WBSD Update
A weekly update from the West Bloomfield School District
WBSD Weekly Update - September 24
We hope you'll review this week's Weekly Update filled with news and notes from across the West Bloomfield School District. Stay up to date with District updates by visiting www.wbsd.org and connecting with the District on social media - Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
Have a great weekend!
Thank YOU for Supporting Family Fun Night!
Throwback Thursday Submissions
INFORMATION RELATED TO BUILDING VISITORS/VOLUNTEERS
When it comes to volunteers, we want parents and community members helping out in the building as much as possible, especially if people are willing and able to give back and help out our school communities. At the same time, given current COVID-19 conditions in our area, we want to be cautious, clear, and consistent with these protocols.
Visitors
Visitors coming to the building will not be permitted to enter past the front office. Items dropped off for students should be left for delivery by school personnel. Meetings and communications with teachers should take place via email, phone and/or Zoom. Exceptions should be rare, but may be made at the principal's discretion for extenuating circumstances, such as an IEP meeting that needs to take place in person.
Volunteers
Volunteers, both parent/community volunteers (Reading Mentors, Watch DOGS, classroom volunteers, etc.) as well as student mentors in programs such as the professional apprenticeship, are permitted under the following circumstances:
- They must provide proof of vaccine before being allowed to volunteer.
- They must follow the district masking requirements, including wearing masks at all times indoors.
- They must have approval from the principal before volunteering. The principal is responsible for verifying that all vaccination information has been submitted.
- They must complete the health screener (attached) each time they enter the building.
- A list of volunteers with their contact information must be maintained by the school in the event of the need for contact tracing.
- ICHAT background checks are still required for all non-student volunteers.
Educationally Speaking: Dispelling misconceptions about English Learners
This podcast examines the assumptions the general population often has when it comes to our English Learners and how to dispel those assumptions.
Guests:
Suzanne Toohey, Oakland Schools Supervisor of Instruction and Pedagogy
Christy Osborne, Oakland Schools English as a Second Language (ESL) Consultant
Hadeel Azzo, K-12 English Language Development (ELD) Consultant with the West Bloomfield School District
Rob Beltz, English Language Development (ELD) Instructor and Trauma-Informed Practitioner, Novi Community School District
Bus Tracker App Reminder
As a reminder, Durham Transportation, our district’s transportation partner, offers a helpful bus tracking app for West Bloomfield families. The Bus Tracker app is available for iOS, Android and web and allows families to track their student(s) bus along its route, to and from school.
Families will need to have their student(s) ID number(s) which are available in PowerSchool in order to log into the app and create an account. As a safety protocol, the Bus Tracker app will only allow families to see their student(s) bus route(s) only.
If you have any questions, please consult the Bus Tracker instructions and visit the Bus Tracker webpage on the Durham Transportation website for more information and to download the app.
We hope the use of the Durham Transportation Bus Tracker app will help better inform our families of slow downs and delays in the bus pick up and drop off times. We appreciate your patience, understanding, and flexibility as we navigate the first days of this new school year. We value the importance of consistency and safety in our transportation offering to families.
If you have any questions or would like more information, call our Transportation Offices at (248) 865-3680.
IRS Advance Child Tax Credit Materials To Share With Michigan Families
As you might be aware, the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 was recently signed into law and it contains numerous relief provisions for individual taxpayers, including some significant changes to the Child Tax Credit.
As for background regarding this Advance Child Tax Credit, please look at the attached Publications 5534B and 5534C.
The Advance Child Tax Credit is not just available to taxpayers with children that file tax returns, but also to people with children who have low or no income. Which could help many children escape poverty in America.
To qualify for Advance Child Tax Credit payments, individuals must:
· Have a main home in the United States for more than half the year (the 50 states and the District of Columbia) or file a joint return with a spouse who has a main home in the United States for more than half the year; and
· Have a qualifying child who is under age 18 at the end of 2021 and who has a valid Social Security number; and
· If have earned income, made less than Modified Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) of:
- $75,000 or less for singles,
- $112,500 or less for heads of household and
- $150,000 or less for married couples filing a joint return and qualified widows and widowers
Advanced Child Tax Credit payments are not considered income and will not affect your access to government benefits like SSI, SNAP, TANF or WIC. See #IRS info at https://go.usa.gov/x6fyE
Blessings in a Backpack Application - 2021-22
If your child qualified for the Free and Reduced Meal Program last year or this year, s/he can also participate in the Blessings in a Backpack program. This program sends six non-perishable meals home each Friday of the school year. Its goal is to make sure that no child goes hungry on the weekend. Run by volunteers, there is NO cost to you.
If your child is going to school Face to Face, s/he will get his/her bag of food at his/her local school. If your child is enrolled in Lakers on Line, please indicate that on the form and we will contact you on food pickup arrangements.
WBSD STAR CERTIFICATE NOMINATION FORM
The purpose of the West Bloomfield School District Board of Education Star Certificate award is to recognize outstanding achievements by the students, staff and community members of the West Bloomfield School District. Honorees are also recognized for service to the district above and beyond the call of duty.
In order to be recognized, nominees must be a member of the district as a student, staff member or community member in West Bloomfield. Student groups and teams are also eligible for nomination.
Community Resources
Open Hands Food Pantry
Saturdays from 9:00am - 11:00am at St. John's Episcopal Church, 26998 WoodwardAve. (Royal Oak, corner of 11 Mile and Woodward - enter at 11 Mile)
For the safety of the mobile pantry guests and our volunteers, food will be placed in the trunk / back hatch of a vehicle.
Visit openhandspantry.org for more information
WB Township Library Information
Book Lists
Banned Books Week
September 26 – October 2
Banned Books Week is an annual event celebrating the freedom to read by spotlighting current and historical attempts to censor books in libraries and schools. Each year, the American Library Association compiles a list of the most frequently challenged books of the prior year, which you can find on their website.
Friends of the Library Merchandise Sale
Saturday, Sept 25 from 8 AM – 2 PM
Shop at the Friends of the Library’s Community Garage Sale table to support the Library. The Community Garage Sale is hosted by the West Bloomfield Parks and Recreation Commission.
Youth WB Library on the Go: Paper Bag Puppet
Register your toddler through preschool children for this fall take-and-make craft kit. Kits include all materials necessary to complete the project at home, along with a guide and link to an instructional video. Kits are limited to residents of West Bloomfield and contract communities. Funded by the Friends of the Library. Registration begins Monday, September 27 and closes after a week. Registration required.
Teen: 3D Printed Fashion Pins
Design 3 different pins (symbol, food and text) to proudly display on a backpack or jacket. A video for all three projects will be available from October 1 – December 31. A free Tinkercad account is required and can be acquired at tinkercad.com. Video links will be sent upon registration. Instructions for submitting designs to the library’s 3D printer will be included in the videos. Registration required.
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