Shark Tales Weekly Update

Dear Sheiko Families,

As we celebrate the last day of an extraordinary school year, I want to take a moment to reflect on our collective achievements and express my heartfelt gratitude for the unwavering support and love from our incredible Sheiko families.

This year has been one of growth, learning, and resilience. Our students have shown remarkable dedication and enthusiasm, overcoming challenges and embracing new opportunities with open hearts and minds. Parents, your partnership and encouragement have been vital to our success, and we are deeply thankful for your trust and collaboration.

Today, we were thrilled to host the Piston's Extreme Team Assembly, adding an extra layer of excitement and joy to our celebrations. Be sure to ask your child about it! We hope it created lasting memories as we wrap up the year on a high note.

Our "Big Announcement" this week is that report cards will be emailed on Wednesday, June 12th and available on Power School.

Thank you once again for making this school year truly special. Have the best last day ever and a fantastic summer break!

With sincere appreciation,

Blaine McDowell

Please help us name the hallways in our new Sheiko building. We can't wait to see what you come up with!

Dear West Bloomfield Families,

Thank you for being our valued partners as we work together to provide the best educational experience imaginable for the children in the West Bloomfield School District. We are proud to provide great opportunities for each student, and we aim to do an ever better job next school year.

As we prepare for the 2024-2025 school year, we are already diligently planning to enhance how we support each student’s journey. Your input and feedback will be instrumental in that planning, as it helps identify what is working and where we can grow as a district.

Therefore, we kindly ask you to take some time to complete this brief end-of-year survey: CLICK HERE FOR THE SURVEY. Your feedback is greatly appreciated.

Thank you again for your support!

At the beginning of the school year, students took part in the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) Growth Assessment through NWEA. Students then took the same assessment in January of 2024 and again this Spring. Please see the accompanying letter to view your child’s NWEA MAP report.

The explanation below is intended to support your review of your child’s NWEA MAP Family Report

• MAP is a computer adaptive test that determines a student’s instructional level and measures a student’s growth in reading and mathematics.

• No single data point or assessment type provides a complete picture of a child’s achievement.

• A student on average will get about 50% of the questions right and 50% of the questions wrong.

• After each MAP Growth test, your student receives a RIT score that reflects their performance. Think of this score like marking height on a growth chart. You can tell how tall your child is at various points in time and how much they have grown between one stage and another. The goal is for this score to increase over time.

• Your student’s RIT score is compared to other students at the same grade level who took the MAP assessment. This comparison is used to create a Percentile Rank score. A student with a Percentile Rank of a 65 indicates the student performed better than 65% of other students who took the MAP test at their grade level at that time of year.

As you review your child’s report, target your focus on your student’s RIT score to see what growth occurred.

Katherine Law

Social Studies, Technology, and Assessment Consultant

West Bloomfield School District

Note: Translations for this letter are available in the following languages:

Arabic Translation

Japanese Translation

Spanish Translation

For families interested in free nutritious summer meals for their children click the link below to find a site near you.

What: Support group for all parents in the community who have children in elementary school

Location:

• Clarkston: July 9th, July 23rd, August 6th, August 20th & September 10th

• Auburn Hills: July 10th, July 24th, August 7th, August 21, & September 11th

• Walled Lake: July 15th, July 29th, August 12th, August 26th, September 10th, & September 23rd

• Southfield: July 17th, July 31st, August 14th, August 28th, September 11th, September 25th

Facilitating: Peggy & Carman our Parent Navigators

Registration: Available through QR code located on flyer

Topics:

• First Week: Busy Bodies; how to navigate busy bodies over the summer with healthy structure and activities

• Second Week: Social Media Education; safety around screens and devices

• Third Week: Routine Roll Out; getting ready for school year routines and getting back into the swing of things

• Forth Week: New Grade, New Anxiety; What symptoms of anxiety may look like in this age group, and tools to help

• Fifth Week: Pacing the Sprint; How to care for yourself as a parent during these busy back to school months

• Sixth Week (for Walled Lake and Southfield locations): Falling into the Holidays; How to start preparing for the holiday season, finding balance and how to prioritize health

Please do not hesitate to reach out if you have any questions.

Thank you in advance,

Peggy Horton
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Parent Navigator
Direct: 947.262.0228

Please use the link below if you are interested in summer learning.

• Popsicles with the Principal for the 24/25 school year is: Wednesday, August 21st 4-6pm

For answers to frequently asked questions about this process, please visit the district website - under About Us, click K-5 Redistricting.

Email: blaine.mcdowell@wbsd.org
Website: https://www.wbsd.org/sheiko-elementary
Location: 4500 Walnut Lake Road, West Bloomfield Township, MI, USA
Phone: 248-865-6370
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/225210744201191
Twitter: @BlaineMcDowell