The AMS book fair is coming to a close, but you can still shop online until 12/4/22. Follow the link below to place your order in time for the holidays! Thanks for your support!

On Wednesday, December 21, 2022 beginning at 3:30 pm, we will be having our 2nd annual Student vs Staff Basketball Game. This game will be a fundraiser for PBIS, and students will need to purchase a ticket in advance for $2.00 from the counseling office. We will be selling snacks for $1.00 and offering half court throws at half time also for $1.00 for a chance to win a prize.

Staff who chose to participate in the game chose an 8th grade student to play against, and will be sponsoring them for the game.

This event is first come, first served to the first 250 to purchase tickets.

Dear Wayne-Westland Community School District Community,

As you know, safety is a top priority for our District. We are always evaluating the safety measures we have in place to ensure we are doing everything we can to protect our students and staff from harm. Through this lens, I want to share a message with you about an upsetting trend affecting our state and country. Over the last few weeks, there have been several school threats across Wayne County made in and out of school and on social media.

Recently, Dana Nessel, Attorney General shared this video with the State of Michigan regarding this concerning trend. This week, Wayne County Sheriff Raphael Washington & Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy prepared a message to share with Wayne County students. As part of their message, Prosecutor Worthy shares, “Unfortunately stories of school violence are a reality in our country. These incidents are often publicized in the news and social media, where they are consumed by school aged children. Experience has taught us that the publicity of these types of events often prompt a small subset of students to make similar threats against their schools, teachers, or fellow classmates. Some may think these kinds of threats are funny or not that serious - but that is not true.” She continues, “In many of these cases, the individual making the threat seems genuinely shocked by how serious the consequences are for their actions. Often they make the threat thinking that it is not a big deal as long as they weren’t actually planning to carry it out. Michigan law, however, makes it a crime to make a threat, even if the person making the threat did not have the intent or the capability of actually carrying it out. If you would like to watch their video in its entirety, you can view the video here.

In the Wayne-Westland Community School District, any and all threats are taken seriously and thoroughly investigated. If someone reports a threat, we work closely with our public safety partners and support them throughout their investigation. If a student were to make a threat, not only would they be subject to discipline outlined in our WWCS Code of Conduct, they would also face potential charges from the Wayne County prosecutor. Threats are not a joke. They compromise the safety and well-being of our school community.

As a school community, there are steps we can take to help prevent threatening situations like those that have been happening all over our county.

• For our students & staff: We encourage our students to find trusted adults in their buildings and encourage our staff to focus on developing relationships with their students. When we focus on knowing our students, we create a culture where both students and staff feel comfortable speaking up when something doesn't seem right and when someone might need extra support.

• For our parents and guardians: We strongly recommend monitoring your child’s electronic devices and social media accounts. Check them regularly. Talk to your child about what they are seeing and posting on social media and encourage them to share with you or a trusted adult if they see anything that threatens the safety of themselves or their peers. A good place to start for online safety is the US Department of Justice: Keeping children safe online webpage. If there are weapons in your home, public safety professionals recommend they are safely secured and stored. It’s also important to know that no weapons are ever permitted in our school buildings or on our school grounds.

• For everyone in the state of Michigan: OK2SAY is a state-wide tip line and encourages confidential tips on potential harm or criminal activities directed at students, school employees, or schools. Their phone number is 855-565-2729 (8-555-OK2SAY). Their text number is 652729 (OK2SAY) and their email is OK2SAY@MI.GOV. Please find information attached.

Our District will continue to make school safety a priority, and I hope you will join me in spending time talking with your children about the threats that have been happening as well as the consequences the young people who have made the threats are now facing. As we recognize the anniversary of the Oxford tragedy, we continue to send our love and support to the Oxford community and to all who may find these next weeks difficult to process. This anniversary is a sobering reminder of why school districts and public safety professionals take threats so seriously.

Thank you for your partnership in making our schools a safe place for students to learn.

Sincerely,

Dr. John Dignan

Wayne-Westland Community School District has partnered with Care Solace to support our community’s mental health.

If you or a family member is looking for help with mental health or substance use, Care Solace can quickly find treatment options matched to your needs, regardless of the circumstance.

Care Solace’s care navigation services are confidential and complimentary to Wayne-Westland Community School District’s students, staff, and their families. Care Solace’s team is available 24/7/365 and can support you in any language.

If you would like to use Care Solace to help you find a provider:

• Call 888-515-0595 available 24/7/365
• Visit www.caresolace.com/wwcsd and either search on your own OR click “Book Appointment” for assistance by video chat, email, or phone.

In an emergency:

• Call 911 or and request a Crisis Intervention Trained (C.I.T.) response
• Go to the closest emergency room for support
• Call the National Suicide Prevention & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org
• Text “Hello” or “Home” to 741741 to connect with a crisis counselor
• Trevor Lifeline LGBTQQ+ Crisis Support: 1-866-488-7386