District Update
A weekly update from Walled Lake Consolidated Schools
Walled Lake Consolidated School District Update: June 12, 2025
"How lucky am I to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard." - Winnie The Pooh
Students say goodbye to James R. Geisler Middle School during 8th Grade Clap Out at the end of the day on Wednesday.
Last Day of School Signs 📸
Thank you all so much for sharing your last day of school photos with us! You can see can see more on our social media channels.
Whether you're going on a vacation or enjoying the summer months in the area, we want to know how you are spending your summer break!
Share your summer photos with us for a chance to be featured on social media! Email your photos to info@wlcsd.org.
Bonus points if you're representing the district by wearing your school's gear!
WLCSD Parent/Community Survey 2025
The purpose of this survey is to gather feedback from our parents, staff, community members and former students on the 2024-25 school year.
We're excited to bring back our award-winning Summer Scavenger Hunt starting Tuesday, July 1!
Keep an eye out on social media on Tuesday's in July at 11:15 a.m. for the secret location clue on our Instagram story. The first to find us will win an awesome summer prize pack!
Make sure to follow us on Instagram so you don't miss out on the fun!
Walled Lake Western senior Harry Guillery was recognized by USA Lacrosse as an Academic All-American.
Guillery boasted an impressive unweighted GPA of 3.88 this past year. On the field, the Walled Lake United goalie finished the season with 140 saves and save percentage of nearly 60%.
Guillery will attend Ferris State University in the fall, where he will major in survey engineering.
The Walled Lake United boy’s lacrosse team raked in the honors from the Michigan High School Lacrosse Coaches Association (MHSLCA) with six student-athletes taking home seven All-State recognitions.
Andrew Jones, Chase Rybak and Reid Widmer were named to All-State teams, and Colin Golec received All-State Honorable Mention.
Jones was named a Second Team All-State Faceoff Specialist, after leading Division 1 winning 86 percent of his faceoffs this season. Jones also had 77 points on 49 goals and 28 assists.
Rybak earned Third Team All-State as a long-stick midfielder. He scooped up 117 ground balls and caused 46 turnovers this season. Rybak also finished the year with five goals and three assists.
Widmer was recognized as a Third Team All-State Short Stick Defensive Midfielder after leading Division 1 at his position with 32 caused turnovers. Widmer also netted three goals with six assists.
Rybak, Harry Guillery and Jack James were each recognized as Academic All-State for their hard work in the classroom this year. The MHSLCA recognizes students-athletes each year as Academic All-State that have an unweighted GPA over 3.70.
Sarah G. Banks Middle School 7th-grader, Nicholas Heuvers, was recognized as a National PTA Reflections winner for 2024-25.
Heuver’s musical composition, titled An Imperfect Life, received an Award of Merit and is one of just five students honored nationally from the state of Michigan.
This year, the National PTA honored over 200 students from 40 states as part of its annual Reflections competition. The theme for 2024-25 was Accepting Imperfections.
Walled Lake Central’s unified team traveled to the Michigan State Capitol building in Lansing on Thursday for Special Olympics Capitol Day.
Along with participating in activities on the capitol lawn, the Vikings joined Special Olympics Michigan to meet with local legislators and share the importance of unified sports and how they have positively impacted them and the entire community.
Sarah G. Banks Middle School teacher Kaysie Stassi took over our Instagram account last week to give us an inside look at the Bulldogs annual 8th grade trip to Washington, D.C.
If you missed it, you can check out her takeover by clicking the "Mrs. Stassi" highlight on our Instagram page.
The Walled Lake Consolidated Schools’ Community Relations team was recognized by the National School Public Relations Association (NSPRA) with five awards for the 2002-25 school year.
The district received three Awards of Excellence and two Honorable Mention Awards in the following:
Awards of Excellence
- Excellence in Writing: Walled Lake Northern alumnus sets Guinness World Record while raising money for a cause close to his heart
- Newsletter: Learning Newsletter
- Video Series: Schools of Choice Video Campaign
Honorable Mention
- Social Media: 2024 Summer Scavenger Hunt
- Video: Michigan Day
NSPRA’s Publications and Digital Media Excellence Awards recognize outstanding education publications, e-newsletters, digital media programs, radio/TV/video programs, social media, infographics, blogs and websites. Honors are awarded according to their overall excellence and quality compared to other entries in the category.
Did your time in Walled Lake Consolidated Schools make a lasting impact on your life? Share your story with our staff as a part of our 2024 Opening Day Celebration!
Carrie O’Connell returns to Wixom Elementary as Wolves’ principal
District administration is proud to announce that Carrie O’Connell will be the new principal at Wixom Elementary.
It’ll be a homecoming for O’Connell, who started her career in Walled Lake Consolidated Schools at Wixom Elementary. She spent her first 17 years there, where she taught kindergarten and one year of fifth grade. O’Connell then took on a leadership role at Dublin Elementary as an instructional specialist before serving as principal at Glengary Elementary for the past two years.
“I am truly grateful for the opportunity to return to a school community that has always felt like home, said O’Connell. “My time at Wixom shaped my deep appreciation for the heart, dedication and resilience of this community.”
Tony McNamara named Sarah G. Banks Middle School assistant principal
District administration is proud to announce that Tony McNamara will be the new assistant principal at Sarah G. Banks Middle School.
“I have heard nothing but amazing things about Sarah G. Banks Middle School and its community,” said McNamara. “I have worked with (principal) Jennifer VanWagnen for a few years on various district initiatives, and I'm looking forward to working with her and the staff on continuing to make Banks a top-notch school, as well as welcome a brand new gorup staff, students and families to the Banks community.”
McNamara joined Walled Lake Consolidated School in 2021, where he has served as an assistant principal at Walled Lake Northern for the past four years. This past school year, he was also the Knights’ athletic coordinator.
Jooley Johnson receives Golden Apple Award
Walled Lake Consolidated Schools’ Human Resources secretary, Jooley Johnson, received a Golden Apple Award at the June 5, 2025 Board of Education meeting.
Johnson was nominated by co-workers Anna Manor and Haley Treloar because she is the first and brightest face that greets and supports our paraeducators, Prime Time Care staff, maintenance teams and food service personnel.
“Her welcoming presence sets the tone for a supportive and collaborative work environment,” wrote Mansor and Treloar. “No matter the task or the time of day, she is always eager to lend a hand with any administrative need, big or small.”
Diane Cassar receives Golden Apple Award
Clifford H. Smart Middle School CI paraeducator, Diane Cassar, received a Golden Apple Award at the June 5, 2025 Board of Education meeting.
Cassar was nominated by Clifford H. Smart Middle School science teacher, Heather Deddeh, for being a champion in mainstreaming many of the buildings CI students into classrooms.
“Diane puts time, thought and so much effort into modifying assignments or creating visuals that will help the CI students in our Science classroom to be successful,” said Deddeh. “She continually challenges herself to make sure she understands new content, so she can accurately assist in reviewing with students.”
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Our mission, in partnership with parents and the community, is to become the best educational system in America so all students demonstrate they are caring, responsible, and knowledgeable citizens.
Email: danieldurkin@wlcsd.org
Website: www.wlcsd.org
Location: 850 Ladd Road, Walled Lake, MI, USA
Phone: (248) 956-2000
Facebook: www.facebook.com/wlcsd/
Twitter: @WalledLkSchools