We hope you'll review this week's District Update filled with news and notes from across the Walled Lake Consolidated School District. Stay up to date with the district by visiting www.wlcsd.org and connecting with the district on social media.

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• March 3: 8th Grade Family Night at all three high schools
• March 6: Board of Education meeting
• March 7-8: MSBOA Band and Orchestra Festival at WLN
• March 10: 6th Grade Family Night at SBMS, WCMS, CHS
• March 13: Half Day for Student | Professional Development for Staff
• March 24-28: Spring Break - No School for Students or Staff

Please be advised that the Skyward system, including both family and student access portals, will be temporarily unavailable on this evening from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. due to scheduled maintenance.

During this time, access to Skyward will be disabled to ensure system updates and improvements are completed efficiently. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your patience as we work to enhance the system.

The Walled Lake Western competitive cheer team claimed its second district title in program history with a record setting performance.

The Warriors edged Fenton by less than two points to claim their first district championship since 2021. They also etched their names in the program record books with an incredible 230.96 Round 2 score, which broke their previous record of 230.72 set in the MHSAA Regional Championships in 2019. That year, the Warriors went on to finish 4th in the state finals.

Walled Lake Western then shined a week later punching its ticket to the MHSAA Division 2 State Competition for the first time since 2021. The Warriors qualified after placing third over the weekend at Fenton High School with a score of 318.80 in the regional competition.

Walled Lake Western will hit the mat at Central Michigan University in the state competition on Saturday, March 1, at 3:30 p.m.

The Walled Lake Northern bowling teams are headed to the MHSAA Division 1 State Finals this coming weekend at Thunderbird Lanes in Allen Park.

The boys’ team added some new hardware to its trophy case taking home the regional title after knocking down 3371 pins, which was over 100 more than second-place Lakeland (3202). Knights’ seniors Cody Antrobius (1182) and Asher Salama (1137) also qualified in Singles after finishing third and fifth overall. Walled Lake Central’s Connor Martin qualified in Singles as well after placing fourth with a score of 1168. In Division 2, Walled Lake Western’s Matthew Jones earned the final Singles qualifying spot placing seventh overall with a score of 1200.

The Walled Lake Northern girls’ team finished runner up as a team behind the two-time defending regional champion, South Lyon. The Knights tallied 2785 pins to lock their spot in the MHSAA Division 1 Finals.

Walled Lake United’s James Moore and Antonio Proulx punched their tickets to the MHSAA Division 1 Individual State Championships on February 28 through March 1 at Ford Field.

Moore, a junior at Walled Lake Northern, finished third at the regional championships. Moore fell to eventual 175 lbs. regional champion Luke Johnson from Oxford in his second-round match. He then bounced back in a big way, pinning Davison’s Brayden Bundy in the third-place match earning his spot at the state championships.

Proulx, a freshman at Walled Lake Central, qualified in the 132 lbs. class after earning fourth at the regional championships. After dropping his opening match to Oxford’s Chase Beall, Proulx pinned Midland’s Landon MacLeod and beat Lapeer’s Aiden Lambrix with a 9-4 decision to punch his ticket to the state championships.

The MHSAA Division 1 Individual State Championships kick off on Friday, February 28, at Ford Field with the prelims, then champions will be crowned on Saturday, March 1, with the semifinals and finals.

The Walled Lake Central boys’ basketball team took home its second-straight co-Lakes Valley Conference crown after closing out the regular season 18-4 overall on Thursday night. The Vikings share the LVC title with Waterford Mott after splitting their regular season meetings with Corsairs and finishing the year with identical 14-2 records in LVC play.

Walled Lake Central senior Jake Nellett etched his name in the program record books in the Vikings 53-44 win over Milford eclipsing the 1,000-point milestone, scoring 23 points on the night.

The Walled Lake Central and Walled Lake Western unified basketball teams lived out their dreams on Wednesday hitting the court at Little Caesars Arena as part of the Pistons’ Unified Showcase.

The Warriors tipped off the afternoon with a thrilling two-point victory over Plymouth/Salem/Canton before the Vikings cruised past Mason for a Walled Lake double-header sweep.

The unified players and their partners received complimentary Pistons themed beanies, as well as free tickets to Detroit’s game that evening against the defending NBA champion, Boston Celtics.

Walled Lake Northern will take the court at Little Caesars Arena for the Pistons’ Unified Showcase on Thursday, March 13, at 1:45 p.m. against Churchill High School.

The Commerce Elementary Cougars closed out the week before Mid-Winter Break with a cereal box domino run to celebrate collecting over 600 boxes to donate to the Hospitality House Food Pantry.

Watch the boxes fall on Instagram.

The Walled Lake Wild raised $2,145 in their annual Pink Out game on Saturday, February 8, at Lakeland Arena. The funds raised were split evenly between each high school’s cancer research charities.

The Wild beat Regina, 7-4, that evening thanks to a five-goal performance from Walled Lake Northern junior Mikayla Ratliff.

The Walled Lake Northern Marching Band enjoyed a trip to the most magical place on Earth over Mid-Winter Break, Disney World.

The Marching Knights performed while marching down Main Street USA as part of the Magic Kingdom parade.

Thank you to everyone who sent in photos of their Mid-Winter Break vacations and staycations!

Check out some of the awesome things our students and staff did during the week off from school.

These Bulldogs were built for the snow! Sarah G. Banks Middle Schoolers were all smiles as they showed off their speed and enjoyed the fresh powder during their PE classes on the day before Mid-Winter Break.

Take a short survey on your school and be entered for a chance to win $1,000. Open to students, parents, and recent alumni. Enter the survey by clicking here or in the graphic.

Deadline: February 28, 2025

It is with a heavy heart that we share the passing of our beloved colleague and friend, Jennie Ashley, after her courageous battle with cancer. She was a valued member of our Walled Lake Schools family, touching the lives of countless students and colleagues with her kindness, dedication, and steadfast commitment to our school community.

Thank you for sending strength and peace to Jennie’s family and loved ones during this time.

The Walled Lake Consolidated Schools’ Board of Education appointed Dr. Gary Puhl a Supervisor of Special Services at its February 6, 2025 meeting. His first day will be on Monday, March 3.

Puhl comes to Walled Lake from the Wayne Regional Educational Service Agency, where he served as the Director of Special Education for almost two years. There he was responsible for the oversight and delivery of special education services for all the local education agencies and public schools in Wayne County.

“I am excited to join the Walled Lake community!” said Puhl. “My goal as a supervisor of Special Services is to foster an inclusive, supportive environment where every student receives the resources and opportunities they need to thrive.”

Continue reading on the district website.

All current 8th grade students and their parents/guardians are invited to attend 8th Grade Families' Night (for incoming 9th graders) on Monday, March 3 at their future Walled Lake high school: Walled Lake Central, Walled Lake Northern, or Walled Lake Western. The event begins at 6:30 p.m. in the auditoriums at all three schools.

This event includes presentations from administration, counseling, and academic departments. Athletic teams, clubs, and activities will also be on-hand for students and families to learn more about extracurricular involvement in high school.

District attendance maps can be found at https://www.wlcsd.org/about-us/district-maps.

The purpose of the Irene Daniels Walled Lake PTSA Council Scholarship is to encourage worthy students to undertake a post-secondary course of study. The Council Scholarship Committee reviews applications and qualifications of students from Walled Lake Northern, Walled Lake Central, and Walled Lake Western High Schools and one winner from each school is selected every year. The PTSA Council bases some of the criteria of the scholarship on volunteerism, leadership, school activities/honors, and recommendations by counselors or teachers. The three students selected each receive $750 to use toward future educational costs.

Complete the application form on the Walled Lake PTSA webpage: https://www.wlcsd.org/families/ptsa-council/irene-daniels-scholarship

We would like to inform you about the required spring testing for all students in grades 9 through 11. This includes the PSAT 9, PSAT 10, and SAT with Essay exams. All of these exams have moved to a digital format and will be administered on school issued Chromebooks. Paper-and-pencil versions of the exams are no longer available. In addition, 11th-grade students will take the WorkKeys assessment of workplace skills, as well as the Michigan Student Test of Educational Progress (M-STEP) in Social Studies and Science.

Save the Date

Below are the important testing dates for your family calendar. Please make every effort to avoid scheduling appointments or planned absences on these days. All spring testing activities are graduation requirements for Walled Lake students. Students should bring fully charged Chromebooks for the dates below.

March 17 - March 21

• Grades 9, 10, 11 — Digital Readiness Check during English classes.

April 8

• 9th Grade — 7:15 a.m. PSAT 9 Exam (only 9th graders in the morning)
• Grades 10, 11, 12 - 11:15 a.m. Delayed start of school day.

April 9

• 11th Grade — 7:15 a.m. SAT Exam (only 11th graders in the morning)
• Grades 9, 10, 12 - 12:00 p.m. Delayed start of school day.

April 10

• 10th Grade — 7:15 a.m. PSAT 10 Exam
• 11th Grade — 7:15 a.m. WorkKeys Exam (paper & pencil)
• Grades 9, 12 - 11:30 a.m. Delayed start of school day.

Additional Things to Know about the online PSAT and SAT Exams

The SAT and PSAT exams have now gone fully digital, and are in their second year. Students will test on school issued Chromebooks and submit their test answers online at the end of testing.

Adaptive Testing in Two Modules

Both the PSAT and SAT exams are now adaptive, meaning the difficulty of questions changes based on the student's performance. The test is divided into two sections: Reading & Writing and Math. To help prepare, you can read more about the Digital SAT Adaptive Testing on the College Board website.

For Michigan students, the SAT with Essay includes a third written essay section. The SAT with Essay lasts about 3 ½ hours, while the PSAT-9 and PSAT-10 exams take about 2 ½ hours.

Changes to the Math Section

Calculator use is now permitted throughout the Math section of these exams. Students can bring their own approved handheld calculator or use the virtual graphing calculator integrated into the testing software.

Practice

We encourage students to take at least one full-length practice test at home to become familiar with the SAT/PSAT format and timing. During the Digital Readiness Check in March, students will receive a sign-in ticket with a code to access Bluebook, an app that allows students to take up to three full-length practice exams online. For more information, follow this link Full Length Practice Tests.

Parents Guide to the SAT

To learn more about what is tested on the SAT, how to register for additional SAT test dates, and how to send score reports to colleges, please visit the Parents Guide to the SAT on the College Board website.

Information regarding spring testing for the secondary level is listed below. Schools will be following up directly with families regarding any adjusted time schedules as part of these testing days:

• 8th Grade PSAT - April 15 | Delay start for 6th & 7th graders
• M-Step - April 21-24 | SMBS, WCMS
• M-Step - April 29 - May 2 | CHS
• M-Step - May 6-9 | GMS
• iReady - May 12-15 | GMS

Year-end presents a great opportunity to celebrate our top senior student athletes and their opportunity to continue their athletic careers in college.

Please provide the following information on SENIOR athletes that have either:

- received a scholarship to play college athletics

- have a spot guaranteed to them on a college roster as a "preferred walk-on."

The information will be used by each school to plan their signing days and will also be printed in the LEARNING newsletter (if approved.)

The Walled Lake Consolidated School District is committed to supporting the health and well-being of our students and families. To help address concerns about vaping, we are sharing valuable resources that provide information on the risks of vaping and strategies for prevention. These tools are designed to empower families with knowledge and support meaningful conversations at home. Together, we can help every child make healthy choices every day.

• E-cigarettes and Vaping: What Parents Should Know - American Lung Association
• E-cigarettes and Youth: What Parents Need to Know - Centers for Disease Control

• E-cigarettes/Vaping Facts - Oakland County Health Department

The Shining Stars Award recognizes outstanding individuals who have supported the special needs community within Walled Lake Schools.

Love your child's bus driver? Nominate them.

Love your child's Unified coach or buddy? Nominate them!

Some of the qualities of the nominee might include: a positive attitude, dedication, dependability, self-motivation, helpfulness and more.

Nominees can be anyone associated with the special needs community: teacher, para, bus driver, aide,buddy, parent, coach, volunteer, etc. Nominate someone today using this link or the button below.

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Every nominee will be recognized and receive a Shining Stars Award at the ceremony on

May 22, 2025 at Walled Lake Central High School. There will be special performances during the ceremony that you won't want to miss! Community agencies will also be available to share their services and resources. Mark your calendar!

All nominations must be received on or before May 1, 2025.

Questions? Contact WalledLakePAC@gmail.com

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.

Please complete the following form in order to be considered for the Graduate Spotlight section of the WLCSD quarterly Learning newsletter. The nominated student needs to be a 2016 graduate or before. Please contact pamelacole@wlcsd.org with any questions.

Mar 13, 2025 7:00 PM EDT

Walled Lake Northern Unified Basketball Team

All Tickets Include:

• Access to the Pistons game
• Access to Unified games
• Unified Showcase Winter Beanie
• A donation to the Walled Lake Northern High School Unified Program

All Unified players are sitting in section 101.

Section 208 are for people who only plan to attend the Unified games and not the Pistons game later that night.

Timing:

11:30am - Doors Open

12:00pm - Berkley vs Clarkston

12:55pm - Northwestern vs Avondale

1:45pm - Walled Lake Northern vs Livonia Churchill

2:35pm - Northville Unified vs Hartland Unified

*You must have a ticket to the Pistons game to get access to the Unified games*

*If you DO NOT plan on attending the Pistons game, we encourage you to purchase the most affordable ticket possible*

*If you would like to purchase lower-level tickets, please contact Andy Myers at 313.771.7588 or amyers@pistons.com

• SATURDAY, MARCH 15, 2025
  
• 10:00AM
  
• Benefiting Pediatric Cancer Research at U of M C.S. Mott Children's Hospital
  
• Register or Donate at www.Passion-for-Life.org
• Downtown Walled Lake

During the 2024-25 school year, all Michigan public school students in grades Pre-K through 12 will have access to free breakfast and free lunch everyday through the "Healthy School Meals for All" program. This includes a meat/meat alternative, grain, fruit/vegetable and milk. A la carte items will be available for purchase.

Families are still encouraged to complete the Child Nutrition and Education Benefits Application in Skyward to help secure additional funding for the District including Title I funding. By completing the form, eligible families may also receive access to other benefit programs including reduced registration fees for standardized testing, discounted college application fees, pay to participate, discounted home internet access, and more.

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