September 11, 2021
Dear West Hills School Community:
Thank you for making this first week of school such an incredible success. The hallways of West Hills were filled with students and teachers connecting and sharing their hopes for this upcoming school year. Watching our nearly 500 students navigate through the building on that first day of school definitely put a smile on my face.
Parent Leah Abel shared the following after the first full day of school, which truly captures my hope for all of our WHMS families.
"Today was pretty awesome. The kids had their first full days of school, and for the first time in a year and a half, I felt like our family dinner had that infusion of NEWNESS that’s been missing for a while. While we had plenty of wonderful quality family time during the long hiatus that was Covid, there is something pretty special about kids coming home from school, sharing who they have classes and lunches with, classes and activities they’re excited about, the possibilities of new friends… all the nervous excitement that comes with a brand new school year. I hadn’t quite realized how much I missed it all until today.
New experiences are the spice of life. And while change can be hard, and I always dread the end of summer, once a (normal!) school year starts, there is a joy in all the new possibilities that lie ahead. May we all get to enjoy some new, happy experiences this year (whether or not we’re in school, and regardless of our age!), and may Covid stay away (please!!) so that the new experiences keep on coming!"
Highlights from this week included our elementary curriculum night and new student pancake breakfast. A huge thank you to our PTO for organizing the 4th and 5th-grade Playground Blast yesterday after school. Seeing our youngest students playing outside and decorating their lockers was the perfect way to end our first week of school. On Tuesday, September 14, we will host our middle school (6th-8th grade) curriculum night. We hope you are able to attend to hear learning philosophies from our teams of middle school teachers and view your child's learning environment.
As the school year gets underway, please know this broadcast remains our primary means of communication. A brief scan is usually all that is necessary to keep you abreast of our latest happenings and upcoming events, and finally, don't hesitate to let us know if you have questions or concerns. Just ask - we are here to help!
Important Reminder: There is no school Thursday, September 16!
“If serving is below you, then leadership is above you.”
-Dr. Adolph Brown
May your 2021-22 school year be filled with newness, possibilities, and happy experiences!
Andy
Andy Gignac
Principal
West Hills Middle School
Bloomfield Hills Schools
A/B Schedule (used for 5th-Grade Band/Orchestra and 6th-8th electives) for the Upcoming Week:
Mon., Sept. 13 - B Day
Tues., Sept. 14 - A Day
Wed., Sept. 15 - B Day
Thurs., Sept. 16 - No School
Fri., Sept. 17 - A Day
KEY DATES
Tues., Sept 14 8th Grade Washington DC Meeting (Cancelled-Meeting to be rescheduled to a later fall date.)
Tues., Sept 14 6th/7th/8th Grade Curriculum Night (see article below for specifics)
Thurs., Sept 16 No School
Tues., Sept 21 4/5 Virtual Goal-Setting Conferences
Wed., Sept 22 School Picture Day
Wed., Sept 22 PTO Meeting 9:30 a.m.
Wed., Sept 22 4/5 Virtual Goal-Setting Conferences
Fri., Oct 8 WHMS Movie Night
Fri., Oct. 8 (*) Progress Report #1 (6th/7th/8th)
Mon., Oct. 11 ½ Day of School – PD for Teachers 11:50 a.m. Dismissal
2021-22 BHS Calendar At-A-Glance
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The 6th, 7th, and 8th Grade Curriculum Night on Tuesday, September 14, will be following the schedule below. I would encourage you to arrive no later than ten minutes prior to your start time so that you will have time to meet with other members of the West Hills school community and still be able to find your way to your child's classroom. Masks are required for all in attendance. We will be utilizing our cafeteria and media center in order to provide space for families to distance themselves.
6th Grade: At 6:15 p.m. in the cafeteria, our 6th-Grade Instrument Information Meeting will begin the evening for our families who have a 6th-grade student in band or orchestra. At 6:30 p.m., the meeting will transition to the 6th-Grade Curriculum Night in the same space (cafeteria). We expect the 6th-grade presentation to end just prior to 7:30.
7th Grade: At 7:30 p.m., in the media center, our 7th-Grade Curriculum Night will begin. This presentation should conclude at approximately 8:30 p.m.
8th Grade: At 7:30 p.m., in the cafeteria, our 8th-Grade Curriculum Night will begin. This presentation should conclude at approximately 8:30 p.m.
Parking will be available in both the front and side lots with multiple entrances available.
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We hope you were able to join us this past Thursday for our 4th and 5th-grade curriculum night. The slideshows that were used for the presentations can be viewed below.
Click HERE for the 4th-grade slideshow.
Click HERE for the 5th-grade slideshow.
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All students in grades 4-8 will be issued a district-owned Chromebook for the entire school year. This is the only device students should be using in school. WHMS students are scheduled to receive their devices on Monday, September 13 during the school day.
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In order to make sure your fourth- and fifth-grade child gets off to the right start here at West Hills, during the month of September, our teachers hold Goal Setting Conferences, which are individual meetings to discuss the goals and expectations for your child. The goal-setting conference is a great way to start the year off and allow you to speak directly with your child's teacher. These virtual conferences are scheduled to occur during after-school hours on 9/21/21 and 9/22/21. We will be sending out our sign-ups this week in a separate message.
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There is no school on Thursday, Sept. 16.
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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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The 2020-2021 yearbooks will be passed out Friday, September 17. Toward the end of the school day, fifth graders will receive them from their classroom teacher and middle schoolers during their last block class.
Beginning on Monday, September 20, the yearbooks for last year's eighth-graders will be available for pick up in the main office. Families can email Ms. Spanos if they would like the yearbook to be sent home with a younger student in another grade. You can contact her at asp...@bloomfield.org
Didn't order one, but you'd love to have last year's yearbook? No problem! We have a few extra on a first-come basis. The cost is $45. Contact Ms. Spanos at asp...@bloomfield.org for further details.
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You can access the typical WHMS daily schedule by clicking HERE. Elementary schedules are communicated out directly by classroom teachers. Please note that this published schedule can be adjusted based on learning experiences and opportunities that are presented throughout the year.
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With the start of a new school year, we feel it is extremely important to review our expectations to create the safest environment possibly with our drop-off/pick-up locations. Please take 2-4 minutes to watch the videos Mrs. Palmeri created describing where to drop-off and pick-up students.
6-8th Front Loop
4-5th Back Loop
Traffic Map
Please take a moment to review our traffic map for West Hills. We continue to emphasize the need to utilize the designated drop-off and pick-up points. For the safety of all students, drivers, please watch your speeds and do not double park, especially near student crosswalks. The safety of our students is our highest priority. Thank you for your help.
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The new school day schedule for all West Hills students (grades 4 - 8) will be as follows:
- Full day: 8:30 a.m. - 3:20 p.m.
- Half day: 8:30 a.m. - 11:50 a.m.
The building will be open to students starting at 8:15 a.m. Please keep this in mind when dropping off your student. Students riding buses will remain on the bus until 8:15 a.m. For the safety of all students, unless they are part of a supervised program such as an West Hills sport, club, or Kidz Zone, students may not remain in the building past 3:30 p.m.
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Listed below are those joining our team for the first time or shifting to a new role within the school. Please join me in welcoming the following staff members to our WHMS team!
Amanda Al-Nimri - Psychologist (New to District)
Rob Basydlo - Foods/Health (New to District)
Alexis Beard - FRP Paraeducator (New to District)
Eric Hoffman - Elementary PE Teacher (New to District)
Riley Mize - 5th Grade Teacher (New to District)
Kathleen Rice - Level 4 Paraeducator (New to District)
Christina Schlenker - Counselor (5, 7, and Bialk) (New to District)
Ryan Smith - Middle School PE Teacher (New to District)
Bryan Stefan - Resource Room Teacher (New to District)
Jamie Tryon - Level 4 Speech Pathologist (New to District)
Leslie Wroblewski - Special Education Instructional Coach (New to District)
Michele Alt - Interventionist/Math 8 Teacher (New to WHMS)
Kristie Wood - Level 4 Teacher (New to WHMS)
Eve Pierre - Teaching Choir and Drama this year
Laurie Toth - Teaching 6th-Grade ELA/Science this year
Kristen Vigier - Working as IB Coordinator this year
Debi Allison - Long-Term Substitute Teacher for FRP classroom this fall
Tracie Middleton - Long-Term Substitute Teacher for ELD classroom this fall
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During the 2021-22 school year, we will once again be issuing lockers for ALL students.
4th and 5th Grades: Students will be assigned a locker based on their classroom placement. All of our elementary lockers are located in the back of the building adjacent to the elementary classrooms. Similar to last year, we will not have locks on the lockers for our elementary students. We found this to be a more efficient and effective way to limit time in the hallway while still providing individual space for all students to store their supplies and belongings.
6th-8th Grades: Students will be assigned a locker in their grade-level hallway. Combinations will be shared with students on the first day of school if not available sooner in Parent Portal. Locks will be used. You may want to have your child practice how to do a combination on a padlock prior to the start of the school year. Classroom teachers will be providing time for students to get supplies in their lockers. Additionally, a student can set up their locker after school with an adult family member/caregiver present.
Decorations: Students will once again be allowed to decorate the INSIDE of their lockers. In the interest of being inclusive, we do not allow decorating lockers for birthdays or other celebrations.
Not Allowed: Wallpaper (contact paper or any other type of paper to cover the inside of the locker) and stickers
Allowed: Magnets, small whiteboards, pictures, small swatches of carpeting, and any other easily placed/removed items.
Our 4th and 5th grade students will have a chance to decorate their lockers during the Playground Blast on Friday, September 10.
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Our WHMS Dress Code was adjusted to its current form several years ago by a committee of teachers, administrators, and parents. The intent of the dress code is to provide much room for individuality, personal expression, and promotion of an inclusive environment while maintaining a standard for students' "place of business." We acknowledge that shorts may not meet the fingertip standard found in the dress code. The expectation is that shorts should be long enough to continuously cover the bottom when reaching down to pick something up. All undergarments should not be visible at any time.
Click HERE for a copy of the WHMS Dress Code.
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The district recently sent out guidance regarding COVID protocols to ensure student safety and maximize in-person learning. Staff and students will be required to mask during the school day (exception to eat lunch). Please see the BHS Mitigation Protocols that will be in place based on the level of community transmission.
In setting up classrooms, our staff at WHMS will be striving to maintain a minimum of three feet of spacing in classrooms. This will limit the need to quarantine students in the event of a COVID positive case.
Lunch will be in the cafeteria and the surrounding outdoor areas. Similar to last year, WHMS will have a tent, which will provide a covered area to eat outside. We plan to utilize outdoor spaces as much as possible during lunch. Tables in the cafeteria will have more spacing than in a typical school year; however, maintaining six feet of spacing is not possible.
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We are looking forward to our 8th Grade DC Trip later in the spring of this school year. In an effort to provide the most accurate information regarding our plans for this school year, we are going to reschedule our meeting for later in the fall. Please stay tuned for communication regarding the specific date and time the meeting will be held.
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Each year, West Hills offers students a number of clubs for student participation. The clubs typically begin in October. In late September/early October, we will offer an explanation of the clubs and communicate the sign-up process for families, and once we know which clubs the students are interested in, the clubs will begin to meet. Students should listen for announcements at the end of the day over the PA for club information.
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Please see this article for updates on events, school spirit opportunities, and ways to support our WHMS PTO.
PTO Fundraising Opportunities
Label Daddy Fundraiser: Ready, set, label all those school supplies AND support our PTO with labels from Label Daddy! Flyer available by clicking HERE. Contact Karen with questions at karend...@gmail.com.
Box Tops for Education: Box Tops for Education Goes Digital
PTO Membership
Please join and support the PTO: Like you, the WHMS PTO is experiencing the social, emotional, physical, and financial impact of the novel coronavirus pandemic. We will continue to support our staff, build community, and help fund clubs and activities--all of which make WHMS such an amazing school.
PTO INFO: It’s easy to get and stay in the loop all year around by...
WHMS Spirit Wear Sale
Our new West Hills Spirit Wear is ready to order and available for pick up at Perfect Trading Co in Bloomfield Hills! Order yours today by following this link: https://perfecttradingco.com/collections/west-hills-middle-school/West-Hills-Middle-School. Contact Karen with questions at karend...@gmail.com.
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ATTENTION 4TH & 5TH GRADE FAMILIES: Becoming a Room Parent is a great way to support your student, their whole classroom and their teacher. Please let us know if you are interested in helping to fill this role for your child's classroom. If you are interested or would like more information, please contact Natalie Finerty at natalie...@gmail.com ASAP.
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For new families, we've included the orientations we recorded in the spring to provide an overview of transitioning to WHMS in 4th or 6th grades. See below.
On Wednesday, April 28, our administration team and teachers presented to our incoming 4th-grade families to support the transition into West Hills Middle School. Click HERE to view a recording of the presentation.
On Wednesday, May 26, our administration team and counselor presented to our incoming 6th-grade families to support the transition to 6th Grade at West Hills Middle School. Click HERE to view a recording of the presentation.
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Bloomfield Hills Schools will continue with the national school lunch and school breakfast program that provides FREE healthy breakfast and lunch to all students enrolled in our schools.
We still need any household eligible for free and reduced price meals to complete the application. This information is critical in determining the funds our schools receive from a variety of state and federal programs like Title I A, 31a, Title II A, E-Rate, etc. If your household income is within the scale below, please complete the application if you have not done so yet.
| Family Size |
Annual Income (free meals) |
Annual Income (reduced price meals) |
| 1 |
$16,744 |
$23,828 |
| 2 |
$22,646 |
$32,227 |
| 3 |
$28,548 |
$40,626 |
| 4 |
$34,450 |
$49,025 |
| 5 |
$40,352 |
$57,414 |
| 6 |
$46,254 |
$65,823 |
| 7 |
$52,156 |
$74,222 |
| 8 |
$58,058 |
$82,621 |
To complete the application online, login to MISTAR ParentPortal, and click on your child's name, then click "Food Service Free & Reduced Lunch Application" under School Links.
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Please see the District website “Lunch” page for details on menus and putting money on a student’s lunch account. You will also find information on the BHS website “Lunch” page about alternative menus for students with allergies or other special dietary needs.
FREE AND REDUCED LUNCH APPLICATIONS:
Families eligible for Free and Reduced Lunch must reapply every school year. To complete the Online Free/Reduced lunch application, parents/guardians can log in to ParentPortal and complete the application. Click on your child's name, then click "Food Service Free & Reduced Lunch Application" under School Links. Paper applications are available by clicking HERE.
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September 14, 2021 6:30 PM - 7:30 PM |
September 16, 2021 All day |
September 21, 2021 3:45 PM - 6:45 PM |
September 22, 2021 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM |
September 22, 2021 3:45 PM - 6:45 PM |
What's Happening at Other Schools
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