Week of March 23, 2020

Dear Mitchell Families,

I hope this finds you, your loved ones and friends all doing well and feeling healthy. I think of you often and I miss you. I have a number of updates for you in this edition of the eNotes. Please remember, I will post all updates to the Mitchell School Newssite. Many of my updates are things you might have already seen. My goal is to be clear and consistent with communication so as not to misinform you. 

During the week of March 23, you can expect that classroom teachers will begin to share a daily message and a daily learning opportunityfor your children. These opportunities will occur on Seesaw and Google Classroom. Teachers have already begun to reach out to kids and families to make sure everyone is connected. If you are not connected with your child's teacher(s), please contact them and they will help.

Our special area teachers will also be providing learning opportunitiesfor kids. This will not occur daily but will rather occur on the schedule below.

·      Monday – PE with Ms. Rushdan (Welcome Back Ms. Rushdan!!)

·      Tuesday – World Language with Mrs. Gryak and PLTW with Mr. Hall

·      Wednesday – Media/Library with Mrs. Duncan

·      Thursday – Vocal/Instrumental Music with Mrs. Schwankl and Mr. Rodriguez

·      Friday – Art with Mr. Cerniglia 

Of course, our special area teachers will be providing kids feedback throughout the week. 

I'm working on a document entitled, Mitchell School Learning Platform Links. This document will be a one-stop shop that will indicate each staff members learning platform (Seesaw, Google Classroom) and will include contact information. As soon as this is ready, I'll share it with you. Should be soon…please be on the lookout for that information. 

From my end, I plan to do some "tweeting" this week in the hopes that it simply provides a little fun for the kids and another way to stay connected. I will continue tweeting important updates (which will also post to the blog and I will share via eNotes, email) but I will also tweet, what I hope, will be a little fun for the kids. If you'd like to tune in, you can follow me on twitter…. @a2mitchell– I hope to "see" you there! 

AAPS Continuous Learning Plan

Certainly, making the shift to digital learning will take some time. To ensure access to learning for all students AAPS will be providing technology this week, and our hard-working teachers are busy planning for instruction and receiving professional development. In order to provide students with continuous learning the week of March 16, students and families can access grade level and content related enrichment activities by clicking here. All resources related to the Continuous Learning Plan can be accessed at http://a2schools.org/continuouslearning.

Food Distribution for Families in Need

AAPS, working with Chartwell's Food Service, will provide "to go" meals available for pick-up between 11 AM and 12:30 PM at approximately a dozen locations across the community. In addition to today, meals will be available this week on Tuesday, March 17th and Friday, March 20th.  If you have food allergy needs, cannot make it to a pick-up location or have any other questions, please call 734-994-2265 and arrangements will be made. Meals are provided to fulfill student needs for 7 days per week, extending through Spring Break week. Full details are available here. Arbor Meadows and Scarlett are two local sites to pick up food!

 

AAPS Food Service Hotline

If you have food allergy needs or cannot make it to a pick-up location, please call 734-994-2265. 

Technology for Families

Parents and guardians who have requested a device through our surveys are invited to pick up a device at your child's school according to this schedule. Surveys are available here for families that may be experiencing technology needs. Any families with transportation, health concerns, or who are otherwise unable to pick up the device at the scheduled time, should call our technology hotline at 734-997-1222. The hotline is available from 7:30 AM to 7:30 PM to also offer assistance for families experiencing technology or home internet reliability issues connected to staying engaged in learning at A2Schools.org.

Practicing Social Distancing

I have gotten some inquiry from parents requesting guidance on getting students together. Here is an article that may be helpful. Social Distancing Article

Technology Roll-Out Plan

Dear Mitchell Families,

I hope this finds you, your loved ones and friends, feeling well and healthy. 

I'm sharing an update now regarding the AAPS Technology Roll Out Plan. This plan is designed to get technology devices (iPads, Chromebooks & WIFI) to those children/families who need them.

Phase 1

Technology will be distributed based upon the survey your children took this past Friday. Many of you also filled out the survey over the course of the past few days. Know this:

·     Phase 1 roll-out is scheduled for Thursday, March 19 at Scarlett Middle School from 8:00-10:00 AM. If you need a device, please come get one. 

·     This will be a drive-through style pick up, similar to the food distributions. Stay in your car and stay in the flow of traffic. We will direct you to the exchange point.

o  TRAFFIC FLOW PATTERN  

·     Kids in grades Y5-2 will receive iPads. Kids in grades 3-5 will receive Chromebooks. 

·     A Technology Help Line has been set up for parents. It will be staffed from 7:30 AM to 7:30 PM. The number is 734-997-1222.

Phase 2

Anyone who cannot pick-up a device during phase 1 will have the opportunity to do so during phase 2. We have to conduct phase 1 to better understand the needs of phase 2. We know this is going to be an ongoing process. We are also considering how to plan for those who might not be able to come get a device. I will share phase 2 details soon.

Take care and more from me soon,

Matt

Dear Mitchell School...

Hello Mitchell Families, 

 

I'm reaching out to simply say hello and share a few updates. Amidst this time of uncertainty, I'm thinking of you all and want you to know that I'll do my very best to keep you as up to date as possible, while also doing everything I can to mobilize resources and support for our community. Additionally, I hope you've all had the opportunity to read the message from Dr. Swift. If not, I would encourage you to do so, and I've linked her message at the bottom of this communication. 

 

I'll start by saying…THANK YOU!

Over the past week I've received many, many messages from parents and teachers who have expressed a desire to help. This is part of what makes our community so special – thank you! As we move forward, I will be calling upon many of you to do just that…help. As the Mitchell staff and I become aware of needs, I'll reach out with specifics while, of course, maintaining the appropriate level of confidentiality. If you're a family in need, please share with us and we will do our very best to help. To be sure, there will be many challenges ahead and things will certainly evolve as time goes on. Yet, I'm committed to learning each day and doing my very best to support the members of our community! 

 

I want to specifically applaud the Mitchell teachers for pulling together on Friday to make sure that every child who attended school felt cared for, loved and reassured. Our teachers organized the day in such a way that kids had the opportunity to choose books to bring home while also gathering their things, having some fun, and saying "see you soon" to their friends and teachers. I'm very, very proud of the Mitchell teachers and honored to work alongside each of them. 

 

Communication 

I will be in frequent communication via email and twitter. I will also post all communications to the Mitchell School website. I will use this website as a "one stop shop" for information. In doing so, I'm hoping to create one, centralized location for accurate information – the hope being that you won't need to look back through emails to find anything. You can simply visit the website, click on "MITCHELL SCHOOL NEWS", and access the information via a blog format. 

 

MITCHELL SCHOOL NEWS

 

Classroom teachers will be in frequent communication with families as well. Over the next week, teachers will be planning and collaborating digitally to best support student learning during the closure. At first, this may simply be in the form of daily check-ins and reminders. Ultimately, communications will include more academic content as we move forward. Please be on the lookout for communication from your child's classroom teacher(s) soon! 

 

Information on Food Sites

Finally, I know food may be a concern for many of our families.  I am pleased to announced that Chartwell's is providing a breakfast and lunch package to be distributed at a variety of locations with the assistance of Durham Transportation and officers from Ann Arbor Police Department. They will distribute food through spring break on a two or three day a week schedule providing multiple meals for families. You can find more information below.

 

AAPS FOOD DISTRIBUTION PLAN

 

MARCH 13 MESSAGE FROM DR. SWIFT

 

FOOD GATHERERS

 

For Now…

Please be safe, stay healthy and take care of yourself and one another. AND… enjoy this message from Mr. Culbertson!  

 

More from me in the coming days. 

 

Be well,

Matt

In District Transfer Window – Now Open

Please know the following:

• If your student is currently enrolled in Preschool, you must complete a new full enrollment for Young Fives or Kindergarten, either as a new enrollment for your neighborhood school or an in-district transfer to request another school.
• If your student is currently enrolled in Young 5's - 4th grades and you live in the Mitchell attendance area, your student will automatically roll-up to Mitchell next year.
• If your student is currently enrolled as an in-district transfer in Young 5's, your student is automatically assigned to your neighborhood school for Kindergarten.  If you would like to return to Mitchell, or attend another AAPS school, you must apply for an in-district transfer to request your next school for Kindergarten, as this grade represents a level change within the Ann Arbor Public Schools.
• If your student is currently enrolled under Schools of Choice or Non-Resident Child of Employee in Young 5's, you must apply for an in-district transfer to request your next school (Mitchell or other) for Kindergarten, as this grade represents a level change within the Ann Arbor Public Schools.
• If your student is currently enrolled as an in-district transfer, Schools of Choice or Non-Resident Child of Employee, in grades Kindergarten – 4th, you do not need to reapply. Your child will automatically roll up to the next grade.  If you have moved, please contact the office to discuss your situation as soon as possible to determine the next steps.
• If your student is currently enrolled as an in-district transfer in the 5th grade, your student is automatically assigned to your neighborhood school for 6th grade.  If you would like to attend another AAPS middle school, you must apply for an in-district transfer to request your next school.
• If your student is currently enrolled under Schools of Choice or Non-Resident Child of Employee, in the 5th Grade, you must apply for an in-district transfer to request the next school, as this grade also represents a level change within the Ann Arbor Public Schools.

 

You can find enrollment information at a2schools.org/enrollment and contact information at 734-994-2249 or email at enroll@a2schools.org.

Influenza Update

Many schools are reporting multiple absences due to Influenza A or B. Unfortunately, classrooms are an environment where the flu can spread easily.

For parents:

• If your child is diagnosed with flu or suspected flu, please plan to keep him/her home for at least four days, and only if they have been fever-free for at least 24 hours. The CDC states that people with flu are contagious for 3-4 days after symptoms begin, so keeping sick children at home is critical to stop the spread of disease. 
• Teach your children to wash their hands, blow their nose into a tissue and throw it away, and cough into their elbows. 
• Get a flu shot if you haven't already. The vaccine is offering some protection against this year's strains of flu. 

In addition, AAPS is following the Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations to prevent the spread of flu in schools, including implementing disinfection protocols and daily cleaning of "high touch" areas.

Coronavirus Update

The Ann Arbor Public Schools is in frequent communication with the Washtenaw County Health Department to monitor the situation locally. The following local, state, and national public health organizations are regularly updating their information about Coronavirus: The WCHD, the State of Michigan Department of Health and Human Servicesand the CDC.

 

You can find the AAPS Update here. 

Rec & Ed - “Where Community Comes Together”

REMINDER: Spring Break is Coming!-  Spring Break Campprovides all the fun of camp with sports, art, exciting science and MORE while campers challenge their minds, strengthen bodies and make new friends! Spring Break Campis March 30th to April 3rd at Forsythe.

Summer Camps 2020

Ready for the best summer ever? Rec & Ed is your 2020 summer camp destination. Camp themes include art, theater, sports, nature, science, S.T.E.A.M. and more! Register online now at aarecedcamps.comwhere daily adventure awaits your summer camper!