Connections Digital Newsletter
November 10, 2022
The Wayne-Westland Wrap Up- December 1, 2022
Greeting Wayne-Westland Families,
No matter where our students' futures lie – skilled trades, college, workforce, military – the value of a Wayne-Westland Community Schools diploma equates to excellence. Future employers and colleges know our graduates have met our community's high expectations. To meet these high expectations, we challenge our students with rigorous courses that will give them the skills to pursue their life’s goals. WWCS offers students these quality choices and provides the support structures and relationships necessary to build confidence and ensure success.
In this issue of The Wayne-Westland Wrap Up, you will see some of the opportunities our students have to help prepare them for our future. You will also see how our students are engaged in the classroom and offered extracurricular activities that fuel their passions.
As always, Great Futures Start Right Here in Wayne-Westland Community Schools!
Sincerely,
John Dignan, Ed.D.
Superintendent
STEM Fun for Fourth-Grade Students
Schweitzer Elementary School fourth-grade students read the book Balloons Over Broadway about the puppeteer who invented the first balloons for the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade.
Real World Learning
Students were then able to complete the design process and design a new balloon for the parade based off a book, movie, or cartoon character. Students paraded the balloons around the school for all other students to see them.
Parade Float Design
As a culminating event, all the students got to visit The Parade Company in Detroit to see how they go through the design process to create the floats and balloons for Detroit’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
Wayne-Westland Children's Theater Company Presents Annie Kids
You are invited to a performance Annie Kids presented by the Wayne-Westland Children's Theater Company. Performances will be at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, January 13, 2023, and 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, January 14, 2023, at Wayne Memorial High School's Stockmeyer Auditorium, 3001 Fourth Street, Wayne, Mi. Tickets are available at the door.
Wayne-Westland Students Participate in Girls in Engineering Academy
The Engineering Society of Detroit (ESD) created the ESD Girls in Engineering Academy (GEA) to improve academic achievement and increase the interest in engineering among girls. The goal of (GEA) is to close the gender gap in engineering and STEAM professions and to promote engineering interest amongst girls.
There are currently 17 Wayne-Westland students in GEA, with 15 students in their first year as sixth graders and two in their second year as seventh graders. The program will provide math and science enrichment, engineering and computer science concepts, English/language arts comprehension, hands-on project-based STEM activities, mentoring, field trips to industry, and engineering career exploration. Students have visited DTE, USACE and Bosch.
The second-year students stayed on Eastern Michigan University’s campus for the summer. They took classes and went on field trips to GM, Lear and Marathon, where they met female engineers, learned about their companies and jobs, and worked on a challenge.
College Opportunities
Wayne-Westland Early College Now Accepting Applications (middle and high school)
Wayne-Westland Early College provides high school students an opportunity to simultaneously complete the high school diploma and an associate degree at no cost to families. The application window closes on February 14, 2023. Learn more here: https://www.wwcsd.net/earlycollege
New College Scholarships for Michigan Students (high school)
Governor Gretchen Whitmer launched a new webpage to help the graduating class of 2023 apply for the Michigan Achievement Scholarship and lower their cost of college by thousands of dollars a year. Students should talk to their parents or guardian, gather documents, and fill out their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) as soon as possible to save up to $8,250 over three years as they earn their associate degree at a community college, up to $20,000 over five years at a private college, or up to $27,500 over five years at a public university.
For more information on how to get your Michigan Achievement Scholarship, visit Michigan.gov/MIStudentAid.
PBIS Reward from HYPE
Thank you to HYPE Athletics who is supporting our students in their Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) programs at their schools. The PBIS model, established in our schools, helps students meet positive behavior goals and expectations.
Hype Athletics has donated $10,000 worth of day passes to their athletic facility in Wayne. These passes will be distributed to students as PBIS rewards. Not only will this help engage students in our community, but it will also give them an opportunity for physical activity and socialization. We appreciate all of our community partners.
Cash for Grads Success
Cash for Grads: Fund Your Future
On November 15, the College and Career Readiness Department hosted Cash for Grads for current seniors. Over 125 students attended and had the opportunity to complete their EDP, apply for free tuition scholarships at EMU and Lawrence Tech, learn about scholarships available to them, discover opportunities in the skilled trades and military, and get assistance with completing their FAFSA. Based on what they completed, students were entered to win scholarships ranging from $250 to $1,000. We gave away $3,250 in scholarships!