Berkley Beat September 13, 2024

Board Selects Three Candidates to Interview

At the Monday, September 9 Board of Education Regular Meeting, the Board of Education selected three candidates to interview for the vacant Board trustee position out of the 15 who applied (two withdrew prior to the meeting).

Former Board member Ron Justice submitted his resignation effective September 4, 2024, just shy of his term ending December 31, 2024. The Board has an obligation to fill the vacant position within 30 days of a resignation.

President Blake opened the discussion at the Regular Meeting acknowledging Berkley Schools is fortunate to have such overwhelming support and expressed appreciation for the candidates who applied. The trustees then discussed a process to reduce the number of candidates to interview due to the large number of applicants. The Board agreed to each recommend up to three candidates and shared their recommendations during the meeting. After the recommendations were tallied, the Board agreed that the top three candidates would be invited to interview on September 26.

The following community members will be interviewed for the vacant Board position on September 26 at 7 pm in the Administrative Offices, 14501 Talbot, Oak Park:

• Jon Heger, Berkley
• David Phillips, Berkley
• Gregory Flynn-Sollish, Berkley

The new trustee will be appointed and sworn in following the interviews at the September 26 Special Meeting. The appointed member will begin their term immediately and will finish Mr. Justice’s term through December 31, 2024.

AMS Earns Michigan HEARTSafe School Award

Congratulations to Anderson Middle School on becoming a MI HEARTSafe School! School Nurse Rose Guglielmetti spearheaded this initiative, so congratulations to Nurse Rose, too!

A HEARTSafe designation recognizes a school’s efforts to prevent sudden cardiac death of the young (SCDY) by preparing for a cardiac emergency. Members of this school community know how to recognize the signs of a sudden cardiac arrest and respond quickly by calling 9-1-1 and using CPR and an automated external defibrillator (AED) until EMS arrives. To learn more about the MI HEARTSafe School visit their website.

Nurse Rose will represent the District at the State Awards ceremony.

Historic BHS Painting - Community Outreach

During the 2016 BHS main office renovation a painting was recovered by BHS Teacher John Duffy. The painting is an original oil portrait of Mr. Richards, listed as the first manager of the Career Center. This painting was completed by local artist, Stephen Pugsley.

The District is hoping the community might have a connection to Mr. Richards or his family, or the artist, to see if they would like this photo. If you have a lead, email communications@berkleyschools.org.

If there are no longer connections in the community to Mr. Richards or Mr, Pugsley, the District will donate the portrait to the Berkley Historical Museum.

Communications Test Update

The Communications Team tested the new communications system, Finalsite, on Wednesday, September 11 at 7:30 pm. Each parent/guardian listed for each child in MISTAR should have received an email, phone call and text message.

Results

• 69.9% of emails were opened
• 97.6% of text messages were delivered
• 91.3% of phone calls were delivered
• We know the phone call may have included a long pause before it started speaking. We learned that if the person who answers says, “hello” to the call, the message starts sooner. We’re working on this with our vendor because the pause is unacceptable.
• Berkley Building Blocks families should have received a text message and phone call, but we discovered that all email addresses were not syncing at the time the test went out. This has since been resolved.
• Some people did not receive messages. We are in receipt of their notices and are working with our data team and Finalsite to remedy the issues. We’ll continue to message each person who had issues until all issues are resolved.

Didn’t Receive Our Message? Here are Some Self Troubleshooting Steps

• Log into the MISTAR Parent Portal
• Select Back to School Packet (this is still open to allow for contact updates)
• Select your name in the Contacts section
• In the Parent/Guardian Verification section, make sure your phone numbers have a label (landline, adult cell, work) AND make sure that label is correct. Remove any phone numbers that are not correct. If a number is not labeled it will not sync correctly.

System Test #3

We will send another system test to the folks who did not receive messages next week. We will communicate with them when the test will take place.

Don’t forget to save the District’s contact number so you know we’re calling/messaging you: 1-855-504-1667.

Tri-Community Coalition Hosts Discover Justice, a Mock Courtroom Trial

The Tri-Community Coalition, in collaboration with the Ferndale and Royal Oak Coalitions and their Youth Assistance Caseworkers, is hosting two mock courtroom trials. Families and their 7-12 grade students are invited to a real-life legal experience. The two sessions will occur in local courtrooms and will offer an interactive way to learn about the legal system and the consequences of breaking the law.

September 24

• Location: 45 District Court, 13600 Oak Park Blvd, Oak Park
• Topic: Drugs and Driving: Things You Need To Know
• Time: 6:30-8 pm

October 22

• Location: 44 District Court, 400 E. 11 Mile Rd, Royal Oak
• Topic: Driving with Suspended/No License
• Time: 6:30-8 pm

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.

Introducing the Little Bears Book Club

Berkley School District is excited to announce the Little Bears Book Club - a way for the District to connect with our youngest District residents and provide them books for their home library.

Four times per year the Berkley School District will mail Little Bears Book Club (LBBC) members an age-appropriate book plus a bonus book for their birthday.

Children who live in the Berkley School District, ages 0-5, who are not yet enrolled in TK/Kindergarten are eligible to participate.

To register, fill out the LBBC Google Form.

Any questions? Call the Berkley Schools Communications Office at 248-837-8095.

We hope our future Book Club members love reading just as much as we do!

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

September Calendar Highlights

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.

Labor Day - September 2

Labor Day is observed on the first Monday in September. On June 28, 1894, Congress passed an act making the first Monday in September of each year a legal holiday.

According to the Department of Labor, Labor Day is an annual celebration of the social and economic achievements of American workers. The holiday is rooted in the late nineteenth century, when labor activists pushed for a federal holiday to recognize the many contributions workers have made to America’s strength, prosperity, and well-being.

Read more on the Department of Labor’s website: www.dol.gov/general/laborday/history

Grandparents Day - September 8

Grandparents day began in 1978 when the United States Congress passed legislation proclaiming the first Sunday after Labor Day as National Grandparents Day. A presidential proclamation was signed by President Jimmy Carter and thus began the observation of this special holiday. The proclamation stated, “I urge each citizen to pause and to reflect on the influence his grandparents have had in shaping [their] own destiny, and on the legacy bestowed upon our contemporary society by [their] grandparents' generation.”

Patriot Day - September 11

Patriot Day, a holiday observed in the United States on September 11 to commemorate the lives of those who died in the 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon in Virginia and those who perished when the hijacked United Airlines Flight 93 crashed in Pennsylvania. The holiday also recognizes those who died attempting to rescue people trapped by the attacks.

By a joint resolution of the U.S. Congress on Dec. 18, 2001, September 11 was designated as Patriot Day. The resolution calls for the president of the United States to issue a yearly proclamation requesting that all U.S. flags be flown at half-staff.

There are resources and memorials dedicated to remembering those who lost their lives. Visit the 911 Memorial website the Pentagon Memorial website and the National Park Service website to learn more.

National Hispanic Heritage Month - September 15 - October 15:

September 15th - October 15th is nationally recognized as Hispanic Heritage Month. The month-long celebration highlights the culture, achievements and contributions of Hispanic Americans who enrich our nation and society.

Learn about Hispanic Heritage Month with your family by visiting these resources:

• PBS: All About the Holidays Hispanic Heritage Month Video
• Library of Congress: National Hispanic Heritage Month Website with Events
• PBS: 11 Picture Books Celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month
• Scholastic: A Month of Ideas for Celebrating National Hispanic Month
• Learning for Justice: Unmaking “Hispanic”: Teaching the Creation of Hispanic Identity
• Learning for Justice: Honoring LGBTQ Voices During Hispanic Heritage Month

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 Teacher - Autism Spectrum Disorders - BHS
• Permanent Building Substitute Teacher - Norup International School
• Permanent Building Substitute Teacher - Angell Elementary School
• Part Time English Language Development Teacher
• Paraeducator - Four locations
• Afternoon Custodian - Angell Elementary School
• Permanent Substitute Custodian - District Wide
• Assistant Teachers - BBB
• Kids’ Zone Assistant Teacher - Pattengill Elementary School
• Lunch Aide - Rogers Elementary - 2 Positions
• Food Service Workers - 5 Open Positions
• Middle School Girls Swim and Dive Head Coach - Anderson Middle School
• Freshman Girls Basketball Coach/Program Assistant
• Varsity Competitive Cheer Coach - BHS
• Early Childhood Special Education Substitute Paraeducator - BBB
• Early Childhood Special Education Teacher Long Term Substitute - BBB

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