We hope you'll review this week's District Update filled with news and notes from across the Walled Lake Consolidated School District. Stay up to date with the district by visiting www.wlcsd.org and connecting with the district on social media - Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube | LinkedIn

• Aug. 3: Board of Education Special Meeting
• Aug. 10: Walled Lake PTA/PTSA Breakfast - Presidents and Principals
• Aug. 24: Board of Education Regular Meeting
• Aug. 28: First Day of School
  
• Sept. 1: No School for Students or Staff
• Sept. 4: Labor Day - No School for Students or Staff

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 2023-24 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 28.

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.

During the 2023-24 school year, all Michigan public school students in grades Pre-K through 12 will have access to free breakfast and free lunch everyday 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 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.

Show us how you're spending Summer Break for a chance to be featured on social media! Send your photos to info@wlcsd.org or tag us on social media with the hashtag #WLCSDSummer.

Join the first day of school fun by printing one of these signs and sharing the picture with us on social media with the hashtag #WEareWLCSD or emailing info@wlcsd.org for a chance to be featured!

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
  

Click below for the PDF of the 2023-24 District Calendar. It can also be found on the calendar page of the District website on the right side under Calendar Resources.

During the June 15 Board of Education meeting, the Board of Education voted to make the following changes to the district’s pay to participate fee structure through a policy update:

• High School - $255 per sport with a $510 family cap

• Previously $425 per sport with a $850 family cap

• Middle School - $120 per sport with a $240 family cap

• Previously - $200 per sport with a $400 family cap

Please contact the Athletic Department at (248) 956-2073 or visit our Pay to Participate webpage should you have any questions or require additional information.

Mitchell Thompson hit the ground running in his first year as Walled Lake Northern’s head girls’ soccer coach guiding the Knights to new heights, which earned him Michigan High School Soccer Coaches Association (MIHSCCA) Division 1, District 7 Coach of the Year.

Walled Lake Northern finished the season 16-3-1 and won both the Lakes Valley Conference regular season and tournament championships. It’s the first time the Knights claimed both conference crowns in the same season in program history.

Thompson also guided the Knights to their second district title in three years before Walled Lake Northern dropped a heartbreaker to Northville in a shootout, 4-3, in the regional semifinals.

Twenty-three Walled Lake Northern students returned home on July 15 with a lifetime of memories after a two and a half week exchange trip to Germany.

The exchange trip is supported by the German-American Partnership Program (GAPP) and is a combination of language and cultural immersion. Students visited both culturally and historically significant places in Germany bringing the learning that takes place in the classroom to life.

The Knights started their trip with four days in Berlin, where they visited the German Parliament Building, the Reichstag, the Brandenburg Gate, the East Side Gallery (which is “The Wall”), and Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp among many other historical, iconic points.

They then traveled by train to Nürnberg (Nuremberg), Germany, where students spent an additional two days sightseeing. Some of their stops included the local fortress and an underground tour of the Felsengänge, the underground rock tunnels, that were originally used as wine cellars and later bunkers during World War II.

The Knights final stop was in Esslingen, Germany, which is home to Walled Lake Northern’s partner school, Mörike Gymnasium. That is where students met their partners and host families to begin a 10-day stay, where they attended school, participated in an all-school sports day, and enjoyed a family weekend. Some students even had the opportunity to travel into France and Switzerland with their host families.

While learning was at the forefront of the summer exchange trip, the most important goal is creating lifetime friendships between the youth of our two nations. Walled Lake Northern began its foreign exchange program with the GAPP in 2004. However, this year was the Knights first trip to Germany since 2019 due to COVID.

Since 2014, the Walled Lake Central and Walled Lake Northern Football teams have been honoring United States Military personnel, Veterans and First Responders during their game each year. This year, the game will be on Thursday night, August 31st at Walled Lake Northern.

Families or individuals can sponsor a jersey for a First Responder, Veteran or Military Personnel. Sponsored jerseys are $100. They can be current or retired, a family member, or a friend. Players for both teams will be wearing a special jersey with the honoree’s last name on the back – and playing in their honor! You and the honoree will receive the jersey right after the game – and they are really cool looking!

There will be a brief ceremony at the end of the game where the jersey will be presented to the sponsor. Family and friends are welcome down on the field during the ceremony – so, please attend the game. It is a wonderful experience. A roster mentioning each honoree will be included in the program. All proceeds will go to Military Families United of Michigan (an IRS Charity) to benefit Michigan Military Families.

This year’s game is earlier than usual, so jersey/sponsorship forms must be in no later than August 7th (earlier would be better). You can download the sponsor form at www.wlcfootball.com/forms or contact Robert Smiley, WLC Football Booster President, at 313-530-8024 or smiley@i-smiley.com.

Our mission, in partnership with parents and the community, is to become the best educational system in America so all students demonstrate they are caring, responsible, and knowledgeable citizens.

Email: danieldurkin@wlcsd.org
Website: www.wlcsd.org
Location: 850 Ladd Road, Walled Lake, MI, USA
Phone: (248) 956-2000
Facebook: www.facebook.com/wlcsd/
Twitter: @WalledLkSchools