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Shark Tales Summer Update

Sheiko Elementary

Shark TalesSummer UpdateSheiko Elementary

From the Principal

Happy Summer Sheiko Sharks!


I am beyond excited to lead us into the new school year! To our returning families, welcome back! We cannot wait to hear all about your summer adventures, and students, we look forward to witnessing your growth and achievements in the coming year. For our new families, we extend a heartfelt welcome. We understand that starting at a new school can be both exciting and nerve-wracking. Rest assured, you will find a supportive and caring environment here, and we are eager to see you flourish as you become a part of our family Sheiko family.


Our theme this fall will be, “Choose Kindness”, based on Jacqueline Woodson’s book, “Each Kindness”. We encourage everyone to embrace the opportunities this school year presents, both academically and personally. Let's support one another, celebrate each other's achievements, and show kindness and respect in all that we do.


Once again, welcome to the new school year at Sheiko Elementary! Please see the important dates below. We cannot wait to connect with you! We will also send email updates beginning every Friday, beginning August 11th. This is the best way to keep connected with all that we have going on at school. Together, we will make it a year filled with growth, learning, and unforgettable memories. If you didn’t get a chance to see my original welcome letter, please click here. We are looking forward to a successful and inspiring year ahead!


Warm regards,

Blaine McDowell

Principal at Sheiko

blaine.mcdowell@wbsd.org

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My Family

You will see my family volunteering around Sheiko from time to time!
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My First Day of School...in July!

I had to capture the moment!
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Model Schools

I was so honored to not only present at the Model Schools Conference this summer in Orlando, but also got to meet Ryan Leak, published author and motivational speaker.

Back to School Update


Have you completed your back to school update? If not, please go to this link to complete it.


Families are required to do this for each child enrolled with WBSD. If you do not know your login and/or password for PowerSchool, please contact your school for assistance, or visit https://www.wbsd.org/parents/powerschool for more information.

WBSD will offer one last Drop-In Support Session for families that need additional assistance. Drop-In Sessions will take place at WBHS in the iCenter. WBHS is located at 4925 Orchard Lake Rd.

DROP IN SESSION:

Wednesday, August 2: 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Important Dates and Links

  • Thursday, August 17th - “Meet the Principal” Zoom, 7 p.m.

  • Tuesday, August 22nd from 4-6 pm - Popsicles with the Principal at Sheiko Elementary

  • Sunday, August 27th, 7-7:30 p.m. - Back to School Read Aloud on Zoom with myself and Mr. Spitzley for Sheko and Doherty Families

  • Monday, August 28 - First Day of School

  • Friday, Sept. 8th, 4:30-7:30 WBSD Family Fun Night at West Bloomfield High School - hope to see you there!

School Calendar

Click here for the school calendar.

Check out this amazing event with Mrs. VanNostrand! Let's get reading!

ELD/Multilingual Families

Check out this cool event on Thursday, August 10th from 11-12 at Doherty or 1-2 p.m. at Gretchko.

Strategic Visioning Committee and Board of Education

The Strategic Visioning Committee and Board of Education welcome your input regarding the 10-year strategic vision proposed at the last Board of Education Study Session. We encourage you to attend one of the stakeholder informational and feedback sessions, where you can learn more about the proposal and share your thoughts. We invite you to join us at one of the following sessions (all meetings will be held in person, with two sessions having a concurrent virtual option):


  • Thursday, August 3 at 10 a.m. - ACS

  • Tuesday, August 8 at 7 p.m. - ACS & Virtual Option - Register here for virtual option

  • Wednesday, August 23 at Noon - ACS & Virtual Option - Register here for virtual option

  • Tuesday, September 5 at 7 p.m. - ACS


All sessions will be held in person at the Administrative and Community Services (ACS) Building, located at 5810 Commerce Rd, West Bloomfield. If you are interested in attending one of the two virtual options, please register 24 hours in advance in order to receive the link. Your feedback is important to us! We look forward to hearing your input.

Blessings in a Backpack

Dear Parents of West Bloomfield School District Students,

If your child is a student (3 to 26 years of age) in the West Bloomfield Schools, s/he can also participate in the 2023-24 Blessings in a Backpack program. This program sends six non-perishable meals home each Friday of the school year. Its goal is to make sure that no child goes hungry on the weekend. Run by volunteers, there is NO cost to you.

To enroll in this program, please fill out the form below and return it to your school office or email it to katherinesheiko@hotmail.com. This registers your child/ren in the Blessings program and alerts us to any allergies they might have. The first backpack of food will be distributed to your child at his/her local school the first week of October.

Please use this link to enroll today.

School Supplies

Here is the link to get to all of our school supplies for the upcoming year.

Cashless Meal Service

We are a cashless school for meals. This means every student who wants to purchase breakfast or lunch MUST have an account. Students who are free/reduced lunch eligible MUST complete the forms every year.

When the system opens we will send you information about creating a meal account (if your student is new) and completing the free/reduced meal application if you believe you may qualify.


The governor did sign legislation to bring back the co-vid 19 era of free meals for everyone but we have not learned about when that program will begin. Details soon!

Transportation

Transportation is provided for all West Bloomfield School District elementary resident students. The Middle School and High School students have a 1-mile walk area. Safe, efficient, and friendly service is our goal and we will strive every day to accomplish this.


We will do our best to arrive at your child’s bus stop on time. There may be delays due to road conditions or heavy traffic. All buses are equipped with 2-way radios and we are able to contact your child’s driver, as needed.

Students should arrive at their bus stop 10 minutes prior to pick-up time to allow for weather and traffic variances. Remind your child to wait at a safe location away from traffic and vehicles. We encourage all parents to review the Transportation Handbook with your children. See below to access the Transportation Handbook.


Shuttle service will be available in certain areas. If you reside in a walk area, live outside the District, or live outside the attendance area of your school and would like to ride a shuttle. The form to request the shuttle service will be available in August. It must be signed by your building principal and will be forwarded to the Transportation Department. You will be contacted when a seat is available on a shuttle.


DURHAM BUS TRACKER


Durham Transportation is rolling out a new bus tracking app for West Bloomfield families. The Bus Tracker app is available for iOS, Android and web and allows families to track their student(s) bus along its route, to and from school. Families will need to have their student(s) ID numbers which are available in PowerSchool in order to log into the app and create an account. As a safety protocol, the Bus Tracker app will only allow families to see their student(s) bus route(s) only.

If you have any questions, please consult the Bus Tracker instructions and visit the Bus Tracker webpage on the Durham Transportation website for more information and to download the app.