Bowers Academy

Dear Bloomfield Hills Schools Community,

We are writing to notify you of:

• One positive COVID-19 staff case at Bloomfield Hills Middle School
• One positive COVID-19 student case at Bloomfield Hills Middle School
• One probable COVID-19 staff member at Bloomin’ Preschools Conant
• One probable COVID-19 staff member at Bloomin’ Preschools Fox Hills
• One positive COVID-19 staff case at Lone Pine Elementary
• One positive COVID-19 student case at West Hills Middle School

As an important reminder: if someone in your household is waiting for the results of a COVID-19 rapid or PCR test, all members of the household must stay home until the results are known.

If you do not receive a specific quarantine notice from a district official or an Oakland County Health Division case investigator, your child can attend activities as scheduled.

While we are in distance learning, the COVID-19 Case Update emails will now be sent weekly on Fridays at 5 p.m.

Emergency Order MCL 333.2253 requires Bloomfield Hills Schools to report probable and positive case information on our website. The report can be found on the main district website. Please note, cases do not appear on the report until all forms are complete for the case, causing a lag in reporting at times. 

We greatly appreciate the partnership with our families in reporting suspected or confirmed cases of COVID-19 so we may best protect the students and staff in our schools. Please continue to connect with your school principal regarding any concerns you may have regarding your child’s symptoms or possible exposure to someone with COVID-19.

COVID-19 is a contagious viral illness that spreads in the air through coughing, sneezing, and talking. Recent information suggests COVID-19 is spread by people who are not showing symptoms. It may be possible that a person can get COVID-19 by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it, then touching their own mouth, nose, or possibly their eyes. Symptoms include fever, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, and diarrhea.

If your child is sick or has been exposed to a confirmed or probable case of COVID, please do not allow them to attend school activities, programs, or athletics. If you or anyone in your household has COVID-19 symptoms, please contact your health professional or Nurse on Call at 1-800-848-5533. Please continue to monitor your child for any symptoms of COVID-19. If your child does develop symptoms, we urge you to keep them home and get your child tested for COVID-19 with a send-out PCR test. Testing locations can be found using the COVID-19 Test Finder at https://www.michigan.gov/coronavirus. If your child tests positive for COVID-19 or is symptomatic and you do not wish to have them tested, keep them at home until they have been fever free for at least 24 hours and it has been more than ten days since the initial onset of symptoms. If you are waiting for the results of a COVID-19 test, please continue to keep your child home and reference this chart (on the third page) from the Oakland County Health Division for further guidance.

In accordance with our administrative guidelines and procedures, the district, in collaboration with Oakland County Health Department, will communicate confirmed cases of COVID-19 in a school building, student event/activity, or district-sponsored function. Notification of confirmed cases will be shared via email from the district. Names of those impacted (whether it is a student, employee, district approved volunteer, or guest/spectator) will not be shared. All contact tracing will be handled by the Oakland County Health Department to protect student and employee privacy rights. The district is committed to providing factual, transparent, and critical information in a timely manner.

Please continue to follow all COVID-19 health and safety recommendations from the Oakland County Health Division and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): 

• Stay home if you are sick, or have been exposed to someone who has COVID-19.
• Cover your mouth and nose with a cloth face covering when around others. 
• Put distance between yourself and other people (at least 6 feet). 
• Clean your hands often, either with soap and water for 20 seconds or a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. 
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick. 
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash. Clean your hands after throwing away the tissue. 
• Clean and disinfect frequently-touched objects and surfaces daily.

Sincerely,

Pat Watson, Superintendent

Congratulations to the following IA Okma students who have been named Coca-Cola Scholar Semifinalists:

• Hanna Khor
• Jonah Liss
• Soenke Pietsch
• Vynateya Purimetla

The BHS Foundation is thrilled to announce the recipients of the 2020-2021 Lightning Grant.  These micro-grants will be awarded to district educators on an accelerated timeline, as they teach remotely or transition between distance and in-person learning.

Congratulations to the following BHS student who has been selected as a member of the 2020 Michigan School Band and Orchestra All-State Ensembles:

• Jaxson Kaplan-Rudolph, 8th Grade - Bass BHMS, All-State Middle School Band

Over the summer of 2020, students from Bloomfield Hills High School and International Academy joined together to form a new student group, called the Student Equity Council (SEC). This group of dedicated students has weekly virtual meetings, and has worked tirelessly to create a restorative, equitable school culture across all Bloomfield Hills Schools

All children are eligible to receive meals from BHS at this time. 

Mondays and Thursdays
11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Bloomfield Hills High School

Tuesdays and Fridays
11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
East Hills Middle School

Thursday, May 27, 2021
BHHS Courtyard
Fruit Basket in a Box Fundraiser
to benefit the Multicultural Celebration

Team #3646 Great Engineering Kids Of Tomorrow (G.E.K.O.T.) would like to learn how your physical activity level might have changed with the recent move towards remote learning and working from home. Please fill out this brief survey to help the team gather data.

Dear Bloomfield Hills Schools Community,

We are writing to notify you of:

• One positive COVID-19 staff case at Bloomfield Hills High School
• Two positive COVID-19 student cases at Bloomfield Hills High School
• One positive COVID-19 student case at Bloomin’ Preschool - Fox Hills
• One positive COVID-19 staff case at Bloomin’ Preschool - Fox Hills
• One positive COVID-19 student case at East Hills Middle School
• One positive COVID-19 student case at Way Elementary School
• Two positive COVID-19 student cases at West Hills Middle School
• One positive COVID-19 student case at Wing Lake Elementary School

As an important reminder: if someone in your household is waiting for the results of a COVID-19 rapid or PCR test, all members of the household must stay home until the results are known.

If you do not receive a specific quarantine notice from a district official or an Oakland County Health Division case investigator, your child can attend activities as scheduled.

While we are in distance learning, the COVID-19 Case Update emails will now be sent weekly on Fridays at 5 p.m.

Emergency Order MCL 333.2253 requires Bloomfield Hills Schools to report probable and positive case information on our website. The report can be found on the main district website. Please note, cases do not appear on the report until all forms are complete for the case, causing a lag in reporting at times. 

We greatly appreciate the partnership with our families in reporting suspected or confirmed cases of COVID-19 so we may best protect the students and staff in our schools. Please continue to connect with your school principal regarding any concerns you may have regarding your child’s symptoms or possible exposure to someone with COVID-19.

COVID-19 is a contagious viral illness that spreads in the air through coughing, sneezing, and talking. Recent information suggests COVID-19 is spread by people who are not showing symptoms. It may be possible that a person can get COVID-19 by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it, then touching their own mouth, nose, or possibly their eyes. Symptoms include fever, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, and diarrhea.

If your child is sick or has been exposed to a confirmed or probable case of COVID, please do not allow them to attend school activities, programs, or athletics. If you or anyone in your household has COVID-19 symptoms, please contact your health professional or Nurse on Call at 1-800-848-5533. Please continue to monitor your child for any symptoms of COVID-19. If your child does develop symptoms, we urge you to keep them home and get your child tested for COVID-19 with a send-out PCR test. Testing locations can be found using the COVID-19 Test Finder at https://www.michigan.gov/coronavirus. If your child tests positive for COVID-19 or is symptomatic and you do not wish to have them tested, keep them at home until they have been fever free for at least 24 hours and it has been more than ten days since the initial onset of symptoms. If you are waiting for the results of a COVID-19 test, please continue to keep your child home and reference this chart (on the third page) from the Oakland County Health Division for further guidance.

In accordance with our administrative guidelines and procedures, the district, in collaboration with Oakland County Health Department, will communicate confirmed cases of COVID-19 in a school building, student event/activity, or district-sponsored function. Notification of confirmed cases will be shared via email from the district. Names of those impacted (whether it is a student, employee, district approved volunteer, or guest/spectator) will not be shared. All contact tracing will be handled by the Oakland County Health Department to protect student and employee privacy rights. The district is committed to providing factual, transparent, and critical information in a timely manner.

Please continue to follow all COVID-19 health and safety recommendations from the Oakland County Health Division and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): 

• Stay home if you are sick, or have been exposed to someone who has COVID-19.
• Cover your mouth and nose with a cloth face covering when around others. 
• Put distance between yourself and other people (at least 6 feet). 
• Clean your hands often, either with soap and water for 20 seconds or a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. 
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick. 
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash. Clean your hands after throwing away the tissue. 
• Clean and disinfect frequently-touched objects and surfaces daily.

Sincerely,

Pat Watson, Superintendent

BHS Foundation Executive Director, Cathie Badalamenti, as you may know, left us at the end of October 2020. Cathie leaves the Foundation in a strong position. We look forward to continuing our work together, expanding the vision of the Foundation and making an even greater impact on the educational experiences of our students.

In accordance with the November 15, 2020, Emergency Order by the Department of Health and Human Services, all school sports activities (practices and contests) are suspended effective immediately through at least December 8, 2020.

As part of the state’s continued efforts to slow the increasing spread of COVID-19, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) and Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget (DTMB) announced the statewide rollout of the COVID-19 exposure notification app MI COVID Alert.

This morning, the Board of Education convened an emergency meeting to discuss the change in the COVID data that now places us in red according to the Harvard metrics approved by the board on August 20, 2020. Currently, schools in Oakland County are at risk level E, which is defined as either more than 150 cases per million or a 20% positivity rate. In level E, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) and Oakland County Health Division (OCHD) advise pausing in-person instruction for the full district. It is important to note that the Board of Education’s vote was not to close schools, but rather to pause in-person teaching and learning and migrate the BHS high quality instruction to a fully distance learning model.

Dear Bloomfield Hills High School Families,

As you are likely aware, the number of COVID-19 cases has continued to rise in Oakland County over the past few days. As a result, and out of an abundance of caution, several of our teachers have had to quarantine. Due to the number of teachers now in quarantine, BHHS will transition to full distance teaching and learning on November 4.  The Oakland County Health Department would have contacted anyone needing to quarantine.  This decision does not impact other school buildings in the district.

While we recognize the extraordinary efforts of students, staff, and families in minimizing the spread of COVID-19, unfortunately the Oakland County Health Division (OCHD) reports that cases continue to rise in Oakland County. If cases continue to trend upward, OCHD has warned schools that we may be forced to implement additional restrictions to prevent continued infections. Restrictions may include modifications to activities like athletics and clubs, and schools may be asked to shift to a distance learning instructional model either periodically or for an extended period of time until cases decline. 

BHS families and staff are strongly encouraged to report ALL student or staff possible or positive COVID-19 cases using this form.

The Bloomfield Hills Schools COVID Pre-Screen has been updated to now include a self-reporting tool for possible, probable, and confirmed cases of COVID-19.

In addition, families can report a student absence via the form and we encourage families to use the form for absence reporting in lieu of the attendance hotlines at each individual school.

Please continue to visit www.bloomfield.org/pre-screen each morning to complete the COVID-19 pre-screen.

The holiday season will be different for Michiganders this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. To ensure families do not miss out on being together during the holidays, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) has issued guidance on how to travel and gather safely during the holidays.

As a reminder, please be sure your child’s mask follows the Bloomfield Hills Schools mask guidelines. Face masks can be either reusable or disposable. They should fit tightly over your entire nose and mouth. Masks must have school-appropriate graphics. Masks should NOT have valves. Masks with valves are not permitted in Bloomfield Hills Schools. Students and staff are welcome to wear face shields brought from home, but they are not required. They may be worn in addition to a face mask. Neck gaiters and bandannas are not sufficient face coverings. They may be worn in addition to a face mask. Neck gaiters must have school-appropriate graphics.

Bloomfield Hills Schools is quickly working through the issuance process for Series 1 of the Bloomfield Hills Schools 2020 School Building and Site Bonds (Unlimited Tax General Obligation). We are happy to share that our local community will have a first priority opportunity to purchase the District's bonds that are expected to be sold mid-October.