WBSD Update

We are in the homestretch, Team WB! We've appreciate your patience and understanding through the transition to our Cloud Learning Initiative and for your support as we utilized this new approach to instruction to truly make this school year a success.

Earlier in the week, you received a communication detailing the end of the school year with important dates to know moving forward. A recap of that information is below:

• June 4 - Last day of NEW instruction
• June 8 - Last daily attendance check
• June 5-16 - Teachers available to meet with students, students complete missing assignments, participate in virtual end of the year celebrations, and more.
• June 16 - Last day of school for students
• June 17 - Report cards will be available

Building administrators will be contacting you with plans for retrieving personal items and methods for returning borrowed items to your school buildings during the week of June 8. Be on the lookout for those communications in the days ahead.

Just as we did to kickoff the start of the 2019-20 school year in September 2019, we will once again be asking staff, students and families to share their "Last Day of School" photos with us on social media using sign which is linked here and the hashtags: #WBLastDay2020 #WBintheCloud #wb2020

We've accomplished some truly wonderful things this school year and it's time we celebrate.

Be sure to take your "Last Day of School" photos with these signs on June 16 and tag us on our social media channels so we can come together as a district while we are apart.

A group of lawmakers have prepared House Resolution 267: A resolution to memorialize the Congress of the United States to not enact a federal bailout for states. This resolution will dramatically impact public education in our state as additional revenue from the federal level is needed to support school budgets and ensure the prosperous educational future of our students.

The resolution is available at the following link.

This resolution takes a firm stance against public education and sets a dangerous precedent for school funding in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Representative Ryan Berman, who represents residents in our school district in Lansing is a co-sponsor of this resolution. We ask that you help us make our case to Rep. Berman and illustrate to him how much this stance will impact the education of students in West Bloomfield and across the state. We stand to lose between $700 - $1,400 per student in State aid if policies consistent with this resolution are adopted.

You can contact Rep. Berman the following ways:

• Phone: (517) 373-1799

• Email: RyanBerman@house.mi.gov

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StateRepBerman/

• Mailing Address: S-888 House Office Building, P.O. Box 30014, Lansing, MI 48909

Some suggested talking points for your correspondence are available on our website.

Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, Michigan’s economy has struggled significantly, leading to budget shortfalls. Recent projections have shown state revenue to be down by more than $3 billion than earlier anticipated for the current fiscal year. The School Aid Fund is down more than $1 billion for the current fiscal year and another $1 billion for 2020-2021. There is tremendous pressure on the State Legislature to make deep cuts that will lead to pressure on local and intermediate school boards.

Read more about you can make an impact on the MASB website.

The district is pleased to offer a second STEAM application window for families interested in attending West Bloomfield High School. This opportunity is available to all high school students in Oakland County who are not currently enrolled in the West Bloomfield School District.

The application only takes a few minutes to complete and will set your student up with all of the advantages WBHS has to offer! Find the application at www.wbsd.org/steam.

Thank you for helping to spread the word to your friends and neighbors who are looking to make a change in 2020.

Word is starting to spread about our Classroom to Cloud Framework for Learning. We are grateful for the support from our staff, families and community as we look ahead to what school might look like in August.

We will continue to provide updates throughout the summer via social media and our Classroom to Cloud webpage: www.wbsd.org/c2c.

The district will be offering our Meal Service program over Spring Break as well. Preorder forms are available at www.wbsd.org/mealservice.

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).

Our district recently started 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.

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.

We are beyond proud of our talented high school artists. We'd especially like to recognize the efforts of our senior artists as they share their works with the community under less than ideal circumstances.

• Senior Art Show
• High School Art Show

As we continue to support our Cloud Learning Initiative, staff members, students and families have done a tremendous job of embracing this new way of learning. We are regularly sending updates via email and social media. The website links below are also continually updated throughout the week.

• Cloud Learning Infographic
• Cloud Learning Resources
• Parent/Guardian Resources
• Student Resources
• Class of 2020

Please share your experiences with Cloud Learning!

In the West Bloomfield School District we make it our mission to support students at all times. We have the following informational links below with documents designed to support the wellness of students and their families:

• Student Wellness and Social Emotional Resources
  
• Supporting Our Students During Covid-19 - 20-minute video from Dr. Stephanie Grant, a trauma specialist, from Holland, MI, helps parents understand what trauma is, how children may react and strategies for adults to respond.
  

Our Central Enrollment Office is open and currently enrolling students for the 2020-21 school year. This includes kindergarten students starting in the fall of 2020. Please complete the registration gateway found at www.wbsd.org/enrollment.

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.

Now, more than ever, West Bloomfield School District needs YOUR support! In honor of our graduating class of 2020, we are humbly requesting donations to our 501(c)(3) non-profit foundation in order to support our community’s school district.

Please help us honor this year’s senior class and those who will be continuing their education next fall by visiting www.WBEF.org and clicking on MAKE A DONATION.

All donations are used to fund grants for enhanced learning and providing district staff with a source of funding. These funds are used to assist them in planning, developing and implementing innovative technology, academic tools, and art programs for which funds are not available through WBSD.

Visit https://www.wbef.org/educator-grant-program/ for details on the $200,000 WBEF has raised and donated to the district and how those funds were used.

Thank you to all the WBSD families for your continues support. We look forward to spearheading the effort to keep our children learning at a high level despite these challenging times.

Our district's Summer School team held two parent meetings on May 12 with information on Michigan Virtual and Edgenuity. If you have questions related to Summer School, visit the Community Education website.

Zoom Orientation meetings are coming up for students who have signed up for Michigan Virtual Classes and Edgenuity classes this summer. Students are welcome to join even if they haven't committed to a class, just to find out more.

Michigan Virtual link for 6 p.m. on June 2:

Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84632486073?pwd=c0xISDV2R0NnYmVRQlU3dGxqSEw5QT09 Meeting ID: 846 3248 6073 Password: summer

Edgenuity link for 7 p.m. on June 2:

Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83110203475?pwd=czBseDdHKzBKYmp0WEFlZUFNN0d3dz09 Meeting ID: 831 1020 3475

Password: summer

West Bloomfield School District Community Education continues to provide online enrichment and fun educational opportunities in this virtual environment. For up to date Community Education Program Offerings, click here.

EdReady Math BEGINS JUNE 8

An online program to help incoming 4th - 8th grade students master a range of Mathematical concepts.
More info and to register, click here.
EdReady Flyer

GRASP 2020 BEGINS JUNE 22
Greater Retention & Achievement through Summer Practice
GRASP is a home-based program consisting of 9 weekly modules to help students maintain or improve their math and reading skills over the summer. Workbooks provided, this is not an online class.
More info and to register, click here.
GRASP Flyer

For registration information please contact:
andrea.foglietta@wbsd.org

Is your child interested Legos and Robotics? Please join us for a Parent Zoom Information Meeting on Thursday, June 4, 2020 at 6:00 p.m. We will be providing a brief overview of the WBSD Robotics programs for grades 4th-8th, discussing ideas and practice environment for Fall 2020.

Topic: WBSD Parent Information Meeting: ROBOTICS
Time: Jun 4, 2020 06:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88044837244?pwd=S3lUL2Q4YXp1bG5panN3UHpKa1FSZz09

Meeting ID: 880 4483 7244
Password: WBRobotics

If you cannot make the meeting and are interested in hearing more, please email andrea.foglietta@wbsd.org

The district is pleased to share the 2020-21 school year calendar with the community:

• WBSD 2020-21 School Year Calendar

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:

• OEC Senior Spotlight form
• WBHS Senior Spotlight form

News from the West Bloomfield Township Public Library Update

Parents of kindergartners: Haven’t finished reading all the books on the list of “100 Picture Books to Read in Kindergarten”? No worries. Just keep reading to your child and place a sticker on your poster for each book you read, even if it’s not on the list. Need to reread a book? That’s okay too. Just keep reading!

Summer Reading begins in June. Watch for details coming soon about the Library’s Summer Reading program for children, teens and adults. Check the Library’s website at www.westbloomfieldlibrary.org and follow the Library on social media for the latest information.

Join us for a Virtual Storytimes for kids.

Monday, June 1 at 11 AM with Miss Emily

Tuesday, June 2 at 2 PM with Miss Megan

Thursday, June 4 at 6:30 PM with Miss Julie

Saturday, June 6 at 10:30 AM with Miss Jennifer

Use the eLibrary from home 24/7 for books, movies, music and more.

Read or listen to books, and read magazines and newspapers

Download or stream eBooks and eAudiobooks from cloudLibrary, OverDrive or hoopla.

NEW! Read current issues of more than 3,600 magazines now available from RBdigital. Read online or download to read later.

Find Great Reads for Teens with links to popular eBooks and eAudiobooks teens will want to read.

Browse eBooks for children with lists of lists of recommended reading from our youth librarians.

Watch TV shows and movies

NEW! Watch Acorn TV with the Library’s 7-day all-access pass for an unlimited streaming video experience.

Watch family-friendly shows on hoopla Kids Mode or Kanopy Kids.

Listen to music

Stream albums or singles from a variety of categories. Browse music on hoopla.

Learn from Home with Resources from the eLibrary

The Library’s Learning Resource Center helps match learners of all ages with ways to learn, practice and improve skills. Find subject-specific resources for grade levels from kindergarten through high school. Explore hundreds of topics with independent, self-paced courses for teens and adults from Gale Courses and Lynda. Explore all that’s available.

Use BookFLIX to helps early readers in grades Pre K – 3 develop and practice essential reading skills while building real-world knowledge. This online resource pairs classic video storybooks with related nonfiction eBooks from Scholastic to teach comprehension, vocabulary and other important skills.

TumbleBooks are online fiction and nonfiction eBooks with animation, music and narration for students in kindergarten through 5th grade. This online resource comes with lesson plans that parents can use.

TumbleMath is an online collection of math picture books with animation, narration and sound for students in kindergarten through 6th grade.

TumbleMath comes with lesson plans, instructional videos, educational games, plus quizzes to test and track progress. Categories include counting, addition, subtraction, multiplication, word problems, geometry, fractions, place value, measurement, probability, division, graphing and finance.

TeenBookCloud is a collection of eBooks and other resources for middle school and high school students and teachers. Enjoy graphic novels, classic literature, nonfiction, AP English selections, National Geographic videos, audiobooks and more.

Keep up with the Latest from the Library

Follow the Library on Facebook or Twitter and check our website for the latest announcements and messages about the Library.

• Employment Opportunities

• WBMS Transition FAQ

• New Middle School Updates

• GWB Historical Society Events

• WB Township Library News and Events

Preparing our students to be their best IN and FOR the world!

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