We hope you'll review this week's District Update filled with news and notes from across the Walled Lake Consolidated School District. Stay up to date with the district by visiting www.wlcsd.org and connecting with the district on social media.

Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube | LinkedIn

• January 25: ECC Open House
• January 27: Fentanyl Fathers Community Presentation - Clifford Smart MS
• January 27: Walled Lake PTSA Council Meeting - Clifford Smart MS
• January 28: Walled Lake PTSA presents "Building Connections: Learning from our Past, Uniting for our Future"
• January 29: Half Day for Students | Professional Development for Staff
• January 31: In-District Transfer Application Deadline
• February 6: Board of Education regular meeting
• February 6-9: WLN presents "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" - Tickets on sale NOW

Join the Walled Lake PTSA Council on January 28th starting at 5:30pm at the Zekelman Holocaust Center for the FREE community building event "Building Connections: Learning from the Past, Uniting for the Future".

In partnership with the Walled Lake Consolidated School District and the Zekelman Holocaust Center, this FREE event is open to staff, students, families, community and faith leaders, and the greater Walled Lake Schools community! Take a tour of the museum, make connections with other people within Walled Lake Schools, and listen to a Next Generation Holocaust Survivor Speaker. This event is best for people ages 10+ - please use your best judgment in bringing younger students.

Please register for this FREE event using this link: https://www.wlcsd.org/families/ptsa-council/events

Monday night we honored the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. This year's 26th annual celebration, centered around the theme of "Unity", reminded us all of the strength we have when we come together.

Three students were featured at this year's celebration as keynote speakers (L-R): Mareme Diop, Jeliayah Fulton and Hasini Julai.

The 2025 Alec Bender Friend of Diversity Award winners were (L-R) Walled Lake Central junior Kiyana Firoozgan, Pleasant Lake 5th-grader Ava Thompson, and Walled Lake Northern ELD teacher Kevin Wilson.

The awards is given out annually and honors individuals who are true friends of multicultural diversity in our school district and community.

The Walled Lake Whitecaps partnered with Lakeland High School to help children in need as they met on the ice in their 9th annual Clash for a Cause on Saturday, January 18, at Lakeland Arena.

The Whitecaps and Eagles raised over $12,000 for the Rainbow Connection, whose mission is to grant wishes and provide support services to Michigan children battling life-threatening illnesses.

Each player wore a special jersey with the name of someone that is either currently battling or has battled a life-threating illness. After the game, players presented those jerseys to the person or their family.

On the ice, Lakeland beat Walled Lake, 5-2.

Mr. Peace dropped by Dublin Elementary last week with a heart full of kindness.

He inspired the Shamrocks to lead with love, embrace understanding, and make the world a brighter place!

Sara Graichen, kindergarten teacher at Hickory Woods was selected as a Best in Class Teacher by the Detroit Red Wings.

She was invited to a VIP dinner and ceremony, and got tickets for the January 15 game against the San Jose Sharks. She also got to meet former Red Wings player Justin Abdelkader. "The biggest surprise was receiving a trophy in my name and a $500 Meijer gift card", said Sara. "I am grateful to have received this award, and am proud to be a teacher in Walled Lake Schools."

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!

We would like to inform you about the required spring testing for all students in grades 9 through 11. This includes the PSAT 9, PSAT 10, and SAT with Essay exams. All of these exams have moved to a digital format and will be administered on school issued Chromebooks. Paper-and-pencil versions of the exams are no longer available. In addition, 11th-grade students will take the WorkKeys assessment of workplace skills, as well as the Michigan Student Test of Educational Progress (M-STEP) in Social Studies and Science.

Save the Date

Below are the important testing dates for your family calendar. Please make every effort to avoid scheduling appointments or planned absences on these days. All spring testing activities are graduation requirements for Walled Lake students. Students should bring fully charged Chromebooks for the dates below.

March 17 - March 21

• Grades 9, 10, 11 — Digital Readiness Check during English classes.

April 8

• 9th Grade — 7:15 a.m. PSAT 9 Exam (only 9th graders in the morning)
• Grades 10, 11, 12 - 11:15 a.m. Delayed start of school day.

April 9

• 11th Grade — 7:15 a.m. SAT Exam (only 11th graders in the morning)
• Grades 9, 10, 12 - 12:00 p.m. Delayed start of school day.

April 10

• 10th Grade — 7:15 a.m. PSAT 10 Exam
• 11th Grade — 7:15 a.m. WorkKeys Exam (paper & pencil)
• Grades 9, 12 - 11:30 a.m. Delayed start of school day.

Additional Things to Know about the online PSAT and SAT Exams

The SAT and PSAT exams have now gone fully digital, and are in their second year. Students will test on school issued Chromebooks and submit their test answers online at the end of testing.

Adaptive Testing in Two Modules

Both the PSAT and SAT exams are now adaptive, meaning the difficulty of questions changes based on the student's performance. The test is divided into two sections: Reading & Writing and Math. To help prepare, you can read more about the Digital SAT Adaptive Testing on the College Board website.

For Michigan students, the SAT with Essay includes a third written essay section. The SAT with Essay lasts about 3 ½ hours, while the PSAT-9 and PSAT-10 exams take about 2 ½ hours.

Changes to the Math Section

Calculator use is now permitted throughout the Math section of these exams. Students can bring their own approved handheld calculator or use the virtual graphing calculator integrated into the testing software.

Practice

We encourage students to take at least one full-length practice test at home to become familiar with the SAT/PSAT format and timing. During the Digital Readiness Check in March, students will receive a sign-in ticket with a code to access Bluebook, an app that allows students to take up to three full-length practice exams online. For more information, follow this link Full Length Practice Tests.

Parents Guide to the SAT

To learn more about what is tested on the SAT, how to register for additional SAT test dates, and how to send score reports to colleges, please visit the Parents Guide to the SAT on the College Board website.

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

The Shining Stars Award recognizes outstanding individuals who have supported the special needs community within Walled Lake Schools.

Love your child's bus driver? Nominate them.

Love your child's Unified coach or buddy? Nominate them!

Some of the qualities of the nominee might include: a positive attitude, dedication, dependability, self-motivation, helpfulness and more.

Nominees can be anyone associated with the special needs community: teacher, para, bus driver, aide,buddy, parent, coach, volunteer, etc. Scan the QR code to nominate someone today.

Every nominee will be recognized and receive a Shining Stars Award at the ceremony on

May 22, 2025 at Walled Lake Central High School. There will be special performances during the ceremony that you won't want to miss! Community agencies will also be available to share their services and resources. Mark your calendar!

All nominations must be received on or before May 1, 2025.

Questions? Contact WalledLakePAC@gmail.com

In an effort to find additional ways to celebrate our staff, the WLCSD Community Relations department requests that families fill out the information below for staff who are rock stars in their classrooms and school communities.

A sample of what these shout outs will look like on social media and in our district newsletters is on the right.

Please complete the following form in order to be considered for the Graduate Spotlight section of the WLCSD quarterly Learning newsletter. The nominated student needs to be a 2016 graduate or before. Please contact pamelacole@wlcsd.org with any questions.

Mar 13, 2025 7:00 PM EDT

Walled Lake Northern Unified Basketball Team

All Tickets Include:

• Access to the Pistons game
• Access to Unified games
• Unified Showcase Winter Beanie
• A donation to the Walled Lake Northern High School Unified Program

All Unified players are sitting in section 101.

Section 208 are for people who only plan to attend the Unified games and not the Pistons game later that night.

Timing:

11:30am - Doors Open

12:00pm - Berkley vs Clarkston

12:55pm - Northwestern vs Avondale

1:45pm - Walled Lake Northern vs Livonia Churchill

2:35pm - Northville Unified vs Hartland Unified

*You must have a ticket to the Pistons game to get access to the Unified games*

*If you DO NOT plan on attending the Pistons game, we encourage you to purchase the most affordable ticket possible*

*If you would like to purchase lower-level tickets, please contact Andy Myers at 313.771.7588 or amyers@pistons.com

During the 2024-25 school year, all Michigan public school students in grades Pre-K through 12 will have access to free breakfast and free lunch everyday through the "Healthy School Meals for All" program. This includes a meat/meat alternative, grain, fruit/vegetable and milk. A la carte items will be available for purchase.

Families are still encouraged to complete the Child Nutrition and Education Benefits Application in Skyward to help secure additional funding for the District including Title I funding. By completing the form, eligible families may also receive access to other benefit programs including reduced registration fees for standardized testing, discounted college application fees, pay to participate, discounted home internet access, and more.

Our mission, in partnership with parents and the community, is to become the best educational system in America so all students demonstrate they are caring, responsible, and knowledgeable citizens.

Email: danieldurkin@wlcsd.org
Website: www.wlcsd.org
Location: 850 Ladd Road, Walled Lake, MI, USA
Phone: (248) 956-2000
Facebook: www.facebook.com/wlcsd/
Twitter: @WalledLkSchools