The Banks Bulletin

Dear Banks Middle School Families,

Since the 2019-2020 school year, we have shared information about district-wide efforts to improve our emergency responses. At the start of the 2022-2023 school year, our district adopted ALICE, a research-based training program to ensure schools are prepared to respond to potential intruder events. ALICE is about empowering individuals and providing options or strategies beyond the traditional lockdown methods.

Our next step is to review ALICE safety protocols with our students. Our objective is to provide meaningful, life-saving information to our students in an age appropriate manner. We see this day as an opportunity to empower our students in life-saving measures in the extremely rare event that we are faced with a threatening situation in our school. We will be conducting both verbal and movement-based ALICE scenarios with our students on

Thursday, September 19th.

The options-based safety protocol we will be reviewing with our students is called ALICE:

Alert

Lockdown

Inform

Counter

Evacuate

During our lessons, we will be introducing students to this options-based safety concept, and diving deeper into several of the concepts (Lockdown, Counter, Evacuate).

To ensure consistency, a slideshow presentation has been developed to review ALICE concepts that will be presented to all students. Throughout the school year, students will also participate in verbal and movement-based ALICE scenarios. Our students will not be participating in training drills that involve re-enactments, nerf guns, crisis actors, etc. Our students will practice how to barricade a classroom, and discuss safe rallying points outside of our school in case of evacuation.

I strongly encourage all students to attend school on September 19th to participate in our student ALICE day, as this information will be the basis for our protocol for future lockdown/ALICE scenario drills. If you have any questions about our student safety presentations, please contact me directly.

Sincerely,

Jennifer VanWagnen, Principal

JenniferVanWagnen@wlcsd.org

(248) 956-2200

September

9/16-Curriculum Night @ Banks-6:30-8:00 PM

9/17-Schoolwide iReady Testing-Math

9/17-CANCELLED-Volleyball vs. Centennial -Away

9/18-XC Meet vs. Oak Valley-Home

9/18-Volleyball vs. Smart-Home

9/18-RESCHEDULED: PTSA Meeting @ 6:30 PM

9/19-Schoolwide iReady Testing-ELA

9/19-Student Safety Drill

9/23- NJHS Induction Ceremony @ 6:30 PM

9/24-Half Day of School, Staff Professional Development

9/25-XC Meet vs. Muir-Away

9/25-Volleyball vs. Mason-Home

9/27- Middle School Band Night @ WLC

Please plan on joining us for our annual Curriculum Night on Monday, September 16th. During the fall of each school year, we set aside one evening for teachers to present to parents information about the educational material and content that will be covered in each class throughout the year.

All classroom teacher presentation is will start promptly at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, September 16th. Curriculum Night is an evening function that is intended for parents only. Please use your best judgment if younger children need to attend along with you. The chart below represents the shortened class period schedule that will be followed for the evening:

Bell Schedule

6:35 – 6:45 1st hour

6:50 – 7:00 2nd hour

7:05 – 7:15 3rd hour

7:20 – 7:30 4th hour

7:35 – 7:45 5th hour

7:50 – 8:00 6th hour

From 6:00-6:20 p.m. that evening, I will be offering an optional Meet the Principal session in the Cafeteria. During this session, I will share information related to my educational and professional background, core beliefs, goals for the year, and my vision for Sarah Banks Middle School.

If you are unable to attend Curriculum Night on September 16th, please visit the Banks website at

www.wlcsd.org/banks to access teacher email addresses, school news, and to link to the Walled Lake Schools website where you can take an in-depth look at District curriculum, policies, and programs. If your answers are not found via the web, please contact me directly and I will assist. My direct office number is 248.956.2200 and email is jennifervanwagnen@wlcsd.org.

I know you will enjoy meeting all of the astonishing teachers here at Sarah Banks!

The 8th grade volleyball team swept Pierce MS with scores of 25-6, 25-13 and 25-19 in their first home game of the season! The 6/7th grade team won in three straight sets, also! Join us for our next home game on Wednesday, September 18th as we take on Smart. Our cross country team is off to a great start and looks forward to hosting their first home meet of the season on Wednesday, September 18th vs. Oak Valley. Go Bulldogs!

Please reach out to Interim Assistant Principal Becky Smith with questions or concerns at Rebecca.Smith@wlcsd.org. We are looking forward to a great sports season!

Walled Lake Consolidated Schools is focused on building on its successes over the past decade and set a new course for our district based on the context of the current academic, social, emotional, and economic environment of the community we serve.

Share your voice by completing a short survey that will assist in creating our next strategic plan. The survey will close on Wednesday, September 25.

Visiting team spectators should park on the north side of the school and enter through the visiting side entrance for admissions. Visitors attempting to enter on the home side will be directed to walk around to the visiting ticket booth.

Home side spectators should park on the south side of the school and enter through the home side entrance for admissions.

WLCSD Athletic events are now cashless. All tickets for home events MUST be purchased through the GoFan website (Walled Lake Western High School Events) or by using credit/debit card at the ticket booth. Pre-Purchased tickets will be the quickest way to enter games. NO SCREENSHOTS of tickets will be accepted for any athletic events. Anyone over 62 and under 5 years old are admitted at no charge.

Ticket Takers will be enforcing the following expectations for the safety of all. Admin and/or law enforcement on site will be contacted should any spectators refuse to comply.

-No Pets/animals are permitted on WLW’s property

- No alcohol, drug, tobacco, or any illegal substances are permitted on campus or on school property.

- There is NO RE-ENTRY to the stadium for any reason.

-No outside food/drink, coolers, thermoses, cups, bottles, cans, flasks, or any other outside containers (including open bottled water) are permitted inside the stadium.

-No electronic noise makers, speakers, or Bluetooth devices are permitted in the stadium.

-No parking in the bus loop on the south side. Violators will be ticketed.

-Bags are NOT permitted into the stadium unless they are clear/see-through. Any approved bag is subject to search by ticket takers, administration, and/or Oakland County Deputies on site.

All middle school and elementary school-aged children must be accompanied by their parent/guardian for the entire athletic event in order to attend any and all Western Athletic Events. Those who are not supervised, will not be permitted to enter the gyms and/or stadium or will be asked to leave if not continually supervised upon entering.

Visiting team spectators should park on the north side of the school and enter through the visiting side entrance for admissions. Visitors attempting to enter on the home side will be directed to walk around to the visiting ticket booth.

Home side spectators should park on the south side of the school and enter through the home side entrance for admissions.

WLCSD Athletic events are now cashless. All tickets for home events MUST be purchased through the GoFan website (Walled Lake Western High School Events) or by using credit/debit card at the ticket booth. Pre-Purchased tickets will be the quickest way to enter games. NO SCREENSHOTS of tickets will be accepted for any athletic events. Anyone over 62 and under 5 years old are admitted at no charge.

Ticket Takers will be enforcing the following expectations for the safety of all. Admin and/or law enforcement on site will be contacted should any spectators refuse to comply.

-No Pets/animals are permitted on WLW’s property

- No alcohol, drug, tobacco, or any illegal substances are permitted on campus or on school property.

- There is NO RE-ENTRY to the stadium for any reason.

-No outside food/drink, coolers, thermoses, cups, bottles, cans, flasks, or any other outside containers (including open bottled water) are permitted inside the stadium.

-No electronic noise makers, speakers, or Bluetooth devices are permitted in the stadium.

-No parking in the bus loop on the south side. Violators will be ticketed.

-Bags are NOT permitted into the stadium unless they are clear/see-through. Any approved bag is subject to search by ticket takers, administration, and/or Oakland County Deputies on site.

All middle school and elementary school-aged children must be accompanied by their parent/guardian for the entire athletic event in order to attend any and all Western Athletic Events. Those who are not supervised, will not be permitted to enter the gyms and/or stadium or will be asked to leave if not continually supervised upon entering.

All parents are invited to join us for the first PTSA meeting of the year! The meeting will be held on Wednesday, September 18th beginning at 6:30 pm in the Banks Learning Commons. We hope to see you there!

Click on the links below to order your new Banks swag and become a member of the PTSA!

The Michigan Department of Education requires school districts to provide information to students grade 8-12 on post graduation opportunities. Click Here for more information.

In the next few weeks and throughout the year, we will be conducting Safety Drills with our staff and students. These drills include Tornado, Fire and ALICE drills. ALICE is a federally endorsed safety protocol. WLCSD has adopted ALICE curriculum and safety protocols for all of its schools. At Banks, we do our best to prepare our students for emergency scenarios, but strive to ensure our students social and emotional well-being as well.

Because our yearbooks were a fall delivery this year, families that have a former Banks student can pick-up their yearbook during Banks Curriculum Night anytime between 6:30 PM - 8 PM on Monday, September 16th. Those with siblings currently attending Banks may choose to send home their yearbook with them. Please email KaysieStassi@wlcsd.org or LauraShipes@wlcsd.org to do so.

Yearbooks will delivered to current Banks students who missed picking it up at the Blast Off.

Please consider the safety of our entire Bulldog Community when you are dropping off or picking up your students. Following the procedures at SLOW SPEEDS is the best way to keep everyone safe. Say long good byes while you are driving to school. When dropping off, make sure your student is prepared to exit the car quickly. Families who are prepared for this will help ensure more efficient traffic flow.

• First Bell, 8:00 a.m. - This is when students are permitted to enter the hallways from the front lobby and buses.

• Warning Bell, 8:05 a.m. - This bell lets students know that they have five minutes left to make it to class.

• Tardy Bell, 8:10a.m. - This is the official start of 1st hour. Students arriving after this bell are considered tardy for their first class.

Each school year, parents/guardians must complete our back-to-school “packet” on Skyward Family Access (also referred to as registration).

This is different from enrollment and is required for both new and previous students. Online registration is when parents/guardians update student information, emergency contacts, and provide other necessary information.

The District will be using the online Family Access system to automate the process for updating and completing documents such as the emergency card, FERPA form, Code of Conduct and other important annual school forms that require parental approval.

The 2024-25 Back-to-School Family Access Packet must be completed by parents, online, using Family Access, prior to the start of school. It is essential that we receive ALL documents in a timely manner in order for your student to start school on August 26.

What Parents Need to Know...

Starting August 1, parents are to login to Family Access, using their alphanumeric parent account code, to complete the Back-to-School Family Access Packet.

· Need help enrolling? Contact the Office of Student Services at studentenrollment@wlcsd.org or (248) 956-2086.

· For bilingual assistance, contact Kallee Iverson at kalleeiverson@wlcsd.org or (248) 956-2093.

· To acquire a new or lost parent account code, email FamilyAccess@wlcsd.org or

call (248) 956-2190.

Click on the link below to get started!

A Skyward Family Access parent account is required to complete the Online Back-to-School Packet. To acquire a new or lost parent account code, email FamilyAccess@wlcsd.org or call (248) 956-2190. Include ALL of the following information in the body of your message.

• Guardian name

• The name of each child in the district and school they attend

• Guardian's email address that is currently on file with the district

• Daytime phone number

Questions and Support

• If you have trouble with the Back-to-School packet, visit the Troubleshooting & FAQ page.

• If you still have issues, contact familyaccess@wlcsd.org. Include your name, the student's name, and the specific question you have.

WLCSD has a 1-to-1 Chromebook Program in all of our middle and high schools. Please review the information about the 1-to-1 Chromebook Program as part of your Back-to-School Online Registration Process.

Each student will be required to bring a device to school each day as the middle schools do not have Chromebook carts in the building for students to use a Chromebook during the day. District issued Chromebooks often work much better within the building than personal devices do as they are set up to connect to the District Wi-Fi.

Important Highlights

Students will have two choices for technology use while at school:

1. Bring your own device from home

2. Sign up for a District issued Chromebook*

*Additional carts of Chromebooks will no longer be available for students to utilize extra building devices on a daily basis. Students will be expected to bring a charged device (personal device or District issued Chromebook) daily in order to utilize online curricular resources as well as participate in daily instruction within the classroom.

We strongly encourage families to sign up for a District issued Chromebook.

There are advantages to this practice including:

• Better Wi-Fi connectivity in District

• Increased support from District IT staff including

• curriculum resources

• support apps

• Streamline repair process

MIDDLE SCHOOL students (grades 6-8) must complete PAYMENT for the Chromebook deposit ($50) and Technology Protection Plan ($20) in order to receive the District issued Chromebook. Payments made after August 11 will still receive a device, but not until the first few days of school. Please be sure to review the entire 1-to-1 Chromebook Program Information that is linked on our Back-to-School Packet Website. If you are in need of financial assistance to participate in this program, please reach out to Mrs. VanWagnen directly at JenniferVanWagnen@wlcsd.org.

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 every day 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 free/reduced meal form 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 free and reduced programs within the District including SAT testing, pay to participate, and more.

Please follow the steps below when your student's District Chromebook needs to be repaired.

1. If a student needs support, he/she should fill out a Student Chromebook Support Form linked on all of the Google Classrooms and on the school website under Students. Being logged on to the school google account is required to access the form.
2. 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).
3. The chromebook in the case will be sent through inner office 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.
4. When the chromebook has been repaired, it will be delivered back to the school for the student to pick up.
5. 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.
6. 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.

In addition to receiving phone calls and email notifications from the school district in the event of a school closing or emergency, parents can also sign up to receive SMS Text messages.

Please find the helpful step-by-step instructions linked below as well as the video tutorial on signing up for SMS messages.

· Signing Up for SMS Messages via Skylert

Jennifer VanWagnen

Principal: jennifervanwagnen@wlcsd.org

Kellan Watkins

Principal's Secretary: kellanwatkins@wlcsd.org

Becky Smith

Interim Assistant Principal: rebeccasmith@wlcsd.org

Jennifer Dean

Assistant Principal's Secretary: jenniferdean@wlcsd.org

Important Phone Numbers:

Main Line: 248-956-2200

Attendance: 248-956-2290

Email: JenniferVanWagnen@wlcsd.org
Website: https://banks.wlcsd.org/
Location: 1760 Charms Road Wixom, MI 48393
Phone: (248) 956-2200
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Sarahbanksptsa