36 Thursday, August 29, 2024 BATTLE CREEK SHOPPER NEWS http://www.thebattlecreekshopper.com
NOTICE
CITY OF BATTLE CREEK, MICHIGAN
PASSAGE OF ORDINANCE
PLEASE TAKE NOTICE THAT the Battle
Creek City Commission adopted the following
ordinances:
ORDINANCE 10-2024
To adopt Ordinance 10-2024, amending Sec-
tion 08 of Chapter 882 Real Estate Taxation,
by updating the terms of the Payment in Lieu
of Taxes (PILOT) to reflect the new ownership
and financing of “Westbrook Place.”ORDINANCE 11-2024
To adopt Ordinance 11-2024, amending the
Zoning Code for the City of Battle CreekORDINANCE 12-2024
To adopt Ordinance 12-2024, amending the
Chapter Title, as well as Sections 01, 02, 04-
06, 08, 09, and 99 of Chapter 694 “Youth Of-
fenses” by making it consistent with state law,
replacing outdated statutory references, and
ungendering language.At the regular meeting of the Battle Creek City
Commission held Tuesday, July 16, 2024.
Copies of the adopted ordinances are avail-
able at a reasonable cost from the Battle Creek
City Clerk, City Hall, Room 111, 10 North Di-
vision Street, Battle Creek, MI, or by calling
(269) 966-3348. Copies are also available on
the City website: http://www.battlecreekmi.gov.
Victoria L. Houser, MMC
City ClerkSHELLY KEHRLE-SULSER
Executive Editor
W.K. Preparatory High School
Principal Calvin Williams has a goal
this school year that he hopes will
help more students succeed.
“This is the year for results,” said
Williams. “We’re trying to increase
our graduation rate and so we’re
working on a few thing to get it
going.”
This year, the school currently has
165 students in the grades 10-12
alternative high school.
“And we’re looking at 190 to 200,”
he said about the eventual enroll-
ment. “We have eight teachers and
four support staff.”
The school is part of the Battle
Creek Public Schools, located in
the same building as W.K. Kellogg
Auditorium.
“I want the public to know that
W.K. changes lives,” he said. “We
are always working on the adage that
‘one man’s trash is another man’s
W.K. Preparatory High School looking for an even better school year
W.K. Preparatory High School principal Calvin Williams is striving to help
more students graduate this year from the alternative high school in the
Battle Creek Public Schools district. (Shopper News photo by Shelly Kehrle-Sulser)treasure’. And, these kids come from
so many backgrounds and environ-
ments, our job here as a team, is to
embrace these kids and make them
feel like they belong here.”
Putting that effort into action,
Williams held a school assembly on
the first day of classes Aug. 21.
“We’re putting a number of things
in place to show that,” he said during
the Aug. 20 open house, “and we’re
having an assembly here tomorrow.
I choose the theme every year so
I think this year is ‘reset, refocus,
readjust, but never give up’ so we’re
going to do an activity where they
compete saying that and the winner
gets a pizza party.”
Students attending the school need
only to earn 19 credits to graduate,
just one credit above the state mini-
mum.
“We have what’s called sequential
learning,” he explained. “So, we
don’t have semester breaks so if a
kid starts a class and they finish it, in
two weeks, they go right to the next
class in sequence. It’s easier for them
to get it done.”
Students attending W.K., he said,
take four classes at at time.
“When they finish one their nextone rolls up and they keep going til
they finish 19 credits,” he explained,
“so it’s an easier route.”
Students land at W.K. Preparatory
High School when they become
“credit deficient”, he said.
Another factor can include being
over age. Students have until they
are age 22 to get their high school
diploma.
“We have a lot of kids that
come with low credits,” Williams
explained. “They be 18 and come
with two credits, three credits so
that’s why we have sequential learn-
ing so they can try to move faster
than they did.”
Williams said the students and staff
quickly bond which makes the stu-
dents feel safe attending the school.
“The kids know that this is like a
family building,” he said. “Teachers- kids know they belong here. I’ve
seen so many kids today - it’s a joy
to me to see them. I’m a hugger so
I see them, I give them a hug. I just
hug every kid. That’s what makes
them feel like they belong. I’m a
principal, I’m a father...I have one
kid myself but these kids, I feel like
they’re mine, every day.”
Williams said he feels protective of
the students. That’s why he stations
himself at the entry doors daily dur-
ing the school year.
“To greet them, to make sure that
I know that they know that they’re
going to be okay that day,” he said,
“because they come from so many
different backgrounds.”
Student Tom Wang was among
those attending the school open
house the day before school started.
“This will be his second time
going,” said his Mom, Helen
Garrette. “He wasn’t able to com-
plete it because he had vehicle prob-
lems but now we’ve got a working
vehicle. From my understanding of
the school, it’s just fabulous. I like
that they focus on the children and
do a lot for them.”
The open house also featured
various information tables from
Communities in Schools which
gave away backpacks and school
supplies, from the Bronson Cancer
Care Equity Project which provided
information on breast, testicular,
prostate and colon cancer detection
and health care screening informa-
tion for LGBTQ+ students, SAFE
Place Domestic Violence Shelter,
from Milk Like Mine which provid-
ed information on labor and delivery
services, prenatal care, doula, lacta-
tion and postpardum services, and
others.
Students were also treated to
refreshments and spent time going
from room to room to meet their
teachers.
Grace Health provides a school-
based health center and starting
with the class of 2024, BCPS
graduates can now access their
transcripts online through a site
called Parchment!
Visit battlecreekpublicschools.org/
schools/wkkphs for more informa-
tion.CALL
269-965-3955
to place your
Battle Creek Shopper
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