December MIdweek UPdate

I do love the traditions associated with Thanksgiving and Christmas. The traditions of giving are especially important to me. And, once again, our Whitmore Lake community rose to the occasion.

Here is a breakdown of the few ways our students and staff channeled their holiday energy into making the season brighter for so many.

• Rake 'n' Run: At the annual school-wide community service event, our upper middle school and high school students raked and removed leaves at 46 houses belonging to senior citizens and veterans in our community. Some yards didn’t get raked on the actual day of Rake 'n' Run. They simply ran out of time. So two groups of National Honor Society students headed back out during the weekend to finish the job! This is extra giving, and it deserves a special thank you.

• A special thank you should also go out to Captain Joe's in Whitmore Lake. They provided a free lunch to the entire senior class during Rake 'n' Run. We appreciate their support and generosity.

• Food Drives: Our school community donated approximately 7,225 cans to the Whitmore Lake Area Human Services food pantry. Students from all three campuses participated in food collections this season. Our high schoolers even went out into the community and caroled in exchange for canned goods and donated an additional $650 to Whitmore Lake Area Human Services. A special thank you to The Whitmore Lake Tavern for providing lunch to all our carolers. We are grateful for the local businesses support, especially when the students are out in the community doing good.

• Adopt-A-Family: Our students, staff and Board of Education provided Christmas gifts to seven local families in need through Whitmore Lake Area Human Services' Adopt-A-Family program.

As we reflect on this season of giving and head to holiday break, I am incredibly proud of the way our Trojan community shows up for one another. These efforts are more than the breakdown in numbers. They represent kindness in action, students learning the value of service, a community that cares deeply for its neighbors, and a dedicated staff leading the way.

Thank you to our students, staff, families and community partners for modeling generosity and reminding us what this season–and our district–is truly about.

At Monday’s Board of Education meeting, Athletic Director Brad McCormack shared a recap of the fall sports season. In addition to impressive athletic performances, our student-athletes continued to excel in the classroom. The Girls Cross Country team earned Team Academic All-State honors, ranking No. 2 in Division 4, and nine WLPS student-athletes were named Individual Academic All-State across fall sports, reflecting their commitment to balancing academics and athletics.

You can review the presentation HERE.

I’m honored to share a profile of the soon-to-be-retired Mrs. Kim Bakker. What a complete privilege it has been having Mrs. Bakker as a teacher. For over two decades, Mrs. Bakker has committed herself to the improvement of our community’s young learners. I have so many great memories of reading to her students or visiting her room. Her classes sometimes felt like perfection. Students did things that younger kids will do, but her corrections and guidance always felt so perfectly fitting for the situation. She had high expectations for learning, but also could not suppress her need to care for anybody who needed a little extra attention to just get them through the day. A great balance of how to really help a child grow could always be found in her classroom.

On behalf of the BOE, I congratulate Mrs. Bakker on her role as a teacher, mentor to younger teachers, and sometimes advice giver to a superintendent. :) Thank you, Mrs. Bakker, for your commitment and dedication to our community.