What's Inside
- PTAs Celebrate Founders Day Together
- High School Students Host Senior Citizens Prom
- BBB Hosts Snowball Dance
- BHS Hosts Elective Fair
- Norup Students Bring Famous Figures to Life
- Rogers Students Visit Hands-On Museum
- Berkley Education Foundation’s Off to the Races Tickets on Sale with Video
- Tri-Community Coalition Monthly Tips
- Huntington Woods Men’s Club Invites Community to Annual Auction Benefiting Berkley Schools
- BHS Spring Flower Sale
- 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?
- February Calendar Highlights - Black History Month, Groundhog Day, Student Count Day, Valentine’s Day, Ramadan
- How to Subscribe to the District Calendar
- Join the Berkley Schools Family - Now Hiring
PTAs Celebrate Founders Day Together
On Tuesday, February 25, at Club Venetian in Madison Heights, hundreds of people gathered to celebrate the annual Berkley Area PTSA Council Founders Day.
Founders Day celebrates the founding of the PTA and the outstanding Berkley PTA members, teachers and staff persons of the year. The event included recognition for each PTA member, staff and teacher of the year, messages from Michigan PTA President-Elect Jenna McMechan, Berkley Schools Superintendent Scott Francis and Berkley Area PTSA Council President Caitlyn Thrasher. Vince Gigliotti, Angell Principal, shared wonderful details about each honoree during the evening.
Congratulations to all of this year’s honorees!
Educators of the Year
- Laura Russell, Science Teacher, Anderson Middle School
- Melissa Watkins, Kindergarten, Angell Elementary School
- Robyn Weiss, Counselor, Berkley High School
- Dorota Jakuc, Visual Arts Teacher, Burton Elementary School
- Danielle Crowder, 5th Grade Teacher, Norup International - Elementary
- Robert Smith, Math Teacher, Norup International School - Middle
- Stacey McConnell, Kindergarten Teacher, Pattengill Elementary School
- Sarah Berry, Transitional Kindergarten Teacher, Rogers Elementary School
Support Staff of the Year
- Howard Sherman, Paraeducator, Anderson Middle School
- Amy Lister, Paraeducator, Angell Elementary School
- Dewayne Green, Campus Monitor, Berkley High School
- Roberto Fournier, Head Custodian, Burton Elementary School
- Kim Bormann, Paraeducator, Norup International School
- Parris Collins, Crossing Guard, Pattengill Elementary School
- Jennifer Lockhart, Paraeducator, Rogers Elementary School
PTA Member of the Year
- Charley Eaton, Anderson Middle School
- Kristy Devine, Angell Elementary School
- Elizabeth Scott, Burton Elementary School
- Christopher Rettich, Norup International School
- Jessica Malangone, Pattengill Elementary School
- Sayrd Coradazzi, Rogers Elementary School
High School Students Host Senior Citizens Prom
In December 2023, the BHS Student Leadership class attended an Oakland Activities Association event where multiple schools came together to share ideas for student leadership projects and events. Out of that brainstorming event, the BHS Student Leadership members decided to host a Senior Citizens Prom.
On February 11, the BHS students hosted their second annual Senior Citizens Prom with Oxford Park Tower residents. Nadia Fobbs (committee chair) along with fellow students Lucy Sousanis, Willem Allen, Le'la Kyles and Ben Francis planned this year’s event and the entire class helped set up, attend and interact with the residents. This year, the Senior Citizens Prom included cookie decorating, Bingo, Valentine's making, snacks and refreshments.
BBB Hosts Snowball Dance
On Wednesday, February 12, 2025, Berkley Building Blocks hosted their Snowball Dance, providing students, staff, and families with a wonderful opportunity to dress up and enjoy a fun-filled evening together. The event featured tasty snacks, refreshing drinks, and a DJ who kept the students dancing. It was an adorable occasion that gave everyone involved an opportunity to bond and create lasting memories outside the classroom.
BHS Hosts Elective Fair
On Wednesday, February 26th, BHS hosted its first Elective Fair, featuring elective and AP course teachers who volunteered their time during lunch to showcase the diverse range of classes available at BHS. Ninth, tenth, and eleventh-grade students gathered in the Library Media Center, where they had the chance to learn about these courses directly from the teachers and current students. This event allowed students to ask questions and gather valuable information, helping them make more informed decisions about their schedules for the upcoming school year.
The Elective Fair was a collaborative effort led by several student-run classes, including Student Leadership, Sources of Strength, News and Broadcasting, and Marketing, with the support of teachers and Instructional Coach Brittney Vaughn. Feedback from both students and teachers was overwhelmingly positive, and this successful event is set to grow even bigger in the coming years.
Norup Students Bring Famous Figures to Life
On February 14, Norup third graders participated in a wax museum as part of their biography unit. They chose a person to research, learned about their life and major accomplishments. Then students created a poster and a speech to share about the person. During the wax museum, they dressed up as the person and shared their speech to museum visitors. Students highlighted famous figures like Roald Dahl, Kamala Harris, Barack Obama, Rachel Carson, Albert Einstein, Katy Perry, Coco Chanel and Michelle Obama.
Rogers Students Visit Hands-On Museum
On February 7, Rogers Transitional Kindergarten and Kindergarten classes took a field trip to Ann Arbor to visit the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum. Students, teachers and chaperones explored and interacted with over 250 science and technology exhibits. Teacher Andrea Halas shared, “The visit to the museum provided all students with interactive opportunities that reinforced our classroom learning with weather, motion, simple experiments, mathematical thinking, problem solving and inquiry.”
Berkley Education Foundation’s 16th Annual Off to the Races Tickets On Sale
- March 8, 2025
- 7-10:30 pm
- The Kingsley, Bloomfield Hills, A DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel
- Tickets on sale now
The Berkley Schools community is invited to the Berkley Education Foundation’s 16th annual fundraising event Off to the Races to support the Berkley School District and fund the #BerkleyDifference.
Off to the Races will take place on Saturday, March 8, from 7-10:30 pm at The Kingsley, Bloomfield Hills, a DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel. Join the BEF for all the fun: simulated horse racing, owning & naming horses, silent auction (powered by mobile bidding), vacation give-away, connecting with friends, and most importantly, funding the #BerkleyDifference. This year the food theme is desserts and late night snacks.
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.
Tickets on sale.
Don’t miss out on all the fun. Tickets are on sale now: $60/person
- Bundle event tickets with Off to the Races (OTTR) Bucks for a discount.
- OTTR Bucks pay for horse “betting” and beverages at the event.
- Buy 10 Bucks for $40 at the event, or add them on to an event ticket for a $10 discount.
Horses on sale now.
Buy and name a horse that will race during Off to the Races! 24 regular horses ($30) and 1 golden horses ($300) are available. Horses can be purchased through the ticket section of the website. For those who can’t attend the event, buying a horse is an easy way to support the BEF.
Tables on sale for reserved seating.
Buy a table for 10 to guarantee the best seats of the night.
- VIP Tables: Includes 10 event tickets, $200 worth of OTTR Bucks, two bottles of wine at the table and reserved seating in a prime location. $1,200
- Reserved Table: Includes 10 event tickets and a reserved table to have guaranteed seating together. $800
Win a vacation.
Don’t miss the Golden Race - the last race of the night. The winner will take home a $3,000 vacation, courtesy of the BEF.
- The prize is bigger so the stakes are higher: guests can “bet” on this race with a Golden Ticket!
- $50 Golden Tickets can be added to event tickets or at the door.
- Must be present to win.
Sponsorships available!
Event sponsorships, race sponsorships and prize sponsorships available for all budgets, ranging from $500 - $10,000. Investing in Off to the Races includes a variety of incentives from social media shoutouts to tickets to the event. Visit the BEF’s Sponsorship Booklet for details.
Interested in sponsoring? Buy sponsorships online or Email berkleyfoundation@berkleyschools.org
Tri-Community Coalition Monthly Tips
The Tri-Community Coalition will be sharing monthly tips with the Berkley Schools community in the Berkley Beat. The Tri-Community Coalition is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization formed to prevent the abuse of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs through education, community action and involvement, and the promotion of a drug-free lifestyle.
February Tip
Did you know that teens who start drinking before the age of 15 are 4 times more likely to develop alcohol dependence later in life compared to those who wait until age 21?
Learn more about the Tri-Community Coalition on their website.
Huntington Woods Men’s Club Invites Community to Annual Auction Benefiting Berkley Schools
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 go on sale March 1, 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.
BHS Spring Flower Sale
The Berkley High School Senior All Night Party invites the community to order from their annual Spring Flower Sale. All proceeds support the Senior All Night Party.
The sale begins online February 25th and runs through March 11th.
Flowers will be available for pick up on Thursday, May 22 from 1:30-5:30 pm in the BHS athletic parking lot.
Visit the flower sale website to place your order.
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!
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: February
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.
Black History Month
Black History Month is an annual celebration of achievements by African Americans and a time for recognizing their central role in U.S. history. Also known as African American History Month, the event grew out of “Negro History Week,” the brainchild of noted historian Carter G. Woodson and other prominent African Americans. Since 1976, every U.S. president has officially designated the month of February as Black History Month.
Other countries around the world, including Canada and the United Kingdom, also devote a month to celebrating Black history. Read more on the origins of Black History Month on the History Channel website.
Take time to learn more about Black History and attend events by visiting the following resources:
- Check out the Oakland County blog for a number of programs, film screenings, and more taking place in person and virtually to explore Black history and culture
- PBS: Celebrating Black Leaders
- PBS: Teaching Your Child About Black History
- Common Sense Education: Free Learning Resources for Black History Month (and beyond)
Groundhog Day - February 2
Groundhog Day is a tradition observed in the United States and Canada on February 2 of every year. It derives from the Pennsylvania Dutch superstition that if a groundhog emerges from its burrow on this day and sees its shadow, it will retreat to its den and winter will go on for six more weeks; if it does not see its shadow, spring will arrive early.
Since 1887 a groundhog in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, has been the center of a staged appearance each February 2. In what has become a media event, the groundhog “Punxsutawney Phil” is the center of attention of television weathermen and newspaper photographers.
Student Count Day - February 12
Counting every student is important for school funding - please make sure your children attend school on Wednesday, February 12, 2025.
Count Day determines our state funding and is based on attendance for the day. If your child will not be in school, please make sure to call in their absence to the school office.
Valentine's Day - February 14, 2025
Valentine’s Day occurs every February 14. Across the United States and in other places around the world, candy, flowers and gifts are exchanged between loved ones, all in the name of St. Valentine.
Learn more about the history and origins of Valentine’s Day on the History Channel website.
Ramadan - Begins February 28
Ramadan, in Islam, is the ninth month of the Muslim calendar and the holy month of fasting. It begins and ends with the appearance of the crescent moon. Because the Muslim calendar year is shorter than the Gregorian calendar year, Ramadan begins 10–12 days earlier each year, allowing it to fall in every season throughout a 33-year cycle.
Islamic tradition states that it was during Ramadan, on the “Night of Power” (Laylat al-Qadr)—commemorated on one of the last 10 nights of Ramadan, usually the 27th night—that God revealed to the Prophet Muhammad the Qurʾān, Islam’s holy book, “as a guidance for the people.” For Muslims, Ramadan is a period of introspection, communal prayer (ṣalāt) in the mosque, and reading of the Qurʾān.
Source: Britannica
Here’s a helpful resource to learn more about the facts and traditions of Ramadan
- Visit the Britannica article about Ramadan to learn more
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
- Principal - Angell Elementary School
- Permanent Building Substitute Teacher (2 positions) - Norup, BHS
- Long-Term Substitute Middle School Language Arts/Speech Teacher - Norup
- Long-Term Substitute Social Studies Teacher - Berkley High School/CASA
- Afternoon Custodian Shift Leader - Norup
- Afternoon Custodian - Burton
- Permanent Substitute Custodian - District
- Lunch Aides - Angell, Burton, Pattengill
- Kids’ Zone Assistant Teachers (3 Positions) - Angell, Pattengill, Rogers
- Varsity Baseball Assistant Coach - Berkley High School
- Varsity Girls Golf Head Coach - Berkley High School
- JV Head Baseball Coach - Berkley High School
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