This Week
In the Ann Arbor Public Schools
June 8, 2009

To: The Staff of the Ann Arbor Public Schools
From: Todd Roberts, Superintendent

This Week’s Good News

• Congratulations to the Class of 2009.  Last week we held commencement ceremonies for Community, Huron and Pioneer High Schools.  Each commencement was a proud tribute to our students and their accomplishment as well as to our teachers and administrators for their guidance and support.  Thank you to all the staff members, from kindergarten through grade 12, who contributed to each student along the way and helped them receive a diploma.
• The winners of the Student Election Inspector Essay Competition were Mira Fishman, Community; Brian Collins, Huron and Bryan LaPointe, Pioneer.  They were each presented with a check by Mayor John Hieftje at the City Council meeting on June 1.  City election officials were the judges of the essays.
• Burns Park fifth grade classes under the tutelage of art teacher Kate Higgins collaborated on three pieces that were part of a juried art show at the Vault of Midnight, 219 S. Main St. in Ann Arbor.
  The show was a fundraiser for the Ann Arbor Skatepark project.  All pieces started out as blank skateboards. There were 50 pieces from youth and adult artists from Ann Arbor and across the country. The judges for the show included Mayor Hieftje, Ann Arbor Art Center president Marsha Chamberlain, Bryant art teacher Rene Dykes, pro skater Garold Vallie and others! After the showing at the Vault, the collection is being exhibited at the Ann Arbor Art Center's gallery.
  One of the skateboards won second place in the youth division!  The team of student artists who collaborated on the winning design include; Rachel Hunsberger, Kenzie Dalton, Sophia Kleinheksel, Ellie Korman, Dylan Stephens, Mason DeVarti, Tommy Burke, and Owen Curnow.
• The following 39 students at Community High School were inducted into the school's active chapter of the National Honor Society on Monday, May 4, 2009.
  Juniors ~ Class of 2010:  Griffin Johnson, Hannah Overhiser, Caroline Robb, Donald Strit and Eleanor Sullivan.
  Sophomores ~ Class of 2011:  Kyle Aaronson, Caitlin Bodner, Hannah Bogard Jesse Buchsbaum, Chelsea Cendrowski, Colleen Chavis, Samuel Chey, Nathaniel Coryell, Emily DiGiovanni, Gilad Eisbruch, Alice Elliott, Catherine Flynn, Sanako Fujioka, Michelle Grifka, Christine Hagan, Connor Haines, Joseph Houghton, Sierra Koepele. Sophia Kotov, Rose Lee, Ana Leon, Maxwell Lewis, Emma Machcinski, Jose Mendez, Mary Katharine O'Brien, Zoe Psarouthakis, Julia Raymond, Michael Savage, Harrison Stern, Alec Washabaugh, Garrett Wood and Anne Wyszewianski.
• Two of Lawton School's fourth grade classes taught by Sarajane Winkelman and Jinx Cooke worked with Ira Lax and Joe Reilly from the Ann Arbor District Library's Library Songster program to write, create and sing two original songs at the downtown library. They then recorded the songs, "Meet Me in Michigan," and "Endangered Species," which will be on Joe Reilly's next CD.
• Girl Scouts in Ann Arbor Troop #40542 participated in the Great American Bake Sale.  Girls from Bach and Eberwhite Elementary Schools planned, advertised, cooked, and sold baked goods, raising $552.97.   These funds (100%) go towards helping support local after-school and summer feeding programs!
• Diane Grady, Art teacher at Clemente and Eberwhite, was selected to participate on the Visual Arts Curriculum Review in June with Ana Luisa Cardona, (Consultant for Arts Education, Michigan Department of Education (MDE), Curriculum and Literacy Unit, Office of School Improvement) and about 15 others from around the State of Michigan. They will be meeting after school gets out in June for 3 intensive days.  Diane is the only representative from AAPS.  They will be meeting to review the arts education standards, benchmarks, and draft grade level content expectations against 1) the Michigan Merit curriculum and the Visual, Performing, and Applied Arts Requirements and 2) 21st century skills.
• Tim Eiseman, art teacher at Slauson, received a Golden Paint Brush Award from City Council on Monday, June 1.  He received the award for creating a mural entitled "Slauson Middle School Mastodon Project" along with 20 of his students.  This mural was created to celebrate the work that a class taught by Jeff Bradley did in 2002 getting the Michigan State Legislature to name the mastodon as the state fossil.  Tim worked with students to bring mastodons to life in the third floor hallway of Slauson.  Students researched the project and worked with Tim to create the art work.  The mural is a beautiful example of what students can do in a school setting.
• The last full week of the school year is here and we can all look back with satisfaction on our good work and accomplishments as well as look forward to enjoying some summer vacation.  This has been an extraordinary school year and I want to recognize each and every one of you for your dedicated service to our students and our community.  It takes a tremendous team effort to look after and educate our children and each of you is an important part of the team.  Thank you for all you do for our school community each and every day.  Have a safe and happy summer.

Todd Roberts, Ed.D.
Superintendent