Talk Sup't. October 21, 2011

 

TALK SUP’T. October 21, 2011           Superintendent’s Weekly Blog

It has been a GREAT week with lots of energy, and good things happening in our schools including MEAP and ACT testing, a wonderful homecoming, PRISM concert, and fundraisers and fun stuff in our elementary buildings!

WBEF

Through the generosity of the West Bloomfield Educational Foundation, the Grant Committee recommended twenty seven $500 grants to twenty four teachers who applied. This money will be applied towards eBooks, web-interactive science laboratories, software and other textbooks. Thank you to all who contribute to our foundation and help keep our district operative.

DISTRICT WIDE OPEN HOUSE

Mark your calendars and SAVE THE DATE for November 15^th, as we kick off our District Wide Open House: this year our theme is All Roads Lead to West Bloomfield High School!

WBHS will hold its Curriculum Fair showcasing the best of our district, and a sneak peek for parents of seventh and eighth grade students giving an overview of offerings and programs. Elementary and middle schools will be on site also, so parents of students entering kindergarten should attend as well. Each building will have a table with information for every level, so if you are a parent, plan to visit!

Elementary Parents

A letter went out this week notifying all elementary parents that your first progress report will be available on October 28th. Although some teachers will have sent their report out prior to that time, you can expect it to be there a week from now. Any parents who have not sent in an email address to their son or daughter's teacher should do so by Monday so that we can complete the activation of My Parent Portals, inside the Report Card Maker System.

FACTS ABOUT MICHIGAN’S NEW “CUT SCORES”
There has been much conversation lately regarding the new Cut Scores that I addressed briefly last week. I am including this week some FAQ’s as a follow up to continue this conversation and help clear up any myths that might be out there.

What are the MEAP and MME Tests?
Each year, public school students in grades 3-9 are required by the state of Michigan to take the Michigan Educational Assessment Program (MEAP) test.  Students are tested in Mathematics, Reading, Writing, Science and Social Studies. Eleventh graders take the Michigan Merit Exam (MME). The MME assesses students in English Language Arts (reading and writing), Mathematics, Science and Social Studies. These tests assess students’ learning to ensure they are on track to be college and career ready.

What does “proficient” mean?
Students who meet or exceed standards on the MEAP and MME meet Michigan’s definition of proficient.

What does “college and career readiness” mean?
The term “college readiness” indicates a student is ready to succeed in first-semester, credit-bearing college courses. The term “career readiness” indicates a student is ready to succeed in introductory technical career training courses.
What are MEAP and MME “cut scores”?
Cut scores (or cutoff scores) separate test takers into various categories, such as advanced, proficient, partially proficient and not proficient. MEAP and MME cut scores and categories are determined by the Michigan Department of Education and approved by the Michigan State Board of Education.

HOMECOMING

The Homecoming parade took place last Friday on Green Road starting ending at the high school. Families, band booster parents and marching band students were all tailgating prior to the game, and it turned out to be a great evening. It was an energetic and upbeat parade and our honoree was our own West Bloomfield Police Chief Michael Patton, who rode in a convertible, followed by the PomPon Squad, Cheerleaders, Color Guard, Marching Band, Japanese Club, Earth Club, WBHS African American Awareness Club and each high school level’s floats representing the cities of Hollywood, Las Vegas, New York and Detroit. Bring your little ones to cheer on the Marching Band and then cheer on our Lakers as we face Oak Park at 7:00 pm. The dance on Saturday takes place at 7 at West Bloomfield High School, and goes to 10 pm.

ON-SITE COLLEGE FAIR

Many colleges and universities consider November 1^st the deadline for early consideration for admission. This year West Bloomfield High School helped beat that deadline with an On-Site College Admissions Fair. 

On Wednesday while 9^th graders were taking the state Social Studies MEAP, 10^th graders were taking the ACT Plan test and 11^th graders were doing a Princeton Review Practice ACT, seniors had the opportunity to meet with admissions counselors from seven universities, including Bowling Green State University, Grand Valley State University, Kettering University, University of Michigan-Flint, Oakland Community College, Eastern Michigan University and Saginaw Valley State University.

Additionally, West Bloomfield High School seniors had the choice of taking an aptitude test offered by the Armed Services, or attending informational meetings on scholarship opportunities and getting ready for college.    

Over 100 students registered, and many were immediately accepted upon review of their materials. Afterwards, college reps discussed scholarship opportunities.  Several students walked away with thousands of dollars in scholarships, based upon merit.

The fair was so successful they have already planned next year’s for October 17, 2012. There will be more universities represented as several have committed and asked to be invited.

Students from West Bloomfield High School apply to colleges around the world, with the help of counselors and information from the career resource center, lead by staff member Mrs. Hanan Zawideh.  Every student must attend a senior seminar with guidance for choosing a college, application rules and essay writing tips.  Following the seminar, students may choose to register to meet with college representatives. Recent visits included admissions counselors from Dartmouth, Brown, Michigan State University, University of Michigan and University of Chicago. 

Oakland Press ran a short video on our college fair (see link below). http://www.theoaklandpress.com/articles/2011/10/20/news/local_news/doc4e9f6a5476ade838831325.txt

You can follow Counselor Lisa Graff on Twitter at Twitter.com, by going to counselorgraff. Lisa  ‘tweets’ every day posting career and counseling events at West Bloomfield High School.

ATHLETICS

WBHS senior Chauncey Briggs committed to Southern Methodist University (SMU) according to assistant coach Reggie Wynns. “He’s just an athlete,” Wynns added. “He’s an athletic kid, 6-6, 330, kid can run. Just an athlete, very raw, but his potential is phenomenal. ”Besides SMU, Briggs was hearing from the likes of Vanderbilt, Georgia Tech, Missouri and Michigan State. Briggs is the 17th commit for SMU in the class of 2012, and the second from the state of Michigan, joining Prescott Line.

MUSIC

More students making us proud! The following students have been chosen for the 2011 Michigan School Vocal Music Association (MSVMA) Regional Honors Choir; Alex Birkinsha, Evan Marymee, Joseph Trate, and Emma Trivax. Vocal Director Sheryl Hauk reports that she is very proud that 90% of our auditioned students were picked! Congratulations!

 US Army All American Marching Band

Seniors Zachary Helm and Justin Bronstein were recently selected for participation in the US Army All American Marching Band. They will be representing West Bloomfield on a national stage at the All American Bowl in January. Seniors recently recognized by the National Merit Competition were: National Merit Semifinalist Rebecca Berenbon, National Achievements Semifinalists Calvin Boyd and Olivia Peace and Commended Scholars Justin Bronstein, Rachel Choi, Daniel Lin, Sweta Naik, Zara Pylvainen, Shubhum Sidhar and Jerrit Yang. We are very proud of all of these students and the way they are representing us!

MARCHING BAND West Bloomfield High School will host the 26th Annual West Bloomfield Marching Band Invitational on Saturday at 2 p.m.

16 high school marching bands will compete as West Bloomfield High School hosts the Michigan Competing Band Association event tomorrow. Hard work and dedication will be shown as the bands battle for the best scores. In 2008, the WBHS Marching Band became the 2008 MCBA State Champs.

PRISM

The PRISM concert that was held Tuesday night in our newly renovated auditorium was fabulous! The PRISM Concert is the most energetic of all concerts since all high school music groups perform at one time. Thank you to our staff, Jeremy Figlewicz, Sheryl Hauk, Chad  Mielens, Linda Trotter and of course our talented students for the entertainment!

THEATRE

Please put this on your calendar now! WBHS Theatre Arts Program's 2011-2012 season is kicking off with the timelessly appealing, outrageously hilarious comedy Arsenic and Old Lace.  The comedy by Joseph Kesselring will be performed Thursday, November 3rd at 7:30pm
Friday, November 4th at 7:30 pm and Saturday, November 5th with a matinee at 2pm and evening performance at 7:30pm. The Brewster sisters exist as the epitome of etiquette and charm. Though childless themselves, they've spent their lives doting on their beloved nephews, contributing to numerous charities, and endeavoring to offer a little comfort and peace to as many lost souls who come upon their doorstep as they possibly can. Of course, even the Brewster sisters have "their peculiarities." Don't miss your opportunity to catch the hilarious madness of the classic comedy tale.

For information about each production, reserved seating and ticket sales, they are available for most productions by contacting Karen Brody or by calling (248) 865-6720.

Seniors, don’t forget that you can use your Gold Cards to attend our performances at no cost. If you are 65 or older and are a resident of West Bloomfield, you can obtain a complementary Gold Card at any one of our school buildings in the office. I hope to see you in the Auditorium!

ALUMNI

Our graduates continue to shine! We previously featured an item in our Laker highlighting  the important work of 1988 graduate and biologist Nathan Wolfe, who has been seen on CNN, Nightline and Good Morning America as well as Anderson Cooper’s Planet in Peril. We welcome him back to our community as he returns to West Bloomfield on November 6 to the Jewish Community Center to promote his new book, The Viral Storm, the Dawn of a New Pandemic Age. The award winning biologist tells the story of how viruses and human beings have evolved side by side through history. His forecast for the future promises to change the way we think about viruses, and perhaps remove a potential threat to the survival of the human race. I can see why through his missions to the jungles of Africa and the rain forests of Borneo, these groundbreaking trips have earned him the nickname “the Indiana Jones of Virus Hunters”.

Please know that I appreciate you and all that you do for our children and community.

Have a great weekend!

Talk Sup't. October 14, 2011

This has been a full week of testing, tailgating and teaching!
We have reached our first midway point for communicating our students' progress.

TAILGATES

In honor of Homecoming Weekend and the annual Michigan/Michigan State Football game that will take place tomorrow, many buildings celebrated by holding their own tailgates today, dressed in THEIR favorite school colors. At Scotch, it was a great event as parents served hot dogs and lunches to students and kids participated in Punt, Pass & Kick and other activities. The proceeds from this tailgate fundraiser will all go to Our Children’s Fund, so thank you all for making it a great event!

HOMECOMING

Today marks the beginning of Homecoming Weekend. Today, the high school held their Pep Assembly, with all fall sports, the POMS Dance Team, Cheerleaders, the Marching Band and the Football Team participating in spirit activities. It was well attended by students and the staff, teachers and administration pulled off a surprise ending to the assembly! They all performed a Flash MOB Dance on the Gym Floor to a mix of popular teen favorites and choreographed by Ashleigh Ruggero and Sheri Horwitz. The kids were ecstatic!

The parade will take place on Green Road starting at Prince of Peace church at the corner of Walnut Lake Road, and end at the high school. Bring your little ones to cheer on the Marching Band and then cheer on our Lakers as we face Oak Park at 7:00 pm. The dance on Saturday takes place at 7 at West Bloomfield High School, and goes to 10 pm.

MEAP and MME “CUT SCORES”

This week and next our students in grades 3-9 will be taking MEAP tests. I‘ve been asked about the new “Cut Scores”for MEAP and MME recently approved by the Michigan State Board of Education.  

5 THINGS PARENTS NEED TO KNOW

1.     Each year, public school students in grades 3-9 take the Michigan Educational Assessment Program (MEAP) test and 11^th graders take the Michigan Merit Exam (MME).

2.     The Michigan State Board of Education recently approved new MEAP and MME “cut scores” for Mathematics, Reading, Science and Social Studies.  A cut score is the score that separates test takers into various categories, such as advanced, proficient, partially proficient and not proficient.

3.     The new cut scores are higher and “raise the bar” for our students. They are intended to be a better measure of student progress toward being career and college ready.

4.      While we anticipate an initial decline in the number of students reported as “proficient,” we are confident this change will be temporary due to ongoing school improvement efforts and student support.

5.     If your student is reported as “not proficient,” it does not mean that your student isn't gaining academic skills or is falling behind.  It means that on the day of the test, your student was not yet proficient on the material being tested. Several other measures are used in our district throughout the year to insure that your student is making academic progress. 

We maintain high standards for our students and their test scores are consistently among the highest in the state. We anticipate this trend will continue even with the new cut scores.

If you would like additional information about changes to the MEAP or MME, please contact your building principal, Dr.  Robert Martin at 248-865-6478, or visit www.oaisd.org/statetests or http://1.usa.gov/statetests.

ON-SITE COLLEGE FAIR

Many colleges and universities consider November 1^st the deadline for early consideration for admission. This year West Bloomfield High School will beat that deadline with an On-Site College Admissions Fair. 

On October 19^th, 2011 from 7:10 am to 11:30 am while 9^th graders are taking the state Social Studies MEAP, 10^th graders are taking the ACT Plan test and 11^th graders are doing a Princeton Review Practice ACT, seniors will have the opportunity to meet with admissions counselors from seven universities, including Bowling Green State University, Grand Valley State University, Kettering University, University of Michigan-Flint, Oakland Community College, Eastern Michigan University and Saginaw Valley State University.   Additionally, West

Bloomfield High School seniors will have the choice of taking an aptitude test offered by the Armed Services, or attending informational meetings on scholarship opportunities and getting ready for college.  Students from West Bloomfield High School apply to colleges around the world, with the help of counselors and information from the career resource center, lead by staff member Mrs. Hanan Zawideh.  All seniors must register on or before Monday, October 17^th and space is limited. Every student must attend a senior seminar with guidance for choosing a college, application rules and essay writing tips.  Following the seminar, students may choose to register to meet with college representatives. Recent visits included admissions counselors from Dartmouth, Brown, Michigan State University, University of Michigan and University of Chicago. 

ALUMNI MIX & MINGLE

Last night was our first social event of the year for our West Bloomfield Educational Foundation. Many alumni from multiple graduation years attended this great social “Mix and Mingle” event at 7 Bar and Grill, who graciously hosted the evening. Thank you to the community who donated prizes to support our foundation’s effort to help our schools. The Foundation will benefit as we raised over $2000 at this event! Co-chairs Sara Ward and Sheryl Bienstock and this year’s great leader and Foundation Chairperson Liz Zubrzycki along with parents from Gretchko and Sheiko did a phenomenal job of providing a rich, wonderful experience for all who returned to their hometown school and friends.

PRISM

NOTE THE DATE CHANGE: PRISM is TUESDAY OCTOBER 18, and NOT WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 19 as previously listed.
Please try to attend our first event in our newly renovated auditorium next Tuesday, October 18 at West Bloomfield High School. The PRISM Concert gives you an opportunity to hear all high school music groups perform at one time. You will be surrounded by music non-stop for one hour straight! This is a concert you definitely DO NOT want to miss!

Please know that I appreciate you and all that you do for our children and community.

Have a great weekend!

TALK SUP’T. October 7, 2011

TALK SUP’T. October 7, 2011            

LEGISLATION: Charter Cap Bill Passes Senate

The main bill in the nine-bill Senate Education package - SB 618 - was amended and passed by the Senate earlier today. The bill removes the cap on the number of charter schools (public school academies, urban high school academies and schools of excellence), permits authorizers to operate multiple site locations, and exempts locations of charters from property taxes.

The vote on final passage was 20 to 18; Senators representing Oakland County voted as follows:

Supporting SB 618: Marleau, Pappageorge, Robertson
Opposing SB 618: Gregory, Kowall

Other Happenings today:

- Right to Teach legislation (SB 729) introduced in the Senate but it would only apply to schools where MEA is collective bargaining unit. The language refers to exclusive bargaining representatives that represent 50,000 or more personnel)

- Governor indicates no replacement revenue guarantee on PPT elimination (Personal Property Tax).

GRANTS 

The West Bloomfield Education Foundation (WBEF) offered twenty $500 grants for West Bloomfield teachers to apply for individually or as a team. I’m happy to report that teachers have submitted many applications pursuing your donations for enhancements to their classrooms, focusing on books, arts, and technology. The West Bloomfield Education Foundation (WBEF) is offering twenty $500 grants for West Bloomfield teachers to apply for individually or as a team. Thank you to the WBEF for making this possible and I also remind you that 100% of your donations goes back to programs and opportunities for our kids.

FunD Runs

Thank you to all of the parents and staff who have contributed their time and resources to the school Fund Runs. These runs take place at each building and raise funds to pay for leading-edge classroom technology.

CONGRATULATIONS!

Seniors Justin Bronstein and Zachary Helm have been selected as members of the 2012 U.S. Army All-American Marching Band. The band represents the nation’s top high school senior marching musicians. Justin and Zach were nominated by their band director, and had to submit audition videos and applications. They will march in the halftime performance of the All American Bowl, at the Alamodome in Texas, on January 7, 2012.
 
TENNIS CONGRATULATIONS!
Yesterday we won the BOYS’ TENNIS Regional Championship and qualified for states. Coach Stark was named Regional Coach of the Year. Congratulations

BOYS VARSITY SOCCER

Boys Varsity Soccer will play their game on Tuesday against Pontiac , and that winner will become OAA Blue Division League Champions. I wish you all the Best of Luck!

TECHNOLOGY 

Each of our schools needs to update the records of their students/parents, so we are asking that parents contact the school to make that happen. This is very important so that we may stay in communication with you.

If you are having difficulty with accessing your child’s information, please contact the Help Desk at 248-865-6443.

We will be sending out a form to all parents designating only if we may NOT photograph or videotape your child for educational, informational or publicity purposes. If you do NOT want your child photographed or taped, it is important that you fill out this form and return it to your child’s school office so that we may have it on file and refer to it when needed.

League of Women Voters Oakland Area (LWVOA) CANDIDATES FORUM

On Wednesday evening at West Bloomfield High School, the League of Women Voters Oakland Area hosted our candidates’ forum for the six candidates that are vying for two WBSD Board of Education seats. The candidates are Julie Beaty, Karen Faett, Carol Finkelstein, Nelson Hersh, CharRhonda Moye and John Reed. Nelson Hersh’s and Melanie Torbert’s terms will expire at the end of the year, and Ms. Torbert has elected not to run again. Carol Finkelstein was unable to attend due to an out of town work schedule, but provided opening and closing statements.

This was very informative as candidates had the opportunity to answer questions that supported their candidacy, and gave those in the school district a chance to understand their perspectives. If you did not have the opportunity to attend or watch live on Wednesday, you can plan to watch the live broadcast on Xfinity Civic Center TV Channel 15  and 915, or on AT & T U-Verse on Channel 99, so that you can make an informed choice at election time.

The forums will be rebroadcast on October 21, 22, 23 (Friday, Saturday and Sunday) at 8:00 am and 7:00 pm all three days; Monday, October 24 and Monday, October 31 at 8:30 pm. In addition,  the forum is available on www.civiccentertv.com com for live stream and on-demand access to programs.

FAMILY FUN NIGHT

At the West Bloomfield Township Board Meeting Monday night at 7:00 pm, I will address the board during Public Comment, to thank our Township, our Fire and Police Departments for helping us to give our community a fun evening to enjoy for all in our district. This event gave us the opportunity to honor our Police and Fire heroes as well as the military, and we couldn’t have done it without the full support of these heroes who pitched in to stage an educational display for the community. We will have a slideshow showcasing all of the great highlights of the evening’s events.

HOMECOMING

Mark your calendar for next Friday as we prepare for Homecoming Weekend. These days are a flurry of excitement around the preparation that takes place to make it a spectacular parade, with float building, banners, band practices, football practice and of course, getting ready for the dance on Saturday evening. The parade will take place on Green Road starting at Prince of Peace church at the corner of Walnut Lake Road, and end at the high school. Bring your little ones to cheer on the Marching Band and then stay for the game at 7:00 pm, as we face tomorrow’s winner of the Oak Park vs. Lathrup game. The dance on Saturday takes place at 7, and goes to 10 pm.

GREATER WEST BLOOMFIELD COMMUNITY COALITION

Teens Making Changes is looking for high school teens to plan fun programs for peers, promote a drug free lifestyle, and meet students from other school in order to earn community service hours. Be a voice for youth in the community. You can learn about Teens Making Choices at their meetings which take place at Marshbank Park on Sundays from 3:30 – 5:00 pm.

Contact Lisa Kaplan, Coalition Youth Director at lkaplan@gwbcoalition.org or call 248-321-8476.

WEST BLOOMFIELD FIRE DEPT. OPEN HOUSE THIS SUNDAY OCTOBER 9

You can learn how to protect your family from fire during Fire Prevention Week  
at the West Bloomfield Fire Department OPEN HOUSE on Sunday, October 9^th from 12 pm - 3 pm at Fire Station #5, next to Ealy Elementary.

You can:

• Practice calling 911 for emergencies, Crawl low under “smoke”
• Learn Stop Drop and Roll as well as many other fire safety lessons
• Dunk a fireman for charity! –Watch a helicopter land and look inside it!
• Tour our newest fire station and even use a real fire hose!
• Get an up close look and sit in one of our cool fire trucks!
• WBFD Technical Rescue Team demonstrations
• A fun time with lots of great photo opportunities for kids and families

There will be lots of hands on educational events for kids of all ages, including opportunities to have your picture taken with our local heroes, and encouraging kids to increase their safety awareness.

Please know that I appreciate you and all that you do for our children and community.

Have a great weekend!

Talk Sup't. September 28, 2011

COMPUTERS DOWN

Our computers will be unavailable all day on Thursday as we perform maintenance and upgrades. There will be NO ACCESS to our website or email during this time. We anticipate that they will be up and running on Friday. It was determined that this would be the best opportunity for maintenance as school is not in session for these two days due to the Rosh Hashanah holiday.  We apologize for this inconvenience.

TECHNOLOGY 

       In the past, elementary students and their parents have used Report Card Maker as the electronic report card system. Instead of being e-mailed reports from Edline, parents will be connecting to the Report Card Maker Portal this year to receive that information. Beginning the first week in October, parents can expect to receive a letter from their teachers asking for an updated email address so that their parent access to the portal can be created. Email addresses change frequently and we ask that you include one that will remain in place for the entire school year. Soon after the email addresses have been collected, passwords will be sent out to that address.    

GRANTS 

I would like to remind you that the West Bloomfield Education Foundation (WBEF) is offering twenty $500 grants for West Bloomfield teachers to apply for individually or as a team.  The focus areas for this grant opportunity are: books, arts, and technology.  Completed applications are due to the Community Education office (ACS) before 3 pm on Friday, October 7, 2011.

W-A-Y Program (Widening Advancements for Youth)

W-A-Y Program is a personalized learning experience for students who struggle with traditional high school. W-A-Y offers an alternative approach to education; one that encourages self-esteem, independence, and the development of 21^st century skills that will facilitate a college education and subsequent career paths.

According to Oakland Schools, as of today 20 out of 28 school districts, including West Bloomfield have entered into an inter-governmental agreement with Oakland Schools to provide this research-based program.  

Each student is equipped with an iMac workstation and internet connectivity within his or her home. W-A-Y teachers assess and align all projects according to state content standards, ensuring that each student completes the program with a high school diploma. They are invested in the success of each student, providing support 24/7, all year round, allowing students to excel at their own pace. The W-A-Y Program has a 93% retention rate.

STAFF

While at the Family Fun event and around the community this weekend, I heard overwhelmingly positive comments about the district, the staff, and the wonderful opening of school that parents and students experienced.  At all of the open houses I heard nothing but high praise for this staff.  At the high school open house, I spoke with several parents that had planned to send their students to private school, but had changed their minds and were very pleased that they stayed with us.  This is evident in our high school enrollment this year.

I would also like to thank the secretaries working on the front lines in our offices welcoming our students, families, and community members and handling their issues.  Customer satisfaction is at an all-time high.

FunD Run to Eliminate Bullying

Students at Scotch Elementary School are lacing up their sneakers to eliminate bullying and pay for leading-edge classroom technology today.

Students will run outside throughout the day in the annual FunD Run. Each student will try to raise $65, and if the school reaches its' $40,000 goal, Principal Jim Scrivo has promised to shave his head! After a few dips in the Dunk Tank last Friday night at Fun Night, Jim along with several other principals and teachers show that they have a good nature when it comes to their kids and supporting our schools.

SECOND GRADERS IN KELLY LEKAS’ CLASS FROM SCOTCH VISIT APPLE ISLAND

This week and last week second graders have been visiting Apple Island, which sits in the middle of Orchard Lake. This has been a tradition for several years that allows our students to travel by pontoon boat to explore the Island owned by the school district. Apple Island was formed 10,000-12,000 years ago as the area's last Ice Age glacier receded, and is inique in that most inland lakes the size of Orchard Lake do not have islands this large. Students also visited the Orchard Lake Museum, learning more about the island as well as seeing artifacts. To see Kelly Lekas’ class of second graders from Scotch Elementary on their adventure, click on

http://westbloomfield.patch.com/articles/viewfinder-second-graders-visit-apple-island

NEXT WEDNESDAY IS COUNT DAY

A reminder that next Wednesday, October 5,  is Count Day, so it is very important that all students attend class that day.

SUMMER READING CONTEST

Monday night at our board meeting, we recognized 47 top readers from all levels in the district for their participation in the 2011 West Bloomfield Township Public Library Summer Reading Program.

Over 2368 children from West Bloomfield Township participated in the program which encourages kids to read in the summer to promote reading as a habit, maintain their reading skills, and to continue visiting our award winning library. In the West Bloomfield School District, 998 students read books and logged their hours for the ten week program.

Clara Bohrer, Director of the West Bloomfield Township Public Library and Jill Bickford, Coordinator of Youth Services, presented the top five readers from each school with a medal from our library, which is recognized as one of the Top 100 Libraries in the United States. Congratulations to ALL of our readers – you all are WINNERS!

West Bloomfield High School Choir
Last night the Laker Express performed two songs and their rendition of the Star Spangled Banner at the annual Installation Dinner for the Optimist Club of West Bloomfield.

The West Bloomfield HIgh School choir has been holding fundraisers to help pay for the choir's trip to a jazz competition and workshop in California in February.
If anyone is planning to host a holiday party or corporate event that our choir kids could sing for, please let Sheryl Hauk know and she will try to accommodate.  As of this date, the choir has booked the kids to perform at English Gardens in November during the grand opening of their Christmas Wonderland event, and at Birmingham Community House for the Our Town Art Event. If you haven’t heard them perform, you have really missed something, as they are TOP DRAWER under Sheryl’s direction!

BOYS TENNIS – OAA Red Tournament

Senior Andrew Cahn beat Rochester Adams’ Kirstoff Saari Tuesday at the OAA Red Tournament capturing the No. 1 singles title!

CROSS COUNTRY: Erin Finn Races to Another Easy Win

Junior Erin Finn has done it again. After scoring a victory two weeks ago at Forest Akers Golf Course in East Lansing. Yesterday Erin amazed spectators with her endurance, as she clocked 17:14 for the five-kilometer course winning y nearly a half mile as she left the field to battle for second place in the OAA White Jamboree No.2 at Bloomer Park. You are awesome, Erin!

LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OAKLAND AREA (LWVOA) CANDIDATES FORUM

Please mark your calendar for Wednesday, October 5, 7:00 pm in the Media Center at West Bloomfield High School, as the League of Women Voters Oakland Area host a candidates’ forum for the six candidates that are vying for two WBSD Board of Education seats. Please attend or plan to watch the live broadcast on Civic Center TV 15 so that you can make an informed choice at election time.

TRANSPORTATION

Kudos to our transportation staff for delivering our students home safely while continuing to strive to meet scheduled times as they work out glitches within the new four-tier bus system.  Four-tiered busing came as a result of the cost-cutting measures aimed at putting funds back into the classrooms. 

FIRE STATION EVENT OCTOBER 9

You can Learn how to protect Your Family from fire during Fire Prevention Week  
at the West Bloomfield Fire Department OPEN HOUSE on Sunday, October 9^th from 12 pm - 3 pm at Fire Station #5, next to Ealy Elementary.

You can:

• Practice calling 911 for emergencies, Crawl low under “smoke”
• Learn Stop Drop and Roll as well as many other fire safety lessons
• Dunk a fireman for charity! –Watch a helicopter land and look inside it!
• Tour our newest fire station and even use a real fire hose!
• Get an up close look and sit in one of our cool fire trucks!
• WBFD Technical Rescue Team demonstrations
• A fun time with lots of great photo opportunities for kids and families

There will be lots of hands on educational events for kids of all ages, so be sure to mark your calendar!

LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OAKLAND AREA (LWVOA) CANDIDATES FORUM

Please mark your calendar for Wednesday, October 5, 7:00 pm in the Media Center at West Bloomfield High School, as the League of Women Voters Oakland Area host a candidates’ forum for the six candidates that are vying for two WBSD Board of Education seats. Please attend or plan to watch the live broadcast on Civic Center TV 15 so that you can make an informed choice at election time.

FAMILY FUN NIGHT – WHAT A HIT!

I want to thank all of you who organized or attended the Family Fun Night on Friday.  It really had that hometown feeling.  All weekend long as I traveled about the community, people were talking about how much they enjoyed the evening. Thanks to all of you for a wonderful event, as comments were overwhelmingly positive.  It felt inclusive and I cannot thank you enough for your commitment to making this event fun for all of our families.

The West Bloomfield School District paid tribute to our U.S. Military, Police and Fire Heroes, in honor of the tenth anniversary of 9/11. We hope you had the chance to attend the event, as it turned out even better than anticipated 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, Police and Firefighters, Military and School Spirit all added up to a perfect evening, and even the weather was kind to us! The West Bloomfield Fire Department not only had all of its fire fighting and rescue equipment on display, but they brought the piece of steel from the World Trade Center that was donated by the New York Fire Department and brought a lot of attention from the crowd.

Vehicles were on display from Police and Fire Departments, and each school building had an activity, including Bounce Houses, Face Painting, Inflatable Football Toss, Dunk Tank, and a Rock Climbing Wall and other fun things for kids! The Army made Dog Tags for kids on the spot with their names embossed on them. The Air Force displayed a mini fighter jet that kids could get in and pretend to command. The Marines and Navy and all of our community organizations had tents with giveaways for all. Sgt. Tara Kane, West Bloomfield Police Dept., controlled Timmy the Talking Robotic Police Car for the entertainment of the little ones. The tribute Ceremony before the football game was very moving, as all branches of Military, our Police from all four communities and Firefighters emerged through a large inflated, camouflage tunnel provided by the U.S. Army, and then performed the honor guard ritual to honor our heroes.

The half-time show was bursting with excitement, as the West Bloomfield Marching Band performed flawlessly under the direction of Jeremy Figlewicz, Sally Unrath’s Laker Pom/Dance Team danced to a medley of American and military songs dressed in camouflage shirts, Sheryl Hauk’s Laker Express sang our National Anthem, and cheerleaders pelted the audience with free West Bloomfield School District spirit t-shirts with all schools names emblazoned across the front.

Detroit Lion Quarterback Matt Stafford attended our Football Game vs. Troy. Although he tried to keep a low profile, a photo op with him capped off a perfect evening for seven students who coaxed him into posing with them.  

Our school PTO’s, Chairs Julie Beaty and Nancy Cooper, and Athletic Director Pat Watson are to be commended for orchestrating such a perfect evening, which we plan to be an annual affair.  It was a huge undertaking and thanks to all of you, comments were overwhelmingly positive.  It felt inclusive and I cannot credit you enough for your commitment to making this fun for all of our families.

"People who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it."

                                             - Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen, Chicken Soup for the Soul

Happy New Year to those celebrating ROSH HASHANAH this week!

In closing, I want you to know that I appreciate you and all that you do for our children and community.

Have a great week!