The Banks Bulletin

It is hard to believe the start of the 2026-2027 school year will be here soon. Our school building is looking fantastic and we are getting ready to welcome our students back! Our custodial team has done a wonderful job preparing our classrooms, and I can’t thank our team enough for their commitment to keeping our facilities looking beautiful and prepared to welcome all the smiling faces. Please review the new information below and get excited for the upcoming Banks Blast Off.

The Banks Blast Off is scheduled on Tuesday, August 18th from 9 AM - 3 PM. Families are welcome to attend at any time that is most convenient for them between 9:00 AM and 3:00 PM. However, to help expedite the process and avoid a rush at the beginning of the day, families are encouraged to follow the schedule below:

9:00–11:00 AM: Last Names A–H
11:00 AM–1:00 PM: Last Names I–R
1:00–3:00 PM: Last Names S–Z

Thank you for helping us make the process as smooth and efficient as possible!

It usually takes parents approximately 45 minutes to visit all of the stations. During the Blast Off, students will:

• Receive their District Chromebook, if needed (If the Back-to-School-Packet has been completed)

• Receive their class schedule

• Receive their locker assignment (and practice opening their locker)

• Receive their school ID and get their picture taken

• Add money to lunch accounts (always available through eFunds)

• Sign up for PTSA

• Grab a milkshake to support your Banks PTSA

• Learn general building information

• Most importantly - see friends, make new friends, and see where all of their classes are located!

The end of summer is often a busy time for families, and we understand that some families may not be available to attend the Blast Off. Class schedules will become available on Skyward Family Access afterward There is not a make-up date for the Banks Blast Off, but I can assure you that staff will be proactive in assisting and guiding students as they transition to middle school.

In addition, all incoming 6th grade students are invited and encouraged to attend our 2nd annual 6th Grade WEB Orientation on Monday, August 17th from 8:30AM-11:30 AM. Parents are asked to drop students off on the east side of the building via door 8 and then report to the front of the building via door 3 to retrieve their student's District Chromebook. Parents should plan to pick-up their student promptly via door 8 at 11:30 AM.

What is WEB?

The "WEB" program, which stands for "Where Everybody Belongs," is a middle school transition program designed to help incoming 6th graders feel more comfortable and connected to their new school environment. 8th grade WEB Leaders and Staff Advisors will facilitate orientation activities, provide ongoing support, and create a welcoming atmosphere for our new students. We are so excited to offer this opportunity to our Bulldogs, and commend staff members Amanda Hart, Alex Rickens and Kaysie Stassi for their exemplary leadership and hard work in implementing this program.

We look forward to connecting with our students and families soon! Continue to check your inbox for important updates and follow our PTSA at https://www.facebook.com/sarahbanksmiddleptsa

on Facebook and https://www.instagram.com/p/DMVqRnMP3Zv/ on Instagram to stay connected and catch the greatness that is Banks.

We Are Banks!

Jennifer VanWagnen, Principal

JenniferVanWagnen@wlcsd.org

(248) 956-2200

August

8/17- 6th Grade Orientation @ 8:30 AM-11:30 AM, Banks Gymnasium

8/17-6th Grade District Chromebook Pick-Up @ 8:15 AM, Banks Media Center

8/18- Banks Blast Off and Picture Day @ 9AM-3 PM

8/26- First Day of School (Full Day)

September

9/4-No School for Students or Staff

9/7-Labor Day - No School for Students or Staff

9/10- Board of Education Regular Meeting

9/14-Tentative: Schoolwide iReady Testing-ELA

9/15-Curriculum Night @ Banks-6:30-8:00 PM

• 8th Grade Washington, D.C. Trip Parent Meeting @ 5:30 in Cafeteria

9/16-Tentative: Schoolwide iReady Testing-Math

9/17: No School for Students, Staff Professional Development and Safety Training

Picture Day will be held during the Blast Off on August 18th, 2026. Don't forget to wear your smiles on this day!

Picture Retake Day will be held on October 8th.

Hello, Banks families!

The 26-27 school year is almost underway, which means it's time to start gearing up for Banks athletics. If this is your child's first year at Banks, or first time wanting to participate in a sport at Banks, then feel free to reach out to Anthony McNamara for any general questions. Make sure to review all of the information in the handout for some guidance as well. Those interested in Fall sports can find the links to sign-up in the handout. Athletes are required to sign-up in advance of tryouts.

Fall athletics don't start until the first week of school, so there is still time to schedule your physical to be eligible for Fall sports - but don't wait, schedule it today!

8th Grade Washington, D.C. Trip Information

Our annual 8th grade trip to Washington, D.C. will be from Tuesday, May 4 to Friday, May 7. Save the date for our parent information meeting before Curriculum Night sessions on Tuesday, September 15 at 5:30pm in the Banks Cafeteria.

If you have any questions, do not hesitate to reach out to Mr. Yu at TorryYu@wlcsd.org.

Click on the link below to support the PTSA and show your Bulldog spirit! Order today!

*The teacher name entry is required in order to complete the purchase but the name is not important for getting the order to your student. Please fill in JENNIFER VANWAGNEN for teacher name.

• First Bell, 8:00 a.m. - This is when students are permitted to enter the hallways from the front lobby and buses.

• Warning Bell, 8:05 a.m. - This bell lets students know that they have five minutes left to make it to class.

• Tardy Bell, 8:10a.m. - This is the official start of 1st hour. Students arriving after this bell are considered tardy for their first class.

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.

Please be advised that our traffic patterns have changed for the 2026–2027 school year. Please follow the updated routes identified on the maps below. Parents and guardians should now use the east side of the building for student drop-off and pick-up.

Thank you for your cooperation and continued support as we implement these changes!

• Instrument rental includes an instrument repair program and insurance.

• Instruments will be delivered directly to your child’s middle school and will be distributed at the beginning of the 2026-2027 school year.

• For rental questions, please call Marshall Music (band only) or Shar Music (orchestra only) directly.

Please rent online as soon as possible to ensure timely delivery for the start of the school year.

Marshall Music (band) and Shar (orchestra) provide twice-weekly service calls to our schools.

Please click on the link below for recommended brands and models if purchasing an instrument.

MIDDLE SCHOOL INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC DEPARTMENT CONTACTS: Sarah Banks Middle School Band -Mrs. Dudzinski KristenDudzinski@wlcsd.org Orchestra - Mrs. Cirihal TeresaCirihal@wlcsd.org

Please Note: YOU CAN STILL SIGN UP FOR BAND OR ORCHESTRA! If your child would like to play an instrument this fall and did not sign up or has not yet been fitted for an instrument, please contact the band or orchestra teacher at your child’s middle school. We will put you in contact with the building counselors, who will get your child scheduled in the correct instrumental music class for the fall – just send us an email. If you feel instrumental music is not an option for your child due to finances, please contact us. We have a small inventory of musical instruments to loan. We want every student to have the chance to play. Remember 6th grade is the ONLY year to start an instrument in the Walled Lake Schools.

Each school year, parents/guardians must complete our back-to-school “packet” on Skyward Family Access (also referred to as registration).

This is different from enrollment and is required for both new and previous students. Online registration is when parents/guardians update student information, emergency contacts, and provide other necessary information.

The District will be using the online Family Access system to automate the process for updating and completing documents such as the emergency card, FERPA form, Code of Conduct and other important annual school forms that require parental approval.

The 2026-27 Back-to-School Family Access Packet must be completed by parents, online, using Family Access, prior to the start of school. It is essential that we receive ALL documents in a timely manner in order for your student to start school on August 26.

What Parents Need to Know...

Starting August 4, parents are to login to Family Access, using their alphanumeric parent account code, to complete the Back-to-School Family Access Packet.

· Need help enrolling? Contact the Office of Student Services at studentenrollment@wlcsd.org or (248) 956-2086.

· For bilingual assistance, contact Kallee Iverson at kalleeiverson@wlcsd.org or (248) 956-2093.

· To acquire a new or lost parent account code, email FamilyAccess@wlcsd.org or

call (248) 956-2190.

Click on the link below to get started!

A Skyward Family Access parent account is required to complete the Online Back-to-School Packet. To acquire a new or lost parent account code, email FamilyAccess@wlcsd.org or call (248) 956-2190. Include ALL of the following information in the body of your message.

• Guardian name

• The name of each child in the district and school they attend

• Guardian's email address that is currently on file with the district

• Daytime phone number

Questions and Support

• If you have trouble with the Back-to-School packet, visit the Troubleshooting & FAQ page.

• If you still have issues, contact familyaccess@wlcsd.org. Include your name, the student's name, and the specific question you have.

Please click on the link below to view the Suggested School Supply List.

*Bus Route Information-

Bus route information for general education students will be available in Skyward Family Access beginning at 8am on Friday August 14th. Special education students, pending finalized student lists, should receive a phone call from their drivers August 19th-21st with their busing information. As you all know, changes will be made to routes through the first several weeks of school. We ask that parents continue to monitor their children's bus route information online, so they have the most up to date information.

*New Students-

Once school has started and as new students continue to enroll, please contact the dispatch office for busing information. Once you have that information, you will then issue a bus pass to the student for the bus driver. The transportation office does not give busing information to students who do not have information in Skyward. We have no way to confirm that the individual we are speaking with is authorized to receive any information about the student.

*In-District Transfer and School of Choice Bus Riders-

Every year, IDT and SOC riders must request a bus seat using the Google form on the transportation website. Our drivers will evaluate their ridership through September 18th and our routing staff will respond to parent requests for IDT and SOC request beginning the week of September 21st. Parents will need to have alternative transportation arrangements in place and shall not assume that a seat will be available for the current school year.

NEW THIS YEAR – My Ride K-12 App

Beginning this school year, Walled Lake Consolidated Schools will use the My Ride K-12 app for all transportation notifications and updates. Parents/guardians will need to have the My Ride K-12 app in order to receive important information regarding their student's transportation.

Please note: The Transportation Hotline will no longer be used for transportation updates.

Directions for downloading and setting up the My Ride K-12 app can be found on the district's Transportation website. Visit the Transportation page and scroll down to the “My Ride K-12 App/Website Setup” section for complete instructions.

https://www.wlcsd.org/departments/transportation

We strongly encourage families who use district transportation to download and set up the app before the first day of school so they don't miss important bus updates.

*Bus Passes-

Bus passes for students are not allowed. If the family has an emergency, building office staff can issue a one-time emergency bus pass for the student to ride to another student's home. Bus passes must be presented to the bus driver upon boarding, and students can only be transported to an approved existing bus stop location. Please contact the dispatch office to notify the staff of your approval. Please note that transportation office staff will not approve a bus pass if a parent calls and we will direct them to contact their student's building office. On occasion, Crystal or I will approve a bus pass and/or be happy to partner with building staff to make the best determination for the students' safety.

*Kindergarten Students-

Drivers are not to release a Kdg/Jk student without a parent/guardian present at the bus stop. Drop off permission slips are available on the transportation website and must be filled out if a parent wants their student to be released to an individual other than themselves, including older siblings who ride the same bus. Transportation staff will be tagging the backpacks of all Kdg/Jk students so they are easy to identify. If you see these red bands on the loop of their backpacks, please do not take them off; they are critical to our mission.

*Bus Discipline-

Transportation utilizes the WLCSD Transportation Handbook to address student behavior concerns. Please email Crystalh@deantrans.com if you have any questions/concerns about that process. While Crystal does have a WLCSD email, that is not monitored and responses to that email will be delayed, if at all.

*Buster the Bus-

Every year our team visits each Elementary school to do a short assembly with all Kdg, 1st, and 2nd grade students. An email will come within the first several weeks of school with more information and a calendar for each building to choose a date for their assembly.

*Routing-

All routing requests and information should be direct to walledlakerouter@deantrans.com

*Transportation Contact Information-

All transportation contact information can be found on the WLCSD transportation website and I have also included it here.

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.

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.

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