The Banks Bulletin
December 6th, 2024
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 2nd iReady Diagnostic on Tuesday, December 10th and Thursday, December 12th.
Please note the iReady Testing Schedule below. The schedule is similar to previous testing dates.
- iReady Math Testing on Tuesday, December 10th
- Students report to 1st hour and then attend 4th-6th hour in the afternoon
- iReady ELA Testing on Thursday, December 12th
- Students report to 4th hour and then attend 1st-3rd hour in the afternoon
Please remind your child to put forth their best effort and to make sure the evening prior to testing that they have their Chromebook or laptop fully charged. We do not have additional Chromebooks to lend to students that forget their device at home.
UPDATE: 8th Grade Washington, D.C. Trip
Great news! As of Monday, December 2nd, the waitlist for those wanting to go on the trip had grown large enough to enable us to add a 3rd bus and open the registration portal again. But don’t delay! The 3rd bus is filling up quickly and has only 10 spots left. At this rate, we may have to close the trip to new registrations very soon. If you register, be sure to purchase the CFAR (Cancel for any Reason) insurance option. Don’t miss out on this memorable trip!
Please visit our Sarah Banks D.C. information and registration link through American Expeditions, click on "GO TO MY TRIP" and enter the tour code: sarahbanksdc2025. When you register, you will need to pay the initial deposit on the trip portal and the required CFAR insurance.
To view the meeting presentation from October 10th, please click here. If you have any questions about the DC trip, please reach out to Mr. Morrow at DavidMorrow@wlcsd.org.
Cheers,
Jennifer VanWagnen, Principal
We Are Banks!
Upcoming Events
December
12/6: Progress Reports Available to View
12/7: MSBOA Solo & Ensemble
12/9-12/13: Scholastic Book Fair @ Banks
12/9: Boys Basketball vs. Millennium-Away
12/10: iReady Diagnostic Testing-Math
12/11: IB Information Night @ WLW (See Flyer)
12/11: Boys Basketball vs. Pierce-Home
12/11: Swim Meet @ Milford HS
12/12: iReady Diagnostic Testing-ELA
12/13:iReady Make-Up Testing
12/13: 8th Grade Band/Orchestra Performance Field Trip
12/18: Swim Meet @ WLW
12/23-1/3: Winter Break, No School for Staff and Students
Athletics Update from Ms. Smith
Our boys basketball teams are off to a great start!
6th/7th Grade
After a loss on Monday to Geisler the 6th/7th grade Banks boys basketball team looked to rebound at home against the Muir Colts. After allowing Muir to score the fist two points of the game the first period group of Colson, Ryan T., Bradley, Emmett and Dylan took over, scoring 10 straight points and while not allowing Muir to score again in the period. This continued in the second and third period with points from Cruz, Brendan, Ryan Johns, and Kevin allowed Banks to take an 8 point lead into the half. In the second half the boys used a combination of tough defense and utilizing the pick and roll to increase their lead to as much as 15 before finishing the game winning 45-35. The boys will travel to Millennium on Monday to face the Mustangs, game starts at 4PM.
8th Grade
The 8th grade Bulldogs had a great week with 2 games ending in victory. They dominated at Geisler on Monday. Eli, Gavin and Jackson took control of the game but they couldn't do it without the rest of the team! The team also demonstrated a solid effort against Muir, and showed strength defensively, winning that one 48-15.
We're looking forward to our first swim meet at Milford HS next week!
Keep up the great work, Bulldogs!
Congratulations to the Banks PTSA Reflections Honorees
Congratulations to the winners of the PTA Reflections competition:
Dance Choreography
Kenzie Gonwicha
Literature
Aadrita S
Ishayu P
Annabelle S
Natalie A
Music Composition
Nicholas H
Kevin R
Photography
Ishani P
Andrew L
Joel K
Visual Arts
Lily B
Samantha A
Mila S
Madeline I
Thank you to all who entered the competition. You should be very proud of your inspirational work and creativity!
Scholastic Book Fair is Coming to Banks!
-December 9th through December 13th in the Media Center from 8 am - 3 pm
-Volunteers are needed. Here is the link to the signup genius to help. https://www.signupgenius.com/go/409054CA9AD28A4F58-53074877-sarah
-(All volunteers need a 2024-25 background check form on file) Here is a link to the form or the school has copies for you to fill out and turn it as well.
-Say goodbye to cash and hello to eWallet-your child's digital payment account that can be set up before the fair. Check out how on the fair website: https://www.scholastic.com/bf/sarahbanksmiddleschool
Transportation Update: Bus Passes
Students may not ride any bus other than their assigned bus without a bus pass. Bus passes are only accepted on routes that have room for additional students. Bus passes are only issued for extenuating circumstances. They will not be issued for after school study or play dates. Most school buses are full and therefore cannot ordinarily accommodate additional students.
Walled Lake Schools 26th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration at Walled Lake Northern High School on Monday, January 20th beginning at 5:00 p.m.
This year’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration theme is Unity.
“Unity in diversity is unity between all individuals and groups, regardless of differences. It is unity without uniformity, and diversity without divisiveness. It is an understanding that the differences between people enrich our lives and makes our country the special, and unique place it is”.
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 Fiend of Diversity. This honor will be bestowed on the recipient(s) at the 26th annual district-wide Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Celebration on Monday, January 20th, 2025.
Our committee hopes that each school building will nominate at least one 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 13th, 2024. Please click on the form below and nominate someone you believe is deserving of the Friend of Diversity Award.
Express Yourself Contest
Walled Lake Students are invited to submit an entry that express’s the theme of “Unity” 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 13th.
Food Service Information-Free Breakfast and Lunch for All!
During the 2024-25 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 in Skyward to 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.
Signing up for SMS Messages in Skylert
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.
Connect With Us
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