The WLPS BOE has approved a contract with the Michigan Association of School Boards (MASB) to guide our district through a strategic planning process. The aim of using such a process is to gather input on the current direction and future direction of our schools. The last time we did this was 2003. The outcome of that set of planning sessions was our mission statement, “…exceptional, personalized education…”, and it delineated how our buildings would co-exist with a proposed new high school, which is now in its eleventh year of operation.
This time around, we want to compare sets of data we’ve been collecting and compare them with the wants and needs of all our stakeholders. Using this information to make decisions about our future will ensure we are aligning resources in an efficient manner.
Your role as a parent/community member in this process? Attend a session and give input. It is as simple as that. WLPS and MASB have set up a variety of opportunities. It starts with the BOE next week and moves to buildings and community forums after that. You can check out the dates below.
Community Input Session at WLES
Feb 20, 6 p.m.-7:00 p.m., Whitmore Lake Elementary School Media Center
Community Input Session at WLHS
March 8, 6:30-7:30 p.m. Whitmore Lake High School Media Center
If you cannot attend a session because of the schedule, please take some time and complete the online survey: http://bit.ly/2Ekp12E.
The BOE, administration, staff, and community members will review your comments at a Strategic Planning Retreat on April 14. Our goal is actually complete the planning and then immediately start the budgeting process in an effort to incorporate some of the ideas into the 2018-19 school year!
WLMS Drama Production Has All the “Bear Necessities” of a Great Show
UPDATE: Due to inclement weather, the February 9th performance of The Jungle Book has been cancelled. There will be a performance on Saturday, February 10th at 7:00 pm and two performances on Sunday, February 11th at 2:00 pm and 5:00 pm.
Starting tonight you have the opportunity to see the hard work of 50+ WLPS students come to life in the WLMS Drama Club’s production of Jungle Book!
This kids version of Jungle Book is 30 minutes long and will include classic Jungle Book songs. The entire production from sounds to lights and direction is student run, led by student director, Carissa Stanley.
“You may see a monkey or two swinging from some vines,” WLMS Drama Director, Patti Kobeck said.
It is great to witness our students exude confidence on stage, as well as work together as a team to produce a quality product in the end. The benefits of being involved in drama, especially in the formative middle-school-aged years, are endless.
Dates and times of the shows this weekend are on the poster on the left. I’m confident this will be a fun experience for all involved and encourage everyone to come out to our beautiful theater to enjoy the show.
“One of my favorite things I’ve overheard a parent say was ‘I love going to the WLMS drama shows, even though I don’t have a kid in the show, I know it is going to be great!’” Kobeck said. “That says it all to me. Our kids are amazing, and I am proud of each and everyone one of them,” she continued.
Special thanks go to WLMS Drama Directors David Chapman and Patti Kobeck, Music Director Kat Jakrzewski, Choreographer Ann Chapman, Student Director Carissa Stanley, Make-up Designer Amelia Chapman, and the Chapman family for making all the costumes.
Want to get involved in the next show? Mark your calendar for September 6, 2018, for auditions for next year’s December production.
(JV Quiz Bowl – C.Schwennesen, J. Medina, K. Carbary, J.Bertram, Top – J. Williams, M. Rooke.) picture caption
Quiz Bowl Will Take “Winning” for 300
Our JV Quiz Bowl team wrapped up the month of January, and their season, with a huge win over Saline High School, beating them 340 to 250. Not only is beating a team from a school 6.5 times larger than ours quite a victory, with this win our JV team finished their season with a perfect record and a league and division championship!
While success is not foreign to this program who took the division, title home last year, this is the first time in over a decade that the JV Quiz Bowl team went undefeated.
Head Coach Julie Fleury attributes the team’s success to their exceptional motivation to study content areas that the team identified as their weak spot. The team members even voluntarily chose several topics to study during the holiday break this December.
Join me in congratulating this year’s JV team which includes three freshmen, Jacob Medina, Micheala Rooke and Jacqueline Bertram and one sophomore, Claire Schwennesen, and their coach Julie Fleury.
Our Varsity Quiz Bowl team had an equally successful season thus far. They also won their division qualifying them for the state tournament at Michigan State University in April, making this their third trip to states in four years.
The regular season for Varsity wraps up next Tuesday, February 13, when they head to their Tri-County Conference league championships at the Washtenaw Intermediate School District offices.
Please join me congratulating the following members, along with their head coach LuAnn Easlick, on a successful season thus far, and wishing them luck as they head to league championships next week and State championships in April:
Caleb Henning, Cole Griffin, Hunter Fanson, Travis Wilson, Christina Smith, Marissa Kyle, and Matt Schwennesen
For those of you not familiar with Quiz Bowl, it is a team academic competition that tests students’ knowledge of all school subjects and current events. Team members are encouraged to stay on top of their academic schedule, read outside of the classroom, and retain information from multiple media. The season runs from October through February, or April if you qualify for states. The teams practice twice a week with meets almost every Wednesday when school is not on breaks or during final exam week.
Are you a 9-12th grader at WLHS and interested in learning, challenging yourself, have a modicum of competitiveness and want to be a member of a team? Consider joining Quiz Bowl! Tryouts are held at the end of September. Dates and times are announced during morning announcements and posters around school, so keep an eye out for that!
Go Trojans!
Class of 2031, Come Join Our Family
While it is hard to think about the 2018/2019 school year when we are still in the heart of the current one, for our families with students starting their school career in kindergarten, now is the time to get going! To help families in Whitmore Lake and the surrounding areas get better acquainted with our kindergarten program, we created a new website and video profiles to show them what our program at WLES is all about.
Even if you don’t have a student in the class of 2031, I recommend you check out the videos and share them as much as possible, as they capture what is special about WLPS K-12. They are available on our Facebook page and our website.
And families looking to join the WLPS family, mark March 14, 6 p.m. on your calendar for Kindergarten Round-Up! We look forward to seeing you and your students then!