This Week In the Ann Arbor Public Schools

November 15, 2010

This Week’s Good News!

  • Huron seniors Danny Clegg and Kris Shin have been selected for the 2011 American High School Honors Performance Series at Carnegie Hall.  They will be a part of the Honors Orchestra as violinists.  Participation in the Honors Orchestra, Honors Band, and Honors Choir is limited to the highest rated high school performers from across North America.
    Danny and Kris were nominated and auditioned individually this fall for the Honors Performance Series and were accepted after a review by the Selection Board committee.  Acceptance to the elite group is a direct result of the talent, dedication, and achievements demonstrated in their applications and audition recordings.  It is particularly noteworthy that two Ann Arbor students were selected from applicants across the country.  This is a testament to the high quality of the music program in the Ann Arbor Public Schools.  Danny and Kris will join other performers from the United States and Canada for a special performance at world-famous Carnegie Hall, a venue that marks the pinnacle of musical achievement.
    Danny studies violin with Kimberly Kaloyanides Kennedy. Kris has studied violin since early elementary school.  Both are members of the Huron High School Symphony Orchestra and several chamber ensembles.  Additionally, they volunteer their time in mentoring string students at Clague Middle School.
    Finalists will come together for five days in February 2011 in New York City to have the opportunity to learn from conductor Dr. Charles Peltz, work with other Finalists, and get a taste of New York City.  The Saturday, February 19 performance is available to the public and specially-invited representatives from collegiate music programs.
    The Honors Performance Series was created to showcase accomplished individual high school performers by allowing them to study under master conductors and perform in the celebrated venue, Carnegie Hall.
  • On Saturday, November 13th, the National Scholastic Press Association announced that Community High School’s  “The Communicator”  is a winner of the Pacemaker 2010.  Five newsmagazines in the country received this award in Kansas City. In scholastic journalism, this award is referred to as the Pulitzer Prize for student newspapers.   Congratulations to the entire staff and the editors: Kyle Aaronson, Julia Kortberg, and Katie O'Brien.
    In addition, “The Communicator” and “The Communicator Online” placed in the Best of Show competition in Kansas City.
    The following individuals received awards in the Write-Off competitions:  Kyle Aaronson for Newswriting; Oriol Burgos-Tsoffar for Editorial; Acer Xu for Copy Editing; and Shadi Ahmadmehrabi for Podcasting.
    Tracy Rosewarne is the teacher/advisor of “The Communicator” staff.  Congratulations to Tracy and her students.
  • Pioneer social studies teacher, Tracey Van Dusen sent the following report:I had the privilege of attending Vicky Shields' presentation about her African American Humanities class at the Michigan Council for Social Studies in Kalamazoo last week, and I wanted to share that it was an excellent and meaningful professional development experience for all of us who attended.  She and Lisa Anglin, as you know, created a unique curriculum that is the envy of other teachers and districts.   After Vicky's session, I overheard another attendee tell his colleague, "You should hear about the class they have at Ann Arbor Pioneer - it's African American cultural humanities - I would LOVE to be able to have a class like that..."
    This is a program of which Ann Arbor should be very proud, and to put it in the Dept. of Education lingo, hopefully will be "scaled up" so that more educators can learn about it.
    Congratulations and thank you, Vicky and Lisa.
  • Congratulations to all of the high school scholars who were honored for their academic achievement at the NAACP’s Freedom Fund Dinner on November 6:

    CLEMENTE
    Battles, Wilniqua
    Casey, Roderick
    Warren, Yazmin

    COMMUNITY
    Awkward-Rich, Leah
    Chime, Melissa
    Johnson-Levy, Rianna
    Dafa, Senait
    Thompson, Kylah
    Connor, Bradie
    Evans-Warren, Chelsea
    Parks, Tamara

    HURON
    Brewer, Brianna
    Fasina, Ibrahim
    Gibson, Jessica
    Golidy, Sara
    Hutchings, Rachel
    Marable, Alexis
    Marshall, Danielle
    Martin, Olivia
    McClair, Xavier
    Mercer, Chelsea
    Mohamed, Hannah
    Munganga, Deborah-Luti
    Wilson, Bianca
    Calhoun, Tavion
    Crockett, Blaire
    Frazier, Camille
    French, JeJuan
    Lee, Kamaria
    Long, Maya
    Ofili, Cynthia
    Stevenson, Gabrie
    Whitlock, Lindsey
    Allen-Pipkin, Christiana
    Cole, Brittany
    Ditah, Awah
    Hill, Marysa
    Hughbanks, LaMicah
    Ndaw, Fatou
    Watkins, Imani
    Williams, Dallas

    PIONEER
    Alinoti, Josephine
    Jackson, Shana
    Jordan-McKnight, Terrell
    Mercer, Ti'Anna
    Moore, Jassadi
    Smith, Antonia
    Bowerbank, Malachi
    Cooper, Jazmine
    Corley, DeLaynna
    Fonville, Sinclaire
    Gregory, Ivy
    Marable, Ashli
    Pendleton, Justin
    Vereen, Ana
    Arnold, Triesha
    Cole, Tiffany
    Corley, Chloe
    Gayton, Taylor
    Goss II, Gregory
    Graham, Megan
    Herring, Mani
    McKay, Kailen
    Mills, Kaitlyn
    Scott, Daniesha
    Smith, Crystal
    Smith Jr, Willie
    Weiland, Joshua
    Wilson, Aaron

    SKYLINE
    Abatan, Oreoluwapo
    Anderson, Emily
    Blocker, Shalena
    Boyd, Christian
    Burden, Kevin
    Carson, Mariam
    Crawford, Joshua
    Dixon, Densu
    Griffin, Tionna
    Hardy, Dominique
    Lee, Austin
    Lynk, Abeni
    Mills, Kiyah
    Mitchell, Lena
    Mitchell, Mariah
    Newing II, Frederick
    Sandifer, Hussain
    Schneider, Imani
    Shepherd, Christopher
    Sims, Jayla
    Stevens, Mahal
    Webster, Sina
    Wilks, James
    Woodley, Emajae
    Worsham, Malaika
    Farah, Hafsa
    Jagers, Jeremy
    Lee, Kelsy
    Lindsay, Jasper
    Muriu, Jonathan
    Rael-Whitsitt, Chaune'
    Turner, Ashlie
    Wint, Paige

Robert Allen
Interim Superintendent