Bloomfield Hills Schools Provide On Line Learning. Compete for Cyber Students.

New mascot logo for Bloomfield Hills High School

At a recent School Board meeting Superintendent Robert Glass said that  of State Bill 616 which allows Cyber Schools to operate in Michigan has passed and within the next year such schools will be a reality. Bloomfield Hills however has been at the vanguard of virtual on line teaching . Arabic one the  many  world languages the district teaches (the others are French, Spanish, German, Chinese, Japanese, Latin and American Sign Language)  has been taught for years on line. Other blended (often  incorporating virtual elements) learning programs exist in many departments.

The purpose of the bill is is to provide opportunities for students who are not in the the traditional public school setting. In that regard it is is similar to the WAY program for non traditional learners which the School Board approved  last fall. It will also allow the state's education dollars to follow the student.
Oakland Schools, working with various school districts, will offer high quality education in the new Cyber school  market which  may lead to increased state funding.

The bottom line is that Home School students grades K-8 will benefit from a quality online curriculum.

In regards to the virtual it was also reported that the digital Town Hall Meetings (also available by phone for those who did not have a computer) were a success. Apparently so.The following week on May 8th the School Bond issue passed by a 60 % to 40% margin district wide and even carried the more reserved and stodgy City of Bloomfield Hills by seven votes.

Mr, Glass also reported on a student leadership conference he attended at Oakland University. He said our future was in great hands."There is evidence of the emphasis on inquiry: We (the school system) have been doing this and it is taking root and it's working. It has brought meaning, purpose, passion, and critical thinking to students and these are not things we see everywhere."

The new logo for the consolidated High School's mascot a raven was introduced to rave reviews. It was designed by a parent in the school district.

Memorial Day Weekend. Time Enough for Everything ?

Looking for a parade this weekend ? 

The Oakland Press has complete list of Oakland County holiday weekend events. To get to The Oakland Press On Line Edition just click on the Oakland Press Box in the right hand column on this page.  Enter "Memorial day activities" or whatever in the search engine. It works for the current edition as well as archived editions.The Bloomfield Patch also has a good listing of Parades as well. Just click on "Looking For a parade" at the top of this page. 


The Baldwin  Library and City Hall are closed through Monday but you can always checks out electronic books from Baldwin if you have a card.Click here to use the Baldwin Library via your computer. 
Even if you don't have a card, free books are available for download from the Baldwin Library. There are lots of public domain titles to choose from.  Just go the click on the red Baldwin Link above and look for the box on your right

What do we recommend ? Well for Midwest Americana for a themed Memorial Day weekend how about Booth Tarkington's "The Magnificent Ambersons." Booth was a native of Indianapolis Indiana. Some consider the movie adaption of his book could have been the second greatest movie ever made. Unfortunately everyone agrees the movie was hacked to death by Hollywood and all that remains are the pieces.

                        

The Magnificent Ambersons Opening Narration

Clicking on the above title in red will get you the first five minutes of the movie. It's rather intriguing but please don't ruin your weekend chasing all over town looking for the rest of the film. Others have tried but no one has ever succeeded. The library is closed. Red Box and Block Buster can't help. It is on TCM, Turner Classic Movies however. The 88 minute truncated version that is.


 The book and the time period (the 1890's)fascinated Orson Welles the Director of Citizen Kane who was determined to make it his second movie. There is a bit of a parallel between Welles' demise and that of the Ambersons's  motor car venture in the last days of the horse. Knowing that will help  you'll catch the allusion of a world going faster in  the opening clip."The faster we are carried the less time we have to spare" the narrator says. Whether that is an Orson Welles sardonic ad lib or Booth Tarkington's own words, you'll have to read the book to find out. 


 Many a director has said he would put the Magnificent Ambersons back together again but it hasn't happened. 

93 years ago the book  won a Pulitzer Prize. Orson Wells is said to have carried  the novel  around with him. Back then things moved at slower pace. People would, on a public holiday, take in parade or listen to a concert at the band stand  In those days books were bound in cloth and easy to conceal while hiding in a hammock from the wife and her list of chores. Now the book is free but you have read it on your computer or print your own. The former requires batteries or a long power cord which  will lead the wife right to you. A book might throw her off her guard and prompt the question "What in the world are you reading ?"  There is something peaceful and restful about a person reading while swaying back and forth between two trees. The scene says do not disturb.Try it.It may work.


A computer is just bad news as in  "Are you on that computer again ?" There is work to be done. Dirt be moved and weeds to be pulled. In an instant Memorial Day has become Labor Day. A short summer to say the least. Have we reached that threshold where we have to run fast to stay where we are ?

Have a happy and safe Memorial Day Weekend and don't forget to set your clocks ahead. Or is that back ?

Bloomfield Hills School District Student and Staff Recognition May 3rd 2012.

Please note: Not all students (usually due to other commitments) are pictured and those pictured may not be listed in the order they are standing.

The above students are being recognized  for their achiuevement in Andover  Model  UN Comepition. Andrew Parsons. Tre Hammonds. Bryce McClelland,Wall Pelton. Ila Nichols. AB Allam, rohan Sinha. Shivan Patel. and Imran Nahim (Above photo center) who was also recognized  at the last meeting  for achieving a perfect score on the ACT  exam.They are coached by Matthew MacLeod and Dave Jenvey.

The above students are being  recognized for their achievement on the Bloomfield Hills Middle School School Mathcounts  team. Jarrett Black, Henry Dickson, Sam Greenberg, Jhuree Hong, Cynthia Jia, Kathryn Jorgensen,  Nicki Lucci, Raviraj Rege, Kata  Szamosfalvi, and Kristrine Wang.

The above West Hills Middle School students  are recognized for their achievements at  the Michigan Interscholastic Press Association annual Spring Conference. Jessica Appelman, Haley, Dishman, Carrie Elloit, Jake Fogel, Jenna Lee, Ryan Merchant, Diva Moudhil, Cooper Myers, Karthik , Nagappan, Rachael Rabinowitz, Ali Randel, Julia Russo, Dalia Schwarzbaum,Liam Tsimhoni,  Eve Washington, Dylan WittenBerg, and Max Wittenberg. The advisorsa re Krishnan Anatharaman, and Janic Seaton

Pictured below is  2011-12 Distinguished Service Award Winner, Physical Education Teacher Frank 

Di Vito. A video was also presented which included comments from the many people he has instructed and helped.

Tonight Travel Presentation Double Header at the Birmingham Community House ! Colorado 's Historic Trains and The Romantic Rhine and Mosel River Cruise

Two completely different vacations. One for now and one for next Spring. Both will be presented  and previewed at  the Birmingham Community House tonight at 7pm. While you are there don't forget to pick the Summer Catalog which includes information on all up coming Community House  trips. Of note  Community House will be going to the Canadian Rockies August 11-18. Falling for Paris in September 6th-13 and visiting the magnificent cities of Berlin, Prague, Vienna, Budapest, Krakow, and Warsaw, September 2nd-15th.