What's Inside?
- AMS Student Surprises Classmate with a New Wheelchair Joystick
- Culture Fest Showcases Food from Around the World
- Norup Thanksgiving Day Parade
- Rogers Elementary Celebrates Multicultural Day
- Tom and Jerry Turkeys Visit Burton
- Norup 3rd Graders Spread Kindness to Start the School Day
- Anthony Grupido Visits Anderson Middle School
- Computer Science Week - How Berkley Schools Implements Computer Science Lessons and Training
- BHS Teachers Learn Together
- November Bond & Sinking Fund Update
- Giving Opportunity: Support BHS Holiday Family Adoption with Gift & Monetary Donations
- Giving Opportunity: Caring & Sharing Community Giving Season
- Giving Opportunity: Support the BEF this Giving Season
- Camp Invention Registration Open
- Travel Opportunities for 2024 & 2025: Rome, Spain & The South Pacific
- How to Subscribe to the District Calendar
- Join the Berkley Schools Family
- Sign Up for Text Messages
AMS Student Surprises Classmate with a New Wheelchair Joystick
On Wednesday, November 29, Bella, an AMS student, experienced a wonderful surprise!
Bella’s teacher Heather Roesner shared that Bella’s wheelchair joystick has been loose and falls off constantly. This is a huge concern for Bella because if she loses the joystick, she cannot maneuver the halls independently. “In class,” Ms. Roesner shared, “it’s a running joke that Bella’s dog Tank ate the joystick.”
On the 29th, AMS 6th grader Will H. came up to Bella in the hallway holding a new joystick for her chair that he created at home. Will saw Bella in the hallway a couple of weeks ago, searching for the joystick with AMS staff members and he decided he wanted to help her fix it. Will used his 3D printer at home to make Bella a new joystick. He fitted it to her chair, took it home again to make it the perfect fit, then brought it back to surprise Bella.
Ms. Roesner shared, “Bella is so relieved! I am impressed by Will's ingenuity, hard work, and most of all his kindness.”
Culture Fest Showcases Food from Around the World
At this year’s Culture Fest, sponsored by the Berkley High School Diversity Council, BHS students had a chance to sample dishes from all over the world. During lunchtime on November 17, 2023, students had the opportunity to expand their palette and try a variety of foods. Diversity Council members brought dishes such as Musubi, Beef Tacos, Vegetable Pakoras, Pad Thai, Spanakopita, Mostaccioli, Middle Eastern Pilaf, Jamaican Beef Patties, Fried Plantains, and more. This event showcased the many cultures belonging to the Berkley Schools family and exposed students to new experiences.
Norup Thanksgiving Day Parade
Norup elementary students participated in a Thanksgiving Parade on November 21, 2023. Students worked to create their own mini balloon floats, showcasing some of their favorite characters, and paraded their floats around the building. The hallways were filled with cheers by teachers and their fellow students. The parade were also featured special appearances from the Norup Hawk, the 7th & 8th Grade band and journalism students from The Dailey Dose podcast, who provided commentary on the parade. This festive event spread joy for the holidays and highlighted the creativity of Norup students and staff.
Rogers Elementary Celebrates Multicultural Day
On November 21, 2023, Rogers Elementary School celebrated its first Multicultural Day. The event turned the gymnasium into a global adventure for students and included a variety of diverse country-themed stations where students collected passport stamps at each “country” they visited. The “countries” were set up by Rogers families to share their heritage with the student body. Students were able to experience various cultural treats, play games, watch videos, and view an assortment of cultural items from countries such as China, Finland, Norway, and many more. This interactive journey highlighted Berkley's rich cultural diversity and allowed families to set up booths to provide a chance to experience their culture while encouraging students to embrace and learn about different traditions.
Tom and Jerry Turkeys Visit Burton
On Tuesday, November 21, 2023, Burton Elementary welcomed special guests, Tom and Jerry, a pair of turkeys, who made a visit to interact with Kindergarten students and help them learn more about turkeys as part of their science unit. The turkeys were from Bowers School Farm in Bloomfield Hills and were accompanied by two farmers to offer an engaging hands-on learning experience. The farmers helped the students learn more about some of the unique parts of the turkey's head and body, highlighting features such as the turkey’s beard, wattle, ears and snood. The students were already familiar with much of the turkey terminology, having recently completed an in-depth science unit dedicated to the birds. One fun fact about turkeys that the farmers shared with students is that turkeys "burp." They explained that turkeys puff up their chests with air to appear larger, but with a gentle press, the air is released which makes the burping sound. The students found this fact hilarious. During the final portion of the visit, students had a chance to touch Tom and Jerry and pet their fluffy feathers. This event was a fun learning experience and a unique way to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday.
Norup 3rd Graders Spread Kindness to Start the School Day
On Thursday, November 16th, for World Kindness Day, Norup third graders cheered students into the building to start their day. Third graders focused on spreading kindness during the month of November. Teacher Lindsay Morse shared, “Students loved being able to start the day by putting smiles on other people's faces.”
Anthony Grupido Visits Anderson Middle School
Anderson Middle School recently hosted Anthony Grupido, a magician whose performance, "The Magic of Hope," conveyed an important message about mental health as part of a week in which AMS students are focusing on resilience. Mr. Grupido combined entertaining magic tricks such as multiplying bottles, making them disappear and unlocking an iPhone by using random numbers provided by the audience into an equation, while touching on sensitive topics including unhealthy coping mechanisms, substance abuse, self-harm, wise decision-making, social media's influence and seeking support from trusted adults during difficult times. The students were captivated throughout the presentation, finding it both engaging and enlightening. Mr. Grupido's personal experiences with depression allowed him to connect deeply with the students, sharing relatable stories and offering valuable guidance.
The highlight of the event occurred during the speaker's final act. Mr. Grupido had two staff members wrap him in chains and place him in a straitjacket. With this daring feat, he managed to escape, all the while sharing his profound personal story. This event left a lasting impression on the audience, underscoring the importance of resilience and courage in overcoming challenges related to mental health.
Mr. Grupido’s visit was the kick off to UMatter week at AMS - a student-led, school-wide initiative that promotes student and staff mental well-being. With an emphasis that each and every person in the building matters, this year's theme for UMatter week was "resilience." During UMatter week, students and staff had the opportunity to participate in a variety of activities, including a door-decorating contest and spirit week competition amongst homerooms as well as lunchtime giveaways and other fun activities.
Computer Science Week - How Berkley Schools Implements Computer Science Lessons & Training
Computer Science Education Week begins on December 4 and runs through December 10. Berkley Schools has made large strides over the last year advancing computer science education. Last year, the District was the first district in Oakland County to complete the CSforALL SCRIPT workshop, a vision and goal-setting process with the Michigan Department of Education. This paved the way to be awarded a competitive state grant to support professional development in the area of computer science for Berkley teachers this year. Berkley School District believes in teaching computer science to all students because innovation, persistence, and creativity lead to citizens capable of leveraging technology to positively impact society.
All K-5 media specialists are piloting varied grade levels of Code.org computer science and digital literacy curriculum which will ensure that even the youngest students are introduced to computer science fundamentals, sparking curiosity and enthusiasm and equitable access for computer science from an early age.
Secondary computer science teachers are working to align and grow computer science pathways at the secondary level. With the support of a computer science grant, Computer Science (CS) teachers were able to attend the state-wide CS for MI conference to further their learning and ideas for innovation in computer science.
Student representatives from the BHS computer science course will attend the Student Showcase at the Capitol to highlight their app design and computer science work during Computer Science Education week in Lansing. Student teams gather at this event to represent their school and demonstrate best practices of technology enhancing teaching and learning for lawmakers, business leaders, and other citizens.
Berkley Schools Computer Science Leadership Team is dedicated to fostering a culture of continuous improvement in computer science education all year long.
Looking for ways to explore computer science at home? Check out this year’s Hour of Code activities focused on Creativity with AI.
BHS Teachers Learn Together
The Teaching and Learning team continued their New to BHS Cohort learning in November with the Blue Cohort made up of teachers who were (mostly) new to BHS last year. Staff spent the day together considering instructional moves to increase student engagement. They used Hacking Questions: 11 Answers that Create a Culture of Inquiry in your Classroom by Connie Hamilton to guide the learning. Each teacher was given a book and began digging into Hack 1: Assume All Hands are Up, Hack 2: Kick the IDK Bucket and Hack 4: Be a Pinball Wizard. Teachers walked away with practical applications for increasing engagement in their classrooms. Teachers in the Blue Cohort will now experiment with some strategies and share successes and challenges when they meet again next semester.
Special education educator, Brian Johnson, said “This professional development was informative for the Blue Cohort because it showed us how to increase student communication beyond the 'IDK' (I don’t know) phrase with practical strategies to improve overall communication in our respective classrooms."
Our Blue Cohort is made up of the following teachers who are (mostly) new to BHS: Emily Glosch, Brian Johnson, Liz Meinhart, Meredith Montgomery, Michelle Nixon, Matt Rawlik and Beth Whitehorn.
Bond Work & Sinking Fund Project Update: November 2023
With the passing of the August 2023 Bond, Berkley Schools teams are busy planning for upcoming construction projects. The Bond passage also allowed the District to dedicate Sinking Fund dollars to additional projects outside of the Bond scope to continue the work of updating facilities.
These monthly Bond & Sinking Fund updates will be maintained on the District’s website. See below for updates on the Phase 1 projects that are taking place in 2024 and 2025.
Finance
The District’s independent financial team (PFM Financial Advisors, Thrun Law Firm, Stifel and Huntington Bank), along with the District's finance team, have secured buyers for the $10M first series bonds. The District was able to secure excellent interest rates and pricing and will close on the Bond sale on December 5, 2023. The $10M in bonds is the first series for the District to receive the $88 million total that was approved by voters. The second series for $78M will be sold in Spring/Early Summer 2024.
Baseball/Softball Fields - Sinking Fund
The District will be adding a new home varsity softball field on the Tyler Field, just north of Berkley Building Blocks. The design team, along with Foresite Design, is working on design details and a construction timeline. This new varsity field will include lights, dugouts, concession area and a permanent outfield fence. The District is also working to secure an outdoor restroom location near the field. An additional softball/baseball practice field will be added to the Tyler field in coordination with the City of Oak Park as well.
Planning and discussions are continuing for baseball field upgrades. More details should be available by the December Bond update.
District-wide Furniture Purchase - Bond
Design teams are meeting to plan for a District-wide classroom and media center furniture upgrade in Fall 2024. The District secured a vendor, MovePlan, who will inventory all District classroom and media center furniture starting in December. As part of the inventory process, MovePlan will assess the condition of all furniture and assign a grade to each piece. Once all the furniture is inventoried, the company will build a database for the District to utilize to sell, donate or dispose of the existing furniture. This process will be complete by January 2024 and will take place during non-school days.
Hurley Field Turf, Track, Lights & Parking - Bond & Sinking Fund
Phase 1 of the Hurley Field construction is part of a larger Bond and Sinking Fund project. It includes: turf, track, relocating discus and shot put, expanded parking and new lighting.
Hurley Field construction work is well underway. The field is closed to the public and construction crews have been on site since November 6. Below is a summary of the work completed so far:
- The areas behind the end zones have been removed.
- The south endzone concrete has been repoured.
- New concrete has been poured for the new shot put and discus pads.
- Parking update: A District team met with the city of Berkley and Spalding DeDecker (engineering and surveying firm) to begin traffic flow plans for expanding the Anderson parking lot.
- Next up: Track surface removal and then turf removal.
Spring Sports Season Update
The BHS girls soccer program will use Ferndale High School as their home field for the spring 2024 season. The Athletics Department is continuing to work on securing the temporary track and field location for spring meets.
Phase 1 (Burton, Pattengill, BHS) - Bond
All design teams have had kick-off meetings for Phase 1 work. Additional design team meetings are scheduled for early December to plan and shape the Bond work for Burton and Pattengill (multi-purpose/cafeteria additions, gym updates, playground adjustments) as well as BHS (performing arts, field house, pool, science wing). Design teams will consist of building staff, District staff, architects and construction management team. These teams are led by Stantec, the District’s architects, and a core team of Berkley Schools Administrative staff.
Maintenance Building - Sinking Fund
The new Maintenance building will be located at the Administrative Offices site in Oak Park, at the end of the parking lot, just north of the Norup playground. The design team is reviewing schematic drawings of the new facility and the project cost estimates. Once the design drawings are approved, the next steps include preparing the request for proposal (RFP) documents for construction trades to bid on.
Traffic Flow - Sinking Fund
The District engaged with Spalding DeDecker to complete a traffic study at Burton, Pattengill and Rogers to see if any additional parking or parking flow could be achieved. The design teams are reviewing the proposals and renderings with building staff.
Technology - Bond
At the November 13th Board of Education meeting, the Board approved the funding for new classroom projectors, sound systems and clocks for Burton and Pattengill. Classroom projectors will be replaced with interactive flat panels that will be mounted to the wall. The classroom sound systems will be updated and the clocks inside classrooms and in hallways will be replaced as well. The Technology Department is working with the vendor to plan the installation of the new equipment that will happen inside of this school year. The rest of the schools will receive the same classroom technology updates in future years of the Bond work.
Weekly Meetings
The District teams participate in weekly meetings with Stantec (architecture, engineering, design), McCarthy & Smith (construction management), and SES (engineering and mechanical systems) to plan timelines of construction, prepare bid documents, as well as pour over details of the scopes of work. Each project has a standard sequence of work: design phase, project cost estimating, bidding for contractors, awarding contracts, construction phase (demolition and building) and finally, project completion.
Help Support BHS Holiday Family Adoption with Gift & Monetary Donations
Berkley High School and the BHS Student Leadership students are working together to provide gifts to BHS students and their families across the district who need a little extra support this holiday season. To help BHS fulfill the children’s wishes, they will be accepting monetary donations.
In addition, BHS has a SignUpGenius list filled with gifts that can be purchased. To sign up, click the link and find an item/s you wish to purchase. Click the sign up button and add your information. BHS is asking for all donations and gifts to be purchased and delivered by Thursday, December 14th.
Gifts can also be dropped off at the BHS Main Office between the times 8 am - 4:30 pm. There will be boxes labeled with the wishlist number in the office. Or, you can ship the items directly to Berkley High School Student Leadership. Please address the packages as the following:
- Berkley High School
- HFS Wishlist # _
- 2325 Catalpa Dr
- Berkley, MI 48072
A note from Student Leadership: Thank you for all of your help and continuous support of our Berkley High students and families. We are thrilled to organize our 8th year of Holiday Family Adoption, and we appreciate your generosity to help make these children’s wishes come true!
Caring & Sharing Kicks Off the Giving Season - Help Raise $21,000 for Families in Need
Caring & Sharing is a Berkley Area PTSA Council annual event that provides holiday gift cards to families in the Berkley School District and local Veterans. Historically, this event has been a partnership inside our schools through non-perishable food drives and PTAs purchased turkeys, extra food & fresh produce to distribute holiday baskets.
Since 2020, the PTSA Council has collected funds through online fundraising, hoping to raise as much money as possible to give families generous gift cards to purchase groceries to meet their needs.
In 2022, Caring & Sharing raised $19,580, fed 85 families, and gave $1,000 to the American Legion. In addition to monetary donations through Memberhub, substantial donations were also received as part of the Berkley Cares Days at each school.
Anyone can make a Donation online. Help the PTSA Council reach its goal of $21,000!
Support the BEF this Giving Season
The Berkley Education Foundation launched its annual Dollars for the District giving campaign over Thanksgiving weekend. Read below to learn how the BEF supports all Berkley Schools students and how you can help.
Through the generosity of the Berkley Schools community and the efforts of many dedicated volunteers, the BEF has invested more than $404,000 into the Berkley School District since 2010. These funds have gone directly into the classroom through teacher innovation-grants, supporting STEM activities with the annual Maxfield Science Symposium scholarships and enrichment programs in every school. The BEF also sends every 8th grade student on a college tour annually. This spring, the BEF will send 320 8th grade students from both Anderson and Norup to Oakland University to tour their campus and to Oakland Schools Technical Campus to tour programs that support career technical education. This tour allows students to begin to envision their post-Berkley options for their future careers and education.
Every gift, whether $25, $2,500 or something in-between, helps provide the fuel and energy to keep these programs moving forward. The community can make gifts safely online or by texting the word BEF to the phone number 243725.
Every dollar the BEF raises impacts Berkley Schools students and staff:
- $500 = One teacher innovation-grant.
- $150 = Sends five 8th graders on college tours.
- $100 = One Honorable Mention student scholarship for the Maxfield Science Symposium.
- $50 = One free enrichment course for an elementary student.
Camp Invention Registration Open Now
What is Camp Invention?
A STEM summer camp where kids build creative inventions. Led by certified local educators, Camp Invention offers new and exciting hands-on activities every year for kids entering grades K-6.
2024 Program: Illuminate
This year’s brand-new program will illuminate imaginations, inspire curiosity and help kids build essential STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) skills through collaboration and problem solving. Campers explore hands-on challenges and open-ended adventures designed to unlock creativity and help them shine their brightest!
SECURE YOUR SPOT TODAY
- Register at INVENT.ORG/CAMP or 800-968-4332
- Grades: K - 6th
- Location: Burton Elementary School
- 26315 Scotia Road, Huntington Woods, MI 48070
- Date: June 24 - 28, 2024
- Time & Cost: 9 am - 3:30 pm | $270 (before discount)
- Camp Director: Kimberly Ternus | kimberly.ternus@berkleyschools.org | (248) 837-8655
Travel Opportunities for 2024 & 2025
Travel to Rome & Pompeii, Spring Break 2024!
Norup Middle School is collaborating with EF Tours on a guided tour of Rome and Pompeii! Italy is a feast for the senses. Whether you’re sampling mozzarella on a farm in Naples or becoming a gladiator for a day in Rome, you’ll experience the culture and traditions of this Mediterranean country through hands-on activities. Spots are still available! This trip is open to all Berkley students, ages 11-15, and their families. Click here to view the slideshow or contact Liz Reynolds elizabeth.reynolds@berkleyschools.org for more information.
Travel to Spain in Spring 2024
BHS Teachers Tracy Burroughs and Saundra Rathburn are collaborating with EF Tours on a tour to Spain during Spring Break 2024. The group will visit Barcelona, Valencia, Granada, Costa del Sol, Seville, Córdoba, Puerto Lápice, and Madrid. This trip is open to incoming 9-12th grade students at Berkley High School. Visit this Spain trip website to learn more.
If you have any questions, contact Saundra Rathburn at saundra.rathburn@berkleyschools.org.
Travel to The South Pacific & Fiji in June 2025
Students in grades 6-12 (during the time of travel), and family members are invited to join an educational travel experience to The South Pacific and Fiji in June 2025! The trip includes visits to Australia, New Zealand and Fiji. View the itinerary on the EF Tours website.
If you have any questions, contact Athena Troher at athena.troher@berkleyschools.org
Did you know you can subscribe to our school and District online calendars?
Sync the online calendar to your personal device to ensure you won’t miss a thing!
The District’s online calendar system uses iCal Feeds. To access all the iCal links, visit the District’s Calendar page, and click on the red and white calendar link to the top right of the calendar that’s displayed on the page.
Use this Foxbright tutorial to walk you through connecting our calendars to yours.
Be sure to subscribe to both the District AND your school calendar to ensure you have all important dates in your device.
Join the Berkley Schools Family - Now Hiring!
The Berkley School District is hiring! We are looking for talented individuals to fill a variety of positions. Visit our website to apply and share our postings with your networks!
Now Hiring:
- Assistant Supervisor of Shared Time Services
- Assistant Teacher(s) - 6 Open Positions - Berkley Building Blocks
- Kids' Zone Assistant Teacher(s) - Various Locations
- Lunch Aides - Pattengill
- Permanent Substitute Custodian - District
- Afternoon Custodian - Norup
- Afternoon Custodian Split Position - Norup & Pattengill
- High School Girls Swim and Dive Program Assistant
- High School Boys Tennis Program Assistant
- High School JV Girls Tennis Head Coach
- Middle School Football Coach
- Middle School Softball Coach
- Middle School Wrestling Head Coach
Sign Up for Text Alerts
Quick Steps to Receive Text Alerts from Berkley Schools
In order to receive text messages from the District or your school, you must opt-in. Text messages will be sent out when the District closes or there is an emergency situation. Texts may also be sent from the District and schools for reminder messages during the day that are not urgent.
In order to receive text messages, every parent/guardian must opt-in each cell phone listed in MISTAR.
Steps to Opt-In
- Text the word YES (in the message field) to the phone number 67587 (in the To field). Then you are all set!
District News Online
Want to keep up with the latest District news stories? Visit our new News page to see stories, messages from principals, weekly reminders and more. News articles posted on the District News page will also populate each respective school’s News page. Articles that don’t make it into the Beat will also be posted on our News pages, Facebook and Twitter.