WBSD Weekly Update

Dear Team WB,

As we close out 2022, I would like to thank all of you for welcoming me into the WB family this year. I have truly enjoyed getting to know many of you and your children over the past few months. I look forward to getting to know many more of you in the new year.

During this extremely busy time of year, I want to take the time to extend my best wishes and season’s greetings to you. The holiday season is a time to be with family and friends and to be thankful for the gifts that we have in our lives. We are all members of a special family at West Bloomfield School District and have many things for which to be grateful.

In my time here at WBSD, I am continually amazed and grateful for the willingness of our staff and community to help and support others. I also want to thank our students for being so dedicated to their education. I never take for granted the opportunity and responsibility to help them prepare for the future. Yet, what warms my heart the most is when I see our students beaming, laughing, and visibly enjoying themselves in this safe and caring school community.

I hope you and your family enjoy a peaceful and restful holiday and a happy, healthy New Year. I thank you for all that you do and the difference you make everyday here at WBSD.

In Education,

Dr. Dania H. Bazzi

Winter Break - December 26 through Friday, January 6

(returning to school on Monday, January 9)

January 15 - United We Walk
January 16 - Dr. MLK Jr. Day - No School
January 18 - Half Day - HS Only
January 19 - Half Day - All Schools
January 20 - Half Day - All Schools

February 1 - No School for Students

Drawing, painting, and mixed media oh my! Grades K-2 artwork is on display at the Doherty Dolphins blog, click here to see rainbow sun paintings, cupcakes, and printed paper honey bee drawings. The students are learning about color, recycled materials, and positive word messages. Thank you Ms. Hanifi, for teaching our students how to be wonderful artists!

WBSD has partnered with Parent Guidance.org to give parents free access to resources and helpful information. 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.

If you know of someone experiencing grief or stress this season, please click here for tips and strategies.

Forty-seven awards were earned by West Bloomfield High School DECA students at the District 6 Conference Friday, December 16 at Lawrence Technological University. Students presented real-world situations, marketing plans, business law cases, and entrepreneurial pitches to local business professionals who served as judges for the competition. The top competitors in each event qualified to attend the State Career Development Conference (SCDC), which will take place in Detroit March 9-11, 2023.

Twenty-seven students will represent West Bloomfield High School at the State Competition, where they will join an additional twenty competitors from the high school writing research papers to present at the event. Students will compete in March among the top 5,000 marketing students around the state of Michigan.

West Bloomfield High School Laker Express under the direction of Sheryl Hauk performed the national anthem live at the Detroit Pistons basketball game and serenaded fans as they entered the arena. To watch the video, click here.

It is with great pleasure to announce that Daniel Lee has earned a spot in the Michigan All State Orchestra. This is his third time performing with this elite ensemble. This year Daniel will be sitting third chair viola in the Orchestra. His performance will be on Saturday, January 21, 2023 at the Devos Performance Hall in Grand Rapids, MI.

Over 2,363 from all over the state of Michigan auditioned for one of the few coveted spots in these ensembles. The auditions include performing the required orchestra excerpts, playing the required three octave scales, and sight-reading.

Congratulations to WBHS senior captain Jason Onwenu for becoming WB's first Oakland County Champion since 2014! He's an amazing athlete and a great mentor to our younger wrestlers.

We also congratulate senior Corey Coleman (120) for taking 4th, Chris Coleman (113) for taking 4th, Alex Walton (HWT) for taking 6th, and Julian Brenner (144) for taking 8th. Great job, Lakers!

To read the full article, click here.

Congratulations to our WBHS Division 1 football student-athletes! Semaj, Amir, and Lorenzo have committed to playing football and attending the colleges listed below:

Lorenzo Williams Jr. - Western Michigan University
Semaj Morgan - University of Michigan

Amir Herring - University of Michigan, click here to view UofM signing day video.

Learn more at: https://westbloomfieldathletics.com/

Tickets for Casino Night make great holiday gifts! Purchase tickets online and bring your friends and family to support the West Bloomfield Education Foundation! Tickets at www.wbsd.org

In partnership with Oakland County Executive Dave Coulter and the Oakland County Commissioners, United Way for Southeastern Michigan award‍ed WBSD a grant to support after school learning. We are looking forward to implementing focused learning activities to enhance our Kids Klub programming.

It is with a heavy heart that we share the passing of local legend. Rev. Jack Freed. Jack was extremely active in West Bloomfield Rotary Club, West Bloomfield Optimist Club, and also co-founded the Michigan Week Event. He was a dedicated chaplain to the WB Fire Department and WB Police Department. Jack was very active in giving back to our students and families. He was an overall wonderful human that breathed life into everything he touched. Your daily 'Winning Words' will be missed!

Civic Center TV created a remembrance video, tune in here.

Attention All Parents - Have you created your PowerSchool Parent Portal Account? If not, please create a parent portal account today. This allows the District the ability to communicate with you about your child's progress. Additional information can be found here.

Book Lists

· Hanukkah (Kids)

· Christmas (Kids)

· Kwanzaa (Kids)

· YA for the Holidays (Teen)

Winter Reading Program

December 17 – February 12
All ages are invited to log time spent reading for an opportunity to earn incentives in this year’s Winter Reading Program. Sign up at westbloomlib.beanstack.org

Library Closure
The library is closed this weekend but will reopen at 9 a.m. on Monday, December 26. It will be closed again on December 31 and January 1, reopening at 9 a.m. on Monday, January 2.

Dual-enrolling in college courses starting at age 14, Jana Walker selected topics she believed would interest her 30+ years down the road.

Now approaching her final year at Western Michigan University and juggling five job offers, Jana’s interests are solidified and her goals clear.

We are proud to be part of her educational path and wish her the best of luck! To read the full article, click here. To learn about what OEC offers, click here.

Do you have a newsworthy story to share? We want to share your wonderful stories with the rest of the community! Please share with us what is happening with your child(ren) and our staff. We would love to hear about your events and activities including awards, honors, good deeds, and accomplishments. Help us share your success stories in art, music, scholastics, athletics, drama, debate, and more. We look forward to sharing your news! Submit a story here.

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• GWB Historical Society Events
• West Bloomfield Parks and Recreation