachers and AVID students saw Eric Thomas for the first time on You-Tube, there was one response: they wanted to meet him. Eric Thomas and his team gave a simple but powerful message to our students. "Dream Big, Think Bigger, Work even harder." You could hear a pin drop as Eric Thomas and CJ provided real life examples of how student's dreams can become reality, and what to do when they seem impossible. Students left the building with a sense of urgency to make their dreams come true.

Board Member Randi Sakwa applauded the staff including Science and AVID Elective Teacher

And AVID Site Coordinator Joe Chagnon and Assistant Principal Eric Pace for the support of programs such as this that at are so beneficial to the academic future of our students. He had a way of connecting with the students by coming down to their level and relating to their world through the examples that he presented. Since his message placed such an emphasis on education, his message resonated strongly with many students who may have thought that academic success was not attainable for them.

Senator Mike Kowall visitS GRETCHKO
Senator Mike Kowall visited Gretchko on Monday of this week and read to first graders in Stephanie Dulmage and Lisa Brown’s classrooms. The senator read the book M is for Mitten by Annie Appleford and beautifully illustrated by Michael Monroe. The students were captivated and enthused each time the Senator talked about one of the wonders of the Great Lake state, particularly if it was a place that they had visited with their family.  When the book gave information on the State Capitol, the senator shared with the students that his wife, Eileen Kowall is a State Representative and that they work in the same building in Lansing. Principal Sally Drummond and I loved watching the kids who constantly had their hands in the air wanting to share their stories with the senator as he went through the alphabet series of Michigan wonders and attractions. Thank you to the senator for taking time out of his schedule to visit our elementary students at Gretchko!

HOCKEY
Congratulations to our Hockey team whose schedule strength of 7.6 this year, in which they compiled a 13-12-1 record, was the second strongest in our division.
Hot off the press:
1. Max Dubin- All League
2. Jacob Charlip- All League
3. Andrew Murphy- All League
Honorable Mention- Luke Andrews
Honorable Mention- Ryan Houle
Also, the OAA Coaches Nominated for Skater MVP was:
#24 Max Dubin- West Bloomfield #1 in league scoring, played 25% of league season on D.
Max has been named The OAA White MVP- Player of the Year!!!!

PINK SLIME or LFTB
We have been hearing a lot in the news this past week about something referred to as Pink Slime and Lean Finely Textured Beef or LFTB. Lori Adkins, WBSD Director of Nutrition and Consultant, Child Nutrition at Oakland Schools has informed us that our school district does not purchase beef for our school lunches that contains LFTB.

·       The West Bloomfield Schools District does not use LFTB Beef in the school lunches we serve to our students. We have received written documentation from both companies that provide the beef that they sell to school meal programs does not contain LFTB beef associated with Pink Slime.

• Just like any parent buying food at a grocery store or a restaurant, schools rely on the federal government to inspect and certify the safety of the foods they purchase.
• The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), after consultation with the Food and Drug Administration, has determined that the use of ammonium hydroxide in the processing of LFTB is safe. Lean Finely Textured Beef (LFTB) must meet federal food safety requirements and undergo food safety inspections.
• Industry experts have estimated that about 70 percent of the ground beef sold in grocery stores, restaurants and food service establishments contain LFTB; however, manufacturers are not required to label a product as containing LFTB.
• For information on LFTB, please visit: http://www.meatami.com/ht/display/ReleaseDetails/i/76164

SUPERINTENDENT SEARCH
The board wants to thank all of you that participated in our forums for the Superintendent Search that was facilitated by Ray and Associates. There were several opportunities for those in our community including all of our own staff, township officials, clergy association, business leaders, parent groups and civic leaders to join us and weigh in on what your profile of a new superintendent for this school district should look like. The data has been consolidated and the board will finalize the superintendent profile for promotional materials and an application form. There will be a special board meeting held today, Friday, March 16, at West Bloomfield High School at 4:00 pm to finalize that portion of the process.
We will keep you updated as this process continues. Continue to check our website to stay informed on the progress.

SEAF PROJECT (School Enrollment and Facilities Project)

The West Bloomfield School District has begun examining its school enrollment trends and how it utilizes its facilities during the spring of 2012. Western Demographics, Inc. has begun developing a careful analysis of enrollment trends and facilities during the spring. We have held meetings with Western Demographics and our parents and PTO presidents to begin our School Enrollment and Facilities Project (SEAF) process. School district stakeholders will have the opportunity to be involved in the future of their schools by attending community focus groups, open house meetings and other events.

SEAF Focus Group Meetings

Please join us on the following dates and locations, to offer your input on our School Enrollment And Facilities Project. At your forum, you will be shown demographic maps of our school district, broken down into enrollment by schools, and enrollment of resident and choice students. You will be given the opportunity to vote anonymously on 30 key issues related to school enrollment, consolidation, and priorities for the district. Meetings will be 2 hours.

Community Members (Clergy, Business, Civic)
March 28        3:00 – 5:00 pm                        ACS Building, 5810 Commerce Road

NORTH END Elementary Parents and PTO Members (Gretchko, Roosevelt, Scotch)
March 28        6:30 – 8:30 pm                        Scotch Elementary, 5959 Commerce Road
SOUTH END Elementary Parents and PTO Members (Doherty, Ealy, Sheiko)
March 29        6:30 – 8:30 pm                        Doherty Elementary, 3575 Walnut Lake Road
Abbott Middle School Parents and PTO Members
April 10                       6:30 – 8:30 pm                        Abbott Middle School, 3380 Orchard Lake Road
Orchard Lake Middle School Parents and PTO Members
April 11                       6:30 – 8:30 pm                        Orchard Lake Middle School, 6000 Orchard Lake Road
ALL PARENTS K-12
Welcome to attend any of the above sessions designated for elementary or middle school levels.
An additional meeting will be arranged for all staff to attend. Date to be determined.
The district’s School Enrollment and Facilities Committee will guide Western’s work and keep the public aware of opportunities to participate. The Board of Education will review the work and potentially take action in late April and early May. As always, the continued excellence of educational programs offered by the district is its paramount concern. The schedule of upcoming meetings and the results of our first focus group are on our website under SEAF Project in the Main Menu on the left side of the home page.

WIN $10,000!
Join the hundreds of people who have already purchased a $10 ticket supporting the West Bloomfield Educational Foundation, in an effort to win $10,000 in their fundraising raffle! Tickets can be purchased by calling Community Education at 248-865-6463, and you must be 18 to purchase one. The drawing will be held Monday, March 26 at 7:00 pm at Ealy School. I wish you all much luck, and thank you for supporting the West Bloomfield Educational Foundation!

TEENS AND THE LAW
The Greater West Bloomfield Community Coalition presents Teens and the Law on Tuesday, March 20^th at 7:00 pm at the West Bloomfield Public Library. The presentation will be hosted by members of Teens Making Changes (TMC).I encourage high school teens and parents to attend this important forum. A panel discussion group will include 48^th District Court Judge Diane D'Agostini , WB Police Department Sergeant Tara Kane, Litigation Attorney Gerry Gleeson with the Miller Canfield Law Firm,  and Lisa Kaplan, LMSW, CAADC, ACSW with C.A.R.E. of SE Michigan. It will be a Q & A format so that you can ask the questions that are important to you.  
Please try to attend this very informative forum.

PETER PAN
Mark the date to see our creative and talented kids from Orchard Lake Middle School as their Musical Theater Department presents Peter Pan, on Friday, March 23 at 7:00 pm and Saturday, March 24 at 2:00 pm at the West Bloomfield High School Auditorium. The play, directed by Janey Compton, and Musical Direction by April Tini, with choreography by Valerie Mould, is NOT TO BE MISSED. Tickets are available by mail, during school office and lunch room hours, by phone 248.865.4480 and at the door if seats are available.
Mail by March 15th to Orchard Lake Middle School, 6000 Orchard Lake Road, West Bloomfield, MI 48322 ATTN: April Tini, Checks payable to: Orchard Lake Middle School –
For information please email olmsmusictheater@aol.com.
Senior citizens may also use their Gold Card for complimentary tickets. They are available at all building offices.

MOM 2 MOM SALE
For those parents who would like to sell those gently used baby and kid items that have been piling up in your home.  Sellers, this is a great opportunity for you as you keep your profit, and buyers, it’s a chance to pick up some really nice things for your kids at a great price. Large items will be placed in a designated area and will be sold as a “Large Ticket Item”.  This sale will take place from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm on Saturday, March 24 at West Bloomfield High School. For information on renting a table and selling items, call Linda Margetin at 248-865-6463 or email her at margetin@westbloomfield.k12.mi.us. This is a GREAT SALE!

WEST BLOOMFIELD YOUTH ASSISTANCE YOUTH RECOGNITION AWARDS
PLEASE NOMINATE A STUDENT!
West Bloomfield Youth Assistance needs your help in identifying young people in our community who have made positive volunteer contributions this year.  Nominations come from schools, hospitals, religious organizations, fire and police departments, and private citizens who have been helped by our youth.  Local, county, and state dignitaries participate in making these events very special because they believe that positive behaviors are often overlooked.  These young people serve as role models for their peers and reassure the community that the future is in good hands.  The winners are honored at the annual Youth Recognition Awards Ceremony to be held on April 25, 2012 at the West Bloomfield High School - Media Center, 7:00-8:30 P.M.
Please nominate a student that you feel deserves recognition. A nominator may be any adult or organization that wishes to submit the name of a deserving youth(s) for performing volunteer services, not related to school or court requirements.
Nominees are judged on the basis of Volunteer Service to an individual, organization or the community. This includes  Personal acts of heroism, or Self-improvement through personal or academic achievement.
Nominees must reside within the boundaries of the West Bloomfield School District or be a West Bloomfield School District Student, and all school age youth are eligible.
Nomination forms and eligibility instructions can be found at www.wbyouthassistance.org
and must be received by Thursday, March 22, 2012.

Have a great weekend!