The Banks Bulletin

Wishing our Banks community a joyful, fun-filled and rejuvenating winter break! I have encouraged the staff to use the winter break to rest, relax and enjoy time with family and friends, and I hope each of you will do the same. We look forward to welcoming students back to school on Monday, January 5th, 2026.

December

12/19- iReady Make-Up Testing

12/22-1/2- Winter Break - No School for Students or Staff

January

1/5- iReady Make-Up Testing as needed

1/6-All Pro Dads Meeting in AM

1/6-1/9- Vision Screening, 7th Grade

1/7- Co-Ed Swim @ WLC- Home

1/8- Yearbook Club Meeting After-School

1/8- Board of Education Meeting @ 7 PM

WINTER I

Swim/Dive

Walled Lake Middle School Swim & Dive competed Dec. 17 against South Lyon Middle School Team. Final score 95-74 in favor of South Lyon. Over 100 student-athletes competed in a high energy and close contest. The following swimmers scored in the top 3 places:

Kosei Okano - 3 first, 1 second

William Whitley - 2 firsts, 1 second

Henry Parrow - 1 first, 2 second, 1 third

Owen Luczak - 1 first, 1 second

Anthony Corbin - 3 seconds, 1 third

Merabella Minoletti - 1 second, 2 thirds

Aubrey Griffen - 1 second

Third place finishes= Abigail Huhn, Lily Henry, Allie Marriott, Ashlynn Jinerson

Next swim meet is coming up in January 7 against Huron Valley held at Northern HS pool. All are welcome to come watch.

Boys' Basketball

The 8th grade boys' basketball team traveled over to number one seeded Smart last night for the LVC Championship. The Bulldogs started off strong with the first basket by Jordan K., but quickly after, Smart made some baskets to go up 13-5 after the first period. In the second period, Banks caught fire as Cruz R. sank three, 3-pointers to bring the Smart lead down to 6 points. In the third period, both defenses were strong, causing a low scoring period capped by a buzzer beater by Emmett to bring the halftime lead down to 5. In the second half, there was great man to man defense by Banks that caused many turnovers, which led to a quick 7-to-0 run and gave a two-point lead to Banks after the fourth period. The Bulldogs would never look back from there, allowing only 4 points in the last period while scoring six points winning the game and the LVC Championship 33-31! This is the second LVC Championship in school history with the last being volleyball in 2019. Thank you to all the staff and students who attended the game last night.

WINTER II

Boys' Wrestling

Practices 1 and 2 begin the Thursday and Friday we return from break 6-730pm at Walled Lake Western WRESTLING room. All physicals must be on file before 1/7/26. You will need wrestling shoes and a positive attitude.

Contact Coach Vaughan at teachdvaug@gmail.com if you have any questions.

Girls' Basketball

6th/7th Grade Basketball: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScX7qkQGD1ag0ST6ulpje6Ihlf3DH6CyPnhLXYVKfAy-4twAA/viewform?usp=header

8th Grade Basketball: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd8Op5OG4I7VpJz5U_mvGlgWKmLyRg9MgDM0S-MQ_SGrACj8g/viewform?usp=header

As with all other sports, athletes must meet the following criteria to be eligible to participate:

1. A physical on file with the school dated after April 15, 2025.

2. Complete the following form linked above.

3. Before the first match, athletes must have a pay to participate on file. The cost is $120 per sport, with a family cap at $240 for the year. If your family has already paid a total of $240 for the district pay-to-participate fees this school year, then this cost is waived for the rest of this school year.

Sarah G. Banks Middle School boys’ basketball raised the Lakes Valley Conference championship trophy for the first time in program history on Wednesday night after edging in-district rival Clifford H. Smart Middle School in a thriller.

"This is a great accomplishment for Banks and the boys’ basketball team,” said head coach Alex Rickens. “The boys worked hard, some for three years, to earn this title and they represented their school, district and community with pride, respect and integrity."

The Bulldogs trailed by as many as 12 points in the conference title game, but went on a 7-0 run in the fourth quarter to take the lead. They then locked down on defensive to hold on and edge the top-seeded Trojans, 33-31, for their first LVC crown.

“The team progressed and improved immensely throughout the season,” said Rickens. “We were able to adapt offenses and defenses to our players abilities that allowed them to achieve on the court in the positions they play. Each player contributed equally to the team's success all season long.”

Sarah G. Banks finished the year 12-1 overall, avenging its only loss of the season on Wednesday night against Clifford H. Smart.

D.C. Trip Update

At this moment, all of the seats on the D.C. trip have been filled and we are moving onto a waitlist. All families interested in attending the D.C. trip should sign up for the waitlist and if/when students drop from the trip, we will fill those open seats from the waitlist first on a first come, first serve basis. To sign up for the waitlist, you MUST register through the Academic Expeditions trip portal; however, no payment will be required until you are moved to the main list. Please contact Mr. Yu with any questions you may have (TorryYu@wlcsd.org).

D.C. Trip Fundraiser

Our Little Caesar's Pizza Kit fundraiser is currently underway and wraps on Sunday, December 7. If you are interested in participating, it is not too late. This fundraiser is completely optional but is an additional way to have your friends and family support your student's D.C. trip. 6th & 7th grade students are also welcome to participate to begin raising funds for their trip as well.

Pizza Kit Fundraising Information: https://drive.google.com/file/d/14RcVzYh5tcIDfTN5cIEpUg5hH-HgPWPc/view?usp=sharing

Create Your Account Here: https://fundraising.littlecaesars.com/login/join-fundraiser/6ac1dc37-1236-4121-8817-735c2e68ae89

Sarah Banks has a Ski & Snowboard Club where student members and their families can receive HUGE discounts on lift tickets, rentals, and lessons. The club will meet at Alpine Valley on Thursday evenings in January and February (between Winter Break and Mid-Winter Break) and the staff sponsor is Mrs. Chelsea Schikora. Packets and order forms are copied and available in the black flyer holders in both the Main office and outside of the attendance office for kids to pick up.

Ski & Snowboard Club will meet on Thursday nights Jan 8th - Feb 12th (6 weeks, weather-permitting) at Alpine Valley. Families can purchase their club cards at any time to receive discounts on lift tickets prior to the start of our club season.

Banks is pleased to offer FREE tutoring and homework help to students for their Math and Language Arts classes. This tutoring will be provided by Banks teachers!

Students and families are expected to ensure:

• Students report in person, at scheduled times. Students may be removed from the program for "no-shows".
• Students bring all materials they need for tutoring.

Tutoring sessions will be 45 minute sessions. Please fill out the form below for your student to be considered for free, Teacher-Led Tutoring and Homework help this year.

Tutoring will start the week of November 10, 2025

Please fill out a separate form for each child.

After submitting this form, your information will be passed on to the appropriate grade level/subject area tutor(s). Mrs. Harmsworth will then contact you at the email address provided on this form with the tutoring details for your child. You may get a separate email for each tutoring session you sign up for.

It has come to our attention that families in our community may be in need of additional assistance when it comes to food and nutrition. With the anticipated gap in SNAP funding beginning Saturday, November 1, some families may experience delays in receiving benefits. School meals (breakfast and lunch) will continue to be available free of charge to our students.

For families needing support at home, the following food resources are available:

• Hospitality House Food Pantry: https://www.hhfp.org/

• Gleaners Community Food Bank: https://www.gcfb.org/food-assistance-programs/

• Oakland Livingston Human Service Agency: https://www.olhsa.org/en-us/

• Michigan 211 Food Assistance Programs: https://mi211.org/food-assistance

• Forgotten Harvest: https://www.forgottenharvest.org/find-food/

• Findhelp.org: https://www.findhelp.org/

• Food and Other Resources Hotline: 1-888-544-8773

It's not too early to order a yearbook! Scan the QR code below and order now for $40, which is a savings of $20! Please email TorryYu@wlcsd.org, KaysieStassi@wlcsd.org or LauraShipes@wlcsd.org with any questions or concerns.

In an effort to find additional ways to celebrate our staff, the WLCSD Community Relations department requests that families fill out the information below for staff who are rock stars in their classrooms and school communities.

A sample of what these shout outs will look like on social media and in our district newsletters is on the right.

I am grateful to live in a community where support is provided to families in need. Hospitality House is a food pantry feeding those in need in Oakland and Wayne Counties and the surrounding Michigan communities. Whether you participated last year and would like weekend food service to continue or are interested in joining for the first time, please complete the Google Form linked below and provide us with the following information by September 26:

• Number of students participating
• Any food allergies for each student

Also, please note the following:

• First delivery of weekend food bags to the school is Thursday, October 9th
• Deliveries will continue every Friday for the remainder of the school year

We have much to be thankful for, and the partnership we share with our families and the community organizations is one to celebrate.

Please consider the safety of our entire Bulldog Community when you are dropping off or picking up your students. Following the procedures at SLOW SPEEDS is the best way to keep everyone safe. Say long good byes while you are driving to school. When dropping off, make sure your student is prepared to exit the car quickly. Families who are prepared for this will help ensure more efficient traffic flow.

• Front Parking Lot Closed Daily, 7:45–8:10 AM
  To promote safe, calm arrivals, the front lot will be blocked to vehicles during this window. Inconsistent use of the lot has created unsafe drop-off situations. This procedure eliminates those risks.
• Bus Loop Closed Until All Buses Unload
  The bus loop is not open to cars during arrival or dismissal. Please do not park or leave your vehicle in the loop. Timing may vary slightly day to day based on bus arrivals.
• . In the event that you need to pick-up early, you must do so before 2:40 p.m.

How you can help:

• Please use district busing as the primary mode of transportation whenever possible.
• Use the pick-up/drop-off line only if you live outside the busing limits.
• Carpool when possible.
• Have backpacks zipped, instruments ready and goodbyes said before unloading to keep lines moving safely. When dropping off, make sure your student is prepared to exit the car quickly.
• Pull all the way forward even after dropping off to help ensure more efficient traffic flow.
• Refrain from cutting through the parking lot. Refer to the map below and adhere to it.
• Unload at all 6 spots-do not wait until you get to spot #1 to unload

In a world dominated by instant communication, cell phones can be a major distraction during the school day. At Sarah Banks Middle School, our goal is not to limit contact between students and families, but to promote responsible and appropriate use of technology in an academic setting.

Policy Overview:

• Student cell phones must remain in lockers throughout the school day.
• If a student needs to contact a parent or guardian, they must do so through the attendance office.
• Students are not permitted to text or call parents directly during school hours, including when they are feeling unwell or need something.
• In alignment with a district-wide directive, iPads are not permitted at school this year. If used during the school day, iPads will be treated the same as cell phones and subject to the same consequences.

Consequences for Cell Phone Use During the School Day:

• 1st Violation: Phone is confiscated and held in the office until the end of the day. Parents will be contacted with a reminder of the policy and informed of next steps for future incidents.
• 2nd Violation: Phone is confiscated and must be picked up by a parent or guardian in person.
• Repeated Violations: May result in progressive disciplinary action.

Please follow the steps below when your student's District Chromebook needs to be repaired.

1. If a student needs support, he/she should fill out a Student Chromebook Support Form linked on all of the Google Classrooms and on the school website under Students. Being logged on to the school google account is required to access the form.
2. The information in the form will be sent to Mrs. Stasak, our Middle School Computer Resource Teacher. She will reply to the student at his/her school gmail account. She will offer suggestions to fix the issue or, if it needs service, she will tell the student to take the chromebook to the office and give it to building admin secretary (enter the name for your building).
3. The chromebook in the case will be sent through inner office and the student will be allowed to use a loaner chromebook AT SCHOOL. It will be the student’s responsibility to pick it up each morning from the office and return it at the end of the day.
4. When the chromebook has been repaired, it will be delivered back to the school for the student to pick up.
5. If the family purchased insurance, the first repair is free and all additional repairs carry a deductible. Deductible invoices or repair invoices, for those that did not choose insurance, must be paid before the repaired chromebook is returned.
6. If a student with a personal chromebook has a network issue, the same form can be used. We are not able to fix physical problems with personal devices and loaner chromebooks will not be provided.

At Banks, we believe that a strong school community is built on three essential values: Be Respectful, Be Responsible, and Be Safe. These principles guide everything we do—how we treat one another, how we approach learning, and how we care for our environment.

Being respectful means showing kindness, listening to others, and valuing differences. It’s about treating classmates, teachers, and staff with dignity and courtesy.

Being responsible means owning your actions, making good choices, and doing your part—whether it’s completing assignments, following school rules, or helping others.

Being safe means looking out for yourself and those around you. It means using technology wisely, moving through the building calmly, and speaking up when something doesn’t feel right.

When we live by these values, we create a school where everyone can thrive. Let’s work together to make Banks a place where respect, responsibility, and safety are at the heart of everything we do.

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

Jennifer VanWagnen

Principal: jennifervanwagnen@wlcsd.org

Kellan Watkins

Principal's Secretary: kellanwatkins@wlcsd.org

Anthony McNamara

Assistant Principal: anythonymcnamara@wlcsd.org

Jennifer Dean

Assistant Principal's Secretary: jenniferdean@wlcsd.org

Kevin Zurro

Student Success Coordinator: kevinzurro@wlcsd.org

Important Phone Numbers:

Main Line: 248-956-2200

Attendance: 248-956-2290

Email: JenniferVanWagnen@wlcsd.org
Website: https://banks.wlcsd.org/
Location: 1760 Charms Road Wixom, MI 48393
Phone: (248) 956-2200
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Sarahbanksptsa