Exceptional Education CHS grad Ulaby visits Community High School graduate Neda Ulaby, now an arts and culture reporter for AAPSNews National Public AAPSNews Radio, visited News, features, profiles and activities in The Ann Arbor Public Schools her alma mater NPR photo this month, Inside: • Ann Arbor high schools welcome exchange students with new group, page 2 speaking to English and Jour- • Adult Education and ESL programs host winter registration, page 3 • School briefs, page 4 nalism students. See Page 2 Detailed stories online at news.a2schools.org • Visit and subscribe inside and visit the-communicdator.org for Note: Due to the December school break, the next edition of the AAPSNews will be published on Jan. 4, 2010 student coverage of the event.

Issue No. 4, December 14, 2009 Allen Creek project helps stormwater, improves Pioneer school grounds Featured story By Casey Hans through federal stimulus funds and state AAPSNews Service monies as well as a loan to be paid back through the city of Ann Arbor’s water and A stormwater improvement project on sewer fund. The project is on Ann Arbor the northeast corner of the Pioneer High Public Schools land, but the district is pay- School property should help alleviate ing no part of the construction, officials flooding in the Allen Creek Watershed and said. improve water discharged into the Huron The project at the corner of Main Street River. and Stadium Boulevard encompasses just It also will spruce up the school grounds, under five acres. Two large detention tanks level the land to create a usable recreation will be placed 25 feet underground to hold A chain link fence protects the multiple-acre work site at Pioneer HIgh area and add about 130 new trees and a and slowly discharge water into Allen School, where Washtenaw County is coordinating a project to help decorative plaza as well as interpretive Creek, keeping excess phosphorus from flooding in the Allen Creek Watershed. Two underground tanks are be- signs explaining Allen Creek, which now the river. ing installed to filter and control storm water. Although The Ann Arbor runs as an underground drain at the site. Public Schools is a project partner, allowing the work on its property, no The $3.1 million project will be paid for See Pioneer project, page 4 school money is being spent on it. 4 community budget meetings are scheduled around the district in January Ann Arbor school officials are hosting public budget for needed reductions and any revenue options. Attend a meeting: information sessions in January where discussion and It is anticipated that $20 million in reductions will need budget cut suggestions will be encouraged. to be made for the 2010-11 school year. Meetings begin at 6:30 p.m. and are scheduled for: The forums will present current budget information Budget information will be posted on The Ann • Thursday, Jan. 7, Huron High School, 2727 Fuller Road. and options for addressing the district’s budget deficit. Arbor Public Schools Web page (http://a2schools.org) • Tuesday, Jan. 12, Skyline High School, 2552 N. Maple. Participants will be asked to work in small groups to the week of Dec. 14 as well as an online opportunity to • Thursday, Jan. 14 , Scarlett Middle School, 3300 Lorraine. assess the options and to offer their thoughts and other contribute ideas and suggestions related to the AAPS • Tuesday, Jan. 19, Pioneer High School, 601 W. Stadium. possible ideas and suggestions. The district is examin- budget. Look for the district budget box on the right Visit online for more information: a2schools.org ing the current school year budget and the 2010-11 side of the site.

More stories and information can be found online at news.a2schools.org 1 Exceptional Education

For student A2ties group journalists’ coverage of Neda Ulaby’s visit to welcomes Community High School, visit the- communicator.org exchange online and click on students school news. By Carlina Duan NPR reporter speaks AAPSNews Service

With approximately 60 Above, members of A2ties, a student- at Community High foreign exchange students founded group in the Ann Arbor across the district this year, high schools, celebrate Halloween in Graduate Neda Ulaby says Ann Arbor’s high schools are costume. At left, juniors enjoy them- selves at an student welcome party packed with a variety of exotic school shaped vision, career earlier this fall. A2ties is designed to culture and language. help exchange students acclimate to From AAPSNews Service Yet, uniting the American their time visiting in the United States. teen lifestyle with the overseas Neda Ulaby’s memories of Community High heritage has proven, in the School involve mornings at the school library past, to be difficult. reading the New York Times before class. Time This year, there is a solution: Above: Photo by David Torres spent with the arts section helped mold her inter- A2ties – Ann Arbor Together Left: Photo by Amelia Brinkerhoff est in the arts. for International Exchange She eventually was led her to a reporting Students – a student-founded career at National Public Radio in Washington, group that reaches out to dye party, and a Zingerman’s have returned from one-year D.C., where the 1989 CHS graduate now works, foreign exchange students with lunch, so we can experience exchange student programs. covering the arts and culture beat where she branches at Pioneer, Huron, new things together, have fun, Founder Michaela Carmein, Community and Skyline high and just meet other people,” Community High School profiles authors, musicians and reports on news schools. said Brinkerhoff. The group junior, said those who have about arts. It has helped exchange also is planning a camping trip traveled know what is needed. She returned to her alma mater earlier this students adjust to American for later in the school year, as “When [all of us] went abroad, month, speaking to groups of English and society throughout the school well as several movie outings we wished we could’ve had journalism classes. “It was in that library – now year. and other sporting events. some sort of resource like the gym,” she told the students. “that I began to “The exchange student com- On Oct. 31, the group hosted this,” she said. have a sense of what arts journalism was, what it munity is very segregated, and a Halloween party for students “When I got to Argentina could be.” it’s segregated between Ameri- from around the district. On last year for my year abroad, I While working on a doctorate in English can students and exchange Nov. 29, they visited the Uni- was totally lost. I didn’t know aiming to be a university professor, she had to students,” said Pioneer junior versity of Michigan Museum anybody for the first month. move to Topeka, Kansas to care for an ill relative. Amelia Brinkerhoff, one of the of Art to view exhibits and Instead of exchange students While there, she freelanced for a local newspaper group’s founders. gain “an enjoyable end to hanging out by themselves, and became “addicted to the instant gratification “The (exchange student’s) Thanksgiving break, as well they should hang out with us. of writing a story and getting it published,” she goal is to come to America and as one that does not involve That way, they’ll be integrated told students. Ulaby found her way to NPR in learn our culture, and if the food!” Brinkerhoff said. with our society and culture.” 2000, eventually landing a full-time job covering German kids sit with the Ger- David Torres, another group Organizers hope to promote the arts beat. man kids, they’re not learning founder, has planned a Christ- awareness of such challenges Ulaby told students that sometimes people are that culture. mas Cookie Party on Dec. 21 exchange students face during led in unexpected directions, which is not neces- “Our goal is to have these from 4-7 p.m. (for location and their months away from home, sarily bad, and that she is happy to have found students meet new people, to information, e-mail a2ties@ and help create connections by her way to public radio. “There are advantages welcome these international gmail.com.) spreading their message to the for not being the first out of the gate,” she said. citizens into our school, and to “We want these exchange American students. “If you treat it as an adventure … you’ll be OK. improve the quality of the rela- students to have connections “The problem with us Amer- You’ll have a good time.” tionship between the Ameri- all over the place in Ann Arbor. ican students is that we get She told students to embrace their time learn- can students and exchange (We want) for them to go out caught up with the high school ing, not just inside of class, but outside of the students.” with their host family and see experience. We don’t think school walls. She also recommended that stu- Weekly and monthly events people that they know; because things like, ‘Who is that girl in dents spend time developing relationships with are being planned by the when you have that much the corner?’ But we need to,” mentors who can help them discover what they group, which launched the pro- pressure and responsibility on added Brinkerhoff. want to do with their lives. gram with an exchange student you, the littlest things a smile, Ulaby was born in Jordan and grew up in the welcome party in the fall. a wave – can make a huge dif- Carlina Duan is News Editor Midwest, coming to Community High School “We’re going to have ference,” Brinkerhoff added. of The Optimist, the student as a sophomore and graduating in 1989. She at- weekly Ultimate Frisbee The group’s founders consist newspaper at Pioneer High tended and graduated from Bryn Mawr College. games, soccer games, a tie- of Ann Arbor students who School. She currently lives in Washington, D.C.

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Bagels & Bottles for Kids Winter registration information n English as a Second Language: Jan. 4-6 information meetings. Registration is Jan. 6-12. Call 734-997-1250. Program raises money for books n Adult Education/GED: 6-8:30 p.m. Thursdays through Jan. 28. Classes begin the Visit Carpenter on Friday mornings for a bit of community breakfast week of Feb. 1. Call 734-997-1250. More detailed registration information By Casey Hans is online at news.a2schools.org AAPSNews Service

There are lessons in math, customer service and good Adult Ed, ESL serve many eating at Carpenter Elementary each Friday morning. The Ann Arbor school’s around Ann Arbor district cafeteria is full of students and families for the weekly Bagels • A more detailed version of this story can be found & Bottles for Kids, a program online at news.a2schools.org run by third- and fourth-graders that is still going strong in its From AAPSNews Service 10th year. Bagels are offered for $1 each, with proceeds going to Although much of a public school system’s focus school programs. is on traditional students in grades K-12, many oth- Coordinated by teachers ers are getting schooling in the Ann Arbor district. Marilyn Freeman and Sandra The district offers English as a Second Language Luce, the program shows and, for those who never finished high school, there students how to manage money, are Adult Education GED classes. deal with the public and run a Students enjoy Director of Adult Education Sharman Spieser small business. Third-graders and serve bagels said her non-traditional programs often tie in work all year to earn the right every Friday at because parents of K-12 pupils sometimes become to be “cashiers” and handle Carpenter students themselves – whether learning the English money when they enter the Elementary language or getting a GED certificate. fourth grade, the teachers said. School. On this One of those students is Quinn McGuinness who All third- and fourth-graders Friday, it was also is on a fast track to finish his GED tests this month get a chance to work during the Crazy Hair Day at so that he can enroll at Washtenaw Community school year. And, the students the school. College in January. He attends a GED Prep class vote on how the money raised at the Mallett’s Creek branch of The Ann Arbor will be spent. Public Library during the week. “We started it initially spirit wear and scrip cards to “I think a lot of the GED is looking into the ques- because times were tough,” said benefit the school. tions and finding a logical way to answer them,” he Freeman. “We felt field trips Although students now just said. McGuinness, who previously attended Washt- gave students a different kind sell bagels (they used to collect enaw Technical Middle College, said he wanted to of learning experience and, be- returnable bottles too), it has finish high school and study music production. cause some kids couldn’t afford maintained its popularity and The program requires students to work through to go, teachers were spending often parents arrive to have an 800-page book and become proficient in reading, $20 to $50 out of their pocket.” breakfast with their kids before writing, science, social studies and mathematics in Luce said it’s a weekly heading for work. order to pass the GED test. event that students, parents and Parent Jeff Vicars was at Creative thinking and grant money have helped teachers look forward to. “It school on a recent Friday with Spieser continue to keep programs viable and becomes this whole community son Aaron, who was working expand their reach. thing,” she said, adding that years ago. behind the bagel table, and The districts of Ann Arbor, Milan, Chelsea and students also learn. “They learn daughter Abby with whom he Willow Run have collaborated with Washtenaw about supply and demand and PTO Vice President and RIF coordinator Pam Powell said was sharing a bagel. “I think it’s Community College to increase access to adult how we should change our great seeing the families inter- the program is the only way the learning in the county with a federal No Worker order for next week.” acting,” he said, adding that the Left Behind grant. Ann Arbor offered ESL and school has kept RIF alive, giv- Bagels & Bottles helps students learn a lot of life and GED classes last summer and partnered with ing at least three books to every with field trip costs and buys business skills. “Everyone who Washtenaw Literacy to provide small group tutor- books. Students also consider student and donating other does well (in life) learns to do ing. The NWLB also funds the pilot “Bridges to requests from teachers for other books to the school library. good customer service.” Success” which helps Adult Ed students create programs. It raises some $3,000 Over the years, Bagels & resumes, explore career possibilities, set goals and each year, of which $1,000 goes Bottles for Kids has expanded Casey Hans edits this newslet- use technology to apply online for jobs, college to the Reading is Fundamental to include a table for fifth- ter for The Ann Arbor Public admission and financial aid. program, which is now funded graders who sell juice to raise Schools. Reach her at hansc@ Other grants and contracts provide support for with private donations after money for their field trips, and aaps.k12.mi.us or at 734-994- programs at the University of Michigan Hospital federal funding stopped a few a PTO table that sells school 2090 ext 51228. and the Washtenaw County Jail.

More stories and information can be found online at news.a2schools.org 3 Exceptional Education School Bells Bach music teacher Ann Arbor school nurse travels in China Laurelle Brennan is Kristi Bishop, a music teacher featured on at Bach Elementary, is traveling the cover of this month with the organiza- this months’ tion People to People as a music MEA Voice education delegate and Citizen magazine. Ambassador. to mainland China. Her trip runs from Dec. 11-21, which she will spend with 50 Anthony Horowitz other music educators from entertained with a around the United States. hilarious monologue. Forsythe team places 2nd in began in 1983 with 72 schools; it now During her trip, she will be His books include the Knowledge Master Open annually attracts over 3,000 schools part of round-table discussions, popular Alex Rider se- and 45,000 participants from the U.S. panels, seminars and site visits ries and the Diamond Brothers books. A team of 35 Forsythe Middle and several foreign countries. allowing her to gain an in-depth • On Friday, local University of School sixth-, seventh-, and eighth- Members of the Forsythe team understanding of the common in- Michigan librarian graders placed second out of 10 teams included: sixth-graders Elaine terests and challenges she shares and comic writer Jim in Michigan in the Knowledge Master Chamberlain, Tara Dorje, Joshua with those overseas. She also will Ottaviani inspired the Open on Dec. 2. On the national level, Nacht and Maurits Sier; seventh- have a chance to experience the entire eighth-grade Forsythe scored in the top 5 percent graders Andrew Ames, Veronika culture and history of China. with his presentation of all teams, ranking 28th out of 577 Beyer, Morgan Borjigin-Wang, Sophia Authors visit, share on scientific graphic middle school teams nationwide. Camp, Nathan Ceely, Marianne Cow- with Clague students novels and comics. His books Forsythe scored 1,461 out of a herd, Jason Dean, Matthew Epperson, Clague Middle School had include “Dignifying Science” and perfect 2,000 points, above the average Betty Hu, Derick McIntyre, David exciting week of author visits “Two-Fisted Science.” Students Michigan score of 1,292 and the na- Morrow, Lawrence Mullen, Kavin Nov. 18-20, according to media researched scientists and are tional average of 1,138. A team from Pawittranon, Stephen Nurushev, Sor- specialist Michelle Rodriguez: incorporating that into a graphic Tappan Middle School also competed bie Richner, Sehej Sawhney, Daniel • On Nov. 18, author novel of their own. Dec. 2, placing third in Michigan and Tarasev, Noah Thornton and Kevin James Dashner 45th in the nation, with a score of Zhang; and eighth-graders Dylan treated students to an Clague students receives 1,410. Aikens, Noah Chen, Chris Chou, Sam imaginative visual social studies award The KMO is a nationwide knowl- Ellison, John Houghton, Julia Kerst, presentation about Clague Middle School eighth- edge contest that tests students’ ability Mohan Kothari, Chris Nicholson, writing that kept us grader León Pescador received to answer questions in all the subject Prashant Puttagunta, Lillie Schneyer, laughing. His latest the Middle School Student of the areas, quickly and accurately. Students Tim Wolfe and Michael Zhang. book, “The Maze Runner,” was Year Award from the Michigan compete in the KMO without leaving The KMO is a Forsythe student named one of the best young Council for the Social Studies. He their own schools; teams receive club coached by teacher Dan Ezekiel. adult books of 2009 by Kirkus received his award Nov. 2 at the curriculum-based contest questions on There are three more KMO competi- Reviews. Council's annual state conference a CD-ROM and compete using a com- tion dates in 2010. Details: www. • On Thursday, international New on Nov. 2. His school will receive puter at their own schools. The KMO greatauk.com. York Times bestselling author $250 from MEEMIC Insurance.

Pioneer project, from page 1 Construction should be completed in the spring sioner and city of Ann Arbor have collaborated on Transportation (4 percent) and a loan for the drain- of 2010, with seeding and hydrating of the site the west side project, said Harry Sheehan, environ- age district (56 percent) that will be paid back from starting next summer in time to park cars this fall mental manager for the Washtenaw County Water the city of Ann Arbor’s water and sewer fund over for U-M football games, which is a money-maker Resources Commissioner’s office. 20 years, Sheehan said. for the district. The state’s Department of Environmental Qual- Trent said Pioneer High School science teacher A one-acre portion of the site, where the tanks are ity and the federal EPA also have had a hand in it, Ronald Robinson has been consulting with county installed, will be covered with stone for one year due to federal regulations that require agencies to officials about using the site for student instruc- to allow the site to settle. It should not affect foot- reduce phosphorus levels in the river. tion. ball parking and will eventually be seeded once the The Pioneer site will handle water filtering for He added that the nearby sports field will be ground has settled, officials said. about 300 acres of property upstream and “make “minimally impacted” by the project and that the “There were three government agencies working a big difference in water quality downstream and new level area created in the graded area of the together to make it better for the citizens,” notes into downtown,” said Sheehan. tank sites will likely be used as a small field for Randy Trent, executive director of physical prop- He said that the Pioneer site was a good one for the district’s Rec & Ed Department to use with the erties for The Ann Arbor Public Schools. “People the project because two storm sewers come together community. worked really quickly and really well together. at that point. Upstream, there will be filters to catch Also, the entire sidewalk along Main Street and This is, by far, the biggest project we’ve done (to- any solid materials before they reach the tanks and Stadium Boulevard will be repaired as part of the gether.)” those filters will be cleaned out regularly. project. And, additional trees are planned along the The Ann Arbor Public Schools, the Office of the Funding is broken down into federal stimulus Pioneer fence line when municipal roadway work Washtenaw County Water Resources Commis- money (40 percent), the Michigan Department of is done in 2013.

4 More stories and information can be found online at news.a2schools.org