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 7: Board of Education regular meeting; 7 p.m. at the Educational Services Center
• May 11: PTSA Council Installation and Awards Celebration; 6:30 p.m. at Walnut Creek Middle School
• May 13: WLCSD K-12 Art Show Reception; 4-7 p.m. at the Commerce Township Public Library
• May 25: District CLOSED - Memorial Day
• May 29: ATP Graduation; 11 a.m. at WL Western High School
• May 31: WLCSD Commencement Ceremonies - Eastern Michigan University

Walled Lake Northern junior David Devaney shined on the biggest stage at the DECA International Career Development Conference (ICDC) last week in Atlanta, Georgia advancing the Top 20 in the Accounting Series event.

Devaney, who also qualified for the ICDC in 2025, competed against more than 150 other state and regional champions from across the country. On Tuesday, he walked across the stage and was recognized with a Top 20 finalist medal.

Devaney was joined in Atlanta by five Walled Lake Western students who also competed at the ICDC: Shivani Aji, Aditya Chitrapu, Kira Havard, Varun Tangirala and Nicholas Vo.

Walled Lake Central senior Noel Kane was honored by the National PTA Reflections program for her piece, "At The Dinner Table".

Kane earned a bronze medal, which signifies an Award of Merit, in the Visual Arts category. Her piece will also be featured in the National PTA Reflections virtual exhibition.

The Walled Lake United boys’ lacrosse team took home its first outright Lakes Valley Conference title in program history on Wednesday night closing out league play undefeated with an 11-3 win over South Lyon.

The LVC crown caps a week of big milestones for the program as three players also earned their 100th career point in the past six days. Walled Western senior Domenico Martell hit the century mark with a three-goal performance against South Lyon. Walled Lake Northern seniors Matt Minnich and Brody Burdine each hit 100 career points on Friday night against Davison. Points are a combination of goals and assists.

Also on Wednesday night, Walled Lake Western senior Chase Rybak scooped up his 400th career ground ball. Earlier this season, Walled Lake Northern seniors Travis Ling, Lucas Shemenski and Reid Widmer each hit the 100 career ground ball milestone as well.

The Walled Lake Northern archery team punched its ticket to the National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP) Eastern National Tournament in Louisville, Kentucky.

Twenty-five archers will compete on Thursday, May 7, in the Bullseye and 3D events. The Knights qualified with a score of 3124 in Bullseye and 1561 in 3D at the state championships.

“I am incredibly proud of these archers, coaches and the Walled Lake Archery program as a whole,” said director Michelle Brandon. “The amount of growth we have experienced in the past four seasons has been unbelieve.”

“I hope that they are all able to soak in every moment of the amazing experience,” continued Brandon. “When they all return next year, with this experience under their belt, they will have even better goals and achieve even more success. “

Walled Lake Northern senior Anna Weinberger shattered her own Pole Vault record on Tuesday afternoon at the Walled Lake City Championship meet.

Weinberger cleared an impressive 11’7” to reset the Knights’ record beating her previous mark by four inches. She was also crowned city meet champion, city meet field MVP and set the city meet Pole Vault record.

Weinberger originally broke the Walled Lake Northern Pole Vault record in April 2025, which was set back in 2018 by Paulina Cole. Weinberger will continue her pole-vaulting career next year at Hope College.

Walled Lake Western football defensive coordinator John Bechtel will be inducted into the Michigan High School Football Coaches Association (MHSFCA) Hall of Fame on June 19 as a member of the 2026 Class.

“It is a real honor to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, and to be selected by a group of your peers makes it even more special,” said Bechtel. “As I look back, it was all of those student athletes and coaches that I was able to work with that helped to make this happen. I am a better person today because of all those relationships.”

Bechtel, who’s been on Kory Cioroch’s staff at Walled Lake Western the past five season, started coaching football in 1978. In his 44 years on the sidelines, Bechtel has an overall record of 228-195 with 16 playoff appearances. During his time at Walled Lake Western, he has helped led the Warriors to three Lakes Valley Conference championships, a perfect regular season in 2024, and was named MHSFCA Assistant Coach of the Year twice in 2022 and 2024.

Continue reading on District website.

Walled Lake Central’s Diego Baca and Bianca Ghiban have been nominated for the 2026 Sutton Foster Awards for their performances in the Vikings’ rendition of Cinderella.

Baca, who played Christopher, and Ghiban, who played Cinderella, were both recognized for Outstanding Performer in a Leading Role.

“Bianca and Diego have embodied their characters and made it so easy to work with since day one,” said Walled Lake Central musical director, Cassidie Singelyn. “Their hard work and dedication truly spoiled each audience and brought magic to life on stage.”

Continue reading on District website.

Sarah G. Banks Middle School band director, Kristen Dudzinski, was named the District IV Band Teacher of the Year by the Michigan School Band and Orchestra Association (MSBOA).

“I’m truly honored to be selected as Band Teacher of the Year for MSBOA District IV,” said Dudzinski. “To be nominated and chosen by fellow instrumental music teachers in this area makes this recognition especially meaningful.”

“I’m fortunate to work alongside many incredibly talented and dedicated band directors, all of whom are just as deserving,” added Dudzinski. “I'm grateful to be part of such a supportive professional community.”

“Ms. Dudzinski exemplifies the highest standards of music education,” said MSBOA District IV president Michael York. “She is deeply committed to her students—not only in their development as musicians, but as young individuals—and she brings a remarkable level of skill, leadership and service to our profession.”

In addition to her work in the classroom, Dudzinski serves as the District IV chair of the Middle School Honors Band Committee. This position requires countless hours of volunteer work outside of the school day.

Walled Lake Consolidated Schools and Dean Transportation recognized Sharon Provens this past Friday for 45 years of service as a bus driver within in the district! Along with the surprise celebration, Sharon also received a brand new bus to drive.

Thank you, Sharon, for your dedicated service to our district and helping get our students to and from school safely every single day!

Things got a little wild in Mrs. Schikora’s science classes! Students at Sarah G. Banks Middle School loved meeting some special guests in class this past week.

The 53rd Greater West Bloomfield Michigan Week Awards breakfast was held on Friday, May 9 at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield. During the event, individuals and groups from across the area were recognized for their efforts to make their communities a better place.

Walled Lake Schools had strong representation at the event with a number of notable recognitions. Congratulations to the winners:

• Addison and Ava Apostolopoulos, Pleasant Lake - Michigan Treasures Honor Roll
• Lillian Armstrong, Pleasant Lake - Michigan Treasures Honor Roll
• Sofie Chernyak, WLN - Michigan Treasures Honor Roll
• Lindsey Dezell, WLW - Michigan Treasures Honor Roll
• Elliot and Sadie Goldman, Keith and CHS - Michigan Treasures Honor Roll
• Diya Jonnalagadda, WLC - Michigan Treasures Honor Roll and Youth Volunteer Leadership
• Violetta Menshenina, Creek - Michigan Treasures Honor Roll
• Brian Feldpausch, Walled Lake Schools Federal Credit Union - Volunteer Service Award
• Jayden Johnson, CHS - Volunteer Service Award
• Walled Lake Central Unified Sports Program, WLC - Community Achievement Award
• Stephanie Kaplan, WLCSD Board of Education President - Jeff Leib Lifetime Leadership Award

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!

Legacy Scholarship Funds, Inc. presented 97 scholarships, totaling $96,945, on May 4, 2026 during their virtual Awards Ceremony via the District website, Facebook, and WLTV Channel 10. Scholarships were presented to Walled Lake Central, Northern, and Western high school students, along with students from Oxford High School and Lakeland High School. Scholarships were provided by a variety of groups including families of former students, past staff members, school groups, businesses and community organizations.

Over the past 46 years, Legacy has awarded over $2,400,000 in scholarship funds, which includes scholarships from Oxford High School, Lakeland High School, and Brighton High School. The archived event can be seen on WLTV's YouTube page and Legacy’s Facebook page. For more information about Legacy, visit their website at https://wlcsd.org/legacy.

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.

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.

Check out https://www.wlcsd.org/community/foundation-for-excellence/kindergarten-welcome-kits for more information and links for ordering a Kindergarten Welcome Kit.

CALLING ALL ARTISTS AND DESIGNERS for the 2026 PINK OUT T-Shirt Design Contest!

T-Shirt Design Rules:

1. Use only the following colors in the design: Royal Blue, White and Pink.
2. Design must fit on the front center chest area of the t-shirt and can only occupy a space 11” wide by 10” tall.
3. Design must include:

• “Warriors for Warriors” or “W4W”
• “No One Fights Alone”
• W4W original logo

1. Any design submitted is subject to adjustment from the W4W committee or t-shirt company without consent of the artist.
2. All designs submitted become the sole property of W4W and may be used anytime without prior consent of the artist.

DEADLINE: Submit art by May 9, 2026 on our website: www.warriorsforwarriors.net

The winning designer will receive a $50 Visa gift card!

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 the Walled Lake Marching Band for a Chipotle Fundraiser on Wednesday, May 13 from 4-8 p.m. at the Chipotle on Wixom Road ( 28703 S. Wixom Road, Wixom, MI 48393). Order online for pickup using code 4T8L8KK.

• 25% of event sales will be donated to the WLMB.

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.

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.

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