Tag Archives: Stone High School

State rep offers civics lesson for adult ESL students at Stone

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From AAPSNews Service

State Rep. Mark Ouimet visited adult education programs in Ann Arbor this month, attending both a GED class at Mallets Creek Branch of the Ann Arbor District Library and also an English as a Second Language class at Stone School.

He said it was a particular treat to visit Stone, where the ESL adult program is based. “Both of my kids went to school here,” he said. The class he visited was a middle-level adult ESL class, where students have progressed in their speaking and understanding of the English language.

Students taking classes this term hail from a wide variety of areas of the world including China, Korea, Italy, South America and Central America, Taiwan, the Middle East, Japan, Mexico and Turkey, among others.

View a video of Ouimet’s visit here:

Ouimet told students worked as a bank teller, eventually moving into the political arena to serve on the Ann Arbor City Council and the Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners before being elected to the state House of Representatives.

“I’ve been involved in Politics on and off my whole life. It’s something my family’s always looked at in terms of participating in the community… we always felt was very important,” he told students. “My grandfather was member of the county commission and my father served on the city council.”

He also served as the chancellor of Northwood University in Midland, where he said there was a large international community of students.

Sharman Spieser, adult education director, said she appreciated Ouimet’s visit to the Adult Ed program and his willingness to learn about the educational needs of the Ann Arbor community.

“It is important to look at education of the whole person,” she said. “We need to support learning from infancy through adulthood, pre-school through post secondary and beyond, if we are going to have thriving communities where everyone contributes.”

Students all researched the state legislature and state government before Ouimet’s visit and were able to ask him questions.

About 75 percent of the ELS class work in the community or have spouses working here, said ESL teacher Odette Petrini. Many also have children in the Ann Arbor Public Schools.

Stone High name change proposed to better reflect school identity

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The Ann Arbor Public Schools Board of Education heard a proposal Wednesday to change the name of Stone High School to Ann Arbor Technical High School.

Assistant Superintendent for Secondary Schools Joyce Hunter and Principal Sheila Brown introduced the new name as a way to better define the technology driven curriculum at the school.

If approved by the Board of Education, students and staff will begin the planning process to implement the new school name for the 2011-12 school year. This will include a community open house unveiling the new name.

Last spring, students and staff at Stone began discussing ways to improve the image of the school and reflect the type of learning occurring there. Because of the many technological learning opportunities, students and staff voted for the name Ann Arbor Technical High School – or A2 Tech High.

In addition to face-to-face classes, Stone offers many other opportunities for students including:

  • Completing academic credit through state curriculum-aligned on-line courses, working from a web-based computer 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
  • Making computers and staff available to students during the school day, after school, and two evenings a week through the Options Magnet program.
  • Widening Advancement for Youth, the Washtenaw Intermediate School District cyber school program, another alternative to the traditional day program and is housed at Stone.

The proposed name change is a source of pride for students, including Olivia Fisher.

“Stone changing its name means that other schools will stop looking down on the school and its students,” she said. “It means that we will no longer be looked at as an escape for the expelled, but a technological opportunity for those with more challenges in their lives.”

The Ann Arbor Public School District serves the City of Ann Arbor and parts of eight surrounding townships covering 125 square miles.  The district has 20 elementary schools, one K-8 open school, five middle schools, six high schools, one pre-school and one adult education program.  As of September 2010, enrollment totaled 16,440 (excluding adult education and a portion of pre-school). The district employs approximately 3,000 full and part-time staff members. Approximately 81 percent of the teaching staff holds a master’s degree or above. The district serves a diverse ethnic and socioeconomic population of students with more than 36 different countries represented by students in the district and 64 different languages spoken.

Parenting instruction, child care allows Stone teen parents to continue schooling

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By Casey Hans
AAPSNews Service

The patter of little feet is an expected sound in a preschool setting, but at Ann Arbor’s Stone High School, a cluster of little ones can often be found in the media center, the gym or out on the playground.

Up to 16 infants and toddlers are cared for on site as part of the school’s licensed child care center – a program that allows teen parents to have on-site care for their children so that they can attend high school.

Stone child care

Jessica Alvarez, a junior, brings her child in before heading to class.

Lynne Richards is in her ninth year as the program’s supervisor. With the help of staff and some community volunteers, these youngsters have all the advantages of a licensed center. “We’re not only here for the babies, we’re here for the teens,” explained Richards.

Child care assistants include Dolores Houston, Tammy Irvine and Angela Blake, who have been involved with the program for six years and “are an integral part of the program,” Richards said. “The care, attention and support they give makes the program a success.”

Both moms and dads can use the center, but most of the students are moms, Richards said.

“The moms usually end of being our top students at the end of the year,” she explained. “The No. 1 priority is to continue their education. We want them to stay in school and know their children are taken care of and, hopefully, break the cycle” of teen parents dropping out.”

Like any other child care center, parents sign their children in and out daily and bring bottles and other needed items for their children. Children get developmental evaluations and staff works with gross and fine motor skills every day. Children get reading time, gym time and visits to the school’s library and, new this year, is a tech component, where children are introduced to the idea of computers and technology.

Jessica Alvarez, a junior, brought her child in one recent morning before heading to class. “It’s really good – I like it,” she said. “Anything that happens, I’m right down the hall.” Alvarez attended Ypsilanti and Huron high schools before finding about the child care program at Stone and enrolling there.

Richards said the teen parents pay a fee for the service, which teaches them responsibility and allows them to continue on with schooling and graduate. “They have to be in school, they have to be here. We keep a strict look at their attendance,” she stressed.

Teens enrolled at Stone have first priority at the center, then other students, such as those enrolled in the WAY Washtenaw county on-line high school program, can participate.

Stone High child care center

Lynne Richards, supervisor at the Stone High child care center, gets on the floor for playtime.

Student Lauren Douglas of Whitmore Lake is a WAY Washtenaw student. She uses the child care services part-time: when she comes to Stone to meet with her program mentor or do work in the computer lab. “It’s very nice. I like it  a lot,” she said.

Two volunteer “grandmas” visit the class each day, where they help by holding, rocking and feeding babies. Volunteer Pauline Hardy, who lives in downtown Ann Arbor, has been coming for years and said she enjoys her time at Stone.

“If it wasn’t for the enjoyment, I wouldn’t get out of bed for it,” she said. “They’re really great and the kids are great. It’s fun to watch them develop into a toddler – they’re all different. I enjoy it to the utmost.”

Carol Moon is in her fourth year volunteering at Stone. She is also raising a teenage grandson who attends Huron High School, so this is just part of her busy life. “I think it’s wonderful. You see them grow up. We usually get to interact with the little ones who call us ‘grandma’,” she said.

Stone Principal Sheila Brown said the program is a unique one. “We have the good fortune at Stone High School to be able to help both the teen mothers and their children,” she said.

The program offers teens an opportunity to finish their high school education and also learn how to care for their children, Brown said. The moms get guidance and parenting skills through staff and community programs and the children are taught a variety of developmental, social and academic skills to prepare them for pre-school, she added.

Starting second semester, teen parents at Stone will be required to take a comprehensive parenting class. Brown said the class will have a structured curriculum that will build parenting skills. The class will be taught by Stone teacher Joanna Johnson with the help of child care supervisor Richards.

“This will be a win-win for both our teen parents and their little ones,” Brown added.

Stone senior Tamico Taliaferro is finishing high school this month. She has a two-year-old son and an infant daughter at the child care center. She said having her children at the center allowed her to finish her education and she plans to continue on at Washtenaw Community College to study nursing and psychology.

Stone High School child care

Stone High School senior Tamico Taliaferro visits her infant daughter at the school's child care center.

“They do a really good job – your kids get special care,” she said.
She said Stone offers her a smaller, controlled environment and that she’s doing better academically. “Here it’s all business,” she said. “At a bigger high school (she also attended Huron) there are a lot of distractions.”

Taliaferro said the toughest part for her was “having to grow up sooner than planned. Now it’s an 18-year thing,” she said.

What advice would she give other teens? “Babies are worth the wait,” she said. “I’d rather have been much more prepared for them.”

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.

School Bells: Yard sale at Stone, PTOC hosts networking event

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A series of briefs from around The Ann Arbor Public Schools.

Stone hosts yard sale on Oct. 23

Stone High School will host a yard sale on Saturday, Oct. 23, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Donations of items in saleable condition will be accepted starting Monday, Oct. 18 through Thursday, Oct. 21, from 4- 6 p.m. Donations will also be accepted on Friday, Oct. 22, from 3-7 p.m. Curbside unloading available; no appliances will be accepted.

On the day of the sale, bring proof that you participated in the community’s full-scale emergency event and receive a discount off your purchase.  The emergency event will take place from 7:30 a.m. to noon the morning of the sale at Ann Arbor Open @ Mack. E-mail Director of Communications Liz Margolis to participate at margolis@aaps.k12.mi.us. She is seeking staff, parents and students in grades 7-12 to volunteer for roles in the emergency drill.

PTO Council hosts Launch Party

The third annual Ann Arbor PTO Council Launch Party will take place on on Monday, Oct. 18 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at Logan Elementary School, 2685 Traver, Ann Arbor.

The event gathers PTO and PTSO officers from Ann Arbor under one roof for a night of information and socializing. It’s one of the council’s ways of ‘building strength through unity,’ which is the PTO Council’s motto,  said PTOC President Martine Perreault.

The evening will feature a special presentation by Interim Superintendent Robert Allen, music by the Community High School Jazz Combo, nibbles and noshes by Chartwells Catering as well as several breakout sessions on these topics:
• Curriculum FAQs
• Role of a principal
• Administration Services Available to Your PTO

The event is free to PTO/PTSO officers and aspiring officers, but those planning to attend should RSVP via the evite sent to them or by responding by e-mail to PTOCexec@gmail.com

The group’s mission is “to contribute to quality schools and facilitate parent involvement by helping identify and resolve common issues, and by promoting and sharing ideas and innovations.”

Countywide cyber school pilot proposed for Stone this fall

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• Stone students STRIVE to attend college

By Casey Hans
AAPSNews Service

Ann Arbor’s Stone High School is the proposed site this fall for a countywide cyber-school pilot program that would serve up to 180 high schools students who have either dropped out of school or who are at risk of doing so.

Called WAY Washtenaw, (Widening Advancements for Youth), the year-round secondary program is coordinated through the Washtenaw Intermediate School District and Inclusion U.S., a nonprofit that provides technology and program support for managing student projects.

“We found the kids are out there and they want to come to school,” said WISD Assistant Superintendent Rick Leyshock. “We want them to be in a safe learning environment where they can really develop and learn.”

The Ann Arbor Board of Education heard an overview of the program during a first reading on Wednesday night.

In the project-based program, students will be expected to learn and interact remotely in an online community, reporting to Stone twice each week where they can get help from on-site staff. They also will be in touch regularly online with mentors and project leaders to ensure they are making progress and meeting mandatory high school graduation requirements.

An estimated 600 students have dropped out of high school in Washtenaw County, officials said, prompting the desire and need for such a program. WAY Washtenaw will target students age 16-19 who have dropped out or who have disengaged from traditional high school.

Called “researchers” in the program, students are assigned computers and staff will do home visits to ensure there is an area in which students can work and be successful. Students will remain part of their home school district, so they can participate in sports, music or other extracurriculars at their home high school while enrolled in WAY Washtenaw. Their high school degree will be earned through their home district.

Stone High Principal Sheila Brown and Ann Arbor’s Director of Instructional Technology Monique Uzelac will coordinate the pilot.

Uzelac said a Washtenaw County curriculum team visited other cyber-school programs last December, which generated a lot of excitement and planted the seed for the Washtenaw model. She said 180 student seats were selected as a starting point for the pilot after the team reviewed county dropout rates, talked with area superintendents to gauge interest and estimated how many students might possibly enroll.

Although each district is assigned a number of seats in the program based on their dropout numbers, Leyshock said seats can be used by other districts if slots are not filled.

The program will have 30 part-time mentors, three full-time program leaders and two technicians. It is funded through state per-pupil foundation allowance money, Leyshock explained. Registration for the program is taking place now and will continue through mid-September, when the state’s official count of students takes place to determine the level of funding to school districts.

Parents and students interested in the program can apply online or call for information. They will then have a personal interview and receive full application packets. Once enrolled, staff conducts home visits to ensure there is proper connectivity for the online program and then students are assigned a mentor who will work with them on their projects, which will be reviewed weekly for progress in meeting Michigan high school standards.

Uzelac said plans include training counselors around the county so they can learn about the program and refer appropriate students to it.

Original plans called for piloting WAY Washtenaw in 2011-12, but Leyshock said local superintendents were so enthusiastic that the launch of a pilot was moved to this fall. “I feel there enough legs to this that we will want to scale up big for this the following year,” he added.

Washtenaw’s virtual school project is based on a program called NotSchool (www.inclusiontrust.org/notschool/) in the United Kingdom, which, since 2000, has engaged 5,000 teens who have been out of school in an online learning community. A program looked at locally was Wayne County’s Westwood Cyber School, which has had success since it launched in February 2009.

Glen Taylor is executive director of Inclusion U.S. that partners with districts in Clio in Genesee County and in the Upper Peninsula (www.wayprogram.net.) Taylor’s nonprofit handles the online learning community for WAY projects and will monitor and report upon student progress online.

“We are a nonprofit facilitating programs that are growing and working to create more options for kids,” Taylor explained.

Taylor, the former head of the Westwood Cyber School, said the cyber school approach is gaining popularity around the country including projects in New Jersey, New Mexico and Pennsylvania. Activity in Michigan comes after recently enacted state education reforms boosted the dropout age from 16 to 18 beginning with students graduating in 2016. Taylor said the Michigan Department of Education earmarked $650,000 last fall to address dropout rates and these types of programs.

WAY Washtenaw is one of several high school programs WISD is doing in education partnerships around the county. Other programs either in place or being planned include: an Early College Alliance with Eastern Michigan University, an International Baccalaureate program, New Tech High @ Ardis (a small, academy that uses technology in a project-based environment) and STEM, an academy that will feature a math, science, technology and engineering focus.

The Ann Arbor school board also heard a presentation on the Early College Alliance on Wednesday night.

For more information about the WAY Washtenaw program, visit online or contact: WISD Director of Assessment, Planning & Research Naomi Norman at (734) 994-8100, ext. 1263 or via e-mail.

Casey Hans edits this newsletter for The Ann Arbor Public Schools. E-mail her or call 734-994-2090, internal ext. 51228.

Stone students STRIVE for college, Rotarians help with scholarships

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Click here for a PDF download of the Fall 2010 enrollment information for Stone High School or visit www.a2stone.org/stone.home/home for information. At the end of this story is a list of information meetings for those interested in the Stone program.

Stone High School Class of 2010 members share some highlights of graduation, comments from graduates about their post-high school plans and end-of-year photos in a student-produced video. Click here.

RELATED STORY: Cyber school pilot proposed for Stone this fall

By Casey Hans
AAPSNews Service

Dylan Farr can’t say enough good things about going to college.

Not only does he love his classes and teachers, he is learning a lot about the craft of writing and hopes to develop it into a career by earning his associate’s degree in technical writing at Washtenaw Community College.

Dylan Farr, now a student at Washtenaw Community College, is a Stone High School graduate who went through the STRIVE program. At WCC, he has a weekly radio show.

“It’s going really well,” said the 2009 Stone High School graduate. “I’ve been able to pass all of my classes and I’ve met really interesting people. In high school, everybody’s in little cliques and I didn’t care much for that. I’ve made a lot of friends in college and I’ve learned a lot.”

He’s able to attend WCC thanks to a STRIVE scholarship – a 10-year-old partnership between the school and mentors from the Downtown Ann Arbor Rotary Club. Students Taking Renewed Interest in the Value of Education, or STRIVE, allows seniors to qualify for scholarships based on their academic improvement through their senior year. Teaming students with adult mentors, the program is designed to encourage them to attend college and pursue a career path.

Farr has attended college for a year now, and despite a recent diagnosis of multiple sclerosis, he said he’s determined to get that degree. “I’m not going to let this get me down,” he said. “It’s not the end of the world.”

Farr even came back last spring to speak with graduating Stone seniors and share his story, encouraging them to continue their education. He not only takes college courses, but has his own weekly radio show on Orchard Radio, the WCC internet broadcast station. He is the son of Sharon Farr, who is a paraprofessional for the Ann Arbor district.

Encouraging scholarship use

Wendy Correll and Lois Jelneck co-chair the Rotary STRIVE committee. Correll said Rotary mentors talk with their charges about college, future career paths and work through whatever barriers they might have to using the scholarship money.

Wendy Correll, executive director of the Ann Arbor Public Schools Educational Foundation and co-chair of the Rotary STRIVE Committee.

“We’re not psychological counselors, but we’re there to help them set a path to get there,” explained Correll, who also heads up the AAPS Educational Foundation as its executive director.

In the past, the scholarships haven’t always been used. This year, club members, school counselors and WCC staff have worked together to ensure that students who receive scholarships use them. Mentors started meeting with students earlier in the year to develop a deeper relationship and they met more often as a group, hosting “Subway” lunches at the school.

Correll said the lunches brought the mentors and students together in a comfortable setting – the school – and allowed a lot of give and take. “It gave us a formal setting to meet with students,” she said. “Most of the time, we’ve had a large crowd of students there.”

Jelneck, a longtime Rotarian, has been involved with the program since the beginning. She said the mentorship component is instrumental to success.  “You have to establish a relationship,” she said. “These kids really work hard to overcome a lot of obstacles.”

Having worked in different nursing roles and now as a home care consultant, Jelneck said she has often been paired with students who want to go into her profession. “I tell them nursing allows them to do anything you want. You can work most any hours – it’s very flexible,” she added.

The STRIVE program has touched many lives, Jelneck added. “It’s important to never give up on these kids,” she said. “We need to really nurture them and encourage them to go on. Give them a sense of worth.”

Students sign contracts at the start of their senior year promising to maintain good attendance, stay drug- and alcohol-free and improve academically. Students with the most-improved GPAs receive the scholarships. Rotary mentors sign on for two years: The first to guide students through senior year to graduation and college enrollment; the second year to mentor them through their first year at WCC, Correll added.

Scholarships are earmarked directly for WCC enrollment and the Rotary works closely with the registrar and financial aid office for a smooth transition.  Money for the scholarships is raised mainly through the Rotary fundraisers: A golf and tennis outing in the summer and another major event during the year.

The 2010 scholarship recipients include: Stephen Armstead III, Bryanna Brandon, Alex DeHart, Nathaniel Graulich, Brittany Hayes, Shakayla Lee, Johntya Lyons, Kiandra Madison, Ashley McElroy, Alycia Perry, Chris Roopchand, Larissa Sutton, Candice Thomas and Quin-Tez Tomlin.

STRIVE parallels school’s goals

At Stone, Principal Sheila Brown said the expanded STRIVE effort ties in nicely with the school’s push to set an expectation of achievement among students, something she calls a “culture of college.”

“Now, it’s not a matter of if they graduate,” Brown said. “Our focus is to transition to college and a career. We help them find ways to make that come true.”

Brown said the school has hosted parent workshops on finance to get them involved with the process and tracks student academic progress carefully. For example: she personally reviews and signs each report card.

“We want to have the kids understand we’re serious about their academic performance,” she said. “It’s a way to say ‘we believe in you.’ ”

Counselor Daphne Slater said Stone had a higher percentage of graduates this year that earned STRIVE scholarships. “And that’s exciting. It really is. It’s about getting students into that mindset.  … I’d like to see more kids make it to the end (with scholarships.)”

English and writing teacher Brittiany Sanford took on the role of grad coach at Stone this year. In her new role, she helped students find scholarships, fill out paperwork and she brought in college experts and took students on field trips to college campuses. Working closely with Washtenaw Community College, she took students there for prerequisite testing and got them enrolled.

She said the most rewarding part of working with STRIVE is seeing results. “It’s seeing the kids actually make it to the end,” she said.

Another way that students are encouraged about college and future careers is the STRIVE@Work program. Rotarian Rick Reid coordinates this part of the program, which takes students into the workplace for part of a day. There, they learn about corporate culture, available careers and talk with professionals.

“They really get a taste of what work is,” he said. “Most (employers) are more than willing to be part of this.”

He said encouraging students is one of the best gifts adults can give. “If you steal their hope in the future, then you’ve stolen everything,” he said.  “The scholarship opportunity is the hope. I think it’s essential.”

Any business owner who would like to participate in STRIVE@Work can contact Reid at 734-904-1121 or via e-mail.

Casey Hans edits this newsletter for The Ann Arbor Public Schools. E-mail her or call 734-994-2090 (internal ext. 51228.)

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Information meetings scheduled

Several meetings are scheduled this summer and fall to offer potential students information about the program at Stone High School for Fall 2011. Meetings are scheduled at 7 p.m. on the following dates:

  • Tuesday, Aug. 24
  • Tuesday, Aug. 31
  • Tuesday, Sept. 7

Stone High School is at 2800 Stone School Road, at the corner of Stone School and Packard roads. Call 734-997-1237 for more information. School for the 2010-11 school year begins on Tuesday, Sept. 7.

Partnership brings Ypsilanti students to Clemente, Stone

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By Casey Hans
AAPSNews Service

Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti school districts are collaborating on a tuition-based program allowing Ypsilanti students to attend alternative programs at Roberto Clemente Student Development Center and Stone High School in Ann Arbor.

Students work in a summer Geometry class at Roberto Clemente.

Ten students are already enrolled at Roberto Clemente, starting in the summer school program so they can effectively transition into the 2010 fall semester.

A number of students are also expected to enroll at Stone as school begins this fall, said Joyce Hunter, administrator for secondary education for the Ann Arbor Public Schools and a member of the committee that formed the partnership. There will not be a rolling enrollment, she said, but students will be able to sign up at the start of each semester.

“These schools have a smaller, individualized setting and can really make a difference for students,” Hunter said. “This is about people coming together to combine resources to create the best situation for kids.”

Kwame Stephens, assistant principal at Ypsilanti High School, said he referred a number of students for the summer session at Clemente after identifying those he thought would be successful there and meeting with parents and students to present the option. Ypsilanti does not have an alternative high school program.

Stephens said he thinks the partnership will be a good one. “All of these are just alternative methods of reaching students,” he said. “It’s an excellent opportunity for the most obvious reason: It’s another chance to help students be successful.”

Stephens said the two Ann Arbor alternative programs, as well as Ypsilanti’s New Tech High School @ Ardis are all good ways to assist students who are looking for a different learning environment than a large, traditional school setting.

Students figure out math problems in preparation for a presentation to the class.

The sharing partnership came into being when officials from Ypsilanti, Ann Arbor and Lincoln Consolidated Schools met during the 2009-10 school year to discuss the option of sharing resources, Hunter said. Lincoln also considered the program but is not sending any students this year, Hunter said.

Ypsilanti families must work through their own school counselors, teachers and administrators to apply to attend one of the Ann Arbor programs. Although the Ypsilanti students will retain their home district status, Ypsilanti will pay tuition to Ann Arbor for each student.

Clemente is a non-diploma program that prepares students to earn a diploma at their home school in Ann Arbor or Ypsilanti; Stone is an accredited high school that serves students in grades 11 and 12 and allows students to earn a diploma. Hunter said she has met with staffs at both schools to discuss transitioning the new students into the programs.

At Clemente, Principal Ben Edmondson said he wanted the Ypsilanti pupils to start in his program this summer to get them acclimated and ready to go in the fall.

About 80 students are attending summer school at Clemente, taking mostly math and English and credit recovery classes. Students continue to wear uniforms – white shirts and black pants – as part of the Clemente experience.

Edmondson said what Clemente offers is critical for non-traditional students. “This school is needed,” he explained. ‘Every student is at risk here.” The program is designed to help students and then transition them back into high school setting for graduation.  Since it is a non-diploma program, the staff works to build student confidence, control behavior and encourage good choices, improve grades and prepare them for a successful future.

Heading into the fall, Clemente has a waiting list of about 40 students for the first time in the program’s history.  The school will enroll about 110 for the fall semester, including the new students from Ypsilanti.

Co-lead teacher Barbara Malcolm said she is proud of the program she has worked for during the past 7 years. “I love to come to school,” she said, noting that each school day brings a new challenge and a new way to reach students. She said parent involvement with the program is key. “”We treat these kids exactly like our own,” she added.

The other co-lead teacher is Derrick Bird said his 6 years at Clemente “has been a positive experience.”  On a recent weekday, Bird and Edmondson were having a heart-to-heart talk with one student who had gotten into trouble outside of school. They used a tough, but caring, approach.

“For many of our kids, their home life is really tough,” Bird said. “That’s why we can really help them here.”

The partnership committee will next look at visiting other alternative programs to determine how they can best strengthen the Ann Arbor programs. There are at least two such programs in the state – Mott Community College in Flint and Kent County Schools in western Michigan – that they are considering for site visits, Hunter added.

Ypsilanti students attending Clemente’s summer school are able to pick up a bus at the Meijer store on Carpenter Road to get to class and Stephens said he was working to arrange transportation for students this fall, as well.

Students or parents interested in these alternative programs may contact one of the following people:
• Sheila Brown, principal at Stone High School, browns@aaps.k12.mi.us or call 734-997-1237.
• Benjamin Edmondson, principal at Roberto Clemente, edmondb@aaps.k12.mi.us or call 734-997-1236.
• (For Ypsilanti students) Kwame Stephens, assistant principal at Ypsilanti High School, stephens@ypsd.org or call 734-714-1004.

Casey Hans edits this newsletter for The Ann Arbor Public Schools. E-mail her or call 734-994-2090 (internal ext. 51228.)

High School students reach out to peers to teach about depression

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RELATED STORY: District partnership with U-M focuses on depression

By Casey Hans
AAPSNews Service

Emily Cepla has fought depression throughout high school and college. The University of Michigan senior said telling her parents about the problem was the best thing she did to put her life back on track.

U-M senior Emily Cepla speaks about her experience with depression to students at the Roberto Clemente Center. The Peer-to-Peer program in Ann Arbor high schools is part of the district's partnership with the U-M Depression Center.

“I thought if I told people, they’d think I was crazy or suicidal,” Cepla told high school students at Ann Arbor’s Roberto Clemente Student Development Center at a recent all-school assembly. “After I told my parents, they got me into therapy. It was the best decision of my life.”

Cepla shared her story with students at the culmination of the school’s Peer-to-Peer Awareness Campaign, which is part of the Ann Arbor Public Schools’ partnership with the University of Michigan Depression Center. Spring events also have taken place or are planned at Community, Stone, Skyline and Huron high schools, designed to raise awareness of depression and its symptoms and reduce the stigma of getting help.

Cepla told students she tried many different drugs and went to eight different counselors over her years of treatment with varied success. She said she has now found the right drug to treat her depression and sees a counselor she trusts.

“Only you know if something is wrong,” she told students. “Ask for help if you need it. There’s nothing to be ashamed of. You deserve to be happy, you deserve to be loved and you deserve to get better.”

Cepla spoke at Roberto Clemente with Polly Gipson, a clinical child psychologist at the U-M Department of Psychiatry’s Child and Adolescent Section.

Gipson said that, although there is sadness in everyone, sometimes depression exhibits itself as irritable behavior and anger. “I know we all have periods of time we might feel sad of down and that’s to be expected,” she said. “It’s when we have it for weeks at a time that we get concerned.”

Some signs of adolescent depression include:
• Lack of enjoyment
• Weight changes
• Changes in sleep patterns
• Loss of energy
• Feelings of hopelessness or worthlessness
• Problems concentrating

She noted that young women are at a higher risk of depression and that sometimes living arrangements, parental relationships and a lack of self esteem can also play a role in depression risk, especially in African-American youth.

‘I think it’s very necessary. I know friends who are depressed and they kind of run away from it. Some of them do things like take drugs to hide from it. By informing people of it, you will help to save lives.’
– Richard Johnson III,  president of the Roberto Clemente Student Council who helped to organize the Peer-to-Peer awareness event

Gipson urged students who have signs of depression to talk with a school staff member, a parent or someone close to them such as an older cousin, sibling or youth minister to get help. “There’s a lot of people rooting for you,” she said. “Talk to someone you trust. Tell someone who can help you.”

Roberto Clemente junior Richard Johnson III is president of the school’s new Student Council and is one of several students that helped organize the Peer-to-Peer Awareness Campaign and event. The April 14 event included talks from experts, as well as some student and staff discussion and an impromptu rap poem by two students about “feeling good about yourself.”

“I think it’s very necessary,” Johnson said about the campaign, which educates students so that they can learn to help each other. “I know friends who are depressed and they kind of run away from it. Some of them do things like take drugs to hide from it. By informing people of it, you will help to save lives.”

Johnson said the program is important at a smaller, close-knit school like Clemente, where many staff and teachers serve as mentors and can be the type of person students will go to with concerns. “We’re family here,” he added.

Clemente Principal Ben Edmondson told students his personal story: When he and his family moved to the area 10 years ago, his wife became depressed and reached out for help. The move away from their family support network and the stresses it placed on her were just too much, he said. He encouraged students to pay attention to people in their life who might become depressed suggested students seek out help at school if they need it.

He also talked about himself and how he sought out a counselor when he attended the University of Virginia. “It was the best thing I could do,” he said.

Project Coordinator Stephanie Salazar has worked with Peer-to-Peer projects in Ann Arbor high schools. She also coordinates the Campus Mind Works Web project at the U-M Depression Center, which offers online assistance and education for college students seeking help for depression.

At Stone High School, the “Stressed and Depressed” program was a partnership between the U-M Depression Center, the Stone Youth Advisory Council and the Regional Alliance for Healthy Schools Health Center.

“It’s gone really well,” she said of the Ann Arbor Peer-to-Peer program. “It’s been nice to see it come to fruition.” She said the center staff is planning an end-of-school celebration to bring all of the high schools students together to assess the program.

Other Ann Arbor high schools have had activities or are planning programs as well:
• At Stone High School, the “Stressed and Depressed” program was a partnership between the U-M Depression Center, the Stone Youth Advisory Council and the Regional Alliance for Healthy Schools Health Center at Stone. It offered a skit performed by the Youth Advisory Council students as well as a student interviewing a small panel about adolescent depression.
• Community High’s program was part of the school’s lunch-and-learn series which spoke about the importance of good sleep habits for mental health.
• Huron High School had a speaker in sophomore health and wellness classes. Part of the program included a depression video made by students.
• Skyline High School plans an event in May to coincide with National Childrens Mental Health Awareness Day. Students are having t-shirts and bracelets made with their slogan “Stigma Hurts, Awareness Helps.”

More information and resources for adolescent depression can be found at the U-M Depression Center website.

Casey Hans edits this newsletter for The Ann Arbor Public Schools. E-mail her at  or call 734-994-2090, internal ext. 51228.

Student peacemaking program expands to 4 more schools

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• Positive Peer Influence group has a long history at Pioneer

By Casey Hans
AAPSNews Service

The roles are set: Two Slauson Middle School students are peer mediators; two others play a boyfriend and girlfriend in a dispute from an off-site party that has carried over to school.

The “boyfriend” has apparently flirted with another girl.

Slauson Middle School students work out a role-playing situation as part of the Peers Making Peace mediation program, new at the school this year.

Tempers flare and accusations fly, but eighth-grade conflict managers Lalita Ramirez-Lopez and Evan Shambaugh hold to their rules. They follow a script and procedure they’ve been taught through Peers Making Peace – a new program at the Ann Arbor middle school this year.

“No interrupting,” says Evan firmly, putting an arm out toward Alina Frye, who is beginning to speak directly to her “boyfriend,” played by Mason Kupina. “Don’t talk to him.”

The students must communicate via the peer mediators. They use questions such as “would you like to add anything?” and “what do you need to feel OK about this situation?” and “what can you do to solve this problem?”

“It’s good to get everybody in an opportunity to solve a conflict,” said Evan after the exercise. “It makes sure they listen to the other person.”

The program is gaining ground in Ann Arbor secondary schools, empowering students to help peers resolve their own disputes and keep potential problems from escalating into larger issues.

Conflict managers from the Slauson Middle School "Peers Making Peace" program, which is new at the school this year.

Pioneer High School adopted it in 2007 and four other Ann Arbor schools trained in the program this year including Slauson, Skyline High School and alternative programs at Stone High School and the Roberto Clemente Student Development Center, said Kenzi Bisbing, youth services manager for the Oakland Mediation Center who oversees the program that serves more than a dozen schools in southeast Michigan.

Bisbing said the program is “for students, by students. Our ultimate vision is that will be at every, single grade level.”

The program is funded through a Title IV Safe and Drug Free Schools federal grant, so districts pay no money for training.

The program not only equips students with skills to resolve disputes, but also reduces staff time spent on discipline and improves school climate, according to program information. Research shared by the OMC shows that schools using the national program have generated a 75 percent drop in expulsions, a 90 percent drop in assaults and a 57.7 percent drop in discipline referrals.

Stone, Clemente and Slauson have trained students and Skyline is scheduled to train students in April, Bisbing said. A three-day trainer workshop was conducted in Ann Arbor last fall for staff who, in turn, train students and put the team in place. Training includes the principles behind mediation and communication and problem-solving skills, as well as team-building exercises.

Slauson teacher Donna McVey and counselors Jan Mackenzie and Grace Harbison are program advisers. They say it should make the established program at Pioneer and the new one at Skyline stronger as students move into high school.

“Conflicts are like an onion. Layers and layers of things may have taken place at earlier times,” explained McVey. “You see them (students) in a bad mood, you check in. If you do see them going at it again, you can pull them right in.”

McVey said students are generally comfortable being part of it.  “We talk about the school as a community,” she said. “They love that they can talk to someone and it’s private. Whatever happens in the room stays in the room.”

Slauson Principal Chris Curtis is pleased with it. “I think it’s a terrific program,” he said. “I’m very supportive of it. It empowers the students. The district has done similar things, but this has been a more organized and thorough approach.”

At Stone High School, counselor Madeline Davis works both with the Positive Peer Influence class – designed to help students with challenges that may interfere with their academics – and the new  Peers Making Peace.

Fourteen Stone students were trained in PMP in conjunction with several students from Roberto Clemente, where community liaison Barbara Malcom coordinates the program.

“All of my leaders are good students and keep up their grades; that’s a requirement of the program,” Davis said.  “We’ve had some referrals already.” She said her PMP leaders are ” in the know, so they come to me. That’s what I’m so proud of. They’re able to maintain relationships (within school) but stand out as leaders.”

Davis said Pioneer counselors Evelyn Tolson and Sara Vance approached Davis about implementing it at Stone. “I went (to training) and the rest is history,” she said. “I love that students are empowered. I think the students are relieved that there’s a place to come to resolve issues. They don’t want to fight.”

Stone senior Nate Graulich is a trained conflict manager and has handled two situations so far. “It gives the kids a chance to talk about things instead of fighting and leaving school,” he said. Graulich said often the student leaders check in informally with fellow students following a PMP session, after which students have signed an agreement about how to proceed.  “They know they’re accountable,” he added.

“I see (the program) growing and getting bigger,” said Davis, noting that she is hearing students use some of their skills in everyday conversation around school. “It’s something we’re committed to. It will all contribute to the positive culture we’re trying to create an maintain.”

The Oakland Mediation Center is the only entity credentialed in Michigan to train school staff in the Peers Making Peace program. Visit www.mediation-omc.org for information.

Casey Hans edits this newsletter for The Ann Arbor Public Schools. E-mail her at or call 734-994-5090 ext. 51228.

In-school clinics aim at healthy approach for students and families

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By Casey Hans
AAPSNews Service

Whether illness, injury, mental health services or preventative care are needed, two clinics in The Ann Arbor Public Schools stand ready to serve students and their families on site.

Lydia McBurrows, a nurse practitioner who supervises the health clinic at Stone High School, sits in the waiting area where a student mural graces the wall.

The University of Michigan Regional Alliance for Healthy Schools operates health centers at Stone High School and at Scarlett Middle School, which also serves the elementary school communities of Bryant, Carpenter, Mitchell and Pittsfield. The program also has clinics at schools in neighboring Willow Run and Ypsilanti.

“We try to do everything to take care of the whole person. We bridge a gap – we’re not here to replace a family doctor,” explained Tiffany Moore, a social worker with RAHS at Stone High School, who offers counseling and social services. “As a counselor, I meet with the families also.”

Lydia McBurrows, a nurse practitioner who supervises the Stone clinic, said they focus on teen health and that there are a number of programs to keep students healthy and engaged. An eight-week “Mood Matters” program deals with the effect of nutrition and fitness on a student mood and a five-week anger management group also meets on site. Stone also has a student Youth Advisory Council that deals with various topics of interest to students and helps to educate them on health matters, she said.

RAHS functions with the guidance of a Community Advisory Board that includes parents, students and community leaders who talk about the program and it’s operation. The program is operated by the University of Michigan Health System Community Health Services in collaboration with the Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti and Willow Run districts, which provide in-kind space for the clinics to operate.

About 500 students and their families are seen each year at Scarlett and 200 students at Stone.

“There’s a high need here, but a lower volume,” McBurrows said said of the Stone program. “Even though we don’t have the same numbers, it’s important we’re here.”

Jennifer Salerno is the RAHS director and has been with the program for 11 years, shortly after it began. “As the program has grown, I’ve grown up with it,” she said.

The Ann Arbor clinics were started through a partnership between The Ann Arbor Public Schools and the University of Michigan Health System and Saint Joseph Mercy Health System at Carpenter Elementary School in 1996, according to Norma McCuiston, coordinator of partnerships and projects for the district.  ”Essentially, the partnership got the whole program started,” she added.

They launched at Carpenter and Mitchell elementary schools, opening in Scarlett in 2001, began serving students in Pittsfield and Bryant elementaries in 2003 and opened a clinic at Stone in 2004 with a grant obtained specifically for that program. In 2004, RAHS lost a major portion of funding and incorporated elementary school care into the clinic at Scarlett.

The programs started with limited space in the schools and have grown as staffing was increased and the number of students served increased, Salerno said, adding that a key part of the work the community and educational component the clinics provide.

“I think it’s important to help kids understand their health,” Salerno said. “What it means to be healthy and how it connects with your success in school and in life.”

At Scarlett, the school clinic is hopping, said Velda Coleman, another nurse practitioner who supervises that site.

“It’s been very rewarding,” said Coleman, who has been on site for about 7 months. “And we are very busy here. We get everything: headaches, cramps, injuries and colds, especially when the flu season was here. One of the biggest things we do is educate students about their health.”

RAHS accepts private medical insurance and also accepts fees that are calculated on a sliding scale. It also receives funding from UMHS, the Michigan Department of Education, the Michigan Department of Community Health, The U-M Department of Family Medicine and Pediatrics, the Washtenaw County Health Organization, the United Way of Washtenaw County and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.

Salerno said funding is always an issue with such a program, and has been even more so with a down economy. She said staff members roles have been restructured some to continue to provide the same level of services.

Coleman encourages the public to support the school-based clinics. “Not every school has it,” she said. “It’s a great value and a valuable resource for students.”

Casey Hans edits this newsletter for The Ann Arbor Public schools. E-mail her or call 734-994-2090 ext. 51228.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Regional Alliance for Healthy Schools
School-based Health Centers
(www.a2schools.org/rahs)

• Scarlett Middle School Clinic (734-677-2708)
2nd floor of Scarlett Middle School – Room 204
Hours: Monday 8 a.m.-4 p.m., Tuesday 8 a.m.-noon, Wednesday 8 a.m.-noon, Thursday 8 a.m.-4 p.m., Friday 8 a.m.-noon.

• Stone High School Clinic (734-973-9167)
Rooms 112 & 114
Hours: Monday 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m., Tuesday 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Weds 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m., Thursday 8:30 a.m. -2:30 p.m., closed on Friday.

School Bells: Budget feedback report Feb. 17

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The Ann Arbor Board of Education is scheduled to hear a report Wednesday, Feb. 17 from school administrators, wrapping up information gleaned from recent community budget meetings. The meetings, held in January around the district, were scheduled to gather suggestions from members of the public about ways to trim expenses or increase revenue in the district. An online survey also gathered feedback from the public.

The information is expected to be used as the school administration puts together a recommended budget for the district’s fiscal year starting July 1. A recommended budget will be brought to the board on March 24; it must adopt a formal budget in June.

Some of the areas suggested by school officials are negotiated staff wage reductions, privatizing custodial and transportation services, consolidating busing operations with other Washtenaw school districts, making changes with alternative high school programs at Stone School and Roberto Clemente Center and charging participation fees for athletics. Also considered are the elimination of teaching and administrative posts and looking at alternative approaches to things such as media center services, as the district works on a budget shortfall estimated at $21 million heading into the new fiscal year that begins July 1.

Healthy schools program hosts two open houses

The University of Michigan Regional Alliance for Healthy Schools is hosting two open houses at Ann Arbor schools that have in-school health clinics.

The open houses will be:
• Tuesday, Feb. 16 from 1-3 p.m. at Scarlett Middle School, 3300 Lorraine Street.
• Wednesday, Feb. 17 from 9 a.mm. to 2 p.m. at Stone High School, 2800 Stone School Road.

The open houses are to celebrate February as School Based Health Center Month. The Regional Alliance for Healthy Schools has school-based health centers providing services to six Ann Arbor Public Schools as well as buildings in the Ypsilanti and Willow Run districts. The Ann Arbor schools include Stone High School, Scarlett Middle School and Bryant, Carpenter, Mitchell and Pittsfield elementary schools.

Westfield-Sleeman Track and Lillie Gym Names OK’d

Longtime boys track coach Don Sleeman was honored this month by having his name added to the track at Pioneer High School track and the Tappan Middle School gymnasium was named after gym teacher Rob Lillie.

The track will now be dubbed Westfield-Sleeman Outdoor Track and the gymnasium Lillie Gym. The track is named both for Sleeman and longtime girls track coach Bryan Westfield. Westfield’s name was added to the track in June; the names of Sleeman and Lillie were added by the school board this month.

All three have served the district for more than 40 years.

The board accepts nominations to name facilities, or portions of facilities, after employees with extraordinary service.

Allen Elementary gets grant to create butterfly garden

The Allen Elementary School community plans to create a butterfly garden in its nature area, using funds from the grant it recently received from the Wildflower Association of Michigan and Hal and Jean Glassen Memorial Foundation. The expanded nature area will enable the Allen students to have a close-up opportunity to see butterflies, songbirds and other creatures that use the plants for food or shelter.

This spring, in addition to the school’s annual cleanup day, the Allen Parent Council will organize a planting day.

The council organizes twice-yearly cleanup days. At these events, volunteers including students, parents and staff maintain the existing nature area by removing invasive species, planting native plants and shrubs and spreading wood chips. The Ann Arbor Public Schools demonstrates its support by supplying wood chips and disposing of waste material after each work day.

Maintaining and enhancing the nature area helps Allen to remain certified as a Michigan Green School. In the past, Allen students, parents and teachers have helped plant seeds at the wet meadows in Buhr Park, which adjoins the Allen property. The school is also in close proximity to County Farm Park, operated by Washtenaw County. Together, these sites provide a diverse habitat and corridor for native plants and butterflies.

For more information, contact Joan Brush of the Allen PTO at 734-973-9161.

Donetta Brown honored for excellence

Huron High School office professional Donetta Brown received a Celebration of Excellence Award this month by the Ann Arbor Board of Education. She was nominated for Outstanding Customer Service by coworker Sharon Brown.

“Ms. Brown provided support to a peer who was suffering from a serious illness, treating her as if she were her own family,” the nomination read. “She has been a source of comfort and assistance that has gone above and beyond the “outstanding customer service” category. She has truly earned distinction as a loving hero.”

The awards are given throughout the school year and are sponsored by the Ann Arbor Board of Education and the Ann Arbor Public Schools PTO Council.

Skyline violinist to be featured at symphony

Skyline High School freshman Carmen Flesher will be the featured violin soloist with the Ypsilanti Symphony Orchestra on Sunday, Feb. 21 at 3:30 p.m. at Washtenaw Community College’s Towsley Auditorium. The 15-year-old musician will play Pablo de Sarasate’s “Carmen Fantasy.”

“I am totally thrilled and honored to perform with the orchestra. It’s a dream come true,” she said.

Flesher lives in Ann Arbor where she studies violin with Solomia Soroka. She started playing the violin at age 4 and over the last 10 years has played in several local ensembles and in symphony orchestras at Interlochen and Blue Lake – where she was one of the youngest members as well as a concert master of both. She plays regularly with a string quartet.

In addition to being a violinist, Flesher is a pianist and singer. A top academic student, she has received many honors including first place at both the Forsythe and Southeast Michigan Science Fairs last year. In 2008, she traveled to Japan as a student ambassador with the Hikone Exchange Program. She also plays soccer on the Michigan Jaguars premier team.

Tickets for the performance are available at the door or online. Cost: $10 for adults; $5 for seniors 65 and older; $25 for a familly of four or more. Details: 734-507-1451.

Schools raise money to help Haitians

A number of Ann Arbor schools have raised money for Haiti.

• The Forsythe Middle School community raised $2,440 and donated it to the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund.

• The Lawton Elementary School Service Squad collected $1101.50 through the “Every Cent Counts” fundraiser. Money will be donated to the American Red Cross.

• Greta Barfield’s CI students at Huron High School exhibited collected donations during lunch hours in the cafeteria bringing in $475.

• Burns Park Elementary School students in Jewel Charlise Walters class hosted a fundraiser of stickers, pencils, pens, books and small toys raising $2,182.29 for Haitian relief. They donated $1,396 to The Red Cross which was matched by TCF Bank. The remainder, $786.29, was donated to Doctor without Borders.

• Thurston Elementary School students raised $739.59. Money was raised through a bake sale in Julie Vanderhoff’s third grade class, special donations from Margaret Goodly’s and Sherry Powers-Murphy’s classrooms and a school-wide coin drive orchestrated by the Thurston Student Council.

For a listing of more school districts accomplishments and achievements, visit a2schools.org and click on “This Week In The Ann Arbor Public Schools” under the publications section. Or view these individual entries:
• Most current week
• Feb. 1, 2010

81 honored at Freedom Fund Dinner

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From AAPSNews Service

Eighty one Ann Arbor high school students were honored Nov 7 at the annual Freedom Fund Dinner, sponsored by the Ann Arbor Chapter of the NAACP.

African-American students who have earned at least a 3.2 grade point average in school are honored. The local event also honors the 100th anniversary of the NAACP as an organization, said chapter President William Hampton.

Keynote speaker for the event was Washtenaw County Sheriff Jerry L. Clayton.

Honorees included:

Community High School: First-year scholar Chelsea Evans-Warren; second-year scholars Max Bowen, Emily Milligan, Tamara Parks and Samantha Thomas.

Huron High School: First-year scholars Camyle Allen, Christiana Allen-Pipkin, Sariya Bryanch, Allante’ Burnell, Blaire Crockett, Tyler Davis, Sharzay Fields, JeJuan French, LaMicah Hughbanks, Kamaria Lee, Maya Long, Fatou Ndaw, Cynthia Ofili, Chinyere Onimo, Lindsey Whitlock, Dallas Williams; second-year scholars Brittany Cole, Gamuchirayi Dingwiza, Awah Ditah, Yonica Dupree, Marysa Hill, Jeremy Jackson and Imani Watkins; third-year scholars Whitney Foster, Ralph Green, Noelle Kahunguba, Devon Micou and Bre’Anna Simpson.

Pioneer High School: First-year scholars Malachi Bowerbank, Jazmine Cooper, DeLaynna Corley, Tobias Kpadenou, Kirby Lee, Ashli Marable, Jessica Obidike, Justin Pendleton, Daniesha Scott, Kyle Snedecor, Ana Vereen; second-year scholars William Anderson, Triesha Arnold, Tiffany Cole, Bradie Connor, Chloe Corley, Dominique Corley, Sabrina Gay, Gregory Goss II, Megan Graham, Mani Herring, Victoria Lloyd, Kailen McKay, Kaitlyn Mills, Davonte Powell, Jordan Robertson, Angelica Shipman, Crystal Smith, Willie Smith, Jr., Joshua Weiland and Aaron Wilson; third-year scholars Alyssa Goss, Ugochukwu Uche, Ayona Vanhorn-Lee, Christina Wade, Devin Webster and Brandis Yarrington.

Skyline High School: First-year scholars Senait Dafa, Hafsa Farah, Jeremy Jagers, Kelsy Lee, Jasper Lindsay, Noah Miller, Jonathan Muriu, Chaune’ Rael-Whitsitt, Ibrahim Saed and Paige Wint.

Stone High School: First-year scholar Brittany Hayes.

Hampton said the annual event “is almost like a graduation. They get to shake the superintendent’s hand and we give them a gift certificate from Borders.”

The Ann Arbor chapter concentrates heavily on education, giving out a scholarship to a worthy student each spring as well as tutoring students each Saturday, Hampton added.

The local chapter has 96 members.

School Bells: Student numbers increase in fall count

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SCHOOL BELLS

Following is a series of news briefs from The Ann Arbor Public Schools. Student and staff achievements and news of note in the school community may be submitted for publication. E-mail information to hansc@aaps.k12.mi.us. Submitted photos must be in a .jpg format, 200 dpi resolution.

Student numbers increase by 68 in fall count

Student counts taken this fall in The Ann Arbor Public Schools saw an unexpected gain of 68 students over last year. Officials had projected an increase of just 50 students, so were pleased with the increased numbers, said Liz Margolis, the district’s director of communications.

The district saw its largest growth in the high schools, she added. The new count brings the district’s total number of students to 16,489.

Fall and winter student counts determine how the state funds public school districts around the state. A blended number from the two counts is used to determine the number of pupils for funding; the state takes 75 percent of the total from the fall count and 25 percent from the previous winter count.

Student-made video used with History Channel documentary

A video created by Pioneer High School students Kyle Anderson and Aidan Barrer about the assassination of President John F. Kennedy was selected and used by producers of a documentary on The History Channel in October.

The two created the rap video as an assignment for their American Studies class with Brent Richards last year. They posted the video on Youtube and it caught the attention of a New York producer who asked for permission to use a portion of it in a documentary.

The documentary aired Oct. 12. Link to the video here.

H1N1 clinics canceled in the Ann Arbor schools

The Washtenaw County Department of Public Health wil not host H1N1 flu clinics in The Ann Arbor Public Schools this month as originally planned.

Instead, a mass vaccination clinic for high priority groups is scheduled for 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov 5 at the Eastern Michigan University Convocation Center, 299 North Hewitt Road, Ypsilanti.

The clinic is limited to the high-priority groups due to limited supply of the vaccin, health officials said.

High-risk groups include: Pregnant women, household and caregiver contacts of children younger than 6 months, health care personnel who provide direct patient care, children from 6 months through 4 years of age and children and teens age 5 through 18 who have medical conditions associated with a higher risk of influenza complications, such as asthma.

Health department officials have said they hope to begin getting more vaccine that can be offered to the general public as soon as possible.

For flu clinic information, call the health department at 734-544-6700 or visit publichealth.ewashtenaw.org.

OF NOTE

Following is a series of achievements about people in The Ann Arbor Public Schools community.

AAPS ESL students become citizens

Two Adult Education ESL (English as a Second Language) students from Russia received citizenship certificates in a ceremony in Detroit this fall.

Nina Stesikova has been in the United States since 2003 and enrolled in the Adult Ed program this past summer. Nina Pakhomova has been here for three years and started in Odette Petrini’s beginning ESL class two years ago.

Adult Ed offered the summer ESL class for the first time thanks to a No Worker Left Behind Adult Learning Demonstration grant funded through the Workforce Investment American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Ann Arbor Public Schools was awarded the grant as part of the Washtenaw Region Adult Education Collaborative.

Stone High School teacher wins grant

Stone High School teacher Joanna Johnson won a grant this fall from DonorsChoose.org for a project called “Cooking Class.”  This donation is for approximately $500 worth of equipment that she will use to help students gain skills in food preparation.

National Merit semifinalists at Huron, Community high schools

Huron High School reported 23 semifinalists in the 2010 National Merit Scholarship Competition. They include:  Siyue Ai, Rebecca Cao, Yanoing Chen, Robin He, David Hiskens, Robert Isenberg, Lanxin Liu, Nicholas Luongo, Eric McCabe, Rachel Miller, Renee Philson, Christina Rowan, Kathleya Strode, Callie Svaan, Xu Tang, Michael Toner, Catherine Vogt, Brett Williams, Victoria Wu, Daniel Yang, Qiao Zhang, Jonathan Zhu and Tianyang Zou.

In addition, Donovan Hyter is a semifinalist in the 2010 National Achievement Scholarship Competition.

Community High School reported six semifinalists. They include: Anna Bogolomova; Stephanie Chueh; Catrin Dowd; Zoya Erdevig; Quentin Long; and Hannah Sorscher. Community High also had one semi-finalist in the 2010 National Achievement Scholarship Competition – Max Bowen – and two commended students in the 2010 National Merit Program, Ariana Rastelli and Kayla Stoler.

Teacher honored in Celebration of Black Men

On Oct. 10, Thurston Elementary School fifth-grade teacher Michael Johnson was honored by the Delta Psi Omega Chapter of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority at the group’s 8th Annual Celebration of Black Men Brunch for his contributions to education.

In addition to honoring five men who have made significant contribution, they recognized seven area black high school seniors as Young Men of Promise.

Teacher receives leadership award

Sal Barrientes, a language arts teacher at Scarlett Middle School, has received the 2009 NCTE Affiliate Leadership Development Award supported by a partnership between National Council of Teachers of English and Pearson Education.  He was nominated by the Michigan Council of Teachers of English.

The award recognizes early career teachers who demonstrate a capacity for professional leadership as well as a willingness to join and participate in their affiliates during the 2009-2010 academic year. The $500 award is to help defray the costs of attending the NCTE Annual Convention in Philadelphia, Penn. On Nov. 21.

Partnership brings special program to Mitchell

Kate Kuper, teaching artist with the Kennedy Center, presented the workshop “Dancetalk:  Creative Movement and Language Development” and spent time in second-grade classrooms on Oct. 8-9 through the AAPS partnership with the University Musical Society.

Art, media, physical education and vocal music specialists from Mitchell Elementary attended the workshop along with three second-grade teachers. Kuper worked in the second-grade classrooms, using movement and muscle memory to build language and literacy skills. The teachers received a copy of her CD to use in their classes in the future.

Huron drumline volunteers for Big House Big Heart run

On Sunday Oct. 4, members of the Huron High School Marching Band Drumline volunteered their time and talent at the Big House Big Heart run. The drumline played for about an hour at the halfway point of the 5k run and then relocated to play along the route of the 1-mile fun run.  They finished the day by playing through the tunnel and into the University of Michigan stadium.

Mosaic Foundation sponsors school field trips

The Ann Arbor Mosaic Foundation donated funds to sponsor field trips for K-12 students to the Detroit Science Center.  Each field trip includes a tour of the Detroit Science Center and an IMAX movie that supports elementary science curriculum. At Logan Elementary, the following teachers will participate:  Hyeuo Park, Amy Naples-Webster, Michael McIntosh, Katy LaCroix, Dee Dee Combi, Dante Watson and Erica Hatt.