Greetings Berkshire Families:

This is it! We have finally reached the very last week of school for the 2022-2023 school year. It has truly been an amazing journey and we are now excited to be able to celebrate our 8^th graders at their ceremony this Wednesday (6/7). Be sure to read the details below for all end of the year activities.

In addition, on Thursday, June 8^th, we will hold our annual field day for 6^th and 7^th graders. 6^th graders will participate from 11:40-1:10pm, and 7^th graders will participate from 1:30-3pm. There will be an inflatable, our awesome DJ Tim Stanley, a video game truck, karaoke, basketball, water balloon and other recess fun, ice cream and popcorn for each student. We also expect to have snow cones and cotton candy available for purchase ($1 each), with proceeds going to charity.

Sign up to help make this a great day for our 6^th and 7^th graders:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30e0f4cafa62da4fa7-20232#/

I hope that everyone has a phenomenal week and please continue to look for additional updates throughout the week!

Jason Clinkscale
Principal
Berkshire Middle School

Monday 6/5

 8th Grade LAPTOPS must be returned today!

Tuesday 6/6
Boys’ Tennis vs. Berkley
GPAC Musical Auditions, 3-6pm, Groves

Wednesday 6/7
Last Day of School for 8^th Grade!
Kind Club 7:30am, room 120
8^th grade Promotion Ceremony:
     6:30pm Dessert Reception
     7-8pm Ceremony
     8-9:30pm Sweet Endings Dance

Thursday 6/8
Wildcat Games 6^th grade 11:40-1:10pm
Wildcat Games 7^th grade 1:30-3:00pm
8^th Graders to Cedar Point

Friday 6/9
Last Day of School! (6^th and 7^th Graders Only)
Half Day, Dismissal 11:25am

END OF YEAR TEACHER GIFTS VIA GIFT CROWD
The PTA has kindly arranged for an opportunity for Berkshire families to thank the Berkshire staff. See the link below for all the details and to choose the teachers, support staff or administrator that you’d like to give a gift. This is a great way for families to easily thank their teachers for all their hard work this year! The total amount contributed to each staff member is delivered to them and they can each choose where and how to spend it. You have until 11:59pm on June 8th to donate.
https://app.giftcrowd.com/app/join-event/oI6T3303Fh

8th Ceremony and Sweet Endings Dance:
For our 8th graders our main celebration comes in the form of our 8th Grade Ceremony followed by the “Sweet Endings” dance.  Following are specific details regarding the night’s events:

• Date: Wednesday (6/7)
• Time:
• Dessert Reception: 6:30 - 7 pm
• Ceremony: 7 – 8 pm
• Dance: 8 – 9:30 pm
• Location - Groves High School:
• Dessert Reception: foyer outside main theater
• Ceremony: 7 - 8 pm: Groves Auditorium  
• Dance: 8 -9:30 pm: Groves Commons Area

• Suggested Attire: As this is a celebratory event, 8^th graders should wear appropriate dressy clothing that they feel comfortable in. This could include slacks, dresses, suits/jackets, button down dress shirts, blouses, ties, etc. Thank you!

• Dessert Donations Requested: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0944a5aa28a6fac25-dessert#/
• Ceremony Tickets: Ceremony Attendance Limit: 2 guests per student (space is limited, but there is an opportunity for tickets for additional guests). Due to space limitations in the Groves Auditorium, every Berkshire 8th grade student will be provided two tickets for guests that would like to attend.  However, if you would like to request an additional 1 -2 tickets, please send an email request to Julie Walker (jwalker2@birmingham.k12.mi.us) by the 3 pm deadline on Monday (6/5). The additional tickets are based on availability and will be provided on a first come, first serve basis. Those that request additional tickets will be notified Tuesday afternoon, if they indeed will get the additional ticket(s) (all requests up to this point, have been granted). Parents or guardians of 8th grade students that would prefer to pick up tickets from the Berkshire office can do so from Friday (6/2) at 7:30 am - Tuesday (6/6) at noon. Unclaimed tickets will be sent home with students on the afternoon of Tuesday (6/6).
• Dance tickets: $15 through the front office
• Interested in volunteering?:
• If you are interested in helping with the 8th grade ceremony preparation, please email us at berkshire8gradeceremony@gmail.com

8^th Grade Cedar Point Trip (6/8)
Here is a recorded video from last week’s parent meeting for the 8^th grade Cedar Point trip for anyone who missed it: https://youtu.be/5ke5u0Orzws

• Participating 8^th graders should arrive by 7 am on Thursday (6/8) in the Berkshire parking lot and the buses will depart at 7:45 am. Approximate return time to the Berkshire parking lot is 10 pm on Thursday (6/8). Chaperones are still being requested (must be at least 21 years old): xstremetours@gmail.com

8th Grade Ceremony Attendance Limit & Requesting Additional Tickets
Due to space limitations in the Groves Auditorium, every Berkshire 8th grade student will be provided two tickets for guests that would like to attend.  However, if you would like to request an additional 1 -2 tickets, please send an email request to Julie Walker (jwalker2@birmingham.k12.mi.us) by the 3 pm on Monday (6/5). The additional tickets are based on availability and will be provided on a first come, first serve basis. Those that request additional tickets will be notified Tuesday afternoon, if they indeed will get the additional ticket(s).
Parents or guardians of 8th grade students that would prefer to pick up tickets from the Berkshire office can do so from Friday (6/2) at 7:30 am - Tuesday (6/6) at noon. Unclaimed tickets will be sent home with students on the afternoon of Tuesday (6/6).

Laptop Returns

8th grade students should have returned their laptops and chargers on Friday (6/2). Any 8^th graders that still have laptops or chargers must turn them in to the Berkshire Media Center on Monday (6/5). They will be assigned a new laptop when they enter Groves in the fall. Returned 8th grade laptops will be used for the incoming 6th graders. In order to prepare the laptops for incoming 6th grade, 8th grade students must return laptops ASAP. All Laptops must be returned with a working charger. Computers will be available in the Media Center for students in need of a computer after June 2, 2023.

To be clear:

• 8th grade students must return their laptops and chargers to the media center.
• 7th grade students can return their laptop starting June 3rd to be imaged over the summer.
• 6th grade students can return their laptops starting June 3rd to be imaged over the summer.
• INCOMING 6th graders will receive their laptop the first week of school.

Looking into the fall, 6th and 7th grade students will need to get their laptops reimaged.
Students can drop their laptop off before they leave for the summer in order for it to be updated and ready for classes in the fall.
Those students that do not turn in their laptop will be notified in the fall as to when they can bring theirs in to be r-imaged. If you have no need for your school laptop during the summer, please drop off in the Media Center before school lets out for the summer. Remember-SCHOOL LAPTOPS ARE FOR SCHOOL WORK!

Yearbook Distribution
The Berkshire 2023 yearbook is SOLD OUT online. There will be a few extra copies to sell during the last week of school for $50 each, but it is not a guarantee that all students who still want a book will get one. The process for yearbook distribution is below.

8th Grade Yearbooks: 8th grade yearbooks will be handed out on Wednesday, June 7th during third hour. Any students who are absent on distribution day should plan to pick up their yearbooks from the main office by the end of the week (yearbooks should be picked up by 10am on Friday, June 9th).

6th & 7th Grade Yearbooks: 6th and 7th grade yearbooks will be handed out on the last day of school, June 9th. Any students who plan to be absent for the final day of school should see Mrs. Gacki to get their book early. If a student is unexpectedly absent for the final school day, their book will be in the main office for pickup. Any books that aren’t picked up will be safely stored over the summer, and can be collected in the fall, upon our return to school.

If you did not pre-order online: Any extra copies will be sold on a first come, first serve basis. If your child would like a book but didn’t pre-order one, please send them to school with a check made out to Berkshire Middle School for $50, or $50 in cash on their last day of school. There will be an announcement made during distribution days for students who wish to purchase a book to see Mrs. Gacki.

If you are collecting a book for someone who has moved: Please email me and I will make sure to get the copy to your child on distribution day, so you can pass it onto the person who has moved.
If you have any questions, please contact the yearbook adviser, Chelsea Gacki (cgacki@birmingham.k12.mi.us).

Spring iReady Assessment Scores
Berkshire students will be carrying home their spring iReady assessment reports for math and reading this week. As soon as the reports arrive at Berkshire, we will be distributing them to students during their C3 classes to carry home and a parent email with letter will be sent out to notify everyone.

Berkshire Robotics
The Berkshire Robotics team is now accepting applications to be on the team for the upcoming 2023-2024 season. Please carefully read and fill out the following google form: https://forms.gle/zmLutHaYPCXjFA776
Also be aware that if we have more applicants than there are available spots on the team there will have to be cuts made. If that is the case communication will be sent out about a possible follow up interview process to help us decide on team members.
Applications are due on the last day of school, June 9th. We are hoping to make the announcement about team rosters in mid-July.
If you have any questions, you can email Phil Goeman at pgoeman@birmingham.k12.mi.us.

PSAT 8/9 Scores for 8th grade Students
PSAT has changed score reporting methods for the ‘22-‘23 school year.  Schools will not be receiving paper copies of the reports.  Uploads of school reports will be sent to schools on or before July 22nd, 2023. Students can access scores before July 22nd by following the message below.

A message from College Board:
When your PSAT/NMSQT scores are ready online (should be ready on May 22nd), students will get an email with instructions on creating their College Board account, going to their online score report, and using their access code to view their scores. From their account, they can also print their online score report by clicking the Download Your Score Report button.

If a student did not get an email, they may follow the directions below:
Students, 13 years and older may create a College Board account in advance of the email. The account is helpful for following scores and eventually signing up for SAT testing sessions.  Click on the link: https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/psat-8-9/scores/student-score-reports or copy and paste into a new browsing tab. Once opened, choose “Sign in to get your scores.”  Students should see a “Don’t have an Account? Sign Up” link. From there they will be instructed on how to create their account.  According to College Board, student scores are then linked to student accounts.
The Link below is helpful in helping students and parents understand scores: (you may need to copy and paste in a new tab)
https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/psat-8-9/scores
Contacting College Board:                  Phone: 866-433-7728 or email psathelp@info.collegeboard.org

Summer Reading for incoming Groves 9^th Graders
Groves summer reading for incoming ninth graders: https://grovessummerreading.weebly.com/

PTA News
For upcoming news and information regarding all of the great things the PTA does for our school, please see the PTA News Update.

Berkshire Bound Registration
Registration for Berkshire Bound is now live: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1IQ25iLtJM_qv0EeGUTos6xhmF8Nuec2_BdjoC2B4iHo/edit

Berkshire Bound is a fun program is for incoming 6^th grade students who want to become familiar with Berkshire. For questions, call 248-203-4700 or email: plucken@birmingham.k12.mi.us.

8^th graders: Groves Fall 2023 Sports Registration and Summer Conditioning information
The first day of the fall sports season is August 7^th. Many sports start summer conditioning immediately after school is out in the summer. Fall 2023 Sports Registration and Summer Conditioning Information for all sports can be found on the Groves sports website: https://grovesfalcons.com/.

8^Th Grade Girls Golfers
There will be a mandatory meeting for all young ladies that are interested in playing girls golf in the fall.  The meeting will take place Monday, June 5, 2023 at 6:30 pm in room G2.

8^th Grade Girls Swimmers
Interested in joining the Groves Girl’s Swim & Dive Team in the fall???  Please follow theirInstagram account @grovesswimanddive for upcoming information and important dates. 
If you have any questions, please email Lora Auten (booster parent): lola5298@sbcglobal.net.

8^th Grade Volleyball Players
There are Open Gyms held at Groves during the month of July for students interested in playing Groves Girls Volleyball.  The dates are 7/10, 7/12, 7/17, 7/19, 7/24/, 7/26 from 10 AM - 12 PM. Come to the Groves main gym ready to play. Tryouts for the team will be held 8/7-8/9 at Groves (currently scheduled for 3-5 PM for Freshman, but that may change).  In addition, there is a volleyball distribution email list.  If you would like to be added, please email the Groves Volleyball Boosters, Matt Heller, at matthew.d.heller@gmail.com and ask to be added to the list.  Updated information will be sent to that Distribution list through the Spring and the Summer leading up to the season.

4-day Summer Experience (last week of June) at OSTC for current 8^th grade students: https://www.ostconline.com/southeast/student-summer-experiences

8^th graders: Interview for GPAC’s Fall Musical!
Auditions will be held on Tuesday, June 6^th, from 3-6pm. Check in at the Groves High School Auditorium. Information is available on the GPAC page: https://www.birmingham.k12.mi.us/site/handlers/filedownload.ashx?moduleinstanceid=19469&dataid=34635&FileName=AuditionInformationNewsies.pdf

Youth Action Board's Teen Summer Concert
Friday, June 9th, 7 - 9 pm, Shain Park, Downtown Birmingham 
YAB is looking for performers, and sponsors. Email kmichad@bbcoalition.org for details.

Joy of Coding Online Summer Course at the University of Michigan
The Joy of Coding online course has been specially created by the University of Michigan Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering for anyone who wants to experience first-hand the power and thrill of coding computers to do amazing things. We are able to offer need-based financial aid to help students pursue the program. Details are in our application.
Course Dates: June 21 - August 2, 2023
Course Format: completely online, no scheduled lectures
Course Cost: $125 + tax, need-based financial aid available
Prerequisites:  students must be 13 years or older, have taken high school algebra, have a desire to learn, are able to commit 4-6 hours a week and chip away at the material daily.
For priority consideration, please submit an application by May 30 on our website: https://joyofcoding.eecs.umich.edu/. For further questions, please email joyofcoding@umich.edu.

Diabetes Youth Services Summer Camp
This diabetes camp experience allows students aged 5-17 to have the chance to spend time with other children experiencing the same disease, engaged in fun activities and games and also to learn more about diabetes. This camp can be life-changing as students can learn new skills and independence in monitoring this lifelong medical condition. https://dys4kids.org/camp/?blm_aid=154754054

Upcoming Community Events and Volunteer Opportunities
Looking for ways to stay involved with Berkshire, to get your own kids involved in Berkshire service projects, or to find service opportunities for your Groves student?
Bookmark our community service page, which will be updated with signups, and new dates as they are set.
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1XDxKUVHp71cJlvfxh7AM1o3WERXBK7Pds9DcfjgF_2U/edit?usp=sharing