Returning Mitchell Students - Registration for 2020-21

Dear Families,

 

AAPS is preparing for the 2020-21 school year and will soon be sending out information on registering for the fall. I'm sharing now as an update and will prompt you again when the time comes. For now, please know this:

 

You will receive a communication via email with instructions on how to access the system for your student. The email will contain a link and a secure "snapcode" that links directly to your student's information. If you have already set up an account in a prior year, you will be able to reuse that account and the snapcode to begin this year's forms. As a reminder, all students entering young fives, kindergarten, seventh grade, or new to the district will also need to present up-to-date immunization records to their school prior to the first day of school. 

Fall 2020 – First Day of School Update

The first day of school will be Monday, August 31^st, 2020. This is a change from previous years and we will start before Labor Day. 

End of Year Activities Update

Since the Governor has extended the stay-home order to June 12^th, we won't have access to Mitchell School for the rest of the year. I am working on plans for families to return library books, instruments, obtain student belongings/materials from classrooms and yearbook distribution. Details to come…

5th Grade Math Testing Out

Current Mitchell 5^thgrade students who are advanced in math will have the opportunity to test out of Math 6 for next year as they transition to Scarlett Middle School. The testing out opportunity will take place in July. Information has come home via backpack mail and you can find the information HEREas well. If you have questions, please contact your child's teacher. 

Schools of Choice Window – Open Now!

Families who are looking for an International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme schooling experience at Mitchell should apply through the schools of choice window. The window will remain open from April 28 through May 27, 2020. Please help spread the word! You can find more information at THIS LINK. 

Enrollment Notice: Have you moved outside of the AAPS boundary? Are you planning to move?

We don't want to see you go.  If you reside, or are moving, outside of the Ann Arbor Public Schools boundaries and are not currently enrolled under the Schools of Choice option, we invite you to submit your Schools of Choice application now.   The window to apply closes on Wednesday, May 27 at 5:00 pm.  

By law, we cannot accept applications outside of the Schools of Choice application window so please act now. Head to a2schools.org/enrollment and click on Schools of Choice Application in the center column.  Families applying in this window will be notified mid-June of placement status.  If you are unsure of your current enrollment status or have other questions, please email us at enroll@a2schools.org.

AAPS Summer Learning Opportunities

In these challenging times, we want you to know that the AAPS remains your partner, committed to meeting the needs of our amazing students. We are thrilled to share that we have expanded our summer programming to provide all of our students and their families with opportunities for summer learning, improved access to instruction and supports, excellent teachers and engaging learning experiences. At our Summer Learning Opportunities website, you will find each program's description, dates of operation, academic focus and structure and enrollment procedures. 

School Nurse Corner

Your school nurses want to connect with you! We created the School Nurse Care Corneras a landing spot for your health and wellness related questions and concerns; a place to find health and wellness resources and an opportunity to share a friendly greeting and directly contact your school nurse. Our goal is to share our wealth of information to make your day brighter and better.

Connecting Together: AAPS Parent Support Group

Join members of our school psychologist team for an informal, co-facilitated parent support group to discuss your current challenges, bounce ideas around with other parents and generally find non-judgmental support and connection. Learn more and register here.

Week of May 11, 2020

Dear Mitchell Families, 

 

Over the past few weeks we've been moving forward with teaching and learning online. I trust by now that every family has found a routine that works best for your child(ren) to accomplish the 4 Math, 4 ELA, 2 Science and 2 Social Studies lessons each week, and the many Special Area classes that are offered by your child's teachers. It's important that your children engage with their teachers and consistently participate in online learning. 

 

I know that for some of you this might be overwhelming. Yet, once you get into a daily/weekly routine, all of these activities can be accomplished and will provide your child with the best possible education to prepare them for next school year. If we can be supportive, please let us know. We will do our best to help. 

 

I hope you and your loved ones are well,
Matt

Schools of Choice Window – Open Now!

Families who are looking for an International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme schooling experience at Mitchell should apply through the schools of choice window. The window will remain open from April 28 through May 27, 2020. Please help spread the word! You can find more information at THIS LINK. 

Tuesday, May 5 – Originally Scheduled No School Day – Election Day

This Tuesday, May 5 is an already scheduled no school day for staff and students. This means there will be no lessons posted and no teacher office hours on Tuesday. I hope kids and families will take this day to catch up on school work, read and play outside! 

March Report Card Update

Dear Mitchell School Families,

 

This has certainly become a school year our students, staff and families will never forget. Thank you for your patience, care and support to our staff and to your amazing children as we have all navigated new and challenging territory together.

 

Many of our families have inquired about our term 2 elementary report cards and we certainly understand the desire to know more about your child's progress and growth.  As you know, our process for sharing report cards with our families involved printed copies sent home with students.  While transitioning instruction to the online setting, we have also been working on a plan for electronically distributing report cards securely. We are very close to that solution now.

 

In addition to the means of distribution for the report cards, we are also adjusting expectations regarding the content of the report cards.  Here's why.  Just before the closure announcement, we had adjusted the report card distribution date due to snow days.  Our teachers needed this time to complete the end of term assessments needed to accurately record student progress.  When the closure announcement was made, our teachers were in the process of completing those assessments.   While many were complete on March 13th, some were not and this has resulted in some missing information that would normally be included. 

 

Here is what you can expect:

 

• Elementary term 2 report cards will be issued electronically on May 10th with clear instructions to our families for how to access, view and print if desired. 
• Some areas of the report card will be blank due to missing assessment data caused by the abrupt closure of school. 
• Given that information may be missing, progress may not be shown in some areas.  
• Remember that during the closure no formal grades or assessments are being given and teachers are providing feedback to students throughout the closure based on assignments received. Therefore, no report card for Term 3 will be issued.

 

As always, if you have questions about your child's academic progress or needs, please reach out to your child's teacher directly.

 

We are preparing now for a very different summer and fall, one that includes many opportunities to address the learning needs of our students. Stay tuned for more information about summer options coming soon.  

 

Again, we thank you for your patience during this challenging time.  Please know that we miss your children very much and are here to support you.  

 

Sincerely,

Matt