Weekly Update

Greetings Berkshire Families:
Thank you to all of our families who were able to participate in last week’s Berkshire Parent Teacher Conferences. Thank you also to the Berkshire PTA and for all of the families that donated items for our conference dinner for our teachers. As a follow up, this is a great time to stay tuned in to PowerSchool to make sure that your students are succeeding in all of their classes. Also, Saturday School (9 – 11 am in the Berkshire Media Center/$3 donation for snacks and supplies) is a fantastic opportunity for students to get caught up, study for upcoming assessments, and also receive tutoring in any subject area.
Have a wonderful week and thank you for reading the following Berkshire Family Update!
 
Jason Clinkscale
Principal
Berkshire Middle School
 
Upcoming Dates
•    Monday, 3/10
o    Jazz Band,  7:30-8:00am - room 125
o    Wrestling - Berkshire @ Derby (Away) 
•    Tuesday,  3/11
•    Morning Math,  7:30-8:00 am - room 115
•    Honors Orchestra, 7:00-8:00 am - room 123
•    Art Club  3:15-4:30  room 102
•    Volleyball - Berkshire Black vs. Cranbrook (Home)
•    Volleyball - Berkshire Silver @ South Hills (Away)
•    Wednesday, 3/12
o    PTA Meeting (7 pm)
•    Thursday, 3/13
o    Morning Math,  7:30-8:00am - room 115
o    Show Choir  7:15-8:00am room 124
o    Volleyball - Berkshire Black vs. West Bloomfield Green (Home)
o    Volleyball - Berkshire Silver @ North Hills (Away)
o    Boys Swim - League Meet (Away)
o    Wrestling - Berkshire @ South Hills (Away)
•    Friday, 3/14
o    Bagel sales
•    Saturday, 3/15
o    Saturday School (9 – 11 am) – Tutoring provided for all subjects!
 
A look Ahead
•    March 24 - March 28 - Spring Break 
•    April 9 - HALF DAY
•    April 18 - NO SCHOOL
•    May 1 - HALF DAY
•    May 23 - 5th Grade Visit (6th Graders - NO SCHOOL)
•    June 13 - Last day of school - HALF DAY
 
Lost and Found
If your student is missing something, please have him/her check the lost and found tables outside the cafeteria.  If you would like to come in, you are welcome to do so AFTER SCHOOLS HOURS.   All items will be donated to Brightmoor on Friday (3/14).
 
Middle School Clothing Drive
Help us help the families of Brightmoor! We are accepting donations of clean, gently used clothing in good condition. Brightmoor can use clothing in sizes child large to adult XL. We are collecting from now through Thursday, March 20th. Drop donations in the boxes near the front office or on the drop off loop outside.
 
Amazing Shake Update:
Congratulations to our top 10 Amazing Shake students who represented Berkshire in the Michigan Regional Amazing Shake on Friday (2/28)!  Eight of our 10 made it to the top 40 and then 3 of them,  Arno T., Gia C. and Olivia S. went on to the top 15! Congratulations to Gia Carr who then made it into the top 10!  We are so proud of all our participants!  
 
Attention 8th grade girls
BPS and Bloomfield Hills now have a Unified Girls Hockey team.  For any girls interested in playing high school ice hockey next year for the Bloomfield-Birmingham Black Hawks, there is a great opportunity to meet your future teammates with the Girls Spring Showdown. 
Whether you're an experienced player or newer to the sport, all skill levels are welcome. The program is committed to providing a supportive and competitive environment. The showdown focuses on skill development, teamwork, and building lasting friendships. The showdown is open for all students currently in grades 8-12.
If you’re interested please see the following link - https://www.suburbanicefarmingtonhills.com/girls-spring-showdown. If you have any questions or want more information on the High School team please email the team manager T.J. Tabin at tjtabin@gmail.com
 
Spring Flag Football
Registration is Open for the Spring [snaptivities.com]SNAP Flag Football League ages 2.5-8th grade & the [girlstakethefield.com]Girls Take The Field Flag Football League (grades K-12th), the Official NFL FLAG League for Birmingham for 25 years through Birmingham Community Education where over half of the profits go back into our public school district. Leagues run April 12 to June 9. No experience necessary. Non-contact, Recreational and only a one day a week commitment! Teams are forming now in each grade at your school. For more info, click the links above or here to register by 4/1!
 
Spring Athletic Season
REGISTRATION IS OPEN! Spring athletics at Berkshire Middle School will begin March 31st, 2025. Our spring athletics consist of girls soccer, co-ed track, boys tennis, and co-ed intramural soccer. Please click the following link to be brought to our online registration system. Please remember that all athletes interested in participating in athletics must have a completed athletic physical dated on or after April 15th of the previous school year. GO WILDCATS!!!
Online Registration
 
National PTA Safe Space Pilot Program with Berkshire Middle School
Berkshire PTA has been asked by the National PTA to participate in a new pilot program this school year to create safe spaces for youth in middle schools. It is sponsored by the New York Life Foundation, in accordance with National PTA’s Healthy Minds initiative. The middle school funding is focused on creating a physical safe space in their school where youth can go to seek support, in particular, around the grief and loss students experience in a variety of ways during adolescence. This idea is based off of New York Life’s graphic novel Lost in the Middle. The space is intended to be used 1:1 where a student can receive a pass to visit and/or in a peer connection model such as utilizing the space for a group or club.
With the help and guidance of the National PTA, AND Berkshire's wonderful counselors, we cannot wait to make this happen!
 
Berkshire’s Community Garden
Berkshire's Community Garden is looking for partners for this upcoming growing season. If you are interested in renting space in the garden, please reach out to Pam Lucken at plucken@birmingham.k12.mi.us.  Help us put community back into the community garden!
 
Youth In Service Nominations and Presidential Service Award
If your student is active in community service, we would like to nominate them for BYA's annual Youth In Service award. Please reach out to Pam Lucken at plucken@birmingham.k12.mi.us or Ann Liebler at aliebler@birmingham.k12.mi.us no later than Monday, March 10.  
In addition, there is the Presidential Volunteer Service Award for students who complete a certain number of hours each year. If your student qualifies, we will nominate them for that award as well.
 
Attention 8th grade families
Free PSAT/SAT Practice tests, study resources & tools
Parents of students in the 8th to 11th grades are invited to access additional information regarding a range of test preparation resources as their child prepares for the PSAT and SAT scheduled for April. Engage in a discussion with your student about these resources and to assist them in establishing a goal and study plan for the upcoming weeks. Berkshire 8th graders will take the PSAT on Thursday, April 10th.  
 
PTA Updates:
Please click the link to view the PTA Newsletter. 
https://secure.smore.com/n/vbnkc
 
New PTA Board Members needed
The Berkshire PTSA is looking for a few new board members for the 2025-2026 school year! PTA is a great way to volunteer and get involved in all that we do to support students, teachers, and bring new programs to our school!
Here is a brief description of the following positions that are open for the Fall of 2025:
Treasurer - Keep a full and accurate account of receipts and expenditures; make the disbursements as authorized by the president, executive board, or association in accordance with the budget adopted by the association, etc.
Vice-President of Volunteers and Recruitment - Coordinates recruitment of volunteers for all PTA-sponsored programs and events; responsible for providing direction and expectations to volunteers; Manages school store (supplies) and volunteers.
We would also like to bring on a President-Elect to assist and shadow the President.
If you have interest in any of these roles, please contact Laina at Berkshirepta@gmail.com or if you prefer to call or text at (586) 596-5466. Looking forward to hearing from you!
 
2024-2025 Yearbook Order
The 2024-25 yearbook staff is hard at work to create a book full of memories to capture the events of the school year! Please visit https://yearbookforever.com/school-store/X1MFA9Gam7bPSxL2TJ8jq8He to purchase a book. Yearbooks are on sale now for $50. Berkshire works with Walsworth Publishing Company to create our book, and all sales will be made online through their platform. Students will receive their books during the last week of school. Any questions can be directed to the Yearbook Adviser, Chelsea Gacki, at cgacki@birmingham.k12.mi.us.
 
Wildcat Parents! 
Does your child need help with organization, transitioning to middle school, time management, etc.? Please tell your child to join the counselors in room 106 on Tuesdays and Wednesdays for assistance during lunch and recess.
Wildcat Lunch Bunch
Game Fridays with the Counselors
Thanks a lot,
Mrs. Battle, Mrs. Gohl, and Mrs. Hardeman   
 
Girls in STEM: Health Science & Computer Science
Middle school girls can dive into exciting STEM experiences by joining any event that fits their schedule. Bring a friend and double the fun while exploring hands-on health science and coding adventures!
-Still open spots for Health Science at OSTC
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1HpHPS4u_XKNl2Ip_B7su6DXhivNOQxYyu-Q9tLKGg24/edit?usp=sharing
 
Computer Science/Coding a Video Game App
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1xOpk398i-198Pmj1ZUVGN9nUSyGcevRNYJvz-YkPulo/edit?usp=sharing
 
BEF Annual Fund
Each year the BEF grants $100,000+ to support exceptional education programs both in and out of the classroom by connecting innovative teachers with community support.  Please consider donating to the Annual Fund today!
To find out more about other ways to support the BEF, such as sponsoring the Bash or donating to the Bash Auction, contact:  Kathy Zanolli, Executive Director @ BEF@Birmingham.k12.mi.us.