C.H.S CHRONICLES
November 17, 2025
NJHS and Student Council at Clifford Smart held a Veterans Day Fundraiser Coin Challenge to benefit Blue Star Service Dogs. This organization trains shelter dogs to support veterans and first responders who suffer from injuries. There is no cost to those in need as the charity trains and supplies the support animals. They are always looking for monetary donations as well as supplies and equipment for the animals. Information can be found here: https://www.bluestarservicedogs.org/
Clifford Smart students and staff raised $538.41 to be donated to this organization. The 8th Grade class won the coin competition.
We are very proud of the efforts of the CHS Community to support this wonderful organization. The National Junior Honor Society is led by Claire Buell and Lori Sparks. Student Council is led by Andrea Arens.
Hello Clifford H. Smart Families!
Got a middle schooler who’s always dancing in the kitchen, doodling in their notebook, snapping photos of the family pet, or writing the next great novel in Google Docs? It’s time to turn that creativity into something amazing — the PTSA Reflections Contest deadline is coming up fast! Entries are due this Monday, November 10!
This year’s theme is “I Belong!” — and we can’t wait to see how our Trojans express what belonging means to them through art, music, writing, and creativity.
Students can enter in one (or more!) of these awesome categories:
🎭 Dance Choreography
🎨 Visual Arts
📸 Photography
🎵 Music Composition
✍️ Literature
🎬 Film Production
👉 Submit entries here: https://forms.gle/sTudP3wdfPKbYH586
Remind your Trojan that it’s not about perfection — it’s about creativity and showing the world where they belong! Whether it’s a short film, a song, a poem, or a piece of art, every student’s voice matters.
Got questions or ideas?
Reach out to Jessica Trotter at jrosetrotter82@gmail.com — she’s happy to help!
Let’s fill Clifford Smart with creativity, color, and Trojan pride — because every Trojan belongs!
Walled Lake Schools 27th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration at Walled Lake Northern H.S. on Monday, January 19th at 5:00 p.m.
This year’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration theme is “Service”.
"Everybody can be great…because anybody can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love."
Alec Bender Friend of Diversity Award
Walled Lake Schools has created an award to honor individuals who are true friends of diversity. We hope you will join us in an effort that will result in the selection of a Friend of Diversity. This honor will be bestowed on the recipient(s) at the 27th annual district-wide Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Celebration on Monday, January 19th, 2026.
You are encouraged to nominate a staff member, student, parent, or community member for the Alec Bender Friend of Diversity Award. Nominations will be submitted to the Walled Lake School Central Office Administration for final selection. Nomination forms must be completed no later than Friday, December 12th, 2025. Please click on the form below and nominate someone you believe is deserving of the Friend of Diversity Award.
Alec Bender Friend of Diversity Award
Express Yourself Contest
Walled Lake Students are invited to submit an entry that expresses the theme of “Service” in your own unique way. There are lots of possibilities for creating a project. It can be a piece of writing, music, art, or other visual that shows what unity means to you. Click on the contest form below and submit your entry to your school’s main office by Friday, December 12th.
Thank you for your continued 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.
Dear 5th Grade Parents,
Commerce, Dublin, Glengary and Keith Elementary 5th Grade Students are invited to CHS Middle School on Wednesday, December 3rd at 4:30 p.m. to enjoy some pizza, water, and a CHS Middle School Basketball Game. Students must be accompanied by an adult and report to our cafeteria for pizza and water at 4:30 p.m. before heading over to the main gym to support our Trojan Basketball Team.
Please remind your child that we have the same expectations here at CHS Middle School that they have at their elementary school. We want our children to have fun but also exhibit the sportsmanship and overall behavior that makes our schools a great place to learn and grow in.
Please be sure to complete the form below by Wednesday, November 26th.
Elementary Night at CHS Middle School Form
Thank you and we look forward to seeing you and your child at CHS Middle School on Wednesday, December 3rd.
Respectfully,
Nayal Maktari
It's time to sign up for the Ski Club at Alpine Valley. It will begin on Tuesdays starting January 6thh. Club cards will be $30 and are only available until they are sold out. Please click on the Google Form for more information and to purchase a Club Card. Be sure to follow the Facebook Page - WLN CHS Commerce Ski Snowboard Group for up to date information.
Please text Jill Gallagher at 248-563-2524 with any questions.
Please make every attempt to have your child in school and on time on the following dates:
Wednesday, December 10th (ELA iReady Testing)
Thursday, December 11th (Math iReady Testing)
Thank you!
1st card marking report cards are now accessible through Skyward Family Access.
This is an Early Sign-Up for the upcoming season open to all grades and all genders. Everyone is welcome, with no tryouts and no experience necessary. Wrestling is a great way to build strength, confidence, and teamwork while having fun.
A parent handout with more information about the team and season is available, along with a sign-up for the parent WhatsApp group chat to stay connected and informed. Sign up today to secure your spot for an exciting season on the mat!
CHS Wrestling Team Interest Form
All items in our Lost and Found area will be donated on Tuesday, November 25th to local charities. Students have been reminded and will continue to be reminded during morning announcements to stop by our Lost and Found area located outside of our Media Center/Learning Commons.
As our district transitions from four middle schools to three, we’ve carefully reviewed how to best structure our middle school swim & dive program. In past years, we offered two separate teams, but this change has made it difficult to maintain an even and effective split. Moving forward, we will have one combined middle school swim & dive team representing all three schools. This approach aligns with other districts that also combine multiple middle schools into a single team, helping us create a stronger, more unified program. To ensure that all swimmers and divers, receive quality instruction and support, we will also be adding additional coaches to meet the diverse needs of our athletes.
We will have a pre-season meeting on Thursday November 13th at 6:00 p.m. at Walled Lake Central High School Cafeteria.
Apparel ordering for middle school swim & dive (due Nov. 14):
https://wlmsswim.spiritsale.com/
Swimsuit ordering for middle school swim & dive (due Nov. 25):
https://differentstrokesswimshop.com/collections/walled-lake-ms
Michigan will unfortunately soon be turning cold and dreary. Last year, thanks to the wonderful support of our PTSA and families we were able to offer a game room for the students during inside recess. This was filled with cornhole, foos ball, ping pong and air hockey. We had chess and cards and variety of things for kids to do. We need more stuff like that. Believe it or not middle school kids are hard on stuff even when they are not trying to be. We are welcoming any donations, Facebook Marketplace purchases, etc. This is a great opportunity to get rid of that old ping pong table that is taking up space in your basement.
Please reach out to Mr. Spickard stevenspickard@wlcsd.org if you would like to help. He will even come pick it up.
Thank you!
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!
You can also click on the QR code to register your child.
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:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- When the chromebook has been repaired, it will be delivered back to the school for the student to pick up.
- 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.
*Reply @LEAVE to the number you are receiving messages from if you'd like to leave the text group at anytime.
Transportation Information
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.
MAIN OFFICE CONTACT INFORMATION
Please feel free to call our main office with any questions at 248.956.3500. You can also email us.
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
SCHOOL BELL TIMES
SCHOOL STARTS 8:10 A.M.
DISMISSAL 3:00 P.M.
1/2 DAY DISMISSAL 11:40 A.M.
Smart Administrative Team
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