WBHS Update

Hello Laker Nation,

Thank you for helping us kick off the school year right with an amazing first two weeks! Students are already acclimating well, finding their classes with ease, and doing amazing things in and out of the classrooms at WBHS. In the first two weeks the administration and counseling staff met with the 9th, 10th, and 12th grade students to introduce ourselves, to review expectations, and to make sure all students knew about the resources and supports available to them. This week, we will finish our meetings with the 11th graders on Thursday.

IMPORTANT - As students return to school there are a couple of areas of note that we are looking to improve upon.

1. It is essential that students are on time. Students receive three tardies penalty free in a week, and then will receive an after school detention. After that, a detention will be assigned every third tardy. This resets weekly. Please encourage students to move to each class in a timely manner, and to be in class by the time the bell rings. Parents can excuse up to 3 tardies when students arrive to school, but any other tardies will count toward consequences. Parents may not excuse tardies between classes.
2. Students are not allowed to wear hoods in the building at any time. It is imperative that we can identify students on camera and in person at all times. Hoods, especially when coupled with masks, make that very challenging. Ski-Mask style face masks with hoods are NOT PERMITTED. Also, clothing that has logos of alcohol or drug related business or products, or expose undergarments are NOT PERMITTED. Students were asked, without penalty, for the first week of school to remove hoods or change clothing listed above if wearing them. Additionally, each student heard me speak directly on this issue at our class meetings, or will hear it this week. Students will receive one more reminder, penalty free, and then each occurrence afterward will result in an after school detention. Please remind your students of these expectations.
3. After school, students have from 2:23 until 2:45 to take care of any needs they may have. A warning bell sounds at 2:40, followed by a final bell and verbal reminder at 2:45. At 2:45 students must be at their athletic practice or designated area, at their club or activity, or need to leave campus. If a student is still waiting for a ride at 2:45, they can wait outside. Students who have an after school sport or activity that begins after 2:45 may check in with staff in Laker Commons, verify their name on a roster, and wait until their event begins. There is NO AFTER SCHOOL SUPERVISION for students who are not in a sport or activity.
4. WBHS is a closed campus for lunch. Students may not leave campus for lunch and return. This presents safety and learning issues when students leave campus. Students found to be getting out passes or leaving without permission will be considered skipping in an unauthorized area.
5. Students MAY NOT use food delivery services during school. No outside food will be allowed into the building unless it is hand delivered by a parent/guardian to the security office. Students cannot exit the building to retrieve food.

Finally, we understand that the parking lot can be pretty overwhelming at arrival and during dismissal. Please be patient, plan for traffic delays, and follow the expected flow. Students and parents must use the main lot for parking, pickup, and drop off. The drive in front of the building and along the south side of the building is reserved for bus traffic. The north lot near the athletic fields is reserved for staff parking. Students are not allowed to be picked up or dropped of in these areas. There is a traffic flow pattern in the main lot from the main entrance, through the lot, and up to the center walkway. Please follow this pattern to maximize timing, efficiency, and safety.

Proud to be a Laker!

Eric Pace

Principal - WBHS

ALLERGIES/ASTHMA/MEDICAL CONDITIONS – Students are not allowed to carry medication. The office must have a complete, signed West Bloomfield School District Medical Action Plan to be able to carry out any medication distribution. Each medication requires a separate form. Each year we need an updated plan for students needing medication. If your child requires medication the first day of school you must contact the office before school to verify paperwork and deliver the medication to the office. Further questions, please contact the school office at 248-865-6720.

ATTENDANCE – West Bloomfield School District expects students to be in school and on time for school on a daily basis. Absent and tardy students will be recorded daily and parents will be notified.

If your child will not be in school or will be late to school, you must call the 24-hour answering machine at 248-865-6522. Leave your student’s name, teacher’s name and reason for absence. For the safety of our students, please do your best to remember to call before the start of school (even if you are only going to be “a little” late).

• PROMPT 1 - Excuse an Absence - Absences must be called in within 24 hours of the student missing school, or the absence will be marked as unexcused.
• PROMPT 2 - Excuse a Tardy (only if a student is late to school, not to a class after they've arrived)
• PROMPT 3 - Early Dismissal (Outpass) - These must be submitted prior to the dismissal time if possible. Those trying for an early dismissal at the time that it is needed may experience a delay while the information is processed and the student is retrieved from class.

In an effort to support student safety and proper accountability, all absences should be excused by a parent. If the absent in unexcused, this tells us that the school and the family do not know where the student is, if not in school. Please make sure to excuse all absences. Teachers may not accept work for unexcused absences in an effort to discourage skipping.

Students who accumulate too many tardies may be subject to disciplinary actions such as after school detentions or suspension of school parking.

Students who accumulate too many absences will be referred to Oakland County Youth Assistance for support and may be referred to Oakland County Truancy is absences become excessive.

BEHAVIOR EXPECTATIONS - Students are expected to be safe, respectful, and responsible at all times. Specific expectations can be found in the student handbook or the student code of conduct, and key items are listed below.

• Closed campus for lunch - Students MAY NOT receive an outpass to go to lunch or to pick up food for any reason.
• No food deliveries during school hours. This includes Door Dash, Grubhub, etc.
• No inappropriate or revealing clothing for any students
• No clothing with alcohol, drug, sexual, or inappropriate language or images
• No inappropriate language or gestures to be used by students at any time
• No hoods to be worn in school at any time
• No ski masks to be worn in school at any time
• No sunglasses to be worn in school at any time
• Phone use should only occur during passing time or during lunch. During class, it is up to the teacher's discretion as to how students may or may not use phones. If a student violates a teacher's phone policy/expectations, the teacher may confiscate the phone and return it to the student at the end of the period, or turn it in to the Student Relations office.
• Students must be in the cafeteria, Laker Commons, or the courtyard during lunch times. Students may not wander the halls or be in any unauthorized areas during lunches.

AFTER SCHOOL EXPECTATIONS - School dismisses at 2:23 PM. ALL STUDENTS need to be in a supervised activity or out of the building by 2:45 PM. We do not have the ability to safely supervise students after this time. There will be a late stay location for students who are in athletics or activities that begin AFTER 2:45. This supervised location will be in Laker Commons, across from the cafeteria. This supervision is ONLY for students who are in an activity. Students who are staying later than 2:45 who are not in a sport/activity must exit the building at or before this time. Students will be required to sign in with their ID and the activity they belong to.

LATE STARTS – throughout the school year we will participate in professional development that delays the start of the school day. On these days, school will start at 8:30 a.m., and the doors will be open for students beginning at 8:00 a.m.

IMMUNIZATIONS – All students that attend West Bloomfield School District must have accurate shot record information on file. Please be sure records are up to date. New students that do not have a shot record or a waiver on file are not allowed to attend school.

If you are interested in participating in athletics during the 2024-2025 school year, please see the following reminders:

• All athletes must register through FinalForms in order to participate in West Bloomfield Athletics. For the Fall Season, registration must be complete before the start of First practice/tryouts on Monday, August 12th. Parents/Students who already have a FinalForms registration complete from previous seasons must log onto their existing FinalForms account, verify all information is correct, complete all signatures, and select sports that the student would like to participate in for that season. Please click the link for registration HERE.
• Everyone must have a physical turned in on FinalForms dated after April 15th, 2024 in order to be eligible to participate in athletics for the 2024-2025.
• Pay to participate has been reinstated for the 2024-2025 school year.Student-athletes in school-sponsored sports will be required to pay a one-time yearly fee based on the fee structure below. Students can participate in multiple athletic opportunities with this fee.
• High School Level:
• Regular Rate $325
• Free/Reduced Lunch Rate $160*
• Middle School Level:
• Regular Rate $225
• Free/Reduced Lunch Rate $110*
• A family cap of $800, still applies for all athletes in the family, including both Middle School and High School Levels. It is a “true” family cap.*The free/reduced lunch rate is for those who have filed approved paperwork with the Nutrition Office for Free/Reduced Lunch.

Thank you to all of our vendors, volunteers, armed service members, police and fire personnel, and especially to our guests for an amazing Family Fun Night. Guests enjoyed a dunk tank, bounce houses, giveaways, temporary tattoos, food, and so much more! WBHS loves to host our entire community and to share our Laker Pride with everyone. To cap the evening off, the WBHS Laker Football Team shut out the Chippewa Valley Big Reds with a score of 42-0! Thanks to all who participated!

• Talk with your child about the importance of showing up to school every day, on time.
  
• Help your child maintain daily routines, such as finishing homework and getting a good night’s sleep.
• Try not to schedule dental and medical appointments during the school day.
• If your child attends an unavoidable appointment during the school day, please ask the dentist, doctor, etc. for a note to excuse them from school. This should be turned in to the main office.
• Communicate with us if your child is sick. Please always call the SAFELINE if your child will be absent.
• Help your child stay engaged--remind them that you are excited to hear about their day when they come home.
  
• Ask for help from us if you’re having trouble getting your child to school. We are here to partner with you for your child's success!

WBSD has partnered with Parent Guidance.org to give parents free access to resources and helpful information. We have shared this information with our families. We hope that it will be useful for some of you as well!

ParentGuidance.org is an online service by licensed therapists that provides trusted and specialized courses, professional support, and a safe community for parents to learn how to support their children and get answers to mental health questions.

For all updates related to college, careers, counseling, scholarships, college rep visits, and more, make sure to check out the Counselor Connection Newsletter.