Berkley Beat April 11, 2025

What's Inside

• School Board Recognizes Teachers of the Year and Student Athletes
• Berkley Building Blocks Celebrate the Week of the Young Child
• Da Bears Robotics Team Competes at State Competition
• Berkley Royal Oak Ferndale Unified Figure Skating Team Competes at State Championship
• Tickets on Sale for the BHS Spring Musical: The Prom
• Berkley High Senior All Night Party Information 2025
• Employee Health & Wellness Fair Vendor Application
• State of Michigan Alert: Summer Grocery Benefits Available for Qualifying Families
• Huntington Woods Men’s Club Invites Community to Annual Auction Benefiting Berkley Schools
• Child Protection Registry Available to Families
• Livable Neighborhoods Community Needs Survey
• Berkley Schools Announces Varsity Tutors - Free for Students
• Have a Cool Job? Tell Our Students About It!
• Autism Alliance of Michigan Partners with Berkley Schools
• What is the Oakland County Parent Advisory Committee?
• April Calendar Highlights - Autism Acceptance Month, Arab American Heritage Month, April Fool’s Day, Paraprofessional Appreciation Day, Passover, Palm Sunday
• How to Subscribe to the District Calendar
• Join the Berkley Schools Family - Now Hiring

School Board Recognizes Teachers of the Year and Student Athletes

At the Monday, April 7 Study Session, the Board of Education honored the Berkley Schools teachers of the year. In addition, the Board recognized Boys Middle School swim team members for qualifying for states. Details of both recognitions are below.

Teachers of the Year

• Berkley Building Blocks: Stephani Fooy, GSRP Half-Day Preschool
• Angell: Angie Huffer, 2nd Grade
• Burton: Lauren Rentrop, 5th Grade
• Norup Elementary: Lindsay Schindler, 2nd Grade
• Pattengill: Kenna Parker, 4th Grade
• Rogers: Terri Lubanski, Physical Education. Terri is also the Berkley Schools Elementary Teacher of the Year and will be honored at an Oakland Schools event in May.
• Anderson: Kathy Milia, 7th Grade Mathematics. Kathy is also the Berkley Schools Middle School Teacher of the Year and will be honored at an Oakland Schools event in May.
• Norup Middle: Claire Townsend, 8th Grade ELA & French
• BHS: Liz Meinhart, Mathematics. Liz is also the Berkley Schools High School Teacher of the Year and will be honored at an Oakland Schools event in May.

Middle School Swim

The following students were honored for earning qualifying times for the Middle School State Boys State Meet.

Individual Qualifications

• Colby Sternicki, 7th Grade, AMS: 100-Yard Backstroke
• Owen Black, 6th Grade, Norup: 50-Yard Butterfly
• Tolan Cassey, 8th Grade, AMS: 50-Yard Freestyle
• Robbie Phillips, 7th Grade, AMS: 100-Yard IM, 200-Yard Freestyle, 100-Yard Freestyle
• Tommie Wilhoit, 8th Grade, AMS: 200-Yard Freestyle

Relay Qualification

• 200-Yard Medley Relay Team: Colby Sternicki, Alec Guyer, Owen Black, Tolan Cassey
• 400-Yard Freestyle Relay Team Qualifiers: Alec Guyer, Owen Black, Robbie Phillips, Liam Shaw-Draves, Tommie Wilhoit

Tickets on Sale for the BHS Spring Musical: The Prom

The Berkley High School BeDrama students are proud to present The Prom: School Edition, the Spring 2025 musical. The Prom will be the final production on the current Auditorium stage. The new Performing Arts Center will reopen in February 2026.

Theatrical Rights Worldwide described the musical as follows:

Four eccentric Broadway stars are in desperate need of a new stage. So when they hear that trouble is brewing around a small-town prom, they know that it’s time to put a spotlight on the issue… and themselves. The town’s parents want to keep the high school dance on the straight and narrow—but when one student just wants to bring her girlfriend to prom, the entire town has a date with destiny. On a mission to transform lives, Broadway’s brassiest join forces with a courageous girl and the town’s citizens and the result is love that brings them all together. Winner of the Drama Desk Award for Best Musical, The Prom School Edition expertly captures all the humor and heart of a classic musical comedy.

The show will run Thursday, Friday and Saturday, April 24-26 at 7 pm and Sunday, April 27 at 3 pm, in the Berkley High School Auditorium. Staff, seniors (60+), and students tickets are $10 and adults are $15.

• To buy tickets, and view photos and bios for the cast, crew and band, visit the Berkley Drama website.
• The show is two hours with a 15 minute intermission.

Berkley High Senior All Night Party Information 2025

On June 5th, 2025 over 300 students will graduate from Berkley High School. To celebrate and recognize this memorable day, a community-sponsored, volunteer-led party will be held at Berkley High School the night of commencement. This annual event, known as the Senior All Night Party (SANP) provides a fun, safe, and secure environment for graduating seniors to celebrate with all of their classmates. The SANP committee is seeking support from the BHS community to run a successful event.

Fundraisers

• Donate to BHS SANP
• Wishes Wall - Celebrate your favorite senior by purchasing a wish message to be displayed at the SANP
• Party donations

Volunteer

This event is successful due to the team of volunteer parents from ALL grade levels!

• Volunteer to help at the event, with set up, or with take down. The committee especially needs help with the 1-3 am and 3-4:30 am shifts.
• Join the committee - Calling all parents and guardians of the class of 2027 and beyond to learn the ropes from this year’s senior parents.

Senior Families Only

• Purchase a 2025 SANP Ticket

Purchase by graduation rehearsal on June 3, 2025 for the $75 advance purchase price. Tickets at the door are $100 (sign free with purchase, if any remain) - No physical ticket will be provided, graduates will check-in with their student ID. Please include your student's full name and contact info during purchase.

• Purchase your 2025 Graduate Yard Sign while supplies last
• Combo pricing is also available while supplies last
• Commencement Reserved Seating Raffle for Senior Families -

Purchase your tickets by Monday, June 2, for your chance to have priority seating reserved for your entire group at Commencement 2025

If you have any questions please reach out to Melissa Bajcz - melbajcz@gmail.com

Follow the SANP Committee to stay up to date:

• BHS SANP Webpage
• BHS Senior Information page
• Facebook
• Instagram

Employee Health and Wellness Fair Vendor Application

The Berkley School District is hosting an Employee Health and Wellness Fair on May 6, 2025 from 11 am - 12:30 pm at Berkley High School. Businesses that offer a service or product that promotes a healthy lifestyle are welcome to attend.

This is an opportunity to promote your business for free and interact with over 600 Berkley School District employees. If your business is interested in participating, register at this link (https://bit.ly/bsdfair)

State of Michigan Alert: Summer Grocery Benefits Available for Qualifying Families

The State of Michigan is offering a summer EBT program called Sun Bucks. Applications must be received by April 15, 2025 to start receiving benefits in May. Details are below.

• Eligible families of school-age children will receive $120 per child for qualifying groceries.
• Qualifying groceries include fruits and vegetables, meat, poultry, fish, dairy products, breads, cereals, and non-alcoholic drinks.
• SUN Bucks can be spent at many locations in-store or online.
• Families can receive SUN Bucks on top of other nutrition benefits like Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Women, Infants, and Children (WIC).
• Funds will expire 122 days after issuance – so we encourage families to use them sooner rather than later.

Eligibility

Families will be automatically enrolled in SUN Bucks if they are already enrolled in SNAP, TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families), or FDPIR (Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations) benefits or meet the requirements for free or reduced-price school meals. In other words, keep an eye out for $120, per child, at the beginning of summer! Families that are not automatically enrolled should apply for SUN Bucks directly on the MI Bridges website.

Additional Resources Available

Additional resources are available like the Food Assistance Program (FAP) at MI Bridges, WIC benefits, and Child Development & Care (CDC) benefits.

Huntington Woods Men’s Club Invites Community to Annual Auction Benefiting Berkley Schools - Tickets on Sale!

A message from our community partners, The Huntington Woods Men’s Club:

The Huntington Woods Men’s Club’s 44th annual Service Auction is coming up and, this year, it is raising money to improve Burton Community Field, adjacent to Burton Elementary School.

The plan includes improving the field’s drainage and grading, removing the south baseball field, upgrading the north T-ball field and putting up new fencing. The changes would make the green space so much better for students and would drastically decrease the number of indoor-recess days because of mud and puddles!

The Berkley School District also plans to contribute to the project and will continue to manage the field, as the owner of the land. The HWMC contribution helps offset District costs allowing more projects to take place across the District through the Sinking Fund.

You can help by supporting the Huntington Woods Men’s Club Service Auction on April 26 at the Gillham Recreation Center. Tickets are on sale now and there will be online bidding for those who can’t make it to the event.

Find more information on the Huntington Woods Men’s Club website.

Child Protection Registry Available to Families

The State of Michigan offers a Child Protection Registry available for all families to protect their children online. Modeled after the national Do-Not-Call legislation it is a “Do-Not-Contact” program that allows families to prevent adult product solicitations to their electronic contact points. This registry blocks advertisements or promotions of products that minors are prohibited from purchasing, including alcohol, tobacco/vaping, gambling, pornography and illegal drugs/marijuana. The Michigan Child Protection Registry is administered under the Michigan Secretary of State Office.

Why is a registry like this important?

Children as young as two are spending more time on computers, tablets and cell phones than ever before. Marketers, selling adult-oriented products, are also using technology more and more to promote their brands and services. Unfortunately, the solicitations these companies are sending are falling in front of the eyes of minors through their email, text messages, and certain apps.

How does it work?

Individuals interested in not receiving adult product solicitations can register their email addresses, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Discord, Twitch, YouTube and cell phone numbers on the Child Protection Registry website. Adult-oriented solicitors will then scrub their contact lists against the registry. Registered emails and other “contact points” will then be removed. The marketers will NOT have access to the actual contact point information. The registry does not store in its database a list of identifiable subscribers.

Do children still use email?

Social media sites and mobile apps require an email address to register for their service. Many schools require children to have email addresses to correspond with their teachers. Email is still a preferred form of communication and will continue to be into the future.

How is the registry enforced?

Violations will be reported by recipients, at which point fines may be assessed. Marketers have 30 days to scrub registered contact points from their lists before complaints may be filed.

Livable Neighborhoods Community Needs Survey

Every year, Oakland County's Neighborhood & Housing Development (NHD) Division creates a plan for how U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) funds will be spent in Oakland County. Completing this questionnaire will help NHD create an Annual Action Plan to utilize funds for community improvements like upgrading sidewalks, public parks and senior center updates.

The community is invited to complete the questionnaire by Friday, May 16.

Questions about the survey can be directed toward Oakland Connects at 1-800-848-5533.

Berkley Schools Announces Varsity Tutors - Free for All Students

Berkley Schools has partnered with Varsity Tutors for Schools, an online platform with access to free learning tools.

The Varsity Tutors Platform gives students more opportunities to learn at their own pace, to get support on subjects they might be struggling with, to explore subjects they are learning in class and to support their curiosities. The platform includes the following:

• 24/7 on-demand chat tutoring and on-demand essay review to help students with any questions about homework, classwork or test prep.
• Live group classes, recorded classes and celebrity-led StarCourses allow students to learn more about the subjects they’re interested in and add a touch of fun.
• Assessments and self study practice problems provide opportunities to drill skills towards mastery.
• College prep & admissions resources ensure that students have the best resources available.

How to Access Varsity Tutors

Sign into the Varsity Tutors platform through the student Clever portal. To learn how to log into Clever with your child’s Berkley Schools Google account, follow these directions.

Learn More & Get Started!

• Varsity Tutors Berkley Schools Launchpad
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Varsity Tutors Video Overview

Have a Cool Job? Tell Our Students About It!

Berkley Schools is seeking community members willing to share their time and expertise in their career fields with our students! There are a variety of ways to share your journey and knowledge:

• Speak with a group of students or class about your job/career field (in-person or virtual)
• Serve on an Advisory Committee (ex. BHS Marketing Program, etc.)
• Host a student tour/field trip of your workplace
• Host a student job shadow experience at your workplace
• Conduct a student informational interview at your workplace
• Present at Career Fairs and/or Parent Nights
• Participate in other career-related activities (mock interviews, judging career-based projects, etc.)
• Receive emails about any future opportunities or needs
• Participate in an audio and/or video recorded interview with students

Counselors and select teachers will have access to this database of Berkley community contacts from a variety of different professional backgrounds to plan career exploration and readiness experiences with Berkley students.

Share your cool job with us by filling out this form.

Autism Alliance of Michigan Partners with Berkley Schools

Berkley Schools and Autism Alliance of Michigan (AAOM) are pleased to announce a 2024-25 partnership! This partnership strives to elevate neurodivergent students' experiences and increase opportunities across the spectrum. Both groups are committed to continuing to better their resources and experience to best serve the Berkley Schools community.

To learn more about the Autism Alliance of Michigan and the services they provide, visit the AAOM website.

What is the Oakland County Parent Advisory Committee?

The Oakland County Parent Advisory Committee (PAC) is comprised of parents of students with an Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) or Individualized Education Program (IEP) within Oakland County. The Oakland Schools PAC typically meets on the first Wednesday of the following months: October, November, December, February, March, May and June at Oakland Schools or Virtually from 7-9 pm. Meetings include membership work, legal updates, and training on various topics related to special education, and are open to the public.

Two Berkley Schools parents serve on the Oakland County PAC and are available to support Berkley Schools families with questions or to collaborate in celebrating and advocating for all students with IEPs. Reach out to the Berkley Schools PAC reps, below.

• Natasha Hamilton: natashakhamilton@gmail.com
• Carolyn Durant-Blair: cnaomidb@gmail.com

Calendar Highlights: April

The Berkley Schools printed calendar highlights heritage months, holidays, days of observances and recognition days. In the Berkley Beat, we’ll highlight these days with more information for community learning to help us achieve the District goal of creating an environment where all staff, students and community members feel a sense of belonging.

Arab American Heritage Month

The Arab America Foundation launched the National Arab American Heritage Month initiative in 2017. In 2021, President Biden recognized the month nationally to recognize the 3.5 million Arab Americans that exemplify “so much of what our country stands for: hard work, resilience, compassion, and generosity.”. For National Arab American Heritage month, across the country, cultural institutions, school districts, municipalities, state legislatures, public servants, and non-profit organizations issue proclamations and engage in special events that celebrate the Arab American community’s rich heritage and numerous contributions to society.

Did you know that the first and only museum in the United States devoted to documenting and sharing Arab American contributions that shaped the economic, political and cultural landscapes of American life is a 20 minute drive from the Berkley Schools? The Arab American National Museum (AANM) is located in Dearborn. The Museum brings to light the shared experiences of immigrants and ethnic groups, paying tribute to the diversity of our nation.

The museum tells the Arab American story through the voices and experiences of Arab Americans.

Learn more about the museum on their website, or go for a visit at 13624 Michigan Avenue, Dearborn, MI 48126.

Autism Acceptance Month

Autism Acceptance Month, previously named Autism Awareness Month, aims to celebrate and promote acceptance for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), which occurs in one in every 54 children as of 2020 in the United States. Autism, a complex developmental condition affecting the person's ability to interact, communicate, and progress, has not one but many subtypes. First held in the year 1972 by the Autism Society, Autism Acceptance Month emphasizes the need for public awareness to promote acceptance, celebrate the differences and be more inclusive towards autistic individuals around us.

To learn more about Autism and Autism awareness, the START project is a great place to begin. The START project is housed in the Grand Valley State University Autism Education Center, supported by the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. It is funded by the Michigan Department of Education Office of Special Education to provide evidence-based training, technical assistance and coaching support and resources to school-based teams in Michigan that support students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). START is a statewide collaborative effort to make systems level changes to improve the educational programming and quality of life for students with ASD.

START developed an Autism Acceptance, Advocacy and Action webpage as part of the ASD 365: Equity and Inclusion Every Day campaign to promote autism acceptance and advocacy through action in April and the months after. START encourages the community to use these resources to assure everyone is using practices focused on equity and inclusiveness that value the voices and perspectives of the autistic community. An active, collaborative approach that involves listening, understanding and taking action will help everyone grow into a truly diverse, equitable community where all perspectives and people are heard and valued.

Want to read more on awareness vs acceptance?

Acceptance vs. Awareness Article

Then: Puzzle piece as the symbol for Autism

Now: Rainbow colored infinity symbol

Then: "Light it up blue" for Autism

Now: Gold, Red, Rainbow - anything but blue

Then: Autism Awareness

Now: Autism Acceptance

More Resources

• ASAN’s Autism Acceptance Page

Paraprofessional Appreciation Day - April 3

On Paraprofessional Appreciation Day, Berkley Schools says thank you to all our Paraprofessionals for going above and beyond every day to support our students. We are so grateful for all of you!

Passover - Begins at Sundown on Saturday, April 12

Passover, Pesach in Hebrew, is one of the Jewish religion’s most sacred holidays. Passover commemorates the Hebrew liberation from slavery in ancient Egypt. Passover begins at sundown on April 12 and ends on April 20. The first two evenings of Passover are often celebrated with a feast known as a seder, where the story of the Exodus from Egypt is recounted and Matzah, an unleavened bread, is eaten.

You can learn more about Passover on the history.com website as well as on the chabad.org website

Palm Sunday - April 13

Palm Sunday, in the Christian tradition, is the first day of Holy Week and the Sunday before Easter, commemorating Jesus Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem. It is associated in many churches with the blessing and procession of palms (leaves of the date palm or twigs from locally available trees). These special ceremonies were taking place toward the end of the 4th century in Jerusalem and are described in the travelogue The Pilgrimage of Etheria. Source: Britannica

Subscribe to the District and School Calendars

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!

Open Positions

• Special Education High School Social Worker - BHS
• Permanent Building Substitute Teacher - Norup
• Long-Term Substitute Middle School Language Arts/Speech Teacher - Norup
• Afternoon Custodian Shift Leader - Norup
• Afternoon Custodian (3 positions) - Angell, Burton, Norup
• Permanent Substitute Custodian - District
• Lunch Aides - Angell, Burton, Pattengill
• Kids’ Zone Assistant Teachers (3 positions) - Angell, Pattengill, Rogers
• Middle School Football Coach - Anderson
• 7th Grade Boys Basketball Coach - Norup
• Varsity Basketball Coach - BHS

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