Berkley Beat September 6, 2024

What's Inside

• Bond + Sinking Fund Update: September
• Board of Education Honors Outgoing Member, Ron Justice
• Three Generations at Rogers
• Communications Test Update
• Resources for Families when a Tragedy Occurs
• Tri-Community Coalition Hosts Discover Justice, a Mock Courtroom Trial
• TOPSoccer Now Offered Through SOCS/DCFC
• Breakfast and Lunch are FREE for All Students for the 2024-25 School Year
• Important Food Service Updates
• Visitor & Volunteer Protocols in the Berkley School District
• Have a Cool Job? Tell Our Students About It!
• Autism Alliance of Michigan Partners with Berkley Schools
• Introducing the Little Bears Book Club
• What is the Oakland County Parent Advisory Committee?
• September Calendar Highlights
• How to Subscribe to the District Calendar
• Join the Berkley Schools Family - Now Hiring
• Follow Us on Social Media

Bond Work & Sinking Fund Project Update: September 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 September update includes construction updates on the new maintenance building, photos of the completed Hurley Field, photos of the new classroom furniture, renderings and construction timelines for Burton and Pattengill’s additions, timelines for BHS, The BEAR Complex and the ATP & Robotics space, 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 has begun! The concrete floor slab has been poured, the outside panels are being installed and underground plumbing and electrical is complete. Construction is currently following the timeline and the building is anticipated to be completed by the end of December 2024

Hurley Field Turf and Track Update - Sinking Fund - Summer 2024

The new turf and track installation is complete! Hurley Field reopened on Tuesday, September 3. Hurley Field will be open to the public before and after school hours (school hours are 8 am - 3:30 pm) and outside of school events. If there is a school event taking place, we ask the public to refrain from entering the facility.

District-wide Furniture Purchase - Bond - Summer 2024

All new classroom furniture as part of Phase I was installed before students arrived. The new furniture includes student desks, student chairs, teacher desks, teacher chairs, multiple classroom storage options and flexible seating. The District is working with its furniture vendor to complete any needed repairs and/or punch list items over the next two weeks. Phase II of the furniture project is for specialized spaces (specialized classrooms, art rooms, media centers, for example). They will receive their new furniture later this year. Science classrooms will receive new furniture next summer in conjunction with the BHS science labs renovations.

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

Burton & Pattengill multi-purpose/cafeteria additions plans are complete. Contractors were selected at the August Board of Education meeting, bids came in under budget and planning for the construction staging areas has begun. Detailed timelines are below to prepare the community for the construction season.

BURTON

• Burton’s new multi-purpose addition will be attached to the building at the northeast corner of the playground by the gym.
• Half of Burton’s playground (east side) and parking lot will be fenced off by mid-October to prepare for construction. The playground doors will remain open with the construction fence just to the east.
• Construction fencing will also go up on the field inside the track, to prepare for a new playground area.
• Due to the location of the addition, some Burton playground equipment (swings, monkey bars, tubes, shade sails) will move to inside the track permanently.
• The street-side parking on Nadine plus the sidewalk will remain open through November/December.
• 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.
• As construction dates get solidified, we will share them with the Burton and Huntington Woods community so everyone is prepared for the full construction season.

PATTENGILL

• Pattengill’s new multi-purpose/cafeteria addition will be attached to the building at the north doors, in the current concrete area.
• Pattengill’s construction fencing will encompass the concrete area outside of the north doors through the baseball field. In addition, the construction fencing will hug the sidewalk in the grassy area between the playground and building for work on the new underground water drainage system. The construction fencing will be added mid-October.
• Pattengill students will access the playground through the 5th grade doors only.
• A large portion of the field will be blocked off for construction staging, however, students will have access to a portion of the field for recess.
• 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.
• The overhang outside of the north doors will be removed off school hours before construction begins to abate asbestos.
• During construction, both Royal and Oakshire will have short time periods where the streets will have construction to tie into the building projects. We will notify the community ahead of time when these projects are slated to begin.
• As construction dates get solidified, we will share them with the Pattengill community so everyone is prepared for the full construction season.

Phase 1: BHS Performing Arts Wing - Bond - Spring 2025

Berkley High School’s Performing Arts Bond team is finalizing and confirming details as the professional partners prepare the documents to send the job out to bid. The Performing Arts wing updates include the Auditorium complete renovation, Auditorium lobby addition, the Black Box Theatre/Choir Classroom addition, a new instrument commons and upgrades to both the Band and Orchestra rooms as well as upgrading practice rooms. All BHS projects will go to bid together in September. This work will begin in the Spring 2025 (Black Box in March, Auditorium in May) and is scheduled for completion in early 2026.

Phase 1: BHS Science Wing - Bond - Summer 2025

The BHS Science Wing planning and drawings are complete. The science work includes a complete renovation and redesign for the lab spaces, updates to chemical storage rooms, and creating new lab spaces. The Science Wing will be packaged along with the rest of the BHS projects and will go to bid in September. The Science Wing project timeline includes work beginning once school is complete in June 2025 and the labs reopening in September 2025.

Phase 1: BHS BEAR Complex - Bond - Spring 2025

The District Field House 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 is out to bid now and bids are due on September 19. Work 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. Pool updates include 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. The pool will be packaged along with the rest of the BHS projects and will go to bid in September. Pool updates will take place during Summer 2025.

ATP & Robotics at former Cana Lutheran Church - Spring 2025

The Bond and Sinking Fund team is working with the District’s architects and construction management team to plan the construction for the new Adult Transition Program (ATP) and Robotics spaces. The team has refined the plans, selected finishes and the scope of work. The work for both of these projects will be bundled with the BHS Bond projects and will go to bid in September 2024. 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 will take place in some of the building in November.

Baseball/Softball Fields - Sinking Fund - Timeline TBD

The District team is working to build both a varsity softball and varsity baseball field on its Oak Park property (Norup fields, Administrative Offices, Tyler Park area). The District is working with landscape architects, engineers and a construction team to finalize locations, construction plans and a budget for each field. Baseball and softball fields would include lights, dugouts and a permanent outfield fence. The work is also being planned to include an outdoor restroom location near the fields. The team is collaborating with the City of Oak Park as it finalizes plans to coordinate the upgrades to Tyler Park, a jointly owned space.

Technology - Bond

New interactive flat panels and new classroom sound systems have been installed in all classrooms at Angell, Burton, Pattengill, Rogers, Norup and Anderson along with new clocks. Berkley High School is up next. In addition, the District is planning on upgrading all staff devices through the Bond. Those purchases will take place this school year and will roll out in similar fashion to the interactive flat panels, one building at a time.

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.

Three Generations at Rogers

Many families in the Berkley Schools have multiple generations who have attended the District. This year, three generations have not only attended Rogers elementary, but they’ve also all experienced Kindergarten in Room 1. Mark Keegan (a retired Rogers teacher), his son Tommy and now Tommy's son Charlie all attended Kindergarten in the same room. Charlie’s teacher Mrs. Capuano took a photo of the three during a recent visit.

Resources for Families when a Tragedy Occurs

It is important to recognize that after a tragedy like the one in Georgia at Apalachee High School, our students may feel a broad range of emotions and there is no “right” or “wrong” way to process this. Everyone will need different levels of support. The National Association of School Psychologists has many tips about talking to children about violence on their website. The District also has many resources on the Emotional Support & Wellness webpage. While speaking with children, remind them to find a trusted adult when something doesn’t seem right, if they learn of any threats in person or online, or have any concerns about safety in their school. Speaking up can make a difference.

The District’s counselors, psychologists and social workers will be available as always to help any child who may be having a difficult time.

Additional resources for families:

• For Teens: Coping after Mass Violence
• Parent Guidelines for Helping Youth after the Recent Shooting
• Supporting children's mental wellness: Tips for families and caregivers

Communications Test Update

The Communications Team tested the new communications system, Finalsite, on Wednesday, September 4 at 7:30 pm. Each parent/guardian listed for each child in MISTAR should have received an email, phone call and text message.

Results

• 65% of emails were opened
• 97.7% of text messages were delivered
• 95.2% of phone calls were delivered
• We know the phone call took too long to start speaking. We’re working on this with our vendor.
• Berkley Building Blocks tuition families did not receive the alerts. We are working on fixing our manual upload to resolve this issue.
• 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 get back with each person who emailed the Communications Office next week as we work through the data.

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 #2

We will send another system test on Wednesday, September 11 at 7:30 pm to make sure all issues are resolved.

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

TOPSoccer Now Offered Through SOCS/DCFC

US Youth Soccer TOPSoccer (The Outreach Program for Soccer) is a community-based training and team placement program for young athletes with disabilities, organized by youth soccer association volunteers. The program is designed to bring the opportunity of learning and playing soccer to any child who has a mental or physical disability.

For children between the ages of 4 and 19, South Oakland County Soccer (SOCS) / DCFC South Oakland is proud to partner with First Pick Sports who will provide this six-week program for members of our surrounding communities.

When: September 17, 24 and October 1, 8, 15, 22 from 5-6 pm

Where: Men’s Club Field, 12935 W. 11 Mile Rd, Huntington Woods

What: Athletes will participate in various games that work on following directions, social skills, gross motor skills and soccer skills. The program works on passing, shooting, dribbling, taking turns, running and making friends.

Register on the SOCS website.

Volunteer buddies needed!

The TOPSoccer program is seeking Buddies, the volunteers who assist the participating children. Applications for Buddies are currently being accepted for Fall 2024. Volunteers should be high school aged or older, although exceptional middle school aged candidates may apply.

Breakfast and Lunch are FREE for all students for the 2024-25 school year.

Thanks to the State of Michigan including Michigan School Meals in the 2024-25 budget, Berkley Schools students will receive free breakfast and lunch throughout the 2024-25 school year once again.

For families that may have qualified to receive free/reduced meals or may qualify now, it is important to continue to fill out the Education and Nutrition Benefits Form to find out if you’re eligible. Being eligible provides many more benefits such as reduced athletics, AP testing and summer program fees and expanded funding from the State and Federal Government. Find the Education and Nutrition Benefits Form in the Back to School Packet - student section - and on the Food Service webpage.

Berkley Schools and ARAMARK have teamed up to provide students with the fuel that they need to have a successful academic year. ARAMARK provides nutritious meals in accordance with the USDA standards. Visit the Berkley Food Service webpage for menus, updates and more!

Important Food Service updates for the 2024-25 School Year:

School cafeterias have a new cash policy this year. While students will be able to purchase a la carte items with cash, our cafeterias will not be able to make change for those purchases. For example, if a student purchased a $3 item with a $5 bill, they will not receive their change in cash. However, the $2 change will be applied to their meal account to use for another transaction. This adjustment will help increase the speed of the lunch lines so students have more time to eat.

Updated Food Allergy Policy: Visit the Food Services webpage for important food allergy information. And see all food allergens for each meal on our Nutrislice website.

Visitor & Volunteer Protocols in the Berkley School District

Visitors

Berkley School District uses the Raptor Visitor Management System in all our buildings to strengthen the safety of our students and staff. All visitors are required to check in at the office. Visitors will be asked to present a government-issued photo ID such as a driver's license or state ID. The photo ID scan will happen the first time you visit the building. After the first visit, you will check in using the Raptor system, but will not have to scan your ID.

The Raptor System does the following:

• Screens visitors, contractors and all volunteers in our schools.
• Keeps an electronic record of who is in each building.
• Checks the visitor's name and date of birth for comparison with a number of national databases to identify anyone on the database of registered sex offenders. No other data from the ID is gathered and the information will not be shared with any outside agency.
• Once approved, Raptor will issue a visitor ID badge that contains the visitor's photo, the date, and the purpose/location of the visit.

When leaving the building, guests are required to return to the office to be signed out.

Volunteers

Parents and Guardians are encouraged to volunteer in classrooms, chaperone field trips, and be a volunteer driver. In order to volunteer in the classroom or on school-sponsored functions, all parents/guardians must complete the Volunteer Release Form and be approved through the District process prior to any activities. Please allow up to 2 weeks for processing.

• Volunteer forms will be completed online. There is an option to fill out the Chaperone Section within the online Volunteer form.
• Driver forms must be completed using the usual paper copy format. Remember to submit a copy of your current driver's license and proof of insurance with ALL Driver Forms even if you submitted your driver's license online.

Volunteer forms must be completed every year. If you were an approved volunteer last year, you still must complete the process again for the 2024-25 school year.

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.”

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
• English Language Development Teacher
• School Social Worker - BBB
• Paraeducator - Four locations
• Afternoon Custodian - Norup/Pattengill
• Permanent Substitute Custodian - District-Wide
• Assistant Teachers - BBB
• Kids’ Zone Assistant Teacher - Pattengill
• Food Service Workers
• Coaches: Varsity Softball, Varsity Baseball, Diving Coach, Middle School Girls Swim, High School Boys Tennis Assistant
• Early Childhood Special Education Substitute Paraeducator - BBB
• Early Childhood Special Education Teacher Long Term Substitute - BBB

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