The Banks Bulletin

Dear Banks Families:

This week, we proudly celebrate our amazing Interim Assistant Principal, Ms. Smith, whose dedication and compassion make a profound impact on our school community every single day. She works tirelessly to ensure our students feel safe, supported, and seen. Whether it’s offering a listening ear, guidance, or a laugh with a smile, her presence is a constant source of strength and positivity.

Her commitment to being visible and accessible is unmatched—she builds meaningful, positive connections with each of our Bulldogs, reminding them that they matter and that they belong. Her heart of gold and uplifting spirit inspire us all.

We are beyond grateful for her leadership, her kindness, and her unwavering devotion to our school. Simply put, we’d be lost without her.

Thank you for everything you do, today and always. 💙

Cheers,

Jennifer VanWagnen, Principal

We Are Banks!

April

4/15: 8th Grade PSAT Testing, Late Start for 6th/7th Grade Students (See Below)

4/15: Fire Drill in PM

4/16 Boys and Girls Track vs. Muir, Home @WLC

4/17: Cabinet to visit Sarah G. Banks MS

4/17: WLC football parent information night for JV and V players, 6 PM in Media Center

4/18: Good Friday, No School for Staff or Students

4/21-4/25: M-STEP Testing @ Banks

4/23: Administrative Professionals' Day

4/23: Boys and Girls Track @ WLW

4/25: 8th Grade Panoramic Photo

4/28: Rescheduled. Banks PTSA Meeting @ 6:30 PM

4/29: Half Day for Students, Staff Professional Development

As an important reminder, all 8th grade students will take the PSAT on Tuesday, April 15th. Students will use a district Chromebook to complete the Digital Readiness process. Please be sure your student brings their Chromebook fully charged on these days. If your student does not have a district Chromebook, one will be available for them to borrow. If you have any questions, please reach out to Mrs. Danforth, 8th Grade Counselor at CarrieDanforth@wlcsd.org.

PSAT

All Walled Lake 8th graders will be here for a full day and 6th and 7th graders will have a late start on April 15th. It is important that all 8th grade students who are feeling well on April 15th attend school for testing.

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 11:55 a.m.
• Please do not drop off 6th/7th grade students before 11:55 AM.

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.
• 
  

Transportation will be provided to all students to and from school on April 15th. Please see the document below for pickup times.

Attention prospective National Junior Honors Society (NJHS) students and parents: Banks is proud to announce that applications for NJHS will open in the fall of the 2025-2026 school year. This is a slight deviation from past practices as middle school redistricting takes place. The idea is that all students being placed into a new school will have time to settle in before we begin the NJHS application process. Look for information and application forms in September of 2025.

We have noticed an increase of the number of students who have removed their district Chromebooks from the cases. Please help us to remind them to leave students that district issued devices MUST be kept in the cases to keep them safe and prevent damage. Thank you for your support!

The Washington, DC trip is now at full capacity and closed to new registrations. To view the meeting presentation from the October 10th parent meeting, please click here. If you have any questions about the DC trip, please reach out to Mr. Morrow at DavidMorrow@wlcsd.org.

We are excited to share with you that our SMBS NJHS members have been invited to participate in a Walled Lake Community Blanket Making Event. Join us on Saturday, April 12th at Walled Lake Central High School in Walled Lake, MI to make 1,000 blankets for 1,000 kiddos in the hospital! Registration is FREE, and any additional fundraising or donations help support MORE blankets to be made!

Please help support comforting kids in the hospital by registering to attend or making a donation through this page! Every dollar counts! Thank you!

Here are the ways you can help:

1. Attend the event - Register and plan to attend the event Saturday, April 12th, 2025 at Walled Lake Central any time from 10:00am-2:00pm to help make blankets. Family and friends can also join our team! There will be food trucks available with food to purchase, face-painting, and other festivities. NJHS members will receive Community Service hours…just check in with Mrs. Nelson at the event!

2. Make a donation - Our NJHS group fundraising goal is $1,000. Share this link with family and friends to help us reach our goal! Every $30 donation = one blanket.

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 for your Support of NJHS and Walled Lake!

We’re currently in our enrollment period, and we want to make sure students who are interested have the chance to join.

Our meet this year is scheduled for May 17th, and we’re excited to get the team organized for the season.

Our National Junior Honor Society members, under the supervision of Mrs. Nelson, NJHS Sponsor, will be tutoring students at SBMS in the Learning Commons (Media Center) on Wednesdays from 3:15-4:15 P.M. Students are expected to come prepared to work, which means they should come with assignments, textbooks, and any other needed materials. Students without assignments will not be permitted to stay for tutoring.

If you wish for your child to attend after-school tutoring, complete this form by the Tuesday the day before you which to begin tutoring.

Should you have questions, please contact Mrs. Nelson at ErikaNelson@wlcsd.org (Please allow for a 24 hour response time).

The purpose of the Kindness Matters award is to honor and recognize those individuals and organizations who exhibit kindness and care toward others.

You may nominate any student, teacher, secretary, administrator, bus driver, playground supervisor, or any Walled Lake Schools employee. You may nominate a parent, grandparent, or community member. You may nominate a company, a store, or an organization.

You may select any or all of the above who: demonstrate kindness on a frequent basis, go out of their way to make others feel better, lead initiatives in their school or community to benefit others, or inspire others to show kindness.

The deadline to nominate is Monday, April 14.

Attention 8th Grade Girls Interested in Volleyball at Walled Lake Western:

Stay in the loop with all things Western Volleyball! Join our Band app group to get updates on summer training, important dates, and program information.

Join here

https://band.us/n/aca703W4V4meP

Buy books at the Wixom Public Library, 49015 Pontiac Trail, Spring Used Book Sale sponsored by the Friends of the Wixom Library. Advance Sale for Friends Members only on Wednesday April 9th 5 – 7:30 p.m. (memberships available at the door.) Public Sale begins Thursday, April 10 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and will run Friday, April 11th from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. and on Saturday April 12th from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday – Fill a bag $5. Thousands of books and multimedia items for all ages, priced between 25 cents and $2, plus specially priced items.

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 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

Becky Smith

Interim Assistant Principal: rebeccasmith@wlcsd.org

Jennifer Dean

Assistant Principal's Secretary: jenniferdean@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