WBHS Update

Hello Laker Nation,

This week, the WBHS counseling department will be hosting its annual WBHS On-Site Admissions Day! On Thursday, 10/12, WBHS will be hosting several colleges and universities, including Central Michigan, Western Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Oakland, Grand Valley, and many more. Our seniors can pre-register to see admissions representatives from these institutions, and receive admissions decisions immediately! Seniors wishing to participate MUST Pre-Register! Please see the counseling office for more details.

Indigenous Peoples' Day is celebrated on the second Monday of October, on October 9 this year, to honor the cultures and histories of the Native American people. The day is centered around reflecting on their tribal roots and the tragic stories that hurt but strengthened their communities, and it also celebrates the cultures, contributions, and resilience of contemporary Native peoples.

Thank you for all of your support this year with attendance and student behaviors! As we enter the colder months, there are a couple of areas we are focusing on. First, it is essential that students are in school regularly and on time. As it becomes darker earlier, and cooler in the mornings, we typically see an increase in the number of students arriving late. Please join us in making prompt arrival and attendance a focus for all. Additionally, students should not be staying after school unless they are in a club, sport, or activity. Students have from 2:23 until 2:45 to get to their supervised area. Students should not be waiting for rides for longer than that, unless they have a supervised activity that they are attending. Any student found in the hallways at 2:45 or later will be subject to disciplinary action. Please help us keep students safe and supervised by making sure they are picked up by 2:45 daily.

Proud to be a Laker!

Eric Pace

Principal - WBHS

For the 2023-24 school year, the State of Michigan created the Michigan School Meals Program allowing all students to receive one free breakfast and lunch meal daily at school, no matter their free/reduced meal status. However, filling out a free/reduced meal form is very important to families who are eligible and for the District to receive funding.

Family Benefits for Qualifying for Free/Reduced Meals

When families qualify for free/reduced price meals, students may be eligible for the following benefits:

• Reduced Summer School fees

• Reduced field trip fees with request

• Reduced SAT, ACT and AP testing fees

• Reduced college application fees

• Potential additional benefits for Bridge Cards/P-EBT

• Potential support for household cable/internet

• Potential programs that provide holiday support
  
  

West Bloomfield School District Benefits for Qualifying Free/Reduced Meal Families

Did you know the federal government uses the number of free/reduced meal eligible students to determine how much money the district receives in grant funding?

• West Bloomfield School District becomes eligible for Federal funds (Title I) when qualifying families fill out their free/reduced meal applications. If families do not fill out their forms, the District is at risk of losing funding for staff who provide critical services to our students.
  
  

Visit the application page to view the complete the application today!

À La Carte Items

Students are welcome to bring meals from home and purchase à la carte items as needed (including milk, second meals, bottled beverages and snack items).

Free Lunch Application

Click for the October Inclusion Newsletter

Filipino American History Month

Italian American Heritage Month

Down Syndrome Awareness Month

LGBT History Month

National Disability Employment Awareness Month

National Polish American Heritage Month

Red Ribbon and Anti-Bullying Month

• September 29 - October 6 -- Sukkot (Judaism)

• October 2 – International Day of Nonviolence

• October 9 – National Indigenous Peoples’ Day (United States)

• October 10 – Thanksgiving Day (Canada)

• October 10 – World Mental Health Day

• October 11 – National Coming Out Day (LGBTQ+)

• October 15 – Navratri begins (Hindu)

• October 15-21 Safe Schools Week

• October 16 – Birth of the Bab (Baha’i)

• October 19 – Spirit Day (LGBTQ+ anti-bullying)

• October 20 – Sikh Holy Day (birth of Guru Granth)

• October 22 – International Stuttering Awareness Day

• October 23-31 Red Ribbon Week Theme "Be Kind to your Mind"

• October 25 – Birth of Baha’u’llah (Baha’i)

• October 31 – Halloween

• Help with Canvas
• www.wbsd.org/academics/classroom-to-cloud/canvas or
• canvashelp@wbsd.org
• Help with Chromebook: www.wbsd.org/departments/technology
• Help with PowerSchool: www.wbsd.org/parents/powerschool

Please join us in congratulating Brandon Davis-Swain and his family. Laker Nation celebrated Brandon with his Under Armour All-America Game jersey presentation before the Homecoming game on Friday, September 22nd. As an Under Armour All-American, Brandon will play in the game set to take place in early January in Orlando. Congratulations Brandon, and thank you for all your hard work, contributions, and always representing Laker Nation!

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.

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.

• 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.