Connections Digital Newsletter

Dear Wayne-Westland Families,

At Wayne-Westland Community Schools, we know that every school day matters. That’s why we’ve launched our “Aim for 8” attendance campaign to encourage families to make regular school attendance a priority.

Our goal is simple: students should aim to have 8 or fewer absences for the entire school year. Consistent attendance helps students stay connected to their teachers, classmates, and learning—and gives them the best opportunity to succeed.

We know that life happens and some absences are unavoidable. We also have attendance monitors at each school who are eager to help remove barriers that keep students from coming to school. Resources such as food, transportation, clean clothes, and school supplies are available to families, and we want to support whatever is needed.

“Aim for 8” is about building a culture where showing up, staying connected, and being engaged are celebrated and supported. Together, families, schools, and our community can help every student make attendance a habit and reach their full potential because every day counts!

Sincerely,

Catherine Cost, Ed.D.
Superintendent

At Wayne-Westland Community Schools, the safety of our students and staff is always a top priority.

Beginning with the 2026-2027 school year, Michigan schools must use standardized emergency response terminology established by the Michigan State Police Office of School Safety. Public Acts 270 and 271 of 2024 require all public and non-public schools to use five standard terms: Hold, Secure, Lockdown, Evacuate and Shelter.

Standard Response Protocol (SRP) provides students, staff and first responders with clear, consistent language and actions to use during a variety of situations.

What does this mean for our students and staff?

You may hear these five terms during safety drills or, if necessary, during an actual emergency:

• Hold – Stay in your classroom or current location and remain there until the situation is resolved.
• Secure – Bring everyone inside the building, secure exterior doors and continue normal activities inside.
• Lockdown – Secure rooms, stay out of sight and remain quiet until the threat is resolved.
• Evacuate – Leave the building and move to a designated location.
• Shelter – Move to a designated area and take specific protective actions based on the type of emergency.
  
  

While the language we use is changing, our commitment to safety and emergency preparedness is not. Wayne-Westland Community Schools remains an ALICE-trained district, and our students and staff will continue to practice age-appropriate responses to a variety of emergency situations. Our staff receives training, and our schools conduct drills throughout the year so everyone knows what to do and where to go if an emergency occurs.

The SRP gives us a common set of words that can be easily understood by students, staff, families and first responders. This shared language helps everyone respond quickly and confidently when it matters most.

Wayne-Westland Community Schools is launching a new school bus safety program with BusPatrol to help make our roads safer for students.

As part of the program, stop-arm cameras have been added to our school bus fleet. These cameras can detect vehicles that fail to stop when a school bus is stopped with its stop arm extended.

Beginning September 28, local law enforcement will begin enforcing stop-arm violations.

When you see a school bus with its stop arm extended, STOP. Give students the time and space they need to get on and off the bus safely. Together, we can help protect our students and make every trip to and from school safe.

The presentation will be printed in Arabic, Spanish, English, and Hindi and presented in Arabic and

For more information, please contact Lisa-Marie Bailey at LMB.Advocacy@gmail.com.

Wayne-Westland Community Schools continues to participate in the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) as part of the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs for the 2026-2027 school year. Our participation in CEP ensures that all enrolled students receive a healthy breakfast and lunch daily at NO CHARGE to your household. To maintain our program status, parents and guardians are asked to complete and sign the Education Benefits Form. Complete yours today!