C.H.S CHRONICLES

Dear CHS Middle School Parents,

Please consider volunteering at our PTSA Sponsored Student Activity Night next Tuesday, April 14th by clicking on the link below.

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0D49ADA92BA4F94-63378733-chsspring?useFullSite=true#/

Thank you!

The Spring Book Fair will be held April 13th through the 17th. We are need of volunteers to help with set up, sales/cashier, and clean up. Please reach out with any questions. Thank you!

Thanks to all the families who came out for The Sounds of Laurel Canyon: '60s and '70s Concert. It was an immersive, high energy concert full of iconic songs from artists that shaped American folk rock and had us all singing along.

Our next and last scheduled Club meet for this school year is:

Songs of America Concert and Club meet

· Sat, May 30th at Orchestra Hall, Concert at 8pm

· Club Meet will be held 30 mins prior to Saturday's performance at 7:30pm

· Fri, May 29 & Sun, May 31 concerts are available to students who cannot attend Sat. concert

Tickets will be available for Soundcard bookings starting May 18th up until the concert date. Student Soundcard tickets can be booked through visiting or calling the box office 313.576.5111. Do reserve your tickets when they become available as soon as possible to avoid disappointment. We are expecting another full house for this concert.

***Your student soundcard membership allows you to attend manv more concerts in addition to the ones listed above. Please consider making the most of your membership and check out all the concerts available to you here: https://www.dso.org/events-and-tickets/calendar?Special+Offers=Soundcard ***

Congratulations to all of our students recognized at the district wide PTSA Reflections Program and thank you Reflections Chair Mrs. Jessica Trotter for your help and hard work!

Hello! I am Jackie Podnar, and I am so excited to be the new Vocal Music and Band Support Teacher!

During my student teaching, I worked with high school band, and middle school band and choir. In 2023, after graduating from Eastern Michigan University and getting my K-12 Music teaching certificate, I was fortunate to join Walled Lake as the elementary Travel Music Teacher at Keith, Commerce, Hickory Woods, and Meadowbrook Elementaries. While my time developing singing voices and steady beat was very meaningful and fun, I really missed teaching middle school. So, in 2024, I shifted to Geisler Middle School as the Band Director. When Geisler closed, Walnut Creek Middle School took me in to teach 7th Grade Vocal Music, 8th Grade Comm Arts, and co-teach 7th Grade Band and 6th Grade Orchestra.

My time in Walled Lake has been exciting, and I really appreciate all the opportunities to connect with the students, staff, and families. I truly cannot wait to being a part of the CHS Middle School Community!

Dear Families,

Students will be taking the M-STEP shortly. A reminder that the annual M-STEP is an important tool to help us understand how well we are serving students and is an important data point in determining what areas students are doing well in and what areas they need additional support in.

With a limited window for testing, we ask that our families make every effort to have your child in school and on time. Please make sure that your child is going to bed at a reasonable time and has a healthy breakfast prior to coming to school.

Please take the time to discuss the M-STEP with your child before testing begins. We want students to have a balance of understanding that this is an important assessment and an opportunity to show us what they know, however, we do not want our students to feel anxious. We simply ask for their best effort.

Consider exploring the sample test and practice items below with your child at home. You must use Google Chrome for the online samples. The user name and password is provided on the login screen.

The Michigan Parent Teacher Association (PTA) has also put together a helpful guide for parents.

Thank you for your support.

Respectfully,

Nayal Maktari

Dear CHS 8th Grade Families,

Our school has begun the preparation for the upcoming PSAT 8 test on Thursday, April 16th. All of our middle schools in Walled Lake will be testing on this day. It is important that all students are present on test day. Please avoid scheduling doctor, dentist or other appointments on that day.

We will be using district-issued chromebooks for testing that day. If your child has a district-issued chromebook, they will use it on that day. It is important that the chromebook be fully charged. It is also recommended that your child bring their chromebook charger in the event that the chromebook need to be charged during the testing. If your child does not have district-issued chromebook, one will be provided from our chromebook cart that day.

Please note that while all Walled Lake 8th graders will be here for a full day, 6th and 7th graders will have a late start on April 16th. 8th graders will be provided lunch on April 16th, but 6th and 7th graders will not be provided lunch on that day.

Morning Schedule

• 8:00 a.m.-8:05 a.m.-8th Graders arrive
• 8:20 a.m.-11:25 a.m.-Administer the 8th Grade PSAT
• 11:25 a.m.-11:58 a.m.-8th Grade Lunch
• 6th and 7th graders arrive at approximately 11:45 a.m.

Afternoon 1/2 Day Schedule

• 1st Hour 12:05 p.m.-12:30 p.m.
• 2nd Hour 12:35 p.m.-1:00 p.m.
• 3rd Hour 1:05 p.m.-1:30 p.m.
• 4th Hour 1:35 p.m.-2:00 p.m.
• 5th Hour 2:05 p.m.-2:30 p.m.
• 6th Hour 2:35 p.m.-3:00 p.m.

Thank you advance for your time and support as we prepare our 8th graders for this important day!

Please contact Mrs. Julie Braley (8th grade counselor) at JulieBraley@wlcsd.org for any questions related to testing.

Sincerely,

CHS Administrative Team and Counseling Department

Elizabeth Esmacher is excited to join the Clifford H. Smart Middle School Community as the new 7th and 8th Grade Science Teacher beginning Monday, March 23rd. Elizabeth brings six years of teaching experience from Midland Public Schools and Traverse City Area Public Schools. She is thrilled to be returning to the Middle School classroom after a brief time at Leader in Me.

Outside of school, Elizabeth lives with her husband and their dog, Luna. In her free time, she enjoys watching documentaries, practicing yoga, and spending time outside.

Elizabeth is looking forward to getting to know everyone and being part of our school community!

Dear Clifford H. Smart Community,

The Giving Tree Club and National Honor Society at Walled Lake Central High School are excited to share with you that our Walled Lake Community Wide Make a Blanket Day is officially set for April 18, from 10am-2pm. You can come and join us anytime between then. Our goal this year is 1,000 blankets! We are partnering with Fleece and Thank You to ensure that every child facing an extended stay at the hospital not only receives a comforting fleece blanket, but also receives a personalized message from the person who made the blanket. The patient can also choose to send a video back! This day has historically been a huge and fun event for the whole family, and we would love to have you join us! Purchasing a blanket is not necessary to join the event. We just ask that everyone completes the free registration. Food trucks will be available to purchase food, obstacle courses, face painting, and a team from Mojo in the Morning are all part of this day...with more surprises to come!

Here is a video that helps show just how special this organization is (https://youtu.be/61fJZDjVOIU).

Your school page can be found here:

https://charity.pledgeit.org/t/vdgzvut8on

If you have any questions, or ideas, please don’t hesitate to contact Nancy Kattoula (NancyKattoula@wlcsd.org) or Amanda Swanson (AmandaSwanson@wlcsd.org).

Thank you so much for your support!

Special 8th Grade Only Dates:

• PSAT 8 Testing on April 16th

• 8th Grade Washington D.C. Trip June 1st-June 4th
• 8th grade promotion ceremony June 8th at Walled Lake Northern Stadium beginning at 7:00 p.m.

• 8th grade promotion ceremony rain date is June 9th
• Clap Out on June 10th at 11:30 a.m.
• Last day of school is Wednesday, June 10th

A REMINDER THAT OUR SCHOOL CALENDAR CAN BE FOUND IN EACH WEEKLY NEWSLETTER

As we continue to focus on creating a positive and productive learning environment for all our students, we wanted to send a friendly reminder about our school dress code. Following the dress code allows us to maintain a respectful and focused atmosphere.

Please take a moment to review the following dress code guidelines:

1. Tops: Shirts must have sleeves (no tank tops or spaghetti straps) and should completely cover the torso.
2. Bottoms: Shorts, skirts, and dresses must be of appropriate length.
3. Hats and hoods: Hats and hoods are not to be worn indoors unless for religious or medical purposes.
4. Accessories: Please avoid bringing blankets, toys or other accessories that could interfere with learning or safety.

We appreciate your support in ensuring that your child follows these guidelines. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the dress code, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Thank you for your continued cooperation and support!

The 2025-2026 CHS Yearbook is in the works! Make sure to order your copy at https://yearbookforever.com/. Enter our school's name as CH Smart. Yearbooks will be distributed during grade level lunches in June 2026.

For specific information, please contact our yearbook advisor, Katie Kalinowski, at katiekalinowski@wlcsd.org.

If you haven't already, we encourage you to join the Clifford H. Smart PTSA for the 2025-26 school year!

Simply scan the QR code below to visit our website, discover some ways our PTSA enriches our school community, and sign up.

As an added perk, members will receive a digital copy of the school directory.

Thank you for your support!

We need your help. Please make every effort to avoid picking up your child during their lunch hours. It often takes quite a bit of time to locate a student during lunch/recess and pulls staff from their lunchroom supervisory responsibilities.

Excluding emergencies, please avoid picking up your child at the times below for any prescheduled appointments and plans.

6th Grade Lunch 11:18 a.m.-11:48 a.m.

7th Grade Lunch 12: 25 p.m.-12:55 p.m.

8th Grade Lunch 11:53 a.m.-12:23 p.m.

Thank you for your support and help!

Process for requesting service for district issued chromebooks if needed:

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 Mrs. Wilseck in the main office.
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.

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.

Please click on the above tab and join our CHS Middle School Remind 101 text group. You will receive helpful reminders, time sensitive information along with other pertinent texts.

*Reply @LEAVE to the number you are receiving messages from if you'd like to leave the text group at anytime.

Medications are administered at school under the supervision of our office staff. This includes BOTH prescription medications AND over the counter (ibuprofen, pain relievers, etc.) medications. BOTH types of medication require a completed and signed WLCSD medication authorization form by BOTH the parent/ guardian AND the child’s doctor.

For safety and confidentiality reasons, we will not be accepting medications at Smart Start. If you would like to drop off medications and the required documentation prior to the start of the school year, please contact our office secretary, Mrs. Jen Schloegl , directly at 248-956-3512.

As you have questions about this process please contact our main office at 248.956.3500.

Please remember to please call 248.956.3090 for ALL bussing questions. Please click on the link below to visit our transportation website for more information. A reminder that bus passes are not allowed.

Please feel free to call our main office with any questions at 248.956.3500. You can also email us.

Counseling Secretary: JulieSmith@wlcsd.org

Principal's Secretary: MelissaWilseck@wlcsd.org

Building/Attendance Secretary: JenniferSchloegl@wlcsd.org

6th Grade Counselor: KathleenHoover@wlcsd.org

7th Grade Counselor: MaureenBratke@wlcsd.org

8th Grade Counselor: JulieBraley@wlcsd.org

DROP OFF 8:00 A.M.

SCHOOL STARTS 8:10 A.M.

DISMISSAL 3:00 P.M.

1/2 DAY DISMISSAL 11:40 A.M.

Nayal Maktari, Principal

Jake Hess, Assistant Principal

Steve Spickard, Dean of Students

Please contact us with positive or constructive feedback, questions, and/or concerns.

Website: www.wlcsd.org/smart
Location: 8500 Commerce Road, Commerce Charter Township, MI, United States
Phone: 248-956-3500
Twitter: @CliffordSmart