November 7, 2021

Dear WLCSD Families,

School districts across the state are facing a critical shortage of bus drivers and the Walled Lake Consolidated School District is no exception. Our Transportation Department and our partners with Dean Transportation have done an admirable job adjusting to these shortages while keeping service interruptions to a minimum. Despite those best efforts and continued logistical innovation, we find it necessary to make you aware of the some impactful adjustments to our transportation offerings this week.

We are, unfortunately, going to have to cancel the following routes this week, November 8-12:

• Route 130 - WL Central HS, Walnut Creek MS, Pleasant Lake EL
• Route 135 - WL Western HS, Geisler MS, Hickory Woods EL
• Route 139 - WL Western HS, Walnut Creek MS , Meadowbrook EL
• Route 141 - WL Central HS, Walnut Creek MS, MH Guest EL
• Route 148 - WL Central HS, Sarah Banks MS, Loon Lake EL
• Route 149 - WL Western HS, Sarah Banks MS, Wixom EL
• Route 150 - WL Northern HS, Clifford Smart MS, Dublin EL
• Route 152 - WL Central HS, Clifford Smart MS, Oakley Park EL
• Route 154 - WL Northern HS, Clifford Smart MS, Keith EL
• Route 168 - WL Northern HS, Clifford Smart MS, Commerce EL
• Route 173 - WL Western HS, Sarah Banks MS, Glengary EL

We will work to restore these routes as soon as possible, and may need to cancel different routes in the weeks ahead. These route cancellations are unfortunate and the decision to implement these changes was difficult but necessary to keep the majority of our District bus routes in service. Please note, ALL students who have specialized transportation plans that are contained in an IEP will NOT see a disruption in service.

Any cancellations will be temporary, while our transportation team continues to recruit and train new drivers. If you, or anyone in your family would be interested in joining our team, please visit the Dean Transportation careers webpage.

We know the impact these route changes will have on families may be significant and we want all of our WLCSD families to be made aware of the current transportation situation. Many districts in our area are experiencing similar staffing challenges and making similar adjustments to their transportation offerings. Please know that this decision really comes as a last resort while we work with our Dean Transportation partners to combat the bus driver shortage we are currently experiencing.

For more information, please contact the Walled Lake Schools Transportation Department at 248-956-3090 or visit the transportation webpage on the District’s website.

We truly appreciate your continued support and grace as we navigate these unprecedented staffing challenges together. We know this is an awful situation and we will do everything in our power to limit the impact of any potential transportation changes.

Sincerely,

Kenneth Gutman
Superintendent of Schools
Walled Lake Consolidated Schools

We have two members of our staff who have had "opportunity" unexpectedly knock! Mrs. Kelly Smith will be leaving her 4th grade position to become the Interim Assistant Principal at Sarah Banks Middles School. We are so happy to for Mrs. Smith and this opportunity for her become a building administrator. We are thrilled to welcome Ms. Kristi Kolb as the guest teacher in room 13 while we complete the interview/hiring process in the coming weeks. Ms. Kolb will begin tomorrow, Monday, November 8th.

Ms. Sundie Lori (Guttovz) has also had an unexpected knock on her door! Ms. Lori has the opportunity to return to Walnut Creek Middle School to teaching science. Prior to coming to Oakey Park, Ms. Lori spent many years at Walnut Creek, teaching Science. While she has thoroughly enjoyed her time at Oakley Park, the opportunity to return to the middle school was one she could not turn down. We are VERY fortunate that Mrs. Janine Baur will be returning to Oakley Park, filling Ms. Lori vacancy! Mrs. Baur was a member of our 3rd grade team from 2017- 2020. She has most recently been teaching at Pleasant Lake Elementary as an English Language Development teacher. We feel fortunate that Ms. Lori's opportunity resulted in a knock on Mrs. Baur's door too!

Elementary Parent/Teacher Conferences will be held on Thursday, December 9th. This will be an adjusted 1/2 day for students: Dismissal will be at 11:25 am. Conferences will be held from 12:00 pm - 8:00 pm. Parents/Caregivers will sign up using the Online Parent Teacher Conference Sign Up in Family Access. All conferences will be virtual (using Zoom).

In addition to your child’s classroom teacher, you may also choose to meet with our FAPES teachers: PE, Music, and Art. These teachers will have "drop in" Zoom times, we encourage you meet with these staff members if you have concerns, would like more information, or want to connect with our wonderful FAPES staff.

Conference Sign Up will open in Family Access at 7:00 am, November 17th.

On Thursday, 10/21, you should have received an email from Directory Spot with a link to the directory.

If you are a member of the PTA and did not receive the email, please check your spam folder.

You can also access the directory by going to https://www.directoryspot.net and click “Login” and then “Reset Password”. Your username is your email address.

If you are not a member of the PTA and would like to be - You can join by clicking the below link.

https://www.oakleyparkpta.com/join-the-pta

Your membership provides funds that support academic activities, school field trips, school supplies and so much more!

You must join the PTA in order to access the school directory.

If a student tests positive for COVID, they will be isolated for a minimum of 10 calendar days based on the recommendations from the OCHD. All families in that classroom will receive a letter regarding the positive case. The letter also reminds recipients to monitor their child's health closely and if he/she begins experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms, stay home, consult your medical provider and get tested for COVID-19.

Due to this OCHD mandate, the following protocols are required:

• Masks are required in all of our schools and facilities.
• Masks are required on our buses.
• Masks are not required outside (ex. recess).
• Masks are not required while eating or drinking.
• Mask Breaks: Please note that teachers will take their classes outside for periodic mask breaks throughout the school day.

Water Bottles: Please remember to send your child to school with a reusable, plastic water bottle. Our drinking fountains are closed. Refilling stations are still open.