PHOTOS related to covert operation occurring . . .

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Covert Operation Occurring . . .

NOTE FROM MR. KARR - The piece below showed up in the eNotes recently. My thought: It says a lot when you have to pay to have someone wear you team's colors!

_____________________________________

As some of you may know, Mr. Karr has offered to "Wear the School Colors of your Choice" to 2 winning bidders as an item at the Silent Auction. As a neutral party (but not really) - I must share information that has been passed on to me. The Ohio State contingent is rallying their resources to ENSURE they see Mr. Karr is scarlet and grey. If you would like information on contributing to the OSU effort - please contact Terri Brodkey (tbrodkey@gmail.com). Are there MSU fans out there that would enjoy the same fate for Mr. Karr? Even Notre Dame? OR - are there Michigan folks that can pool resources to ensure BOTH winning bidder spots are guaranteed to keep Mr. Karr safe.

As chairperson of the auction, I cannot rally the fans - but I am sure there are some competitive people out there that can lead the charge. If you pull something together - we'll have one heck of a time on April 23 at the Auction - wondering where this will end up. If you want to lead a team.... contact me and I will ensure fair and equitable communication of your cause.

Alena Stocking, Auction Chair, alena.stocking@gmail.com

Silent Auction - April 23

Donations for the Silent Auction are in and the creative work now begins on the catalog, which is guaranteed to give you a giggle.  Donations will still be accepted and added as an addendum to be available the night of the auction. 

 

Mark your calendars - and join us on April 23.  There will be a magician, face painting - and great food.  If you can't make it - proxy bidding is encouraged so you can take home that special item.  You will be WOWed by what our community has put together this year...  Korean Dinner, Bayou Party, 200 Squishies, autographed photos of silver medalists Meryl Davis & Charlie White, and so much more.  Let the anticipation start...  we're in for a great ride in April. 

 

Enjoy spring break and look for your catalog shortly after.  Any questions?   Contact Alena Stocking, Auction Chair, alena.stocking@gmail.com

Eat At The Silent Auction

Pre-order your buffet dinner for the King Silent Auction now.  Cost is $8 per person for one trip in the buffet line ($10 if you don't pre-order).  Menu includes a delicious array of food...Chinese, Indian, Middle Eastern, & Mexican.  You'll get a chance to sample all four cuisines.  Whole pizzas (cheese or pepperoni) may be pre-ordered too.  Pizzas are $10.  Slices will be sold the night of the auction.  Pre-order today...pay at the auction!  
 
To pre-order, please send an e-mail to kingpto@gmail.comwith the following information:
* Your name & e-mail
* Number of buffet dinners ordering (to help us order appropriately, please indicate which cuisine you prefer for each dinner ordered)
* Number of whole cheese pizzas
* Number of whole pepperoni pizzas
 
We can't wait to see you at the King Silent Auction on April 23!

Silent Auction Volunteers Needed

Please consider volunteering your time on Friday, April 23, during the Silent Auction.  Positions need to be filled in order for the auction to run smoothly.  Here is the doodle link:   http://www.doodle.com/4wdcser83m6nap6w

Successful Disability Awareness Workshop

On Friday, March 26th, King School had its Disability Awareness Workshop for all 4th grade students.  This is the fourth year for the workshop at King and it was another great success.  Without all the help from school staff, parent volunteers and community members, it would not be possible to hold this event.
 
Sincere thanks go to the many volunteers who made it possible for students to experience this interactive day.
 
Kathy Grijalva
King parent & workshop coordinator
 
King parents
Dawn Baker              Didi Massell
Darla Dubin               Tia McPike-McDyess
Susan Gechter           Amy Meltzer
Jia-Huey Jow             Wayne Millette
Beth Kimball               Eileen Rich
Lisa Kohn                  Ingrid Sheldon
Anamika Laddha          Line Van Nieuwstadt
Francine MacBride       Diana Wong
 
King staff
Kevin Karr
4th grade teachers Judy Knorr, Rabia Shafie (Ms. Jakubowski substituting), & Seth Petty
Nicole Melendez (student teacher for Mrs. Jarjoura)
Keeli O'Keefe (student teacher for Dr. Michalik)
Ami Ottoni (student teacher for Ms. Lake)
Mary Greene
Julie Arbour
Greg Harris
 
Community Members
Anirban Sahu & Claire Northway, UM medical students
Barb Byers, Dicken Elementary School parent
Ann Arbor Center for Independent Living volunteers, especially Carolyn Grawi, Director of Advocacy and Education
Steve Schwartz

UPDATED: Summer Learning Institute (aka Summer School) Information

March 25, 2010

Dear Elementary School Parents,

As you know, our district is facing severe budget decisions. The district is looking at every possible source for revenue to address the reductions. We initially shared with you the decision to charge tuition for elementary summer school. We have reconsidered this decision. The Summer School (SLI) will be at NO COST to students this year. We will work to cover these expenses in a different manner. The rest of this letter contains the same information we sent to you earlier. If your child is recommended to attend SLI, we hope you take advantage of this powerful learning opportunity.

We are very pleased to share that the district will continue our popular elementary summer school program—better known as the Summer Learning Institute.

We will continue to meet the needs of students entering first and third grades who have not yet secured skills reflected in the “end of year” report card outcomes.

The Summer Learning Institute (SLI) for in-coming first graders will be 4 weeks long, from July 6 to July 30. The Summer Learning Institute will be located at Ann Arbor Open at Mack School. Because we want this learning experience to be both developmentally appropriate and academically successful, the classroom instruction will be an integration of explicit literacy and math strategies, enriched with kinesthetic movement through music. The summer school teachers are some of the best, most effective teachers in our district. Teachers will rotate between literacy instruction and mathematics for every 15 first grade students. Parents will be invited to join the class on Friday of each week for ongoing parent involvement activities in addition to the parent orientation and evening open house.

We will continue to offer a robust 4-week SLI experience in a 1:15 teacher/student ratio setting from July 6 to July 30 for incoming third grade students who are transitioning to the next grade but have not yet mastered essential end-of-year outcomes in reading and mathematics. All students will receive focused literacy and mathematics instruction. Curricula will concentrate on number sense skills along with reading informational and narrative text. Additionally, students will be appropriately matched with 3 powerful technology supported literacy programs: Read 180, Systems 44 and/or Read About.


Your student’s principal and/or classroom teacher will notify you later this spring if your child is eligible to attend the Summer Learning Institute. We urge you to take advantage of this highly successful summer experience. It is very important that all our children begin the next school year confidently and comfortably ready to succeed. Your child’s academic success is very important to us.

Do not hesitate to ask your student’s teacher about this exceptional opportunity. More information regarding summer school events and afternoon camp opportunities will be coming. If you have further questions, please contact your child’s principal.

Respectfully,

Lee Ann Dickinson-Kelley
Administrator for Elementary Education
Ann Arbor Public Schools

AAPSNews Budget Edition

A special budget edition of the AAPSNews is now available online. This edition is published to share information with the community about the proposed 2010-11 budget which was presented to the Board of Education on Wednesday night. Visit  http://news.a2schools.org 

In this edition:

• A letter from Superintendent Todd Roberts explaining the proposed budget and the district's approach moving forward. Two community budget meetings are scheduled in April to discuss the proposal with the public. Community members are also encouraged to participate in Action Teams this spring, looking at short- and long-term needs for the district.

• Detailed budget numbers as proposed by the district's administrative team.

• Questions and Answers about frequently asked questions surrounding the budget.

• Schools of Choice program for Washtenaw County students is approved by board.

A PDF print edition is also available at the site. You may also click on "subscribe" at the site for an e-mail or RSS feed subscriptions.

School board approves limited Schools of Choice plan for in-county residents

The Ann Arbor Public Schools Board of Education has approved a limited
Schools of Choice policy that would allow families from throughout
Washtenaw County to consider attending school here.

Enrollment will be limited to selected elementary schools with 60
seats in kindergarten and 60 in first grade; 50 seats also will open
at the sixth-grade level in any of the district's middle schools. The
board approved the measure at a second reading on March 25.

Applications for the Schools of Choice seats will be accepted from
April 1-30 and must be postmarked during that time period. Applicants
will be notified of their status by May 15 via the U.S. mail. Student
acceptance is conditional until the Ann Arbor Public Schools receives
and reviews all school records, according to information from the
district's application process.

The addition of 170 out-of-district students would bring new revenue
to the district, as state funding is based on per-pupil head counts.
Section 105 of the State School Aid Act allows local school districts
to enroll students who reside in the same intermediate school
district. Schools of Choice students would bring the dollars normally
allocated to their district of residence, according to the provision.

Ann Arbor elementary schools that have openings include: Abbot,
Bryant, Carpenter, Dicken, Eberwhite, Lakewood, Logan, Northside,
Pittsfield and Wines. Middle schools include: Clague, Forsythe,
Scarlett, Slauson and Tappan.

Once a student has been accepted, they can stay within the Ann Arbor
Public Schools for the remainder of their K-12 education, even if the
district decides not to continue to enroll new students through
Schools of Choice in the future, school officials said.

If the number of qualified non-resident applications eligible for
acceptance exceeds the number of seats available, a random draw system
will be used to make a selection. A waiting list will be maintained
for the remaining applications and prioritized through random draw.

Residents of Washtenaw County public school districts are eligible to
apply. These include: Chelsea, Dexter, Lincoln, Manchester, Milan,
Saline, Whitmore Lake, Willow Run and Ypsilanti.

For information or to register for Schools of Choice in Ann Arbor,
call the Department of Student Enrollment at 734-994-2249.

King PTO 2010-11 - We Need You!

Coming home in backpacks this week is the nominating/volunteering form for PTO positions for 2010-2011.  Included with this is a job description list with a summary of responsibilities.  Please give some serious consideration to volunteering for one of the positions for our next school year.   Take pride in the fact that King School has a long tradition of active parent participation and especially with PTO functions.   Wondering what's involved in chairing a function?  Send your questions tokingpto@gmail.com or contact any PTO board member.  

Submitted by Lisa Kohn
Chair for Nominating Committee
lkohn@umich.edu  

Bagels and Buns - Friday, March 19 @ 8:15

Bagels and Buns is this Friday, March 19th starting at 8:00 A.M. -
8:48A.M during Book Fair.

Join us for Starbucks coffee and a conversations.

Please come enjoy a cup of coffee and a bagel in the company of other
King school parents.

Bagel and cream cheese - $1
Bun - $2
Orange juice - 50c.

It's Book Fair Week!!!

The King School Scholastic & Used Book Fairs are here!  Students will have the opportunity to purchase both new & used books when they visit the book fairs with their class on Thursday.  If you send money with your child to purchase books from the fairs, please make sure the money is in a sealed envelope or ziploc bag with your child's first & last name on it. 

 

Shopping times are:

 

Thursday, 3/18

 

8:45 am - 3:45 pm     (STUDENT SHOPPING ONLY)

 

3:45 pm - 8:30 pm     (Open to the Public)

 

**Join us at 6:30 pm for a grand event...50's music while you shop the book fairs!

 

Friday, 3/19

 

8:00 am - 9:30 am     (Open to the Public)

 

**Shop when you come to school for Bagels & Buns.

 

There will be many terrific books & deals offered by Scholastic Books.  The Scholastic Book Fair will be on the stage.  The Used Book Fair will be in the multipurpose room.  You will find wonderful books for both adults & children.  Prices for the used book fair range from $.50 - $2.00.

Donations for the Used Book Fair are being collected through Wednesday.  We look forward to seeing you at the book fairs!

King Silent Auction Donations Being Accepted!!

There still time to donate to the Silent Auction!  In years past some of the most popular items have been workshops or parties put together you King Families.   Maybe you enjoy gardening - considering donating a couple of hours of your time to help help someone prepare their garden for spring planting.  Or maybe you're interested in meeting new families?  Why not host a cocktail party or other social event in your home?  
Have an idea but aren't sure how to put it together?  Call or email me - or any other members of the Silent Auction Committee and we'll get you started!

Thank you in advance for your support!

Francine MacBride

romac686@comcast.net

AAPSNews - March 15 Edition

The March 15 edition of the AAPSNews district newsletter is available online. In this edition:
• Burns Park Elementary recognized as a hub for the arts
• PTO Council launches advocacy effort to educate about school funding
• Geologist-teacher from Bach continues lessons from life on the ice
• Teen team certified in safety following Huron readiness event
• Local librarians show Skyline students the research ropes
• School news in brief: Pioneer administrator honored, 2 Community teams
head for state mock trial competition, Board names Stead as new trustee,
plus more.

Visit http://news.a2schools.org to view new stories and photos. (The site may also be accessed through a link on the main school district Web page.)

Used Book Fair Collection Starts This Week!

Our collection will begin today on Tuesday March 9th.  We thank you for your donations of books, CDs, DVDs, VHS tapes, video games, computer games, puzzles and board games.  They can be dropped off in your child's classrooms or in the boxes by the school office or front entrance.  Look for the giant ice cream cone (Thanks to Susie Lum!) by the front entrance to see how many items we've collected.  Our goal is over 4,000!  

A big thank you to all the students who made posters and wrote book reviews.  We have over 60 submissions so far!  The deadline for your poster has past but you can still turn in your book review by Friday March 12th. 

Please also consider donating an hour of your time to help us prepare for the Used Book Fair.  To volunteer, go to:  http://doodle.com/2xemax4x278dd6vb .  If you have any questions, please email me at syaldrich@gmail.com .

Thank you!

Sandy Aldrich

Additional Volunteers Needed At Book Fairs

The King School Scholastic & Used Book Fairs are next week.  Check out our website about the fairs at: 

 

http://bookfairs.scholastic.com/homepage/kingschoolpto.  

 

Look for additional information about the Book Fairs in your child's Friday Folder this week!
 
We need additional volunteers to help at the Book Fairs on Thursday, 3/18 between 9:00 am - 9:00 pm and on Friday, 3/19 between 8:00 am - 1:00 pm.  Volunteer for as little as an hour or two, or all day!
 
To volunteer, go to: http://www.doodle.com/37k43ggfv8zyvpq9 
 
In advance, thank you for your help!

-Sandy Aldrich, Diane Alson, & Susan Gechter

King Silent Auction Donations Being Accepted!!

We are in full gear for the silent auction - held April 23.  Volunteers are canvassing our business supporters - and our community is at it again with creative donations from our families and King teachers and Staff!  Mr. Clarkson is donating an experience at his homemade ice rink for next winter... how fun!  The airplane ride is back....  as are Mom's Night out.... plus tubing on Whitmore Lake, Japanese Language Lessons, Cheesemaking class, and more!  Help us add to these unique King experiences by donating today!  Get creative - it can be a lot of fun!  Pick up a pink sheet in the office, or e-mail king.silent.auction@gmail.com and include:

Contact Information (name, address, phone, e-mail)
Item for Donation
Description of the Item
Value of the Item
Any Restrictions or Expirations
Program Credit Information

Donations need to be in by March 31 to make it into the Auction book.  Any donations beyond this point are accepted (very willingly) but will be put into an addendum!

Thank you so much!!   -Alena Stocking, Auction Chair

Silent Auction Catalog Cover Contest

One of the highlights of the Silent Auction is the catalog filled with all of the incredible and generous donations by King families and community members.  It also features a cover with an original work of art!  Here is an opportunity for your child to have their artwork featured and reproduced hundreds of times!  To be considered, the artwork should meet the following specifications:

- Artwork should include color.
- Artwork should be on a white piece of paper.  The dimensions of the art should be 3 inches wide and 4 inches tall.
- Artwork that fits the theme "Spring for King" will have priority.

 

Please drop off the artwork in the King Silent Auction box in the office by April 1.

Feel free to contact Amy Cell with any questions,AmyECell@yahoo.com . 

Box Tops Competition

Just a reminder that the Box Tops competition is coming!  Between April 26th and May 21st, classrooms will compete to see who can bring in the most Box Tops.  The winning classroom will be treated to a party and year of bragging rights! 

 

Box Tops appear on all sorts of items you use every day - Cheerios cereal, Ziploc bag boxes and Kleenex boxes.  Box Tops are an easy way to support King School.  They bring in around $800 annually, all for little exta effort.  Thanks for your support!

 

Submitted by: Sarah Helmich, Box Top Chair

Hungry? Eat At Quiznos

Go to the Quiznos Sub on Plymouth Road (in the PlymouthGreenShopping Center - around the corner from Busch's) any weekend in March & Quiznos will donate 15% of your purchase to the King PTO!
 
Just tell the staff that you are making a purchase on behalf of KingElementary School when you place your order.  No voucher is needed.  
 
Contact kingpto@gmail.com  with any questions.

Extended Day Option Kindergarten Update for 2010-11

For incoming kindergarten families, I want to let you know I am exploring the possibility of opening up more than one Extended Day Option  (EDO) Kindergarten program for the 2010-11 school year.  

What is EDO Kindergarten?  It is a program that combines the traditional half-day kindergarten program with a half-day of fee-based day care.  This program has always been successful and highly sought after for King families who need to have a full-day program for their children.  It is also appealing because children stay with their teacher all day, even during the day care portion of the day.

How will the determination be made as to whether there will be one or two programs at King in 2010-11?  I am confident we will have one EDO at King in the fall.  If there is enough interest from families, we will open a second program as well.

If you'd like to know more about EDO, please click the link below:

http://www.aaps.k12.mi.us/reced.childcare/extended_day_option

If you have any questions, please email or call us at school (994-1940).

Sincerely,

Kevin Karr

Lost And Found Will Be Emptied - April 1

The King School Lost and Found will be emptied at the end of the day
on April 1. Teachers will give students opportunities to pick their
things up, but parents may also want to stop by to look for their
child's belongings.

Silent Auction Catalog Cover Art Contest

One of the highlights of the Silent Auction is the catalog filled with all of the incredible and generous donations by King families and community members.  It also features a cover with an original work of art!  Here is an opportunity for your child to have their artwork featured and reproduced hundreds of times!  To be considered, the artwork should meet the following specifications:

- Artwork should include color.
- Artwork should be on a white piece of paper.  The dimensions of the art should be 3 inches wide and 4 inches tall.
- Artwork that fits the theme "Spring for King" will have priority.

 

Please drop off the artwork in the King Silent Auction box in the office by April 1.

Feel free to contact Amy Cell with any questions,AmyECell@yahoo.com . 

PTO Council Advocacy Committee

Hello,

I am excited to announce the kick-off of the PTO Council's new advocacy committee.  We will be holding our first meeting on Thursday, March 5 at 9 am in the Main Conference room at BALAS, 2555 S State St, 48108.

The purpose of the committee is to voice the concerns of Ann Arbor Public School Parents on state level school financing issues.

An action plan will be defined by the Advocacy Committee but will likely include:

o    Developing talking points for approval by PTO Council 
o    Joining rally efforts by other Parent Advocacy Groups with similar objectives (SOS, MPFS, or MiPTSA)
o    Attending legislative coffees of announced candidates for fall election
o    Joining parents in Ypsilanti, Dexter and other Washtenaw County School Districts to bolster efforts 

 

Our proposed timetable is:

Mar.     Inaugural meeting - Advocacy training and action

           plan drafted

April     Talking points and action plan approved by PTO

           Council
May     Active advocacy begins

What the committee needs to be successful is MEMBERS!   Please join us and let's find out how powerful our voices as parents can be.

RSVP

Donna Lasinski

734-997-7265

lasinski@mac.com

 

Submitted by Gitanjli McRoy, King PTOC Representative

King Silent Auction Donations Being Accepted!!

We are in full gear for the silent auction - held April 23.  Volunteers are canvassing our business supporters - and our community is at it again with creative donations from our families and King teachers and Staff!  Mr. Clarkson is donating an experience at his homemade ice rink for next winter... how fun!  The airplane ride is back....  as are Mom's Night out.... plus tubing on Whitmore Lake, Japanese Language Lessons, Cheesemaking class, and more!  Help us add to these unique King experiences by donating today!  Get creative - it can be a lot of fun!  Pick up a pink sheet in the office, or e-mail king.silent.auction@gmail.com and include:

Contact Information (name, address, phone, e-mail)
Item for Donation
Description of the Item
Value of the Item
Any Restrictions or Expirations
Program Credit Information

Donations need to be in by March 31 to make it into the Auction book.  Any donations beyond this point are accepted (very willingly) but will be put into an addendum!

Thank you so much!!   -Alena Stocking, Auction Chair

Volunteers Needed at Book Fairs!

We need volunteers to help at the King School Scholastic & Used Book Fairs on Thursday, 3/18 and Friday, 3/19.  Help us run the fairs throughout the day (including restocking, organizing, assisting students, cashier, and more) and/or taking it apart/clean-up.   Volunteer for as little as an hour or two, or all day!
 
To volunteer, go to:
http://www.doodle.com/37k43ggfv8zyvpq9 

Please contact Susan Gechter at susbg@comcast.net with any questions you might have.  In advance, thank you for your help! 
 
-Sandy Aldrich, Diane Alson, & Susan Gechter

Used Book Fair Collection

We will begin collecting items for the Used Book Fair on Tuesday March 9th.  This is a great opportunity to clean house and donate books, CDs, DVDs, VHS tapes, video games, computer games, puzzles and board games.  They can be dropped off in your child's classrooms or in the boxes by the school office or front entrance. Let's make this an amazing event for our King students!  

Please also consider donating an hour of your time to help us prepare for the Used Book Fair.  To volunteer, go to:  http://doodle.com/2xemax4x278dd6vb .  

If you have any questions, please email me atsyaldrich@gmail.com .

Thank you!

Sandy Aldrich

No School For Students - March 8, 2010

As a reminder there is no school for elementary students on March 8,
2010. Teachers will be writing report cards for students.