2010-11 News & Events

2011 Ann Arbor College & Career Fair

2/8/11

You may have already had some discussions with your son or daughter about post-high school education and career opportunities. If you haven’t, it’s not too early to begin. To assist you in this task, Ann Arbor Public Schools have scheduled their 26th annual College & Career Fair at Pioneer High School on Wednesday, March 30, 2011 from 6:00 - 8:00 P.M. Representatives from colleges all over the nation and businesses from the Ann Arbor area will be present to meet with you, answer your questions and provide you with pertinent literature. The colleges and businesses will have tables in the cafeteria, which is located near the clock-tower entrance to Pioneer High School. This night will provide your family with up-to-date information and enable you to make a person-to-person contact with college and business representatives. We look forward to seeing you there.

College & Career Fair Committee

Washtenaw International High School Parent & Student Enrollment Meetings Announced

12/16/10

Washtenaw International High School is a free, public, consortium high school for students in participating Washtenaw County school districts. It will open in the Fall of 2011 to its first group of ninth grade students.

The school will provide a challenging, student-centered, inquiry-based sequence of courses with an emphasis on international understanding, cultural identity and the taking of multiple perspectives. It will be a program that emphasizes rigorous academic standards in disciplinary and interdisciplinary knowledge.  The school has been designed to meet all International Baccalaureate requirements for teacher training, course design and assessment frameworks. We will begin the process of authorization for the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program in the spring of 2011.

Attendance at one of the student parent enrollment meetings is required for students to apply for the program.  Please plan to attend one of the following sessions:

Information sessions will be held at:

Washtenaw International High School (WIHS)
510 Emerick Street, Ypsilanti, MI 48198.

For more information, please call 734-994-8100 x1263, or visit the web site at http://www.wihi.org/

Community Invited to Reception on December 3 to Celebrate Completion of the 2004 Comprehensive School Improvement Plan

11/23/10

The Ann Arbor Public Schools Community is invited to Pioneer High School's new, expanded cafeteria on December 3, at 6:30 p.m., to celebrate the completion of the 2004 Comprehensive School Improvement Plan.  Come see, firsthand, the improvements made possible with community support.

Pioneer High School Cafeteria
601 W. Stadium
December 3, 2010
6:30 p.m.

Download the Fall 2010 Progress Report (975kb PDF)

Early College Alliance Information Meeting for Parents and Students Announced

11/11/10

Eastern Michigan University is hosting an information meeting about the Early College Alliance program for interested students (current 9th and 10th graders) and their parents.  The meeting will be held on Thursday, Dec. 2, from 7:00-8:30pm in the Little Theater at Pioneer High School.  For full details, please download the information session flyer (274kb PDF), or visit http://www.emich.edu/eca.

AAPS & University of Michigan Lab School Partnership to Hold Parent Information Sessions

ANN ARBOR – Plans are being explored to create a K-8 campus between Mitchell Elementary School and Scarlett Middle School in Ann Arbor through a partnership between the Ann Arbor Public Schools and the University of Michigan School of Education. This partnership would serve as setting for the development of new ideas and approaches to enhancing student achievement, teacher learning, and teaching practices. A balanced school year calendar is being considered that could include a shorter summer break and “inter-session” breaks for academic enrichment or vacations at intervals throughout the year.

Parent information forums on the topic are scheduled for the evenings of Nov. 10 and Nov. 18 for those with children at Mitchell and Scarlett, as well as other elementary feeder schools including Allen, Pittsfield and Carpenter. Parents may attend a forum at either school:

• 6:30-8 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 10, Scarlett Middle School, 3300 Lorraine St.
• 6- 8 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 18, Mitchell Elementary School, 3550 Pittsview Drive (A spaghetti fundraising dinner is also scheduled here on this night.)

Scarlett and Mitchell schools are located west of Carpenter Road, south of Packard in Pittsfield Township. (Enter south off of Packard at the traffic signal at Fernwood Avenue to reach both schools.)

Scarlett Principal Gerald Vazquez said the forums are expected to offer basic information on the partnership and encourage discussion in small groups to generate ideas and raise pertinent questions. “We want parents to know that we are working on this as a process and we want them involved in the process,” he said.

Those working on the partnership say it would allow staffs from Ann Arbor and U-M to collaborate through innovative programs that serve students and families, as well as nurture the professional growth of new and experienced teachers.

Although the program has been referred to generically as a “lab school,” organizers have not yet determined a permanent name for the proposed new, combined campus.

The campus is being envisioned as a gathering place for families and as an incubator of new ideas and approaches enhancing teacher learning and teaching practices. Being discussed are different ways of organizing time to effectively support teaching and learning.  This includes the possibility of expanding or reorganizing the school year, or making adjustments to the school day.   One option being considered includes placing “inter-sessions” strategically throughout the school year that would provide targeted academic support or enrichment opportunities for interested students and families.

“The lab school will be a place where teacher candidates, experienced teachers, administrators, and university faculty will work together to support student achievement,” said Catherine Reischl, clinical associate professor of education for U-M who is on the project’s organizing committee. “ We see this as a huge opportunity to play an integral role in our community.”

Vazquez said Scarlett and its feeder schools represent a unique opportunity for the program because of its diverse populations. “This quadrant of the city is different. It has different needs,” he said, adding that the K-8 approach to professional development will offer more continuity for students and support their academic achievement.

Mitchell Principal Kathy Scarnecchia said teacher collaboration at different levels would be “inspiring for professionals. This raises the bar for everyone,” she said.

This is the third major academic initiative developed between the Ann Arbor district and the U-M School of Education. The Summer Learning Institute brings U-M education students into Ann Arbor classrooms to teach each summer. The Ann Arbor Languages Partnership, a world language program launched in 2009, serves third- and fourth-graders and will expand to serve fifth-graders in 2011-12. In addition, teaching interns work with experienced teachers throughout the district.

A committee of stakeholders from both the Ann Arbor Public Schools and U-M School of Education has been working on preliminary plans over the past few months. During this school year, planning teams comprised of UM faculty, AAPS administrators, teachers, and parents, will set goals, draft program structures and calendars and build a timeline to launch the program for the 2011-12 school year. Also this year, pilot efforts are planned, including an after-school math enrichment currently underway at Mitchell; embedded teacher education that will provide extra support for sixth grade math students this winter; and professional development for elementary teachers in the area of literacy instruction for English Language Learners.

The partnership idea came from discussions last spring between former Ann Arbor Superintendent Todd Roberts and Dean Deborah Loewenberg Ball of the

University of Michigan School of Education. Two Ann Arbor Board of Education committees have reviewed preliminary information about the program and a proposal is scheduled to be taken to the full board for consideration on Dec. 8.

Speaking at a community event this fall honoring Roberts, Ball said the university and school district partnerships that developed under Roberts’ watch are “unheard of elsewhere.” She said the university staff is excited about the lab school concept and called it a “model program that is a true partnership.”

Pertussis (Whooping Cough) on the Rise in Washtenaw County

9/27/2010

The Washtenaw County Public Health Department has seen an increase in the number of reported cases of pertussis ("Whooping Cough") in 2010 and it is now at epidemic levels.  Pertussis is a very contagious disease of the respiratory tract, and requires antibiotics for treatment. Please download the following Fact Sheets from the Public Health Department for more information on how you can prevent your family from contracting this illness:

Fact Sheet for Parents & Caregivers of School-Age Children (21kb PDF)
Fact Sheet for Parents & Caregivers of Infants (28kb PDF)

Kiplinger.com Cites AAPS Among Reasons Ann Arbor is on its "10 Great Cities For Raising Families" List

9/1/2010

Kiplinger.com has included Ann Arbor, MI, in its August 2010 "10 Great Cities for Raising Families" list.  Cited among the reasons for Ann Arbor's inclusion is the excellence of the public school system: "The Ann Arbor Public School District is consistently ranked one of the best in the country, and its students score far above average on state and national standardized tests."  Ratings were based on job growth, healthy economies, local culture, quality of schools, crime rates, and access to parks and recreation.

To read the full article, please visit http://www.kiplinger.com/features/archives/10-great-cities-for-raising-families.html

Ann Arbor Public Schools Among Top 10 Public School Districts in Mid-Sized Cities in the U.S.

As a part of their annual Top Cities survey, GreatSchools.com selected Ann Arbor Public Schools as one of the Top 10 public school districts in mid-sized cities in the United States. Ratings were based on a combination of GreatSchools ratings and data from the National Assessment for Educational Progress.

To read the full article, Best Cities to Live and Learn, please visit http://www.greatschools.org/find-a-school/moving/top-cities-2010.gs?content=2331
Ann Arbor Public Schools is featured in the Top Public Schools: Midsize U.S. Cities slideshow.

WISD Bus Driver Job Fair

Washtenaw Intermediate School District (WISD) is holding a Bus Driver Job Fair this Saturday, July 31, 2010 from 9 a.m.-noon at WISD’s Teaching and Learning Center Building located at 1819 S. Wagner Rd. in Ann Arbor (between Liberty and Scio Church).  Full-time, part-time and substitute bus drivers for school districts in Washtenaw County for this school year are needed.

• Pay starts at $13/hour with benefits and retirement (and a lump-sum attendance incentive available) for full-time drivers.
• Part-time positions pay a flat rate of $15.25/hour, without benefits.

Free training will be provided.  If successful candidates work for at least 90 days, they will receive compensation for the training.

A valid driver’s license and a good driving record is required.  Desirable qualities include confidence in driving larger vehicles and ability to interact effectively with students and parents.

For more information, visit www.wash.k12.mi.us and click on the school bus or contact WISD Human Resources at (734) 994-8100, x 1316.

Or to avoid long lines at the Job Fair, you can apply online.  Go to www.wash.k12.mi.us and click on the school bus.