PETER PAN TONIGHT AND TOMORROW!
Remember to get to the High School tonight or tomorrow afternoon to see our creative and talented kids from Orchard Lake Middle School as their Musical Theater Department presents Peter Pan! The play will be presented Friday, March 23 at 7:00 pm and Saturday, March 24 at 2:00 pm at the West Bloomfield High School Auditorium. This play, directed by Janey Compton, and Musical Direction by April Tini, with choreography by Valerie Mould, is NOT TO BE MISSED. Tickets are available at the door if seats are available.
Senior citizens may also use their Gold Card for complimentary tickets. They are available at all building offices.
WIN $10,000!
There's just ONE DAY LEFT TO PURCHASE A RAFFLE TICKET! The winner of $10,000 will be picked on Monday! 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 Gretchko Elementary School. I wish you all much luck, and thank you for supporting the West Bloomfield Educational Foundation!
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. Those in our community including all of our own staff, township officials, clergy association, business leaders, parent groups and civic leaders joined us and gave input on their view of what this new profile should look like. The data has been consolidated. Recruitment has begun, an application forms and promotional material is being sent to interested candidates. There will be recruitment at the National School Boards Association Conference in Boston on April 21 and 22, and the deadline for all applications materials will be April 23. Interested applicants should go directly to Ray and Associates website at www.rayassoc.com. We will keep you updated as this process continues. Continue to check our website to stay informed on the progress.
THE SEAF PROJECT School Enrollment And Facilities 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 key issues related to school enrollment, consolidation, and priorities for the district. Meetings will be 2 hours.
Community Members (Clergy, Business, Civic)
March 28, Wednesday 3:00 – 5:00 pm ACS Building, 5810 Commerce Road
NORTH END Elementary Parents and PTO Members (Gretchko, Roosevelt, Scotch)
March 28, Wednesday 7:00 – 9:00 pm Scotch Elementary,
SOUTH END Elementary Parents and PTO Members (Ealy, Sheiko)
March 29, Thursday, 7:00 – 9:00 pm Sheiko Elementary, 4500 Walnut Lake Road
Orchard Lake Middle School and Doherty Parents, and PTO Members (note DATE CHANGE)
April 9, Monday 7:00 – 9:00 pm Orchard Lake Middle School
April 9, Monday 7:00 – 9:00 pm Orchard Lake Middle School
Abbott Middle School Parents and PTO Members
April 10, Tuesday 7:00 – 9:00 pm Abbott Middle School
ALL STAFF
April 24, Tuesday 7:00 – 9:00 pm West Bloomfield High School
ALL PARENTS K-12
All parents and community members are welcome to attend ANY of the above sessions designated for elementary or middle school levels.
May 14 6:00 pm WBHS Media Center Board Workshop, First Reading for SEAF Plan
June 25 7:00 pm WBHS Media Center Board Meeting, Adoption of SEAF Plan
Please continue to check our website prior to attending meetings in case of changes in the schedule.
SAVE THE DATE – “RACE TO NOWHERE”
A FREE screening of the film "Race to Nowhere" will be shown on April 19 at the West Bloomfield High School Auditorium for our community. This is a documentary film about how schools and parental pressure are affecting students' mental and emotional well being. “Race to Nowhere” is a film and call to mobilize families, educators and policy makers to challenge current assumptions on how to best prepare the youth of America to become healthy, bright, contributing and leading citizens. A concerned mother turned filmmaker aims her camera at the culture of hollow achievement and pressure to perform that has invaded Americaʼs schools.
This remarkable new film shines a light on the price our kids pay for this “race to nowhere.”
Featuring the heartbreaking stories of young people who have been pushed to the brink and
educators who are burned out and worried that students arenʼt developing the skills needed for the global economy. RACE TO NOWHERE is a call to families, educators, experts and policy makers to examine current assumptions on how to best prepare the youth of America to become the healthy, bright, contributing and leading citizens in the 21st century. Following the film, there will be focus groups for discussion on this topic for those who would like to participate in this relevant experience. The film is being shown free of charge, so join us!
SUPER SATURDAY AT WEST BLOOMFIELD HIGH SCHOOL
Saturday, March 24
1. MOM 2 MOM SALE from 9 am – 2pm, Moms will be selling gently used baby and kid items at West Bloomfield High School. This is a great way to save money on items that kids grow out of so quickly, and also for grandparents to pick up furniture and toys to keep at their house at a reasonable cost! It’s just $1 admission, and will run in conjunction with the
2. 5th Grade Intramural Tournament
3. Community Education Summer Camp Fair - come and get a taste of our upcoming Acadeemic, Specialty and Sports Camps! There's lot’ going on so stop by on Saturday!
SUPER SATURDAY AT WEST BLOOMFIELD HIGH SCHOOL
Saturday, March 24
1. MOM 2 MOM SALE from 9 am – 2pm, Moms will be selling gently used baby and kid items at West Bloomfield High School. This is a great way to save money on items that kids grow out of so quickly, and also for grandparents to pick up furniture and toys to keep at their house at a reasonable cost! It’s just $1 admission, and will run in conjunction with the
2. 5th Grade Intramural Tournament
3. Community Education Summer Camp Fair - come and get a taste of our upcoming Acadeemic, Specialty and Sports Camps! There's lot’ going on so stop by on Saturday!
Doherty and Sheiko Families and Community
The beautiful, warm March weather has brought an infestation of Ground Bees to Doherty and Sheiko School properties. After assessing the situation, it was determined that it is in the best interest of our students and community to treat for the bees immediately. The Doherty and Sheiko properties will be treated for the Ground Bees on Friday, March 23, 2012 after school. The property will be safe for our students again 24 hours later, so when we return on Monday, students will be able to use the playground as usual.
ROOSEVELT WINNERS!
Roosevelt recently took place in an online math contest, called Sumdog's President's Day Contest. Kristi Law, Magnet Teacher and Teacher Mentor Coordinator reports that Roosevelt students were one of the daily winners and won new math software for the building. Students from over 1500 schools had a blast practicing their math skills against one another. Together they answered 55,666,111 math questions in 8 days! Of the top TEN students that answered the most questions in the contest, TWO were from Roosevelt. Roosevelt Elementary also placed number 4 in the 45 schools that competed!
Roosevelt recently took place in an online math contest, called Sumdog's President's Day Contest. Kristi Law, Magnet Teacher and Teacher Mentor Coordinator reports that Roosevelt students were one of the daily winners and won new math software for the building. Students from over 1500 schools had a blast practicing their math skills against one another. Together they answered 55,666,111 math questions in 8 days! Of the top TEN students that answered the most questions in the contest, TWO were from Roosevelt. Roosevelt Elementary also placed number 4 in the 45 schools that competed!
Orchard Lake Middle School Hosts Career Day
Students at Orchard Lake Middle School were treated to a half-day of college and career education and exploration during the school’s 23rd annual College and Career Fair, organized by counselors Lauren Field and Felicia Neumann, on Wednesday.
I welcomed over 30 guest speakers from a diverse background ranging from doctors of various specialties, entrepreneurs, internet marketing/promotions professionals, human resource managers, public relations specialists, and more.
Several colleges were represented by admissions counselors including Western Michigan University, Ferris State University, Grand Valley State University, Albion College, College for Creative Studies, Bowling Green State University, University of Michigan - Dearborn, and Wayne State University. Students rotated with their classes to five, 25-minute presentations for exposure to a wide variety of post-secondary options.
Thank you to Felicia Neumann and Lauren Field for keeping this program alive at OLMS!
RAP (READING APPRECIATION PROGRAM)
Each year Abbott and Orchard Lake Middle Schools feature a Reading Appreciation Program (R.A.P.) under the direction of Media Director Laurie Kuper. Building on the Pine Tree Program at the elementary level, R.A.P. is a wonderful way to promote reading as a lifelong endeavor.
Each year Abbott and Orchard Lake Middle Schools feature a Reading Appreciation Program (R.A.P.) under the direction of Media Director Laurie Kuper. Building on the Pine Tree Program at the elementary level, R.A.P. is a wonderful way to promote reading as a lifelong endeavor.
R.A.P. begins in January each year, and runs through March. Six titles of quality literature are featured. Sixth grade students who read and successfully test on three novels and seventh/eighth graders who read and test on four novels are invited to hear one of the book's authors at a special celebration. This year’s author was Gary D. Schmidt who wrote “Okay for Now”, the featured book. Schmidt also held a Writers’ Workshop during the day for students followed by a pizza lunch. Those students who read and tested on all six titles attended a special session with the author at West Bloomfield Public Library Wednesday evening. 450 students from both middle schools earned the opportunity to attend the movies “Hugo” and “Hunger Games” this Monday.
Thanks to the generosity of the West Bloomfield Township Public Library, multiple copies of the titles are ordered and are available for circulation. A big thank you to Director Clara Bohrer, Randy Ernst-Meyer, Young Adult Librarian; and Branch Manager Mary Killian who help us every year with our RAP program!
PUBLISHED!
Jen McQuillan, Language Arts teacher at West Bloomfield High School, is having a scholarly essay published in an academic journal this spring. Specifically, her critical analysis of Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass is being published in Proteus: A Journal of Ideas through Shippensburg University. Titled "Parsing the Body: Frederick Douglass and the Recorporealization of Self", the essay examines how "Douglass uses the language of the body to fashion a new identity, a new body, and wholly different conception of self."
Jen McQuillan, Language Arts teacher at West Bloomfield High School, is having a scholarly essay published in an academic journal this spring. Specifically, her critical analysis of Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass is being published in Proteus: A Journal of Ideas through Shippensburg University. Titled "Parsing the Body: Frederick Douglass and the Recorporealization of Self", the essay examines how "Douglass uses the language of the body to fashion a new identity, a new body, and wholly different conception of self."
This is truly a meritorious accomplishment which very few of our colleagues ever come close to achieving. I am extremely proud to have such a distinguished professional like Jen McQuillan as one of our teachers!!
