Bowers Academy

Cinnamon the llama surprised students and Superintendent Rob Glass at Wing Lake Developmental Center!  How fun! Who will be next? Farm on the Spot is a new learning program in which animals from Bowers School Farm visit classrooms in Bloomfield Hills Schools. 

Glass began the visit by reading story books about llamas to the students.  Then the llama was brought in to everyone's delight!  Farm staff gave facts and allowed the students to pet the llama's fur. 

Click to watch video!  Read more to view more photos!

On May 8, 2018, voters in Bloomfield Hills Schools will be asked to consider a .7165 mill, six-year sinking fund replacement (to replace the existing sinking fund, set to expire in December of 2018). The sinking fund would generate approximately $2,500,000 each year which would be used for specific purposes, as set forth by the State of Michigan. Thanks to new legislation, acceptable use of sinking fund dollars has been expanded to include safety, security, and technology. For more information visit www.bloomfield.org/sinkingfund

You won't want to miss Farm on the Spot - a new learning program in which animals from Bowers Farm surprise a classroom of students. In this segment, twin goats surprise a classroom at EHMS. Who will be next? Talk about hands-on learning in the classroom!

Bowers Farm has rescheduled their 2nd Annual Spring Fling & Pancake Breakfast to May 5th, 2018! Register at http://www.bloomfield.org/recreation or call the farm office at 248.341.6481.

Congratulations to the staff, parents/guardians, and community members who earned the honor of Bloomfield Hills Schools 2018 Master Global Champions. As part of our desire to fulfill the mission to educate all of our learners so they may achieve their individual potential and build meaningful and productive lives in a global society, we have engaged in a process to develop Global Leaders. Graduates of the Master Champions course will continue the work of building systemic cultural capacity and increasing equity and inclusion throughout the district. To learn more about this important work, visit  www.bloomfield.org/community/globaled

What are some examples of Sinking Fund projects the district would investigate if the replacement passes?

With the expansion of use to include safety, security, and technology, the district may seek to:

• Install more security cameras inside and outside of each school
• Install security cameras on each school bus
• Provide a GPS bus tracking app for families to know the whereabouts of their child's bus and the approximate time of arrival
• Install bullet-proof glass or glass film
• Place bollards outside of main school entrances

For more information visit www.bloomfield.org/sinkingfund

Come check out the Bloomfield Hills Jazz program performing at the historic Cliff Bells in Downtown Detroit on Monday, May 14, 2018! The program will begin at 7 pm. Cover is $10. We sold out last year so don't wait to reserve a seat! Reserve online or call 313.961.2543. Contact Alan Posner aposner@bloomfield.org with any questions about this event.

The BHHS Bionic Black Hawks had incredible success at the FIRST Michigan State Championship from April 11-14, 2018, bringing home their 3rd straight FIRST Michigan Chairman's Award! BHS was one of twenty-nine school districts recognized by Michigan Governor, Rick Snyder, for having all four levels of FIRST programs. The Black Hawks finished as Ford division semi-finalists, received the Ford Division UL Safety Award, and are currently ranked in the top twenty teams in the state. The team advances to FIRST Robotics World Championship in Detroit from April 26-28, 2018. The BHMS Mechanical Monkeys will also be competing in the FIRST Tech Challenge World Championship, and the Way Elementary Blockhead Builders will compete in the FIRST Lego League Junior World Exhibition.

View a categorized list of known Sinking Fund items currently under routine observation or considered for future work in Bloomfield Hills Schools at www.bloomfield.org/sinkingfund.  This list will continue to evolve over time. 

In the 2018 BHS Spring Newsletter, we incorrectly cited West Hills Students Visit Wing Lake Developmental Center. The students who visited Wing Lake were from Bloomfield Hills Middle School. BHMS students reflected on their visit noting such experiences as, "Going to Wing Lake School was a really fun experience, and I really enjoyed it. There were lots of kids and adults with many different disabilities. The ages can range from ages 3-26 years old. Most of the classrooms are very different from each other. Most of the friends there all have aids or helpers with them. They have a very different learning environment than we do. Lots of the friends at Wing Lake are in wheelchairs and can't talk." - Brooke Ziff. 

Thomai Gersh, Supervisor of Special Education at Wing Lake, shared, "When the 5th graders from BHMS came to visit, the benefit was mutual. Our students loved to engage and interact with the 5th grade BHMS students; and they also taught the 5th graders about the differences between people and the different ways things can be done. BHMS and Wing Lake students both gained a lot from this experience."