2025-2026 School Calendar will be shared with all families as soon as it is available!

Lost and Found items will be in Door #1 (Main office) Vestibule next Monday 6/9-Thursday 6/12

9AM-3PM Daily

Report card grades are due in PowerSchool by Monday 6/9 @ Midnight. Reports will be available and sent out starting Tuesday 6/10 via parent/guardian email.

Rising 5th Grade Parents,

It is hard to believe that your student is moving on to fifth grade. Time flies! Needless to say, we are excited about planning for next school year. Instead of taking General Music in 5th Grade, students will have the opportunity to choose between Band, Orchestra, and Choir. They will attend this class once per week. Several weeks ago, your student had the opportunity to take part in our instrument petting zoo where they were able to try different band and orchestra instruments and speak with the choir teacher. You should have received a packet of information from your student with their results and choices. By providing choices for 5th grade music, we are confident that students will be empowered in their learning and begin an engaging potential musical pathway for middle school and high school.

The next step is to discuss these choices with your student and then fill out this form, by Friday, June 13th. Once we have everyone's responses, you will receive a follow up email that verifies your students' selection.

Attached to your students' selection packet they brought home is our rental information for instruments.

If you need another copy please click the links below.

Baroque Violin Shop

Marshall Music Co.

Renting an instrument is the best way to allow your student to participate in band or orchestra. Renting the instrument not only includes an insurance policy against damage, loss, and theft, it also comes with the method book, music stand, and any needed supplies to begin with and can be exchanged for size in the case of string instruments.

While renting is the recommended route (especially for beginners), some families may choose to purchase an instrument outright. There are many options and brands out there, and of varying quality. Generally, low quality instruments break often, are difficult and/or expensive to repair, and require more effort to play correctly. Therefore, we strongly encourage you to check with your child’s band or orchestra teacher before finalizing any transactions.

We look forward to working with our students this fall in our band, orchestra and choir classes.

Andrea Cole - Orchestra (andrea.cole@wbsd.org)

Nicole Kutsick - Choir (nicole.kutsick@wbsd.org)

Karl Stein - Band (karl.stein@wbsd.org)

Orchard Lake Fine Art Show by Hot Works

Returns to West Bloomfield

July 26 & 27, 2025

Call for Youth Artists

Grades K-8 or Ages 5-13

Deadline to Apply is July 10

Apply Now!

https://hotworks.org/kids/

The Doherty PTO (parent teacher organization) plays an important role in making each school year at Doherty successful for both students and staff alike. The fundraising and organization efforts of the Doherty PTO and other volunteers make Doherty a special place to be! Be sure to watch for communications from the Doherty PTO and help out where and when you can!

Thank you to:

Brandeis Bell - President

Elizabeth Graham- Vice President

Janine Valk- Treasurer

Diane Gomez Burden- Secretary

Tiffani Parker - VP of Fundraising

Lisa Bell - VP Communications

Laura Mateer - VP Communications

The Doherty school community is thankful for your tireless efforts this year supporting students and family this year!

Looking forward to next year, congratulations to the incoming Doherty PTO board.

Elizabeth Graham- President

Terri Hoyer Compton - Executive Vice President

Janine Valk - Treasurer

Diane Gomez Burden - Recording Secretary

Lisa Bell- Marketing & Communications

Brandeis Bell - Vice President

We have students and staff that utilize the handicap/accessible parking spots in the parking lot. It's VERY important that those spaces remain available for students (parents) with disabilities as well as staff and the sidewalk ramp should always be clear. There should be a visible placard or plate in view on any vehicle parked in those spaces all day every day. Please help us keep those students, their parents and staff safe during their arrivals and departures from Doherty.

Doherty staff will be reaching out to caregiver and/or emergency contacts to remove a student from school for any of the following reasons.

1. A student with any of the following symptoms will be excluded from school until the student is symptom-free, has been satisfactorily treated, or submits a signed physician's statement that he/she is not contagious:

• Temperature of 100.4 degrees or more. Student must be fever free for 24 hours, without medication, before coming back to school.
• Nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea. Student must be symptom-free for 24 hours without medication before coming back to school.
• Headache of unknown origin or due to injury.
• Pain and/or swelling in the neck.
• Undiagnosed rash over any part of the body.
• Undiagnosed scaly patches on the body or scalp.
• Red, draining eyes.
• Intense itching with signs and symptoms of secondary infection.
• Open, draining lesions that cannot be covered.
• Jaundice, yellow color of skin or eyes.
• An unwell-looking student that is acting abnormally such as lethargy, crying, difficulty breathing, or continuous cough.

2. The Principal or his/her designee will notify the parent/guardian that the student must be

excluded for medical reasons.

3. It is the responsibility of the parent/guardian to transport the student from school to

his/her home in a timely manner. If the campus cannot reach the parent/guardian, emergency contacts will be notified to pick the student up.

4. For readmission to school, some diseases may require a statement from the student's physician affirming that the student is not contagious. This will be evaluated and determined on a case-by-case basis.

Start time 9:10 a.m.

Dismissal time 4:02 p.m.

Late Start Time: 10:10 a.m.

Half-Day Dismissal time: 12:12

• Bell Times
• Calendar for 2024-25
• Family Portal - Online Payments
• Food for Kids (formerly Blessings in a Backpack Information
• Kids Connect Student Care Information
• Kindergarten Information
• PowerSchool Login
• PowerSchool Account Information
• Safeline/Attendance Information

• Students may elect to pack a lunch from home OR order a Free Lunch
• One breakfast and one lunch permitted per student per day

On behalf of Nutrition Services, we would like to take this opportunity to welcome our students to the 2024 – 2025 school year! As Aramark Student Nutrition, are pleased to be your school district’s food service provider.

We want to share important news that will affect many families. School meals will be no cost to all onsite students this school year through a State funded program called Michigan School Meals. Each child is eligible for one free breakfast and lunch daily in the cafeteria on school days. There will be an additional charge for additional meals, milk only, bottled beverages and snack items.

We encourage families to continue to apply for meal benefits online at westbloomfield.familyportal.cloud. These supplemental programs have the potential
to offer additional support for reduced priced sports, ACT, SAT, college application and AP exam waivers. This information is critical in determining the amount of money our school receives from a variety of State and Federal supplemental programs.

When will I find out who my child's teacher will be?

Classroom placements and teacher assignments are prepared over the summer and will be shared with families approximately a week before the school year starts or sooner if finalized.

When can I see my child's classroom?

We will hold an open house for families in September, the information is included in this newsletter and will be sent home several times before school starts.

How do I find out where my bus stop is and when the bus picks up and drops off?

The transportation department routes all students eligible for bussing throughout the summer and will mail that information directly to families in mid-August. Other information about transportation is available on the WBSD Transportation website including School Of Choice Shuttle requests.

How does the school keep the building secure throughout the day?

The exterior doors and main entrance are ALWAYS locked at Doherty. All visitors must access the building by being admitted through our main office. Unscheduled visitors are not permitted and guests are accompanied at all times while in the building. We are also equipped with video surveillance and frequent patrols from the West Bloomfield Police Department.

Is the school nut-free?

The school is not nut-free but classrooms are. Any snack consumed in the classrooms must be nut-free. Parents of students with severe allergies should contact the office before school starts.

Can we send in cupcakes, or cookies or birthday cake to celebrate my child's birthday?

No. At this time our district and building policy is to not celebrate birthdays with treats, baked goods, candy or food of any kind. Elementary teachers will recognize students on their special day in special ways.

Will the students go outside for recess all year long?

All Doherty students will participate in outdoor recess when safe and weather permits. Outdoor play is important for a child's social and physical development. Parents are encouraged to acquire various weather-appropriate gear for their student to wear during recess. Students are outside for recess unless there is heavy rain, thunderstorms/lightning or the 'feels like' temperature is below 10* Fahrenheit.

How should my child dress for school daily?

Doherty students will play, use various learning materials and art mediums on a daily basis. They will also foster independence outside on the playground and in the cafeteria. Their clothing should be comfortable, weather appropriate and ok to get a little dirty sometimes. Closed toe, well fitting athletic style shoes are strongly encouraged for both safety and practicality.

Can I walk my student to their class on the first day of school?

Unfortunately, we cannot allow parents to accompany their students into the building and to their classrooms. Unscheduled visitors are not permitted for safety reasons and you can imagine what it might look like if there were nearly 500 students and their parents streaming into the building all at the same time! We will have many smiling staff members and teachers greeting students outside every day making sure they get to where they are supposed to be safely.

• Bethany Helka
  Kids Connect Administrative Assistant
  (248) 865-6468
  bethany.helka@wbsd.org