C.H.S. Chronicles

The CHS Middle School Staff and I would like to thank all of our parents and guardians for an amazing 1st Semester and what we hope is an even better 2nd Semester and great overall school year.

We are fortunate to have a school community full of amazing staff, children, and families. Thank you in advance for your continued support, and for assuming the best in others, but asking questions if you have them. One of the things that makes the CHS Middle School Community a special place is the positive relationships adults have with each other and with our children.

6th Grade Parents, as we wrap up the first semester, I wanted to take a moment to express my gratitude for your continued support. Together, we’ve worked to help your children grow into more independent and resilient learners—traits that will serve them well as they move through their academic journey.

Our staff and I often remind our 6th graders that they are just a step away from becoming 7th graders, and with that, they’re gaining more responsibility and independence in managing their learning. I am confident that they now have a clear understanding of our expectations and the skills necessary to advocate for themselves and succeed.

Thank you again everyone for partnering with us in providing your child the opportunity to reach their academic and social potential.

Nayal Maktari

You should receive iReady Family Reports in the mail shortly. The reports are the same reports you receive after each testing window. Please take a moment to go over the results with your child. Thank you.

WLCSD, in partnership with the Alliance of Coalitions for Healthy Communities, invites parents, guardians, and community members to an important educational presentation by Fentanyl Fathers, a nonprofit organization dedicated to raising awareness about fentanyl prevention and the dangers of misuse.

📅 Date: Monday, January 27
🕔 Time: 5:45–6:45 p.m.
📍 Location: Clifford H. Smart Middle School Media Center

This presentation will take place just before the WLCSD PTSA Council Meeting, which begins at 7:00 p.m. in the same location. Students are also welcome to attend the presentation; however, all three WLCSD high schools will host similar assemblies during the school day that week. High school parents should watch for additional details regarding these events.

We hope to see you there for this crucial conversation!

Welcome to CHS Mrs. Sparks!

Go go go Joseph! Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor is coming to Walled Lake Northern! There are students from CHS Middle School in the junior cast, and we are excited to see the future knights shine on stage! With a running time of just 90 minutes, this family-friendly show will have you singing and dancing in the seats! Show dates are February 6-9, and discount ticket rates are available for groups of 15 or more. Questions? Reach out to Director Ashley Ward- ashleyward@wlcsd.org.

Congratulations Express Yourself Winner Juliet Trotter and Friend of Diversity Award Winner Mr. Kevin Wilson! They will both be honored at our 26th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration on Monday, January 20th.

We hope to see our CHS School Community at this free and wonderful annual event!

Congratulations to Sabrina Beach, Natalie Bruss, Solei Borowicz, Ellison Brandon, Elena Moran, Tessa Jenovai, and Madison Brand!

These 7 students submitted one or more entries into this year's PTSA Reflections Competition. The theme of this year's contest was Accepting Imperfection.

Thank you to our PTSA and Mrs. Michelle Brandon for their support and help in honoring our students at a special luncheon this week.

Congratulations to the Walled Lake Middle School Dance Team. They took 1st place in Jazz and 1st place in Pom at the UDA competition in Grand Blanc last weekend!

Best of luck at the upcoming national competition!

Please make sure to review your child's 2nd Semester Encore Schedule in Skyward. Encore classes, excluding Band and Orchestra, will change beginning Tuesday, January 21st.

We've reminded students to spend the rest of the semester checking Skyward to ensure they are doing everything they can to have an academically successful 2nd Card Marking. Please take a moment this weekend to also remind your child to check Skyward and to communicate with their teachers, prior to the end of the card marking, if they have any questions.

Thank you for your support!

Please note that the administrative team often speaks to students to remind them of our expectations at CHS. These scheduled visits take place several times during the school year and will be taking place next Tuesday and Wednesday.

Some of the things we will be discussing with students includes the following:

• Lunchroom Expectations
• Hallway Expectations
• Social Media
• Harassment
• Threats
• Behavioral and Attendance Expectations for Student Athletes, Field Trip Participation, Field Day, Promotion Ceremony and other similar events and opportunities.

These visits are scheduled and are often not in reaction to any immediate concerns. They are simply one of the proactive measures we take to continue to make our school community the amazing place it is.

Please take a moment sometime next week to ask your child about the visits and to reiterate the importance of making every effort to meet our expectations.

Thank you in advance for your support.

Please note the important enrollment dates below, including our School of Choice and Transfer deadlines and information.

I highly recommend that you complete the appropriate application if there is any chance you may be moving and would like to remain at CHS Middle School and Walled Lake Schools.

There is no penalty for submitting an In District Transfer and/or Schools of Choice Application and not needing it for the 2025-2026 School Year.

Please call our Student Services Department at 248.956.2000 if you have any questions after clicking on the tabs below.

The Walled Lake Consolidated School District is committed to supporting the health and well-being of our students and families. To help address concerns about vaping, we are sharing valuable resources that provide information on the risks of vaping and strategies for prevention. These tools are designed to empower families with knowledge and support meaningful conversations at home. Together, we can help every child make healthy choices every day.

• E-cigarettes and Vaping: What Parents Should Know - American Lung Association
• E-cigarettes and Youth: What Parents Need to Know - Centers for Disease Control
• E-cigarettes/Vaping Facts - Oakland County Health Department

Our Goal Achievement Program (GAP) is sponsored by our PTSA and asks students to achieve one goal per marking period. The information below was shared with students during morning announcements.

MP1: Citizenship: You’re already in for this goal. There’s nothing to turn in, just keep working on those 1’s and 2’s!

MP2: Grade Point Average: Your GPA is automatically calculated and based off of your report card grade. Your goal is a 3.0 GPA or higher.

MP3: Reading: Read at least 400 pages during MP 3 and you’ve achieved the goal! Turn in the log to the counseling office no later than March 21, 2025.

MP4: Community Service: Complete at least 10 hours of community service to achieve the goal. Volunteering your time to help others is community service. For ideas, please ask your parents, teachers, or counselor. This form is due by May 23, 2025.

Rewards are given for the goals you achieve. Special recognition is given for 8th graders that achieve goals for all 3 years at CHS.

Music Appreciation Club Update

Thanks to all the families who came out for the Ellington and The Nutcracker concert. We learned about Carlos Simon, Concertos, Tchaikovsky, The Nutcracker and Ray Chen at our Club meet. We also had a great discussion about the future of classical music and how the online presence of artists, composers and their social media content is the major source of introducing and keeping students engaged. Ray Chen stole the show playing with effortless grace and technical mastery, and it was such a treat to hear him perform an encore - his newly released Serenade.

Our next Club meet is Sunday, February 16, 2024 at 2:30 followed by the 3pm Broadway Love Songs concert.

Tickets are available starting Monday, February 3rd at 9am, by calling or visiting the box office and are subject to availability. For those students who usually book tickets online, please note the DSO is transitioning to only booking Student Soundcard tickets through visiting or calling the box office 313.576.5111.

Upcoming concerts where we plan to meet as a group:

· Sunday, Feb 16 2025, 2:30 Club meet, 3pm Broadway Love Songs

· Sunday, March 16, 2025, 2:30 Club meet, 3pm La Vida Loca

· Sunday, April 27 2025, 2:30 Club meet, 3pm Women Rock!

· Saturday, May 24 2025, 2:30 Club meet, 3pm Ben Folds

***Your student soundcard membership allows you to attend many more concerts in addition to the ones listed above. Please consider making the most of your membership and check out other concerts at DSO.org***

It is not too late to join now! After attending only 1 concert, your student membership will have paid for itself.

Cost: $25 per student membership unlocks one free ticket to almost every Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO) 2024-2025 concert series, including the concerts outside of those we plan to meet at, and up to two companion tickets (bring or invite your parents/sibling/friend/teacher) for $5 each, access to the best seats, access to DSO Replay and online Live streaming performances. Carpooling opportunities are available!

We will be learning more about the music, the performances, the artists and attend concerts with:

Oldies Music by The Drifters, Roy Orbison, Nat King Cole, The Beach Boys, and The Beatles; Ray Chen; Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker; Broadway Love Songs; Music of Enrique Iglesias, Gloria Estefan, Santana, & Ricky Martin; Women Rock! (Music by Carole King, Janis Joplin, Aretha Franklin, Pat Benatar, Tina Turner), Ben Folds and many more!

See Music Appreciation Club Details Document for more information and link to Google form for registration https://forms.gle/3eAmCFB4Vf9FCP626

• If a student needs support, he/she should fill out the link below. The link can also be found on all Google Classrooms and on the school website under Students. Being logged on to the school google account is required to access the form.
• The information in the form will be sent to Mrs. Stasak, our Middle School Computer Resource Teacher. She will reply to the student at his/her school gmail account. She will offer suggestions to fix the issue or, if it needs service, she will tell the student to take the chromebook to the office and give it to building admin secretary (enter the name for your building).
• The chromebook in the case will be sent through interoffice and the student will be allowed to use a loaner chromebook AT SCHOOL. It will be the student’s responsibility to pick it up each morning from the office and return it at the end of the day.
• When the chromebook has been repaired, it will be delivered back to the school for the student to pick up.
• If the family purchased insurance, the first repair is free and all additional repairs carry a deductible. Deductible invoices or repair invoices, for those that did not choose insurance, must be paid before the repaired chromebook is returned.
• If a student with a personal chromebook has a network issue, the same form can be used. We are not able to fix physical problems with personal devices and loaner chromebooks will not be provided.

Please click on the above tab and join our CHS Middle School Remind 101 text group. You will receive helpful reminders, time sensitive information along with other pertinent texts.

*Reply @LEAVE to the number you are receiving messages from if you'd like to leave the text group at anytime.

As we prepare for the start of the school year, we wanted to touch base with you regarding the process of administering medications to students at school.

Medications are administered at school under the supervision of our office staff. This includes BOTH prescription medications AND over the counter (ibuprofen, pain relievers, etc.) medications. BOTH types of medication require a completed and signed WLCSD medication authorization form by BOTH the parent/ guardian AND the child’s doctor.

For safety and confidentiality reasons, we will not be accepting medications at Smart Start. If you would like to drop off medications and the required documentation prior to the start of the school year, please contact our office secretary, Mrs. Tonya Gray, directly at 248-956-3512.

As you have questions about this process please give Mrs. Gray a call.

If your child will be absent, please call the Smart Attendance Hotline (248) 956-3510 as soon as possible. If you know of a vacation or pre planned days off, you can leave those dates on the hotline as well.

If you have not called your child in by 9:30 a.m., you will receive a call from Mrs Gray to verify that your student is not at school for the day. Thank you for partnering with us in keeping your children safe and accounted for.

Please remember to please call 248.956.3090 for ALL bussing questions. Please click on the link below to visit our transportation website for more information.

SCHOOL STARTS 8:10 A.M.

DISMISSAL 3:00 P.M.

1/2 DAY DISMISSAL 11:40 A.M.

Dan Holland, Assistant Principal

Steve Spickard, Dean of Students

Please contact us with positive or constructive feedback, questions, and/or concerns.

Website: www.wlcsd.org/smart
Location: 8500 Commerce Road, Commerce Charter Township, MI, United States
Phone: 248-956-3500
Twitter: @CliffordSmart

Please feel free to call our main office with any questions at 248.956.3500. You can also email us.

Principal's Secretary: MelissaWilseck@wlcsd.org

Building/Attendance Secretary: TonyaGray@wlcsd.org

6th Grade Counselor: MaureenBratke@wlcsd.org

7th Grade Counselor: JulieBraley@wlcsd.org

8th Grade Counselor: KathleenHoover@wlcsd.org