April 29, 2022: Berkley Beat
April 29, 2022: Berkley Beat
- 2022 General Fund Operating Millage Renewal FAQ
- BHS Students Learn to “Adult”
- Rogers Student Council Hosts Occupation Day
- Burton Creates New Student Council, Donates to Forgotten Harvest
- BHS Students Participate in the GLSEN Day of Silence
- AMS Spirit Week Ends with Dodgeball Tournament
- Norup Bands Playing at Berkley Fam Jam Celebration
- Congratulations to the Cast and Crew of Cinderella
- Watch the BHS Varsity Tennis Team on Local 4
- Off to the Races - Buy Tickets Before Price Increase
- Oak Park Residents Invited to Participate in Elevate Oak Park
- Berkley School District is Hiring
- Sign Up for Text Alerts
2022 General Fund Operating Millage Renewal FAQ
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. This would not be a levy (tax) on primary household residences. 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 $8700 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 full list of Frequently Asked Questions are posted on the District’s website. A couple are listed below.
Why is this proposal on the ballot now when General Fund Operating Millage doesn’t expire until May 2023?
The Berkley School District is putting this proposal on the ballot in 2022 to capture the opportunity to renew the millage rather than have the current rate eroded even further from a Headlee rollback. Headlee refers to the decades old state law that rolls back district and municipality operating millage rates in years when taxable values grow beyond the inflation rate (consumer price index).
How is the Headlee Restoration Millage that was passed in 2019 related to this Non-Homestead Millage?
The Headlee Restoration Millage allowed the District to return to levying 18 mills of Non-Homestead millage on all commercial, business, rental properties, vacant land, and second-home properties. At that time, due to the Headlee rollback, the District was levying around 17.5 mills, rather than the 18 mills to fulfill the District’s per pupil funding.
BHS Students Learn to “Adult”
BHS College and Career Center Counselor Christina Belsky planned an extensive virtual conference for students on April 12-13, 2022 called the Adulting Conference. On the first day, students learned “How to do all the Things. Adult Things.” Sessions included topics like, how to manage money, relationships, school and life from industry professionals.
On day 2, “A Day in the Life of..” students could explore a variety of jobs and industries during this virtual conference. The goal of the event was to prepare students on how to navigate the world outside of high school to improve confidence as they enter adult life.
Watch the video below for a look inside the Berkley Bears Adulting Conference.
Rogers Student Council Hosts Occupation Day
On April 20, Rogers students participated in Occupation Day. This two-hour event provides an opportunity for caregivers to showcase their job to students. Using a tri-fold poster to feature the different aspects of their occupation, the adults spoke with rotating Rogers classes. This science-fair style allowed students to visit with many adults during their allotted session. Students asked questions after listening to the talking points about each occupation and left with many ideas of what they want to be when they grow up.
Occupation Day was introduced by Rogers Student Council. The goal of Occupation Day was for students to realize the many different jobs that are available in their future and for adults to showcase the hard work it takes to accomplish them.
Watch the video below for a look inside Rogers Occupation Day.
Burton Creates New Student Council, Donates to Forgotten Harvest
This year, Burton teachers Lauren Rentrop (5th grade), Keely Galdes (4th grade) and Tracy Grabowski (4th grade), launched a new Burton Student Leadership Council. They opened the council to 4th and 5th graders to allow students to have a more active role and voice in the school. Students had to commit to being a part of the council and then students had the opportunity to run for officer positions. Students also had the opportunity to serve on Council subcommittees like diversity, student newspaper and fundraising. The response was so overwhelming, the advisors had to split the council into two groups. Group 1 served from December to February and Group 2 from March to May, with almost 60 students in total.
The group’s biggest project was a Candy Gram fundraiser for Valentine’s Day. The entire council, with students from both groups, worked together to advertise, assemble and distribute the candy grams. This fundraiser sold nearly 2,000 candy grams. The proceeds were donated back to the school, to have a sign made for the Burton Buddy Bench, and $500 was donated to Forgotten Harvest. On Wednesday, April 20, a representative from Forgotten Harvest visited Burton to receive the donation. He shared with the students that their $500 would provide 2,000 meals to food insecure families in metro Detroit.
Learn more about the student council and hear from the students in the video, below.
BHS Students Participate in The GLSEN Day of Silence
On Friday, April 22, 2022, hundreds of BHS students participated in the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network (GLSEN) Day of Silence. The GLSEN Day of Silence is a national student-led demonstration where LGBTQ students and allies take a vow of silence to protest the harmful effects of harassment and discrimination of LGBTQ people in schools. Every April, students go through the school day without speaking, ending the day with Breaking the Silence rallies and events to share their experiences during the protest and bring attention to ways their schools and communities can become more inclusive.
The BHS Gay–Straight Alliance (GSA) led and organized the Day of Silence at Berkley High. The GSA shared with BHS Staff, “Students who choose to participate in this silent day of protest will either be wearing a pin, carrying a Day of Silence card, or will have a Day of Silence screen saver on their cell phone or laptop. They will identify themselves in one of these ways. In addition, they may have a sign on a piece of paper sharing their individual "why" for taking a silent stand.”
At 3 pm, students who participated in the Day of Silence came to a Breaking the Silence rally in the courtyard. At the rally, students shared their own reflections on what their day was like with one another. View our video the event here.
AMS Spirit Week Ends with Dodgeball Tournament
During the week of April 18-22, Anderson Middle School celebrated Spirit Week. Students and staff showcased their Viking spirit with Mustache Monday (wear or draw a mustache),
Tacky Tuesday (mix-up your clothes), Zoomwear Wednesday (show Zoom attire worn during virtual learning), Throwback Thursday (50's, 60's, 70's, 80's or 90's gear), Class/Staff Colors Friday (6th Grade-white, 7th Grade-blue, 8th Grade-green, staff-black). The student body and students competed in a competition and the group with the highest percentage of participation won.
The week ended with a Friday, end-of-day dodgeball tournament. Using a bracket style competition, roughly 100 students making up 11 teams competed against each other for the opportunity to battle the staff in the final round. In the final game, staff played against the winning 6th grade team, and the students prevailed. The staff also competed in a bonus game against an 8th grade team, but lost that game as well. The assembly ended with students volunteering to receive whipped cream pies in their faces - the prize for the staff winning the spirit week competition.
Norup Bands Playing at Berkley Fam Jam Celebration
Join the Berkley Downtown Development Authority and Flipside Records for a free, family-friendly Downtown Block Party from noon to 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, May 1st! The Fam Jam celebration will be full of live music, interactive activities, arts and crafts, a ribbon cutting for this new downtown business, and more. The Fam Jam also includes the Norup 6-8th grade bands playing at 2:00 p.m. in the parking lot of Flipside Records at 3099 Coolidge Hwy.
Free parking available throughout downtown Berkley, and at the Berkley Public Library next door.
Congratulations to the Cast and Crew of Cinderella
On Thursday, Friday and Saturday, April 21, 22 and 23, Berkley High School BeDrama students performed their spring musical, Cinderella, to packed shows.
Congratulations to the cast:
- Cinderella - Maya Cokley
- Topher - Brandon Urikh
- Sebastian - Joshua Bianca
- Marie - Fanta Cisse
- Jean-Michel - Jacob Gonzales
- Madame - Morgan Collens
- Gabrielle - Charley Burns
- Charlotte - Stella Krzysiak
- Lord Pinkleton - Kaila Welcher
Featured
Meredith Batcheller, Tamsin Considine, Layla Dagle, Tyann Eades, Ava Heiler, Meena Moritz, Jordan Rowan (Dance Captain), Sydney Studer
Ensemble
Evan Allen, Kate Arnold, Jonah Chupack (Dance Captain), Hannah Collins, Grace Comstock, Lilah Conger, Kaylee Derklowski, Lindsay Dudovitz, Parker Fry, Rachael Gaft, Sebastian Hames, Amelia Karp, Seth Manter, Lena Raimi, Nathan Raimi, Edith Sjogren, Danica Smith, Russell Sousanis, Sarah Thomas
CINDERELLA is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of The Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization.
- Music by Richard Rogers
- Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II
- New Book by Douglas Carter Beane
- Original Book by Oscar Hammerstein II
- Orchestrations by Danny Troob
- Music Adaptation & Arrangements by David Chase
- Additional Lyrics by Douglas Carter Beane, David Chase and Bruce Pomahac
Watch the BHS Varsity Tennis Team on Local 4
On Sunday, May 1, at 6:30 am, the Berkley High School varsity tennis team will be featured on Local 4, as part of their 4Frenzy series. The team spent time at practice with reporter Kim DeGiulio to talk about the season and the hopes for making it to States.
See what’s posted online about the story, and be sure to tune in on Sunday.
Off to the Races - Buy Tickets Before Price Increase
Support the Berkley Education Foundation & Make an Impact on Student Experiences in the District
The Berkley Education Foundation (BEF) has been supporting Berkley Schools for 21 years, and continues to give generously with the support of community members. Over the last five years alone, the BEF has infused $175,000 back into the District. The BEF funds outstanding experiences for Berkley Schools students and staff, including teacher innovation-grants, free elementary enrichment classes, student scholarships and sending all 8th grade students on college tours.
You can help the BEF continue to give back by attending Off to the Races, the BEF’s biggest fundraiser of the year!
What is Off to the Races?
This fun social event and party is centered around simulated horse racing. Guests watch races, "bet" on the horses running in the races and win prizes. The event also includes an expansive silent auction (powered by mobile bidding), vacation give-away (the winner of the Golden Race will take home a $2,500 vacation), connecting with friends and colleagues, and most importantly, funding the #BerkleyDifference. You can even “buy” and name a horse!
Event Details
- May 14, 2022
- 6:30-10 pm
- Club Venetian, Madison Heights
- $30/person - Through May 4. Price increases to $35 starting May 5.
- Buy event tickets here
- See details below on how you can support the event by attending, buying horses or participating in the silent auction from home.
Horses on sale now. Only a few left!
Buy and name a horse that will race during Off to the Races! 22 regular horses remain ($50) and 1 golden horses ($250) are available. Buy a horse with a friend or group to support the BEF.
Tickets on sale. Price increase on May 5.
Don’t miss out on all the fun. Buy tickets for Off to the Races today. $30/person. Tickets will increase in price on May 5, 2022 - buy yours today! Bundle event tickets with OTTR Bucks for a discount. Bucks pay for horse betting and drinks at the event. $20/10 Bucks at the event, or add them on to an event ticket for a $10 discount.
Win a vacation.
This year the Golden Race is a big one - the winner will take home a $2,500 vacation, courtesy of the BEF. The prize is bigger so the stakes are higher: bet on this race with a Golden Ticket!
Add a $50 Golden Ticket to an event ticket or buy at the door. Don’t miss out on a chance for a $2,500 vacation of your choice!
Silent Auction - something for everyone.
This year’s silent auction has big prizes (including an autographed Kobe Bryant photo, a gold and diamond bracelet and suite tickets to see Swedish House Mafia at the LCA) and small prizes (gift certificates to local restaurants, gift baskets and more). There is something for everyone. The BEF will announce all silent auction items soon! Watch the BEF’s Facebook page where items will be announced as they come in! Prepare for the event - watch this video on how to use mobile bidding.
If you can't attend the event, you can still participate in the auction from home. Register on the Off to the Races site and receive notifications when the auction opens!
Every dollar raised from Off to the Races supports teacher innovation-grants, the free elementary enrichment program, student scholarships and the annual 8th grade college tour. Support teachers and students by supporting Off to the Races.
Questions?
Reach out to the BEF - berkleyfoundation@berkleyschools.org
Oak Park Residents Invited to Participate in Elevate Oak Park
The City of Oak Park has kicked off its visioning process for a Recreation Master Plan Update and Comprehensive Asset Study, which is also known as the Elevate Oak Park project. Through this process, public input will be vital as we seek to elevate the parks and recreation opportunities in Oak Park!
The Elevate Oak Park project will play an integral part in transforming Oak Park’s quality of life amenities by developing an implementation-ready plan, based on authentic public input, that will improve existing amenities and create exciting, new recreational opportunities.
Oak Park residents are invited to attend the Stakeholder Engagement Sessions listed below.
Stakeholder Meeting Dates
- City-Wide Trail System Discussion: Monday, May 2 @ City Hall 5:30 – 7pm
- Tyler Park Discussion – Wednesday, May 4 @ Norup International School 6:30 – 7:30pm. Join this session via Zoom, if you are unable to attend in person.
- Rothstein Park Discussion: Thursday, May 12 @ the Community Center 5:30 – 7pm
- Dewey Park Discussion: Monday, May 16 @ the Community Center 5:30-7pm
- Community Center/Shepherd Park Discussion: Tuesday, May 17 @ the Community Center 5:30 – 7pm
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!
