C.H.S. Chronicles

The Clifford Smart Souper Bowl is back!! CHS will be holding a drive to benefit Hospitality House. Students and staff are asked to donate non-perishable food items, personal toiletry items and pet items. Hospitality House serves local families in need and demand has risen greatly over the past few years. The drive runs through February 9th. Students can bring items to their first hour teacher. Cash donations are also accepted. First hour classes will be competing to see which class can get the most items.

We are looking for landscaping companies to provide us with an estimate on transforming our 2 school courtyards into spaces our students and staff can utilize for teaching and learning. We have blueprints and plans, but now need to connect with contractors and landscapers that can make it a reality for our children and school community.

Please contact me at NayalMaktari@wlcsd.org if you are interested and/or would like to recommend a business.

Thank you,

Nayal Maktari

This February the Kindness Crew club is celebrating our school’s theme of Kindness by finding ways to Make Kindness Visible. We are encouraging students and staff to find ways to make kindness visible through several means. These include:

• · The “Acts of Care and Kindness” calendar for February suggests some simple ways to spread some “sunshine” at home, school and the community. The calendar was shared with us through the Religious Diversity Journeys Program.
• · Many students participate in groups that require service hours—Scotus, NJHS, etc., and we can offer hours to help! The Kindness Crew will be sponsoring and assisting with several service projects students can participate in for fun or a service hour after school until 4:30pm each Tuesday this month, or working on one at home—see Mrs. Tranchida for “at home” participation.
• · The last week of the month will be Kindness Week. We will have “Kindness Grams” students can send to friends or someone they see that needs a little “sunshine.” Staff members will be looking for students to catch in the act of kindness, and reward them with a candy raffle drawing ticket. Students will have the opportunity to send kind messages to staff that we collect and distribute on that Friday in special gift bags decorated, filled and shared to thank a staff member for their kindness. We will send out a link for parents/guardians to be able to send a message, too!
• · Plus we’ll have bulletin boards, posters and announcements to remind us of all the positivity we can bring to each other.

If you have questions about the Kindness Crew club, your student participating in the festivities, how you can come volunteer, or if you have a great idea for us to add to our plans, contact Mrs. Tranchida tinatranchida@wlcsd.org. We hope it’s a great month and thank you for your support!

The C.H.S. Staff and I wanted to take a moment to thank you for supporting the entire C.H.S. Middle School Community since we started a new journey together back in August of 2022.

Often times it is hard to recognize the wonderful things accomplished when you're busy with children, work, and many other responsibilities. There are times though where we need to pause and celebrate the wonderful things taking place in our school community.

Please take a minute to read the many things you have been a part of in a short period of time. Things will only continue to be better as we continue to develop systems of continuous improvement and continue to build a positive, and respectful school community where we always assume the best with every member of our school community, and where everyone is valued for who they are.

Respectfully,

Nayal Maktari and the C.H.S. Middle School Staff

Mr. Dan Holland, Mr. Steve Spickard and I visit classrooms to go over student expectations throughout the school year. The topics below will be discussed with students on Thursday and Friday during their 5th or 6th hour classes.

The classroom visits are a scheduled and proactive conversation to help guide our students with continuing to make good decisions and a reminder of our school expectations.

Topics Discussed:

• Threats and illegal harassment.
• No language pertaining to weapons, acts of violence, threats, racial slurs; including outside of school, and regardless of intent is allowed. Additionally, law enforcement is contacted.
• Respecting classmates personal space and property.
• Cell Phones and earbuds school policy.
• Lunchroom expectations.
• Passing time expectations.
• What a true friendship looks like.
• The importance of being kind.
• Students "playing around".

• If the other person isn’t happy, then it’s not "playing around".
  
• LISTEN to what other people are telling you.
• Vandalism.

Please take a moment to discuss these topics with your child(ren). Thank you in advance for your support.

Please be sure to complete a School of Choice Application if there is any chance you may move and wish for your child to remain at CHS Middle School. There is no penalty for completing an application, having it approved, but needing it the following school year.

Please call our our main office at 248.956.3500 if you have any questions.

It is not too late to join now! After attending 1 concert, your student membership will have paid for itself. We welcome any interested student and their families to join us for any of our concert talks and experience the wonderful music at the various concerts we will be attending, even if they can only join for the one concert.

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Are you curious about Classical / Pops / Jazz music or just enjoy listening to music? Do you like going to concerts? Then come join the Music Appreciation Club. We will be learning more about the music, the performances, the artists and attend concerts with:

Yuja Wang, Vanessa Williams, The Music of Pink Floyd, Disney & Broadway Favorites, Tchaikovsky, Beethoven, Mozart, Mendelssohn, Vivaldi, Dvořák and many more!

Cost: $25 per student membership unlocks one free ticket to almost every Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO) 2023-2024 concert series, and up to two companion tickets (bring your parents/sibling/friend) for $5 each, access to the best seats, access to DSO Replay and online Live streaming performances.

See attached flyer and Music Appreciation Club Details Document and link to Google form for registration.

https://forms.gle/3eAmCFB4Vf9FCP626

For more information please contact Monique Levu: monique.levu@gmail.com

Please click on the tab below and join our CHS Middle School Remind 101 text group. You will receive helpful reminders, time sensitive information along with other pertinent texts.

*Reply @LEAVE to the number you are receiving messages from if you'd like to leave the text group at anytime.

Wednesday, February 14-Count Day. Please make sure your child is in school and on time.

Thursday, February 15-CHS PTSA Meeting at 7:00 p.m. in the Learning Commons

Welcome to the new school year! Don't forget our GAP program- you or your student may have already received a packet at Smart Start. This Goal Achievement Program, or GAP, provides students with the opportunity to work towards and meet objectives throughout their middle school years in four main areas: Citizenship, GPA, Reading Hours, and Community Service.

All students are enrolled in the program from the start of the school year, and will be rewarded for completing their milestones. Please click on the tab below for further information. If you have any queries on this subject, please do not hesitate to reach out to Andi Parel at AndiParel@gmail.com.

As you know, the Federal COVID-19 Public Health Emergency has ended and all remaining state epidemic orders have been rescinded. This, however, does not change the recommendation to take precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19, such as isolation and masks. The expectation is that staff, students, and family members will follow the recommended guidelines regarding COVID-19. With that said, at this time, for the 2023-24 school year, COVID-19 positive cases will no longer be monitored at the District level and timelines will not be provided. Please see below for next steps when a positive case is reported to you:

· Report absence and subsequent absences in Skyward as Ill-Excused.

· Report the number of positive cases to the Oakland County Health Division as part of the your building’s weekly aggregate counts via their online portal.

· Advise families to follow recommended guidance from their physician, the Centers for Disease Control, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and/or the Oakland County Health Division.

· COVID cases no longer need to be reported on the WLCSD COVID Report Form, nor do they need to be reported to the corresponding teacher(s)/class(es).

· Building office staff will not be required to track and monitor COVID isolation timelines, nor should they give COVID-19 guidance.

· COVID-19 questions or concerns should be directed to their physician or the Oakland County Nurse On Call Line at 800-848-5533.

· Questions regarding protocol within the District should be directed to Ms. Kelly Baier - Human Resources or Mrs. Tacoma Corbin - District Nurse.

This form below is for any student who is borrowing a district chromebook this year. You will fill this out when you need tech support for your chromebook. Please make sure to check your gmail after submitting for an email response from Mrs. Stasak or one of her interns within 24 hours of your submission. Thank you.

DROP OFF 8:00 A.M.

SCHOOL STARTS 8:10 A.M.

DISMISSAL 3:00 P.M.

1/2 DAY DISMISSAL 11:40 A.M.

Please feel free to call our main office with any questions at 248.956.3500. You can also email us.

Counseling Secretary: JulieSmith@wlcsd.org

Principal's Secretary: TerriSzymanski@wlcsd.org

Building/Attendance Secretary: TonyaGray@wlcsd.org

6th Grade Counselor: JulieBraley@wlcsd.org

7th Grade Counselor: KathleenHoover@wlcsd.org

8th Grade Counselor: MaureenBratke@wlcsd.org

Nayal Maktari, Principal

Dan Holland, Assistant Principal

Steve Spickard, Dean of Students

Please contact us with positive or constructive feedback, questions, and/or concerns.

Website: www.wlcsd.org/smart
Location: 8500 Commerce Road, Commerce Charter Township, MI, United States
Phone: 248-956-3500
Twitter: @CliffordSmart