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.

Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube | LinkedIn

• January 15-17: HS Semester 1 Exams
• January 20: 26th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Celebration at WL Northern
• January 22: Kindergarten and Junior Kindergarten Orientation - Registration OPENS for K and JK
• January 25: ECC Open House
• January 27: Walled Lake PTSA Council Meeting - Clifford Smart MS
• January 28: Walled Lake PTSA presents "Building Connections: Learning from our Past, Uniting for our Future"
• January 29: Half Day for Students | Professional Development for Staff

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”.

Bob Vogt, Glengary Elementary; Chelsea Schikora, Sarah G. Banks Middle School; and Andrew Teberian, Walled Lake Central High School, were honored at the January 9, 2025 Board of Education meeting along with all of Walled Lake Consolidated Schools’ building Teachers of the Year.

Thank you to LaFontaine Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram of Walled Lake for the partnership in recognizing our District Teachers of the Year! Mr. Teberian will receive a 2-year lease on a Jeep, Mr. Vogt received a $1,000 and Mrs. Schikora a $500 check.

Nineteen Walled Lake Western students excelled at the DECA District 4 Conference on January 8 at Eastern Michigan University qualifying for the state competition. They join 20 other students from Walled Lake Central and Northern on March 13-15 at Huntington Place in Detroit to compete at the DECA State Career Development Conference.

Two teams will represent the Warriors made up of Cor’ron Claudin and Kaito Le in Financial Services Team Decision Making, as well as Varun Tangirala and Nicholas Vo in Hospitality Services Team Decision Making.

Fourteen other students qualified for the state competition as individuals: Shivani Aji and Rozeiria Nichols in Hotel and Lodging Management, Aditya Chitrapu and Kira Havard in Sports and Entertainment Marketing, Ashesh Dhakal in Principles of Marketing, Farah Fehidat and Dhruv Gupta in Apparel and Accessories Marketing, Aditya Gupta and Dallas Sauve in Restaurant and Food Service Management, Harper Klautky in Principles of Business Management and Administration, Nancy Moguche in Business Services Marketing Services, Aiden Pasho in Principles of Finance, Martez Raymond in Principles of Entrepreneurship, Autumn Tucker in Retail Merchandising, and Vidya Vuyyuru in Personal Financial Literacy.

Along with Walled Lake Western’s 19 state qualifiers, Matthew Lown, Daniel Morales, Aarush Reddibattini, and Veronika Rymar earned Exam Medals at the District 4 Conference.

The Walled Lake Wild shined at the Michigan Girls High School Hockey League (MGHSHL) College Showcase on Saturday at Big Boy Arena in Fraser.

The Wild doubled up the Greater Flint Phoenix, 4-2, behind a four-goal performance from Walled Lake Northern junior and captain Mikayla Ratliff. Ratliff’s four goals came less than 24 hours after netting five goals, four unassisted, on Friday Night in an 8-1 win over Sacred Heart. Walled Lake Northern junior Phoebe Rauhut was named the Showcase Player of the Game.

After Saturday’s showcase game, Ratliff was joined by Michell Engel, Ania Greco, Hailee Mack and Arianna O’Connell in the showcase skills competition. O’Connell locked down in net during the goalie competition finishing fourth out of 20-plus goalies.

1. There is a cash payout option of 40% of the proceeds for people who are not interested in scholarship funds. (Just be aware that the IRS wants their cut)
2. Don’t need scholarship funds right now? No problem! We will hold the funds for up to 20 years until you are ready for them.
3. The scholarship funds can be used on any student for post-secondary education. This includes grandchildren, nieces/nephews, Godchildren, etc.
4. Scholarship funds are sent directly to the College/University so you will not lose money to the IRS.
5. Have more than 1 child? We can split funds between students as long as it’s all paid out within 4 years from the first payment.

Even if you don’t win, our community does! Your purchase of raffle tickets goes to support the FFE’s mission to provide more tools and resources to classrooms across WLSCD.

Tickets will be available at each school shortly or you can go to https://forms.gle/QhJQYQsWwQsKpufz8 to put in a request for tickets.

The Walled Lake Consolidated Schools’ Board of Education appointed Patricia Karban the new principal at Dublin Elementary during its January 9, 2025 meeting. Her first day will be Monday, January 13.

“I am both joyful and honored to have the opportunity to lead Dublin Elementary School,” said Karban. “Together, we will build on the strong foundation that already exists, and I am confident that the remainder of the year will bring exciting opportunities for growth and achievement.”

Karban comes to Walled Lake from South Bend Community Schools in Indiana, where she’s served as an elementary principal for the past ten and a half years. Karban has worked in education for nearly two decades starting her career as a middle school science teacher.

"We are thrilled to welcome Mrs. Karban to the Walled Lake family as the new principal of Dublin Elementary School,” said Dr. Michael Lonze, Superintendent of Schools. “Her passion for education, commitment to student success, and dedication to fostering a positive school community make her the perfect leader to inspire and guide the Dublin learning community."

We would like to inform you about the required spring testing for all students in grades 9 through 11. This includes the PSAT 9, PSAT 10, and SAT with Essay exams. All of these exams have moved to a digital format and will be administered on school issued Chromebooks. Paper-and-pencil versions of the exams are no longer available. In addition, 11th-grade students will take the WorkKeys assessment of workplace skills, as well as the Michigan Student Test of Educational Progress (M-STEP) in Social Studies and Science.

Save the Date

Below are the important testing dates for your family calendar. Please make every effort to avoid scheduling appointments or planned absences on these days. All spring testing activities are graduation requirements for Walled Lake students. Students should bring fully charged Chromebooks for the dates below.

March 17 - March 21

• Grades 9, 10, 11 — Digital Readiness Check during English classes.

April 8

• 9th Grade — 7:15 a.m. PSAT 9 Exam (only 9th graders in the morning)
• Grades 10, 11, 12 - 11:15 a.m. Delayed start of school day.

April 9

• 11th Grade — 7:15 a.m. SAT Exam (only 11th graders in the morning)
• Grades 9, 10, 12 - 12:00 p.m. Delayed start of school day.

April 10

• 10th Grade — 7:15 a.m. PSAT 10 Exam
• 11th Grade — 7:15 a.m. WorkKeys Exam (paper & pencil)
• Grades 9, 12 - 11:30 a.m. Delayed start of school day.

Additional Things to Know about the online PSAT and SAT Exams

The SAT and PSAT exams have now gone fully digital, and are in their second year. Students will test on school issued Chromebooks and submit their test answers online at the end of testing.

Adaptive Testing in Two Modules

Both the PSAT and SAT exams are now adaptive, meaning the difficulty of questions changes based on the student's performance. The test is divided into two sections: Reading & Writing and Math. To help prepare, you can read more about the Digital SAT Adaptive Testing on the College Board website.

For Michigan students, the SAT with Essay includes a third written essay section. The SAT with Essay lasts about 3 ½ hours, while the PSAT-9 and PSAT-10 exams take about 2 ½ hours.

Changes to the Math Section

Calculator use is now permitted throughout the Math section of these exams. Students can bring their own approved handheld calculator or use the virtual graphing calculator integrated into the testing software.

Practice

We encourage students to take at least one full-length practice test at home to become familiar with the SAT/PSAT format and timing. During the Digital Readiness Check in March, students will receive a sign-in ticket with a code to access Bluebook, an app that allows students to take up to three full-length practice exams online. For more information, follow this link Full Length Practice Tests.

Parents Guide to the SAT

To learn more about what is tested on the SAT, how to register for additional SAT test dates, and how to send score reports to colleges, please visit the Parents Guide to the SAT on the College Board website.

WLCSD, in partnership with the Alliance of Coalitions for Healthy Communities, invites parents, guardians, and community members to an important educational presentation by Fentanyl Fathers, a nonprofit organization dedicated to raising awareness about fentanyl prevention and the dangers of misuse.

📅 Date: Monday, January 27
🕔 Time: 5:45–6:45 p.m.
📍 Location: Clifford H. Smart Middle School Media Center

This presentation will take place just before the WLCSD PTSA Council Meeting, which begins at 7:00 p.m. in the same location. Students are also welcome to attend the presentation; however, all three WLCSD high schools will host similar assemblies during the school day that week. High school parents should watch for additional details regarding these events.

We hope to see you there for this crucial conversation!

The Walled Lake Consolidated School District is committed to supporting the health and well-being of our students and families. To help address concerns about vaping, we are sharing valuable resources that provide information on the risks of vaping and strategies for prevention. These tools are designed to empower families with knowledge and support meaningful conversations at home. Together, we can help every child make healthy choices every day.

• E-cigarettes and Vaping: What Parents Should Know - American Lung Association
• E-cigarettes and Youth: What Parents Need to Know - Centers for Disease Control

• E-cigarettes/Vaping Facts - Oakland County Health Department

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.

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 everyday 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 Child Nutrition and Education Benefits Application 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 benefit programs including reduced registration fees for standardized testing, discounted college application fees, pay to participate, discounted home internet access, and more.

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