AUGUST 2023
In This Issue
- Message From Our Superintendent
- Back To School: What You Need To Know
- Continuing Education Registration
- New Faces, New Places
- Parent Involvement
- Meals Information
- Broadband Survey
- Around The District
- Curriculum Insights
- Save The Date for State of the Schools
- Coming Soon: The Royal Oak Schools App
- Did You See It On Social?
- August Calendar
- Job Postings In The District
SUPERINTENDENT'S SPOT
We are excited to look toward the start of another amazing school year in the district. The first official school day for students is Monday, August 28, 2023, an earlier start, before Labor Day, than in past years.
Royal Oak Schools is a place where students learn, families engage, and our community supports the needs of our students by giving off their time and talent. We will continue using funding from our local, state, and federal governments to assist our students along their learning journey. The district plays a vital role in the network of the entire Royal Oak community. For those relationships and the support we receive, we remain very grateful.
A new school year is also a special time to welcome new teachers, secretaries, custodians, paraprofessionals, and other members to our team. Please follow us on social media and our district website to stay informed about key district happenings.
On August 23, the entire staff will come together to kick off the new school year. At this celebration, we will welcome new staff, share goals, and renew our safety training. On August 24, the entire district will engage in meaningful professional learning. New this year, this event will feature over 70 presentations by our staff and close consultants based on staff requests, needs, and areas of expertise. In September, I will present a State of the Schools update to the entire community where our Strategic Plan will be shared, a culmination of over one year of gathering data, sharing ideas, looking at our existing best practices, and prioritizing needs. Please watch our website and social media for more details in the coming weeks.
See you soon as we return to school for 2023-24. This year’s calendar can be found on our website.
- Mary Beth Fitzpatrick, Superintendent Royal Oak Schools
BACK TO SCHOOL
HERE'S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW!
Get ready for the upcoming school year! The first day of school is scheduled for Monday, August 28, 2023. Detailed information regarding your child's enrollment will be provided by your school principal. We are excited to welcome everyone back!
Annual Registration for all students will begin on August 2. This mandatory process applies to all Royal Oak Families and is necessary to register your children for the 2023-24 school year.
- Follow these simple steps to complete the Annual Registration:
- Login to the MIStar Parent Portal
- Select your child’s school from the drop-down menu
- Select Annual Registration
For new families who have not yet enrolled, don't hesitate to get in touch with the Central Enrollment Office at (248) 435-8400, ext. 1260. If you have any questions about enrollment or recently changed your address, they're here to assist you with all the information you need. Or you can start here for those answers.
Class lists will be live on August 14 for elementary students and August 18 for secondary students. (*Dates could be subject to change.)
Student Handbooks and other additional forms and information can be found here.
The 2023-24 school calendar can be found by using this link.
Find information on child care, preschool, or Latchkey here.
Click here for information on Free and Reduced Lunch or other food service programs.
Sports schedules, including volleyball, soccer, and football, can be found here.
Check out announcements, local events, and activities for your child with Peachjar. It's now easier than ever to receive information about opportunities for your child. In February 2022, Royal Oak Schools began using Peachjar as our new electronic flyer communication tool. Flyers will now be sent directly to your email inbox and posted to the school's website. To view current flyers, click the Peachjar button on each school's website.
CONTINUING EDUCATION
Does someone you know need to learn English? Or get their high school credentials? Royal Oak Schools Continuing Education can help!
They offer:
- Three levels of English for non-native speakers
- Individualized plans to complete your high school credentials
- and you don't have to live in Royal Oak!
Registration for Continuing Education is open now. Use the QR codes below to make an appointment!
For more information, go to: ccec.royaloakschools.org
WHAT'S NEW AT ROS?
Royal Oak Schools has been busy as a bee this summer, enhancing our buildings' aesthetics and welcoming many exceptional new staff members to keep our momentum going strong.
Some projects included the district-wide conversion to energy-efficient LED light fixtures, the installation of new fencing at Addams, Upton, and ROMS, and the successful partial roof replacements at Keller and Oak Ridge. Additionally, our middle school now boasts stunning new floors, while the first floor underwent a terrazzo restoration, adding to the overall charm of that educational space.
Nearly 40 new staff members have been welcomed to our team, filling essential roles such as social worker, math teacher, speech pathologist, science teacher, counselor, and more. Their expertise and dedication promise to enrich the educational experience we provide to our students. There have also been essential additions to our administrative staff and the hiring of a new Director of Athletics and Activities, poised to lead our extracurricular programs and athletic endeavors to new heights, and a new Supervisor for Continuous Improvement in the district's Curriculum and Instruction Department. These developments reflect our commitment to providing our students with a comprehensive and enriching educational environment.
HEAD START MOVING FROM 800 DEVILLEN LOCATION
Head Start has decided to dissolve its Royal Oak location this year. They will move to Webster Elementary at 431 W. Jarvis Street in Hazel Park. Head Start is a Federally funded free Child Development Program for three to five-year-old children from low-income families and children with disabilities. More information can be found at www.olhsa.org or by contacting OLHSA at 248-470-8019.
WAYS TO BE INVOLVED
Join a PTA
Back to school is the perfect time to join a PTA/PTSA. A PTA Council is a coordinating body that promotes communication and cooperation among specific units and increases the capacity for service because of their unified strength. We are grateful to have parents and students (PTSA) who lead these organizations at each of our schools. Just click here for more on what the PTAs have done for the families and students at Royal Oak Schools. It's a fantastic list!
For information on joining one of our school PTAs, click here.
Join a Board of Education Committee
The School Board actively seeks the advice of community members through a wide range of advisory committees and councils. Citizens interested in serving on a Board Committee should complete an application form. There is a separate application form for students.
Applications are now being accepted for the Royal Oak Schools 2023-2024 committees, such as Arts & Preservation, Communications, and Wellness.
Applications are available on the district website, www.royaloakschools.org, Board of Education page under the “District” tab. Application forms should be returned to the Superintendent's Office, Royal Oak Schools, 800 DeVillen, Royal Oak, MI 48073, or e-mailed to Paula Sutterfield at Paula.Sutterfield@royaloakschools.org. For more information, contact Paula Sutterfield, Executive Assistant to the Board of Education and Superintendent, at 248-435-8400, ext. 1228. The deadline for submitting applications is Friday, September 15, 2023.
Volunteer
As a volunteer in Royal Oak Schools, you are a welcome addition to our school community! Volunteers are essential to the success and well-being of our students, programs, and schools. Prospective volunteers in Royal Oak Schools should first talk to the building principal about the specific needs for volunteering there.
The building principal will provide building-specific information about volunteering for occasional volunteers working in the building once or twice per year under the direct supervision of building faculty or staff members.
Ready to volunteer or need more information? Click here!
FREE MEALS & ALA CARTE COST
Did you hear the news that every student can receive free meals in the 2023-2024 school year?
Thanks to the Michigan School Meals Program, a state-funded program that allows all students to receive meals at no cost for the 2023-2024 school year, breakfast and lunch will be free to all students. Second meals are not free and will be considered ala carte. High school and middle school second lunches will be charged $3.00; elementary school second lunches will be charged $2.60. Adult meals are not covered under the Michigan School Meals Program.
Although all students can receive meals at no cost, it is still vital that eligible families fill out a free/reduced meal application: A school’s eligibility for federal Child Nutrition Programs such as Summer Food Service Program and others is based on free and reduced-price eligibility. Students and families may qualify for other program fee reductions based on their eligibility for free or reduced-price meals. Federal and state education finding uses free and reduced-price eligibility.
Please complete the 2023-2024 online application on our website under Free and Reduced Meals Information. Paper applications will be sent out this month and available at the district office and in all schools in August.
If/when your school begins offering ala carte items, please note that they will not be free and must be paid for with cash or through your student’s pre-paid food service account. Ala carte examples are bottled water, chips, cookies, and milk. Unfortunately, milk by itself is not free. To get milk, a complete meal must be received or can be paid for separately. Elementary students must continue to pre-order lunch one day ahead. Last-minute decisions to eat an elementary school lunch can result in shortages for other students that did order in advance.
SURVEY TAKERS NEEDED
Oakland County is working to increase broadband access – otherwise known as high-speed internet – in Oakland County. Oakland County has partnered with Macomb and Wayne counties and Merit Network to distribute a short broadband survey for residents because current coverage maps do not accurately portray broadband access, speed, and reliability. Those things need to be known since upcoming federal funding opportunities exist to help update infrastructure. Updating our infrastructure will increase access, and we want to ensure our region is not disadvantaged as we head into the future.
The broadband survey is available online, and paper surveys are available upon request. Please share this information so that all residents understand the importance of taking the survey.
Here is a link to the Tri-County-Summit Broadband Survey page: https://www.merit.edu/Tri-County-BroadBand/.You can access information, the survey, and an informational webinar on this page.
AROUND THE DISTRICT
SUMMER LEARNING PROGRAMS
Our summer learning programs in Royal Oak are in full swing!
Our K-8 students have had wonderful and engaging experiences during the two three-week sessions. As a reminder, these summer learning sessions were accessible to all families because of several grants awarded to Royal Oak Schools to reduce the learning loss.
At the elementary level, about 288 Kindergarten through 4th-grade students have had the opportunity to learn about the following: Math, English Language Arts, Social Emotional Learning, and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) learning with LEGOS.
At the middle school level, we had over 100 families participate in our summer learning programs. Middle school students engaged in summer learning activities and classes such as Math, English Language Arts, STEM and Coding, Success in Middle School, Fun and Fitness, and Theater classes.
Our high school students experienced summer learning offerings in regaining credit in any core or elective course. This allowed students to recapture important content-related classes which supported graduation requirements.
Students in our high school also had the chance to take PSAT/SAT Readiness classes which provided students with preparation for the PSAT/SAT using Khan Academy as the base resource.
We are also working on new after-school education opportunities for students.
“We’re in the midst of planning and organizing things with Cranbrook and the DIA. We don’t have official dates yet, but we’re hoping to follow the same pattern that we did with the Lego STEM robotics program, which is to bring a community partnership program into the schools to give kids an opportunity at each of our elementary buildings to engage with this work.” - Executive Director of Curriculum and Instruction Dr. Joe Youanes.
We are also excited to announce that our week-long summer LEGO STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) will run from August 7-11 and will be for students in grades K-8. This week-long opportunity for students will also be free of charge, thanks to one of our grants. Previous LEGO STEAM camps have been attended well, with at least 50 students at each building.
DID YOU SEE IT ON SOCIAL?
Follow us on:
DATES FOR AUGUST
August 2 - Annual Registration Opens
August 10 - School Board Meeting
August 26 - "Get Connected" event at Royal Oak Middle School back parking lot
August 28 - First Day Back To School
MARK YOUR CALENDAR FOR UPCOMING DATES:
September 1 & 4, No School - Labor Day Break
September 28 - State of the Schools Address
October 31, Half Day - All Students
November 22-24, No School - Thanksgiving Break
December 25 - January 5, - No School - Holiday Break
JOB OPENINGS
We would love to invite you to join our team. You can use this link to apply for most jobs with Royal Oak Schools: https://bit.ly/3rO26d1workforros.
Food service workers and cashiers: Chartwells Food Service hires substitute food service workers. The cashier position is from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and pays $14/hr. The cook position is at the elementary schools from 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and pays $16.15/hr. After training, you would be "as needed" fill-in for sick calls, working on average 1-2 days per week. It could also become regular part-time when openings exist. Includes free lunch.
Substitute teachers: EDUStaff is our partner for substitute teachers. Please apply through their website at: edustaff.org.
Paraprofessionals: A paraprofessional works with a team of teachers to help qualified students be successful at school. These patient and caring individuals may implement academic, physical, behavioral, and self-care supports that empower students to engage with their education as independently as possible. All applicants should apply through the Oakland Schools Human Resources Consortium website at: bit.ly/3rO26d1workforros.
Individuals interested in working with and caring for school-age children before and after school for our Young Oaks (Latchkey) Program should contact the Addams Early Childhood Center at (248) 288-3220.
Bus Drivers: Durham School Services is hiring for our transportation department. A minimum of 20 hours is guaranteed, with options for more. Contact James Hollis at Durham to apply: jholls@durhamschoolservices.com.
Instructional and administrative positions: Check the Oakland Schools Consortium portal at bit.ly/3rO26d1workforros. Employment opportunities with Royal Oak Schools are on our website under Employment/HR. If you have any more questions, please contact Beth Caverly at the District Offices: elizabeth.caverly@royaloakschools.org or (248) 435-8400 x1210.
COMMENTS? STORY IDEAS?
Send them to: communications@royaloakschools.org
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The District Dispatch Mission: To inform all interested in the Royal Oak Schools community and deliver information straight to them through stories of our people, our successes, and our future.
Credits:
Created with images by Jürgen Fälchle - "Sonnenblumenfeld im August" • Kiattisak - "Back to School of Mother and pupil and kids holding hands going to school" • Vera Kuttelvaserova - "the queen (apis mellifera) marked with dot and bee workers around her - bee colony life" • Prostock-studio - "Daughter is reading book to her international parents" • Pixel-Shot - "Healthy products with meal plan and measuring tape on light background" • chathuporn - "photographer take pictures Snapshot with camera. man hand holding with camera looking through lens.Concept for photographing articles Professionally." • magele-picture - "Curriculum" • STOATPHOTO - "Social Media Concept. The meeting at the white office table." • Kazu8 - "ひまわり畑" • geralt - "job job offer workplace" • geralt - "board show hand"