2006-07 AAPS News & Events

Announcements on this page are arranged chronologically, with the most recent announcement at the top.

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New High School Graduation Requirements Information Session for Current 7th Grade Parents & Guardians

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AAPS Sponsors e-Waste Recycling Event: Saturday, April 21, 2007

The Ann Arbor Public Schools are sponsoring a county-wide e-waste recycling event on Saturday, April 21, 2007 in the Pioneer High School parking lot from 8am - 2pm (rain, snow or shine).  Bring your items to the parking lot and they will be unloaded from your car for you.  All e-waste items will be recycled by an EPA-certified company (and will not be resold or exported).

What can be recycled?

Items we can accept: Computer Systems & Accessories Cables       CD-ROM/DVD drives CPUs       All-in-One CPU/Display Hubs       Keyboards Laptops LCD Displays Memory Mice       Monitors       Routers       Servers       Software       Speakers Switches       Wires       Handhelds       Cell phones Pagers PDAs       Audio and video equipment Camcorders Cameras Projection televisions Radios/Stereos       Tape players Televisions     VCRs       Office Equipment Fax machines Photocopiers   Printers       Scanners Household Electronics Electronic game systems Microwave ovens Surge Protectors Telephones Two-way Radios

Sorry, we cannot accept: Adding Machines       Air Conditioners Batteries not integral to computer systems       Loose Batteries       Cardboard       Contaminated equipment of any type       Cracked or broken CRT Monitors       Dehumidifiers Electronics in wood cabinets       Hair dryers       Hazardous equipment of any type       Hot curlers             Paper Refrigerators Stoves       Styrofoam       Surge Protectors       Toner cartridges         Typewriters       UPS systems Washers/Dryers

For more information, please contact John McMahon, Project Manager, at jtmacman@apple.com or 734-389-5525.

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AAPS Middle School Students Learn Healthy Habits from Project Healthy Schools

Project Healthy Schools, a collaborative project between the University of Michigan and the Ann Arbor community, has proven to be a success in its first two years.  Data collected from the 2005-06 school year showed a reduction in the number of students with elevated blood pressure, blood glucose, and cholesterol levels among the students that participated. 
For more information about this program:
University of Michigan Health Services Press Release
March 30, 2007 Detroit Free Press Article, "Students Slim Down"

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AAPS High School Students Get Creative on John Lennon Educational Tour Bus

Friday, March 30th, several AAPS students were able to experience something that is very rare and was totally unplanned until about 2 weeks ago. District staff learned that the John Lennon Educational Tour Bus would be in the area for a special stop at the “Battle of the Bands” venue in Detroit, MI. Since this resource works closely with Apple, some phone calls were made to determine if they would be willing to make an unscheduled stop in Ann Arbor. To our surprise and good fortune they agreed! The  bus is a mobile professional recording studio staffed with some of the finest audio and video engineers in the country. Starting at 7:40 am, tours of the bus were conducted for approximately 150 students. Following the tours and for the remainder of the day, 7 students from Ann Arbor schools worked nonstop to write, record, film, process, and finalize a music video, the theme of which was “Coming Together”. It was an exciting and eye-opening experience for all of them. There are many people to thank for getting this all together in such a short period of time but special mention should be made of the roles played by Justin Beck and John McMahon from Apple who provided us with this opportunity, David Leach (Pioneer Director of Bands) who coordinated the talent selection, Lou Young for agreeing to host the event and Brad Mellor who, as usual, went out of his way to provide for the unusual and ever-changing transportation needs. None of this could have happened without their efforts and demonstrated support for the students of this District. Finally, the most important people of the day were our Ann Arbor student performers. They were: From Community High School, Omar Khan (drums) and Perry Grace (Acoustic/electric bass). From Pioneer High School, Won Woo Lee (guitar/clarinet) and Tim VanRiper (vocalist/keyboards). From Huron High School, Zach Wujcik (guitar), Giancarlo Soldi-Souza (guitar) and Christy Hoffman (video production). The results of their efforts will be on display on the WEB in the next few days. Below are some pictures from the day of the visit, including some shots taken while the students were filming their video.

Lennon Bus at Pioneer

AAPS Students and Lennon Bus Staff

AAPS Students in the bus recording studio

Recording the video in front of Michigan Stadium

Recording the video in front of Crisler Arena

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Ann Arbor Public Schools Invites Community to Budget Forums

Monday, February 19 Pioneer High School Cafeteria 7:00 p.m.

Wednesday, February 21 Huron High School Cafeteria 7:00 p.m.

At these sessions Superintendent Roberts, along with Deputy Superintendent for Operations, Robert Allen, will give an overview on how public school districts are funded, the district’s revenue projections and an overview of the district’s budget.

There will also be facilitated small group sessions in which attendees will be asked for input on district priorities and funding recommendations.

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22nd Annual College & Career Fair

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Ann Arbor Pioneer High School Principal Announces Retirement

Ann Arbor, MI… Mr. Louis E. Young Jr, principal at Ann Arbor Pioneer High School has announced his retirement effective at the end of 2006/2007 school year.

Mr. Young has served as principal for the past two years but has been a valuable member of the Pioneer administration and teaching team for 35 years.

The district will immediately begin the search for new leadership at Pioneer with the plan to have a new principal start in early July. The position will be advertised across the state and nationally. A process selection committee will include students, parents and staff. The process will include applications submissions, screenings, portfolio review as well as interviews and reference checks. The AAPS web site will have complete details by the end of the day, Jan. 30, 2007: www.a2schools.org/hrs.home .

“This opens a great opportunity for a strong and dedicated leader to step into an exciting school,” said Robert Galardi, Deputy Superintendent for Administrative and Human Resource Services. “The district is actively looking for the best candidate to provide Pioneer with leadership for many years to come.”

Mr. Young informed his staff and families this week. “I will always remain a strong proponent of high academic standards across the secondary school curriculum and will always look forward to maintaining the longstanding tradition of excellence established by Pioneer High School over the many past decades,” Mr. Young stated.

“Everyone in the Ann Arbor district greatly appreciates Mr. Young’s dedication to Ann Arbor students,” said Superintendent Todd Roberts. “It is very important that we find a great successor who can show the dedication to the Pioneer community as Mr. Young has displayed all these years.”

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, two comprehensive high schools, three alternative high schools, one pre-school and one adult education program.  As of September 2006, enrollment totaled 16,680 (excluding adult education and a portion of pre-school). The district employs 3,000 full and part-time staff members. Approximately 76 percent of the teaching staff holds a master's degree or above. The district serves a diverse ethnic and socioeconomic population of students with over 36 different countries represented by students in the district. The Ann Arbor Public Schools has opened a new preschool and family center and will open Skyline High School, a comprehensive high school with a magnet program, in September 2008. Every school in the district is undergoing facility renovations and updates to be completed over the next four years.

Media Contact: 
Liz Nowland-Margolis at Ann Arbor Public Schools,
(734) 994-2236

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Community High Announces Freshmen Application Procedures and 2007 Parent/Student Orientations

Five parent and student orientation session have been announced for families interested in applying for Community High School's freshmen slots for school year 2007-2008. The sessions will be held at the school located at 401 North Division Street and are scheduled for:

Wednesday, January 31	7:00-8:30 PM
Tuesday, February 6	7:00-8;30 PM
Wednesday, February 7	7:00-8;30 PM
Thursday, February 8	7:00-8:30 PM
Monday, February 12	7:00-8:30 PM

The application deadline is 4:00 PM  Tuesday, February 13, 2007.  Application packets will be available January 25 at all Ann Arbor Public Middle Schools, the Balas Administration Building, 2555 South State Street, and Community High School, 401 North Division Street. Applications may also be downloaded from the web sites at:
 
http://community.aaps.k12.mi.us/admissions_info_.htm
or
http://communityhigh.org/admissions
      
To be eligible for one of 108 open freshman slots, applicants must be current 8th graders, meet the district's residency requirements at the time of application,  attend an orientation meeting with parent/guardian, and submit a completed application to the Main Office, Community High School, by 4:00 PM on Tuesday, February 13, 2007.  The school's random selection will be held February 21.

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Information Session for Prospective Board of Education Candidates: January 9, 2007

ARE YOU INTERESTED IN BECOMING A CANDIDATE FOR THE ANN ARBOR PUBLIC SCHOOL BOARD OF EDUCATION?

The Ann Arbor Public School District will hold an Information Session for Prospective Candidates on:


Any person interested in becoming a candidate for the Ann Arbor Public School Board of Education is invited to attend this informal session.

One position available:

• One member will be elected to serve a four-year term (ending June 2011)

The Washtenaw County Clerk will run this election:

Please contact the County for questions about petition and filing procedures. The filing deadline is 4:00 p.m. Tuesday, February 13, at the Washtenaw County Clerk Office.

Questions about the Information Session? Call 994-2233, or email teriw@aaps.k12.mi.us

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Pioneer High School Students Released at 2p.m. on Tuesday, November 21st

Due to the memorial services for Bo Schembechler, Pioneer High School will release students at 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, November 21.
Parking for the memorial service will be allowed on Pioneer's lawn. Parking staff will be there to help direct visitors. The memorial service is scheduled to run between 1-2:30 p.m. at Michigan Stadium.
All Pioneer after school activities will still be held.

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New Comprehensive High School: All 7th & 8th Grade Parent Grade Configuration Survey Available Wednesday, October 25.

10/24/06

Dear Parents/ Guardians of 7th and 8th Grade Students.

As we develop the final plans for the third comprehensive high school, we need your input to help inform decisions we will be making. One such decision pertains to the grade configuration for the school as it opens in Fall 2008.

As of Wednesday, October 25, there will be a survey available online, via the district web site (www. aaps.k12.mi.us) or via a link from your school web site. From the survey we hope to gather information that will assist us in determining whether the school will open with 9th grade only or 9th and 10th grade.

Hard copies of the parent survey will also be available in your school’s main office starting on October 25.

We will be surveying 7th and 8th grade students as well with similar questions during their school day over the next few weeks.

The survey will start on Wednesday, October 25 and run through Friday, November 3. We hope that you will take a few minutes to go online or to fill out a hard copy of the survey. Your input is very important and valued.

If you have any questions please contact your school principal or call my office, 994-2230.

Thank you for taking the time to assist us in this survey.

Sincerely,

Todd Roberts, Ed.D.
Superintendent

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Ann Arbor Public Schools Hosts Community Finance Meetings

10/16/06

The Ann Arbor Public Schools (AAPS) is hosting two community meetings to present school financial and the district’s budget.

Dr. Todd Roberts, Superintendent of the district, will lead the discussion, which will offer an overview of pupil funding, how the district is impacted after 10 years of Proposal A as well as district revenue and the expense outlook.

There are two opportunities for community members to attend this meeting:

Thursday, October 19, 2006
6:30  -8:00 p.m.
Huron High School
Media Center

Thursday, October 26, 2006
6:30 – 8:00 p.m.
Pioneer High School
Schreiber Auditorium "Little Theater"

These meetings are open to staff, parents, students and community members
For more information contact Liz Margolis, 994.2236.

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National Walk to School Day is October 4, 2006

Wednesday, October 4, is National Walk to School Day!  Join other schools in the district and encourage your students, staff and children to walk, bike, scooter or run to school.  Walk with neighbors, friends, or family members!  Let's fill up our bike racks!

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Former AAPS Superintendent Presenting Talk on Contemporary Issues in Education

W. Scott Westerman, former teacher, curriculum coordinator, administrator and superintendent of AAPS, and Dean of EMU School of Education, will be coming to speak and share his expertise on topics including the pros and cons of charter schools, and the present and future ramifications of the No Child Left Behind legislation. There is no charge.  This event is sponsored by Delta Kappa Gamma and will be held in the Media Center at Pioneer High at 7pm on October 16, 2006.

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Ann Arbor Police Department Special Tactics Team Training at Slauson Middle School August 21, 2006

The Ann Arbor Police Department Special Tactics Team will be training on school property Monday, August 21st in the afternoon and evening. The team will work with school buses at the transportation lot in the afternoon, and will then conduct evening training exercises in Slauson Middle School after 5:00 PM. Slauson instructional staff should plan to leave the building by 5:00 PM on Monday, 8/21.
The police will pass out flyers to immediate neighbors and email the neighborhood watch groups in the area to forestall any concern.
We've been in discussions preparatory to this specific training for the past two months. AAPS has hosted the team for training exercises in several other buildings in the past. We are pleased to have a solid working relationship with the AAPD, and to support their efforts to develop an increased level of preparedness and familiarity with our facilities.

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2006-07 Ann Arbor Educational Foundation Grant Application Materials Now Available

The Ann Arbor Public Schools Educational Foundation is a 501c3 non-profit organization whose mission is to operate and act for the exclusive benefit of the Ann Arbor Public Schools.

The following Ann Arbor Public Schools Educational Foundation Grants are available to the AAPS Community.  For more please contact the Educational Foundation Office at 994-1969, or by email (mccuisto@aaps.k12.mi.us ).  The deadline for all grant applications is October 2, 2006.  Applications should be returned to Norma McCuiston, 2555 S. State Street (Balas I), Ann Arbor, MI 48104. 

New this year – universal application form for use with all grants offered. 
 Download the application* (120KB PDF)

AAPS EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION GENERAL GRANT - $1000.00, awards for innovative teacher-facilitated, hands-on classroom projects that increase student achievement and self-esteem.

ELEANORA BIHLER DAHLMANN ART GRANT - $500.00, in honor of Mrs. Dahlmann, an art lover, will be awarded by the Dahlmann family of Ann Arbor to an art teacher who proposes a classroom art project primarily devoted to painting.

BURNS PARK PLAYERS PERFORMING ARTS GRANTS - $1,000.00, for student performing arts projects.  This grant is funded by The Burns Park Players.

REPLICATION GRANTS - $1.000.00, for a limited number of previously funded grants to be replicated by other teachers in different schools.  If teachers are interested in duplicating a grant they should:

• Review the past grants that are available in the Partners for Excellence Office (Balas I) and
• Talk with the teacher(s) who wrote the original grant to ascertain how the replication could be enhanced or should be modified.

MARCY WESTERMAN GRANT FOR ART AND MUSIC TEACHERS - $500.00, in memory of Mrs. Westerman, a lover of the arts, former Board of Education member and community volunteer.  This grant will be awarded to an art or music teacher to improve instruction through the purchase of supplementary or special instructional materials or equipment, or to support exhibits, performances or special projects.

HURON FREETH FAMILY FUND - $1,000.00, for Huron High School teachers to enhance the educational experience of students.  This fund was established by the Douglas and Lucia Freeth family in appreciation of the excellent education received by their sons at Huron High School.

*Note:  To open this file, you need Acrobat Reader or some other PDF viewer installed on your machine.  If you use Acrobat Reader to open the file, you can type directly into the form fields, then print your application and send it in to the Educational Foundation office.