What's Inside?
- Alumni Profile: Adam Edery, Class of 2015
- ATP Students Travel to African American History Museum to Explore History and Culture
- Dennard Mitchell Visits AMS Students, Shares “Everyone Has a Story”
- BHS Hosts Blood Drive Next Week
- Secondary Teachers Focus on Digital Literacy and Computer Science Skills on Professional Learning Day
- Bond & Sinking Fund Update - February 2024
- You're Invited to Off to the Races - Event in 15 Days
- Introducing Berkley Schools New Food Service Director
- District Supervisor Named a Changemaker in Professional Journal
- BHS Unified Basketball to Play at LCA - Tickets on Sale Now
- It’s Time to Fill Out an Intent to Return Form - Deadline Extended to March 1!
- City of Oak Park Hosts Juneteenth Competition for Oak Park Residents
- Travel Opportunities for 2025: The South Pacific, Japan, France and Spain
- How to Subscribe to the District Calendar
- Join the Berkley Schools Family
- Sign Up for Text Messages
Alumni Profile: Adam Edery, Class of 2015
The Berkley School District has an alumni series that gets published in the Berkley Beat. As alumni stories are shared with the District, the communications team interviews the alumni asking them the same five questions. The questions allow our alumni to tell their stories and highlight how their time at BHS influenced their life’s journey. This week’s Alumni Profile is about film producer Adam Edery, class of 2015.
Background
Adam Edery graduated from Berkley High School in 2015. He received his degree from Kalamazoo College in 2019 with a major in Anthropology and Sociology and dual minor in Spanish and Political Science.
Five questions for alumni:
What is your story and what are you doing now? Describe your journey to get there.
After college, I moved to Madison, Wisconsin, to be a consultant for a healthcare software company. I worked there for nearly two years, but discovered that the corporate/consulting world was not for me.
I decided to call fellow BHS alumni Sam Silverstein who ran a production company in LA called Exit 14 with BHS alum Jeremy Paczos. Sam shared advice and guidance with me. He also said they had an opening at their company to bring on an assistant part-time. In May 2021, I moved to LA to work for Sam and Jeremy. For two years I worked for Exit 14. During that time, we were given a feature film script to review, Grassland, and after reading and loving the story, we decided to try and make the film. We took the script to a variety of places and brought on another producer to help with fundraising. Last summer, we went to New Jersey to make the movie. I was a producer on the film, and we hired the cast and crew and made the movie. The film is ready, has been submitted to film festivals and should be released to the public sometime in 2024. Since the movie was made independently, we are waiting for a distributor to purchase the movie after it debuts at a festival, so it can be released to theaters.
Since making Grassland, I’m back in LA and started my own production company, Ageless Pictures. I wrote my own script about the ride-share driver who killed six people in Kalamazoo while I was in college there. I am working on getting the movie produced by refining the script, working on fundraising, hiring the necessary people to get the project up and running and getting actors on board.
I was always set on going into activism and social justice. I found myself in the film industry, but a lot of stories were not piquing my interest. The screenplay for Grassland about marajuana incarceration, policing, etc., helped me realize that filmmaking and storytelling can accomplish the goals of social justice - the types of things that I studied in school.
What did you learn at BHS that prepared you for "real life?"
At Berkley, what was so great was, it wasn’t just ‘oh, you’re learning for the sake of learning,’ and it also wasn’t just ‘high school showed me that learning can be fun.’ Berkley teaches you how to learn and how to engage with the world.
A lot of classes at Berkley were great. A lot of my classes taught me how to think and engage with the world. Without me really knowing it, the classes laid the groundwork for being able to have success in the film industry, but also just being able to have the confidence to quit my job. When I was in Wisconsin and unhappy I realized, ‘wait, life isn’t just supposed to be boring and monotonous.’ If I remember anything from high school and college it’s that engaging with the world in a meaningful way is important and is a reason why you wake up in the morning.
Did any one person or activity inspire you throughout your time in Berkley to become who you are?
Mr. Cierpial was one of the most life changing teachers. I took a class senior year called Project Advance with Mr. Cierpial. It was key for me. It unlocked a lot of my writing skills and a lot of my creativity and really challenged me. It laid the groundwork for me to have success in the real world.
If you had to share one piece of advice to students today, what would it be?
Try a lot of stuff and fail a lot and learn from it. It’s so easy to think that everything is super important and the end of the world. I remember wrestling with a lot of those feelings at BHS, and even still today. You’re going to learn more from trying and failing than you will with trying and succeeding. Being in an industry like film, where 99% of what you do is failure and you have to chase the 1% of success, the earlier you can internalize that the better.
Describe your time at BHS in one sentence.
My time at Berkley was the most important growth and development of my life, probably, in addition to college, and was filled with lots of learning.
ATP Students Travel to African American History Museum to Explore History and Culture
On Friday, February 9, students in the Berkley Adult Transition Program (ATP) visited the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History in Detroit.
The trip was funded through a Berkley Education Foundation Innovation-Grant. The mission of the trip was to open the students’ minds and change lives through the exploration and celebration of African American history and culture. While touring the exhibits, students immersed themselves into African American and Black culture.
The goal of the field trip, according to teacher Jennifer Plater, was for students to be able to share noticings and findings from the museum. Students also completed projects related to their trip, including picking one person to research that they discovered at the museum and how that person had a lasting impact on our society. In the innovation-grant application, the trip outcome included, “Students being able to understand the adversity and achievement of African American members of society. It will inspire them and others toward a greater understanding, acceptance, and unity.”
The Berkley Education Foundation funds staff innovation-grants twice a year to enrich students' experiences, to enhance their learning and to open opportunities for Berkley Schools staff outside of the traditional school budget. To learn more about the BEF, visit their website. To support the BEF and the grants program, visit the BEF’s donation site.
Dennard Mitchell Visits AMS Students, Shares “Everyone Has a Story”
On February 28, Guest Speaker Dennard Mitchell visited Anderson Middle School to share his "Everyone Has a Story" presentation with students. Mitchell's speech was focused on facing fears, motivating oneself to pursue life goals, fostering compassion, and building self-confidence. He emphasized the importance of not allowing judgment to hinder personal growth, highlighting that everyone has a unique narrative. Mitchell engaged with students by sharing aspects of his own life journey and encouraging participation by having students confidently count out loud to publicly sharing positive affirmations about themselves. Some students expressed appreciation for his uplifting energy and enthusiastic approach, sharing how they left with an increased sense of confidence and a fresh perspective on their peers. For more about Dennard Mitchell and his global mission to support the success of schools and student organizations, visit Mr. Mitchell’s website.
BHS Hosts Blood Drive Next Week - Community Invited to Participate
The Berkley Schools Community is invited to participate in BHS Student Leadership sponsored Blood Drive on Tuesday, March 5, 2024, from 8:30 am - 1:00 pm in the BHS Auditorium Lobby (2325 Catalpa, Berkley).
Participants must be 16 years and older. There are many slots available. Sign up on the Blood Center of Michigan website.
Secondary Teachers Focus on Digital Literacy and Computer Science Skills on Professional Learning Day
On Tuesday, February 27, during the District’s Professional Learning Day, the secondary (grades 6-12) staff engaged in a morning of learning around digital literacy and computer science skills. The morning included mini spotlight sessions where Berkley Schools teachers shared highlights of ways they integrate disciplinary literacy, digital literacy and computer science skills in their classrooms. Sessions included topics like podcasting, student publishing and editing tools, interactive math and science tools, drones, and more. The morning wrapped up with departments debriefing and identifying key digital literacy skills in their content area.
Bond Work & Sinking Fund Project Update: February 2024
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.
Project Updates
Design
District-wide Furniture Purchase - Bond
Furniture design teams have wrapped up their work. The next phase includes finalizing choices with the vendor and creating bid documents to put out to the public. The plan is to have all new classroom furniture purchased and installed by the first day of school in August 2024.
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.
Spring timeline update: Because the ground did not go through a deep freeze this winter, the Hurley track work can begin sooner than expected. Contractors will be onsite starting March 8 and will be removing the asphalt and placing the new aggregate base in preparation for the new track asphalt.
Lighting update: Due to the current large Bond and Sinking Fund workload for the professional partners and an expanded Hurley Field scope, Hurley Field’s new lighting project has been moved to Phase II for the Hurley Field work. Phase II will include updated lighting (Bond), a new sound system (Sinking Fund), press box (Sinking Fund), team rooms (Bond), restrooms (Sinking Fund) and concession stands (Sinking Fund). This work will go out to bid during Summer 2025 and installation will happen in late spring/summer 2026.
Parking update - Bond: A District team is working with the professional partners to finalize the expanding parking plans at Anderson/Hurley Field. The new plans will create separate entrance and exit points, a drop off and pick up outer loop and doubling the available parking spaces. This work will be completed during the track/turf construction this spring and summer. This work will go out to bid in March 2024, be awarded in April 2024 and will be complete by Summer 2024.
Phase 1: Burton & Pattengill Multi-Purpose Additions - Bond
Design meetings are complete for the Burton & Pattengill Multi-Purpose additions. Both projects have completed a detailed review with the District Bond team and professional partners. The drawings and scope of work are now being refined. Next steps include final review and cost estimates prior to the projects going out to bid which will take place in March. With this work, both schools will have additional work done on their gymnasiums and playgrounds.
Phase 1: BHS Performing Arts Wing - Bond
Design team meetings are complete for the Berkley High School’s Performing Arts. The architects will now take feedback from the design teams and create refined drawings. Those will be presented to the District Bond team for a detailed review in March and April.
Phase 1: BHS Science Wing - Bond
Design team meetings are complete for the Berkley High School’s Science Wing. The architects will now take feedback from the design teams and create refined drawings. Those will be presented to the District Bond team for a detailed review at the end of March and into April.
Phase 1: BHS BEAR Complex - Bond
The District Field House is now named the BEAR Complex (Berkley Education, Athletics and Recreation). Design team meetings are complete for the BEAR. The architects will now take feedback from the design teams and create refined drawings. Those will be presented to the District Bond team for a detailed review at the end of March.
Phase 1: BHS Pool - Bond
The District and BHS Bond team walked through the BHS Pool with the professional partners to evaluate the proposed work, take measurements and evaluate the space. The professional teams will now create plans and drawings for the space and meet with the BHS Pool Design Team to refine the work.
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 bids for the work were opened, reviewed and the lowest qualified bidders were selected. The District Bond team also completed a value engineering process to review each component of the work prior to the work being awarded to contractors. The lowest qualified bids will be presented to the Board of Education at the March Study Session and will be on the March Regular Meeting agenda for consideration to approve. The plan includes the Maintenance Building being completed by late Fall 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. This new varsity field will include lights, dugouts, concession area and a permanent outfield fence. The work will also include 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. The early timeline for this work is to begin construction in Spring 2025, with the goal of having our teams play their first game on the home field by Spring 2026.
Planning and discussions are continuing for baseball field upgrades.
Technology - Bond
New interactive flat panels and new classroom sound systems have been installed in all classrooms at Burton and Pattengill along with new clocks. The next timeline includes installing new interactive flat panels at Angell and Rogers over Spring Break. The Technology team is working with the District vendor to plan out the timeline for the rest of the school installations as well.
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.
You’re Invited to Off to the Races - Event in 15 Days
You’re invited to the Berkley Education Foundation’s Off to the Races fundraiser on March 16, 2024 at 7 pm at The Kingsley Hotel in Bloomfield Hills. The Berkley Education Foundation (BEF) is a non-profit organization that raises funds to support all students in the Berkley Schools. Their purpose is to maintain and enhance educational opportunities and programs for Berkley Schools students. Every dollar the BEF raises during Off to the Races supports teacher innovation-grants, free enrichment programs, student scholarships and the 8th grade college tour program.
How has the BEF impacted Berkley Schools students?
Enrichment Courses: The BEF has supported elementary and middle school students who have enrolled in 71 free enrichment courses since 2018, including: LEGO robotics, Creative Writing, Diversity, Chess Club, Chopped Art Club, Yoga, Planting Club, Art Club, Knitting Club, Taste of History, Religious Diversity Journeys, LEGO Club, Ally Club and Fueling Up Our Futures to name a few.
Teacher Innovation-Grants: The BEF has funded 265 teacher innovation-grants since 2015, including: fine motor development kits for kindergarten, sensory materials, social emotional learning tools, digital microscope, sensory equipment, flexible seating, a solar powered weather station, cooking & crafting, sensory seats, a tinker lab, water and sand tables, outside play equipment, audio books to go, kitchen equipment for the foods classes, boomwackers, Vernier Labquest science equipment, visiting authors, field trips and more.
8th Grade College Tours: The BEF sends all 8th graders on a free college tour each year. Students typically experience the college campus, dorm rooms, eating lunch in a residential hall and learning what they need to focus on in high school to achieve their goals. This year, the BEF is adding to this trip and making it a College + Career tour with stops at Oakland University and Oakland Schools Technical Campus.
Maxfield Science Symposium: Each year the BEF funds $4,000 in scholarships for students to excel at the annual Maxfield Science Symposium. Students design, complete and present an original science experiment to a panel of judges, who then award the scholarships.
Off to the Races Details
- Saturday, March 16, 2024
- 7-11 pm
- The Kingsley Hotel, A DoubleTree Hotel, Bloomfield Hills
- $50/ticket
- The event includes simulated horse racing, owning & naming horses, a silent auction (powered by mobile bidding), a $2,500 vacation give-away, and most importantly, funding the #BerkleyDifference.
- Learn more and buy tickets on the Off to the Races website.
- If you can’t make it, consider buying and naming a horse to run in the races for $30. Horses can be purchased on the Buy Horses page of the Off to the Races website.
Introducing Berkley Schools New Food Service Director
Berkley School District welcomed Amanda Snider as the new Food Service Director in December 2023. Ms. Snider works for Aramark, the District’s food service provider, but she also works closely with District staff. Ms. Snider’s day to day work includes supervising the food service staff, ordering meals, inventory for supplies, preparing food and serving in our lunch rooms.
Learn more about Ms. Snider in the video, below.
District Supervisor Named a Changemaker in Professional Journal
Congratulations to Stacie Angel, Berkley Schools Supervisor of Instructional Services, for being featured in the latest issue of The Learning Professional magazine as a Changemaker. A Changemaker, according to The Learning Professional, is the people behind professional learning that are making a difference for students, educators, and schools. A few months ago Stacie was nominated for the new Changemakers column by her colleagues Angie Church, Secondary Instructional Coach, and Jennifer Wilcox, Curriculum Coordinator. Her work both in the District and throughout the county (especially with the Job-Embedded Professional Learning Network - JEPL) align with the Changemakers criteria.
Learning Forward is the professional organization that provides guidance for planning, implementing and measuring high-quality professional learning. This is a brand new column for The Learning Professional, the Learning Forward journal, and Stacie is the inaugural winner!
You can see the Changemakers column on their website.
BHS Unified Basketball to Play at LCA - Tickets on Sale Now
The Berkley Unified Basketball team is excited to invite the community to come watch the team play at Little Caesars Arena on March 17. The BHS team will play after the Detroit Pistons play their game against the Miami Heat as part of the LCA Unified Night, where three Unified Games take place after the pros play. Tickets include access to both the Pistons and Unified Game, a Unified Showcase t-shirt and proceeds from each ticket will go back to the Berkley Unified Program.
Unified sports joins people with and without disabilities on the same team. It is dedicated to promoting social inclusion through shared sports training and competition experience. It was inspired by a simple principle: training together and playing together is a quick path to friendship and understanding.
Details
- Sunday, March 17, 2024
- Detroit Pistons Game: 3-5 pm
- Unified Night at LCA: 6-8:30 pm
- Berkley Unified (Game #3) - 8 pm
- Little Caesars Arena, Detroit
- Guests can attend the Unified Game only, if they choose
Tickets
$34/person
Buy tickets to the March 17 activities today - tickets are limited!
For any questions please contact Andy Myers at amyers@pistons.com or (313) 771-7588.
Tickets are mobile tickets and details will be emailed to you immediately after purchase. To access mobile tickets you must login to the Pistons App. Details can be found here: www.Pistons.com/mobileticket
The Fine Print
This offer cannot be redeemed at LCA Box Office. All tickets are subject to availability and handled on a first-come, first-served basis. All prices on orders received after the indicated deadline are subject to change. Refunds or exchanges will not be issued. Please provide an accurate cell phone number and email address in order to access your tickets. All tickets purchased will be available on your Pistons Account. You will receive an email once they are available.
It’s Time to Fill Out an Intent to Return Form - Deadline Extended Through March 1!
It’s time to let the District know which students will be returning to the Berkley School District next year.
The District has created a simple form for all families with students in grades TK-11 to fill out inside of the MISTAR Parent Portal. Responses will help schools create classroom communities and courses for next year. Follow the steps below to complete the form, once per child. Form entries are due Friday, March 1 at the end of the day.
How to fill out the form:
- Log into MISTAR Parent Portal.
- In the top right corner click on Intent to Return in bold, red lettering.
- Next to each student, click the Edit button on the right hand side.
- Answer the questions listed, if applicable, and once completed, click the box next to “Click to confirm you have reviewed this section…”
- Click the Submit button at the top.
- Repeat for additional children.
You can also find the Intent to Return form in the MISTAR App. To download the app, follow these directions:
- In your mobile device app store, download Q ParentConnection.
- Inside the app, select the State, County and District.
- Select Enter ParentConnection.
- In the upper right, select Log In.
- Enter your MISTAR Parent Portal Pin and Password.
- To complete the Intent to Return Form in the App:
- Click the three lines in the upper right corner.
- Click on Re-Enrollment.
- Next to your student's name, click the Edit button.
- Complete the Intent to Return steps.
- Click the submit button.
Please fill out the form by Friday, March 1.
QUESTIONS?
If you are having problems logging in, have questions about completing information online or are experiencing technical difficulties email mistarhelp@berkleyschools.org. Be sure to include your name, the name of your child and a phone number where you can be reached.
City of Oak Park Hosts Juneteenth Competition for Oak Park Residents
The City of Oak Park is sponsoring a student self-expression contest to recognize the Juneteenth holiday. This year, the City of Oak Park Juneteenth Sub-Committee has increased the number of scholarships being offered to seven $500 scholarships. The contest welcomes various forms of expression, including music, poems, paintings and more. The City encourages all K-12 students who either live in Oak Park and/or attend schools in Oak Park to submit a piece of self-expression to highlight what Juneteenth means to them.
Submissions are due by March 31 and can be made electronically or turned in at Oak Park City Hall. Along with submissions, students must also submit a contact form. The Juneteenth Sub-Committee will serve as the judging body and students selected as winners will be notified in advance of the Sunday, June 16 event.
Additional information is available on the City of Oak Park’s website.
Travel Opportunities for 2025
Travel to France & Spain in Spring 2025
Students in grades 6-12 (during the time of travel) are invited to travel to France and Spain during Spring Break 2025. This trip will explore cultural experiences, local immersion, and iconic sights.
If you have any questions, contact Athena Troher at athena.troher@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
Travel to Japan in Summer 2025
Students in grades 9-12 (during the time of travel) are invited to travel to Japan during the Summer of 2025. This trip will explore cultural experiences, local immersion and iconic sights of the country.
If you have any questions, contact Saundra Rathburn at saundra.rathburn@berkleyschools.org or Tracy Burroughs at tracy.burroughs@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:
- Permanent Building Substitute Teacher - Norup
- Family & Community Liaison for English Language Development
- Special Education Paraeducator - BHS
- Early Childhood Special Education Paraeducator - Berkley Building Blocks
- Lead Teacher: GSRP/Head Start Blend - Berkley Building Blocks
- Assistant Teacher(s) - 6 Open Positions - Berkley Building Blocks
- Kids’ Zone Assistant Teacher - Pattengill
- Lunch Aides - Pattengill
- Permanent Substitute Custodian - District
- Afternoon Custodian Split Position - Norup & Pattengill
- Afternoon Custodian Split Position - Administrative Offices/Berkley Building Blocks
- Food Service Worker - 5 Positions
- High School Girls Swim and Dive Program Head Coach
- High School Boys Tennis Program Assistant
- High School JV Girls Tennis Head Coach
- Middle School Football Coach
- Middle School Softball Coach - Anderson
- Middle School Wrestling Head Coach
- Middle School Baseball Head Coach - Anderson
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.