Thursday, January 24, 2013
Educators from school districts across Oakland County, including West Bloomfield, attended a large-scale active shooter training session in Waterford today.
Updated: Friday, Jan. 25, 7:30 p.m. EST with information from West Bloomfield Schools Run, hide or fight. Those three actions may save your life in an active shooter situation similar to December’s shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, CT, according to Oakland County Homeland Division officials. About 85 Oakland County school administrators, teachers and school staff focused on the kind decisions one may have to make in an active shooter situation during a 2 1/2 hour training session at the Executive Office Building in Waterford Thursday. The important takeaway—react quickly. Teachers were told to have an evacuation plan prepared and as a first action to flee a bad situation, bringing their students with them, but only if it’s …
Thursday, January 10, 2013
West Bloomfield Gretchko, Doherty and Roosevelt Elementary School principals host programs Jan. 28-30.
If you've got a little one that will be entering kindergarten in the fall, the West Bloomfield School District is looking to make the transition a little easier. Later this month, the district will be presenting "Kindergarten Roundup," an informational session for parents and students at the district's three elementaries which offer kindergarten next year. At the round-ups, parents can see the school their child might attend, visit with teachers and get their questions answered. School officials advise that children should attend the sessions. According to legislation passed in late spring 2012, children must be five years old by Dec. 1 in order to enroll in kindergarten. That date moves to Nov. 1 in 2013, Oct. 1 in 2014 and Sept. 1 in …
42.557699
-83.352684
Doherty Elementary School
3575 Walnut Lake Rd, West Bloomfield, MI
/articles/get-your-questions-answered-january-during-kindergarten-roundup
717141
/locations/8568401
42.60778
-83.38909
Gretchko Elementary School
5300 Greer Rd, West Bloomfield, MI
/articles/get-your-questions-answered-january-during-kindergarten-roundup
717950
/locations/8568403
42.58971
-83.39831
West Bloomfield School District
5810 Commerce Rd, West Bloomfield, MI
/articles/get-your-questions-answered-january-during-kindergarten-roundup
2172030
/locations/8568402
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Annual event to celebrate the birthday of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. scheduled Jan. 20.
West Bloomfield High School graduate David Merritt will deliver the keynote address at the annual United We Walk march, scheduled on Sunday, Jan. 20, 2013. Merritt, a 2004 graduate who helps lead the mega-church Straight Gate Congregation Church of Detroit and is involved as an entrepeneur in philanthropic efforts, will speak on this year's theme of "Unity in the Community," according to organizers who addressed the School Board at Monday night's meeting. The 19th annual event kicks off with a one-mile march, beginning at 3 p.m. from the high school. Entertainment includes performances by the district's choirs, jazz band, orchestra and dance teams. Participants are asked to bring signs, posters and banners to carry on the march. The event …
42.566225
-83.361809
West Bloomfield High School
4925 Orchard Lake Rd, West Bloomfield, MI
/articles/united-we-walk
718206
/locations/8419841
42.55752
-83.36137
Orchard Lake Rd & Walnut Lake Rd, West Bloomfield, MI
/articles/united-we-walk
/locations/8419842
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Voters will decide on 1.25-mill, 14-year building and site sinking fund proposal in special election.
The 2013 election picture got a little clearer at the West Bloomfield School Board meeting Monday with the approval of a building site and sinking fund millage proposal. The district will ask voters to pass a 14-year, 1.25-mill ($1.25 per $1,000 of taxable valuation, or $125/year for taxpayers in a home with a taxable value of $100,000) proposal in a special election May 7. The first levy will, if approved, take place on July 1, 2013. The millage is expected to raise $30.25 million if approved for the district to use primarily on upgrades or repairs. The district's school enrollment and facilities committee identified $23.1 million in needed repairs, including $4.1 million of work at the high school, $9 million at the district's two …
42.566225
-83.361809
West Bloomfield High School
4925 Orchard Lake Rd, West Bloomfield, MI
/articles/west-bloomfield-schools-millage-proposal-approved-for-may-2013-ballot
718206
/locations/8411940
Sunday, December 16, 2012
The West Bloomfield School Board will consider placing a building site and sinking fund millage proposal on the ballot in 2013 or 2014.
Edited: 1:55 p.m., Dec. 17 to remove information regarding building and site sinking fund The meeting will begin at 7 p.m. Monday at West Bloomfield High School. Follow along on Twitter at @WBloomfldPatch or Facebook at West Bloomfield Patch. View the proceedings by tuning in to Civic Center TV or watch the live stream online. View the complete agenda packet on Broadbook. The board will consider a resolution which would allow the Greater West Bloomfield Historical Society (GWBHS) to apply for state and national historic designation for Apple Island, the 35-acre island in Orchard Lake owned by the district since 1970. The board will also consider a resolution which would allow Western Michigan University students to conduct an …
42.566225
-83.361809
West Bloomfield High School
4925 Orchard Lake Rd, West Bloomfield, MI
/articles/west-bloomfield-schools-millage
718206
/locations/8411663
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
More than 300,000 children in southeast Michigan don't get enough to eat, negatively impacting health, learning and more.
In our land of plenty, hunger continues to be problem. One in four Michigan children lives in poverty, and that puts them at risk of not getting enough food. Nearly half the people Gleaners Community Food Bank helps—at least 40 percent— are children younger than 18. Sadly, that need is far from being filled. Gleaners actively works to eradicate hunger, targeting a five-county area— Livingston, Macomb, Monroe, Oakland and Wayne—in southeast Michigan. It provides 45 million pounds of food each year to Michigan’s hungry via its 600 partner food pantries, schools, soup kitchens, shelters and nonprofits. “Last year more than 317,000 children in southeast Michigan qualified for free or reduced fee lunches -- about 3,000 more than the year before…
Monday, November 19, 2012
It could happen, according to Kalamazoo-based archaeologist David Brose, who seeks permission from West Bloomfield Schools to excavate.
A formal dig of Apple Island on Orchard Lake in 2008 uncovered a lot for West Bloomfield School District students to learn. A new project, proposed by the Greater West Bloomfield Historical Society, could uncover all that and "beyond considerable prestige" if successful. The island, which has been owned by the district since 1970, was suggested as a possible nominee to the Michigan state and National Register of Historic Places by Kalamazoo-based archaeologist David Brose during a presentation at Monday night's school board meeting. He said that working with the Western Michigan University Department of Anthropology, he hopes to offer an advanced archaeology course in May 2013 on the island with permission and help from the district in the…
42.566225
-83.361809
West Bloomfield High School
4925 Orchard Lake Rd, West Bloomfield, MI
/articles/apple-island-on-the-state-and-national-register-of-historic-places
718206
/locations/8171568
Thursday, November 15, 2012
... RUN! Track, field and basketball courts expected to take over undeveloped north lot at school in part thanks to Parent Teacher Organization effort.
A group of parents at West Bloomfield Schools, sensing a need for facilities allowing children to exercise outdoors at Gretchko Elementary School, recently came together to raise funds for a new track, soccer field and basketball courts. Principal Sally Drummond said that funds raised at a cocktail auction event this past Saturday, in combination with a FunD Run event held earlier this year raised about $50,000 for the projects to take over the undeveloped north field at the school on 5300 Greer Rd., just east of Hiller Rd. "We can't just sit back and expect to see this happen just because there's a need for it," said Sara Ward, a community liasion of the Gretchko Parent Teacher Organization. "We did this back in 2006 to raise money for …
42.60778
-83.38909
Gretchko Elementary School
5300 Greer Rd, West Bloomfield, MI
/articles/gretchko-elementary-students-on-your-mark-get-set
717950
/locations/8148646
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Tuesday's 'no' vote puts district in a 'less proactive position' to make improvements to buildings, said Superintendent Gerald Hill.
Edited: 1:55 p.m., Dec. 17 to remove information regarding building and site sinking fund The West Bloomfield School District administration could be faced with difficult decisions regarding the value of making improvements to buildings versus continuing general fund expenditures at an acceptable rate in coming years, according to Superintendent Gerald Hill. Hill said that the failure of the West Bloomfield Schools' building and site sinking fund millage proposal at the polls Tuesday could be a result of voters having never seen the measure discussed in the media or at community events. The 1.5-mill levy proposal ($1.50 per $1,000 of taxable valuation) would have reportedly generated an estimated $2.4 million annually for the district to …
42.54324
-83.34972
Ealy Elementary School
5475 W Maple Rd, West Bloomfield, MI
/articles/could-west-bloomfield-schools-millage-proposal-return-to-the-ballot
717577
/locations/8403063
42.58971
-83.39831
West Bloomfield Schools Administrative and Community Services Building
5810 Commerce Rd, West Bloomfield, MI
/articles/could-west-bloomfield-schools-millage-proposal-return-to-the-ballot
717738
/locations/8403064
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
The West Bloomfield School Board has its newest member in a district parent, while similar millage proposals in West Bloomfield and Walled Lake Con see different results.
Updated: 11:29 a.m. Nov. 8, with more accurate information The results are in and the West Bloomfield School District Board of Education has found its newest member in district parent Julie Beaty. Beaty ran opposed by John Reed and won with 5,192 total votes from West Bloomfield's 17 precincts or 53.37 percent of the vote. Reed took 4,483 of the total, or 46.08 percent of the vote. Beaty replaces the former board President Bruce Tobin, who stepped down this year after serving five consecutive terms since 1991. In the Nov. 8, 2011, election, Reed placed third out of six candidates for two open positions, while Beaty placed fourth. Beaty and the rest of the board could face a challenge as the West Bloomfield Schools' building and site …
Timothy Rath
9:09 pm on Thursday, January 10, 2013
JA: I will follow up with the school district and update this article with your answer. Thanks for the good comment! more ›