1 A2O Wednesday Packet ISSUE 15|April 26, 2017 CHILDREN COME TO SCHOOL IMMERSED IN THEIR OWN LEARNING. SCHOOL AND HOME ARE BLENDED TOGETHER INTO A LARGER COMMUNITY AS CHILDREN, TEACHERS, AND PARENTS WORK TOGETHER. Meg’s & Chris’s Corner – Notes from the Principal May$10,$2017$ Dear$A2O$Families, With$this$year’s$change$of$season$we$are$facing$a$great$deal$of$staff$change$ for$the$17?18$school$year.$$As$previously$shared,$Gretchen,$Heidi,$Pamela,$and$Rick$ are$bound$for$retirement.$$After$serving$as$an$occupational$therapist$for$36$years,$ Karen$Quenneville$has$decided$to$enjoy$retirement$by$spending$time$with$ grandkids$and$working$on$her$golf$game.$$Our$school$community$will$also$miss$ Adam$next$year!$$Adam’s$family$made$the$difficult$decision$to$return$to$their$roots$ in$Kentucky.$Please$see$Adam’s$note$below.$ Replacing$Adam$and$finding$another$grade$7?8$math$teacher$who$will$embrace$ Open’s$philosophy$will$not$be$an$easy$task.$$As$with$all$hiring$committees,$we$will$ convene$staff,$parents,$and$students$to$interview$applicants,$ensuring$a$ comprehensive$appraisal$and$excellent$fit$for$A2O.$$So$far$this$spring$we’ve$ experienced$remarkable$luck$finding$highly$skilled$and$engaging$teachers$for$art,$ vocal$music,$and$grade$1?2.$$Given$the$appeal$of$Open’s$strong$community,$the$ applicant$pool$for$math$teachers$is$bound$to$be$strong.$$If$you$have$interest$in$ joining$the$hiring$committee,$please$indicate$that$here.$ Please$join$me$in$welcoming$Deb$Ennis$as$our$K?8$art$teacher,$Jayme$Kelmigian$as$ our$K?8$vocal$music$teacher,$and$Sarah$Kairis$as$a$grade$1?2$classroom$ teacher.$$We$are$thrilled$to$bring$these$dynamic$and$progressive$educators$on$ staff.$$We$will$provide$a$bio$and$more$complete$introduction$to$these$lovely$ Non-Discrimination Statement: No person shall be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination in any educational program or activity in any school on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, creed, political belief, age, national origin, linguistic and language differences, sexual orientation, gender expression, socioeconomic status, height, weight, marital or familial status, or disability. AAO website & calendar • http://aaopen.a2schools.org http://news.a2schools.org 2 A2O Wednesday Packet ISSUE 15|April 26, 2017 teachers$prior$to$fall,$but$I$encourage$you$to$meet$them$at$the$next$AAOCC$ meeting!$$On$Tuesday,$May$16th$Deb,$Jayme,$and$Sarah$will$be$present$at$the$ AAOCC$meeting$to$begin$connecting$with$our$A2O$community.$$By$the$16th$we$ may$have$a$resource$room$teacher$hired,$and$by$June$we$should$have$Rick’s$ replacement$lined$up.$$At$this$last$AAOCC$meeting$of$the$year$we$plan$to$share$ results$of$the$climate$survey$that$parents,$staff,$and$students$completed.$$We$use$ this$valuable$feedback$to$inform$our$practice,$helping$us$to$maintain$an$ exceptional$learning$community.$Thank$you$for$the$time$you$spent$offering$your$ feedback.$ We$would$like$to$thank$all$of$our$wonderful$parents$for$their$outpouring$of$ gratitude$this$week$in$honor$of$Staff$Appreciation$Week.$$Parents’$many$ contributions$to$A2$Open$make$this$such$a$special$and$fulfilling$place$to$be!$$The$ reasons$to$be$thankful$for$staff$and$parents$are$countless.$ Warm$regards, Meg$&$Chris,$A2O$principals$ A"Letter"from"Adam"Samples Dear A2O Community, I have been very fortunate to have been a part of this special school for nine years. It's a giant 500-person family where everyone genuinely cares for one another. I have had so much fun working with kids here whether it has been in the math classroom upstairs, in a focus study about snow for the kindergarteners, in the middle of downtown Chicago, or in the woods at Camp Wolverine. However, during our time here in Ann Arbor, my wife, two daughters, and I have lived too far away from our extended family. We have made a tough decision that it is time to be closer to our girls' grandparents, so we are moving to Lexington, Kentucky, after this school year ends. I'll miss this community very much. Working here has enriched my life in so many ways. Thanks for everything each of you do to make Ann Arbor Open a wonderful place for kids to learn. Warm regards, Adam AAO website & calendar • http://aaopen.a2schools.org http://news.a2schools.org A2O Wednesday Packet ISSUE 15|April 26, 2017 It's coming up quickly!! That time IMPORTANT of year again!! FIELD DATES: DAY!!!! June 14, 2017 - All day!! (Along with Film Festival) 5/11 5th grade I need parent volunteers and Spring Concert stuff. Please consider signing up 7-9pm for a shift or just to bring 5/15 6th-8th grade something to help our kids have the most fantastic Spring Band day!! I'm trying something new this year and will Concert at need a photographer. Let me know if you are Forsythe 7pm interested and I'm happy to share the details. If you are signing up for more than one thing, only 5/29 No School, one email address is necessary. Memorial Day https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1BvtFvp13 6/8 Ice Cream w9Uveg1tMZw- Social 6iOSS2BbRAxta4twF3URNLk/edit?usp=sharing Thank you!!! 6/14 Field Day/ Film Festival Anne 6/15 8th grade graduation Mabel’s Labels 6/16 Last day of Tired of looking in the lost and found? school Maybe you need a label from Mabel! Mabel’s Labels + Shop at Mabel’s Labels and the Scrip Store: school earns Tuesdays & Fridays! 20% of your purchase. Next to The Whale Order SCRIP by Text Message: Questions? Contact: Elaine Oberlin-Nesbit at (734)717-8475 [email protected] AAO website & calendar • http://aaopen.a2schools.org 3 http://news.a2schools.org A2O Wednesday Packet ISSUE 15|April 26, 2017 FUNDRAISING CORNER Restaurant Night Thank you for everyone who went to Noodles and Company last night. Our school received 50% of the sales which is really amazing. I would like to thank everyone who came out to support our school and have dinner for a cause. I would also like to thank Stacey Seaver for giving her time and planning all of the Restaurant Nights this year! PTO Don't forget to stop by the PTO thrift shop the week of May 14th through May 20th to support our Garden Club. When you shop at the PTO thrift shop you are given a token for every 5 dollars you spend, you then place the token in the AAO jar to support the Garden Club of AAO. If you have any questions please contact Angie Smith at [email protected]. Ice Cream Social SAVE THE DATE! The ice cream social is coming up on June 8th so mark you calendar. It is a delicious and fun evening for the whole family. If you have any questions about past, upcoming or new fundraisers please feel free to contact me at [email protected]. Thank you for all the support for our kids and our school, Rebecca Richardson For more information on fundraising at A2Open visit http://www.aaopencc.org/fundraising or contact Rebecca Richardson [email protected] Non-Discrimination Statement: No person shall be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination in any educational program or activity in any school on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, creed, political belief, age, national origin, linguistic and language differences, sexual orientation, gender expression, socioeconomic status, height, weight, marital or familial status, or disability. AAO website & calendar • http://aaopen.a2schools.org http://news.a2schools.org A2O Wednesday Packet ISSUE 15|April 26, 2017 FROM THE STUDENT COUNCIL Did your student enjoy their PLTW/STEAM experience this school year? If so, are you looking for a Book Madness Donations summer camp for them? Is so, take a Needed: We still need books for look at these STEAM Summer Camp Book Madness! AAO families offerings from Ann Arbor Rec & ED: donate gently used books and http://aarecedsummer.weebly.com/st once enough books are collected, eam-camps.html every child in the school is invited to choose a book to take home. A student does not need to have donated a book in order to receive one. Books appropriate for our older students are especially needed. Please drop off books to donate in the box near the main Shop the Ann Arbor PTO office. Thrift Shop and Support Thanks! Our Schools Donations are up so the store is full. Stop by and find your deal. The Shop is located at 2280 S. Industrial Hwy., Ann Arbor. Scrip stores Tuesday mornings at 7:45am, The Ann Arbor PTO Thrift Shop is a and Friday afternoons 2:45pm. And by nonprofit 501(c)3 organization supporting the arrangement to [email protected] Ann Arbor Public Schools and its students' enrichment. Profits from sales are distributed Our scrip team is happy to help. You can to participating AAPS PTOs, PTSOs, and reach us by email at [email protected], 501c3s which sponsor clubs, organizations, by phone or text at 734-717-8475 and on Facebook teams, and enrichment activities in their https://www.facebook.com/groups/26084208 schools. 7281933 http://www.a2ptothriftshop.org AAO website & calendar • http://aaopen.a2schools.org 5 http://news.a2schools.org Hanging Baskets Annuals + Perennials Vegetables + Herbs Fresh Baked Goods MAY 12+13 Raise funds for the 7th/8th grade SPRING camp trip. FLOWER SALE 7/8 Grade Camp Trip Fundraiser Find a great Mother’s Day gift at our spring flower sale! Hanging baskets, annuals, perennials, vegetables, herbs and goodies galore.