School Bells: Monday is registration for free, summer GED classes

Monday, June 13, is the final chance to register for Ann Arbor Public Schools free summer GED preparation classes. Registration will be from 4-6 p.m. at Stone High School, and potential students must stay for the full two hours for assessment and orientation.

The summer session runs only for eight weeks so there will not be open enrollment during that time. Morning and evening classes will be offered and will be located at Pioneer High School as Stone High School will be under construction.

To register, you must be 18 or older. Classes start the week of June 20. For more information, call 734-997-1250 or visit online.

Northside Elementary starts mini-golf fundraiser

Northside minigolf
Students and families play mini-golf in at Northside Elementary School. The event is a new fundraiser for the school.

Northside Elementary School hosted a new school fundraiser on June 7, creating a full mini-golf course in the school’s gym. Physical Education teacher Rick Dekeon said the event was designed to raise money, but also to bring families a fun event. “It was a great success added to our other fit type activities,” Dekeon said. The school hosts Kids Rock Camp, Cross Country Kids, Friday morning floor hockey, special floor hockey nights. The architect and builder of the golf course, Dave xxx, also served as official griller for the event.

Fundraiser brings $1,300 to Ann Arbor Open

A successful music fundraiser was reported this spring at Ann Arbor Open @ Mack. On May 4, the highly acclaimed local “jam band” the MadPodz played a benefit concert at the K-8 school, performing an appealing mix of rhythm and blues, soul, rock, and hard jazz to a full house in the school auditorium. A total of $1,300 was raised and went to the Vocal and Instrumental Music programs at Ann Arbor Open.

Huron students paint with team, help SafeHouse

Safe House
A team of painters works on a project at Safe House to brighten the education facility. Huron students assisted.

Eight Huron High School students were among a team working to paint the Education Center at SafeHouse in Ann Arbor this semester. The project included painting contractor and instructor Gene Firn overseeing the work, which included 1,200-square-feet of space being repaired, prepped and painted.

“Gene was an absolute delight and pleasure to work with on this project,” said Andrea Fiorina, operations coordinator for SafeHouse. “We are so happy and grateful to have this space renovated and painted. It would not have been possible without Firn’s help, she added.

Firn began a community painting program in the Ann Arbor Public Schools this year also. Volunteer teams from both Mitchell and Carpenter elementary schools painted hallways in their schools, brightening them over the winter break. Visit here for a story on that project.

Firn said he hopes to expand that project in the schools this fall.

Carpenter Scouts help C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital

Junior Girl Scout Troop 40682 at Carpenter Elementary School just finished a community service project to earn a Bronze Award, bringing both goodies and warmth to local children who are ill.

Carpenter Scouts
Carpenter Scouts and their handmade blankets.

The troop designated C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital beneficiary for their troop’s Cookie Share program within the annual Girl Scout Cookie Sale. That means a large portion of cookie sales were designated to purchase fleece fabric to make into blankets to be given to sick children at the hospital.

In addition, customers could donate toward the cost of a box of cookies, or buy boxes of Girl Scout cookies to be delivered to the hospital for the family lounge. The troop delivered their finished gift to the hospital on June 6. This year, the troop of 18 girls presented C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital with 25 finished blankets and 52 boxes of Girl Scout cookies.  Not including the labor to make the blankets, the gift has an approximate retail value of almost $900. (Fortunately, the Girl Scouts and their troop leaders, Pam Powell, Tracy Fischer, Julie Limp, Therese Niemi and Leader-in-Training (Huron 2011 graduate) Cassandra Ward, completed the Consumer Power badge first and did some sale price comparison and coupon shopping, too.)

This community service project is in addition to the Carpenter Girl Scouts’ Earth Day gift to Carpenter School, in which they provided and planted the flowers for the school’s exterior garden planters and weeded and re-mulched the butterfly garden.

Kiwanis give scholarships to Ann Arbor students in May

Link to photos on Kiwanis Picasa page

A total of 29 Ann Arbor students from Pioneer, Huron, Community, Roberto Clemente, and Stone high schools. received scholarship awards from the Ann Arbor Kiwanis Club in May. Serving as masters of ceremonies were Rip Kinney, Don Kossick and Peter Schork . The recipients by scholarship type were:

Hunter/Clague Scholarships – Garrett Wood, Community High, attending the University of Michigan; Ellen Dowling, Huron High, attending Notre Dame; Megan Masten, Pioneer High, attending U-M.

Carpenter Scholarships – DanYelle Hugan, Community High, attending Washtenaw Community College; Chi Tran, Huron High, attending WCC; Yoojin Chang, Pioneer High, attending Michigan State University.

Naylor Scholarship – Jason Greene, Pioneer High, attending Michigan Career Technical Institute.

Ray & Eleanor Cross Foundation Scholarships – Kyle Mills, Huron High, attending Michigan Tech; Akio Kakishima, Huron High, attending U-M; Tenzin Tsundu, Community High, attending Berea College; October Lewis, Stone High, attending Ross Medical Institute.

Kiwanis/Cross Foundation Collaborative Scholarships – Matthew Hing, Pioneer High, attending Notre Dame; Serina Johnson, Clemente High, attending Eastern Michigan University; Stephanie Lu, Huron High, attending U-M; Lucy Holland, Pioneer High, attending U-M; Chinyere Onimo, Huron High, attending U-M; Daniesha Scott, Pioneer High, attending Clark Atlanta University; Emily Burns, Pioneer High, attending U-M; Jesse Burrison, Huron High, attending WCC; Christian Arreola, Clemente High, attending WCC; Sha’rae Hendricks, Pioneer High, attending Spelman College; Dahlia Bigelow, Community High, attending Boston University; Alfredo Munoz, Pioneer High, attending U-M; Gerardo Longoria, Huron High, attending EMU; Samantha Waldrop, Pioneer High, attending Alma College; Nathaniel Coryell, Community High, attending U-M; Eric Miller, Pioneer High, attending Central Michigan University; Awah Ditah, Huron High, attending WCC; Jasper Hanifi, Pioneer High, attending MSU.

Huron’s Ljungman earns German scholarship

Huron High School 2011 graduate Erik Ljungman was awarded the University of Michigan’s Huron High School German Scholarship. He will attend U-M in the fall.

Leaders in the business leaders founded the scholrship including; Richard Sheridan of Menlo Innovations, Ray Digby of Am-Can Financial, David Granner of Thrivent Financial, and Judith Dabertin of Boulevard Health Care.

In fields such as Engineering, Business, Chemistry, Physics, Architecture and Life Sciences, U-M has an increasing need for undergraduates who have at least a few semesters of German. Any student who has taken at least one year of German at Huron High School, and who will take at least two semesters of German at U-M, is eligible to apply for this scholarship.

During his four years at Huron, Ljungman was on the tennis team,
and during the first semester of the 2010-11 school year earned a
4.0 grade average. He took four years of German. During his senior
year, he also took Physics, Calculus, and Humanities.

One Million Reasons campaign assists AAPS programs

The 2011 One Million Reasons campaign is under way for the Ann Arbor Public Schools Educational Foundation. The foundation is again seeking $1 million the end of July to support the Ann Arbor schools during the 2011-12 school year.

The AAPSEF helps fund many integral programs in the Ann Arbor Public Schools such as world language, instrumental music, environmental science, and many far-reaching math, science, art and history programs.

“But growing state budget issues now threaten even the ‘basics’ in our schools,” said Wendy Correll, the AAPSEF executive director. “We can’t afford to let this happen.”

A $60 gift for every student in the schools would generate nearly $1 million, Correll added.

This is the second year of the One Million Reasons campaign. Visit www.SupportAnnArborSchools.org for more information or to make a donation.  Lawn signs supporting the campaign are also available. Supporters are also encouraged to consider hosting an informal party for the One Million Reasons campaign; past events have included hot dog roasts, martini parties or cocktail hours.

To show your support and obtain a lawn sigh, host a party or for more information, contact Correll at 734-994-1969 or e-mail her at wcorrell@aapsel.org.

2 re-electe to serve on WISD board

Gregory A. Peoples, a resident of Lincoln Consolidated Schools, and Dayle K. Wright, a Chelsea Schools resident, have been re-elected to serve on the Washtenaw Intermediate School District Board of Education for the next six years.  Both were chosen by representatives of local school boards in the district’s bi-annual election held on Monday, June 6.  Their terms begin July 1, 2011 and continue through June 30, 2017.

Peoples, an ombudsman at Eastern Michigan University, has served on the WISD Board since 1993.  He has previously been elected to both the Willow Run and Lincoln school boards.  He currently serves as President of the Michigan Association of School Boards.  Wright, a registered dietician with Allegiance Health in Jackson, was elected to the WISD Board in 2005.  She is a former Chelsea school board member.

The WISD board has five members who serve staggered, six-year terms. Other members of the board are Diane Hockett and Mary Jane Tramontin, both of Ann Arbor, and Mark VanBogelen of Manchester.

The intermediate school district is a regional educational service agency that works with the local school districts and public school academies in Ann Arbor, Chelsea, Dexter, Lincoln, Manchester, Milan, Saline, Whitmore Lake, Willow Run, and Ypsilanti.

Eagles to play1st game in Big Day Prep Showdown

The Skyline Eagles football team will play their first game in the Big Day Prep Showdown at EMU’s Rynearson Stadium on August 26th at 5:00 p.m.  Tickets are now available in the Athletic Dept.  as well as online.

WAY Washtenaw information night June 14

An information night for the WAY Washtenaw program is scheduled for Tuesday, June 14 from 5-6:30 p.m. at the Washtenaw Intermediate School District, 1819 S Wagner Road, Scio Township.

WAY Washtenaw  is designed for students who have dropped out of school, are at risk of dropping out of school, or are not on track to graduate. The program allows students to use cutting edge technology while working closely with a highly qualified teacher and one-on-one mentor, 365 days a year. Details: Sarena Shivers 734-994-8100 ext.1257

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