Royal Oak Schools 8/18/2025

Dear Staff,

What an exciting time to join the Royal Oak Schools community! As your new superintendent, I couldn’t be more thrilled to kick off the 2025–26 school year with all of you. Walking through our schools these past few weeks, I’ve seen classrooms taking shape, hallways getting that “fresh start” shine, and our incredible maintenance, secretarial, and administrative staff working hard to make sure everything is ready for our students.

I hope you were able to recharge this summer and spend time with the people who matter most. While I had a wonderful job change this summer, it was great to spend time with my wife and daughters in the Mitten! I am looking forward to another year of learning, growth, and creating experiences that our students will carry with them for a lifetime.

Royal Oak is known for its pride, creativity, and strong sense of community. This year, we’ll continue building on those strengths together, making our schools places where every student feels known and valued, supported, and inspired to do their best. I look forward to a renewed focus on curriculum and instruction, and cannot wait to see our staff in action! Here’s to a year of great ideas, meaningful connections, and countless moments that remind us why we love what we do. Let’s make 2025–26 one to remember!

Dr. John Tafelski

Superintendent

The high school fall sports season is underway! Our Varsity Boys Soccer team defeated Novi 2-0 in our season home opener! Well done! We'd love to see you at one of our upcoming contests supporting our Ravens! Check out our fall sports schedule at goroathletics.org!

Go Ravens!!!

Derek Smith

Director of Athletics & Activities

Welcome Back!

We’re excited to continue celebrating the amazing things happening across Royal Oak Schools! From capturing moments of learning to showcasing achievements or highlighting acts of kindness, we want to hear your stories.

Here’s how you can contribute:
📷 Send photos, videos, and stories to communications@royaloakschools.org.
🏫 Share stories that spotlight:

• Student learning

• Student & staff achievement

• Everyday kindness

• Action-packed sports, organizations, and events

• Engaging visuals promoting upcoming events or fundraisers (we prefer photos or videos over announcements or PDF flyers!)

Your submissions will be shared as soon as possible across a variety of formats—posts, stories, reels, and more. They may also be included in the District Dispatch, Your Schools, or the Royal Oak Review.

Important reminder: Please ensure photos do not include students on the “do not photo” list. We respect the privacy of those who opt out of online sharing.

Website Support

💻 Having trouble with the website? Our goal is to connect you quickly with the expert support staff at PowerSchool. When in doubt, you can chat or log a case directly in PowerSchool Community, or call 800-920-3897 for assistance.

Download the Royal Oak Schools App!

📲 Stay connected by downloading our custom mobile app. Share it with students and families—it’s the fastest way to access lunch menus, calendars, SchoolPay, and much more. Be sure to select “yes” to receive push notifications so you don’t miss the latest district news and updates.

New this year!

We are looking for student content creators in grades 5 and up to help us share the amazing stories of Royal Oak Schools!

These students will:

• 📷 Capture moments from their school

• 🎙 Highlight student voice and perspectives

• ✍ Contribute to telling the story of our district

• 🤳 Learn how to be professional digital storytellers

This is a wonderful opportunity for students to build real-world skills in communications, media, and storytelling—while shining a light on the creativity and excellence happening every day in our schools.

If you know a student who might be interested, please encourage them to get involved and let me know.

Thanks!

Amy Murphy

Communications Specialist

This past week, our district had the pleasure of welcoming a new cohort of educators and staff at the annual New Teacher/Staff Orientation. The two-day event, held on August 13–14, 2025, at the Churchill Learning Commons, was both comprehensive and welcoming. It served as an introduction to our community, our core values, and the resources designed to help our new team members succeed. The orientation agenda blended community-building, professional development, and practical training to ensure our new staff felt prepared and supported from day one.

The first day focused on building community and understanding district values. The morning began with a “Who are we? Values Forward” activity featuring district staff and community partners, followed by a session on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion led by Ashley Phillips. Next, a Durham contracted bus took new staff on a district tour of our schools and the wider community. Lunch, graciously sponsored by Corebridge Financial, was provided by Kal’s Lunch Bowl. During lunch, Corebridge representatives Anthony Moyle and Fernando Aguirre spoke, and new staff received their laptops. The afternoon was dedicated to technology training. Shana Ramin led a session on Smartboards, while Jill Hill and Shana Ramin covered digital learning platforms, focusing on Canvas (grades 6–12) and Lumio (DK–5).

The second day concentrated on practical applications and district procedures. The day began with a sponsored breakfast from Equitable, with a welcome from Alyssa Daher and Clay Sebastian.

The morning’s professional development included MiStar training with Eric Maike and a comprehensive Curriculum Review with the C & I Department and Learning Council Representatives. Lunch provided a valuable networking opportunity with the ROEA. In the afternoon, we had a joint session on Finance & Human Resources with Kathy Abela, Pat Wolynski, and their teams. This orientation was a vital investment in the success of our new staff and, by extension, the success of our students. The event provided a strong foundation for what promises to be a productive and rewarding school year.

Dr. Joe Youanes

Deputy Superintendent

Kathy Abela

Executive Director Finance & Operations

We have several important staffing transitions to share within Staff and Student Services:

• Susan Idyle, Administrative Assistant to the Executive Director of Staff and Student Services, has accepted a new position with Lake Shore Public Schools.

• Sarah Mohler has accepted a position with Macomb County ISD. We thank both Susan and Sarah for their service and wish them well in their new roles.

We’re also excited to share the following new assignments:

• Mary Werden, formerly our Benefits Coordinator, is now serving as Administrative Assistant to Patrick Wolynski, Executive Director of Staff and Student Services.

• Teresa Kauffman has stepped into the role of Benefits Coordinator.

• Theresa Baughman has expanded her responsibilities to include Pupil Accounting, while continuing as our Enrollment Coordinator.

• The MiStar Support position is currently being filled on an interim basis by Eric Maike. He can be reached at eric.maike@oakland.k12.mi.us or at extension 1219.

We are grateful for the dedication of our team and look forward to the contributions of our staff in their new roles.

As a reminder, MESSA offers convenient prescription home delivery through Optum Home Delivery Services.

With Optum, you’ll have:

• 24/7 pharmacist access to answer questions

• A 90-day supply of medications

• Free shipping right to your door

For more details about Optum Rx, [click here].

Pat Wolynski

Executive Director, Staff and Student Services

Your Royal Oak Tech Team would like to welcome you to the 2025/2026 school year!

As we prepare for a new year, we'd like to share a helpful document to assist you in quickly and easily locating district technology resources:

District Technology Information

Here, you will find information regarding:

• NEW AI Guidance Document
• installing software and Chrome extensions on your teacher device
• enrolling in the self-service password management system
• reporting suspicious emails
• accessing the printers/copiers
• navigating your SMART board
• …and more!

Please bookmark this page so you can easily access it in the future.

Technology Support

We are here to help! If you are in need of technology support, please contact the Oakland Schools Service Desk one of three ways:

• Log into the Service Desk system here to create a ticket.

• Double-click on the Service Desk Ticket icon found on your desktop

• Call 248-209-2060 during normal business hours (Monday - Friday, 7 AM - 6 PM).

We look forward to working with you this year!

— Royal Oak Technology Services Team

PS: Click here to meet the team! We’re ready to support you with any questions or needs.

All-District Welcome Back & Tools for Schools

📅 Wednesday, August 20, 2025
📍 Royal Oak Middle School, 709 N. Washington Ave.

Agenda Overview

7:30–8:30 AM 🍳 Breakfast served in the ROMS Cafeteria
✨ Explore the “Tools for Schools Marketplace” in the Cafe featuring key community partners, swag bag giveaways, and prizes!

8:30–8:40 AM
➡️ Transition to the auditorium for the Welcome Address

8:45–10:30 AM
👋 Welcome & Introductions
🛡️ Safety Training with Officer Joe Yerke
… and more!

10:40–11:40 AM
🥗 Lunch & Launch Into Learning (LIL) Registration

Launch Into Learning is a professional development experience for all teachers, ancillary staff, and paraprofessionals. You will have the opportunity to select three professional development sessions to attend, and these sessions will primarily be facilitated by Royal Oak staff.

11:40 AM–3:00 PM
🚀 Launch Into Learning sessions

Mark your calendars for Family Welcome Back Night on Thursday, August 28, 2025, from 4:30–6:30 p.m. at the Royal Oak High School stadium, just before the first home football game. This event brings together families, staff, community partners, and our Board of Education to celebrate the start of a new school year. Guests can visit tables hosted by PTAs and community organizations, enjoy raffles and giveaways, and take photos with our school mascots. Family Welcome Back Night is designed to showcase the resources and relationships that support our students while providing a fun and welcoming atmosphere for all. It’s a great opportunity for staff to connect with families and kick off the year as a #ROSCommunityofExcellence.

Royal Oak Schools is moving from Remind to ParentSquare as our primary school-to-home, two-way messaging platform this fall. ParentSquare has purchased Remind, which determined this change. ParentSquare streamlines communication by putting announcements, messages, and alerts all in one place, with features like language translation, attendance notes, two-way messaging, and flexible delivery options (email, text, or app notification).

What to do next:

• Watch for your invitation email or text to activate your account.

• Take time to explore ParentSquare and its features—resources and training will be provided.

• Stay tuned for more information!

This transition will help strengthen connections with families and support clear, accessible communication across our district.

We want to hear from you! In the coming days, you’ll receive a link to our All-Staff Communications Survey. Your feedback is essential in helping us improve how we share information across the district.

Please take a few minutes to complete the survey once it arrives—your input will help us strengthen our communication efforts and ensure everyone stays connected and informed.

Thank you in advance for your time and thoughtful feedback!

Our Technology Department has been hard at work this summer to ensure our district is fully equipped with reliable infrastructure and updated devices for the 2025–26 school year. Here are some highlights of the progress so far:

• District-wide Fiber Optic Upgrade – Foundational cable rough-in work is underway, setting the stage for faster, more reliable network connections across all schools.

• District-wide EPIC System Upgrade – The transition to our new EPIC system has officially begun! This upgrade will streamline administrative and instructional processes, increasing efficiency districtwide.

• Security Camera Audit & Mapping – A thorough audit and update of our security camera systems and maps is in progress to further support the safety of our students and staff.

• ROHS Yearbook & CAD Lab Computers – New computers were successfully installed in June, providing students with state-of-the-art tools for both creative and technical projects.

• Chromebook Inventory & Refresh – Devices for 6th and 9th graders, as well as for students in our ASD program, are being refreshed and readied for the new year to ensure smooth technology integration.

The Technology team is working diligently to minimize disruptions and maximize preparedness. These initiatives will provide a strong foundation for teaching, learning, and safety across Royal Oak Schools.

Kal's Lunch Bowl

The wonderful staff at Kal's Lunch Bowl, home of fresh Mediterranean Fusion, is offering all staff at Royal Oak Schools 15% off their order during the month on Septemebr! Show your school ID when placing your order with Kal or Ann inside the Royal Oak Farmers Market.

Moving to Your Own Beat with RBI Boomwhackers!

The Meemic Foundation will provide 90 educators with a RBI Move & Play Boomwhackers kit that includes 25 Boomwhackers, four Octavator Caps, a book/CD combo with arrangements, music and choreography, and a Boomwhackers tote bag.

Entries due by August 31, 2025.

Big dreams deserve bold spaces—let’s transform your classroom! The Meemic Foundation will give 10 schools a $5,000 classroom makeover to help create fresh, functional, and inspiring learning environments.

Winners will collaborate with Lakeshore® to select flexible furniture pieces designed to support student success from kindergarten through high school.

Entries are due by September 30, 2025.

We love celebrating the amazing students and staff who make Royal Oak Schools a #ROSCommunityofExcellence. Recognitions are shared on our social media channels throughout the year and highlighted right here in the staff newsletter.

Your words of encouragement truly make a difference! 💙💚 Take a moment to use the forms below to nominate a staff member or student today and help us continue shining a spotlight on the great work happening across our district.