Catch Up on the News You Missed

It was busy this week in Berkley and Huntington Woods, so we'd like to catch you up on what's new in the neighborhood. Here are some of the highlights.

• On Monday, we wrote about 's plan to become the first school in the Archdiocese of Detroit to shift from a traditional grade system to exclusively having multiage classrooms for students in kindergarten through fifth grade this fall. The Berkley school's principal, Dan Terbrack, said the method – which groups students from kindergarten through second grade together and those in third through fifth grades with each other in classrooms – allows for variances in children's development and lets them learn at their own pace while fostering their ability to solve problems and learn social skills.
• On Tuesday, we recapped the Berkley City Council's meeting Monday night. Council members honored retiring employee Steve Hadley, approved a parking lot project contract, extended a medical marijuana moratorium and handled a number of other administrative and policy issues before recessing into a closed session to consider pending litigation. The city also authorized a notice informing the public that a hearing on the 2011-12 proposed budget will be held during the regular City Council meeting at 7 p.m. May 16 at .
• was evacuated briefly Wednesday after smoke was reported in the art room. "It looks like there was a short in the wiring to a motion sensor," which produced "very light smoke" in the classroom and adjacent hallway, Oak Park Public Safety Lt. Mike Pinkerton said. An electrician will be able to make the necessary repairs, Pinkerton said, adding that the building is safe. No one was injured and students were able to return to their classes Wednesday afternoon.
• Our Viewfinder photo gallery Thursday focused on the and PTA postcard-writing campaigns this week to protest Gov. Rick Snyder's proposed K-12 education budget cuts. The campaigns were just the latest efforts within the Berkley School District to fight the governor's proposed cuts, which, coupled with increased costs for health care and retirees, could cost the approximately $1,000 per pupil. Superintendent Michael Simeck has warned that could mean the elimination of programs, fewer teachers and larger class sizes.
• On Friday, as the nation celebrated Earth Day, we wrote about Elizabeth Pierson, child care and community education interim supervisor for the Berkley School District, who has begun plans to turn the play area at Tyndall and Avery centers in Oak Park into an outdoor classroom. Pierson also is implementing a program called Project WILD, a research-based curriculum that focuses on hands-on learning about the environment and nature.

Click here to read the rest of the week's news and features.