Berkley Beat December 20, 2024

What's Inside

• BHS Choir Embarks on a Cheer Spreading Mission
• AMS Students Selected for Honors by Michigan State Band & Orchestra Association
• Comfort Crew at Work
• Bond Work & Sinking Fund Project Update: December 2024
• Norup Students Present Holiday Market Day to their Peers
• BHS Students Excel at DECA District Competition
• Kindergarten Information for All: Information Nights, Registration and Schools of Choice
• Berkley, Clawson & Royal Oak Partner to Honor Dr. King on MLK Day - Save the Date
• Support the BEF this Giving Season & Support Berkley Schools Students
• 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?
• December Calendar Highlights - International Day of Persons with Disabilities, Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, Christmas, Chanukah, Kwanzaa
• How to Subscribe to the District Calendar
• Join the Berkley Schools Family - Now Hiring

Bond Work & Sinking Fund Project Update: December 2024

With the passing of the August 2023 Bond, Berkley Schools teams are busy planning for upcoming construction projects. In addition to the Bond projects, the District has a list of Sinking Fund projects that are also in the works to improve and update our facilities. The Sinking Fund was approved by voters in 2018. Because both Bond and Sinking Fund projects are ongoing, these monthly updates will include details on both.

The December update includes construction updates on the new maintenance building, construction updates for Burton and Pattengill, new renderings and updates for Berkley High School projects, timelines for BHS and the ATP & Robotics space, updates on Phase II projects and technology updates.

These monthly Bond & Sinking Fund updates will be maintained on the District’s website. See below for updates on the Phase I projects that are taking place in 2024 and 2025.

Project Updates

Maintenance Building - Sinking Fund

The new Maintenance building is located at the Administrative Offices site in Oak Park, at the end of the parking lot, just north of the Norup playground. Construction is moving along on schedule. Since November, the fence has been completed and electrical, tile and ceiling grids are continuing with installation as is the break room area. Interior painting is also nearly complete. The building now goes to the final inspection process and then the outside power source will be connected to the building. The building is anticipated to be completed by the end of January 2025.

District-wide Furniture Purchase - Bond - Phase II

Phase I of the furniture project is complete with a few punch list items to complete for the all new classroom furniture. Over Winter Break, desk drawers will be repaired in all elementary classrooms. Phase II(A) of the furniture project received new furniture in December for additional kindergarten sections, specialized classrooms, and the Early Intervention program at BBB. The design process for Phase II(B) (art rooms, media centers, music rooms, science labs, etc.) has begun. The design development phase will continue through January 2025 to allow for installation to begin in June.

Phase 1: Burton & Pattengill Multi-Purpose Additions - Bond - Fall 2024

Burton

• Burton’s new multi-purpose/cafeteria addition will be attached to the building at the northeast corner of the playground by the gym. It will house a new lunchroom, a new kitchen, storage rooms, restrooms and will be a wonderful space for collaboration.
• The foundation work is nearly complete on the addition and the masons will start building walls once the foundation is done.
• For the new playground area inside of the track, fencing is up and excavation has begun to prepare the site for the monkey bars, tubes, swings and shade sails.
• Once the new playground area is completed in the field, the Nadine parking lot and sidewalk adjacent to the parking lot will be closed to the public through the end of August 2025. At that time, Burton families and students will use a gate near the field for drop off and pick up.
• The street-side parking on Nadine plus the sidewalk will remain open through November/December.

Pattengill

• Pattengill’s new multi-purpose/cafeteria addition will be attached to the building at the north doors, in the current concrete area. It will house a new lunchroom, a new kitchen, storage rooms, restrooms and will be a wonderful space for collaboration.
• The foundation is complete and the masons are working on building the exterior walls. The addition site is inside of a bubble to allow the cement to dry in the cold weather.
• The construction fence line will be extended in January to enclose the grassy area between the building and playground facing Oakshire.
• A new concrete area will be poured to the south of the playground as part of the later construction plans.
• In addition to the multi-purpose addition, the District is adding parking spaces near the baseball field on Royal as part of the construction.
• During construction, both Royal and Oakshire will have short time periods where the streets will have construction to tie into the building projects. The community will be notified ahead of time when these projects are slated to begin.

Phase 1: BHS BEAR Complex - Bond - Spring 2025

The District Field House project is now named The BEAR Complex (The Berkley Education, Athletics and Recreation Complex). The BEAR Complex includes a 60-yard indoor fieldhouse that includes a new weight room, team room and trainer room, an outdoor 120-yard turf performance field with lights, parking lot expansion and new configuration, and a grass field north of the turf field. The project came back from the bid process under budget and the Board of Education approved the contractors, minus landscaping and sports flooring, which will be presented to the Board at the January meeting. Asbestos abatement in the tunnels near the current Maintenance Annex is complete. Engineering reviews are taking place and planning for environmental remediation is in progress. Demolition will begin during the month of April 2025.

Phase 1: BHS Pool - Bond - Spring/Summer 2025

The professional teams are working on finalizing plans for the space to prepare the work for the bid documents. The original pool scope includes a new HVAC system, new starting blocks, new diving board, updating tile areas, redoing the pool office and restroom and updates to the chemical system. In addition to this work, the team is adding a new filter system, a new timing system and scoreboard, upgrading lighting and additional plumbing work. Pool updates will take place starting as soon as the boys swim season is complete in March 2025. The additional mechanical work will be completed in spring/summer 2026.

ATP & Robotics at former Cana Lutheran Church - Sinking Fund - Spring 2025

The Adult Transition Program (ATP) and Robotics programs will be housed at the former Cana Lutheran Church. The work for both of these projects was bundled with the BHS Bond projects and the bid divisions were approved at the November Board of Education Regular Meeting. The goal is to have ATP in their new space by August 2025 for the start of the school year and Robotics soon after and prior to their 2025 build season. Asbestos abatement is now complete. Preconstruciton meetings are taking place to plan for the work that will begin in February.

Phase 2: Angell & Rogers Multi-Purpose Additions - Bond - Fall 2025

Design team meetings have begun to plan and shape the Bond work for Angell and Rogers multi-purpose/cafeteria additions, gym updates and any resulting playground adjustments. Design teams 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. The team has held four meetings so far and are working to refine details to inform the final design as well as choose the final finishes.

Technology - Bond

New interactive flat panels and new classroom sound system installation is in progress at Berkley High School. The team works through 3-4 classrooms each day, has 13 classrooms left and will have the project completed in early January 2025. The new clock system will be installed at BHS over Winter Break. In addition, the District is working to improve the fiber network and has hired IDS as a technology consultant to assist with Bond project planning specific to technology needs. The new staff laptop distribution plan has begun and will continue through winter/spring 2025.

Team Meetings

The District teams participate in Steering Committee meetings twice a month 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.

Kindergarten Information for All: Information Nights, Registration and Schools of Choice

While it might be hard to believe, it’s time to start thinking about Kindergarten for Fall 2025. In the Berkley School District, Kindergarten and Transitional Kindergarten information nights, enrollment and the Schools of Choice application windows happen in January and February each year. Starting early allows the District to plan staffing, class sizes and support for students before the year ends. If you have an incoming Kindergarten student this is important information to save. If you know someone who has a child who will be five years old by September 1, 2025, please share this information with them!

TK & Kindergarten Information Nights

Learn about the kindergarten curriculum, how to prepare for the big first day, enrollment options, and Kindergarten/Transitional Kindergarten readiness. All TK and Kindergarten students need to be five years old by September 1, 2025.

During the evening, families will be able to ask the Principal questions, learn more about each school and hear about the #BerkleyDifference. You do not have to be a resident to attend the Kindergarten Information Nights, they are open to all who are interested in the Berkley School District. Learn more about Kindergarten enrollment and readiness by visiting our Enrollment webpage.

• Angell Elementary School: Wed, Jan 22, 2025 | 6:30 pm
• Burton Elementary School: Thurs, Jan 16, 2025 | 6:30 pm
• Pattengill Elementary School: Tues, Jan 21, 2025 | 6:30 pm
• Rogers Elementary School: Thurs, Jan 23, 2025 | 6:30 pm
• Norup International School: Wed, Jan 15, 2025 | 6:30 pm

Kindergarten Registration for Berkley School District Residents

Berkley School District resident registration for both Transitional Kindergarten and Kindergarten begins February 3 and runs through February 14, 2025. Registration takes place entirely online, including the required document uploads. Visit the enrollment webpage to begin your registration, verify your residency through our District boundaries document and see what paperwork you need to upload to complete your registration. We can’t wait to meet our new students!

Schools of Choice Window for TK-Grade 5

The Berkley School District Board of Education has approved limited Schools of Choice (Section 105) openings (up to 150 slots) in Kindergarten through 5th grade for Oakland County residents for the 2025-26 school year. Those who are interested in attending the Berkley School District, but who do not live within District boundaries may apply.

Important Schools of Choice details include:

• Schools of Choice application period is February 10-28, 2025
• Completed applications must be submitted online
• No applications will be accepted after the deadline of 5:00 pm, February 28, 2025
• Applicants will receive email notification of their student's Schools of Choice status mid to late April following the lottery
• On the application, families will select which school they’d prefer to attend: Angell, Burton, Norup, Pattengill or Rogers
• For current Schools of Choice families, if you have an incoming TK or Kindergarten student, please be sure to fill out this year’s application as well. Priority is given to siblings.

Questions

If you have any questions regarding the upcoming Kindergarten Information nights, please reach out to school secretaries and/or principals.

If you have any questions regarding the enrollment process, please contact the Enrollment Office at 248-837-8026 or visit the Enrollment website.

If you have any questions regarding Schools of Choice, please contact Stephanie Helterbran, Pupil Accounting and Central Enrollment Supervisor, at 248-837-8045 or visit the Schools of Choice website.

Berkley, Clawson & Royal Oak Partner to Honor Dr. King on MLK Day - Save the Date

The cities and school districts of Berkley, Clawson and Royal Oak announce their joint MLK Day event for the entire community to remember, participate, and honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

On Monday, January 20th, 2025, the community is invited to celebrate A Day On, Not a Day Off, with the three school districts and municipalities. Attendees will have the opportunity to enjoy breakfast together, participate in a Freedom Walk, complete volunteer activities such as donation sorting and blanket making.

This year’s event takes place at Berkley High School, (2325 Catalpa, Berkley MI 48072) and begins at 9 am.

The event committee will also be collecting donations to support the following groups:

• Redford Brightmoor Initiative
• Cass Community Social Services
• Judson Center
• Royal Oak First United Methodist Church
• Welcome Inn

Guests are encouraged to bring donations with them to the event or order donations on the event’s Amazon Wishlist. See a list of requested donations and additional event information on the City of Royal Oak website.

Support the BEF this Giving Season & Support Berkley Schools Students

The Berkley Education Foundation is in its annual Dollars for the District giving campaign season. Read below to learn how the BEF supports all Berkley Schools students and how you can help.

Through the generosity of our community and the efforts of many dedicated volunteers, the BEF has invested more than $445,000 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 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 41444.

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.

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: December

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.

International Day of Persons with Disabilities - December 3

The annual observance of the International Day of Disabled Persons (now called International Day of Persons with Disabilities) was proclaimed in 1992 by the United Nations General Assembly. It aims to promote the rights and well-being of persons with disabilities in all spheres of society and development, and to increase awareness of the situation of persons with disabilities in every aspect of political, social, economic and cultural life.

The United Nations shared the following Facts & Figures about persons with disabilities.

• Over 1 billion people in the world have some form of disability.
• More than 100 million disabled persons are children
• Children with disabilities are almost four times more likely to experience violence than non-disabled children
• 50% of disabled persons cannot afford health care

Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day - December 7

Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day is celebrated on December 7 annually, remembering those who were lost during the attack on Pearl Harbor during World War II. In this year’s Presidential Proclamation, President Biden shared, “On this day 82 years ago, 2,403 service members and civilians were killed in a painful and unprovoked attack on our Armed Forces. On National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, we remember these women and men, who gave their last full measure of devotion to our Nation. We honor the brave service members who — with the horrors of Pearl Harbor weighing on their hearts and the hopes of humanity resting on their shoulders — answered the call to defend freedom against the forces of fascism during World War II.”

Chanukah - Begins on December 25 at Sundown through January 2

Chanukah is the Jewish eight-day, wintertime “festival of lights,” celebrated with a nightly menorah lighting, special prayers and fried foods.

The Hebrew word Chanukah means “dedication,” and is thus named because it celebrates the rededication of the Holy Temple. Also spelled Hanukkah (or variations of that spelling), the Hebrew word is actually pronounced with a guttural, “kh” sound, kha-nu-kah, not tcha-new-kah. Learn more about the history of Chanukah on the Chabad.org website.

On Chanukah, it is customary to play with a dreidel (a four-sided spinning top bearing the Hebrew letters, nun, gimmel, hei and shin, an acronym for nes gadol hayah sham, “a great miracle happened there”). The game is usually played for a pot of coins, nuts, or other things, which is won or lost based on which letter the dreidel lands when it is spun.

Christmas - December 25

Christmas is a Christian festival that celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ, who Christians believe was the son of God. For most people, it takes place every year on 25 December – the day that the Roman Catholic Church chose to mark Jesus’ birthday. Learn more on the National Geographic Kids website.

Not all Christians celebrate Christmas on the same day. In countries with large populations of Orthodox Christians, such as Russia, the Ukraine and Romania, Christmas Day falls on January 7. Some Greek Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas on January 7, too.

According to history.com, Santa Claus—otherwise known as Saint Nicholas or Kris Kringle—has a long history steeped in Christmas traditions. Today, he is thought of mainly as the jolly man in red who brings toys to children on Christmas Eve, but his story stretches all the way back to the 3rd century, when Saint Nicholas walked the earth and became the patron saint of children.

Kwanzaa - December 26 - January 1

Kwanzaa is an annual celebration of African-American culture from December 26 to January 1, culminating in a communal feast called Karamu, usually on the sixth day. Created in 1966 by Maulana Ron Karenga, Kwanzaa is an African American and Pan-African holiday that celebrates history, values, family, community and culture. The ideas and concepts of Kwanzaa are expressed in the Swahili language, one of the most widely spoken languages in Africa. Learn more on the National Museum of African American History and Culture website.

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

• Permanent Building Substitute Teacher - Norup
• Long-Term Guest Teacher 1st Grade - Angell
• Long-Term Substitute Middle School Language Arts/Speech Teacher - Norup
• Campus Monitor - Berkley High School
• Special Education Paraeducators (4 Positions) - Anderson, BHS, Burton, Pattengill
• Afternoon Custodian Shift Leader - Norup
• Afternoon Custodian - Burton
• Permanent Substitute Custodian - District
• Lunch Aides - Burton & Pattengill
• Food Service Worker Lead Position
• Kids’ Zone Assistant Teachers (3 Positions) - Angell, Pattengill, Rogers
• Varsity Baseball Assistant Coach - Berkley High School
• JV Head Baseball Coach - Berkley High School
• Middle School Wrestling Head Coach - Anderson Middle School

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