WBHS Update

Hello Laker Nation,

Welcome to the 2023-2024 school year! We are so excited to be here with you all!

We had a wonderful first week of classes. There has been a strong sense of culture and positive energy throughout the building. Students have been navigating the block schedule, finding classes, and getting to know their teachers along with new and old friends.

On Thursday, the administration met with seniors, and we will be meeting with the rest of the students in the next two weeks. In our class meetings we discuss the following:

• Positive Culture and Energy
• Opportunities for Support
• Counseling
• College and Career Planning
• Behavior Expectations
• Tardies and Attendance
• Athletics and the Arts
• See below for pertinent information from the meetings

Wednesday, September 6 is our WBHS Open House! Parents will get the opportunity to walk through students' schedules and meet the teachers. Classes will be 10 minutes long, with the full event lasting from 6:30 PM until 8:10 PM. See below for a template for students to fill out for their parents just in case they forgot to bring it home from their Advisory period.

Join us on Friday, September 8th for the 2023 WBSD Family Fun Night! There will be games, activities, music, a dunk tank, and more! This family friendly tailgate party runs from 4:30 PM until 6:30 PM leading up to the 7:00 PM kickoff for the Varsity Football game vs. Rochester Stoney Creek High School. We will be honoring our local first responders as well as our armed services personnel throughout the event and prior to kickoff.

Eric Pace - Principal

Please come and join the WBHS staff to meet the teachers, learn about what students will be experiencing, and to get to know the school. Parents will be able to follow their students' schedules for 10 minute classes and to be a part of WBHS! Please make sure your student has provided you their schedule so you can get to all of the classes in the right locations at the right times. Students should have filled out the schedule template in their Advisory period on or before Tuesday, 9/5. If you need a template click here, or on the image above. See you there!

ALLERGIES/ASTHMA/MEDICAL CONDITIONS – Students are not allowed to carry medication. The office must have a complete, signed West Bloomfield School District Medical Action Plan to be able to carry out any medication distribution. Each medication requires a separate form. Each year we need an updated plan for students needing medication. If your child requires medication the first day of school you must contact the office before school to verify paperwork and deliver the medication to the office. Further questions, please contact the school office at 248-865-6720.

ATTENDANCE – West Bloomfield School District expects students to be in school and on time for school on a daily basis. Absent and tardy students will be recorded daily and parents will be notified.

If your child will not be in school or will be late to school, you must call the 24-hour answering machine at 248-865-6522. Leave your student’s name, teacher’s name and reason for absence. For the safety of our students, please do your best to remember to call before the start of school (even if you are only going to be “a little” late).

• PROMPT 1 - Excuse an Absence - Absences must be called in within 24 hours of the student missing school, or the absence will be marked as unexcused.
• PROMPT 2 - Excuse a Tardy (only if a student is late to school, not to a class after they've arrived)
• PROMPT 3 - Early Dismissal (Outpass) - These must be submitted prior to the dismissal time if possible. Those trying for an early dismissal at the time that it is needed may experience a delay while the information is processed and the student is retrieved from class.

In an effort to support student safety and proper accountability, all absences should be excused by a parent. If the absent in unexcused, this tells us that the school and the family do not know where the student is, if not in school. Please make sure to excuse all absences. Teachers may not accept work for unexcused absences in an effort to discourage skipping.

Students who accumulate too many tardies may be subject to disciplinary actions such as after school detentions or suspension of school parking.

Students who accumulate too many absences will be referred to Oakland County Youth Assistance for support and may be referred to Oakland County Truancy is absences become excessive.

BEHAVIOR EXPECTATIONS - Students are expected to be safe, respectful, and responsible at all times. Specific expectations can be found in the student handbook or the student code of conduct, and key items are listed below.

• Closed campus for lunch - Students MAY NOT receive an outpass to go to lunch or to pick up food for any reason.
• No food deliveries during school hours. This includes Door Dash, Grubhub, etc.
• No inappropriate or revealing clothing for any students
• No clothing with alcohol, drug, sexual, or inappropriate language or images
• No inappropriate language or gestures to be used by students at any time
• No hoods to be worn in school at any time
• No ski masks to be worn in school at any time
• No sunglasses to be worn in school at any time
• Phone use should only occur during passing time or during lunch. During class, it is up to the teacher's discretion as to how students may or may not use phones. If a student violates a teacher's phone policy/expectations, the teacher may confiscate the phone and return it to the student at the end of the period, or turn it in to the Student Relations office.
• Students must be in the cafeteria, Laker Commons, or the courtyard during lunch times. Students may not wander the halls or be in any unauthorized areas during lunches.

AFTER SCHOOL EXPECTATIONS - School dismisses at 2:23 PM. ALL STUDENTS need to be in a supervised activity or out of the building by 2:45 PM. We do not have the ability to safely supervise students after this time. There will be a late stay location for students who are in athletics or activities that begin AFTER 2:45. This supervised location will be in Laker Commons, across from the cafeteria. This supervision is ONLY for students who are in an activity. Students who are staying later than 2:45 who are not in a sport/activity must exit the building at or before this time. Students will be required to sign in with their ID and the activity they belong to.

LATE STARTS – throughout the school year we will participate in professional development that delays the start of the school day. On these days, school will start at 8:30 a.m., and the doors will be open for students beginning at 8:00 a.m.

IMMUNIZATIONS – All students that attend West Bloomfield School District must have accurate shot record information on file. Please be sure records are up to date. New students that do not have a shot record or a waiver on file are not allowed to attend school.

On August 31st, 2023, Dominic Shrewsberry was inducted as the 10th member of the Lakers Coaching Hall of Fame. Coach Shrewsberry was present for the Birmingham Groves vs. West Bloomfield Varsity football game and was honored by both teams as he did the coin toss.

Shrewsberry starred in football for West Bloomfield High School in the mid 80s and became head coach of the program in 1996, following his record setting hall of fame career at Olivet College.

For the next 25 years Shrews poured his efforts into teaching math and coaching football and track.

He is dedicated, loyal, hardworking and is a man of character and integrity. A fierce competitor, Shrewsberry coached for eleven years at the helm of the Lakers and led the football program to its first ever playoff game in school history in 2000.

Coach Shrewsberry was joined by Dawn, his wife of 30 years, his parents Ray and Sally Shrewsberry, and former players and coaches, friends and family.

Congratulations Coach Shrewsberry!

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 this form 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.

• September 4: Labor Day

• September 6: Arbaeen

• September 11: National Day of Service and Remembrance

• September 15 – 17: Rosh Hashanah

• September 16: Mexican Independence Day

• September 17: Constitution Day

• September 22: American Indian Day

• September 24 – 25: Yom Kippur

• September 26 – 27: Mawlid al-Nabi

• September 29 – October 6: Sukkot

• September 29 – October 14: Pitru Paksha

• Talk with your child about the importance of showing up to school every day, on time.
  
• Help your child maintain daily routines, such as finishing homework and getting a good night’s sleep.
• Try not to schedule dental and medical appointments during the school day.
• If your child attends an unavoidable appointment during the school day, please ask the dentist, doctor, etc. for a note to excuse them from school. This should be turned in to the main office.
• Communicate with us if your child is sick. Please always call the SAFELINE if your child will be absent.
• Help your child stay engaged--remind them that you are excited to hear about their day when they come home.
  
• Ask for help from us if you’re having trouble getting your child to school. We are here to partner with you for your child's success!

WBSD has partnered with Parent Guidance.org to give parents free access to resources and helpful information. We have shared this information with our families. We hope that it will be useful for some of you as well!

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.

For all updates related to college, careers, counseling, scholarships, college rep visits, and more, make sure to check out the Counselor Connection Newsletter.