Science Fair Information - Check backpacks on 1/8/2013

Science Fair Information Comes Home – January 8, 2013

Please look for science fair sign-up information in your child’s backpack today!  

Pick Your Science Fair Project Night @ Mitchell – January 15, 2013 – 5:30-6:30 PM

Families meet to Mitchell tonight to get help and information about science fair projects.

Pick Your Science Fair Project Night @ Arbor Meadows – January 24, 2013 – 5:30-6:30 PM

Families meet tonight at the Arbor Meadows Clubhouse to get help and information about science fair projects.

Science Fair project registration forms are due to school on January 25, 2013.

PHOTO: Camp Donation - Thank You Bethel AME!

The fifth graders of Mitchell School wish to thank Bethel AME Church for their generous donation to the fifth grade camp fund. The donation will cover the cost of sending four students to camp this year.

Thank you Bethel AME, Reates Curry, Rhonda Salazar, and Dr. Reverend Joseph N. Cousins!

PHOTO: UM Bassist Visits Mitchell

Charlie Reischl, a University of Michigan bassist, visited Mitchell School today to share his music with Mr. Tolly's class and answer questions about music and his instrument.  It was awesome!

We should have told him it was also Pajama Day!

PHOTO: Pajama Day Fun #3

PHOTO: Pajama Day Fun #2

PHOTO: Pajama Day Fun #1

Music Room Update - MLK Celebration on January 18, 2013 @ 9:30 AM

Dear Mitchell Families,

Our work in the music room has recently been focused on preparing for our celebration of the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The students have learned songs about Dr. King and the stories behind them. The songs include Lift Every Voice and Sing, Shine/Is a Light, and We Shall Overcome. As part of our preparations, the students have been studying the life and works of William Grant Still, known as the "Dean of African-American Composers."

To really make this day come alive for our students and the entire Mitchell community, we have two very special guests joining us for our event: Celeste Headlee, host of several NPR programs and former co-host of PRI's The Takeaway, and Grammy Award-winning conductor and violinist John McLaughlin Williams. Both Celeste and John will bring their performances and stories of William Grant Still as an African-American composer living during our country's challenging times. In addition to their participation in the school-wide performance, they will both be spending time with our students in the music classroom, for more personal interaction. Please see below my signature for more biographical information on each of our guests.

Please join us on Friday, January 18 at 9:30 AM here at Mitchell for this celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr's.

Sincerely,

Dan TollyMusic Educator
Mitchell Elementary
Ann Arbor Public Schools

Pajama Day Is Friday!

Students are invited to wear their pajamas to school on Friday this week!

Pajama Day has been planned by the Mitchell School Student Council and their sponsor, Mr. Bell.

Community High School Announces 2013 Parent/Student Orientations

Five parent and student orientation sessions have been announced for families interested in applying 

for Community High School's freshmen slots for the 2013-1014 school year. The sessions, beginning 
January 8, 2013, will be held at the school located at 401 North Division Street. 

• Tuesday, January 8, 2013,  7:00-8:30 PM         
  

• Sunday, January 13,  2013, 2:00-3:30 PM                 
  

• Thursday, January 31, 2013,  7:00-8:30 PM  
  

•  Monday, February 4, 2013, 7:00-8:30 PM
  

• Thursday, February 7, 2013, 7:00-8:30 PM                 
  

The application deadline is *4:00 PM*  *Friday, February 8, 2013, at the CHS Main Office. 

Application packets will be available January 7, 2013 at all Ann Arbor
Public Middle Schools, the Balas Administration Building, 2555 South State
Street, and Community High School, 401 N. Division Street. Applications may
also be downloaded from the website at:

*http://www.a2community.org*

To be eligible for one of 114 open freshman slots, applicants must be current 8th graders,
meet the AAPS residency requirements at the time of application, attend an orientation meeting
with a parent/guardian, and submit a completed application to the CHS Main Office. by 4:00 PM 
Friday, February 8, 2013.  

Managing Your Distress in the Aftermath of a Shooting

http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/mass-shooting.aspx

You may be struggling to understand how a shooting could occur and why such a terrible thing would happen.  There may never be satisfactory answers to these questions.
We do know, though, that it is typical for people to experience a variety of emotions following such a traumatic event. These feelings can include shock, sorrow, numbness, fear, anger, disillusionment, grief and others. You may find that you have trouble sleeping, concentrating, eating or remembering even simple tasks. This is common and should pass after a while. Over time, the caring support of family and friends can help to lessen the emotional impact and ultimately make the changes brought about by the tragedy more manageable. You may feel that the world is a more dangerous place today than you did yesterday. It will take some time to recover your sense of equilibrium.
Meanwhile, you may wonder how to go on living your daily life. You can strengthen your resilience—the ability to adapt well in the face of adversity—in the days and weeks ahead.
Here are some tips:
Talk about it — Ask for support from people who care about you and who will listen to your concerns. Receiving support and care can be comforting and reassuring. It often helps to speak with others who have shared your experience so you do not feel so different or alone.
Strive for balance — When a tragedy occurs, it's easy to become overwhelmed and have a negative or pessimistic outlook. Balance that viewpoint by reminding yourself of people and events which are meaningful and comforting, even encouraging. Striving for balance empowers you and allows for a healthier perspective on yourself and the world around you.
Turn it off and take a break — You may want to keep informed, but try to limit the amount of news you take in whether it's from the internet, television, newspapers or magazines. While getting the news informs you, being overexposed to it can actually increase your stress. The images can be very powerful in reawakening your feeling of distress. Also, schedule some breaks to distract yourself from thinking about the incident and focus instead on something you enjoy. Try to do something that will lift your spirits.
Honor your feelings — Remember that it is common to have a range of emotions after a traumatic incident. You may experience intense stress similar to the effects of a physical injury. For example, you may feel exhausted, sore, or off balance.
Take care of yourself — Engage in healthy behaviors to enhance your ability to cope with excessive stress. Eat well-balanced meals, get plenty of rest, and build physical activity into your day. Avoid alcohol and drugs because they can suppress your feelings rather than help you to manage and lessen your distress. In addition, alcohol and drugs may intensify your emotional or physical pain. Establish or reestablish routines such as eating meals at regular times and following an exercise program. If you are having trouble sleeping, try some relaxation techniques, such as deep breathing, meditation, or yoga.
Help others or do something productive — Locate resources in your community on ways that you can help people who have been affected by this incident, or have other needs. Helping someone else often has the benefit of making you feel better, too.
If you have recently lost friends or family in this or other tragedies — Remember that grief is a long process. Give yourself time to experience your feelings and to recover. For some, this might involve staying at home; for others it may mean getting back to your daily routine. Dealing with the shock and trauma of such an event will take time. It is typical to expect many ups and downs, including "survivor guilt"— feeling bad that you escaped the tragedy while others did not.
For many people, using the tips and strategies mentioned above may be sufficient to get through the current crisis. At times, however an individual can get stuck or have difficulty managing intense reactions. A licensed mental health professional such as a psychologist can assist you in developing an appropriate strategy for moving forward. It is important to get professional help if you feel like you are unable to function or perform basic activities of daily living.
Recovering from such a tragic event may seem difficult to imagine. Persevere and trust in your ability to get through the challenging days ahead. Taking the steps in this guide can help you cope at this very difficult time.
This tip sheet was made possible with help from the following APA members: Dewey Cornell, PhD, Richard A. Heaps, PhD, Jana Martin, PhD, H. Katherine O'Neill, PhD, Karen Settle, PhD, Peter Sheras, PhD, Phyllis Koch-Sheras, PhD, and members of Division 17.

In Regard To Events In Connecticut

Dear AAPS Families,

The tragic event today in Connecticut has brought up some questions regarding the safety plans for our schools.

Please let me assure you that this district is very well prepared for a wide variety of emergencies. Each school has a safety plan in place. This plan includes a heightened awareness from the main office staff and by our school staff. School doors, are in general, locked during the school day except for the front doors. Teachers and staff members have classroom safety plans with instructions in each classroom that are reviewed each year. There are staff members trained in crisis response and CPR in each building. Many staff members have also participated in staged training exercises in response to potential school emergencies.

AAPS works closely with the Ann Arbor Police Department. Police have reviewed and contributed to the district safety plans and participate with us in the training exercises.

While today's events are just now unfolding, we need to assure AAPS families that we continue to assess our safety plans as we will again after this tragedy.

Please feel free to contact your school principal or me if you have any further questions.

These types of events are just impossible to explain. Our condolences are with the families at Sandy Hook Elementary School and the whole Newtown, Connecticut community.

Please have a peaceful weekend,

Liz Margolis

Director of Communications

Music Room News - from Mr. Tolly

Dear Mitchell Families, 

We've had an exciting start to the school year. We started the year by studying Arturo Sandoval, the great Cuban trumpet player. We made connections through Sandoval's life to Dizzy Gillespie, Chano Pozo, BeBop, Swing, and other performers and forms of American music.

In this fall semester, the Mitchell music room has had many guests. From the University of Michigan School of Music, Dr. Carlos Rodriguez (Professor of Music Education) has been in to observe the work we're doing. In addition, three pre-student teachers and their graduate teaching assistant have been joining us every Thursday morning, getting a chance to practice their craft under my supervision and guidance. I work directly with the group outside of teaching time to ensure that any lessons they prepare and present are in accordance with my curriculum standards and tie in directly with the content of our curriculum. We've also had 13 student observers in from the University of Michigan School of Music Education. 

As you may know from Mr. Karr, Mitchell has had several important guests this fall, including AAPS Superintendent Dr. Patricia Green and world-renowned educational expert Dr. James Comer. We were honored to have them observe your students engaged in our music curriculum during their visits. We have also been happy to have other Mitchell guests visit our classroom, including Dr. Cathy Reischl of the UM - Mitchell Partnership, and Chuck Hatt, Literacy and Social Studies Coordinator for the Ann Arbor Public Schools district.

 

It has been wonderful to work musically with your children. I've been impressed with how quickly they've adapted to a new approach in the music classroom. Please know that you are always welcome to visit and observe the rhythm, melodic, movement, and song activities we experience daily in the music room. Just be sure to sign in at the office on your way into the building.

Thank you, 

Dan Tolly

Music Education

Mitchell Elementary
Ann Arbor Public Schools

PHOTO: Kindergarten Art Project

Kindergarteners have been learning about warm and cool colors. They painted paper in warm colors and made suns to put on their cool color backgrounds, made with oil pastels.

Ms. Furey is the Kindergarten art teacher this year and guided our students so wonderfully on this project.