June 1, 2022

May 27, 2022: Berkley Beat

May 27, 2022: Berkley Beat 

  • Angell Celebrates 100th Birthday at Ice Cream Social
  • Pattengill Families Enjoy Ice Cream Social
  • BHS Students Capture Memories Before Prom
  • Burton 4th Grade Talent Show
  • Rogers 3rd Grade Celebrates World Bee Day
  • Building Blocks Students Enjoy the Ice Cream Social
  • Berkley Summer Program Registration Now Open
  • Dell Summer Sale for Berkley Schools Families
  • May is Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month
  • May is Mental Health Awareness Month
  • Berkley School District is Hiring 
  • Sign Up for Text Alerts

Angell Celebrates 100th Birthday at Ice Cream Social

Angell Elementary held its annual Ice Cream Social on May 20, 2022. The event kicked off with a welcoming address from Principal Vince Gigliotti. In his address, Mr. Gigliotti shared that this is the school year Angell turns 100 years old. Superintendent Scott Francis also addressed the crowd with congratulatory remarks and a bit of Angell trivia and history. Angell was founded in 1921, and is among the oldest operating schools in Oakland County.

Families lined up to get their children’s faces painted, played lawn games and enjoyed Uncle Andy’s Pizza and ice cream from Cool Jacks ice cream truck. As part of the 100th birthday celebration, a 1921 Model T was parked outside the Angell Media Center. The Model T served as a great photo opportunity and historical artifact. A photo catalog of Angell through the years was displayed alongside the Model T. In addition, Angell Alum, Chet Rhamstine presented families with a keepsake to mark the special occasion, a copy of his painting of the building with song lyrics to the old Angell song on the back.

Pattengill Families Enjoy Ice Cream Social

On May 19, 2022, Pattengill held its annual ice cream social. Carnival games, an inflatable obstacle course, putt-putt golf, a DJ, balloon animals, crafts and more were throughout the playground. Students particularly enjoyed the water station, and for two game tickets, students tossed a beanbag to try and dump a bucket of water on Principal Shamika Womble! An ice cream truck was at the event, too, for all to enjoy. This event is a celebration of another great school year for the entire Pattengill community! 

BHS Students Capture Memories Before Prom

On Thursday, May 19, Berkley High School students carried on the tradition of meeting at Mary Kay Davis Park in Huntington Woods ahead of Prom. Students descended upon the park, lovingly known as Prom Park, to capture photos with their friends and classmates. Students left from Prom Park to Barrister Gardens in St. Clair Shores where they enjoyed their prom.

Burton 4th Grade Talent Show

On Friday, May 20, Burton 4th graders showcased their skills in their annual talent show. Students performed outside for their classmates and family members out on the field. Students performed songs, aerial yoga, played musical instruments, told jokes and more. Some students volunteered to be the stage crew and others took on the role of emcee. Congratulations, students on your performances!

Rogers 3rd Grade Celebrates World Bee Day

Rogers 3rd grade students have been researching honey bees this past semester. They have studied their lifecycle, different jobs of bees in the hive, how bees communicate with each other, the process of making honey, why the bee population is in danger and what students can do to help.

World Bee Day was May 20, 2022, and the Rogers 3rd grade teachers set up various activities in their classrooms for students to rotate through. A honey taste test was held in Ms. Bronoel’s classroom. Students tasted three different types of honey and Ms. Bronoel collected data on what was each class’ favorite. In Mrs. Rubis’ class, students created lawn signs to raise 0awareness on how to help the bees. In Mrs. MacLean’s class, students decorated clay pots and then planted a flower in their pot, so bees could have additional pollen in the neighborhood. 

Students had an eventful and educational afternoon and were inspired to share what they learned with family and friends! 

Building Blocks Students Enjoy the Ice Cream Social

On Thursday, May 19, 2022, Berkley Building Blocks students enjoyed their annual Ice Cream Social. At the event students enjoyed a dance party, drew with sidewalk chalk, and played on the playground equipment. Building Blocks teachers handed out ice cream to families as they enjoyed a warm spring evening!

Berkley Summer Program Registration Now Open

Berkley K-8 Summer School has a new name--the Berkley Summer Difference! The program is free for all K-8 students and will be held in-person this year.

High School summer options will be held in person, for students in current grades 9-12. Classes will focus on Credit Recovery.

Registration for all students is now open in the MISTAR Parent Portal.

See program descriptions and registration instructions, below.

Elementary Program - Math & Language Arts + STEM

The Berkley Summer Difference Math & Language Arts program is intended for students currently in Grades TK-5 who need to maintain or grow in their academic achievement from the 2021-22 school year. Students who enroll in the program will have both math and language arts instruction throughout the summer program.

The elementary Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) program will focus on problem solving, engineering design and offer hands-on opportunities.

All classes will be free and taught in person by certified, highly-qualified elementary teachers. Depending on enrollment, multi-grade sections may be organized to better meet staffing needs. The summer program will be educational and enjoyable!

Program Details for Math & Language Arts

Program Details for Elementary STEM

Registration - Now Open!

Middle School Program

Students who just completed their 6th - 8th grade school year can participate in the Berkley Summer Difference program. All classes will be free and offered in-person. Students have the option to take three types of classes: Math, English Language Arts and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math). Availability of sections will be determined based upon registration.

The middle school summer English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics school programs are intended for students currently in Grades 6-8 who need to maintain or grow in their achievement.

The middle school summer STEM program is intended for any students interested in exploring STEM topics which could include Coding/Robotics or Fossils & Rocks.

Classes will be taught by certified, highly-qualified middle school teachers. Depending on enrollment, multi-grade sections may be organized to better meet staffing needs.

Program Details for Math & English Language Arts Classes

Program Details for the STEM Class

Registration - Now Open!

High School Program: Credit Recovery

The high school summer program will be focused on Credit Recovery Courses. Credit Recovery Courses should be selected in consultation with each student’s school counselor. Credit Recovery coursework will be delivered through the APEX online learning system, assisted, facilitated, and overseen by certified teachers. Students will complete the coursework in person. These courses are tailored to each student and are mastery-based, which means the length of time students must spend in Credit Recovery will vary and is dependent upon mastery of course objectives.

Program Details for Credit Recovery

  • June 27 - July 28, 2022 (no class July 4 & 5)
  • All classes held at Berkley High School
  • Monday - Thursday, 8-10:15 am or 10:20 am - 12:30 pm
  • Fee - $100 per credit recovery class for students attending Berkley Schools. The fee is $220 per class for out of district students.  Any Berkley Schools student who is eligible for free/reduced meals will receive a reduced rate of $25/class.
  • Additional details are available in the High School Summer Learning & Credit Recovery document

Registration - Now Open!

May is Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month

May is Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month – a celebration of Asians and Pacific Islanders in the United States. A broad term, Asian/Pacific encompasses all of the Asian continent and the Pacific islands of Melanesia (New Guinea, New Caledonia, Vanuatu, Fiji and the Solomon Islands), Micronesia (Marianas, Guam, Wake Island, Palau, Marshall Islands, Kiribati, Nauru and the Federated States of Micronesia) and Polynesia (New Zealand, Hawaiian Islands, Rotuma, Midway Islands, Samoa, American Samoa, Tonga, Tuvalu, Cook Islands, French Polynesia and Easter Island).

The following information on the history of Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month is provided by https://asianpacificheritage.gov:

Like most commemorative months, Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month originated with Congress. In 1977 Reps. Frank Horton of New York introduced House Joint Resolution 540 to proclaim the first ten days in May as Asian/Pacific American Heritage Week. In the same year, Senator Daniel Inouye introduced a similar resolution, Senate Joint Resolution 72. Neither of these resolutions passed, so in June 1978, Rep. Horton introduced House Joint Resolution 1007. This resolution proposed that the President should “proclaim a week, which is to include the seventh and tenth of the month, during the first ten days in May of 1979 as ‘Asian/Pacific American Heritage Week.’” This joint resolution was passed by the House and then the Senate and was signed by President Jimmy Carter on October 5, 1978 to become Public Law 95-419 (PDF, 158kb). This law amended the original language of the bill and directed the President to issue a proclamation for the “7 day period beginning on May 4, 1979 as ‘Asian/Pacific American Heritage Week.’” During the next decade, presidents passed annual proclamations for Asian/Pacific American Heritage Week until 1990 when Congress passed Public Law 101-283 (PDF, 166kb) which expanded the observance to a month for 1990. Then in 1992, Congress passed Public Law 102-450 (PDF, 285kb) which annually designated May as Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month.

The month of May was chosen to commemorate the immigration of the first Japanese to the United States on May 7, 1843, and to mark the anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental railroad on May 10, 1869. The majority of the workers who laid the tracks were Chinese immigrants.

Resources to learn more about Asian/Pacific Heritage Month:

May is Mental Health Awareness Month

Mental health refers to our emotional and social well-being and impacts how we think, feel, and behave. It plays a role in connecting with others, making decisions, handling stress, and many other aspects of daily life.

The Berkley School District has many resources available for families on our Emotional Support and Wellness Resources webpage. https://www.berkleyschools.org/parents/emotional-health--wellness/ From emergency hotlines to community resources, to mindfulness, to grief and loss resources, our mental health professionals have built a comprehensive site for the community to use.

New resources added! Additional resources include:

Dell Summer Sale for Berkley Schools Families

Dell has announced a Summer Sale for all Berkley Schools students, parents, faculty, and staff. Visit their website to check out exclusive deals on laptops, desktops, electronics, accessories and more! The Dell Summer Sale will end on June 1, 2022.  Check out some of the deals below and at www.dell.com/berkleyschools

  • Save $550 on XPS 17 Laptop
  • Save $500 on Alienware Aurora R10 Gaming Desktop
  • Save $200 on XPS Desktop 
  • 18% off Dell Premier Multi-Device Wireless Keyboard & Mouse

Berkley School District is Hiring 

The Berkley School District is hiring multiple positions including building substitute teachers, head custodians, custodians, GSRP/Head Start associate teachers, paraeducators, childcare assistants and lunch aides and kitchen support. Custodial and Child Care positions include bonuses after completing 60 days of work! 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!