March 4, 2022

March 4, 2022: Berkley Beat

March 4, 2022: Berkley Beat 

  • Berkley 6th Grade Students Explore Mobile Innovation Station
  • Pattengill Students Create in LEGO Lab
  • Berkley Schools Places General Fund Operating Millage Renewal on May Ballot
  • Burton 4th Graders Explored Lansing
  • Berkley Student Artists Receive Awards
  • March is National Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month
  • March is Women’s History Month
  • What to Say to Children When the News is Scary
  • Camp Invention Registration Open Now
  • Preserve MI Waters: Stormwater Manhole Cover Art Contest
  • Off to the Races - NEW Date for the 2022 Event
  • Help the BEF Fund the #BerkleyDifference and Give to the Dollars for the District Campaign
  • Berkley School District is Hiring 
  • Sign Up for Text Alerts

Berkley 6th Grade Students Explore Mobile Innovation Station 

During the week of February 28, every Berkley 6th grade student had the opportunity to explore Oakland Schools’ STEMi. STEMi is a 1,000 square foot mobile innovation station containing high tech, industry grade, interactive STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) experiences. Students rotated through four stations on the STEMi.

  • Station 1: Collaborative Robots: Students worked to physically program a collaborative robot to perform pick and place task.
  • Station 2: Autonomous Vehicles: Students worked with autonomous vehicles on a course and learned about sensing and vehicle communication.
  • Station 3: Xtended Reality: Students used mixed reality headsets to explore ways they could interact with virtual reality layered into their physical environment. 
  • Station 4: Smart Manufacturing: Students used ZSpace, an artificial and virtual reality learning experience, to design custom objects or creatures in 3D.

The goal of STEMi is to demonstrate to students connections between classroom instruction, current industry applications and future careers for students. The experience was facilitated by the Oakland Schools STEM consultants and Career Readiness consultant. 

The STEMi is rotating through all 28 districts in Oakland County and is part of a 5 year project so it will return to Berkley Schools in upcoming years to continue to build STEM career readiness!

Pattengill Students Create in LEGO Lab

Over the last semester, students at Pattengill had the opportunity to join the latest after-school enrichment program, LEGO Lab. Led by Pattengill music teacher Tai Kimmerly, students gathered after school in teams to build unique creations using LEGO bricks. 

Mrs. Kimmerly attended the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) conference last year and was able to submit for a grant based on something she was inspired by at the conference. Through attending the conference in combination with watching LEGO Masters on FOX, LEGO Lab was born! The grant she was awarded paid for all the LEGO for LEGO lab.

Watch our video for a look inside LEGO Lab and to hear from the participants.

Berkley Schools Places General Fund Operating Millage Renewal on May Ballot

On May 3, 2022, the Berkley School District will place a General Fund Operating Millage Renewal on the ballot, calling for a 19.4937 mills renewal for taxes that are levied on business and non-primary residences. The District would, however, only levy 18 mills, the same amount as previous years. This millage renewal does not affect property taxes on a primary residence (home). This is also known as a Non-Homestead Millage. 

The revenue generated from the General Fund Operating Millage is considered by the State when calculating the District’s per pupil amounts, and generated approximately $3.8 million in 2021. Without this millage, the District would be facing more than a $640 per pupil loss – out of the $8,700 per pupil rate in 2022.

This millage was previously approved by Berkley School District voters in 2013, and again with a Headlee Restoration Millage in 2019, and will expire in May 2023. The 18 mills are levied 100% within the summer tax bill.

General Fund Operating Millage dollars are used to support the District’s every day expenses including classroom supplies, teacher salaries and technology.

The District created a new webpage with details about the General Fund Operating Millage including the ballot language, frequently asked questions and a PDF quick facts document.

If you have any questions or concerns, please email communications@berkleyschools.org.

Burton 4th Graders Explored Lansing

Burton 4th grade students traveled to Lansing this week to tour the Michigan Capitol. While there, students visited the Senate chamber, Governor's office, and the House of Representatives. This field trip connects to a Civics and Government curriculum unit. Students are studying “Why do people need and create governments?” This trip aided in understanding the structure of government and how it functions to serve citizens. Students also studied the organizational structure of the government (legislative, executive, and judicial branches) and were able to see the branches in action. While on the trip, students were able to meet Senator Jeremy Moss who introduced them on the Senate floor! Students also visited the MI History Museum where they visited exhibits exploring MI History from the 1600s to present day.

Berkley Student Artists Receive Awards

This year, the Berkley Schools fine arts department submitted many student art pieces for the Michigan Art Education Association (MAEA) Youth Arts Month as well as the Scholastic Art Awards - Southeastern Michigan Art Region.

MAEA Youth Arts Month

The Michigan Visual Arts Celebration K-8 is a special art exhibit devoted to students in Kindergarten through 8th grade whose artwork has been selected to represent the best of Michigan’s student artists.  The show is a culmination of a year of work that is sent for jurying during the month of March, which is also designated as “Youth Arts Month”.      

During March, the MAEA holds a statewide adjudication of elementary and middle school artwork.  Artwork that is accepted into the statewide show is displayed for a week at a university or art museum in Michigan. Berkley Schools submitted five pieces per art teacher and the pieces that were chosen for the Top 100 will be on display at the K-8 State Exhibition, University of Michigan Taubman Gallery, 1500 E. Medical Center Dr, Ann Arbor, 48109.

The following students were chosen as part of the Top 15 and Top 100 in the MAEA Youth Arts Month Program:

Michigan Art Education Youth Arts Month - Top 15 

  •  Layla Tramontin, 2nd grade, Burton

Michigan Art Education Youth Arts Month - Top 100

  • Josiah Alls, 1st grade, Pattengill
  • Angeline Ameloot, 12th grade, BHS
  • Ayden Dilworth, 5th grade, Angell
  • Emerson Frayer, 2nd grade, Burton
  • Courtney Goodwin, 4th grade, Rogers
  • Evan Hart, 2nd grade, Pattengill
  • Emily Sleazak, 2nd grade, Angell
  • William Solner, TK, Rogers

Along with their artwork students submitted learning statements about their piece. Evan Hart, a Pattengill 2nd grader, for example, submitted the following learning statement about a piece titled “Gumballs”: I was inspired by Wayne Thiebaud’s candy/sweets artwork. The reason why I picked this is because I’ve wanted to have a gumball machine. I used a toothpick to carve lines in my styrofoam stamp. Then I used ink to make my stamp. The positive space is the whole gumball machine and the negative space is the background rectangle.”

Scholastic Art Awards

Founded in 1923, the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards are the nation’s longest-running educational initiative supporting student achievement in the visual and literary arts.

The College for Creative Studies sponsors the Southeastern Michigan Region competition. In 2021, more than 3,200 works of art and 111 portfolios were received from middle and high school students in Lenawee, Livingston, Monroe, Oakland, Washtenaw & Wayne Counties. 1,039 pieces were chosen for awards and will be displayed in the regional virtual exhibit. Regional awards include Honorable Mention, Silver and Gold Keys. Gold Key winning artwork and portfolios nominated from each region across the country are moved on to national judging and will be announced on March 23rd.

Congratulations to the following Berkley High School students for receiving Scholastic Awards

Teachers: Stefanie Coburn, Kimberly DePaulis

Gold Key

  • Robert Belf, Ceramics & Glass
  • Olivia Forte, Painting
  • Elliott Hall, Photography

Silver Key

  • Robert Belf, Ceramics & Glass
  • Oliver Wisniewski, Photography

Honorable Mention

  • Skyler Hale, Photography

March is National Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month

National Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month is observed in March in the U.S. NationalToday.com shares, “The campaign seeks to raise awareness about including people with developmental disabilities in all facets of community life. It also creates awareness of the difficulties that people with disabilities still face in fitting into the communities in which they live.”

Here are resources to learn more about National Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month as well as resources to learn more about disabilities and equity.

March is Women’s History Month

The Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum join in commemorating and encouraging the study, observance and celebration of the vital role of women in American history.

Here are some resources to learn more about Women’s History Month

What to Say to Children When the News is Scary

It can be hard to talk to children about scary things happening in the news, like the attacks in Ukraine. Here are some resources from our Emotional Health and Wellness webpage to help parents and caregivers have those conversations.

Camp Invention Registration Open Now

What is Camp Invention?

A STEM summer camp where kids build creative inventions. Led by certified local educators, Camp Invention offers new and exciting hands-on activities every year for kids entering grades K-6.

This year’s all-new program, Explore, is designed to inspire confidence and persistence, build essential STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) skills and improve reading skills. This is all accomplished through collaborative, creative problem-solving activities that offer so much hands-on fun and excitement, kids don’t even realize how much they’re learning!

  • Location: Burton Elementary School, 26315 Scotia Road, Huntington Woods, MI 48070
  • Date: June 27 - July 1, 2022
  • Time & Cost: 9 am - 3:30 pm | $245 (before discount)
  • Camp Director: Kim Ternus, kimberly.ternus@berkleyschools.org, (248) 837-8655

Preserve MI Waters: Stormwater Manhole Cover Art Contest

The Oakland County Water Resources Commissioner's office has launched the Preserve MI Waters: Stormwater Manhole Cover Art Contest.

The Water Resource Commissioner’s office is seeking original art submissions to be added to 50 stormwater manhole covers throughout Oakland County. Participants must be students attending high school (9-12 Grade) or actively enrolled in an Oakland County college during the time of the contest.

Pure Oakland Water will provide the contest winner with a $1000 scholarship.

Artwork submissions should be unique to Oakland County, bringing awareness to the importance of managing stormwater and keeping pollution out of storm drains in order to protect wildlife and promote recreational activities such as swimming and boating.

Timeline

  • Entries Accepted: February 2, 2022
  • Entries Close: March 11, 2022
  • Panel Judging: March 11 - March 18, 2022
  • Winner Announced: April 14, 2022

Artwork template and entry submission form as well as contest details can be found on the Oakland County Water Resource Commissioner website.

Off to the Races - New Date for the 2022 Event & Tickets are on Sale

The Berkley Education Foundation is excited to announce Off to the Races has a new date for the spring for an in-person event - May 14, 2022.

Off to the Races is a simulated horse racing event and is the biggest fundraiser for the Berkley Education Foundation.This event funds free elementary enrichment programs, 8th grade college tours, teacher innovation-grants and student scholarships for the BHS Maxfield Science Symposium.

What is Off to the Races? 

At the event, guests will enjoy a silent auction (using a mobile bidding platform) as well as appetizers, a cash bar and a chance to win a $2,500 vacation. Guests will also enjoy the simulated horse racing that allows guests to “bet” on horses to win prizes. Wear your derby hats and come ready for some fun!

Mark Your Calendars

COVID-19 Protocols for Off to the Races

In order to keep guests safe, and to mitigate risk, Off to the Races may require safety protocols such as masks or requiring guests to be fully vaccinated. At this time, those protocols will be determined closer to the event.

Help the BEF Fund the #BerkleyDifference and Give to the Dollars for the District Campaign

The BEF has raised 33% or $5,009 of its $15,000 goal. Can you help them reach their next milestone of $10,000? Every dollar raised supports the BEF's efforts to enrich the lives of all Berkley students.

The Berkley Education Foundation is proud to say that over the last three years it has raised $387k from generous donors in the community.

Attendance at Off to the Races, contributions to honor loved ones, and end-of-year giving has raised a record amount for the BEF. Last year, during a pandemic the BEF raised over $60,000! That money has been invested throughout the years in elementary enrichment programs, teacher grants, college tours and student scholarships.

This year, the BEF is asking for support once again to reach the 2021 Dollars for the District goal of $15,000. Give the gift that keeps on giving to Berkley Schools students. The BEF supports our schools through staff innovation-grants, free elementary enrichment programs, Maxfield Science Symposium scholarships and 8th grade college tours.

The BEF is committed to funding the #BerkleyDifference, and with the community’s help, it can continue to do so.

Please consider giving today to help the BEF reach its $15,000 goal.

Berkley School District is Hiring 

The Berkley School District is hiring multiple positions including building substitute teachers, school social worker, speech pathologist, coaches, custodians, GSRP/Head Start associate teachers, paraeducators, childcare assistants and lunch aides and kitchen support. If you or someone you know are interested in these positions, visit the employment page on our website. On this page you will find more information on the positions and how to apply.

Sign Up for Text Alerts

Quick Steps to Receive Text Alerts from Berkley Schools

In order to receive text messages from the District or your school, you must opt-in. Text messages will be sent out when the District closes or there is an emergency situation. Texts may also be sent from the District and schools for reminder messages during the day that are not urgent. 

In order to receive text messages, every parent/guardian must opt-in each cell phone listed in MISTAR.

Steps to Opt-In

Text the word YES (in the message field) to the phone number 67587 (in the To field).  Then you are all set!

 

Share

Quick Links

Nutrislice Menus School lunch menus & nutritional information More...
Schoology Student Schoology Login More...
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Visit the District's DEI webpage for resources and learning opportunities More...
Emotional Health & Wellness Mental Health resources for students/families More...
Athletics Schedules Home of the Bears More...