The Banks Bulletin

Dear Banks Families:

The SpongeBob Musical was a tremendous hit! The cast, the crew, the set design and the talent lead to a weekend of fun, lots of laughter, and celebration as our students performed live on-stage for the first time since 2018.

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.

This Memorial Day, we pause to remember and honor the brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice while serving our country. We are grateful for their courage, dedication, and service.

Wishing all of our Walled Lake Community Education families a safe and meaningful holiday weekend as we reflect, remember, and spend time with loved ones.

Thank you to all who have served and continue to serve. ❤️💙

Cheers,

Jennifer VanWagnen

We are Banks!

#everychildeveryday #banksproud

May

5/22: Banks 7th and 8th Grade Band, Orchestra and Choir Trills & Thrills Field Trip

5/22: Class of 2026 Former Bulldogs/Wolves Visit to Banks @2:10 PM-2:40 PM

5/27: Oakland County Track Meet, All Day

June

6/1: Vocal Music Concert

6/2: 6th, 7th and 8th Grade Band Concert @ 6:30 PM, Banks MS

6/3: 6th, 7th and 8th Grade Orchestra Concert @ 6:30 PM, Banks MS

6/4: Board of Education Regular Meeting @ 7 PM

6/9: 8th Grade Promotion Ceremony @ 9 AM, Banks Gymnasium

6/9: 8th Grade Dance @ 6:30 PM-8 PM

6/10: Last Day of School - Half Day for Students

This year we will only be collecting school Chromebooks from students who will no longer be in Walled Lake Schools for the 2026-2027 school year. If you know you will be moving out of the district or if your Banks student(s) will be attending a private school, please fill out this Chromebook Collection form. We will be collecting these Chromebooks on June 8th.

The Banks track and field team traveled to North Farmington High School to take on the other 10 teams in our league at the Lakes Valley Conference Meet.

The girls' team finished 4th out of 11 teams, scoring a school record 81.5 points. Top three finishers include Ella Barclay (100m), Adrian Sandoval (200m), Jojo Whalen (800m), Kadmiel Erebor (High Jump), Aubrey Gabel (1600m), the 4x100 team of Barclay, Sandoval, Gartland and Kassab (2nd) as well as the LVC Champion 4x800 team of Whalen, Reske, Zaleta and Gabel.

The boys team also found success in the LVC meet finishing 6th out of 11 teams with 47 points. A top three finisher for the boys include Ryan Johns (Shot Put). At the LVC meet the boys were also able to beat their district rivals Creek and Smart, which they lost to earlier in the season.

The Banks Track and Field team will compete one last time in the Oakland County Meet on Thursday where they will face off against 44 other schools and over 1,000 other competitors.

Go Bulldogs!

Walled Lake Western Boys Soccer - Fall 2026

• Summer practices begin on Monday, June 15th, 7:30pm at WLW turf

• Tryouts are August 10-12 and the team's first game is August 19th

• If your son is interested in playing for the Warriors please email Emily Hutson at wlwesternsoccer@gmail.com to receive future communication and visit the WLW Boys Soccer Website for the 2026 summer schedule, www.walled lake western soccer.weebly.com

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

8th Grade students, in order to receive your PSAT scores, you must make a College Board account. It is recommended that you use a professional sounding personal email to set up your account. Here is the link to create your College Board account:

https://cbaccount.collegeboard.org/iamweb/smartRegister?appId=483&DURL=https://www.collegeboard.org

• Tuesday, June 9 | 9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. | 8th Grade Recognition Ceremony

• Tuesday, June 9 |6:30 - 8:00 p.m. | 8th Grade Dance

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

WHAT: The Theme is "A Starry Night"

WHEN: June 9th 6:30-8 pm

FEE: 10.00 $ entry with parent signed permission slip to be turned into Counseling Office (drop box if someone unavailable!)

DUE: May 29th

Friends, Food, DJ, and more!

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

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 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 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

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