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Ann Arbor Public Schools

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October 24, 2025 - Weekly Update

AAPS District News

The AAPS District News shared about Apple Crunch Day, Pioneer welcomes the Korean Traditional Music Orchestra of the Blind, “Stop the Bleeding Training” at Slauson and Pioneer dominates SEC Red Cross Country Championship. Read all of the AAPS District News stories here.

AAPS Board of Education

The next Board of Education Regular Meeting is Wednesday, November 5th, at 7:00 PM at 3700 Earhart Road. At this week’s meeting the board received the 2024-25 Annual Culture and Climate Report and the September Monthly Budget Monitoring Report.

 

All Hallows Concert

The annual All Hallows Concert is set for Tuesday, October 28th, featuring performances by Pioneer Bands. This family-friendly event invites everyone to come in costume and enjoy a festive evening. The Schreiber Auditorium doors at Pioneer High School open at 6:30 PM, and the concert will begin at 7 PM. Attendees can take a picture at the spooky photo wall and take part in some early trick-or-treating fun! The concert is free and open to the entire community. While admission is free, a suggested donation of $5 per person or $10 per family is welcome to support the bands.

 

Food Service Update

As shared previously, the Ann Arbor Public Schools will be providing meals to all students throughout the 2025-26 school year. As a reminder only full meals are covered by state funding, a la carte items such as milk only still require payments.

 

We know with this update to food service, some families may want a refund from their Meal Magic Account as they don’t anticipate their student(s) purchasing a la carte items. In order to receive a refund from your students' meal service account please send an email and include this information: 

 

Name of the student(s):

School(s) they attend or attended:

Reason for the refund:

Name of who to make the check out to:

Address where to send the check:

 

Send to: bollingere@aaps.k12.mi.us and devriesm@aaps.k12.mi.us

 

Education Benefit Form (EBF)

It is still important for ALL AAPS families to fill out the Education Benefit Form (EBF) to check for qualification for free and reduced meals:

 

Education Benefit Form

The EBF form also helps AAPS qualify for important additional funding for instructional staff, social workers, counselors, nurses and technology.

Preventing and Preparing for Measles

Since the spring, there has been a significant increase in cases and outbreaks across the U.S., including in Michigan, which has impacted school districts across the country. Measles can cause serious health problems, such as pneumonia and encephalitis, and even death. About 1 in 5 people who get measles will be hospitalized. Because measles is so contagious, even one case of measles is an urgent public health matter. 

In the event of a measles case at one of our schools, we will work with the Washtenaw County Health Department. Students who are not fully immunized with MMR vaccine may be excluded from school and all school-related activities for a minimum of 21 days. The MMR vaccine ensures that your child isn’t included on an exclusion list if a measles case occurs. If you have questions about measles or the MMR vaccine, visit the Washtenaw County Health Department website or talk to your healthcare provider. 

 

Mental Health Support

October is National Bullying Prevention Month. Let's stand together to create a safe and supportive school community. Recognize the signs, speak up, and report bullying. Together, we can make a difference.

In addition, Care Solace, APS’s free Mental Health and Substance Abuse Care Coordination Service, is available 24/7/365 to connect individuals to care. Call 888-515-0595 or visit caresolace.com/aaps to search anonymously.

Over 200 languages are supported, and help is available to those with and without insurance.

Information about Care Solace is available in Spanish, Arabic and Mandarin.  

Transportation

Families may continue to apply for Space Available Transportation throughout the school year. It generally takes one week to check availability after the initial student counts are conducted.

 

Links to bus routes for our schools are available here. 

My Stop is a free desktop and mobile app that provides parents access to bus route information such as a child’s assigned bus, bus stop location and updates on the estimated time of arrival at the bus stop. My Stop allows parents and students to plan for late or on-time arrival and prevent missed pick-ups. Click here for more information and how to login.

For more information on transportation go here.

AAPS Job Fair

The AAPS is hosting a virtual job fair/interview day on Monday, November 10th from 3:30 to 6:30 PM. Appointments will be scheduled via zoom and sign-ups will be accepted through noon on November 10th. Learn more here or contact hr_info@aaps.k12.mi.us for additional information or application assistance.

 

MyFuture Fund

Over 21,000 Washtenaw students in grades 2-8 have had their college and career dreams jump started with more than $2 million allocated to them through My Future Fund, a county-wide early scholarship program made possible with funding from the Washtenaw County Government. Families can get the details and unlock all the benefits of the My Future Fund program, including the $475 bonus deposit if they qualify, by completing the information form by December 31, 2025. The information form is available on the My Future Fund website at www.myfuturefund.org.

MyPowerHub

AAPS is excited to announce a new centralized hub for student information and communication called MyPowerHub. This new hub will serve as a one-stop portal designed to better serve our students and families. This streamlined system will bring together everything from grades and attendance to schedules, assignments, and communication tools, all in one easy-to-access location. By simplifying access and enhancing the user experience, we’re making it easier than ever for families to stay informed and engaged in their student’s education. This is a major step forward in our commitment to providing seamless, efficient, and supportive tools for student success. 

 

This is a work in progress, so some areas of the MyPowerHub may not be filled yet. We will continue to roll out access to elementary school families in the coming weeks.

 

MyPowerHub Intro Video

 

Securly Parent Portal - How to Opt In

In the AAPS, we utilize a cloud-based web filter called Securly to keep students safe on their district-issued device. 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. To OPT-IN to the Securly Parent Portal service, please encourage families to use the pathway as outlined below:

If families have any questions, they can always reach out to the Student & Family Help Desk at 734-997-1222.

 

WISD Countywide CTE Millage

If the CTE millage is approved by voters, millage funds would be used in four key ways:

 

  • Sustaining existing programs by returning $10+ million to local districts’ general funds.
  • Maintaining and upgrading existing equipment like tools, machines, facilities, and technology to reflect the latest industry standards.
  • Launching new programs, like drone and aviation technology, and expanding access to high-demand programs that currently have waitlists, like health sciences and construction trades.
  • Increasing PreK-12 career exploration opportunities like camps, electives, curricula, and real-world learning experiences.

 

If the CTE millage is approved in November, a countywide Pre K-12 CTE model would expand access to both new and existing CTE programs and offer more opportunities to help prepare students for college, careers and beyond! Learn more at www.washtenawisd.org/ctemillage. 

 

Michigan Safe Storage Law

MCL 28.429 requires individuals to keep unattended weapons unloaded and locked with a locking device or stored in a locked box or container if it is reasonably known that a minor is likely to be present on the premises. Additional resources are available on the Michigan Department of Education website to assist families in maintaining firearm safety. 

 

Michigan Child Protection Registry 

The Michigan Child Protection Registry is a do-not-contact service that families can easily sign up for at www.ProtectMIChild.com in order to keep their children safe while on their devices at school and at home. This is a free Registry offered through the State of Michigan that stops adult advertisements from reaching our kids through e-mail, text, Snapchat, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Discord, Twitch and TikTok. This Registry is an excellent resource for making sure our kids aren’t being served ads for alcohol, tobacco/vaping, online gambling, pornography or marijuana. 

Rec and Ed 

Youth Sports: 🏀⚽Basketball Leagues for 4th-8th Graders and Futsal Leagues for Y5-5th Graders  - Registration opens Monday, October 27th with practices and games beginning in January.

First Steps Early Childhood: 8 spots available for SoccerTots (ages 2.5-3 +adult) begins (11/6) and 4 spots available for Multi-Sport (ages 3-4.5 years & an Adult) begins (11/8). AAPS employees may use their BOE Staff Pass for this class. aarecedonline.com/earlychildhoodclasses

 

Adult Enrichment: We have many one or two-day workshops for adults too! Check out Miniature Worlds in Clay (grades 10th-adult) starting 11/8, Autumn Harvest Cooking (adults) on 11/13, and Intro to Taiko Drumming (grades 8th-adult) on 11/23. AAPS employees may use their BOE Staff Pass for these classes. 

 

Community Events and Information

Washtenaw County Health Department Back-to-School Day Clinic will take place on Saturday, October 25th between 9 AM and 2 PM. This clinic is designed to help families get caught up on required immunizations and other health services before the school year is fully underway. Appointments preferred.

 

Ann Arbor Public Works and Solid Waste Open House on Saturday, October 25th from 10 AM to 1 PM. Hands-on activities to learn about utility infrastructure, city forestry, street maintenance, solid waste, compost and recycling programs. Activities include painting a snow plow, touch-a-truck, tour the salt dome and more. More information here.

 

Ann Arbor District Library Halloween Costume Contest takes place on Sunday, October 26th from 11:30 AM to 3 PM at the downtown library. Bring your creative, cool, cute or spooky costume to the library. To enter, you must be seen by the judges between 11:30 AM and 2 PM. More information here.

 

Special Election Day in Ann Arbor is coming up, Tuesday, Nov. 4, and early voting is even closer on the calendar, with locations opening in Ann Arbor Wednesday, Oct. 29. The Ann Arbor City Clerk’s Office is providing residents with information now to make sure they’re informed and ready to cast their ballot – and in a way that makes the most sense for them. Details here.

 

Trunk or Treat - October 30th from 5 to 7 PM at LaFontaine Kia Ann Arbor. Costumes encouraged, cider and donuts, Halloween activities including games and a face painter. Details here.

 

Barton-Bandemer Pedestrian Tunnel Grand Opening Ceremony will take place on Wednesday, November 5th at 1 PM. City of Ann Arbor and Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation Commission officials invite the community for a brief program and ceremonial ribbon cutting as they open the latest piece of the Border to Border (B2B) Trail. Learn more here.

 

“Clear the Air!” webinar series hosted by the Rogel Cancer Center's Community Outreach and Engagement team will be focused on current trends in tobacco and nicotine products, cessation strategies and techniques for supporting someone you love after quitting smoking. The series will take place from noon to 12:30 PM on Wednesdays November 5th, 12th and 19th. Register for the sessions and find more details here. 

 

F.E.M.M.E.S. Explore Capstone Event is at the University of Michigan on Saturday, November 8th from 10 AM to 4 PM for 4th to 6th graders. This event will expose students to various interactive STEM activities, allow them to gain hands-on experience in performing some experiments and projects and give them an opportunity to interact with women pursuing college degrees and careers in STEM. Learn more and register here by Friday, October 31st.

 

Coding Cohorts a workshop that teaches an introduction to Python programming for middle school students of all genders, is offered on Saturday, November 8th from 11:30 AM to 2:30 PM by the Society of Women Engineers at the University of Michigan. No previous programming experience is required and students who have participated in any past Coding Cohorts or in SWE++ classes will have already learned this same material, so would likely not benefit from attending.  You can register at this link here.

 

City of Ann Arbor Draft Comprehensive Land Use Plan has entered the third draft review period. Community members are encouraged to review the plan and offer feedback. Learn more about the plan and comment here.

 

Leave Your Leaves - There’s much to be said for leaving fall leaves. With the help of a mulching mower, they become a natural fertilizer for your lawn. A 3-5 inch leaf layer around garden plants inhibits weeds, preserves soil moisture and nourishes plants as leaves break down. Learn more at hrwc.org/lawncare.

 

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