Happy Thanksgiving!

As we begin the Thanksgiving break, I want to express thanks and gratitude for the strengths of the Mitchell School community and families:

- We have exceptional teachers who work very hard to bring excellence to all of our work at Mitchell, but especially our school improvement plan
- We are very lucky to be the only school in Ann Arbor to partner with the UM School of Education and all of their expertise and support
- Our families are caring, hard working, resourceful and supportive of our work to educate our children
- We work with the very best students in Ann Arbor....really. 

- And last, we are beginning work to bring the very best teaching and learning practices in the world to Mitchell, Scarlett and Huron....it is called International Baccalaureate schooling, and I believe it will be an important part of your child's educational future in Ann Arbor.  You can find out more at: http://a2-ib.blogspot.com/p/home.html.

Most of all, thank you for your support of the work at Mitchell School, the coolest school in the world.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Sincerely,
Kevin

PTO Craft Night

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.

World Language at Mitchell - November Update

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 3^rd,4^th and 5^th 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:

basuni@aaps.k12.mi.us

 

Thanksgiving Break

As a friendly reminder, there will be no school on November 26, 27 & 28. 

Science Olympiad

The Mitchell School Science Olympiad team is now forming! This a great opportunity for 2^nd-5^th 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.

End of Day Student Pick Up

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. 

Winter Weather

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. 

Report Cards

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. 

PTO Craft Night

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. 

Colder Weather

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. 

PTO Meeting

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. 

Market Day Orders

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.