Bowers Academy

The Bloomfield Hills High School Performing Arts department is excited to present Newsies, Disney’s musical that was a 1992 film and a Tony-award winning Broadway production from 2012 - 2014. The show is set in 1899 in New York City, and presents a fictionalized version of the newsboys strike. The characters provide inspiration to cast, crew, and audience members alike. Nicky Little (grade 12) who plays Jack Kelly, shares, “The characters' persistence is incredibly inspiring. In spite of all their hardships, they continue to fight for what they want even though the odds are stacked against them. This message of persistence is incredibly relevant because life can be challenging. Even today, kids are protesting for what is right, and although the problems are different, the drive is the same.” 

Liza Weimer, author of “The Assignment,” visited Bloomfield Hills Middle School to speak about their book, the history of the Holocaust, and the power of students to make a difference. The presentation “Allyship and Upstanders: Helping Students Speak Up Against Injustice and Hate” was sponsored by the Detroit Anti-Defamation League.

Kenneth Cameron, a teacher at Bloomfield Hills High School, was recently selected for the University of Chicago’s Outstanding Educator Award. Cameron was nominated by former BHS student Ryanne Leonard (BHHS 2022) and was selected from thousands of submissions. The award recognizes excellent educators who make a positive impact every day and whose guidance has helped the nominating student along the path toward intellectual growth.

Lone Pine students and staff may be well familiar with Rena Kirshenbaum, a beloved BHS staff member for many years. Recently retired, Kirshenbaum, and husband Ken, a retired scientist, have embarked upon a new adventure: sharing their love of science with elementary school students.

West Hills students in 6th grade put their skills, knowledge, and creativity to the test by making and then playing board games in math class. From games resembling Jenga, Battleship, Sorry, and Candy Land, to totally original creations, the students embraced the challenge of embedding math concepts into their game designs. Student Nil Hellin notes, “In the process of making the game, we made some mistakes. And when we fixed it, we made a very fun game. You can’t make a game without making some mistakes!” 

Recently, students in grade 9 read The Catcher in the Rye, and attended a field experience along the trails at the JNC. Along the way, JNC guides discussed the book with the students and provided journal prompts about the concept of change, as well as the exploratory theme in literature called “the Hero’s Journey,” in which students think about where the protagonist is born, where they are from, and where they are going. 

BHS teachers and students took advantage of the free field trips offered by the DIA in order to visit the Ofrendas el Día de los Muertos exhibit.

This year's Fall Festival at Bowers School Farm hosted its first-ever Scarecrow Contest. Students, families, community partners, and organizations across Bloomfield Hills were invited to participate and put their scarecrow-making abilities to the test. The requirements for entering were simple: be creative and use your imagination.
 

Acclaimed artist Hubert Massey and celebrated photographer S. Kay Young attended a recent unveiling of a mosaic mural installation at the Bloomfield Hills Schools district office. The art was created by the artists and students in the PREP program.

The Bloomfield Hills Schools Deaf and Hard of Hearing program has once again had a positive impact on its surrounding community. In order to spread awareness and support our D/HH students, in early October, the D/HH program offered a professional learning opportunity for transportation staff within Oakland County.

Bloomfield Hills High School Varsity Boys Tennis Team carried their number one ranking straight through the state tournament to win the Division 1 Championship!

Wing Lake students were treated to a fabulous Open House event at their school featuring fun and food. Staff went all out to create spooky scenes and engaging games for the costumed students and their families. The event is normally held outside, but, due to weather conditions, the activities were held in the gym and hallways at the Wing Lake Developmental Center.