The Banks Bulletin

Dear Banks Families:

Next week will be a busy one. Your assistance in ensuring your student comes to school prepared will be much appreciated as we complete the 3rd iReady Diagnostic on Monday, May 11th and Wednesday, May 13th.

Please note the iReady Testing Schedule below. The schedule is similar to previous testing dates.

• iReady ELA Testing on Monday, May 11th
• Students report to 1st hour and then attend 4th-6th hour in the afternoon
• iReady Math Testing on Wednsday, May 13th
• Students report to 6th hour and then attend 3rd, 2nd and then 1st hours in the afternoon

We hope many students join us for the PTSA-sponsored Bulldog Best event for students on Wednesday, May 13th from 3-4:30 PM. The registration form and information is linked below.

The upcoming SpongeBob Musical is bound to be a big hit and we are so excited to see all that the students have worked to accomplish! Get your tickets now before they sell out!

As always, it's a beautiful day to be a Banks Bulldog!

Cheers,

Jennifer VanWagnen

We are Banks!

#everychildeveryday #banksproud

The Bulldog Bash is Back!

Play some games, dunk a teacher, listen to some music, eat a snack!

WHEN: Wednesday, May 13th, 2026 3pm to 430pm

Where: The gym and behind the gym outside

FREE ADMISSION!

Concessions will be there for you to purchase snacks and drinks (cash, credit card, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Cash App accepted)!

This year we have Dunk a Teacher! 3 balls for $1! (Small bills and cash only)

Sign up (deadline is Tuesday, May 12, 2026)!

We look forward to hosting our annual Memorial Day Ceremony on Thursday, May 21. Family members of our Banks students who have served our country are invited to have a morning reception of coffee and donuts in the Learning Commons beginning at 8:15 AM. The Ceremony will then begin at 8:30 AM. Please complete the Google Form below to register.

May

5/8: Progress Reports Available to View

5/10: Happy Mother's Day

5/11: iReady Diagnostic-ELA

5/11: PTSA Council Installation and Awards Celebration @ 6:30 PM, Walnut Creek Middle School

5/12: 5th Grade Visit, HWE

5/13: iReady Diagnostic- Math

5/13: K-12 Art Show

5/13: PTSA Sponsored Event for Students: Bulldog Bash @ 3 PM-4:30 PM

5/13: Co-Ed Track vs. Power MS @ 4 PM-WLW

5/14: 5th Grade Visit: WLE

5/14: Cedar Point Parent Chaperone Meeting @ 7 PM in the Band Room

5/15: iReady Make-Up Testing

5/15: SpongeBob Musical @ 7 PM

5/16: SpongeBob Musical @ 7 PM

5/17: SpongeBob Musical @ 2 PM

5/19: Half Day for Students, Staff Professional Development

5/21: Cedar Point Band Rehearsal (cafeteria) and Orchestra Rehearsal (room 122) - 3:00-4:30pm

Walled Lake Schools Art Department Presents

K-12 Student Art Show

Commerce Township Library

180 Commerce Rd, Commerce

Reception: May 13

4:30-7:30pm

Artwork on public display

May 8 - 17

Track and Field

All of our track stars continue to make great strides (pun intended) each day! Next week Wednesday, Banks competes against Walnut Creek at WL Northern @ 4:00 p.m. Also, team and individual photos will be taken during next week Thursday's practice. Picture ordering information will be made available soon.

Go Bulldogs!

Camp Details:
Dates: June 17–19
Time: 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Who: Boys and Girls entering Grades 5–8
Hosted by: Walled Lake Western Varsity Volleyball Team and Coaching Staff

To order and pay, go to mylifetouch.com and enter the Picture Day code: LM015006T0

• Tuesday, June 9 | 9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. | 8th Grade Recognition Ceremony |see page two for more information

• Tuesday, June 9 |6:30 - 8:00 p.m. | 8th Grade Dance | see page two for more information

• Wednesday, June 10 |Last day of school | half day with 11:40 dismissal

Hello Future Warriors,

The WLW PTSA is excited to officially welcome the Class of 2030 to Walled Lake Western in the fall.

Show your Warrior Pride and order your custom yard sign today!

Go to:https://wlw.givebacks.com/shop

Signs will be distributed at your middle school 8th Grade Celebration ceremony! Deadline to order is May 22, 2026!

If you have any questions please contact Sarah Piggott spigs3535@gmail.com

With Warrior Pride,

Sarah Piggott

WLW PTSA President

Congratulations to the Student of the Month Nominees:

Braxton Kelley, Jayden Dorsey, Anastasia Woodard, Delilah Pytlik, Benjamin Novara, Kawthar Alkhalidi,

Reid Vesey, Willow Skidmore, Laya Gilmore, Katalyna Juncaj, MollyAnne MacQueen

• The PTSA approved its slate for next year. Here is the executive board:

• President – Dana Gorman
• Vice President – Heather Sutherlin
• Secretary – Barb Zajdel
• Treasurer – Sarah Reese

Congratulations and welcome to each of these individuals! We are so thrilled to partner with you!

Toys, stuffed animals and NeeDohs should not be brought to school. Due to a recent increase in these items, students have been reminded that NeeDohs and other toys are disruptive to the learning environment and are not permitted at school. We have also become aware of a current and potentially dangerous TikTok trend involving exploding NeeDohs, which has made its way into classrooms, creating significant messes and disrupting instruction.

Moving forward, any such items brought to school will be confiscated and held until a parent or guardian is able to retrieve them. Thank you for partnering with us to help keep our school safe and maintain a learning environment that is positive and productive for all students.

Please consider the safety of our entire Bulldog Community when you are dropping off or picking up your students. Following the procedures at SLOW SPEEDS is the best way to keep everyone safe. Say long good byes while you are driving to school. When dropping off, make sure your student is prepared to exit the car quickly. Families who are prepared for this will help ensure more efficient traffic flow.

• Front Parking Lot Closed Daily, 7:45–8:10 AM
  To promote safe, calm arrivals, the front lot will be blocked to vehicles during this window. Inconsistent use of the lot has created unsafe drop-off situations. This procedure eliminates those risks.

• Bus Loop Closed Until All Buses Unload
  The bus loop is not open to cars during arrival or dismissal. Please do not park or leave your vehicle in the loop. Timing may vary slightly day to day based on bus arrivals.
• . In the event that you need to pick-up early, you must do so before 2:40 p.m.

How you can help:

• Please use district busing as the primary mode of transportation whenever possible.
• Use the pick-up/drop-off line only if you live outside the busing limits.
• Carpool when possible.
• Have backpacks zipped, instruments ready and goodbyes said before unloading to keep lines moving safely. When dropping off, make sure your student is prepared to exit the car quickly.
• Pull all the way forward even after dropping off to help ensure more efficient traffic flow.
• Refrain from cutting through the parking lot. Refer to the map below and adhere to it.
• Unload at all 6 spots-do not wait until you get to spot #1 to unload

The Society of Women Engineers (SWE) Detroit Section is pleased to announce our 18th annual Girls’ Engineering Exploration (GEE) Day on Saturday, June 6, 2026. This year’s open house style event will be held indoors at College for Creative Studies - Taubman Center from 10AM - 2PM. The free event, with lunch provided, is a part of SWE’s continuous effort to educate girls about the endless career opportunities that the engineering field has to offer.

GEE is open to 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th & 8th grade girls. Students will be able to do hands-on activities, learn what engineers do, how they use STEM in their jobs, and interact with women in engineering.

Registration instructions are included on the flyer and linked here. We will take sign ups through 6/3/26--registrations after 5/22/26 are not guaranteed lunch or a t-shirt. We require students to be accompanied by a parent/guardian/trusted adult at all times.

For any questions, please contact us as SWEDetroitGEE@gmail.com.

Sincerely,

SWE Detroit GEE Committee

CALLING ALL ARTISTS AND DESIGNERS for the 2026 PINK OUT T-Shirt Design Contest!

T-Shirt Design Rules:

1. Use only the following colors in the design: Royal Blue, White and Pink.
2. Design must fit on the front center chest area of the t-shirt and can only occupy a space 11” wide by 10” tall.
3. Design must include:

• “Warriors for Warriors” or “W4W”
• “No One Fights Alone”
• W4W original logo

1. Any design submitted is subject to adjustment from the W4W committee or t-shirt company without consent of the artist.
2. All designs submitted become the sole property of W4W and may be used anytime without prior consent of the artist.

DEADLINE: Submit art by May 9, 2026 on our website: www.warriorsforwarriors.net

The winning designer will receive a $50 Visa gift card!

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.

In a world dominated by instant communication, cell phones can be a major distraction during the school day. At Sarah Banks Middle School, our goal is not to limit contact between students and families, but to promote responsible and appropriate use of technology in an academic setting.

Policy Overview:

• Student cell phones must remain in lockers throughout the school day.
• If a student needs to contact a parent or guardian, they must do so through the attendance office.
• Students are not permitted to text or call parents directly during school hours, including when they are feeling unwell or need something.
• In alignment with a district-wide directive, iPads are not permitted at school this year. If used during the school day, iPads will be treated the same as cell phones and subject to the same consequences.

Consequences for Cell Phone Use During the School Day:

• 1st Violation: Phone is confiscated and held in the office until the end of the day. Parents will be contacted with a reminder of the policy and informed of next steps for future incidents.
• 2nd Violation: Phone is confiscated and must be picked up by a parent or guardian in person.
• Repeated Violations: May result in progressive disciplinary action.

Please follow the steps below when your student's District Chromebook needs to be repaired.

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 building admin secretary (enter the name for your building).
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.
6. 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.

At Banks, we believe that a strong school community is built on three essential values: Be Respectful, Be Responsible, and Be Safe. These principles guide everything we do—how we treat one another, how we approach learning, and how we care for our environment.

Being respectful means showing kindness, listening to others, and valuing differences. It’s about treating classmates, teachers, and staff with dignity and courtesy.

Being responsible means owning your actions, making good choices, and doing your part—whether it’s completing assignments, following school rules, or helping others.

Being safe means looking out for yourself and those around you. It means using technology wisely, moving through the building calmly, and speaking up when something doesn’t feel right.

When we live by these values, we create a school where everyone can thrive. Let’s work together to make Banks a place where respect, responsibility, and safety are at the heart of everything we do.

In addition to receiving phone calls and email notifications from the school district in the event of a school closing or emergency, parents can also sign up to receive SMS Text messages.

Please find the helpful step-by-step instructions linked below as well as the video tutorial on signing up for SMS messages.

· Signing Up for SMS Messages via Skylert

Jennifer VanWagnen

Principal: jennifervanwagnen@wlcsd.org

Kellan Watkins

Principal's Secretary: kellanwatkins@wlcsd.org

Anthony McNamara

Assistant Principal: anythonymcnamara@wlcsd.org

Jennifer Dean

Assistant Principal's Secretary: jenniferdean@wlcsd.org

Kevin Zurro

Student Success Coordinator: kevinzurro@wlcsd.org

Important Phone Numbers:

Main Line: 248-956-2200

Attendance: 248-956-2290

Email: JenniferVanWagnen@wlcsd.org
Website: https://banks.wlcsd.org/
Location: 1760 Charms Road Wixom, MI 48393
Phone: (248) 956-2200
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Sarahbanksptsa