By Tara Cavanaugh
If you want to see a tight-knit community, just look at Carpenter Elementary.
At the school’s 175th anniversary celebration on April 26, students, staff and visitors sang together. They danced together. They marched together to the beat of the Huron High School drum line.
It was a community joyously in sync. Continue reading
Carpenter art teacher Meredith Giltner, Principal Charles Davis Jr., and music teacher Laura Machida.
The University Musical Society named Carpenter Elementary its “DTE Energy Foundation School of the Year” for its dedication and commitment to arts education. The DTE Energy Foundation generously supports this award through a financial commitment to UMS’s Youth Education Program.
UMS highlighted two teachers, art teacher Meredith Giltner and music teacher Laura Machida, for working to integrate the arts into school curriculum.
Machida obtained grants and solicited parent donations to ensure that students from Carpenter Elementary, a Title 1 school, can attend UMS School Day performances. Giltner is an active participant in UMS Teacher Workshops and founded the after-school gardening program. She also created an art sale to benefit a bereaved family in the school community. Continue reading
The Ann Arbor PTO Thrift Shop is located at 2280 S. Industrial Highway. The shop sells furniture, clothing, books, home goods, electronics, craft supplies and more.
By Tara Cavanaugh
The Ann Arbor PTO Thrift Shop’s mission is to support the schools. And three times each year, its support comes in the form of a small but valuable slip of paper: a check.
On Jan. 29 the shop distributed $50,020 total between all 33 of the Ann Arbor Public Schools (see comprehensive list below). The money supports enrichment opportunities for students in the form of field trips, sports clubs, academic supplies, camps and plenty more.
“It’s exciting to celebrate a great year in 2012 and immediately start another with this kind of vigorous funding,” said Ann Farnham, the shop’s executive director. ”What a couple of high notes for our shop and for our AAPS community.” Continue reading
Megan Franzen’s kindergarten class at Bach Elementary.
Will you have a kindergartener in the Ann Arbor Public Schools in the 2013-2014 school year? Then make sure to get to the information sessions, called Kindergarten Round-Ups, that start in just a few weeks. The sessions are listed alphabetically below by school. All kindergarten classes are full-day.
If you have questions about which school your child should attend, please call 994-2200 or go to the district’s web site and click on the “Especially for Parents” link to log in your street name to find out your child’s elementary school.
Some schools have planned activities for students and/or optional child care for Kindergarten Round-Ups. Please contact the individual schools for more details. Continue reading
By Tara Cavanaugh
Two University of Michigan student mentors donated more than 200 books to Anthony Galardi’s third grade class at Carpenter Elementary last month.
The mentors, Francesca George and Tiffany Tan, are senior psychology students who participate in U-M’s mentorship program. They volunteered once a week in Galardi’s classroom during their fall semester, helping students with classwork and more. At the end of their semester, they wanted to express their thanks to the class, and George remembered the students always wanted books. Continue reading
Volunteers organize and pack school supplies Friday morning.
By Tara Cavanaugh
Back in March, Logan Elementary school was commended by Ann Arbor Mayor John Hieftje for donating more than 5,000 books to the Philippines as part of its March Reading Month activities.
The First Presbyterian Church has gathered those books and are preparing them for shipping –– along with thousands of leftover school supplies from the Ann Arbor Public Schools. Continue reading
Roy Barrack and the Fontomfrom Drum & Dance Ensemble performed at Carpenter Elementary school Friday, March 30. Continue reading
By Casey Hans
AAPSNews Service
Students at Carpenter Elementary School will receive a special memento of their school year this week, as each get a copy of a new, student-produced yearbook.
Carpenter fifth-graders work on the school's first yearbook, editing individual class pages and photos. Each student received a copy of the book this week.
The 60-page book features individual class pages and special photo spreads of events either taken by the fifth-graders who produced it, their advisers or from photos submitted by staff, students and families. They even left room for students to have their friends sign the books.
The project was coordinated by fifth-grade teacher Natasha York and art teacher Meredith Giltner and parent Pam Powell who worked as the yearbook adviser for the school’s first Yearbook Club.
“They’re learning desktop publishing. They’re learning photography. It’s a great teamwork thing,” said Powell.
A Carpenter student prepares to print a proof as the club is in final production for their yearbook.
She said the project also taught fifth-graders how to deal with teachers by making appointments and interacting with them on the project as they planned the book. It also connected the older students with younger students at Carpenter as they took photos.
“This was our big adventure this year,” said York, who leaves Carpenter at the end of this school year to become the new principal at Thurston Elementary School in the fall. “My big thing was for them to connect with other kids in the building. They have to get to know all the kids for this project.”
“Miss York had the idea – we really wanted a yearbook,” explained Emily. Added Maryam: “We got to put it together ourselves – it’s really fun.” Kaleb said his favorite part of the project was running around the school, taking candid photos of fellow students.
Student worked in teams and were each assigned a classroom, where they visited, coordinated with individual teachers and took headshots of each student. They then laid them out and had the teachers proof the pages to ensure that they had put the correct names with the photos.
Students worked in teams to collect photos and information for the book.
Events such as the school’s spring Field Day, class trips and all major school events are part of the book. “We wanted it to be representative of the entire school,” Powell added.
Students wrote and obtained a grant from the Ann Arbor Youth Council, an award from the Ann Arbor PTO Thrift Shop and an ad from the shop, which helped to increase the budget. Malloy, an Ann Arbor printer, offered to print and bind the books for $2.19 each, which fell within the project’s budget. Powell said there is even a bit of seed money for others to take the project over next year.
“It gives them a nice focus and the teamwork is important,” added Powell. “They’re really working together.”
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
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
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 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
Related story below: Wolf Family Foundation and the LSNC teams with 3 Ann Arbor schools each year on student-driven projects
By Casey Hans
AAPSNews Service
Take one measure of science and mix well with writing. Add a hands-on activity and you have a class full of after-school fun.
It’s all part of the Leslie Science and Nature Center After-School Writing Club at Carpenter Elementary School, where students are excited about learning, thanks to a partnership with the center. Up to 20 students participate in the club, which brings students in grades three to five together once each week.
Students write about their science experience in the Carpenter After-School Writing Club, sponsored by the Leslie Science and Nature Center.
“I enjoy this so much – I just love my kids,” said Lauren LaRocca who coordinates the club with Jessie Maxwell. Both are program coordinators for the Leslie Center.
Maxwell said the program has been well received. “It increases their aptitude for science, which is one of their long-term goals,” she said.
This is the club’s fourth year at Carpenter and Principal Ron Collins said students are invited to participate in the fall through recommendations from teachers who think students will benefit from the writing exercises and science units. Many of the projects blend with the school’s curriculum units.
“This enables us to attack science and writing at the same time,” Collins said. “It gives them an area of interest that they want to write about. A lot of it carries on afterward.”
Collins said his school first got involved with the Leslie Science and Nature Center after experiencing programs at the school funded through the Wolf Family Foundation. These included planting a wildflower garden in front of the building and doing water sampling.
At one recent after-school club session, students were pretending to be human versions of water droplets as they moved from one form of water to another through stations set up in the classroom: rain, clouds, river, glaciers, oceans or lakes, soil, groundwater and plants. Students then had an assignment to write about their experience and shared their findings with classmates.
Part of the lesson included water evaporating into the clouds and how it comes back to Earth. “ … And then the clouds picked me up again and I went into the ocean,” explained one student in his narrative.
Other Ann Arbor schools also partner with the LSNC in a variety of ways. At Northside Elementary, the center helps with a weekly writing program and there is a weekly science program at Pittsfield Elementary. At Wines Elementary, there is an after-school geo-caching club and Burns Park Elementary partners with the center for a Discover Nature Night each April, where students enjoy hands-on activities and live animal presentations.
Carpenter Elementary is one of three schools in the district that is touched each year by the Wolf Family Foundation through the Leslie Science and Nature Center’s in-school program for students in grades 3-5. Northside and King also benefit from the program thanks to a substantial grant that the family funds each year.
Ann Arbor students conduct river sampling as part of the Wolf Family Foundation-funded projects in 2008 through a partnership with the Leslie Science and Nature Center.
The foundation is based in Ohio, but family members are encouraged to do community service wherever they live – and grants are awarded based on that service. They fund projects all over the world.
In Ann Arbor, parent and retired physical education teacher Jody Linn first became involved with the Leslie Center as a liaison for the Ann Arbor Public Schools Community Education and Recreation Department. Her interest carried over to service on the Leslie Center board, where she subsequently saw the benefit of having the center partner with the school district.
“I thought about my passion – and that’s kids,” said Linn, about why she got involved and proposed the programs for the Leslie Center. “I wanted to find a way to create an ‘aha’ moment. I like the Leslie Science and Nature Center because it’s a hands-on learning experience. You involve the teachers, build it into the curriculum and make it interdisciplinary.”
Linn said she is pleased to see the center creating a bond with students and teachers and believes the program has raised environmental awareness and built an interest in science.
The programs started with a $5,000 grant, which has expanded to about $10,000 each year. Money is funneled through the Leslie Center and benefits Ann Arbor students directly.
Each year, participating students do a culminating activity that they design as part of the Wolf Family Foundation-funded program. The program has funded such activities as river testing, analyzing the health of rivers and creating rain gardens, among others.
Carpenter Elementary School students work on a native plant garden as part of the Wolf Family Foundation-funded 2009 projects through a partnership with the Leslie Science and Nature Center. (Photos courtesy, The Leslie Science and Nature Center)
Some of the most recent projects include: designing reusable water bottles and pins to promote water conservation at Carpenter, an annual Earth Day celebration at King Elementary and a river cleanup day at Northside Elementary. In previous years, Northside made videos for the Millers Creek Film Festival and created books for their reading buddies and Carpenter created “Save our River” T-shirts and planted a native plant garden outside of the school.
“Students get the interactive experience for three years in a row,” said Amanda Lodge, education director for the Leslie center who coordinates the programs with Linn. “It builds these connections with their schools.”
The program currently touches 40 classrooms and between 500-600 students each year, and most of those students are involved with the program over multiple years.
Linn said she is happy to continue recommending the program each year, and is always looking for ways to work with the LSNC staff to make them better. “We’re reviewing the program. How do we pay it forward?” she said. “How do we reach out beyond where we are now?”
From AAPSNews Service
Buildings around the Ann Arbor Public Schools celebrated the Martin Luther King Jr. Day national holiday of Jan. 17 with activities in classrooms and assemblies for students. Some have already taken place and others are scheduled for the coming week.
Schools and public buildings throughout the country are closed today, Jan 17, in honor of the slain civil rights leader.
Following are some of the events around the district shared with the AAPSNews:
Clague students take multi-week journey
Students and staff at Clague Middle School have celebrated Martin Luther King Jr. Day with a multi-week celebration. Starting with a contest in December, it culminates with a display wall the week after their MLK Program. Some of the activities at Clague include:
• Contest: Students depict a theme in an essay, poem, poster, mixed media, or original creation. The school had 53 entries this year. The theme: “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is what are you doing for others?”
Students at Dicken Elementary hear music from Vincent York & Jazzistry, teaching them about the culture and history of jazz music.
• Mini-lesson on character: During Jan. 14 advisory, students received a character trait button to wear and brainstormed ideas of service in “an action plan.” They will have a week to perform the service – details of each student’s plan will be put on a common wall near the school office.
• MLK program: The school’s annual program on Jan. 14 was a collaborative effort of the staff and students. Music students performed, did choral readings and Powerpoints, and awarded the winners of the contest that began in December. Top winners receive a pizza lunch and a trip to the Sphinx concert in Ann Arbor.
Carpenter hosted all-school event honoring Dr. King
The Carpenter Elementary School community honored Martin Luther King Jr. during a Community Meeting on Jan. 10. Students sang “What Can One Little Person Do?” and “He had a Dream” and “He Wanted to Have the Same Freedom” under the direction of Laura Machida. Rebecca Archer’s third-graders read about Dr. King and performed “We Thank You Dr. Martin Luther King, Today and Everyday” and fourth-graders from Kelsey Cook’s, Marilyn Freeman’s and Ramona Sankovich’s classes performed “We Shall Overcome” on their recorders. Principal Ron Collins, reflected on Dr. King’s message and encouraged students to practice the messages of peace and getting along.
Expanding the MLK experience at Lawton and Northside
Julia Gold’s third-grade class at Lawton Elementary School did an all-class project passing on gifts of kindness during the week leading up to MLK Day. The class kept track of these acts by passing a “kindness card” to the student who received the act of kindness. The card was passed along to another student with each new kindness act. At week’s end the class counted how many acts were accumulated and hearts were hung for each.
Also at Lawton Fourth-graders at Lawton Elementary did an MLK musical performance for their school on Friday and first-grade teacher Kerry Krause planned to read “Martin’s Big Words” to her students, have students read a book about MLK from Enchanted Learning together and write about a dream that they have for the world.
Teachers at Northside Elementary School did a variety of classroom activities including A schoolwide assembly on Jan. 12 which included Janice Smith’s kindergarteners singing “Different Means Special,” fourth-graders singing “Something for You” and Susan Ulrey’s and Rebecca Coleman’s first-graders performing at the assembly, among others. Here are some other Northside activities:
• Rose Ann McGarty’s kindergarteners heard “A Picture Book of Martin Luther King Jr. and followed up with worksheets and writing assignments about respect. Fifth-grade reading buddies interviewed the young children and were comparing their lives to MLK’s.
• Evengeline Burgers’ kindergarteners also read aloud to her class and did an interdisciplinary activity reading “The Shape Story,” with the theme “that they can make beautiful things if they all work together.”
• In Sandra Chang’s kindergarten class, students read “Happy Birthday, Martin Luther King”, saw a video clip and did a time line paper looking at the events in his life.
• Second-graders in Jennifer Wade’s class had daily discussions of civil rights, equal rights and watched a video about King and created books about his life.
• Fourth-graders in Dianne Baker’s class read and wrote about King’s life, heard the “I Have a Dream” speech, posted bullet points of King accomplishments in the classroom entry and did other activities.
• Media Specialst Jeri Schneider has read King biographies and historical fiction relating to his work and civil rights. Fifth-graders created slides of King quotes that she edited together to use in the all-school assembly.
• ESL teacher Ana Taylor had special stations for students to rotate through including books on tape, writing activities, vocabulary to reinforce what they have learned about King and how his ideas shape and connect with life today.
Friday programs lead up to today’s MLK national holiday
Vincent York & Jazzistry performed at Dicken Elementary to help the school celebrate MLK Day. The school’s Recess Singers (group of first- through fifth-graders who practice at lunch) performed a song about equality to open the event. York also spent time with small groups of students by grade level on Jan. 11 and Jan. 12, offering a closer look into the instruments and their history that he uses during the all-school assembly.
Allen Elementary students hosted an all-school assembly with narration by Principal Joan Fitzgibbon and fifth-graders doing a presentation of “I have a Dream” with narration and songs.
Ann Arbor Open @ Mack hosted a MLK Day assembly celebrating the life of Martin Luther King and tying in the theme of bullying. The program pointed out how King was treated as he tried to bring a peaceful change in civil rights and stressed that every student should feel safe, welcome and valued. A theme: “We celebrate Dr. King today and we think about how all of us can become peacemakers. Everyone at Ann Arbor Open is a member of our community.”
All grades at Bryant Elementary School participated in an assembly with poems, songs, skits, choral readings and student artwork highlighting the Life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
At Eberwhite Elementary, the school celebrated MLK Day with an all-school assembly. The school sand three songs grouped by grade level (K-1, 2-3 and 4-5) and a few classes read poems, did a MLK life timeline and shared facts about King and the Civil Rights Movement.
Special invitation from EMU
Several students from Dawn Richberg’s class at Skyline High School were among area students performing at Eastern Michigan University’s Student Center Auditorium on Sunday, Jan. 16. The afternoon program featured the EMU Gospel Choir, Harambe Youth Drummers, PURe Dance Ensemble, Tiana Marquez, Primal 1 Ensemble and Inspirational readings by area teens. The event was one of several scheduled by EMU from Jan. 13-18 as part of this year’s “Their Footprints … Our Legacy.”
UPCOMING EVENTS:
Thursday, Jan. 20
10:30 a.m. – Abbot Elementary School will host the Bright Star Touring Theatre production of “Struggle for Freedom,” a 45-minute production that honors the Civil Rights movement by celebrating moments of the struggle. The life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. provides the backdrop to recreated scenes of events such as the Montgomery bus boycott, the March on Washington and the Woolworth sit-ins. Visit www.brightstartheatre.com
Friday, Jan. 21
Stone High School’s Intergroup, led by Shaenu Micou, plans an all-school assembly today in honor of Martin Luther King Jr..
1:30 p.m. – “Sadie’s Spectacular Saturday,” Burns Park Elementary Auditorium. A character-ed production with imaginative costumes that make this play a favorite among young audiences while teaching good judgment, kindness, friendship and respect. Visit www.brightstartheatre.com
2:30 p.m. – “Struggle for Freedom,” Burns Park Elementary Auditorium. Bright Star Touring Theatre, a professional touring theatre company performed this production that celebrates the life and work and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in the context of the American Civil Rights movement. The theme: One person can change the world. Visit www.brightstartheatre.com
Friday, Jan. 28
2:30 p.m. – Each Bach Elementary School student will have a chance to recite a poem and sing songs that honor Dr. King’s memory in this culminating assembly. The focus will be on peace, getting along with one another, positive conflict resolution and building friendships.
FUTURE EVENT:
NAAPID (National African American Parent Involvement Day)
This Washtenaw County NAAPID program is scheduled for Monday, Feb. 14 at Saline High School Center for the Performing Arts, 1300 Campus Parkway, Saline. Students from throughout Washtenaw County, including Ann Arbor, participate in this event, which is scheduled each year for the second Monday in February. A poster contest is under way with the deadline scheduled for 3 p.m. Friday, Jan. 21. Information about the contest can be found by downloading a PDF here. This year’s event theme: “Parent Involvement 365 = Student Success.”
Gene Firn, a volunteer painting contractor, works alongside community volunteers at Mitchell Elementary School on Dec. 28
By Casey Hans
AAPSNews Service
Two local painting contractors volunteered their time to the Ann Arbor Public Schools and pulled together community members to paint hallways at Mitchell and Carpenter elementary schools over the December school break.
Both schools participated in the first “Paint for Kids” days, put together by painting contractors Gene Firn and Bill Champion. Firn supervised volunteers at Mitchell Elementary and Champion did the same at Carpenter.
In a pilot effort that they hope will develop into a volunteer program in other Ann Arbor schools, the two coordinated painting at both Mitchell and Carpenter elementary schools on Dec. 28-29, working on the school’s entry hallways and beyond.
Parents John and Sarah McCallum cut in upper walls at Mitchell Elementary School on Dec. 28, where they were taking part in "Paint for Kids."
At Mitchell on Tuesday, a volunteer crew of about 10 was moving along quickly on their allotted projec – prepping and painting the main entry hall, and another along a wing of classrooms.
Bethany Villarreal was busy rolling. The 2006 Huron High School graduate and neighborhood resident said she came by to help after getting a link on her Facebook feed. “I heard about it and came over,” she said.
Parents John and Sarah McCallum came as a team, with Sarah saying she had long thought the school needed sprucing up. They bought and donated pizza for the team. “When I saw this project, I thought ‘put your money where your mouth is’,” said the PTO co-vice president. “It will be fresh when the kids come back.”
Mitchell PTO President Nancy Neff said the project was “long overdue. I wish we had the opportunity to do this a couple of years ago. This is a good start.”
Mitchell Principal Kathy Scarnecchia said she was pleased with the effort. “People have called their friends and said ‘get out here’,” she said. “There’s a lot of energy. It’s wonderful. I love the teamwork.”
A similar-sized crew could be found at Carpenter, where Principal Ron Collins wielded a paintbrush along with volunteers. “It’s great fun to see all of these people come out and share their time and talent with us,” Collins said, adding that he would welcome another volunteer painting effort at winter break.
Parent Kevin Eullister’s son is in his last year at Carpenter, and he was “just looking for something to do” during break. “I figured I’ll do something for the school before he leaves,” Eullister added.
Gilbert Vaknin, a parent at Carpenter Elementary School, works on painting hallways Dec. 29 as part of "Paint for Kids."
Gilbert Vaknin, whose son is in the first grade, came for the second workday on Wednesday. He said his older son, now at Community High, also attended school at Carpenter, so the family is connected. “We feel a part of the community,” he said.
Annette Ferguson, the school district’s business partnership coordinator and also a Carpenter parent, was caulking and priming the walls in preparation for paint. “It’s a wonderful way to build community, to bring businesses, families and schools together,” she said.
Firn said he and Champion hope to continue the pilot program during both the winter and spring breaks and may expand next year to include more schools if there is interest. “How many (schools) will depend on how many painting contractors we can recruit to each take on a particular school,” Firn said.
Carpenter parent Jane Sierra, left, and Julie Walstra, who works in the Ann Arbor Public Schools ITD Department, volunteer their time painting halls at Carpenter Elementary School on Dec. 29.
The school district provided the paint and Anderson Paint Co., Home Depot and Lowes provided discounts. Anderson Paint also has agreed to recruit other contractors for the volunteer effort if it is done during future breaks, Firn said. As part of the Mitchell and Carpenter projects, the professionals shared painting techniques to participants in additional to sprucing up the schools.
The idea for Paint for Kids came to Firn after he began teaching a “Do-It-Yourself Painting Instructors” class through the Community Education and Recreation Department this year. Mitchell volunteered a couple of class walls as a teaching area.
Firn, who lives in the neighborhood nearby, said he thought the walls could use some sprucing up and “I thought, why don’t we start this volunteer program?” He approached Mitchell Principal Kathy Scarnecchia, whom he had gotten to know during the Rec & Ed class.
They met with Randy Trent, executive director of physical properties for the Ann Arbor district, to get approval for the pilot. District maintenance staff washed and prepped the walls for the crews. “We thought we’d start with the hallway,” Firn said. “It has a normal-sized ceiling and it’s a visible area for the school.”
Champion said he hoped that volunteers viewed the event as a fun, community day that “will be a blast for them and help them take care of their school.”
E-mail Gene Firn at or visit his website at www.genefirncustompainting.com
Casey Hans writes and edits this newsletter for the Ann Arbor Public Schools. Reach her at hansc@aaps.k12.mi.us or call 734-994-2090.
From AAPSNews Service
Ann Arbor’s Thurston Elementary School is one of 11 schools around the state to be awarded federal Safe Routes to School funding through the Michigan Department of Transportation for safety improvements and education programs.
The project has been fully funded at $160,840, according to information from state and county officials. SRTS funding is 100 percent federal, with no local match required.
Thurston is the first school in Washtenaw County to receive Safe Routes to School funds, according to Lily Guzman, health educator with the Washtenaw Department of Public Health who has served as the school’s SRTS coordinator. Carpenter Elementary School and Clague Middle School are also actively working on submitting applications by the end of this school year and other schools in the county are working on safe routes planning and programming, she said.
The Thurston SRTS committee worked closely with the Washtenaw County Department of Public Health on this project. “Many thanks to Lily Guzman, our SRTS coordinator, for keeping us on track and not giving up,” said Thurston Principal Pat Manley. “Our parent participants Bret Springgay, Aimee Lahann and Nikole Bonevich worked many hours to map out, write and rewrite the proposal. I am so proud of our Thurston community.”
Thurston Elementary, in partnership with the city of Ann Arbor, will implement safety improvements and educational programming. Project components include:
• Upgrading crosswalk pavement markings at five intersections and upgrading advance school warning signs at 33 locations within the Thurston neighborhood.
• Building two new mid-block crosswalks with pedestrian refuge islands on Green Road north of Sugarbush Park and completing a 4- to 3-lane conversion.
• Installing rectangular rapid flashing beacons at 2 locations on Green Road: One at Burbank/Burbank and one at new mid-block crosswalk north of Georgetown sidewalk extension.
• Improving intersection sight distances on Green Road at Gettysburg, installing advance flasher treatment and separating sidewalk from road surface.
• Hosting “Walk-to-School Days” and “Bike Rodeo” events.
• Implementing a Mileage Club.
• Delivering pedestrian and bicycle safety lessons in fall and spring.
“The Wellness Committee is thrilled to have AAPS as a leader in encouraging kids walking to school,” said Sara Aeschbach, director of Community Education & Recreation for the Ann Arbor Public Schools, who is also the facilitator of the district’ Wellness Policy Committee.
State Transportation Director Kirk T. Steudle said funding will enable schools to offer activities and make improvements that encourage students to walk and bicycle safely between home and school.
Safe Routes to School benefits children and communities by encouraging local partners to identify barriers and solutions to walking, bicycling and rolling to school, according to Candance (Lee) Kokinakis, SRTS senior director for the Michigan Fitness Foundation.
“When the distance is reasonable and the routes are safe, a physically active commute to school makes it easy for students to get regular exercise for good health,” she said.
MDOT’s role is to administer the federally legislated SRTS program. A total of $1.4 million in SRTS funding was awarded through MDOT, which partners with the Michigan Fitness Foundation to work with schools, communities, students, teachers and parents.
Funding for the SRTS program was established by Congress under the Safe, Accountable, Flexible Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users of 2005.
More information is available at online at: www.saferoutesmichigan.org
From AAPSNews Service
Two local painting contractors who volunteer their time to the Ann Arbor Public Schools are looking for community help to paint the hallways at Mitchell and Carpenter elementary schools over the holiday break.
Both schools are looking for volunteer painters as part of the schools’ “Paint for Kids” days on Tuesday and Tuesday Dec. 28 and Wednesday, Dec. 29 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Painting contractors Gene Firn and Bill Champion are leading the volunteer effort and are looking for parents to volunteer by the end of the day Friday, Dec. 17 so that the projects can go forward.
Anyone from the community interested in volunteering their time painting can contact Mitchell at 734-997-1216 or Carpenter at 734-997-1214.
From AAPSNews Service
Farm Fresh Features is back this fall, providing students with fresh produce from southeast Michigan every Tuesday, Thursday and Friday in September and October. Formerly known as Farm Fresh Fridays, the program began on Fridays and was expanded to offer local produce to students more frequently.
Students from Carpenter Elementary School have some fun shucking corn last week in preparation for Farm Fresh Features.
Featured items are served in the Fruit and Veggie bars at elementary schools and are made available for the taking at the secondary schools. Click here for the district’s Farm Fresh Features schedule.
Last Wednesday, students at several schools – Mitchell, Ann Arbor Open @ Mack, Lakewood, Carpenter and the Ann Arbor Preschool and Family Center – shucked and cleaned corn during the school day that was to be served as part of the Friday “Farm Fresh” lunch for students.
Students at Ann Arbor Open took the project one step further, with kindergarteners creating corn husk dolls and other students reading a book about the history of corn and it’s importance to the Azteck culture, said Sara Aeschbach, the district’s director for community education and recreation who helps coordinate the district’s wellness efforts.
“The Farm to School Collaboration is always looking for ways to expand on the program,” said Aeschbach. “One goal of the program is to increase student awareness about locally grown food, so we thought that husking the corn would get kids more involved and interested in eating it.
More corn done!
“When the corn arrived from the farm, some ears were still attached to large stalks. That definitely made a different impression than eating corn out of a can.”
The Farm Fresh project also provides in-class visits by local farmers and fruit and vegetable tastings and reaches hundreds of students in The Ann Arbor Public Schools each fall. It is made possible by the Ann Arbor Farm-to-School Collaboration which includes: The Ann Arbor Public Schools, Chartwells Dining Services, Project Healthy Schools, The Agrarian Adventure, The Ann Arbor Farmers’ Market, Food System Economic Partnership and The Washtenaw County Health Department.
The Farm to School Collaboration embraces local and regionally grown produce as not only a healthy choice for students but as a way to educate students on the availability of fresh foods in their area as well as supporting local and regional farms in their efforts to be sustaining contributors to our local economy.