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Ann Arbor Public Schools

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September 19, 2025 - Weekly Update

AAPS District News

The AAPS District News shared Lakewood hosted a Fiesta to kick off National Hispanic Heritage Month and Mitchell had a free farmers market. Read all of the AAPS District News stories here.

 

AAPS Board of Education

The next Board of Education Regular Meeting is Wednesday, October 8th, at 7:00 PM at 3700 Earhart Road. At this week’s meeting the Board of Education received the Capital Program Fall 2025 Update. You can watch CTN’s video of the meeting here.

 

National Hispanic American Heritage Month - September 15 - October 15

Through October 15, we will be recognizing National Hispanic Heritage Month. “History, Heritage, Hope” is the unifying theme for this year’s observances. In the AAPS, we honor and celebrate the valued contributions of Hispanic Americans on every day of the school year. This month of special celebration provides an opportunity to listen and learn even more deeply about the rich diversity within Hispanic communities and the strong connections to all areas of our culture, literature and history.

National IT Professionals Day

Tuesday, September 16th was National IT Professionals Day, honoring the IT professionals who do the critical work to keep our networks and applications running and secure. Every day, our district ITD team members are called upon to resolve many technological challenges so we can all do our important work in supporting our AAPS students and staff. We thank our fantastic ITD staff for their expertise in managing and maintaining the essential systems and applications powering our digital experiences.

 

Food Service 

As of October 1, 2025, AAPS will no longer be able to provide universal free meals for all students if the state aid budget is not passed or is passed without universal breakfast and lunch funding.  Please know that this difficult decision was not made lightly. We remain hopeful that state legislators will soon pass a budget that includes the Michigan School Meals program—maintaining free breakfast and lunch for all students.

 

All AAPS families are strongly encouraged to complete the annual Education Benefit Form (EBF) to ensure that all free and reduced-price lunch eligible students are identified. The form can be completed electronically in the AAPS Family Portal, which you can log into here. Hard copies of the Education Benefit Form are available in your school office.

 

Please review the full message on this food service change here.

 

AAPS Health Care Costs

The District has been notified of another increase to employee health care costs, a challenge impacting school districts nationwide. I have directed the district administration's bargaining team to work collaboratively with our employee groups during negotiations.

 

Together, we need to find sustainable solutions that balance the rising costs of health care while continuing to support our staff. We are committed to transparency and partnership as we navigate this issue.

 

Family Flu Vaccination Clinic 

All AAPS students and family members are welcome to the Alana’s Foundation Flu Vaccination Clinic at Pioneer High School on Monday, October 6, from 3 to 7 PM. Vaccine is available for those two and up. A flu vaccine doesn’t always prevent the flu, but it can lessen flu’s more serious symptoms, reducing the risk of serious illness and flu-related hospitalization in children and adults with chronic conditions. 

 

Suicide Prevention Awareness Month

During Suicide Prevention Awareness Month each September, we remind our AAPS community of the important role we all can play in preventing suicide. Although this is a tough topic, we know that working together to reduce stigma, recognize warning signs, and encourage help-seeking can make a big difference in keeping students safe. 

Each Friday District Update in September, we are featuring critical information and resources for youth suicide prevention. Visit the AAPS Suicide Prevention page to see all of the information and additional resources. 

Concerned? How to Talk about Suicide with Someone You Know - Talking about suicide can seem intimidating, but everyone has the ability to do it in a caring and effective way. Start by expressing care, be an active listener, use non-judgmental language, keep asking questions, involve other trusted adults, and guide to professional resources.  

Additional resources:    

  • Starting the Conversation on Suicide - walks through the basics of how to prepare and approach a conversation with someone you're concerned about. 
  • Supportive Language When Talking About Suicide - gives specific examples of how to use accurate and non-judgmental language so youth feel supporting and encouraged to seek the help they need. 
  • If you're worried about someone in your home, learn how to be Safer at Home by removing access to lethal means. It may feel drastic, but taking these steps has proven to be life saving. 

Mental Health Support

are Solace is AAPS’s free Mental Health and Substance Abuse Care Coordination Service. If you need support, Care Solace is here - free and confidential 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to connect students, staff and their families to mental health, substance abuse and ABA service providers, even during summer break.

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

 

Using Care Solace is easy!

  • Call 888-515-0595 anytime. 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.  

 

Transportation 

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.

 

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. We’ll share soon details on how to set up your account.

 

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 middle and 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

On November 4, 2025, voters residing within the Washtenaw Intermediate School District’s service area will be asked to consider a 1 mill tax that would support the expansion of Career Technical Education (CTE) learning experiences from preschool through high school graduation.

 

CTE helps students understand why they learn what they learn from PreK-12, and it opens doors to college, careers and beyond.

 

If a CTE millage is approved by voters in November, students in preschool, elementary, middle and high school would benefit from new programs and expansion of existing programs. Washtenaw County’s CTE framework would span from PreK-12, with age-appropriate experiences that build on each other as students grow and learn.

 

To learn more about the proposal, visit www.washtenawisd.org/ctemillage. The WISD is hosting community information sessions 

  • Wednesday, September 24th at 5:30 PM - In-person at Washtenaw ISD (register) 
  • Thursday, October 9th at 5:30 PM - In-person at Washtenaw ISD (register)

 

 

Rec and Ed 

FREE FAMILY EVENT NEXT WEEKEND!  The annual First Steps Fall Festival/Trike-A-Thon is Saturday, September 27th from 9:30 AM to 12 PM at Westerman Preschool & Family Center. Perfect for families with children under 7 years old. View flier here.

 

Game On! Youth Sports Fall League registration deadline Monday 

The deadline to register is Monday, September 22. Sign up now for Basketball (2nd & 3rd Grade) or Volleyball (4th - 9th Grade). 

 

Fall Youth & Adult Classes 

Check out Rec & Ed's fantastic fall line-up of early childhood (ages 0-5) and school-age youth (ages 5-14) classes and activities and adult classes for parents and caregivers here. Fall classes are filling up.  Scholarships and senior discounts are available!

 

Community Events and Information

Washtenaw County Health Department Back-to-School Day Clinics will take place on Saturday, September 20th 2025 and Saturday, October 25th. Both clinics will run between 9 AM and 2 PM. These clinics are designed to help families get caught up on required immunizations and other health services before the school year is fully underway. 

 

Bikeapalooza is a free annual family friendly education event celebrating downtown Ann Arbor’s protected bikeway network. There will be live music, giveaways, face painting, fun activities and more. Bikeapalooza will be located on the surface parking lot at the corner of William and Fifth from noon to 2 PM on Saturday, September 20th. More details here.

 

Girls in Aviation Day is targeted for boys and girls ranging grades K-12 who have a passion for or are interested in the different avenues and career opportunities in the aviation industry. The Ann Arbor Chapter of Women in Aviation is hosting the event from 10 AM to 1 PM on Saturday, September 20th at Pittsfield Township Park. More information including a schedule of events, organizations that will participate and required registration is available here.

 

Science Cafe - The next University of Michigan Museum of Natural History Science Cafe is focused on the power of pollinators and the threats they are currently facing. Learn about pollinator aware lawncare and new native planting strategies to support biodiversity on UM's campus on Wednesday, September 24th at 6 PM at Conor O’Neills. Learn more about the event here.

 

Stomp Rockets and Parachutes is the first MindSET event of the year hosted by Tau Beta Pi at the University of Michigan College of Engineering. MindSET is a free, hands-on STEM experience designed for grades 3rd through 5th. Aerodynamics and Drag, Time Trials and Iterated Design will be the concepts covered on Saturday, September 27th from  3 to 5 PM. Learn more and register here.

 

Kelsey Museum of Archaeology Free Fall Family Day is Sunday, October 5th from 11 AM to 2 PM. Coinciding with both National Archaeology Month and the 2025–2026 FIRST® LEGO® League challenge, this event will explore the themes of archaeology and technology through hands-on activities, presentations, and scavenger hunts. The event is geared for Young 5s through 5th grade.

 

U of M Museum of Natural History - ID Day On Sunday, October 5th. Discover our hidden collections—and show us yours! Bring in your own collected objects for identification by experts in paleontology, anthropology, archaeology, botany, zoology, and geology. In celebration of the twenty-fifth annual ID Day, we will be adding interactive activities with the U-M Herbarium and Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, as well as providing expert-led guidance and resources on ethical collecting. Come celebrate twenty-five years of bringing U-M expertise to the local community with us!

 

Learn How to Care for Your Storm Drain - Storm drains are underground pipes that carry unfiltered rainwater, melting snow and pollution directly into our rivers, lakes and drinking water. Learn how to care for your curbside storm drain and keep it free-flowing by participating in the Huron River Watershed Council’s Adopt-A-Storm-Drain program at hrwc.org/adoptastormdrain.

 

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