District Update

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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• May 8-17: WLCSD K-12 Art Show; all day during regular business hours at the Commerce Twp. Community Library (180. E. Commerce Rd, Commerce Township)
• May 15-16: SBMS presents "The Spongebob Musical: Youth Edition"; 7 p.m. at Sarah Banks Middle School - Tickets are available NOW!
• May 18-19: WCMS presents "Matilda The Musical Jr." 6:30 p.m. at Walnut Creek Middle School - Tickets area available NOW!
• May 25: District CLOSED - Memorial Day
• May 29: Adult Transitions Program (ATP) Graduation; 11 a.m. at WL Western High School
• May 31: WLCSD Commencement Ceremonies - Eastern Michigan University

We are excited to share new exterior renderings of the future Wixom Elementary, scheduled to open in fall 2027. The renderings provide an early look at the design and vision for the new school, which will serve students and families for generations to come.

As planning and construction continue, we look forward to sharing additional updates and milestones with our community.

On March 24, 2026, the Oakland Schools Board of Education approved a measure to allow a new ballot initiative to move forward. This proposal, an Oakland County Enhancement Millage, will appear on the August 4, 2026, ballot. The proposal calls for a 1.50 mill levy for a period of six years (2026-2031). If passed, the millage would provide an additional $781 per student to every public school district and eligible public school academy in the county.

Funds would be collected by Oakland Schools and distributed per student to local districts. Oakland Schools would not keep any of the funds. Each district’s Board of Education would determine how funds are used. For more information, please visit the Oakland County Enhancement Millage website.

• Gracie Diamond, Walled Lake Northern
• Mercer Gathers, Walled Lake Central
• Mayuri Rahulan, Walled Lake Western

(Pictured left to right)

Five Walled Lake Consolidated Schools’ buildings were recognized by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Engery as Michigan Green Schools for 2026.

Dublin Elementary was honored as an Evergreen School, which is the highest designation for schools that complete numerous activities related to environmental stewardship.

Clifford H. Smart Middle School and Pleasant Lake Elementary were designated as Emerald Schools, and Oakley Park Elementary and Walled Lake Northern were recognized as Green Schools.

A school is eligible to receive a Green School, Emerald School or Evergreen School Environmental Stewardship Designation if the school or students perform the required number of activities, with a minimum of two activities from each of the three categories: Reduce/Reuse/Recycle/Energy, Environmental Protection and Miscellaneous Activities. Evergreen is the highest ranking followed by Emerald then Green.

Walled Lake Northern’s architecture and engineering students shined on the biggest stage at the annual Michigan Industrial Technology Education Society (MITES) state competition.

The Knights’ had 38 projects advanced to the state level competition, and 14 students placed in the Top 3 with their designs. Nine took first place.

Among those 14 students, Claire Gurski took first place in both of her categories for her mellophone. Mason Cooprider, Lucy Holland and Kristina Shelley-Slaughter also earned Top 3 honors in two categories a piece.

The annual K-12 Student Art Show is currently on display at the Commerce Township Library through this Sunday, May 17.

Makes sure to swing by to catch all of our students' incredible artwork!

Walled Lake Central band students, Saya Farrell and Anthony Watson, performed in the 2026 Michigan School Band and Orchestra Association (MSBOA) State Spring Honors Festival Concert this past Friday at Oakland University.

Farrell was featured as one of only four soloists in the entire state to perform her solo at the concert. Watson was selected as first chair trumpet for the MSBOA State Brass Choir.

Walled Lake Northern alumnus Jack Biron (’23) celebrated with his teammates on Friday night at the top of the lacrosse world as Grand Valley State University took home its second national championship in program history.

Biron and Lakers came from behind to beat St. Thomas, 11-10, to claim the MCLA Division II National Championship. The former Knights’ star had one goal in the national final.

It's time to salute the unstoppable Class of 2026!

Help us shine the spotlight on their incredible journey and unforgettable memories on social media as graduation draws near!

Thank you for taking a moment to provide helpful feedback and insight for our building leaders as we begin to wrap up the 2025-26 school year and look ahead to 2026-27. Please find the appropriate survey linked below:

Assistant Principal Survey for Secondary Students

Assistant Principal Survey for Staff

Assistant Principal Survey for Parents

Principal Survey for Elementary Students

Principal Survey for Secondary Students

Principal Survey for Staff

Principal Survey for Parents

After 38 years in education, including 27 years as an athletic director and the past 17 years serving the Walled Lake Consolidated School District, Brian Swinehart has announced his retirement at the conclusion of this school year.

That District would like to thank Mr. Swinehart for his many years of service and the positive influence he has had on generations of students. The District wishes him all the best in his well-earned retirement.

Mr. Swinehart's retirement provided us with the opportunity to review and evaluate the current District athletic administration structure. Through this analysis, it was identified that transitioning to a school-based athletic director model provides a cost-saving option for the District along with aligning our current staffing more appropriately with the student enrollment at each high school. This structure also supports the continued growth and development of individual school athletic programs and creates flexibility for future needs.

Under this model, each high school will have an athletic director responsible for the athletic leadership of that school and one middle school, along with additional administrative duties. The structure will also continue to support the coordination and sharing of unified and co-op sports teams. In addition, each school and athletic director will be supported by a District athletic secretary to ensure consistency and efficiency in purchasing, scheduling, and established processes and procedures.

Walnut Creek Middle School social worker, Michelle Brown, received a Golden Apple Award at the May 7, 2026 Board of Education meeting.

Brown was nominated by Walnut Creek resource room teacher, Marie Walker, for representing the district with professionalism, compassion and dedication.

Brown makes a meaningful impact, not only within the school but also in the wider community, through her volunteer work with Hospitality House. She manages the weekend food program at Walnut Creek Middle School and has led both holiday food programs this school year, reflecting the district’s commitment to supporting students and families beyond the school day.

Continue reading on District website.

Hickory Woods Elementary ASD paraeducator, Sirisha Sistla, received a Golden Apple Award at the May 7, 2026 Board of Education meeting.

Sistla was nominated by fellow Hickory Woods Elementary ASD paraeducator, Beth Roberts, for being a kind, dedicated and patient paraeducator for students with autism.

Sistla has worked in the ASD classroom for six years. She consistently has a positive attitude and strong connection to her students and families. Sistla celebrates each accomplishment her students make and knows how to gently push every child toward reaching their full potential through steady encouragement.

“Sirisha’s charismatic personality and perseverance inspire students and staff to love school and strive for success,” said Roberts. “She mentors new paraeducators by modeling effective strategies in special education classrooms and guides families by sharing what has worked for their children.”

Continue reading on District website.

GBrand USA Athletic Apparel owner, Brian Matelic, received a Golden Apple Award at the April 9, 2026 Board of Education meeting.

Matelic was nominated by Walled Lake Central Unified coach, Toni Brubaker-Flood, for being a positive force in the unified movement at Walled Lake Central through his generous donations of apparel and Inclusion Week assembly prizes.

“Brian leads by example as a champion for inclusion, believing that all student-athletes deserve the same recognition, whether they are neurodivergent or neurotypical,” said Brubaker-Flood.

Matelic has donated more than $7,000 worth of apparel to Walled Lake Central’s unified athletics program because he understands that when athletes feel valued and look their best, it boosts confidence and morale.

Continue reading on district website.

Apply today to become a School Bus Driver with Dean Transportation – a family-led company committed to serving our schools and communities.

We’ re hiring for multiple roles across the area that offer:

• Paid Training
• Weekday & Flexible Hours
• School Breaks Off
• Most important – an opportunity to make a difference in our schools and communities.

Why wait? Interview now. Get hired today.

Learn more and apply at Deanjobs.com or stop by and see us at the event!

Get them excited about school with a Kindergarten Welcome Kit! The kits cost $35, with proceeds supporting the FFE's mission to put more tools and resources in classrooms across the district.

Each kit contains:

• A "Grow With Me" Shirt (all shirts are adult size large) displaying the student's graduation year. (2039 for Kindergarten or 2040 for Junior Kindergarten)

• A school specific yard sign displaying the school mascot and graduation year.

• A folder with information about the school, district calendar, book to welcome them the Kindergarten, PTA contact information and more.

Kits can be ordered through July 30 and will be available for pick up in August, likely the week before school begins. Delivery is available for an additional fee if you live within WLCSD boundaries.

The WLCSD IT team wanted to make you aware of an ongoing email delivery issue affecting families who use Hotmail (including @hotmail.com, @outlook.com, and @live.com email addresses). At this time, some teacher emails are not consistently reaching Hotmail inboxes.

While we work to resolve this issue, we ask families using Hotmail to please add the following email domains to their Safe Senders list to help ensure delivery:

• @wlcsd.org
• @teachers.wlcsd.org

How to Add Safe Senders in Hotmail / Outlook

1. Log in to your Hotmail/Outlook email account.
2. Click the Settings (gear icon) in the top right corner.
3. Select Mail, then Junk email.
4. Under Safe senders and domains, click Add.
5. Enter wlcsd.org, click Enter, and repeat for teachers.wlcsd.org.
6. Click Save.

Alternatively, families can log in to Family Access to view communications from teachers. We are asking all teachers to post messages in Family Access in addition to sending emails so that families have multiple ways to access important information.

Families also have the option to provide a non-Hotmail email address for communication. If you would like to do this, please contact your student’s building secretary for assistance.

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.

Join us for a fun night of lacrosse as the Lakes Valley Conference champions take on our program alumni at 6:30 p.m. on June 4 at Walled Lake Northern!

Lacrosse alumni from all three high schools are invited to suit up for the 3rd annual event and can sign up by completing the 2026 Alumni Game Registration.

Join the Walled Lake Marching Band for their 3rd Annual Mattress Fundraiser on June 7 at WL Western High School from 11am to 4pm. This sale benefits Walled Lake Marching Band students.

• Twin mattresses from $249
• Full mattresses from $299
• Queen mattresses from $350
• King mattresses from $499

For more information, please contact tyler.millard@cfsbeds.com.

The Commerce Township Community Library Summer Reading Challenge begins Saturday, June 13. Celebrate with crafts and activities! Plus, don’t miss the Heart of Lakes Festival taking place at the crossroads of Commerce and S. Commerce.

• 10am-12pm: Jurassic Adventure Dino Petting Zoo and Oakland Parks Bouncers
• 11am-1pm: Foam Party
• 12-3pm: Juggling with Crazy Craig*
• 2-3pm: Live Music with Guy Louis*
• 4-6pm: Bubble Part

The WLW Co-Ed Middle School Volleyball Camp is open to all incoming 5th - 8th graders

• June 17 - 19, 9 am - noon
• The cost is $120 and includes camp shirt
• The location is Sarah Banks Middle School
• Camp is run by the WLW girls volleyball team and head coach Miguel Strauss.

Join the WL Northern Football Team for a "mini" mini-camp on Tuesday, June 23 from 6-7 p.m. Admission is free. Please contact Josh Perusse for more information and to register: JoshuaPerusse@wlcsd.org

Largest Mental Health Festival in the WORLD @ The Detroit Zoo July 12 , 2026!

• 8 a.m. - Tent activities begin / General welcome
• 8:45 a.m. - Voluntary zoo walk begins
• 10:30 a.m. - All participants must be checked in and inside the zoo
• 12 p.m. - Raffles winners announced
• 12:30 p.m. - Festival ends/tent activities close - Enjoy your day at the zoo!

Tickets for this event are FREE but registration is required. Please contact Words of Hope for Life for more information and how to register.

ViewFest is the world’s largest mental health and prevention festival. Founded in 2021, it has

grown into a one-day, community-powered celebration that brings together thousands of

Hope 4 Life that leverages large, joyful gatherings to promote wellness, reduce stigma, and

strengthen protective factors against substance use. Unlike conventional festivals or health

fairs, every element of ViewFest is interactive: each table offers hands-on activities, coping

tools, and direct connections to resources in a vibrant, stigma-free environment.

Save the date for the Taste of the Lakes 25th anniversary event. September 29, 2026, 5 - 8 pm at Edgewood Country Club, 8399 Commerce Rd., Commerce Twp., MI.

During the 2025-26 school year, all Michigan public school students in grades Pre-K through 12 will have access to free breakfast and free lunch every day 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 free/reduced meal form on Skyward Family Access help secure additional funding for the District including Title I funding. By completing the form, eligible families may also receive access to other free and reduced programs within the District including SAT testing, pay to participate and more.

Thanks to the generosity of the Walled Lake Schools Federal Credit Union (WLSFCU), Legacy Scholarship Funds recipients are eligible to receive an extra $100 from the WLSFCU. To receive the $100 bonus, recipients must open a savings or checking account with WLSFCU and have their scholarship funds direct-deposited to their new (or existing) account.

To take advantage of this offer, recipients should contact Bryan Feldpausch by email at: bfeldpausch@wlsefcu.com no later than June 1, 2026. If a student recipient already has an account with WLSFCU, they must still contact Mr. Feldpausch and request the $100 bonus. All funds will be disbursed on August 1, 2026. Congratulations to the Class of 2026.

The Hospitality House Food Pantry is looking for volunteers to help:

• Shopping with clients in the pantry
• Sorting goods
• Providing warehouse support

Learn more by visiting www.hhfp.org/volunteer.

Call (248) 858-1306 to schedule your appointment.

Help make a difference by volunteering at the Making Spirits Bright community book bank!

We're located at 28580 Orchard Lake Road, Suite 210, Farmington Hills, MI 483414.

Learn more by visiting www.MakingSpiritsBright.org.

Need a place you can trust to do your banking? Give Walled Lake Schools Federal Credit Union a try!

We serve students and staff of Walled Lake Consolidated Schools, as well as their families.

Learn more at www.wlsfcu.com.

No matter where you live in the United States, you can easily access 24/7 emotional support.

Call or text 988 or visit www.988lifeline.org/chat to chat with a caring counselor. We are here for you!

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