Mighty mathematics at Mitchell: Interns join after-school program

RELATED STORY: Ann Arbor Public Schools, U-M eye partnership for Mitchell and Scarlett

From Casey Hans
AAPSNews Service

Say hello to the Mitchell Mighty Mustangs. They’re in the saddle and ready to go, thanks to a partnership this year between the Ann Arbor schools and the University of Michigan School of Education.

U-M student interns work with Mitchell students.
U-M student interns work with Mitchell students as part of the Mitchell Mighty Mustangs after-school math enrichment program.

This group of 36-plus upper elementary students stays after school to work on an intensive math program with the help of three staff teachers from Mitchell and U-M student interns who are earning their Elementary Masters of Arts with Certification degrees.

“They have the opportunity to learn through the doing of teaching,” said Tim Boerst, a clinical associate professor of education who works with the Mitchell program. “Depending on what the student is doing, they have to tailor their lessons. It’s really alive – they have to be on their toes.”

Ann Arbor teachers oversee the program and work with the U-M interns, while the U-M professors on site observe the interns and their lessons and interactions with students. The program meets four nights per week and U-M interns take their lessons from the School of Education right on site at Mitchell.

The Mitchell after-school pilot is trying out a proposed partnership being considered between the Ann Arbor Public Schools and the U-M School of Education. The Mitchell Mighty Mustangs program is several years old, but this is the first year that U-M interns are participating, said Kathy Scarnecchia, principal at Mitchell.

The AAPS and U-M partnership would create a K-8 campus between Mitchell Elementary School and Scarlett Middle School using a balanced school year calendar. The concept being considered would have a shorter-than-typical summer break and more breaks during the school year. The Ann Arbor Board of Education is scheduled to consider the partnership at its Dec. 8 meeting.

The Mitchell Mighty Mustangs program is funded with Title I grants and participating students are also provided with dinner through a grant from Chartwells Food Service, the district’s food service provider, Scarnecchia said.

An addition this fall to the Mitchell Mighty Mustangs program is an after-school Kindergarten Reading Club. This club is funded through a grant from the Karen Thomas Memorial Fund of the Ann Arbor Public Schools Educational Foundation. Click below for a video:

The AAPS District News welcomes thoughtful comments, questions and feedback.

All comments will be screened and moderated.

In order for your comment to be approved:

  • You must use your full name
  • You must not use  profane or offensive language
  • Your comment must be on topic and relevant to the story

Please note: any comment that appears to be spam or attacks an individual will not be approved.