Superintendent's Messages
Super's messages
System User
NAACP Freedom Fund Scholars
The Ann Arbor Chapter of the NAACP recognized over 200 of our high school students for academic achievement at their annual Freedom Fund Dinner on November 5th. We congratulate our students and thank you to the NAACP for recognizing their hard work.
You can read the full AAPS District News story here.
Four AAPS Middle Schools Among the Top 25 Middle Schools in Michigan
U.S. New and World Report released their report of the Best Michigan Middle Schools. We are proud of all of our AAPS middle schools and are pleased to share that four of them ranked among the top 25 middle schools on the list, with three of them ranking in the top 10. Clague ranked #4, Slauson #5, and Tappan #9, and Forsythe at #22. Best Middle Schools in Michigan
Pioneer High School Vocalist Honors
Ten Pioneer High School vocalists performed at the Michigan School Vocal Music Association’s (MSVMA) Region C High School Honors Choir on Saturday, Dec. 2, along with 125 of southeast Michigan’s finest high school singers from southeast Michigan. All 10 performers auditioned for and made it to the distinguished MSVMA State Honors Choir in January.
Other exciting news from the Pioneer Choir
On Friday, Dec. 1, tenor Paul Appleby led a vocal masterclass. Several students performed for Mr. Appleby, received suggestions on their performance and worked on their vocals in front of the class. Mr. Appleby was visiting Ann Arbor to perform the tenor solo in the UMS production of G.F. Handel’s Messiah. The Pioneer Choirs partner annually with the UMS Learning Engagement Program to bring world-class artists into the building to work with and inspire young singers.
You can read the full AAPS District News story here.
Huron Teacher Honored With National Award for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Congratulations to Huron Spanish teacher Daniel Verdugo for receiving the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages Award for Excellence in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the Classroom.
Verdugo says, “I am honored to receive this award that celebrates the ideals of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the classroom. As a teacher, I understand my commitment to DEI as an invitation to reimagine the classroom; an opportunity—if seized—to transform education, ourselves, and the world.”
ACTFL—which is the national association of world language teachers—recognized these efforts in the publication of Ñ! magazine, the bilingual magazine of Huron. This project develops bilingual literacy as it invites students to reflect on some of the most pressing issues of their time.
You can read the full AAPS District News story here.
Tonight We Swing Concert
The entire community is invited to attend a free night of entertaining music at Huron High School on Saturday, December 9th, at 7 PM. The Tonight We Swing Concert will feature the Pioneer High School Big Band, the Huron Jazz Orchestra, the Community High School Jazz program, and the MSU Be-Bop Spartans.
Before/After Care
We are excited to share that we are in the process of re-opening another After Care site! After care will begin at Dicken Elementary School on January 16, 2024. Depending on demand, we may also reopen a Before Care program there. This brings the total number of elementary schools served by Rec & Ed’s Before/After Care program to nine.
AAPS Winter Giving Program
The district-wide AAPS Winter Giving program is off to a great start. We are delighted to report that our page dedicated to sharing community resources for food, clothing, gifts and more was viewed more than 1,000 times during the month of November. In addition, AAPS has received over $6,000 in gift card donations for families in need. We welcome our community to visit a2schools.org/wintergiving to learn more.
Ann Arbor PTO Thrift Shop
The Ann Arbor PTO Thrift Shop on South Industrial celebrated its 30th anniversary in November. Payouts from the PTO Thrift Shop have provided more than $3.3 million in support to our schools since the first sales took place in 1993. We thank all of the individuals who have donated goods, time working in the shop and made purchases that have supported our students over the years.
Read more about the PTO Thrift Shop anniversary here.
Rec & Ed’s Winter Break Camps
There are only a few spots left in Rec & Ed’s Winter Break Camps running January 3-5 in multiple locations. For the first time ever, we are offering Winter Break Camps for preschoolers (3-5 year olds) at the Westerman Preschool & Family Center.
Rec & Ed’s Winter 2024 Youth and Adult Class Registration
Winter 2024 youth and adult class registration begins Tuesday, December 5th - all class info can be found at aarecedonline.com
Communication from the AAPS
To stay up-to-date with daily updates and information on school and district activities, you may want to follow us on social media.
- Twitter @A2Schools
- On Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/AnnArborPublicSchools
- Subscribe to our A2Schools podcast at: https://a2schools.buzzsprout.com
- AAPS YouTube channel at: https://www.youtube.com/AnnArborPublicSchools.
We also regularly share updates on the work of the Board of Education in the BOE Update Newsletters.
Sincerely,
Jazz Parks
Interim Superintendent of Schools
Ann Arbor Public Schools
System User
Pittsfield Young Fives ready to celebrate Thanksgiving
Dear AAPS Community,
As we enter this season of Thanksgiving, I share my deepest gratitude for our students, teachers, staff, school leaders, and families. Because of you, the Ann Arbor Public Schools continues to serve students with care, deep commitment, and strong support across our community. We are stronger together, and I am beyond thankful to be working together on behalf of our talented, incredible students.
We are grateful for every student we serve and the energy, inspiration, talents, and joy they bring to us all.
We are grateful to our dedicated families, community partners, and the broader Ann Arbor community for their support of our students and the focus placed on education.
We are grateful for our hardworking teachers, support staff, school leaders, and district leaders. Your deep commitment to our students and their success makes a positive difference every day. Student success is a team effort; there is no better team than the Ann Arbor Public Schools team.
As you prepare to unplug for the next few days, we hope you enjoy this video of students at Bryant Elementary School sharing what they are thankful for this year.
With deep appreciation and gratitude, I extend my best wishes for a happy and safe Thanksgiving Break.
Sincerely,
Jazz Parks
Interim Superintendent
Ann Arbor Public Schools
System User
The Ann Arbor Public Schools, is pleased to announce the appointment of Ms. Jazz Parks as Interim Superintendent.
Ms. Parks has served as Assistant Superintendent, School Leadership, in the Ann Arbor Public Schools since 2020. She served as Executive Director, K-8 and Middle Level from 2016 to 2020. Highlights of her leadership during this time include facilitating the District Equity Leadership Team, co-leadership of the District Crisis Response Team and work to implement comprehensive K-8 and middle school programming.
Prior to district leadership positions, Ms. Parks served as a building leader at Tappan Middle School for almost a decade: as Principal from 2009-2016 and as Assistant Principal, from 2007-2009. Before coming to the Ann Arbor Public Schools, she served as an Assistant Principal at Great Lakes Academy in Pontiac, and prior to that taught middle school English Language Arts and Social Studies for several years.
Ms. Parks earned a Bachelor of Arts in Secondary Education from the University of Michigan and a Master of Arts in Educational Leadership from Eastern Michigan University. She holds a State of Michigan Administrator Certificate for Elementary and Secondary Administration K-12, as well as a State of Michigan Professional Teaching Certificate with Endorsements in English and Sociology. In 2019, Ms. Parks completed the distinguished Urban Superintendents Academy Certification program with the National School Superintendents Association (AASA) and Howard University.
System User
So much gratitude today - for our beautiful students, extraordinary AAPS team, wonderful parents, families and this special Ann Arbor community we share -
Thank you, and wishing you all the best!
Jeanice
System User
As we approach this Thanksgiving, we are especially grateful for the tremendous work of our teachers and staff teams, our supportive parents, families and community who work together each day to ensure our students are well supported in their well-being, learning and growth.
National Paraeducator and Support Professionals Day
In the Ann Arbor Public Schools, today and every day, we proudly recognize our AAPS paraeducators and education support professionals for the critical services and support they provide our students and teachers every day.
American Education Week is held each year the week before Thanksgiving, and Wednesday (today) of this week is designated by the National Education Association (NEA) as Education Support Professionals (ESP) Day.
Paraeducators and educational support team members hold a very special place in the hearts of everyone in our school communities. These professionals serve on the frontline every day in connecting, nurturing and supporting our students across our classrooms and schools.
On this Educational Support Professionals Day, we’re coming together across the Ann Arbor Public Schools to share our gratitude and celebrate these amazing people who are the connectors who complete our excellent school teams.
You can read the full AAPS Paraeducator & Educator Support Professionals message here.
Native American Heritage Month
While we honor and celebrate individuals of Native American ancestry every day in our classrooms and across our schools in the AAPS, during November, we explore and deepen our collective awareness and understanding through rich art, literature and other cultural and learning connections.
We are a stronger school community as we honor, embrace and celebrate our diversity, continually create a culture of belonging for all and value the connections that unite us as an inclusive Ann Arbor community.
You can read the full AAPS Native American Heritage Month message here.
National School Psychology Week
Earlier this month, we had the opportunity to give special thanks to our AAPS School Psychologists during National School Psychology Week. This is a time when schools throughout the U.S. recognize and highlight the important work of school psychologists - to support and serve all students in developing essential social-emotional skills to improve their academic experience.
We appreciate and celebrate our wonderful AAPS School Psychologists who serve our students, families and staff every day. We thank you for your expertise and the professional commitment, care and connections you provide for our students and our AAPS community.
You can read the full AAPS National School Psychology Week message here.
Veterans Day
While we are grateful for the service of our veterans every day in the Ann Arbor Public Schools, on Saturday, November 11th, we paused, along with the rest of our nation, to honor and thank all those who have served our country for their service and commitment to freedom.
We express deep gratitude to our nation’s 18 million veterans, including over 500,000 Michiganders, for their courageous service and sacrifice in protecting the citizens of our great state and country. We honor these brave women and men who defend our freedom.
You can read the full AAPS Veterans Day message here.
High Schools
Congratulations to Pioneer & Skyline High Schools, who have been awarded the AP Honor Roll Silver Status Award from the College Board for the 2022-2023 AP testing cycle.
To achieve Silver status, schools must meet criteria in areas including College Culture (40% + of graduating cohort took at least one AP exam in high school), College Credit (25% or more of graduating cohort scored a three or higher on at least one AP exam during high school), and College Optimization (2% or more of graduating cohort took five or more AP exams during high school, and at least one was taken in 9th or 10th grade).
Pioneer and Skyline are among 1,430 out of 4,570 schools (9%) designated with Silver Level AP School Honor Roll recognition. Congratulations!
We have enjoyed the fall drama production season so far, and congratulations to our students and staff on their fall productions. I was delighted to experience Huron’s Little Women, directed by AAPS Alum Clarence Collins - a fabulous production! Skyline’s Pirates of Penzance, Pioneer’s Addam’s Family and Community’s Museum are wonderful presentations to round out the AAPS Fall show season.
K-8 and Middle Schools
Our K-8 and middle schools are continuing with fall parent-teacher-student conferences; fall 2023 NWEA reports will be sent home to parents on Friday, November 17th.
Ann Arbor Open’s FIRST Robotics TEAM received the Judges Choice Award and was awarded third place for Robot Design over the weekend! A2 STEAM at Northside is hosting its Middle School Expo from 5:30 to 7:00 pm on Wednesday.
Elementary Schools
Elementary schools are also wrapping up fall parent-teacher conferences, and parents can anticipate Term 1 report cards and NWEA reports to be shared via electronic secure send on Tuesday, November 21.
We also want to share that all schools throughout the district are engaged in organizing winter giving endeavors to support children and families.
Special Education
The monthly AAPAC meeting on Monday, November 6, 2023, focused on sexual development, gender identity and sexuality for students with disabilities. Dr. Suzi Naguib from Sunfield Center presented on this important topic. I also appreciate that just prior to the monthly AAPAC meetings, our Special Education district team continues to support parents and families with a 6 pm drop-in hour - hosted in breakout rooms to protect confidentiality - to connect with their Assistant Director or Director, ask questions and check in.
District Health & Well-Being
We continue the work together to develop our shared understanding of well-being as a foundational component in our work together in the AAPS.
The November 14 Leadership Council meeting yesterday focused on:
- reviewing data from the Fall AAPS Staff Well-Being Survey
- conducting a root cause analysis on some of the results, specifically on an item around having enough ‘time at work to complete the work’
- exploring the Essential ‘Protection from Harm’ from the 5 Essentials for Workplace Mental Health and Well-Being
One Essential: To Protect from Harm
Creating the conditions for physical and psychological safety is a critical foundation for ensuring mental health and well-being in the workplace.
Workplaces can:
- Normalize and support the focus on mental health
- Prioritize workplace physical and psychological safety
- Operationalize diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility norms, policies and programs
The upcoming December 6 Early Release Day for all staff will focus on our continuing work during this 2023-24 school year to better understand and develop ways to actualize well-being in the workplace.
District Strategic Partnerships
Ann Arbor continues as a community known for its giving, and for those who are considering giving during this season of gratitude, a reminder that information is available at the November 2023 Community Resource and Partnerships Update.
In this Issue:
- AAPS Winter Giving - Check out the new a2schools.org/wintergiving page!
- Resources for Winter Clothing, Food and Gifts
- Resources for free car seats, health and mental health and online tutoring
Communication from the AAPS
To stay up-to-date with daily updates and information on school and district activities, you may want to follow us on social media.
- Twitter @A2Schools and @A2SchoolsSuper
- On Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/AnnArborPublicSchools
- Subscribe to our A2Schools podcast at: https://a2schools.buzzsprout.com
- AAPS YouTube channel at: https://www.youtube.com/AnnArborPublicSchools.
We also regularly share updates on the work of the Board of Education in the BOE Update Newsletters.
Inclement Weather Update 2023-2024
As we approach colder weather, we share reminders about our AAPS winter weather processes.
This year, we will follow our well-established protocols for determining when winter/inclement weather closures are needed; we work in collaboration with the City of Ann Arbor, AAPS Durham transportation and County roads teams and other agencies. An important part of the process is that members of our AAPS team drive the roads overnight across the district during possible inclement weather to obtain real-time information.
We will notify all students, staff and families of any change in school day plans as far in advance as possible to support our families in making necessary arrangements. As soon as a weather-related school decision is made, we will share the announcement across all AAPS communication channels: email, phone, social media and media outlets.
Families who have moved or changed phone or email contacts should reach out to the front office in your school to ensure your contact information is updated.
Gratitude
Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more.
It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity.
It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.
Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow.
- Melody Beattie
As we celebrate this Thanksgiving, we have so much to be grateful for in the Ann Arbor Public Schools community.
Our gratitude begins with our 17,000 beautiful children; we are most grateful for each and every child and the opportunity to serve and support their learning and growth each day at school. The light in their eyes and the energy and curiosity they bring to learning give us all joy and hope for the future. Thank you, parents, for sharing your amazing children with us.
We are grateful to the teachers, support staff and leaders of the Ann Arbor Public Schools for their incredible work each day. They serve as deeply committed and caring professionals, dedicating their lives and energies in service to our children; because of their continuing work and dedication, our children discover, grow and succeed at school each day.
We are grateful for our highly engaged and supportive parents whose participation, alongside school and district teams, makes us a stronger, more connected school community. We all understand that quality public schools are the direct result of engaged, and supportive communities, and we are grateful to our Ann Arbor Public Schools community for their ongoing support.
Thank you for the opportunity to serve in the Ann Arbor Public Schools and for the opportunity to share this Superintendent Update.
Wishing you a peaceful Thanksgiving,
Jeanice Kerr Swift
Superintendent of Schools
Ann Arbor Public Schools