Dr. David Kupperman
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
The new Northside Elementary Chess Club meets once a week in the media center.
When Northside social worker Julianne Muir began a lunchtime chess club, she thought she’d maybe have eight or ten students show up.
But by just the second meeting, 36 third, fourth and fifth graders were enthusiastically playing in pairs in the school’s media center. Continue reading
A Southfield performing arts group brought on some serious holiday cheer to the students of Northside Elementary Friday. Continue reading
Northside kindergartners voted in their first presidential election today at Northside School. After reading “Duck For President” by Doreen Cronin, Ms. Wade and Ms. Smith’s classes participated in a variety of activities to better understand the election process.
Today after showing their “voter registration cards” all students voted for either Duck or Farmer Brown. Students also wrote about what they would do if they were president.
Duck won by a landslide.
–Submitted by Janice Smith
More than 100 Northside students, parents and staff members celebrated the diversity of the school at the school’s International Dinner Oct. 25.
Everyone was treated to the visual delights of beautiful traditional dress from several countries. They also took pleasure in the culinary skills of families who brought in food from around the world that represented their cultures. Continue reading
By Tara Cavanaugh
It’s smack in the middle of summer, in the middle of July, and our schools are still under a scalding sun. Playgrounds stand empty. Buildings are dormant. The bells haven’t rung for weeks.
But if you stop to really listen, you’ll hear gardens at the Ann Arbor Public Schools buzzing with life. Continue reading
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
Children's author and illustrator Patricia Polacco shared the stories behind her books at Burns Park Elementary March 28.
Swinging hula dancers, a reading dog, and live storytelling from world-famous authors: our schools sure know how to make March Reading Month interesting.
But even though the month was filled with fun activities, there was plenty of good old-fashioned reading time too.
The AAPS News captured just a sliver of all the great Reading Month events. Check out the slideshow below to view the visits from author/illustrator Patricia Polacco, Colby the reading service dog, a 5,300 book donation to an orphanage across the globe, and a luau that happened the same day as the tornado. Continue reading
Northside Elementary kindergarteners bid goodbye to Dr. Green and to Little Mole, the finger puppet.
A Northside Elementary class celebrated March Reading Month with a special guest today: Dr. Patricia Green, AAPS Superintendent.
Dr. Green read “How Big Is the World?” by Britta Teckentrup to Janice Smith’s kindergarteners, who just managed to contain their excitement at the double treat of having a very special visitor read their favorite book. Continue reading
The Board of Education voted to open 170 seats for Schools of Choice at its March 7 meeting. This means that more students have the option to request to attend a new district school. In the previous two years of Schools of Choice, the district opened up 150 seats. Continue reading
This year’s kindergarten round-ups are more kid-centered, teaching parents and future students about the kindergarten experience.
From AAPSNews Service
Deputy Superintendent for Instructional Services Lee Ann Dickinson-Kelley is retiring June 30 from the Ann Arbor Public Schools after 38 years of dedicated service.
In a end-of-year note to the community, Interim Superintendent Robert Allen recognized her accomplishments and thanked her for the excellent leadership and service she has provided.
Dickinson-Kelley began her career with the Ann Arbor Public Schools as a teacher consultant at Northside Elementary School then moved on to teach Language Arts/World Cultures at Forsythe Middle School where she stayed for 12 years before moving into administration.
Lee Ann Dickinson-Kelley in February 2011 during a visit to the district from the U.S. Department of Education at Pioneer High School. Dickinson-Kelley leaves the district this week after 38 years as teacher, principal and administrator.
She served as principal of Pittsfield and Angell elementary schools then moved into central administration as assistant superintendent for elementary education. During the 2010-11 school year, she has served as deputy superintendent for instructional services.
Allen said he is especially grateful for her time as deputy as he led the district during this time of transition. “Whatever Lee Ann takes on, she gives it her all and always keeps a strong focus on what is best for students,” he said.
Dickinson-Kelley implemented a balanced literacy program for primary grades years ago and oversaw its expansion into the higher grades along with other reading intervention strategies, Allen said. She chaired a committee that developed a food allergy handbook that has received national recognition and accolades.
“She has always recognized the importance of early childhood development programs and was instrumental in getting the Preschool and Family Center built, which opened in 2006,” he noted.
Two years ago, she brought Spanish language instruction to elementary students through a partnership with the University of Michigan School of Education. In addition, she developed an elementary humanities strand and brought in enrichment coordinators for each elementary cluster. She also was responsible for administering and reporting of state and federal grants as well as coordinating, designing and reporting on School Improvement Plans.
“She did all this in addition to her day-to-day duties as an administrator and manager. She is an extraordinary educator, visionary and leader,” Allen added. “She has been a pleasure to work with and her efforts have been tremendous and their effect immeasurable and far-reaching. I don’t know if we can ever thank her enough.”
Dickinson-Kelley said she was fortunate to have worked in Ann Arbor throughout her career and noted that “being an educator was not simply what I did for 38 years, but who I am. My profession chose me as much as I chose it.” She said she is looking forward to spending more time with family.
“I have been rewarded a million times over by the opportunity to do the good work and serve our community,” she said in a note to staff. “That is all I ever aspired to. I’m very thankful I can look back and say I made a small difference in the life of a child.”