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 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
• June 4: Board of Education regular meeting, 7 p.m. at the Educational Services Center
• June 10: Last Day of School - Half Day for Students

A morning to pause, reflect and honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice.

Sarah G. Banks Middle School came together Thursday morning for a meaning Memorial Day assembly which featured student speakers, the 8th grade band and a special recognition of local veterans.

The Cougars, Dragons and Shamrocks enjoyed a wild adventure last week with Peter Brown and Roz!

The New York Times bestselling author visited Dublin Elementary, Keith Elementary and Commerce Elementary, where he read his book "The Wild Robot on the Island", answered questions and showed students how to draw his beloved character, Roz.

The Cougars welcomed Brown to Commerce with their own robot creations! Meanwhile, the Dragons and Shamrocks each took home a signed copy of one of his books courtesy of their building PTAs.

Walled Lake Northern sophomore Jack Nuotilla closed out the Katke Classic with a bang on Saturday afternoon.

Nuotilla sank a hole-in-one on the 6th hole at Ferris State University’s Katke Course in his second to last hole of the tournament.

The Knights finished 10th overall as a team shooting a total score of 660 in the two-day event.

Walled Lake Western had a meet to remember on Friday in Milford at the MHSAA Division 1 Regional Championships as a pair of Warrior relay teams etched their names in program history.

The 4x400 meter relay team took down a decade old record with a blazing time of 3:19.62. The team made up of Grant Havard, Said Baca-Mora, Timon Dogan and Rodney Endsley will enter the state finals as the third fastest team in Michigan.

Dogan and Endsley also earned a new program record in the 4x200 meter relay breaking their own record set a year ago. David Krall and Dennis Basco teamed up with Dogan and Endsley to set the new mark at 1:26.52, which places them as the top-ranked team in the state. The previous record from last season was held by Dogan, Endsley, Troy Temple and Kayson Legg.

The next chapter at Mary Helen Guest Elementary is looking paw-some already!

Champ is preparing for well-earned naps at the end of next school year, while Decker is getting ready to learn the ropes.

Watch Decker's first visit to Mary Helen Guest Elementary on our Facebook and Instagram.

Walnut Creek Middle School students got a behind the scenes look at the Local 4 News studio as part of their Communication Arts class this past week and even made an appearance on “Live in the D”.

The Hawk eighth graders toured the Local 4 newsroom, control room and studio. They also had the opportunity to meet and learn from a handful of Local 4’s on-air personalities, as well as “Live in the D” producer and Walled Lake Central alumna Natalie Newman.

Tuesday's half day turned into a full day of fun at Oakley Park Elementary!

Students enjoyed a morning of fun at their school-wide foam party with a guest appearance from a special unicorn (Mrs. Smith 😉) for surpassing their goal of $30,000 raised in the Owls annual PTA fundraiser.

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!

The Oakland County Enhancement Millage will be on the August 4, 2026 ballot. If approved, each public school district and eligible public school academies would receive approximately $781 per student annually. This proposal would cost about $150 per year for a $200,000 home ($100,000 taxable value).

Districts would use the funding for a variety of reasons. Here are some examples on how these general fund dollars would be spent:

• Staff recruitment and retention

• Stabilizing general fund budgets

• Maintaining or reducing class sizes, where possible

• Expanding professional development

• Enhancing student wellness supports

• Improving safety and security

• Maintaining and strengthening district programming

Visit the Enhancement Millage website for more information and a tax calculator.

The purpose of this survey is to gather feedback from our parents, staff, community members and former students on the 2025-26 school year.

• WLCSD Parent/Community Survey 2026

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

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.

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.

Support Warriors for Warriors by dining at Casey’s on Wednesday, May 27th.

There will also be a Meet and Greet starting at 6 p.m. to discuss the 15th Annual Pink Out, including the next Pink Out t-shirt design! Now is a perfect time to get involved with Warriors for Warriors.

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