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September 26, 2025 - Weekly Update

AAPS Breakfast & Lunch Change October 1, 2025

Preliminary reports out of Lansing indicate a deal has been made on the State of Michigan budget, including the School Aid Fund.  At this time, specific details have not been released. As previously communicated, if the state budget does not cover school meals for students, AAPS will begin charging for breakfast and lunch starting Wednesday, October 1, 2025. If the state does pass a budget before October 1, we will notify families immediately of any changes.

 

AAPS has received confirmation from the Michigan Department of Education that universal school meals will be provided for Title 1 schools even if school meals are not included in the state budget. This means AAPS Title 1 Schools: Abbot, Allen, Bryant, Carpenter, Haisley, Lakewood, Mitchell, Pattengill, Pittsfield, Scarlett and Pathways will continue to receive free breakfast and lunch regardless of the details of the state budget. But we please ask all families from these Title 1 schools to please fill out the Education Benefit Form (EBF).


 

Starting October 1, 2025, below are the meal prices for non-Title 1 Schools:

 

Breakfast: Elementary $2.25 per meal Middle & High Schools $2.25 per meal

 

Lunch: Elementary $3.75 per meal Middle & High Schools $4.50 per meal


 

Education Benefit Form (EBF)

It is 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.

 

Meal Magic

Families should register in the Meal Magic AAPS Family Portal to pay for meals. This will ensure that students have funds available to purchase breakfast and lunch.

AAPS Meal Magic Portal

 

If the school aid budget includes financial support for universal school meals, AAPS will continue to provide free breakfast and lunch to all AAPS students. 

 

AAPS District News

The AAPS District News shared an Exceptional Profile of a Logan Social Worker. We also shared a partnership with the MJR Foundation is breaking down mental health barriers, Skyline choir rehearsing for performance in state conference, and Skyline’s swim and dive team participating in Michigan’s first Swim Across America Event. 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. 

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. 

Help is available from local and national suicide prevention resources and AAPS partnerships. 

For immediate crisis situations:

For non-crisis mental health care: AAPS contracts with Care Solace to provide free, confidential Mental Health and Substance Abuse Care Coordination Service for students, staff, and their family members. They can help you find a mental health or substance use provider matched to your needs. It’s easy to access Care Solace:

  • Call 888-515-0595. Multilingual support is available 24/7, 365 days a year.
  • Visit www.caresolace.com/aaps and either search on your own or click "Book Appointment" for assistance via video chat, email, or phone.

AAPS is grateful for community partners who provide education, training, support groups, and clinical services to support student mental health, including:

With support and compassion, we can make a difference in our students' well-being. Let's stand together to raise awareness about suicide prevention, provide assistance, and foster hope for a brighter future.

 

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. 

 

This is a work in progress, so some areas of the MyPowerHub may not be filled yet. Families with students in middle school should have received an email with details on how to set up accounts on Thursday. 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

Did you know? Career Technical Education opens the doors to college, careers and beyond! Through CTE, students can have opportunities to earn college credits, certifications, and hands-on experiences.

 

In 2024, 86% of Washtenaw CTE students enrolled in college after graduating high school. That same year, Washtenaw CTE students also earned 1,395 industry-recognized certifications, which helps launch them toward high-wage, high-skill, and in-demand careers. 

 

Students explore their interests and passions in CTE programs so they can make more informed choices about their college paths. Learn more about the CTE proposal at www.washtenawisd.org/ctemillage.

 

Rec and Ed 

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

 

Family Yoga for 6-9 year olds is an opportunity for a stress-free Sunday activity. Practice mindfulness on Sundays at noon beginning October 5th at Eberbach Cultural Arts Building. AAPS employees may use their BOE Staff Pass for this parent and child class.

🏈 ⚽ GAME ON! Fall Flag Football and Indoor Soccer Practice and Play registration kicks off this Monday, September 29th. Registration closes on Monday, October 20th at 5pm. Limited space in both programs so register early!

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

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.

 

Cinema & Sustainability Film Series Kicks off with Dr. Seuss’s The Lorax on Sunday, September 28th at 1:30 PM at the Michigan Theater. The City of Ann Arbor Office of Sustainability and Innovations is collaborating with the Marquee Arts for a series of films through December. Following the free screening, there will be discussions with local experts and organizations who are working toward making Ann Arbor more sustainable and equitable. Tickets can be reserved online at marquee-arts.org.

 

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!

 

Ann Arbor Seasonal Leaf Collection Begins on Monday, October 6th and runs through Friday, December 12th. During this period families may set out up to 20 paper yard bags per collection day. Additionally unlimited leaf drop off will be accepted at the Ann Arbor compost facility from residents or their landscapers and free wood chips will be available at three locations around the city. More information here.

 

Mental Health Workshop - Reset Your Nervous System - Once again this year, WISD is offering free, online workshops for parents and caregivers on a variety of mental health topics. Reset your nervous system by learning how to reduce your stress and feel more relaxed throughout the day at the first workshop on October 7th. Open to all Washtenaw County parents, caregivers, grandparents, school staff, and adults who work with children. This year, you will need to register for each workshop that you'd like to attend in order to receive the Zoom link. Review the topics and register here. 

 

Go Birding - During autumn, the skies over Southeast Michigan are alive with tens of thousands of hawks, eagles, falcons and other birds of prey as they migrate south. Learn where to find great areas for birding 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