Haisley Family Science Night features Ann Arbor Hands On Museum

Posted on April 16, 2013 by AAPS News Editor

Students play with goop that behaves like a solid sometimes, and a liquid other times.

By Tara Cavanaugh

It doesn’t always take a gadget with a wireless connection to engage a kid. Sometimes, all it takes is some simple science.

Haisley’s first Family Science Night on April 11 was full of families oohing and ahhing, hooting and hollering over spectacular science exhibits provided by the Ann Arbor Hands on Museum.

“We thought it’d be a great experience for those kids who might not get the opportunity to go to the Hands On Museum,” said Angie Christiansen, a first grade teacher and member of the school’s PTO. “It also goes along with all levels of K-5 curriculum.” Continue reading →

Squeamish Haisley scientists dissect squid

Posted on March 21, 2013 by AAPS News Editor

Every year, Haisley fifth graders dissect squid. It’s a way to get them interested in life science, said teacher Jim Weindorf.

The students, lead by pharamacologist and toxicologist Dr. Alan Brown, learned how to cut the squid open, determine if it is a male or a female and find both its gills and ink sac. Continue reading →

Ann Arbor PTO Thrift Shop donates over $50K to PTOs, clubs, field trips and more

Posted on February 20, 2013 by AAPS News Editor

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 →

VIDEO: Haisley Heritage Festival celebrates culture, community

Posted on February 6, 2013 by AAPS News Editor

By Tara Cavanaugh

At the Haisley Heritage Festival, you can feel like you’re a world away –– and right at home.

The annual festival highlights students’ families and cultures with booths, foods and dances. It also creates a sense of community within the school itself.

“It’s an amazing event because it brings all of our families together,” said Haisley Principal Kathy Scarnecchia at the Jan. 31 event. Continue reading →

VIDEO: Haisley students visited by bald eagle that will fly at U-M football game

Posted on September 7, 2012 by AAPS News Editor

By Tara Cavanaugh

At Saturday’s University of Michigan vs. the U.S. Air Force football game, a bald eagle named Challenger will fly across the stadium before the Pledge of Allegiance. But before he does that, he made a surprise visit to Haisley Elementary today. Continue reading →

It’s springtime in the Tappan Garden

Posted on April 24, 2012 by AAPS News Editor

By Tara Cavanaugh

You can learn a lot by playing in the dirt.

You can learn about starting seeds, pulling weeds, the life cycle and the compost pile. Now that spring is in full swing, Tappan Middle School students are learning all that and more at the Tappan Garden. Continue reading →

Kindergarten round-ups happening now

Posted on February 7, 2012 by AAPS News Editor

This year’s kindergarten round-ups are more kid-centered, teaching parents and future students about the kindergarten experience.

Continue reading →

Run, walk, move: Annual walkathon raises money for Haisley Elementary

Posted on May 16, 2011 by Casey Hans

From AAPSNews Service

The annual Haisley Walkathon began with overcast skies, but the enthusiasm of students at the Ann Arbor elementary school brightened the day.

May 13 was the day for the annual event, which raises money for the school, gets students pumped up with pride and encourages healthy activity.

Haisley Elementary School students take part in Friday's annual walkathon, a fundraiser for the school.

“We’ve really gotten them to walk more,” said Nancy Ketola, a Haisley parent who has organized the annual event for the past five years. “It’s fitness, fundraising and it’s really a good community thing.”

Students get pledges for laps walked and the event is a major fundraiser for the school. “They get so excited,” she added.

Most students walk about one eighth of a mile – about 60 laps around the school’s outdoor track out back.

“Every kid gets a chance to walk and gets to wear a number,” Ketola said. Prizes for the day are donated by major sponsors which include Absopure, Lowes, and Meijer stores and Dairy Queen (every student gets an ice cream cone), among others. Parent volunteers counted laps and helped to keep the event on track.

The day included a DJ, kids’ activities, and is the favorite of the school year, said Principal Mary Anne Jaeger. “It is an amazing community builder.”

In earlier years, the all-school event was held on a Saturday, but having it on a weekday has helped to involve all students, organizers said. On hand last week were a number of special teams of walkers, including members of the University of Michigan Womens Swim team who walked with students.

Book donations, disabilty and health programs bring attention to special needs at Haisley

Posted on March 28, 2011 by Casey Hans

From AAPSNews Service

It was a week of focus on special needs and bringing attention to the topic for Haisley Elementary students.

University of Michigan Medical School students representing The Hippo Literary Magazine chose Haisley Elementary School’s self-contained special education rooms for a recent donation of new books.

Anna Owczarczyk, a second-year med school student, represented the group by dropping off the new books to Haisley, to “oohs and aahs” of staff and students.

Anna Owczarczyk, a U-M Medical School student, brings a donation of books for Haisley Elementary School's self-contained special ed classrooms on behalf of her student group. Accepting on behalf of Haisley are teachers Jenifer Elliot, Kristi McKenna and Lisa Wells; Principal Mary Anne Jaeger; and two students including one from a special education classroom and another general education fifth-grader who is a mentor.

Accepting the books on behalf of Haisley were teachers Jenifer Elliot, Kristi McKenna and Lisa Wells, Principal Mary Anne Jaeger, and two students including one from a special education classroom and another general education fifth-grader who is a mentor.

Jaeger explained that Haisley is a community that embraces the diversity in its student population. The school’s buddies mentor program, for example, encourages general education students to work directly with their schoolmates in the self-contained special education rooms.

Owczarczyk said the group was pleased to work with Haisley, as the medical students were specifically focused on helping students with special needs for their project. The group’s mission is to serve as a creative outlet for U-M medical students but also to engage the students in service-related activities specifically advocating for childhood literacy. To accomplish their goal for Haisley, they sold candygrams around Valentine’s Day, raising about $200 toward the cause.

“One of the goals we set when we started (The Hippo Literary Magazine) last year was to do more than posting (articles) online,” said Owczarczyk.

Jaeger said she was pleasantly surprised to hear from the group and was eager to accept the donation to her school.

The book donation kicked off a variety of activities at Haisley for the week, which also included a visit from Pioneer Health Sciences students teaching fourth- and first-graders at an in-school health fair where they shared information about how to read vital signs, how to best wash and sanitize their hands, work with a mannequin and an AED defibrillator and man an anti-smoking booth with diseased and healthy pig lungs to show students what smoking can do to their bodies.

Haisley Elementary students get a chance to find out about lung health by viewing – and touching – healthy and diseased pig lungs, as shown by Pioneer High School health sciences students.

Jaeger said Haisley also works with Health Sciences students from Huron High School, who spend time regularly in the self-contained classrooms for AHI and OHI students. Ann Arbor Health Sciences students spend one semester of classroom learning at their respective high schools, then are placed in six rotating clinical internships throughout the community.

Jaeger said the Health Sciences health fair and U-M Medical School book presentation was a nice tie-in to the Disability Awareness Workshop that was hosted later the same week and is done at elementaries around the district each spring.

“We start by bringing students some understanding of anatomy,” she said of the Health Sciences event. “Then, when they go to the DAW, they have an understanding of what some people face.”

Community giving is on the rise at 2 Ann Arbor elementaries

Posted on December 13, 2010 by Casey Hans

4th- and 5th-graders at Haisley, Eberwhite bake bread, share loaves

From AAPSNews Service

Fourth- and fifth-graders at Haisley and Eberwhite elementary schools have learned spirit of giving through homemade baking.

The King Arthur Flour Company, based in Norwich, Vt. visited the Ann Arbor schools last week to teach students to bake fresh, nutritious bread from scratch through its Life Skills Bread Baking Program. The program donates flour for students to bake at home and donate some of their handiwork to community members in need.

Although King Arthur Flour has visited many schools around Michigan in the past, this is the company’s first visit to Ann Arbor, according to media spokeswoman Allison Furbish.

Haisley Elementary School students selected to be "student bakers" show classmates how to make fresh bread during the Life Skills Bread Baking Program sponsored by King Arthur Flour.

In a setting similar to a cooking school, King Arthur Senior Life Skills Instructor Paula Gray and two “student bakers” selected from each school demonstrated how to make a great loaf of bread at a simulated “kitchen.” Students learned the science of yeast action, math skills in measuring ingredients and reading comprehension by following the recipe. Another student at each school served as a media representative, taking photos of the events as part of the experience.

“Bread’s just like kids – every loaf is different,” explained Gray, a former teacher who now travels around the country for King Arthur’s school program. “If yours looks like brown, muddy water, smells bad and is kind of gross, that’s good,” she told students as they mixed their ingredients.

Beth Saenz, a teacher from Haisley Elementary School and Susan Haines, a teacher at Eberwhite Elementary School coordinated the visits to the Ann Arbor elementary schools. “I hope all of you feel inspired to bake bread at home,” Saenz told her students.

Students at Eberwhite Elementary learn to bake fresh bread.

Parents at both school communities found out about the free King Arthur Flour program on the company’s website and the schools put in an application together to be considered for the program. Paula Brown, the PTO enrichment coordinator at Haisley, said she was pleased to have a program come to their school at no charge that she estimated would have normally cost the PTO about $300.

“One of our goals Is not only to complement the curriculum, but to give back to the community and learn about service,” she said. “For a company like King Arthur to do this program free, in this economy, it really says a lot.”

Brown said she also appreciated that the program encouraged a family experience of baking at home. “You can’t discount the importance of that,” she said.

‘One of our goals is not only to complement the curriculum, but to give back to the community and learn about service.’

– Paula Brown, Haisley PTO enrichment coordinator

Assemblies took place on Dec. 8 at Haisley in the morning and Eberwhite in the afternoon and the company also visited the Jackson area during their time in Michigan. Students will use their skills, along with ingredients donated by King Arthur Flour, to bake their own loaves at home – one to keep and one to donate. Haisley plans to donate its loaves to HERO of Washtenaw County during a special assembly today and Eberwhite’s loaves will go to the Bryant Community Center.

The King Arthur Flour Life Skills Bread Baking Program visits students in grades four through seven in schools across the country and in the past decade has taught more than 120,000 schoolchildren how to bake bread. The program stresses three elements: the school-based lesson, family time at home baking the bread with their families, then donation of a loaf to a local food pantry, homeless shelter or community organization.

King Arthur Flour also incorporates whole grains into the demonstration, teaching kids what whole grains are, why they’re important in a healthy diet, and how to use them in everyday baking. Each student receives bags of both King Arthur All-Purpose Flour and King Arthur 100 percent Organic White Whole Wheat Flour to help them bake healthy breads at home.

Gray said she loves teaching children the skill of bread baking – a hands-on way for kids to learn math, science, and cultural traditions all while having fun and learning about community service, too. “They’re learning the value and the joy of giving something back to the community,” she said. “Food pantries are delighted to have freshly baked homemade bread to offer the people they serve.”

“Human beings have been baking bread for some 10,000 years,” said King Arthur Flour Board Chairman Frank Sands, “but these days, fewer people are baking at home, so the tradition isn’t being handed down. We want to pass on this traditional life skill to the next generation.”

For more information about the Life Skills Bread Baking Program, visit King Arthur Bread online or call 802-299-2240.

School Bells: NAAPID Showcase slated for Feb. 8 at Skyline

Posted on February 1, 2010 by Casey Hans

Skyline High School hosts the countywide NAAPID at NIGHT Showcase of Student Talent from 5:30-8:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 8 at the school auditorium, 2552 N. Maple Road. It is part of the annual National African American Parent Involvement Day.

The seventh annual event will feature student art and other projects and well as displays of student talent. Winners of the NAAPID Poster Contest also will be on display.

Students, teachers and parents are invited to display exemplary student work and accomplishments, including: artwork, technology, academic work, school involvement, leadership, community service projects and sports accomplishments.

Displays may be tabletop or floor, and should be creative, attractively arranged, and free standing and should include the student and/or class name, grade level, teacher, school name and district. Transporting displays is the responsibility of the parent or school coordinator.

To reserve a space, or for assistance contact Sylvia Nesmith at nesy@comcast.net, 734-358-6354 (cell) or 734-747-8543 (days,) by Wednesday, Feb. 03. Works should be delivered to the event location between 3:30-5 p.m. on the day of the event.

In addition to the Ann Arbor Public Schools, other Washtenaw County districts supporting the event include: Lincoln Consolidated Schools, Milan Area Schools, Saline Area Schools, Willow Run Community Schools and Ypsilanti Public Schools. Refreshments will be served at 5:30 p.m. with the program beginning at 6:30 p.m. General event details: 734-434-1144.

Angell hosts International Night

International Night is a longstanding tradition at Angell Elementary School. The multi-faceted, homegrown event is different year-to-year because up to 30 percent of the school’s families may change from one year to the next.

Angell PTO Council representative and PTO Council Chairwoman E. Martine Perreault calls the event is one of the “highlights of the academic year at Angell” and said many neighborhood families visit long after their children have grown and left the school.

This year’s International Night will be from 6:30-8:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 4. The school is at 1608 S. University.

Slauson counselor honored by peers

Jan Mackenzie was recently lauded by her peers for her outstanding service to The Ann Arbor Public Schools. The Slauson Middle School counselor was nominated and received the school district’s first Celebration of Excellence award for the 2009-10 school year for her outstanding customer service.

She was nominated by teachers Toni Burton and JanaÈ Townsend, who stated in their nomination: “For Jan Mackenzie, offering the support and love that her students and colleagues need always comes first. Her work touches both students and adults in her building. She is never too busy to listen, smile, or cry with anyone who comes to her door.”

The nomination said that in handling tough situations in the district, Mackenzie demonstrates “care in a time of crisis.” She was honored by the Ann Arbor Board of Education.

Nominees for both innovation and customer service are considered for these awards, which are selected by a Celebration of Excellence committee. The award for innovation recognizes staff members who have demonstrated creative and innovative approaches to their jobs. The award for customer service celebrates those staffers who provide outstanding service to their customers.

For detailed nominating information, an online nomination form and a list of past recipients, click here.

Free the Children features motivational speaker

Motivational speaker Elaine Rosenberg of the Free the Children program (www.freethechildren.com) will be the motivational speaker Tuesday, Feb. 2 from 7-8 p.m. at Clague Middle School’s media center.

Clague is located at 2616 Nixon Road, north of Plymouth Road and west of US-23 in Ann Arbor.

Rosenberg will speak about ” Free the Children: Inspiring Youth to Become Agents of Change!” She will discuss the Free the Children program and how it has helped students at Clague, Tappan and Scarlett middle schools make a difference, both in their local community and abroad. The program is part of Project Healthy Schools.

Free The Children is a network of children helping children through education, with more than one million youth involved in innovative education and development programs in 45 countries.

This event is free and open to the public. Details: (734) 975-7440.

Eberwhite ‘shoe’ wall designed to encourage
forweb-shoes
Eberwhite Elementary School Principal Debi Wagner shows off a wall in the school that has the title “One Small Step. The wall was designed and added this year using photos of student feet and shoes.

Wagner said the project was designed to encourage students and let them know that small efforts can lead to even bigger things.

Huron High School BPA group earns honors

On Friday Jan. 8, the Huron Business Professionals of America Chapter from Huron High School traveled to Henry Ford Community College to compete in the annual BPA Regional Leadership Conference 2010.

According to BPA adviser Diane Stocker-Bendersky, of the 57 Students that attended, 45 students won a total of 94 awards including 36 first-place wins and 25 second-place wins. They also earned 13 third-place awards, 10 fourth-place awards and four fifth-place awards. In team competitions, Huron entered seven with four teams placing first and three teams placing second.

Of the 40 competitions in which Michigan students can enter, the Huron Chapter placed first in 20 of those events that include both individual and team competitions. A list to recognize those students who won at BPA Regionals can be found on the Web.

Haisley 5th-graders attend MLK Day tribute

On Jan. 19, two fifth-grade classes from Haisley Elementary attended Wayne State University’s Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Tribute at the Max M. Fisher Music Center. The keynote speaker was Dr. Benjamin Carson, a world-renowned neurosurgeon. Students were enthused to hear Dr. Carson’s story of growing up in a single parent home in Detroit, being challenged by poverty, poor grades, and other challenges.
A signed copy of Carson’s book “Gifted Hands” is now displayed in Haisley School’s Media Center. The trip was arranged by Cee-Jay Davisthrough his contacts at Wayne State University. Haisley students were the youngest to attend the event.

Logan students collect pennies for Haiti

To kick off Logan Elementary School’s MLK Day assembly, “Pennies For People” was introduced to the Logan community to participate in a relief effort for Haiti. Special area teachers organized the event. By the end of the assembly, parents had donated more than $300. Students brought in pennies through the rest of the month with proceeds to be delivered to the American Red Cross.

News of note from around the district:

• Thirteen Bach Elementary School fifth-graders and four fourth-graders placed first in Michigan in the Knowledge Master Open on Jan. 20. The K.M.O. is a team academic contest that tests students’ ability to answer questions about all the school subjects. The Bach KMO Team scored 466 of a possible 1000 points. The average score in Michigan was 420 and the mean nationwide was 466. Nationally, Bach placed in the top half of all teams. Learn more about the KMO at www.greatauk.com.

• A team of 10 Forsythe sixth-graders scored in the top 20 percent in the Knowledge Master Open, placing fourth in Michigan among 17 teams. The Forsythe team scored 636 points of a possible 1,000. That was well above the state average score of 544. Coach Dan Ezekiel says that this is a good finish, and the team hopes to do even better next time. Ann Arbor’s Tappan team scored 587 and came in sixth in the state.

• On Saturday Jan. 16 Skyline Orchestra Students traveled to Livonia Franklin High School to participate in the MSBOA District 12 Solo and Ensemble Festival. They took 21 events with 6 events earning a II (Excellent) rating and 15 events earning a Superior (I) rating. The following students received a II rating on their ensemble performances Katie Loreman, Rheilly Cole, Alex Wilks, and Jack Hu. The following students earned a II rating on their solo Priya Menon, Erika Sasaki, Preetom Chakraborty, and Grace Taylor Loring. The following students received a I rating on their solos and have qualified for MSBOA State Solo and Ensemble Festival at Chelsea High School in March: Jack Hu, Senait Dafa, Emily Espinosa, Sherry Zhao, Shruthi Narayanan, Karen Duan, Brian Chang, Claire Gruber, Rose Brown, Ahliyah Kim, Rheilly Cole, Leah Awkward-Rich, Priya Menon. and Max Xu.

• Jane Nixon was named National High School Field Hockey Coach of the Year for 2010. She has been the head coach at Pioneer High School since 1990 and has won 16 state championships.
• Skyline High School teacher Jason Smith received a technology grant from the Technology Institute for Music Educators for a project to integrate technology into the music classroom. The mission of the group is to assist music educators in applying technology to improve teaching and learning in music.
• Karen Metzger, Logan Elemenary School art teacher, was selected as an “2010 Educators To Japan” participant. Karen will be in Japan from June 27 through July 8. She said she is excited about the impact this culturally rich opportunity will have on her K-5 art classes.

• Pioneer Band students received 111 first division and 23 second division ratings in SOLO competition, as well as 119 first division and 18 second division ratings in ENSEMBLE competition on January 16 at Livonia Franklin High School. Students throughout the state performed in this state qualifying event. The following Pioneer High School Band students participated in the Michigan School Band and Orchestra Association District Solo and Ensemble Festival on January 16. Students prepared a solo and/or an ensemble and performed for an MSBOA Certified Adjudicator. Their performance was evaluated and a rating between “I” (Excellent) and “V” was assigned. The symbol (2) after a students name indicates that they had two events receiving that rating in the same category.

Pioneer High School Band students receiving a “I” (Excellent) rating for their performance of a SOLO were: Shreya Bahl, Aaron Baum, Alex Baum, Joella Bennett, Jeff Bertram, Rachel Bielajew, Jonathan Bower, James Boyd, James Campbell, Kate Centurione, William Chen, Jae Hyun Choe (2), DíArcy Cook, Katie Copp, Rennie Cotner, Alayna Coverly, Elizabeth Cvercko, Ruby Emberling, Jonathan Evans, Jesse Fernandez, Kerryann Fingerle, Kevin Flannagan, Prasanth Ganesan, Corey Garff, Charlie Geronimus, Sachi Gianchandani, Nya Greenstone, Christopher Haddlesey, Christopher Hass, Saunders Hayes, Andrew Hess, Clare Higgins, Leila Hofer, Skye Huerta, Max Hully, Vijay Ilankamban, Andy Johnson, Kiley Judge, Jae Jung, Kayoon Jung, Jared Kaufman, Ryan King, Sara King, Caroline Laman, Christopher Landau, Amin Lanseur, Dylan Larkins (2), Leah Latterner (2), Tyler Leach, Edward Lee, Meekyoung Lee, Moritz Lehner, Levy Li, Siyan (Daniel) Li, Samuel Lichtman-Mikol, Hyeon Su Lim, Yuming Liu, Sara Long, Natalie Martin, Karen Matsuo, Megumi Matsushita, Kyle Mattimore, Hannah Maxbauer, Anna Mayne, Jack McKarns, Jordan McKay, Miriam Michaels, Luke Mykolenko, Sowdeepya Nadimpalli, Emily Northrop, Junghyun Kayla Oh, Henry Pakela, Julia Pakela, Konstantinos Papaefthymiou, Neil Parikh, George Perrett, Duncan Polot, Linda Relson, Carly Renner, Tim Rittinger, Molly Rogow, Natalie Roll, Nicholas Rombes, Sarah Rontal, Michael Saunders, Laura Schickling, Rebecca Shipan, Daniel Siler, Ken Simon, Antonia Smith, Gina Son, Mario Sulaksana, Michael Sullivant, Jacob Swanson, Nick Terrell, Victoria Tillman, Peter Wang, Xiao Wang, Devin Webster, Hope Wilson, Thea Yagerlener, Eric Yamakado, Jay Yamakado, Tina Yu (2), Ryan Yunck, Kevin Zhang and Alan Zhou.

Pioneer High School Band students receiving a “II” (Good) rating for their performance of a SOLO were: Alexa Arvidson, Alex Bartko, Riley Bean, Caitlin Berrigan, Samuel Blackburn, James Boyd, Joel Burgener, Iris Chen, Amelia Diehl, Christine Etter, Skye Huerta, Grace Iverson, Kyle Kantebet, Olivia Lee, Sowdeepya Nadimpalli, Jennifer Nao, Patricia Nease, Veronika Olszewski, David Shao (2), Andrew Siddall, Hunter St. Pierre and Emily Topham.

Pioneer High School Band students receiving a “I” (Excellent) rating for their performance of an ENSEMBLE were: Shreya Bahl, Riley Bean, Joella Bennett, Rachel Bielajew, Jonathan Bower (2), James Boyd, Joel Burgener, Elizabeth Bush, James Campbell (2), Takeo Cauley (2), Iris Chen, Heewon Choi, Hyewon Choi, D’Arcy Cook, Rennie Cotner, Rosie Curtis, Liz Cvercko (2), Nick DeMarsh, Meera Desai (2), Jonathan Evans, Jack Fan, Kerryann Fingerle, Monica Fink, Corey Garff, Charlie Geronimus, Sachi Gianchandani, Meaghan Glanville, Celisa Gutierrez, Christopher Hass, Andrew Hess, Leila Hofer, Conor Howe, Max Hully, Esther Hur, Vijay Ilankamban, Andy Johnson, Kiley Judge, Jae Jung, Nathan Karr, Jared Kaufman, Ryan King (2), Sara King, Tanay Kulkarni, Megan Kymal, Caroline Laman, Christopher Landau, Amin Lanseur, Reina Larkin, Dylan Larkins, Leah Latterner, Tasha Le, Edward Lee, Harry Lee, Meekyoung Lee, Aidan Mase-Kemnitz, Karen Matsuo, Megumi Matsushita (2), Abbey Maxbauer, Anna Mayne, Jack McKarns, Isabel McKay, Jordan McKay, Miriam Michaels (2), Alex Mitropoulos-Rundus, Sowdeepya Nadimpalli, Jeni Nao, Emily Northrop, Alyssa Natoci, Jeongah Oh, Junghyun Kayla Oh, Veronika Olszewski, EunSoo Park, Bo Peng, Stefan Petrmichl, Timothy Rittinger, Natalie Roll, Niko Rombes (2), Sarah Rontal, Michael Saunders, Kaylee Schonsheck, David Shapiro, Michael Shin, Jeff Shipan, Rebecca Shipan, Ken Simon, Antonia Smith, Gina Son, Jacob Swanson (2), Nick Terrell, Victoria Tillman (2), Emily Topham (2), Peter Wang, Xiao Wang (2), Devin Webster (2), Hope Wilson, Eric Yamakado, Jay Yamakado (3), Angela Yang, Ted Xiao, Tina Yu, Annie Zhang (2) and Megan Zheng.

Pioneer High School Band students receiving a “II” (Good) rating for their performance of an ENSEMBLE were: Ben Bielajew, Andrew Choe, Katie Copp, Sam Deschamps, Ruby Emberling, Jonathan Evans, Grace Iverson, Younkyoung Lee, Rebecca Lennington, MacKenzie Miller, Amanda Osinski, Duncan Polot, Laura Schickling, Josh Sherick, Jeff Shipan, Thea Yagerlener, Ryan Yunck and Eric Zimmer.

Partnership with U-M brings language to 3rd-graders

Posted on November 30, 2009 by Casey Hans

By Casey Hans
AAPSNews Service

Ann Arbor third-graders are saying “hola!” this fall to new lessons that teach them the basics of Spanish language and encourage them to speak it.

Third- and fourth-graders at Ann Arbor Open @ Mack share with classmates how they learned to speak in Spanish.

The Ann Arbor Languages Partnership between The Ann Arbor Public Schools and the Teacher Education Program at the University of Michigan has been planned over several years, but was implemented just this fall in all 21 elementary school media centers.

Around the district, it’s known as World Language.

Forty-one U-M students, generally working in teams of two, serve as apprentice teachers under the supervision of Ann Arbor elementary media specialists. Third-graders visit the media centers twice each week for half-hour classes.

Shelagh Fehrenbach, a U-M apprentice teacher and Media Specialist Ann O’Keefe (foreground) help King Elementary students with their Spanish lessons.

“I think it’s going really well. The kids are really excited,” said Shelagh Fehrenbach, a U-M student teaching Spanish at King Elementary School. “They’re using (Spanish) it in other places (around the school) too.”

Fehrenbach and Marly Van Huis are co-teaching the class and both also work at King as student teachers this year. This double effort “is nice because we really get to know the students,” said Van Huis.

The program is expected to expand to include fourth- and fifth-graders in 2010-11, dovetailing into language offerings at the middle school. If the partnership proceeds as planned, officials are hopeful that more languages can be added in the future.

King Principal Kevin Karr said parents touring his school often ask about foreign language offerings for elementary students. “I think it hits the need of what parents want,” he said, adding that the partnership sends a positive message that Ann Arbor is offering programs that are desirable to the community.

“I think it’s been great so far,” Karr added. “Clearly the teaching is going well – they’ve got a good style. The kids are very engaged. It’s not just sitting and learning. The kids are interacting.”

An Ann Arbor Public Schools online community survey in March 2008 asked parents’ opinion of a World Language program in the district. Eighty-five percent said they would strongly favor it and the top languages preferred among those responding were Spanish, Chinese and French. Some 12 percent responding said their children did not attend the district and 468 of those said they would be attracted to the district if elementary school language classes were offered.

Ann O’Keefe, media specialist at King, said the World Language program has added another dimension to the school. “It offers us a world of shared culture,” she said. “This is one more aspect of it. It gives us a lot to celebrate.”

At Haisley Elementary School, third-grade students learn to say their birthdays in Spanish.

At Haisley Elementary, media specialist Kristen Stoops said students in her center love it. “I see their enthusiasm when they’re here. They’re engaged and interested,” she said.

Tana Ebaugh is a University of Michigan research associate and lead trainer for the program. She visits classes and observes apprentice teaching styles. On this day, she is at Ann Arbor Open @ Mack, where a blended class of third- and fourth-graders are learning to discuss their birthdays. No English is spoken during the half-hour class – only Spanish. “It’s very different for them,” Ebaugh said, noting that students are learning by listening and participating.

Kit Flynn, media specialist at Ann Arbor Open said her school has a number of Spanish-speaking students for which the program serves another purpose. “It gives them a coaching role,” she said. “It gives them a time to shine.”

Since Ann Arbor Open encompasses grades kindergarten through eight and has blended-grade classes, she said the use of Spanish is spreading quickly around the building. “Lots of teachers have embraced it, putting Spanish signage in their classroom,” she said. “I hear a lot of mixed English and Spanish (being spoken) around the building.”

Throughout the district, elementary media specialists are adding more Spanish-language books to their collections. Flynn estimates she now has upwards of 200 such books at Ann Arbor Open.

Lee Ann Dickinson-Kelley, Ann Arbor schools administrator for elementary education, said she is pleased with how program has taken off around the district in just a few weeks. “It’s exceeding our expectations right now,” she said.

Dickinson-Kelley said although each school is unique and each instructional team can approach the material differently, there are standard lesson plans. The Schools “are all incredibly different,” she said. “We wanted to have the unique environment, but have a common high standard of learning.”

Brittany Schwikert, a Spanish major at the University of Michigan, works with students at Ann Arbor Open @ Mack. She is one of 41 apprentice teachers from U-M working with Ann Arbor elementary students this year in a World Language partnership.

Maria Coolican, project director for the partnership on behalf of U-M’s School of Education, said the university is committed to the project. “We are in full recruitment mode (for apprentice teachers) for next year,” she added. There will be 90 openings for people to instruct as the program moves into grades three through five.

Dickinson-Kelley called the World Language program a high priority and said it is a “bulls-eye to the district’s long-term Strategic Plan.” She said an elementary language option is key as the district moves toward stricter state high school graduation requirements that include language.
“We want all of our kids to be multilingual,” she added. “It’s an essential tool – a skill they will need to have.”

Casey Hans edits this e-newsletter for The Ann Arbor Public Schools. E-mail her or call 734-994-2090 X51228.

Raleigh Sadlier: OT committed to helping students

Posted on November 2, 2009 by Casey Hans

By Casey Hans

Not everyone loves their work. In Raleigh Sadlier’s case, she not only enjoys it but takes her work home.

The occupational therapist who works at Haisley and Pattengill elementary schools and Scarlett Middle School, says each day – sometimes each hour – brings a new challenge but one that she loves. She and the other OTs in The Ann Arbor Public Schools also get together on weekends to swap information and tips.

Raleigh Sadlier, an Ann Arbor Public Schools occupational therapist, works with students at Haisley Elementary School. Here, two fifth-graders assist younger students in exercise.

Sadlier says she gleans a lot from teachers with whom she works, since her job requires her to be a jack-of-all-trades.

“It’s a job that requires creativity, patience,” she said. “You have to shift to accommodate the audience: age level, teachers, developmental level. It’s ever-changing. I find it challenging, frustrating and rewarding.”

On Monday mornings, Sadlier has fifth-graders mentor younger students. “They’re great guys who like to help out,” she said.

Fifth-grader Kyle says he’s proud to be helping younger kids with writing and exercise which builds skills. “It’s fun, “he said. “We’re helpful to them.”

Another fifth-grader, Joe, said he enjoys doing exercises with the younger students. “We’re older and we know a lot, so we can teach them what we know,” he added.

“She’s excellent,” said Haisley Principal Mary Anne Jaeger. “She is able to bring students together, including general ed. “She’s extremely competent and looks out for all kids.”

Sadlier said she has loved her profession and that, although college offered a good base, occupational therapy requires a lot of on-the-job training because of students’ individual needs. “You have to get your degree and just get in there,” she added.

Sadlier, 43, has been in the occupational therapy field since 1995, working in Atlanta and Chicago before arriving in Ann Arbor 5 ½ years ago. Coming from a blended family of 9 children, Sadlier grew up in Chicago but said she now calls Ann Arbor home with her husband, Chris, and their two sons.

“I love all of the UMS (University Musical Society) functions, all of the cultural activities, hiking and woods and the river,” she said. “What’s keeping us here are the values of the people of Ann Arbor. They think outside of their neighborhood. People (in Ann Arbor) are aware and interested in the larger picture.”

One of the personal things Sadlier is most proud of is her involvement with a local advocacy group for ALS research, called Ann Arbor Active Against ALS. The group formed after a neighbor developed amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, commonly called Lou Gehrig’s Disease. In just two years, members have raised $40,000, making donations to the University of Michigan and ALS Therapy Development Institute in Cambridge, Mass.

“We’re trying to have it become a communitywide organization,” she added. The group does some fundraisers locally, but also sponsors community events and activities to raise awareness. For more, visit www.A2A3.org.

Casey Hans edits this e-newsletter for The Ann Arbor Public Schools. Contact her via e-mail or by calling 734-994-2090 ext. 51228.

Raleigh Sadlier, in a light-hearted moment in her room at Haisley Elementary.

Raleigh Sadlier
Occupation: Occupational therapist for The Ann Arbor Public Schools. Assigned this year to work at Haisley and Pattengill elementary schools and Scarlett Middle School.
Education: Bachelor’s and master’s degrees in occupational therapy from the University of Wisconsin.
Age: 43
Family: Married to Chris. They have two sons, Noah, 12, who attends Tappan Middle School, and Nathan, 9, who attends Burns Park Elementary.
Pets: A golden Retriever named Flyer, a turtle named Victory and dozens of fish.
Hobbies: Hiking, camping, canoeing and enjoying Ann Arbor’s cultural activities.
Favorite campground: P.J. Hoffmaster State Park in Muskegon.
Community Service: Active in her sons’ school PTOs. She serves on the board for Ann Arbor Active Against ALS, a group formed after her neighbor developed the disease.
Favorite meal: “Anything Indian that my husband cooks well.”
Last book read: “I just reread “The Bean Trees” by Barbara Kingsolver. I also recommend “Zeitoun” by Dave Eggers, about Hurricane Katrina.”
Life philosophy: “Live and let live.”