March 18, 2023
Dear West Hills School Community:
This broadcast message is arriving a little later than usual as last night I was traveling home overnight with our 86 eighth-grade students who made the trip to Washington, D.C. these past four days!
This week was filled with opportunity at West Hills. In partnership with West Bloomfield Library, we were fortunate to have author Saadia Faruqi visit West Hills. We are appreciative of our partnership with the Township library and for Mrs. Amatulli's efforts in bringing her to our school. Tuesday, eighth-grade students and their families met with BHHS counselors to begin scheduling their first year of high school! On Wednesday, DTE provided presentations to our fourth-grade classrooms, enhancing their science curriculum. The ultimate opportunity came at 4:00 a.m. on Wednesday as we departed West Hills with 86 eighth-grade students and about 30 staff/parent chaperones. We explored so many sites learning about our country's history and government from Wednesday through Friday evening. One highlight was meeting with WHMS and Andover HS Alum Zack Shram and his colleague, Saadia Khan, who are a part of the Homeland Security staff. They provided great insight into the pathways they took and opportunities that exist within our government. The students were terrific ambassadors for WHMS and Bloomfield Hills Schools. It was common to hear from our guides that our kids ask deep, thoughtful questions, indicative of the critical thinkers we work to develop. They truly made me proud!
I wanted to take a moment to describe some of the construction that is set to begin over Spring Break. In order to prepare for the transition of WHMS to Lone Pine, construction is beginning in our elective/specials hallway. Kindergarten classrooms are being constructed in four of our current elective/specials classrooms and teachers' lounge. Part of the lobby will be walled in to provide a barrier between construction and learning spaces. A huge thank you to our teachers and staff who have had to pack and prepare to move classrooms for the remainder of the school year. Communication will be provided to students this upcoming week regarding the new locations of their electives/specials classes. From outside the building, as we return on April 3, you will notice construction dumpsters and the parking occurring near the loop to the right in the front of school. This may present a need to adjust some traffic patterns in the front of the building. More to come!
With all the activities this week held, I can't help but think about how fortunate I am to be able to be a part of a community that comes together to support our most precious gifts, our children.
REMINDER: Friday, March 24 is a half-day of school. In addition, we will have a "Hat Day - Half Day" at WHMS with a suggested donationa of $1 to support St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital. West Hills will dismiss at 11:40 a.m. and will run a "B Day" AM middle school schedule. After Spring Break, classes will resume on Monday, April 3. Students will return on Monday, April 3, to an "A DAY" schedule.
“May your troubles be less and your blessings be more and nothing but happiness come through your door.”
-Irish Blessing
Andy Gignac
Principal
West Hills Middle School
Bloomfield Hills Schools
Twitter: @AndyGignac
A/B Schedule: Click HERE for the A/B Calendar from Feb.-June!
Mon., Mar. 20 - B Day
Tues., Mar. 21 - A Day
Wed., Mar. 22 - B Day
Thurs., Mar. 23 - A Day
Fri., Mar. 24 - B Day ½ Day of School 11:40 a.m. Dismissal
KEY DATES
Mon., March 20 7th Grade Choir Concert 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Fri., March 24 ½ Day of School 11:40 a.m. Dismissal (Hat Day - Suggested Donation of $1 to Support St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital)
Mon.-Fri., Mar. 27-Mar. 31 No School (Classes Resume April 3)
Fri., April 7 No School
Wed., April 12 PSAT Testing for 8th Grade - No School 4th-7th Grade
Fri., April 14 End of 3rd Quarter (6th/7th/8th)
Updated Information for April 11-13
2022-23 BHS Calendar At-A-Glance (updated 1/26/23)
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Friday, March 24 is a half day of school with dismissal at 11:40 a.m. Wear hats and donate $1 to support St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital.
There is no school from Monday, March 27 through Friday, March 31. School resumes on Monday, April 3.
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We have a lot of lost items at West Hills that would like to be reunited with their owners. We have set them up on tables near the main office and they are now more readily available for viewing and retrieval. Please consider coming up to the school to take a look. We will keep the lost items on display until Friday, March 24, at which time we will bundle up the unclaimed items and donate them.
All remaining items will be donated at the end of the school day on Friday, March 24.
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In March, the Bloomfield Hills High School counselors recently met with our 8th-grade students and families. For students interested in the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (DP), please complete the BHHS IB-Diploma Programme Interest Form - click HERE. Bloomfield Hills High School asks students and families to complete the form by Thursday, April 6.
Bloomfield Hills High School IB-Diploma Programme Information Letter
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Please make sure to read the District News below for any BH High School related items that may affect your current 8th grader. You can also update your weekly newsletter subscriptions in your Parent Portal to include the BH High School weekly update, so you don't miss out on information for incoming 9th grade families such as orientation, fine arts night, sports try-outs, club information and much more.
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PSAT 8 testing for 8th graders will occur on Wednesday, April 12. There is no school that day for our students in grades 4, 5, 6 and 7.
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West Hills Middle School Student Senate accomplished essential work as part of their No Place for Hate initiative. The No Place for Hate pledge was signed by students, teachers, and staff at West Hills and everyone is learning about the program. The Student Senate is a crucial part of this initiative and is made up of two sponsors, teachers Riley Mize and Chris Drogash, and approximately six students from each grade level at West Hills. These senate student leaders were nominated by their teachers, learned what was involved in the committee, and were offered the choice to join.
Mrs. Mize says the group, which meets a couple of times per month, was organized last year and started taking action this school year. “We work from the pledge and the goals of the No Place for Hate Organization, and then we think about what our school needs and what would be helpful to talk about and to bring forward to the students. This year there is a big focus on anti-bullying and being more inclusive and creating a school community,” describes Mize. Mize hopes the Student Senate committee will achieve a sense of leadership, understand their voice matters and be proud of what they’ve done.
The senate participants presented a slideshow, titled "Put Bullying to Rest,” to all West Hills classes. The slideshow was used to help explain the concepts of bullying and several ways for prevention. It started by asking, “What is bullying,” and the senate leaders encouraged students to respond. Students were attentive and interested in the content presented by their peers. Some of the lessons learned were the importance of reaching out to a trusted adult if bullying is being experienced or witnessed and how thinking about your actions can make a big difference in how others feel.
Student Senate members Diya Chandran (grade 6) and Emmy Vanderpool (grade 7) were enthusiastic about the presentations and feel they are making a difference. Chandran comments, “It’s a really great experience, I really enjoy helping people and making a small difference.” Vanderpool says, “We help spread awareness and there’s a lot more inclusivity that we can spread and help our school become a better community.”
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Avery Curcuru (East Hills 7th Grader) has recently shared with administration a social media campaign she started called “Boundless in Bloomfield." Avery is hoping to highlight and celebrate the youth in our district, especially those that do not typically get opportunities to share their story. Avery is looking for examples of kindness, courage, creativity, optimism, integrity, drive, talent, determination, and grit! Everyone has great qualities but can be easy to get lost in a crowd. She is hoping to motivate and inspire and make students feel good about themselves. She would like to talk to anyone who is excited or passionate about something they do like dancing, babysitting, volunteering, traveling, reading, collecting, playing sports, or anything big or small!
Please send nominations and follow "Boundless in Bloomfield" on social media to help me show each other kindness and encouragement.
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Bloomfield Hills Schools is committed to the social-emotional learning and well-being of all of our students. Our community of caring educators continues to analyze and incorporate best practices that embed values of inclusion, belonging, growth mindset, relationship-building, and wellness into the culture and climate of our schools.
Bloomfield Hills Schools is gathering key data to better understand the holistic needs of our students and staff in order to support their ability to work, thrive and achieve. Evidence shows that academic achievement, social-emotional learning, and behavior are linked. Understanding the whole child allows us to fully support their needs.
Between March 6 and March 24, students in grades 6 through 12 will be invited to respond to two surveys that ask about their experiences in school regarding both Social-Emotional learning and one focused on Equity and Inclusion.
During this same time, students in grades 3-5 will be invited to respond to the Social-Emotional learning survey. The questions are available on the district website. Data from these surveys helps our teachers and leadership teams continue to identify needs and provide additional support to create the most supportive teaching and learning environments for all of our students.
Students will have time to complete this voluntary, confidential survey during the school day. Although not required, it is helpful to capture the voices of all our students and staff, allowing for careful examination of area needing closer focus. This data is one component of our district-wide strategic plan, which allows BHS to be more responsive to areas of need and work to improve student outcomes. If you wish to exclude your student from the survey experience please reach out to your child’s Principal.
We truly appreciate your support in creating learning environments where every student feels safe, valued, respected, and empowered to achieve.
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IB Learner Profile of the Month of March: Open-Mindedness
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As an IB student, I recognize that all people are different.
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I listen to the points of view of others and consider many possibilities before making a decision.
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I respect, appreciate and celebrate the differences that make all people unique.
How can caregivers help to develop this Open-Minded trait at home?
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Encourage your student to try new things-new foods, new games and new activities.
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Expose your student to different festivals, celebrations and traditions and be sure to present them in a non-judgmental way.
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Encourage your student to really listen to others when they speak.
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Introduce literature about many different cultures into your home library.
We appreciate your efforts at home to help support the Learner Profile Traits!
March SEL Focus - Diversity & Inclusion
Throughout the month of March we focus on Social Awareness: The abilities to understand the perspectives of and empathize with others, including those from diverse backgrounds, cultures, and contexts. This includes the capacities to feel compassion for others, understand broader historical and social norms for behavior in different settings, and recognize family, school, and community resources and supports.
Kristen Vigier
IB Teacher Leader and k-12 Social Studies Teacher Leader
kvi...@bloomfield.org
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This is a reminder for students who plan to attend home athletic games and other school events after school must go home and come back to school for the event. This message excludes students participating in the actual game or event who are under the supervision of their coach or other adults associated with the event.
7th grade volleyball generally starts at 4:30 p.m., and 8th grade volleyball starts at approximately 5:30 p.m. As we head into the Spring sports season (yes, spring is coming), we still ask that students attending home athletic events first go home before returning to school.
Additionally, if your child participates in a club or sport, students must be picked up immediately after the meeting or practice has ended. Students will not be allowed to wait at the front/back of the school, to go down to the gym to wait for a sibling, or to watch a sporting event without supervision. For their own safety and your peace of mind, we want our students to be under supervision at all times.
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Please be advised that effective immediately, ALL volunteers, including parents assisting with events and/or attending field trips, need to have a background check completed prior to volunteering. Click HERE for the Bloomfield Hills Schools Volunteer Background Check form. Forms need to be completed and submitted at least one week prior to volunteering. Please email completed forms to our Human Resources department, attn. Debbie Steaban at dste...@bloomfield.org.
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West Hills Middle School continues to be a nut-restricted school. As a reminder, this also includes all field trips, sporting events, and all other before and after school events. Please carefully read and review all food packaging prior to sending food items to school. For further information on food allergies, consult www.foodallergy.org. We appreciate in advance your full cooperation.
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If you qualify for free or reduced lunch, your pay to participate fee may be waived. We do not want any student to miss the opportunity to participate in athletics or clubs due to financial hardship. Please contact Mr. Gignac, West Hills Principal, at agig...@bloomfield.org
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Happy Valentine's Day, BHS!
In honor of this day of LOVE, we are pleased to announce the launch of our "For the Love of Bloomfield" campaign. From now until March 17th, donate to the Bloomfield Hills Schools Foundation and double your impact!
Stacey & Jason Raznick (Andover Class of '96) have generously offered to match donations, up to $10,000. Elizabeth Stieg (Lahser Class of '75) has jumped on board as well and has generously offered to add an additional $5,000 to our matching offer.
This means that all donations to the BHSF made between 2/14 and 5/17 will be matched, up to a total value of $15,000.
Visit www.bloomfield.org/support to support Bloomfield Hills Schools today! #4TheLoveOfBloomfield
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Public Hearing
Please take notice that on March 23, 2023, at 6 p.m., Bloomfield Hills Schools will hold a public hearing to consider the draft recreation master plan. The public hearing will be held during the Board of Education meeting and may be attended in-person at 7273 Wing Lake Road, Bloomfield Hills, MI 48301.
30 Day Review Period
Please take notice that there will be a 30 day review period on the draft recreation master plan from February 20, 2023, until March 23, 2023, at 6:00 pm. A copy of the draft recreation master plan and an opportunity to provide feedback is available online from February 20, 2023, until March 23, 2023, at 6:00 pm at www.bloomfield.org/draftrecreationplan.
If you would like to view the draft recreation master plan in person and provide written feedback, you may visit Enrollment Services at 7273 Wing Lake Road, Bloomfield Hills, MI 48301 from February 20, 2023, until March 23, 2023, Monday-Friday, between 8:30 am - 4 pm.
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Join the Jr. Equestrian Team! Compete in the MIHA as a rider or groom and make new friends/ Learn more at the Information Meeting on March 14th. The meeting will be via Zoom. Fill out the Google form to receive the link.
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We are happy to be restarting this program, including a 5th/6th grade team and a 7th/8th grade team!
Practices and Home games will be hosted at Fox Hills (1661 Hunters Ridge Dr, Bloomfield Hills, MI 48304). Practices will be Monday/Wednesday/Friday from 5:30-7:00 pm, starting the week after spring break on Monday, April 3rd.
Coaches are Zoya Banash and Natalie Lindstrom, current Oakland University lacrosse athletes. There will be a parent/player information meeting in the next few weeks to discuss the season and meet the coaches, done in correspondence with the high school team so the middle school girls can meet some of the players and coaches at that level.
Sign-Up Online
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Is your child interested in building LEGO robots? Or loves taking things apart to see how they work? Are they curious about programming? Do you want to be part of an exciting program that brings people together and helps build STEM communities?
Join Bloomfield FIRST Robotics!
FIRST LEGO League introduces science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) to children ages 7-14 through fun, exciting hands-on learning. Participants gain real-world problem-solving experiences through a guided, global robotics program, helping today’s students and teachers build a better future together.
Do you want more information about the program? Sign up to receive the latest updates, including registration information. Join the Bloomfield Robotics Email List
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No School for Kindergarten on May 12, 2023
On Friday, May 12, the Bloomfield Hills Schools elementary schools will host an orientation for the incoming kindergarten students and their parents & guardians (Class of 2036). We are excited to showcase our kindergarten experience and in order to host incoming kindergarten students, our current kindergarten students will not attend school on this day.
Standardized Test Schedule April 11-13, 2023
April 11, 2023
- Kindergarten through Grade 8 regular school day
- Grades 9, 10, 12 - late start at 12:15 p.m.
- Grade 11 - M-STEP testing in the morning, classes in the afternoon
April 12, 2023
- Kindergarten through Grade 7 - no school
- Grade 8 - PSAT testing arrival 8:20 a.m. - dismissal 1:25
- Grade 9 PSAT testing arrival at 7:45 a.m; dismissal 11:30
- Grade 11 SAT testing arrival at 11:30 a.m.; dismissal 1:30 p.m.
- Grades 10 and 12 - no school
April 13, 2023
- Kindergarten through Grade 8 regular school day
- Grades 9 and 12 - late start at 12:15 p.m.
- Grade 10 PSAT testing in the morning, classes in the afternoon
- Grade 11 ACT Work Keys in the morning, classes in the afternoon
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March 20, 2023 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM |
March 21, 2023 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM |
What's Happening at Other Schools
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