Dear Mitchell Families: I want to take a moment just to say thank you. We started off the year finding out that student achievement has improved and we have moved off the Focus School list. It is another moment to notice the excellence of Mitchell School and the Mitchell School community. We've all worked hard this fall to continue this improvement. Thank you to everyone who has helped our students to learn. Parents, thank you for your support at home and making sure that kids are reading each night for at least 15 minutes. Teachers, you are the best teachers in any school anywhere. Students, thank you for being respectful, responsible, safe, and having fun at Mitchell School. We look forward to our work to be the best school we can be in 2015 and continuing our journey to become an International Baccalaureate school. If you'd like to know more about this, please click HERE. I wish you all the best!
Over the winter break all Mitchell Students will be bringing home the ThinkStretch, BrainFreeze program. This is a great way for kids to stay engaged in reading over the two-week winter break. And, if students log their reading minutes online they will be entered to win a prize through the ThinkStretch program. More information can be found HERE. A HUGE thank you goes out to ThinkStretch for their continued support of Mitchell School!
All Mitchell School students will have the opportunity to choose a free book to add to their at home reading libraries. It is important that students continue to read during the winter break. After your child reads his or her book some questions you might ask your child are, "What was the problem in the story?" "How was the problem solved?" and/or "What did you learn from the book?" This opportunity is made possible through our partnership with the Children's Literacy Network.
PTO Message: The December 5th babysitting/crafting night has been cancelled due to lack of participation. We will be returning the money to any family that did register. We apologize for the inconvenience.
Spanish:
Hola! I can't believe November is nearly over! The time has been flying by and your students have been learning lots of Spanish! In each of my classes, students practice listening, speaking, reading, and writing!
In grades K-2 we have been working on Days of the Week, weather, seasons, and months of the year. We have been learning through songs, activities, hand movements, and conversations.
In grade 3 we have worked on the alphabet, numbers, and ages. We are continuing our work on ages and will then move into months and days of the week. We use games, songs, and activities to learn.
In grade 4 we have worked on school items and supplies, weather and seasons, and we are working on food and money now. Again, we have been learning in a variety of ways.
The students in grade 5 have been working on family members and we are now working on body parts. We will be moving on to descriptive words next.
Our first conversation about culture in Spanish speaking countries was such a success that I am excited to continue building this into my time with your students.
Please let me know if you have any questions, concerns, or ideas.
Thank you,
Sarah Kairis kairiss@aaps.k12.mi.us
Arabic:
Marhaba!
Another great Month at Mitchell, and it is hard to believe it is November already??! Our students continue to work diligently in Arabic classes. They continue to build on vocabulary by listening and repeating new words. Songs, flashcards and stories help reinforce new concepts such as greetings, days of the week, weather and learning the long and short vowels.
The students' listening, speaking, reading and writing skills continue to improve in the target language. All the 3rd,4th and 5th graders had fun using hand gestures to act out some words they are learning. They also like to write the Arabic alphabet.
It is so wonderful to see the students greet me in the hall with "Marhaba Saidah Basuni" ( Hi, Mrs. Basuni). Their enthusiasm for learning a World language is evident when I am teaching them in my classroom.
It's great teaching your sons/daughters here at Mitchell! If you have any question please feel free to email me at:
The Mitchell School Science Olympiad team is now forming! This a great opportunity for 2nd-5th grade students to engage in a fun, highly engaging science based learning experience. More information will be coming home in backpacks soon. Event descriptions can be found HERE.
Parents, if you are picking up your child at the end of the day we ask that you wait outside the office in the front lobby. We do this because it is part of our safety plan here at school. Of course, we all want our kids to exit the building safely. It really makes a difference and helps teachers to ensure we have a safe and orderly exit procedure when parents wait near the office at the end of the day. Thank you for your help.
As we move into winter weather, children will continue to have recess and be outside. Please send your child to school with the appropriate coat, hat, mittens, and boots. We will be sure to have them wear it.
Student report cards will be sent home on Monday, November 24. This is an opportunity to talk with your child about their learning and celebrate growth. It's also an opportunity to set improvement goals. If you have questions, please talk with your child's teacher.
The Mitchell PTO is hosting a craft night on Friday, December 5 for families to drop off their children at school for a night of crafts! Space is limited. You must sign up in advance. Information came home in student folders.
As a friendly reminder, please send your children to school with the appropriate clothing to be outside for recess. It's important for kids to be outside playing together and getting some exercise. Please send them with a coat, hat, gloves, etc. and we will be sure to have them wear it.
Mitchell PTO Meeting – November 11 6:00-7:00 pm
All families are invited and welcome to attend the Mitchell School PTO meeting! We will meet in the media center.
Dear Parents: If you ordered something through the PTO Market Day fundraiser, please plan to pick up your order after school on Friday, November 21. More information will follow.
As a reminder, there is no school for students on Tuesday, November 4th.
Halloween candy is not allowed at school. When children bring their candy to school it becomes a distraction to their learning. Please keep the candy at home.
As a friendly reminder, please send your children to school with the appropriate clothing to be outside for recess. It's important for kids to be outside playing together and getting some exercise. Please send them with a coat, hat, gloves, etc. and we will be sure to have them wear it.
Parent-teacher conferences were well attended this week. One parent asked, "Are the students at Mitchell School supposed to read at home every night?" The answer is, YES! Students at Mitchell School are expected to read at home every night. This is an important part of our partnership and will help students be successful here at school.
Please do not park in the circle drive in front of school. For the safety of all students, we are asking parents to keep this area clear of parked cars so traffic can move smoothly for pick-up and drop-off. If you need to come into the building, please park in the lot in front of school or in the Scarlett lot behind the school. Thank you.
As a reminder, there is no school for students on Tuesday, November 4th.
The Fall Festival is a school celebration with games and food! This event is a family event and children cannot attend unless their parent or guardian comes with them. Please remember, no violent or scary costumes are allowed at Fall Fest. No blood. No toy weapons. Thank you for your attention to this important detail. The PTO is still in need of parent volunteers. Please sign up HERE.
Spanish: ¡HOLA PADRES!
We have been having a great time in Spanish class! The students all welcomed me in on the third week of school and we got right to work! We spent the beginning days of class practicing and cementing our classroom procedures and routines.
Kindergarten through second grade has been working on colors, numbers, and shapes. We are going to be learning the days of the week next!
Third grade has been learning greetings, introductions, and the alphabet.
Fourth grade has been reviewing vocabulary about classroom items and furniture.
Fifth grade has been reviewing food and pets. We are going to move to family and descriptive words soon.
If you would like to contact me, please email me at kairiss@aaps.k12.mi.us
Arabic: Marhaba!
Students 3rd-5th grades have been reviewing previously learned vocabulary and structures to activate knowledge and skills using stories, songs and games. They have been engaged in a small project about their evolving interests in order to talk about our personal likes/dislikes in order to build community with other classmates. Also, they created " a map of their life" where they shared some stories about themselves in class. We have been learning some songs and playing games to learn new Arabic vocabulary and to practice new structures to communicate our ideas. They also write in Arabic, and for most of them, this is the first time using Arabic alphabet and WRTIT.
Our focus for this month is the sounds of the letter "Daa". They will learn many new Arabic words have the letter "Daa" through reading stories. My students are very engaged in their work and are making great progress. It is a lot of fun to work with them. Parents, encourage your children to be consistent in their efforts both in and outside the Arabic classroom. If you have any questions please email me at: basuni@aaps.k12.mi.us
The Fall Festival is a school celebration with games and food! This event is a family event and children cannot attend unless their parent or guardian comes with them. Please remember, no violent or scary costumes are allowed at Fall Fest. No blood. No toy weapons. Thank you for your attention to this important detail. The PTO is still in need of parent volunteers. Please sign up HERE.
There is a Flu Clinic Scheduled for Mitchell families on Monday, October 20th, from 4pm-7pm in the Conference room. It is run by Michigan Visiting Nurses out of U/M. It is free with covered insurance or $25. Make sure you bring your insurance card! Children 9 and over can get it as long as a parent/guardian can sign for them. Families who do not have insurance or the $25 can call Nicole at Scarlett RAHS (734.677.2708) to make an appointment with her.
The dates for parent-teacher conferences are October 20 and October 23. If you have not scheduled a conference please contact your child's teacher. Our goal is to meet with all families!
In connection to the Ann Arbor Public Schools work to bring the best school offerings and educational practices to students in Ann Arbor – like Mitchell working to become an International Baccalaureate school – I am excited to share that all students at Mitchell are now learning a second language. Kindergarten through second grade students are learning Spanish. For third through fifth grade, students began the year learning Arabic and are now learning Spanish. In not too long, students in third through fifth grade will make a choice about which language to continue studying this year. Please know that these choices on language will continue to exist for students as they move through Scarlett Middle School and Huron High School. This means students who continue with the same second language have the opportunity to reach a high level of proficiency. One question I've been asked is why was Arabic chosen as the other world language to offer at Mitchell after Spanish. This answer is that Arabic is the second most spoken world language at Mitchell – after Spanish – so it connects to our community. Please join me in recognizing this important development at Mitchell. It offers students learning opportunities never before available at our school.
If you have questions, please call, email me, or stop by.
Sincerely,
Kevin Karr
This is an event that promotes fitness and fun while raising money for the Mitchell School PTO. We are still in need of volunteers. If you can volunteer please email the Mitchell PTO at ptomitchell@gmail.com The kids are really excited about this event!
There is a Flu Clinic Scheduled for Mitchell families on Monday, October 20th, from 4pm-7pm in the Conference room. It is run by Michigan Visiting Nurses out of U/M. It is free with covered insurance or $25. Make sure you bring your insurance card! Children 9 and over can get it as long as a parent/guardian can sign for them. Families who do not have insurance or the $25 can call Nicole at Scarlett RAHS (734.677.2708) to make an appointment with her.
Good afternoon Mitchell Families!
We have a lot going on over the month of October and cannot wait to share with you.
First of all, I want to thank you so much for a great Book Fair. Special Thanks to all of our volunteers! It could not have happened without you.
Here is a look at upcoming dates:
10/10 – Pledge forms for Fun run are due! No money due at this time. We will send the pledge forms back with the number of completed laps.
10/14 – PTO Meeting – Join us for planning of Fun Run, Fall Fest and much more -6PM in the Media Center.
10/17 – Mitchell Fun Run!!!! Join us for a great day of Fun and Fitness, and earn money for the school!
10/23 – Send in any Box Tops you have around. For every Box Top, we send in, we get $0.10. And you can find Box Tops for Education EVERYWHERE!
10/24 - Fall Fest! Have fun with science experiments, Science Olympiad ideas and a lot of fun games. There will also be food for sale. We will be asking for Cookie and cake donations for the Cake Walk, and 2-litres of pop for the ring toss. Look for the flyer to come home soon.
If you can help, please sign up here:Fall Fest 2014 - Friday, Oct 24th
As always, please let us know if you have any questions.
Thank you and have a great day!
Mitchell PTO
Dear Friends, Colleagues, and Community Partners:
The University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Ann Arbor District Library are pleased to invite you to Dia de la Familia Latina 2014. Please help us spread the word! All are welcome to enjoy the food, music, and history of Latin America. This year, our features countries are Chile and Mexico. The event is free and will include children's games, community resources, health information, cultural presentations, and entertainment. *Free parking is available in the public lot next to the library.* Details are below. We hope to see you there!
Dia De LA Familia Event Details:
Date: Sunday, October 5th, 2014
Time: 2:30 - 5 pm
Place: Ann Arbor District Library (downtown location)
343 South Fifth Avenue, Ann Arbor, MI 48104
Parking: is free on streets and parking lot next to the library.
For more information: Call 734.327.8301
All children will have their picture taken. Information has been sent home regarding the purchase of school pictures. You can also order online HERE with code LM554866Y0.
The dates for fall parent-teacher conferences are October 15, October 20, and October 23. Teachers are working hard to schedule parent-teacher conferences. If you have not already scheduled a conference, please call your child's teacher to schedule now.
Mitchell School will host a Scholastic book fair October 1st – 3rd. Children will preview the book fair and have an opportunity to buy books as well. More information and volunteer opportunities can be found HERE.
One tradition here at Mitchell School is Spirit Friday! Each Friday we encourage your child to wear his or her favorite team colors or just favorite colors to school!
As you know we are in the initial phase of our work toward becoming an International Baccalaureate school here at Mitchell and in the Ann Arbor Public Schools at Scarlett and Huron. If you're interested, an advisory group is forming to support the work of becoming an IB school. We are seeking Mitchell School parents who are interested in helping to support this important work. More information can be found by calling the school or by clicking HERE.
One tradition here at Mitchell School is Spirit Friday! Each Friday we encourage your child to wear his or her favorite team colors to school. Even if it is something other than…Go Blue! J
The dates for fall parent-teacher conferences are October 15, October 20, and October 23. If you were unable to attend curriculum night, please call your child's teacher to schedule a parent-teacher conference. It's an important moment for teachers and parents to communicate around academic, social, and emotional growth.
The Mitchell PTO and the Mitchell School staff would like to thank the following families that gave up part of their Labor Day to help pull weeds, spread mulch, trim, haul stuff, and make Mitchell Elementary gardens beautiful:
Students should bring your Think Stretch books on the first day of school to their teacher. The books will be examined and students will receive a medal depending on how much of the work they've completed: Bronze: 50-74%, Silver: 75- 95%, Gold: 96 - 100%.
Please return the green emergency cards and other forms that came home in the welcome back packet. It is important that we have this information so we know who to communicate with in case of an emergency.
Dear Mitchell Families,
Tonight is the Welcome Back Picnic at Mitchell!
You will:
Your child will:
Everyone will:
See you tonight from 6 - 8 PM at Mitchell.
Sincerely,
Kevin Karr and Matt Hilton
We hope all families will come to Mitchell on Wednesday, August 27 from 6 – 8 PM to receive their teacher assignment for the school year.
Dear Mitchell Families:
Let's make Mitchell beautiful!
The beautification committee, led by Christine Payne, needs some help Monday, September 1st 10am - noon!
Starting at 10am we will be "touching up" the landscape of the entrances at Mitchell. We'll be trimming bushes, laying mulch and weeding flower beds. With a few great volunteers, it should only take a few hours. To help us plan for enough snacks and drinks, please email us at ptomitchell@gmail.com to let us know you can make it.
Don't have a green thumb? Don't worry, Christine has been taking care of the beds for years and knows what's what. We just need some help getting our great school back into great shape!
Volunteering with the PTO is a great way to get involved and meet families. It's also a great way to get in community service hours!
Please bring gloves, rakes, shovels, wheelbarrows etc
Thank you!
Your Mitchell PTO
