WBSD Update
A weekly update from the West Bloomfield School District
April 24, 2020
The countdown is on and the West Bloomfield High School's counseling department is excited to celebrate the Class of 2020 and all of their hard work! Their long nights of studying and planning for their futures were worth it. Help us cheer them on as they pave their paths to higher education, armed services, vocational schools and the world of work!
On May 1st at 12:20 p.m. (12 = Senior Year: 20 = Class of 2020) show your support for our graduating seniors via Twitter, Facebook and/or instagram with the hashtags #LifeAfterLakers, #IDecided and #BetterMakeRoom. You can post a picture of you wearing a college shirt, a video of well wishes, or a handmade poster with a positive message. Be creative and have fun. We're looking forward to celebrating the Class of 2020. They deserve it and so much more! We look forward to seeing you on May 1, 2020 at 12:20 p.m.!
WBHS and OEC named to Best High Schools list!
Cloud Learning Information
As we continue to support our Cloud Learning Initiative, staff members across the district took time today to come together and develop lesson plans following our return from Spring Break. We are regularly sending updates via email and social media. The website links below are also continually updated throughout the week.
Meal Service Information
The district will be offering our Meal Service program over Spring Break as well. Preorder forms are available for April 27-May 3 at www.wbsd.org/mealservice.
- Monday, April 27 & Tuesday, April 28
- Wednesday, April 29 & Thursday, April 30
- Friday, May 1; Saturday, May 2; & Sunday, May 3
Remember! The district recently transitioned to Meal Service pick-ups three days per week. Families will still receive seven days worth of food per child with pick-ups on Monday, Wednesday and Friday each week. Pick-Ups will still take place between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. each pick-up day at your pick-up location (Roosevelt Elementary or OLMS).
COVID-19 Information and Resources
Board of Education Regular Meeting - April 27
This month’s regularly scheduled Board of Education Meeting on April 27 will take place virtually via a Zoom Webinar.
The April 27 Board Meeting will begin at 7:45 p.m. To participate in the meeting, on an internet-connected device, go to zoom.us/join and enter Webinar ID: 958-8980-2163. For an extra layer of security, the password for the webinar is 962215.
The agenda for the April 27 meeting can be found at the following link at www.wbsd.org/about-us/boe
Public comment will also be available for members of the West Bloomfield School District community to provide feedback and notes to the Board via a Google Form:
The Public Comment Google Form for April 27 is available at the following link: https://forms.gle/cx7KXfspXynCL9Ud8
Please submit your public comments via this form prior to the Public Comment agenda item during the meeting to ensure the Board receives them. During the meeting, those who submit Public Comment Google Forms will be asked to address the board. If you are unable to share your comments, the Board President will read your comments during the meeting.
Following the meeting, a recording of the meeting will be posted to the district website, www.wbsd.org.
Enrollment for 2020-21 open NOW!
Appointments are taking place over the phone until further notice due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
Please call (248) 865-6453 or email marcia.eden@wbsd.org for more information.
Upcoming SOC/STEAM Opportunity for WBHS!
Please visit www.wbsd.org/steam during the application period and apply.
Senior Spotlights - Class of 2020
To help celebrate our seniors at OEC and WBHS, we've created our Senior Spotlight social media posts. We will be posting these recognitions to our seniors throughout the spring and summer. Please find your school's Senior Spotlight Google Form and share their information including a high resolution senior photo with the PR and Marketing department today:
WB celebrates Senior Athletes
Census 2020: It's not too late!
It's not too late to take the Census!
Oakland County's response rate is 59.9% - we can do better! Take 10 minutes to answer the Census today: https://2020census.gov/
The Census is important for local funding for cities, schools, hospitals and more. Your response matters.
SchoolMessenger SMS Messaging Support - Coming Soon!
Our district will soon be able to utilize the SchoolMessenger system to deliver text messages, straight to your mobile phone with important information about events, school closings, safety alerts and more. This resource is on top of the emails and phone messages you already receive from SchoolMessenger.
You can participate in this service just by sending a text message of “Y” or “Yes” to our district’s short code number, 67587.
Once our opt-in period has completed, we hope to utilize this community tool by early-April 2020.
You can also opt-out of these messages at any time by simply replying to one of our
messages with “Stop”.
SchoolMessenger is compliant with the Student Privacy PledgeTM, so you can rest assured that your information is safe and will never be given or sold to anyone.
Community Resources
Child Abuse Prevention Month
The Michigan Children’s Trust Fund has provided online resources for partners to use in sharing information on ways to support children and their families across the state by raising awareness of local and statewide efforts to prevent child abuse. Please use these resources to spread the word in your communities. And encourage your students to create a virtual pinwheel garden using this coloring page.
Together, we can keep children safe, healthy, supported, and ready to learn.
WB Township Library Information
The week of April 19-25, 2020 celebrates libraries across the country. I have been a librarian for many years, and I always look forward to the annual National Library Week celebration as a time to reflect on the many ways libraries serve and impact their communities. But this year is very different.
I never imagined that library buildings across the state of Michigan – and a majority across the country – would be closed this week. But a library is more than just a building, and this year’s theme – “Find the Library at Your Place” – is a timely reminder of that.
Even though our buildings remain closed, the West Bloomfield Township Public Library is still here for you. Library Board members and staff are committed to bringing as many services as possible into your home.
I hope you’ll visit the eLibrary often to connect to the large and growing number of digital resources that are available 24/7. You can:
- Enjoy the latest eBook and eAudiobook titles
- Watch movies and TV shows
- Listen to albums and singles
- Read more than 3,600 magazines
- Keep up with news from national and international newspapers
- Use the Learning Resource Center to match what you want to learn with resources for preschool to high school students, as well as adults
Our creative staff is working hard to expand our digital collections and to bring new services to you. During this extraordinary time, it’s not business as usual. We’ve already added more for you to enjoy virtually, and we will continue to look for ways you can “Find the Library at Your Place.”
We’re purchasing more eBooks and eAudiobooks so readers of all ages have additional choices to enjoy. We’ve added TumbleMath and TeenBookCloud for elementary and secondary students, respectively, to the Learning Resource Center and we will continue to expand learning resources. You can now watch Acorn TV with mysteries, dramas and comedies from the UK, and the National Theatre Collection brings the stage to you with high-definition streaming video of British theatre productions.
Staff miss interacting with community members but are finding ways to stay in touch virtually. Children can enjoy weekly storytimes on Facebook Live and on demand from the Library’s YouTube channel. Staff members have recorded booktalks for children and adults and how-to craft programs for teens. Virtual programs for families are coming soon, featuring some of the most popular performers to appear at the Library.
Staff is also busy planning for our popular Summer Reading program. Because reading over the summer is essential for K-12 students, as well as young pre-readers, the 2020 Summer Reading program will begin as usual in June. The program may be different in some ways, but it will still focus on improving reading skills through reading and fun activities for children and families.
We don’t yet know when it will be safe to fully reopen Library buildings. We’ll follow Center for Disease Control along with State of Michigan and local health and public safety guidelines in making decisions about reopening. To help ensure the health and safety of our community and staff, we will reopen in phases.
We know you miss and want access to the wide variety of materials inside our facilities, and we’ll let you know when you can begin to check-out materials as soon as we can. For the latest information about the Library, check the Library’s website, follow us on Facebook and Twitter, or sign up for Library eNewsletters.
We look forward to the day we can see you at the Library. You belong here and we miss you. In the meantime, our dedicated Library staff will continue to bring the Library to your home and make serving you virtually our top priority.
I want to also take this opportunity, on behalf of the Library Board and staff, to thank all the medical personnel, first responders, essential workers and others on the frontlines for going well beyond business as usual and working to help us all through these challenging times.
Connect with Us!
Email: daniel.durkin@wbsd.org
Website: www.wbsd.org
Location: 5810 Commerce Road, West Bloomfield Township, MI, USA
Phone: (248) 865-6420
Facebook: facebook.com/WestBloomfieldSchools/
Twitter: @wbloomfieldschl