March 21, 2025 - Weekly Update
Calendar: March 24-28 - No School - Spring Break
AAPS District News
The AAPS District News shared an Exceptional Profile of Huron Office Professional. We shared Logan’s PI Day Celebration, Community Ensemble Theatre’s Production of “Curtains,” a Pioneer Grad is a National Finalist in the Metropolitan Opera Competition, AAPS students excel at Science Olympiad Regional and Youth Art Month in Downtown Ann Arbor. We also shared two-minute videos from King and Pittsfield. Read all of the AAPS District News stories here.
AAPS Board of Education
The next Board of Education Regular Meeting is Wednesday, April 2nd, at 7:00 PM at 3700 Earhart Road. At this week’s meeting, the board received a presentation on the Karen Thomas Fund, the February 2025 Monthly Budget Monitoring Report and the 2024-25 Second Budget Amendment Presentation.
March is National Reading Month
Each year, at the beginning of March, school children in classrooms across the country kick off National Reading Month by celebrating the birthday of the beloved Dr. Seuss. Teachers design contests, family literacy events and other activities, including providing regular times for uninterrupted reading. With help from Read Across America, their goal is to motivate kids to read every day of the year.
Evidence suggests that reading for pleasure every day helps children perform better in school, develop a broader vocabulary and gain a better understanding of other cultures. Take the opportunity this month to enjoy reading with your children.
Youth Art Month
Youth Art Month was established in 1961 and is an annual celebration of the visual arts! Every March, the Ann Arbor Main Street area transforms into storefront galleries, as business owners graciously provide window space to showcase the artwork of our AAPS K-12 students.
Youth Art Month provides a forum for acknowledging the important skills and connections that are possible through art. Art education develops self-esteem, self-expression, collaboration with others and critical thinking skills.
PTO Council District-wide Fundraiser
The Ann Arbor PTO Council, a support organization for AAPS PTOs, is writing today to share about our 2025 District-wide Fundraiser. Together with the Ann Arbor PTO Thrift Shop, our fundraiser raised over $55,000 in 2024, all of which was distributed to Title I school PTOs with no strings attached. This year, we hope to raise even more and would love your help. We launched our online fundraiser on March 6th with the hopes of boosting PTO funding at Title I elementary schools, and we are already seeing excitement build in the community.
How can you help? You can share information from our Facebook page. Thanks for any help you can provide in getting the word out! We are grateful for this community and partnership. Please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions. PTOC Co-Chairs, Nicole Collines/Brittany Sayles: ptocchairs@gmail.com
Miller Road Closure and Detour Information for AAPS Bus Routes
Beginning at 9 AM on Monday, March 24, all lanes of Miller Avenue will be closed to traffic from Newport Road through Seventh Street. This closure, which will remain in place through July 7th, will impact bus routes for several schools. Learn more about the changes to bus routes and schools here.
AAPS In-Person Job Fair
AAPS is hosting an in-person job fair on Tuesday, April 1st, from 3 to 6 PM at Huron High School. Positions available include teachers, paraeducators, special education staff, noon-hour supervisors, Title I tutors and more. Complete an online application before attending the job fair here. Contact our HR team at hr_info@aaps.k12.mi.us with any questions.
AAPS Capital Program Open Houses
The AAPS Capital Program team will be hosting project Open Houses at the following elementary schools:
• Wines Elementary: Tuesday, April 1st, 6:30 to 8 PM
• Burns Park Elementary: Thursday, April 3rd, 6:30 to 8 PM
• King Elementary: Wednesday, April 9th, 6:30 to 8 PM
Meet the architects and design experts involved in planning these new AAPS 21st-century, healthy, high-performance schools. This Open House format will allow guests to move at their own pace throughout multiple stations, review project updates and information and provide feedback. Please visit A2SchoolsBond.org to learn more.
New Thurston Update
To support construction of the new Thurston Elementary School, some tree transplanting and limited felling will be necessary starting March 24th. While this will be a noticeable change to the site as vegetation is removed and trees are moved, AAPS values embodied carbon and is committed to environmental sustainability. To read more about AAPS’ efforts regarding tree salvaging, please follow this link. To see a timeline of construction activities, please visit the new Thurston project page.
40th Annual College and Career Fair
The 2024-25 Ann Arbor/Saline College and Career Fair is Wednesday, April 2nd, from 6 to 7:30 PM at Pioneer High School. Speak with representatives from more than 70 colleges and universities, meet local business and industry leaders and learn about skilled and technical trades. Click here for required pre-registration.
Freeman Environmental Education Center Update
The Freeman Environmental Education Center shares its winter/spring update here. Sign up for emails directly from the Friends of Freeman here.
Michigan Indigenous Artists Series
AAPS is sponsoring a series of free events highlighting Michigan Indigenous artists. The next event is a family-friendly concert great for elementary-aged kids. On Saturday, May 17th, from 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM at The Ark, Joe Reilly and The Community Gardeners with the All Nations Dancers present There's a Place for You in the Circle. This event is free. Lunch will be catered by Anishnabe Meejim. Doors open at 11:30 for food, and the performance will begin at 12:30. Pre-registration is required.
National Nutrition Month: Food Connects Us
The AAPS Wellness page has been updated with parent education for National Nutrition Month. Resources include healthy snacking resources for kids, teens and adults, downloadable activities and ideas for family mealtime conversations about culture and food.
Care Solace - AAPS Mental Health Partnership
Care Solace is AAPS’s free Mental Health and Substance Abuse Care Coordination Service. Care Solace is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to connect students, staff and their families to mental health, substance abuse and ABA service providers.
Over 200 languages are supported, and help is available to those with and without insurance.
Using Care Solace is easy!
- Call 888-515-0595 any time. A dedicated Care Companion will help you every step of the way to research options, secure appointments and follow up with you to make sure it's a good fit.
- Search anonymously by visiting caresolace.com/aaps
Information about Care Solace is available in Spanish, Arabic and Mandarin.
AAPS Free On-Demand Learning Resource For Students
The Ann Arbor Public Schools, in partnership with Varsity Tutors, is making a free set of 24/7 learning resources available to our students via Clever. Our 5th - 12th graders now have immediate access to a learning platform with the following:
· Chat Homework Help
· Asynchronous Academic Support Courses
· College Preparation Tools and Courses
· SAT Prep
· Myriad Live and Asynchronous Extracurricular Courses like coding, chess, comic drawing and more.
The Varsity Tutors Platform gives students more opportunities to learn at their own pace. We invite you to view this short video overview of the platform and resources.
AAPS Securly Tip Line
AAPS is pleased to offer this anonymous tip line for students, staff and families to address bullying, mental health concerns or important “See Something, Say Something” concerns. The Securly Tip Line can be downloaded from the AppStore or Google Play, and a bookmark will be placed on all student Chromebooks. Students, staff and parents can initiate an anonymous tip outside the app via phone: 1-833-300-STOP, email: tipline@securly.com or their website: https://www.securly.com/tip.
AAPS Securly Parent Portal
In the Ann Arbor Public Schools, we utilize a cloud-based web filter called Securly to keep students safe on their district-issued devices. To help parents monitor their child’s online activity at home, AAPS offers the free Securly Home app. This application allows web-based filtering and parental controls on district-issued devices at home. Parents may set rules to allow or disallow certain websites, pause the Internet connection to the device as desired and receive weekly usage reports.
AAPS 2025-2026 Enrollment
Neighborhood pre-enrollment is available for new students for the 2025-2026 academic year! Applications are also being accepted for In-District Transfers and Non-Resident Children of Employees between February 25 - March 31, 2025. Schools and grades with space availability are posted at the link above. Approvals are based on space availability and are not processed on a first-come, first-served basis. Neighborhood pre-enrollment and the IDT/NRCE applications are available here.
Rec & Ed
New Summer Camps - Project Lead the Way STEM taught by AAPS teachers! Full-day camps feature new PLTW modules: Animals and Algorithms (Rising 1st graders), Animals Adaptations (Rising 2nd & 3rd graders), Stability in Motion (Rising 4th & 5th graders) and Patterns of the Universe (Rising 6th graders). Learn more and register HERE. Explore all the camp options for ages 2-14 at our Summer Camp website.
High School Boys Open Volleyball for Grades 8-12
Sign up now! Learn more and register here.
Rec & Ed Spring/Summer Classes Registration is NOW OPEN
Registration for youth and adult after-school, evening and weekend classes is now open. Register today aarecedonline.com.
NEW Family Workshops and Classes! Want an easy and unique way to spend quality time with your child or grandchild? Rec & Ed’s family workshops have been so popular that we’ve added even more! Adult & Child: Paint With Love - Mother's Day Edition (1st-6th grade, 5/4, 10 AM) OR Adult & Child: Nest Builders Woodworking Workshop (4th-8th grade, 4/26 & 5/3, 9 AM). Check all classes here.
Don’t Miss Out: Rec & Ed Youth and Adult Tennis Class Registration is now Open!
Ann Arbor Rec & Ed Tennis Class registration has opened! Spaces are limited.
Both Adult Tennis and Youth Tennis classes are available. See you out on the courts!
Community Events and Information
Washtenaw County Health Department Offering Measles Vaccines
The Health Department is providing walk-in MMR vaccinations on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM and on Fridays from 8 AM to 3 PM at 555 Towner in Ypsilanti. The Health Department can check vaccine records if you’re not sure of your status. They can vaccinate those with Medicaid, Medicare, Washtenaw Health Plan, BCBS and those with no insurance. More information here.
2025 Young Citizens of the Year Nominations
The Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation is accepting nominations for the Young Citizens of the Year award through March 24th. The award recognizes leadership and community service (outside of school-based activities) by Washtenaw County High School Students. More information and the nomination form is available here.
Stream Table Day
Learn about watersheds, rivers, flooding, landforms and more with the University of Michigan Museum of Natural History’s popular 10-foot stream simulation table. Interactive demonstrations run throughout the day on Friday, March 28th, from 11 AM to 3 PM.
Give Kids A Smile Day
The University of Michigan School of Dentistry will hold a free dental clinic for children ages 4 to 14 on Saturday, March 29th, from 8 AM to noon. Dental exams, cleanings and X-rays will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis. Pre-registration is required.
MindSET: Cardboard Guitar with Micro:bit
The engineering honor society, Tau Beta Pi of the University of Michigan, will have the last MindSET of the 2025 winter semester on March 30th from 3 to 5 pm. This module is a cardboard guitar with micro:bit and is for students from 3rd through 5th grade. Micro:bit is a small pocket-sized computer that allows students to learn coding. Students will learn how to code with micro:bit and build a cardboard guitar that will make sound through micro:bit. Please sign up for the event by filling out this form.
Ann Arbor Seeking Input for Fuller Park Playground Replacement Project
Ann Arbor Parks and Recreation is collecting opinions and ideas as the city plans to replace Fuller Park Mixer Playground. A community survey, including a link to a kid-friendly version, can be found here. The survey is open through March 31st. Visit the Fuller Park Mixer Playground project page for additional details, including the project timeline.
Helping Kids Manage Stress
Helping Kids Manage Stress is the topic at the next Washtenaw Intermediate School District’s Mental Health Workshop on Tuesday, April 8th, at 7 PM. Courtney Aldrich, Child & Family Program Instructor at MSU Extension, will share common causes, signs and symptoms of stress, as well as simple strategies for supporting children, youth and parents experiencing stress. As always, this is a free workshop on Zoom for parents, caregivers and school staff. Register here. Recordings of past WISD mental health workshops for parents can be found on WISD's website here. Scroll down, click the + next to Parents/Guardians and then click on the video you'd like to watch.
Youth Art Fair
The Ann Arbor Street Art Fair, The Original, is accepting applications through April 10th for students in grades 4-12 to exhibit and sell their artwork alongside over 200 professional artists. Young artists will not only showcase and sell their creations but also benefit from enhanced mentorship, peer-based learning and a vibrant atmosphere from July 17th to 19th. Learn more about the program here.
Search for Vernal Pools in Local Forests
Each spring, these small wetlands appear as they fill with spring meltwater, only to dry up by the summertime. Vernal pools are important habitats for salamanders, frogs and fairy shrimp. Learn more at hrwc.org/ExploreYourWatershed.
How to Address a Concern in the AAPS
If you have a concern in the AAPS, we want to hear directly from you. Please reach out directly to an adult, teacher, counselor or the principal at your child’s school. If additional assistance is needed with school issues beyond the school level:
For early childhood and elementary level issues, contact Melita Alston, Executive Director, Early Childhood and Elementary Education: alston@a2schools.org
For High School, Middle School and K-8 school issues, contact Dr. Roberta Heyward, Executive Director, K-8, Middle and High School Education: heywardr@a2schools.org