Exceptional Education AAPSNews AAPSNews News, features, profiles and activities in The Ann Arbor Public Schools Around the world Inside: Larry Dishman leads cultural exchange and team sports for the district, pages 2-3 Eighth and ninth-graders • A record number of vocal music students earn a spot in the state honors choir, page 3 from Ann Arbor traveled to Hikone, Japan this fall • Tappan Middle School students form a new Law Club, page 4 as part of a special sister Detailed stories and briefs online at news.a2schools.org • Visit and subscribe city exchange. See story on page 2. Issue No. 5, January 4, 2010 Meetings, survey offer a chance for public input Budget meetings are scheduled around the Ann During the two-hour budget sessions, partici- ria, 601 W. Stadium Blvd. Arbor community this month, where members pants will break into discussion groups to consider For updates on the budget process and back- of the public will be asked to consider proposed options and discuss other suggestions. Meetings ground information visit online: http://a2schools. budget cuts and offer their own suggestions. are scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m.: org and click on the blue “District Budget” box on A survey also has been put on the district’s Web n Thursday, Jan. 7 – Huron High School cafeteria, the right side of the page. page asking for similar feedback as the district 2727 Fuller Road. Included on the page is up-to-date budget and aims to cut $20 million from for the 2010-11 fiscal n Tuesday, Jan. 12 – Skyline High School com- financial information as well as the survey which budget that begins July 1, 2010. mons, 2552 N. Maple Road. asks for input on the budget process and solicits Officials are working on proposed budget re- n Thursday, Jan. 14 – Scarlett Middle School ideas and suggestions on how to reduce school op- ductions and must adopt a balanced district budget cafeteria, 3300 Lorraine St. eration costs. Also on the site is a “User Friendly by the end of June. n Tuesday, Jan. 19 – Pioneer High School cafete- Guide to the Budget” as a reference. Featured story Simona Cucuiet, below, a volunteer at Volunteers lend a hand Huron High School’s media center, of- ten works at the front circulation desk where she assists students and staff. in classrooms and other This is Cucuiet’s second year volunteer- ing; she also substitute teaches at the high school. The Romanian native areas around district moved to the Ann Arbor area with her husband. By Casey Hans AAPSNews Service Volunteers are important to The Ann Arbor Public Schools and each one is as unique as the life experi- ence they bring to the district. Some are retirees who have time to devote, others are parents who want to spend time in their children’s Lois Zimmerman, above, volunteers her time at the Dick- learning environment and still others are residents en Elementary School kindergarten classroom of Sally who simply enjoy the classroom. Steward, where Zimmerman has spent time for the past Take Simona Cucuiet, volunteering for the second four years. The retired elementary school teacher says she year at Huron High School’s media center. Cucuiet enjoys working one-on-one with young students helping is a former high school teacher and economist from them with their lessons. She also volunteers around the Romania who last year spent 240 hours volunteering community as a clown. See Volunteers, page 4 More stories and information can be found online at news.a2schools.org 1 Exceptional Education Student delegates embrace culture and customs of Japan From AAPSNews Service Dishman has been the Hikone pro- gram coordinator since 1996 but has Octopus sushi, a visit to the worked with the program in various Hiroshima Peace Memorial and capacities since 1990. He has served sleeping on futons were all part as coordinator for 10 of the program’s of a student cultural experience in 13 trips. “It’s sort of a labor of love,” Hikone, Japan this fall. he said. “This changes kids’ lives, this Nine middle school and three program. They all remember this expe- high school students from Ann rience. It’s nice to touch a kid’s life in Arbor were part of the16th student such a fashion. We should find ways to delegation to visit Ann Arbor’s do it more often.” Japanese sister city of Hikone. Eighth- and ninth-grade students According to project coordina- visit Hikone every other year; this tor Larry Dishman, the role of the year’s trip was special to celebrate the delegates is to bring good will to sister city anniversary. the people of Hikone, as the two Dishman said students must have a communities celebrated the 40th minimum 3.0 grade point average and return to the United States, the eighth-grader said, anniversary of the sister city relationship. their family must be willing to pay a user fee for “I didn’t feel like I was coming home, I felt like I “This is something you will remember for the student to travel. Each student ambassador was was leaving home.” many, many years, if not for a lifetime,” Dishman required to raise $600 for this special delegation Anne Marie Borders, a Logan Elementary told students who reported back on their experi- trip. School teacher, was one of two project directors, ences and shared their favorite (and not-so-favor- Ann Arbor middle school students will begin a task she shared with Tonya Dildy, a teacher at ite) times from the trip at a debriefing and potluck receiving information about the next Hikone ex- Angell Elementary School. Both traveled to Japan dinner in December. change trip in early February at school, Dishman on prior trips. Borders did a Web page for students Chinonye Uche, a Slauson Middle School said. After signing up, students spend the summer where photos of the trip were posted along with student, shared her experience communicat- prior to travel becoming immersed in Japanese their memories. ing with her host family. “It was hard talking to culture and language preparing for the fall trip. She agreed the Hiroshima Peace Memorial them in Japanese,” she said. “They tried to speak Museum was the most memorable part of the This year’s Ann Arbor delegation spent one English to accommodate me. We used a computer trip. “Hiroshima was hard,” she said. “It was hard week in Hikone with Japanese host families where to translate.” for all of us. The only thing standing (within two they attended local junior high schools. They then Aviva Gordon from Clague Middle School said kilometers from the blast) is that dome from one visited Hiroshima, Miyajima and Kyoto and deliv- her family had a translator and that her host mom building.” ered 1,000 handmade origami paper cranes to the was an English teacher, which helped. “I loved Some 239 students have traveled to Japan statue of Sadako in the Hiroshima Peace Park. all the food,” she added. “But the most powerful with the exchange over the years, Dishman said. In October, a delegation of 14 junior high day was the day we went to Hiroshima” where the “These groups of kids are from different middle school students from Hikone visited Ann Arbor. It students were immersed in the country’s history schools and form a group unto themselves,” he was the 31st time the Japanese city’ sent a delega- of World War II, she said. When the group left to said. “It kind of brings Ann Arbor together.” tion to Ann Arbor. Staff in the Spotlight: Larry Dishman Ann Arbor’s Hikone Exchange coordinator encourages a worldly view From AAPSNews Service coordinating team sports for the one of the architects and chief delegations visit Ann Arbor. district’s Rec & Ed Department programmers for the Arborough Dishman now coordinates this The adage that “life happens which he said has “helped me Games, an exchange program exchange program in the Ann while you are making plans” to touch a lot of lives. I’m glad with Peterborough, Ontario, Arbor district that has sent doz- could best explain Larry Dish- I ended up here,” said Dishman Canada and was part of a Ger- ens of young Ann Arbor students man’s career path. who has been in his post since man internship exchange with to Japan. Through the program, In pursuing multiple college 1974. Ann Arbor’s German sister city. he has been able to encourage degrees in linguistics and work- Contacts through his job Those, in turn, led him to a love of Japanese culture and ing toward a goal of teaching, he helped him arrange a series of become involved with the language. took a job working as an umpire exhibition games in Michigan Hikone-Ann Arbor Educational “I’ve tried to expand their for The Ann Arbor Public for the NSK Global-sponsored Exchange Program which helps knowledge of world languages,” Schools Recreation Department. Japanese Women’s National middle school students visit he said. “The idea is to let them That led to a part-time job and, Championship fast-pitch softball Japan and also arranges host eventually, a full-time career team in the 1980s. He was also families when Japanese student See Dishman, next page 2 More stories and information can be found online at news.a2schools.org Exceptional Education Sing out: 44 earn spot in state honors choir From AAPSNews Service Forty-four Ann Arbor secondary students have qualified to participate in the Michigan Student Vocal Music Association Junior High/Middle School State Honors Choir and will perform on Jan.