District Update
A weekly update from Walled Lake Consolidated Schools
Walled Lake Consolidated School District Update: Feb. 17, 2022
We hope you'll review this week's District Update filled with news and notes from across the Walled Lake Consolidated School District. Stay up to date with District updates by visiting www.wlcsd.org and connecting with the District on social media - Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube
Important Reminders for Families:
- February 21-25: Mid-Winter Break - No School for Students
- February 28: PTSA Council Meeting - 7pm at Wixom Elementary
- March 1: Class of 2026 Freshman Information Night at all three High Schools, 6:30 pm
- March 3: Board of Education Regular Meeting
- March 10: Half Day for Students
- March 14: Kindergarten Orientation
- March 17-20: WLC presents "Grease: The Musical"
Western Students Win Art Awards
Congratulations to the three Advanced Visual Arts students from Walled Lake Western HS who won Scholastic Art Awards during this year’s competition. Jurors select work based on three criteria: originality, technical skill, and emergence of a personal vision or voice.
- Viktoria Delgado Nilsson won a Scholastic Gold Key for her work, “Gouldian Finch” a mixed media artwork. She also won a Silver Key for her surrealist inspired painting, “Jenny”.
- Jocelyn Nichols won a Scholastic Gold Key for her photograph, “Nostalgia” and a Honorable Mention for her photograph, “Flipping on the 50”.
- Brooklyn Schlussel won a Scholastic Gold Key for her photograph, “Aftermath” and a Honorable Mention for her photograph, “Under the Skin”.
17th Annual FFE Tuition Expedition 50/50 Scholarship Raffle
$35 per *ticket | Only 1,000 tickets available
*Online Processing fee included
Grand Prize: Elect scholarship funds for postsecondary education or 40% lump sum payment option. Grand Prize Drawing March 21, 2022 at District Reflections Celebration at Clifford Smart Middle School. Need not be present to win.
Secondary Prize: Samsung Buds Galaxy Pro with water resistant cover
Purchase tickets: Click on "Buy Now" to purchase tickets online at wlcstickets.com.
Check and cash also accepted by the Foundation for Excellence: 850 Ladd Rd., Bldg. D, Walled Lake, MI 48390 | 248.956.2116
Additional opportunity to win!
Tuition Expedition ticket purchaser may win FREE raffle ticket per monthly drawings sponsored by Walled Lake Schools Federal Credit Union. Purchase by March 11, 2022 to enter.
Questions? Email MichelleBianco@wlcsd.org or contact Foundation's office: 248.956.2116
District News:
Annual Education Reports Are Available To View
The school AERs can also be accessed via that link or you can find them posted on the school's site in the "OUR SCHOOL" tab on the home page. They will also have a hard copy in the office for those that don't have internet access.
2022-23 School Year Calendar Released!
We are pleased to share with you that the 2022-23 school year calendar has been finalized! We know what an important resource this tool is for our families and we are pleased to share this with you in advance. This calendar reflects important dates such as the first day of school, half days, school breaks and more.
Download/Save/Print the 2022-23 WLCSD school year calendar at the following link: https://wlcsd.org/downloads/district_calendars/wlcsd_2022-23_calendar.pdf
Our Calendar webpage has also been updated with a Calendars-at-a-Glance section where this information is available at all times. Please visit www.wlcsd.org/our-district/calendar/ for more information.
HWE Alumni Scholarship Opportunity
The application is due Friday, March 25, 2022.
Eligibility
- A completed education.
- Must be a senior at Walled Lake Western, Central or Northern
- Attend Hickory Woods- 4 years+
- GPA of 3.00 or better (attach most recent report card or transcript).
- 1 letter of recommendation from a teacher, coach, counselor, employer, or other non-family member.
- Proof of acceptance to an accredited college, vocational, or technical school.
- An essay- no more 500 Words-
- Note: All essays become the property of the HWE Elementary Scholarship Committee and may be published or reproduced without permission.
- This essay will be read by HWE staff members and they will ultimately choose the scholarship winner. Names will not appear so staff members will not know whose essay they are reading.
PLE Alumni/Andy Dale Scholarship
- Pleasant Lake Elementary graduate who attended PLE for a minimum of three years
- Walled Lake Central or Northern Graduate
- Actively involved in school or community activities
- Demonstrates leadership qualities
- 3.0 minimum GPA
- Accepted to college
- Be willing to accept your award at PLE’s fifth grade graduation in June
- Submit application to counseling office by Thursday, April 16th.
If you have any questions about this scholarship or need assistance please reach out to Brendaraymond@wlcsd.org
Walled Lake Preschool 2022-2023 Interest Form
WLCSD Transportation Update - Feb. 28 - March 4
We understand the difficulties that cancelling bus routes creates for our families and we deeply regret the impact these measures have on our students. Staffing shortages continue across our community, region and country and our partners at Dean Transportation are not immune.
We are in constant communication with Dean Transportation’s leadership and we’ve expressed our concerns related to the impact that driver shortages are having on our students. Dean Transportation has assured that they are recruiting drivers from other districts and they have several potential drivers at some stage of training who will be assuming routes in our District in the coming weeks. If hiring trends hold, they expect to be fully staffed soon and will no longer need to cancel bus routes in the future.
Week of February 28 - March 4
While we eagerly anticipate the news that our District transportation positions are fully staffed, we have the following bus cancellations to make you aware of for February 28 - March 4:
Bus 163 - WL Western HS, Geisler MS, Hickory Woods El
Bus 165 - WL Northern HS, Clifford Smart MS, Commerce El
Please note, ALL students who have specialized transportation plans that are contained in an IEP will NOT see a disruption in service.
For those families impacted by these temporary cancellations who need childcare assistance, please contact our fee-based Prime Time Care office at 248-956-5110 for more information on availability.
Solutions
Throughout our transportation staffing challenges, Dean Transportation has been hard at work recruiting, hiring, and training new drivers for our District using the following recruitment strategies:
· With our approval, Dean Transportation is offering up to $24 per hour for new bus drivers.
· Conducted numerous job fairs
· Sent out nearly 27,000 employment opportunity postcards to community members
· Engaged in digital and social media advertising
Ten new drivers have been hired since November 2021, out of more than 70 applicants. Unfortunately, many individuals that apply don’t make it through the rigorous screening and training processes. It should also be noted that it takes between six and eight weeks for candidates to earn their license to drive a bus.
Dean Transportation has done an outstanding job providing effective and safe pupil transportation for the families of Walled Lake Schools since 2013 and until recently has never had to cancel a route. While we wish we did not have to cancel any routes, we remain confident that our efforts will continue to attract qualified applicants and we’ll be fully staffed soon.
If you or anyone in your family would be interested in joining our transportation team, please visit the Dean Transportation careers webpage.
For more questions, please contact the Walled Lake Schools Transportation Department at 248-956-3090 or visit the transportation webpage on the District’s website.
Wixom, Walled Lake and Commerce Township Libraries - Library Card Drive
In a partnership between Walled Lake Consolidated School District and the Wixom, Walled Lake and Commerce Township Libraries, we are pleased to announce to residents of Wixom, Walled Lake, Wolverine Lake and Commerce Township that registering your student up for a Library Card is even easier!
To sign up your student, simply complete and submit the online registration form found here: https://tinyurl.com/WLCSD-LibraryCards Submit the online form no later than Friday, March 18, 2022. A library card will be created for your student and mailed to your home.
Let Us Know If Your Athlete Will Be Playing At The College Level
Signing Up for SMS Messages via Skylert
In addition to receiving phone calls and email notifications from the school district in the event of a school closing or emergency, parents can also sign up to receive SMS Text messages.
Please find the helpful step-by-step instructions linked below as well as the video tutorial on signing up for SMS messages.
Childcare Staff Needed!
Transportation Staff Needed!
Substitutes Needed!
In the News:
Alumni News:
Upcoming Events:
District Resources:
Golden Apple Award Nominations - 2021-22
Community Resources:
District Links:
2021-22 WLCSD School Year FAQ
WLCSD Learning Newsletter
Walled Lake E-Sports
WLCSD Stormwater Management
FFE News and Notes
Lakes Area Community Coalition
Hospitality House Food Pantry
Tips can be submitted 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Connect with Us!
Our mission, in partnership with parents and the community, is to become the best educational system in America so all students demonstrate they are caring, responsible, and knowledgeable citizens.
Email: danieldurkin@wlcsd.org
Website: www.wlcsd.org
Location: 850 Ladd Road, Walled Lake, MI, USA
Phone: (248) 956-2000
Facebook: www.facebook.com/wlcsd/
Twitter: @WalledLkSchools