Everyone Must Sign In At Office

Everyone is required to sign in at the office when visiting during the school day! Teachers have been asked to stop any parent in the hallways without a visitor's sticker.

This is true even for parents who are frequently at King. Thank you for "following the rules."

Ice Cream Social Procedures

Dear MLK Families,

The PTO's Annual Ice Cream Social will begin at 6:00 PM tonight! This is a wonderfully fun social event for the whole family! I hope you'll make time to be there. Because this event is typically attended by nearly 1000 people, it is important to review the following information:

1. Evening activities at King are family events. Parents and guardians are responsible for the close supervision of their children. Children cannot attend without a supervising adult.
2. Be aware of the evening safety procedures at MLK--including NO PARKING IN FRONT OF THE BUILDING.


Parking
Due to the limited availability of parking at King, parents should plan to park in the neighborhood during all evening events at King.
There is NO PARKING in front of the school, by the fire hydrant, or on the left-hand side of the front circular drive.

Reason: The front drive is a fire lane and must be kept accessible for emergency vehicles. The fire hydrant area must also be kept clear.

Drop Off/Pick Up
The front entrance will be available for drop off and pick up ONLY. AT NO TIME SHOULD PARKING OCCUR IN FRONT OF THE SCHOOL.

Severe Weather
In case of severe weather and a need for shelter, families will be able to access a variety of shelter areas within the school. Each classroom space in the building has a severe weather map showing areas that are safer if severe weather is in our area.

Sincerely,
Kevin Karr
Principal
MLK School

International Night Procedures

Dear MLK Families,

The PTO's Annual International Night will begin at 6:30 on February 5! This is one of the premier events each year at MLK. I hope to see you there! Because this event is typically attended by over 800 people, it is important to review the following information:

1. Evening activities at King are family events. Parents and guardians are responsible for the close supervision of their children. Children cannot attend without a supervising adult.
2. Be aware of the evening safety procedures at MLK--including NO PARKING IN FRONT OF THE BUILDING.


Parking
Due to the limited availability of parking at King, parents should plan to park in the neighborhood during all evening events at King.
There is NO PARKING in front of the school, by the fire hydrant, or on the left-hand side of the front circular drive.

Reason: The front drive is a fire lane and must be kept accessible for emergency vehicles. The fire hydrant area must also be kept clear.

Drop Off/Pick Up
The front entrance will be available for drop off and pick up ONLY. AT NO TIME SHOULD PARKING OCCUR IN FRONT OF THE SCHOOL.

Emergency Exits

Below is a map of the school with the arrows indicating emergency exits. Before you come to an evening event at King, please consider designating a place outside the building for your family to meet in the event that the building needs to be evacuated.

Front Entrance

If you have any questions, please call the school office. We'll be happy to help.

Sincerely,
Kevin Karr
Principal
MLK School

Guidelines for motorists around school buses

Dear MLK families,

It has recently been brought to my attention that it would be helpful to review safety information and laws for motorists who are around school buses. The following is from the AAPS Transportation website. Please take a moment to read this over to make sure you know

TIPS FOR ALL MOTORISTS

• Slow down and obey all traffic laws and speed limits.
• Red overhead flashing lights, possibly accompanied by an extended stop arm tell you the school bus is stopped to load or unload children.State law requires you to stop at least 20 feet from the front or rear of the school bus when red lights are flashing and not proceed until such school bus resumes motion, or until signaled by the school bus driver to proceed.
• Be alert and ready to stop. Prepare to stop for a school bus when overhead yellow lights are flashing.Drive with caution if you see the yellow hazard warning lights are flashing on a moving or stopped bus. Watch for children walking in the street, especially where there are no sidewalks. Watch for children playing and gathering near bus stops. Watch for children arriving late for the bus, who may dart into the street without looking for traffic. When backing out of a driveway or leaving a garage, watch for children walking or biking to school.

TIPS FOR PARENTS

• Help your children learn and practice the safety rules for walking, bicycling, or riding in a passenger car, school bus or transit bus. Be a good role model, especially when you are with your kids. Always buckle up in the car, always wear a helmet when biking, and always follow pedestrian safety rules.
• Supervise young children walking or biking to school or as they wait at the school bus stop.

As always, thank you for following the King School Traffic Safety Rules. If you have just begun to drive your child to school for the first time this year, please CLICK HERE to review the rules.

If you have questions, please ask. We'll do our very best to answer your questions.

Sincerely,
Kevin

IMPORTANT: Drop-off Reminders

The following is feedback I received about drop-off this morning from a parent volunteer. It is right on target. As it gets colder, we all must follow the drop-off policy.

This morning was a bit more hectic than previous mornings. I suspect the colder weather had something to do with it. The change in weather increases drop offs and there may have been some parents who are new to the revised drop-off policy for this year. I did observe three incidents where I actually approached other parents:

* Two parents backed their cars up rather than waiting for the cars to move ahead. Both were reminded of the no backing up policy.
* One parent let her daughter exit on the left and actually started pulling away before her daughter was a safe distance from the car. I let her know that she should exit only on the right. The look in the girl's eyes (frightened from the moving car) verified quickly that she would not do that again.
* The woman who needed to exit the car to help her kid(s) should consider parking. I do believe you spoke with her but just wanted to point this out as well.

With that said, I still think most parents are doing an excellent job with drop off. It's clear they know what to do and are following the rules. Many now wave to me as they drive by! Nice job getting the word out and making your presence known out there.

To review in a nutshell:
1. No backing up in the load/unload zone;
2. Students only exit cars by stepping out of the car and on to the curb;
3. Parents must stay in cars while in the load/unload zone. Use a parking area if you need to exit your car.

Thank you. If this leads to any questions for you, please don't hesitate to ask.

Sincerely,
Kevin

Monday Morning Drop-off News

Thank you to everyone for following the drop-off procedures each day. It is certainly going smoother than in previous years. I appreciate how cars are moving as far forward as possible in the "load/unload zone" before letting their children out. This helps to maximize the use of our space.

I can also see that families are walking to school instead of driving. This helps decrease traffic at school as well as promotes healthy choices for our kids. Nice job!

Finally, I want to share the need to improve in two areas:

1. While in the "load/unload zone," please do not put your car in reverse. Instead, wait until the car in front of you pulls forward and move forward with them.
   
2. Please try to get your children to school on time. Kids should be in class at 8:48. Today 28 cars dropped off kids after the 8:48 bell.
   

School Really Does Begin at 8:48

As a reminder, school really does begin at 8:48. Below is the scene at school this AM from 8:50 - 8:55 when 22 vehicles dropped off after the 8:48 bell. This means that those students were late to school.

My intent in sharing this is not to cause undue stress. However, school does need to start on time so that we can utilize the time we have for learning. As much as possible, please drop-off between 8:35 and 8:45 when the first bell rings.

DSCN7092.JPG

What a good drop off looks like!

This photo shows our ideal drop-off situation where cars have pulled forward leaving space behind them for additional cars to enter the load/unload area. Also you'll notice that the first car has not pulled into the "bus only" area (which is to the left of the child on the sidewalk). Thank you to everyone for your continued support in making our drop-off and pick-up area the safest it can be.

School Begins at 8:48

As a reminder, students can enter the building at 8:45 when the first bell rings. At 8:48, the second bell rings and the school day begins. This means if your child is not in school at 8:48, they are late. Please do your best to be on time each day! Of course we realize that sometimes family circumstances necessitate being a few minutes late, and we don't want anyone to feel undue stress. If your child is late, please tell them they should come to the office before going to class to get an "I'm Running A Little Late" pass.

First Day Drop Off/Pick Up at MLK

Our first day at MLK has been a great one so far. Thank you to almost everyone for following the drop-off policy this morning. Below is a picture of me holding the King drop-off and pick-up policy. Please follow it each and every day.

Our biggest challenge today was that some families parked in the load/unload zone closest to the exit of the front drive. To be clear, PARKING IS NOT ALLOWED. The idea is to stop, drop your child at the curb, and go slowly. Here is what it looks like when someone PARKS in a load/unload zone:

Parking is NOT allowed in this area. Parking is only allowed in the King parking lot or on the city streets (except where signs indicate it is not OK).

First Day of School Information

Bells
8:45 AM -- First bell rings to signal the time when students enter the building.
8:48 AM -- Second bell rings to signal the start of classes.
3:42 PM -- Last bell to signal end of classes and when students exit the building.

Pick-up/Drop-off
Parents who are dropping-off and/or picking-up at school must follow of the traffic safety rules and the drop-off and pick-up policy.

Parents may drop-off children at the classroom in the morning.

For pick-up, it is best to meet children at a predetermined designated spot (by the office, outside under the awning).

Nametags
Especially for the youngest and newest students, please be sure they have a nametag with all of their important information on it including name, address, teacher, phone number, and bus number.

Emergency Cards
Please remember fill out and return the emergency cards that were mailed to you. The cards can be turned into your child's teacher or the school office.

Lunch
Lunch will be served the first day of school in the cafeteria. The prices are as follows:
Regular lunch: $2.50
Reduced lunch: $0.40
Lunches can be prepaid using MealPayPlus or by sending a check to school.

Snacks
Please help to support the Wellness Policy of the Ann Arbor Public Schools by helping your child to make healthy choices for snacks to take to school.

Drop-off and Pick-up Policy

Unloading (Drop-off)
• Drop off near the entrance or near the exit of the circle drive only.
• Unload between the “Load/Unload” signs only.
• Drivers stay in cars.
• “Stop – Drop – Go Slowly”: Stop the vehicle, drop-off your children, & exit the loading/unloading area slowly. No standing or waiting in the circle drive.
• Children should exit the vehicle immediately upon stopping. If your child is not ready, you should exit the loading/unloading area to park or circle around and re-enter the unloading lane.
• Children exit on the passenger-side only and move directly to the sidewalk.
• Vehicles should exit the load/unload lane by pulling forward. Backing-up the vehicle is a safety hazard and should be avoided.
• Drivers should allow exiting vehicles to pull forward and leave prior to entering the load/unload lane.

Loading (Pick-up)
• Vehicles pull all the way forward into the Load/Unload area of the circle drive.
• Drivers and passengers must stay in their cars at all times. No parking!
• Children use sidewalk(s) to approach vehicle.
• Children enter vehicle from the curb-side only.
• To leave, drivers carefully pull out into the circle drive thru-lane.
• Drivers should avoid backing up when exiting.
• As a vehicle leaves, all drivers should pull forward to allow additional vehicles to join the load area.
• Additional vehicles may enter the Load/Unload area only as space permits.

Parking
Vehicles may park on Waldenwood Drive except where indicated, on nearby subdivision streets, or in the school parking lot. Please remind your child to use the sidewalks and crosswalks if they are leaving a vehicle or meeting you at your vehicle. Please do not park within 20 feet of any crosswalk.


revised, 8/08

School Office Closed For Summer

The King School office closed for the summer on June 23 and will reopen for registration of new students on August 12.

Mr. Karr's End of Year Update

June 13, 2008

Dear MLK Families,

It has been a great year at MLK! I continue to appreciate being a part of this very special community and look forward to continuing our hard work together next school year. Wherever the summer months take you, please be safe and take your King PRIDE with you.

In this end of the year update, I am sharing information I think you’ll find interesting J: achievement, writing, good-byes, thanks, information about the front drive, and some dates for next fall!

Achievement Update

At the beginning of the year during Curriculum Night, I shared that writing shows as the most significant academic need at MLK. As of June 2008, it is still the greatest need even though we’ve reformed so much and seen major changes since the 2006-07 school year. The most visible of these changes have been adopting new writing curriculum and hosting several parent writing education evenings at school. Other less visible changes include development of an implementation calendar for writing, new district writing assessment tools, and professional development for teachers.

We measure the results of our writing efforts using both report card (classroom) data and MEAP data. The MEAP data from this school year was recently released, and it shows below. When you look at it, please know that the “Advanced” and “Proficient” columns represent passing MEAP scores while “Partially Proficient” and “Not Proficient” represent MEAP scores that are not passing. The three columns on the right show the overall passing rates for MLK School, the AAPS, and the State of Michigan.

3rd MEAP	Advanced	Proficient	Partially Proficient	Not Proficient	MLK Adv. + Prof.	AAPS Adv. + Prof.	State Adv. + Prof.
Reading	69.7	30.3	0	0	100	94	86
Writing	0	84.8	15.2	0	84.8 *	76	57
English Language Arts	54.5	45.5	0	0	100	91	81
Math	94.2	5.8	0	0	100	96	90

· 57 out of roughly 2600 elementary schools in Michigan achieved at rates higher than MLK on the 3^rd \grade 2007 MEAP writing test. MLK was the highest scoring school in Ann Arbor on the 3^rd grade MEAP writing test.

4th MEAP	Advanced	Proficient	Partially Proficient	Not Proficient	MLK Adv. + Prof.	AAPS Adv. + Prof.	State Adv. + Prof.
Reading	69.9	30.1	0	0	100	92	85
Writing	1.4	79.5	19.2	0	80.8 **	62	44
English Language Arts	56.2	42.5	1.4	0	98.6	87	76
Math	85.3	14.7	0	0	100	94	86

** 17 out of roughly elementary 2600 schools in Michigan achieved at rates higher than MLK on the 4^th grade MEAP writing test. MLK was the highest scoring school in Ann Arbor on the 4^th grade MEAP writing test.

5th MEAP	Advanced	Proficient	Partially Proficient	Not Proficient	MLK Adv. + Prof.	AAPS Adv. + Prof.	State Adv. + Prof.
Reading	65.3	33.3	0	1.4	98.6	90	82
Writing	2.8	76.4	19.4	1.4	79.2 ***	74	59
English Language Arts	47.2	48.6	4.2	0	95.8	88	78
Math	80.6	18.1	1.4	0	98.6	91	74
Science	67.3	31.9	0	1.4	98.6	90	82

*** 190 out of roughly 2600 elementary schools in Michigan achieved at rates higher than MLK on the 5^th grade MEAP writing test. MLK was the fourth highest scoring school in Ann Arbor on the 5^th grade MEAP writing test.

The data above shows King School is doing very well in writing (and even exceptionally well) when compared with other schools. However, I still sometimes think “with all this work, focus, and energy being expended on writing, are we seeing the gains we expect and want?” My quick answer is we are seeing a lot of what we expect, but here are two pieces of context about where we are:

1. We have been using our new curriculum for a short amount of time (instructionally speaking). It will take longer before our kids have experienced the “full program” and the full benefits can be seen. Our teachers will also get better at implementing the curriculum over time, which will have an additional positive impact. This isn’t all that different than what occurred after adopting Everyday Math years ago—we saw gains in achievement more significantly over time than we did at the beginning.


2. We see differences between the writing achievement in classrooms at King and what shows in the MEAP writing scores. I would hope and expect that the two sets of data would be close to the same because the classroom assessments and the MEAP assessment are both based on the same Grade Level Content Expectations. Other schools in Ann Arbor are seeing similar discrepancies. So . . . it begs the question “why does this difference exist if we are all supposed to be measuring the same things?” I’m not completely sure at this point but will be investigating over the summer and into next year. One piece of figuring out what is happening will occur this summer when several King teachers and I will “audit” our MEAP writing. We will read the writing produced by our students, score it using the MEAP assessment guidelines, and compare our scores with what MEAP scorers assigned the same piece of writing. Our score and the MEAP score should be the same. However, if there is a difference, the AAPS may choose to appeal the score. I hope to have more to share at Curriculum Night on September 9.

Writing This Summer

I hope our kids don’t stop writing this summer. Here are a few ideas about including writing in your summer plans. Please feel free to vary them or come up with your own.

1. Write a family journal about your summer. Talk about what happens during the summer, and then each person can write a word, a sentence, a paragraph, a page—whatever—about the summer events. Do this regularly and you’ll end up with journals that will be read over and over for years. Even the youngest pre-writers can share verbally what they want written.


2. Get an idea by reading (or rereading) the information shared at one of the parent education evenings over the past two years: http://karrskingblog.blogspot.com/2007/12/report-from-parent-writing-workshop.html


3. Sign up for an 826michigan.org writing program. Check them out on the Web or check the MLK website.


4. If your child was in fourth of fifth grade this year, they can participate in a MyAccess writing prompt from any computer connected to the Internet. Heck—parents could try one too. Students use the same username and password as they did this year at school. If parents choose to try one, they should use their child’s username and password. Check the King website for more information.

Saying Goodbye

We’re saying goodbye to an MLK School legend and a couple who have been with us just a short time at King. Here is the complete goodbye list:

1. First and foremost, Mrs. Cheryl Jones is retiring after dedicating 39 years to the Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary School community. She is an exceptional teacher and person, I’m positive that years from now people will still say “Remember Mrs. Jones from King School? It was amazing when she . . .” For me, she is one of those people you meet in life and feel lucky to have shared some time and space together. Just like the students she has helped, I’ve learned a lot from her too. Hopefully she will come back to visit often.


2. Ms. Caroline Hughes, our media specialist, is moving to Boulder, Colorado after only one year at MLK. She’s done a wonderful job in our media center, but life has led her in a different direction and to a different state. We wish her all the best.


3. Mr. Jeff Taylor, who taught fifth grade this year after coming from Clague Middle School is returning to his middle school roots. I know this year’s fifth graders will enjoy seeing Mr. Taylor at Clague next year. Keep up the good work, Mr. T.

Thanks to Laurie Barnett

It isn’t often we single out a parent volunteer because there are so many great parents who put in long, long hours on behalf of the kids at King. However, we’d also be remiss to not note Laurie Barnett’s selfless contributions to the school. In just the last four school years alone Laurie has served two years as the PTO president, two years as the School Improvement Team co-chair, has worked closely to coordinate the PTO Silent Auction, and contributed significantly with fifth grade efforts to go to Space Camp. In addition, this year she had a major hand in rewriting the PTO bylaws. And I’m sure I’ve probably missed two or three other ways she’s contributed! Most significantly, I’ve seen Laurie represent and support the King community positively each day—and she’s done it in ways that did not necessarily benefit her or her family. All I can say is WOW! Thank you, Laurie! We’ve all benefited from knowing you and watching you contribute to this community.

Front Drive Update

This past week, the representatives on the Building Renovation Team voted to not have the front drive redesign plans put out for bids this summer. Despite widespread recognition of safety issues based on some parent behavior during drop off and pick up, the overwhelming input from the community has been that the “engineered” redesign of the front drive was not necessarily safer.

This being the case, I am excited to announce that our PTO has instituted a Safety Committee for next year. The group has already met with me once to more concretely define procedures around drop off and pick up. As we begin the 2008-09 school year, you will likely see the beginning outcomes of our collaboration in a summer mailing, the first day of school packet, the MLK website, and eNotes. We hope to have information written in several languages to facilitate communication with our newest families who may not be proficient in English. Thanks to Amy Cell, Susan Gechter, and Eve Losman so far for their effort and input.

School Dates Coming Up

Aug. 27: Welcome Night for New Families, 7-8 PM

Sept. 2: First Day for students

Sept. 2: PTO Welcome Coffee –9-9:30 AM, All Parents Welcome - MLK Multipurpose Room

Sept. 5: Spirit Friday at MLK—Wear your blue and yellow or the colors of your favorite colors.

Sept. 9: Curriculum Night at MLK –Parents only please. This is the one evening of the 2008-09 school year where there is no childcare.

o 6pm - Curriculum Night Presentation #1 in classrooms

o 6:45pm - All MLK Community Presentation - MLK multipurpose room

o 7:10pm Curriculum Night Presentation #2 in classrooms

Sept. 12: Spirit Friday at MLK

Sept. 16: PTO meeting, 7pm

Sept. 19: Spirit Friday at MLK

Sept. 26: Picture Day

Check the MLK website for a full calendar for next year: http://king.a2schools.org

Sincerely,

Kevin Karr

Ice Cream Social Procedures - Dunk Tank

Dunk Tank
I've heard there will be a dunk tank at school tonight . . . so if you want to see your principal in it, you will need to be there at 6 PM. :-)

As a reminder, only fifth grade students are eligible to go in the dunk tank otherwise--and ONLY if they have signed permission from a parent/guardian.

Parking
Due to the limited availability of parking at King, parents should plan to park in the neighborhood during all evening events at King.
There is NO PARKING in front of the school, by the fire hydrant, or on the left-hand side of the front circular drive.

Reason: The front drive is a fire lane and must be kept accessible for emergency vehicles. The fire hydrant area must also be kept clear.

Drop Off/Pick Up
The front entrance will be available for drop off and pick up ONLY. AT NO TIME SHOULD PARKING OCCUR IN FRONT OF THE SCHOOL.

Monitoring Students
As a reminder, evening events at school are family events. Parents/guardians are responsible for monitoring their children

Silent Auction Safety Procedures

Dear MLK Families,

In case you’ve somehow missed it, the 4th annual MLK PTO Silent Auction will kick off at 5:30 PM this Friday, April 18.

This exciting fundraiser offers a wide array of donated goods and services including condominiums, cooking classes, parties, hotel stays, gift certificates—and much, much more. The complete catalog for the silent auction is available at:

http://www.aaps.k12.mi.us/king.pto/files/2008_catalog_0414.htm

The event is open to all, so if you would like to share the link above with someone who isn’t typically part of the King School community, please feel free. It is even possible for out of towners to bid by proxy! Special thanks goes to Silent Auction Chairperson Lisa Kohn and her PTO volunteers for the wonderful work they've done in making it all happen.

Please follow the standards below as you prepare for a great time at MLK this Friday:
1. Evening activities at King are family events. Parents and guardians are responsible for the close supervision of their children. Children cannot attend without a supervising adult.
2. Be aware of the evening safety procedures at MLK--including NO PARKING IN FRONT OF THE BUILDING.


Parking
Due to the limited availability of parking at King, parents should plan to park in the neighborhood during all evening events at King.
There is NO PARKING in front of the school, by the fire hydrant, or on the left-hand side of the front circular drive.

Reason: The front drive is a fire lane and must be kept accessible for emergency vehicles. The fire hydrant area must also be kept clear.

Drop Off/Pick Up
The front entrance will be available for drop off and pick up ONLY. AT NO TIME SHOULD PARKING OCCUR IN FRONT OF THE SCHOOL.

Emergency Exits

Below is a map of the school with the arrows indicating emergency exits. Before you come to an evening event at King, please consider designating a place outside the building for your family to meet in the event that the building needs to be evacuated.

Front Entrance

If you have any questions, please call the school office. We'll be happy to help.

Sincerely,
Kevin Karr
Principal
MLK School

Snow and Safety at School

Since the first snowfall of the year, we have been working with students to help them understand snow and safety at school. Essentially this means:

• No throwing snow.
  
• If a child is sliding on the snow (on the grassy areas), take turns.
• NO sliding on ice.
• We must maintain safety at all times.
  

In the beginning we had a few issues with a few students not following these school rules. Since then we have done better (and I suspect we will continue to get better), but we do have a ways to go still. When you have a moment, please ask your child about how they are doing with snow and safety at school. Thanks.

AAPS Gift Policy

With the upcoming gift giving season upon us, please be aware of the following AAPS Board of Education policy: "Ann Arbor Public School employees may not accept gifts of more than token value from individual students or parents or from groups of students on school property."

Safety—Drop Offs and Pick Ups

The piece below is a re-post from last March. The concerns expressed around pick up and drop off times are still an issue for us today.

To address this, I know that some of you have seen my increased presence during drop-off and pick-up. I'll continue to use this strategy, but I know that parents safely monitoring their own drop off and pick up behavior is what is ultimately needed.

Reading below, please note the issues/concerns and what we can do to act in safer, more responsible ways during drop off and pick up.

My disappointment (from 3/4/07): several parents approached me recently to express dissatisfaction and disappointment with safety during drop-off and pick-up times. After watching in the front drive of the school on several occasions, I couldn’t agree more. Our problems during these times are serious and are on-going issues. We need to come together to address this NOW!

What’s wrong:
• Parents dropping off and picking up students from the left hand lane of the circle drive in the front of the school. This means students cross in front of other cars to get to and from the school.
• Driving too fast in the front drive of the school.
• Parking in front of the school during pick up and drop off. This is not allowed.

School Closing Information

If it becomes necessary to close school because of weather or emergency, information will be shared in the following ways:

• District website: http://www.aaps.k12.mi.us
• District hotline: 994-8684
• Television:
• WJBK - Channel 2
• WDIV - Channel 4
• WXYZ - Channel 7

• Radio:
• Ann Arbor
  
• WAAM - 1600 AM
• WUOM - 91.7 FM
• WEMU - 89.1 FM
• WQKL -107.1FM
• WWWW - 102.9 FM
• WTKA - 1050 AM
• WLBY - 1290 AM
  
• Detroit Radio:
  
  • WJR - 76 AM
  • WWJ - 950 AM
  • WDTW - 106.7 FM
  • WNIC - 100.3FM
  • WDFN - 1130 AM
  • WDTW - 1310 AM