This Week In the Ann Arbor Public Schools

February 8, 2010

This Week’s Good News!

• Today is NAAPID.  Thank you for welcoming the parents of your students into your buildings and classrooms.
• Pioneer has 30 students who are Finalists in the 2010 National Merit Scholarship Competition: Joel S. Burgener, Zidi Chen, Melanie P. Croos-Dabrera, Grace R. Duan, Anirvan J. Guha, Lydia A. Hiller, Tianyi N. Huang, Mariyam I. Isa, Zesi Jin, Spencer O. Johnson, Viknesh M. Krishnan, Daniel John Kriz, Tanay M. Kulkarni, Leah A. Latterner, Wenjie, Luo, Jennifer K. Lyu, Andrew R. Mackie-Mason, Daniel A. Nees, Jacob C. Postema, Rahul Puttagunta, Elizabeth Y. Qian, Victoria Y. Qiu, Salman M. Rajput, Emily K. Stearns, Luke M. Stevens, Eric Sun, Emily C. Topham, Diane Y. Wang, Xiao Wang, smf Wen-Ching Wei.
• Pioneer also has one student who is a Finalist in the 2010 National Achievement Scholarship Competition: Saunders B.D. Hayues.
• Once again, Huron students did very well on the Michigan Mathematics Prize Competition. Eleven students placed in the top 100 in the state. The students are: Alan Xu, Christina Na, Dave Kim, Derek Wu, Heemyung Hwang, Hyungmin Jin, Jeffrey Pan, Lanxin Liu, Robin He, Qingzhao Shi, and Yingyao Song. They are invited to a banquet on Saturday, February 27, at Saginaw Valley State University, where their position in the top 100 will be revealed. Those finishing in the top 50 in the state will earn scholarship money for college.
• Two Pioneer seniors have been cited as winners in the 2009 NCTE (National Council of Teachers of English) Achievement Awards in Writing. They are Leah Latterner and Teresa Postema.
• The Skyline forensics team competed in the Powers "Charger Challenge" Speech Tournament in Flint on Saturday and had some real success. Cheered on by Sarah Hiltner, Rose Wall ran her brand-new Oratory for the first time and got some terrific scores; Nivetha Samy got seventh in Storytelling; Ilana Rashes took a medal for fourth in Dramatic Interpretation; Priya Menon earned the first place trophy in Extemporaneous Speaking 9-10; and with all those points the team took the first place trophy for small teams in Sweepstakes! Laura Sparrow is the team's coach.
• The Allen School community plans to create a butterfly garden in its nature area, using funds from the grant it recently received from the Wildflower Association of Michigan and Harold and Jean Glassen Memorial Foundation. The expanded nature area will enable the Allen students to have a close up opportunity to see butterflies, songbirds and other creatures that use the plants for food or shelter.
  The Allen Parent Council organizes twice yearly clean up days. At these events, volunteers (students, parents and staff) maintain the existing nature area by removing invasive species, planting native plants and shrubs, and spreading woodchips.   The Ann Arbor Public Schools demonstrates its support by supplying woodchips and agreeing to dispose of waste material after each of the work days.  This spring, in addition to the cleanup day, Parent Council will organize a planting day.
  Maintaining and enhancing the nature area helps Allen to remain certified as a Michigan Green School.    In the past, Allen students, parents and teachers have helped plant seeds at the wet meadows in Buhr Park, which adjoins the Allen property.  The school is also in close proximity to County Farm Park, operated by Washtenaw County.   Together, these sites provide a diverse habitat and corridor for native plants and butterflies.
• Twenty-five Ann Arbor Open @ Mack students participated in the MSBOA District 12 Middle School Instrumental Solo and Ensemble Festival on Saturday, January 30 in Livonia, Michigan. All of the AAO students who attended received either a Division I or a Division II medal for their outstanding performances. Students who received a "I" (Excellent) rating for their performance of a solo were: Yael Silver, violin, Lisa Read, oboe, Maia Fenz-Mrozewska, clarinet, Halley Bass, trombone, and Juliana Patselas, piano. Receiving a "II" (Good) rating for his performance of a solo was Jeffrey Ohl, alto saxophone. Ann Arbor Open students who received a "I" (Excellent) rating for their performance in an ensemble were: Lilia Robins, flute, Lisa Read, oboe, Griffin Roy, clarinet (2 ensembles); Lynus Zullo, bassoon, Hannah Rhodenhiser, horn (2 ensembles); Andrew Terry, clarinet, Alexandra Cubero-Matos, horn, Tatiana Thomas, violin, Juliana Patselas, violin, Paloma Paez-Coombe, viola, Larkin Babbitt, cello, Keaton Ellis, violin, Pierce O'Donnell, violin, Shane Shobey, viola, Quentin Havlik, cello, and Huett Franklin, bass. Students who received a "II" (Good) rating for their performance of an ensemble were: Lachlan Angus, violin, Yael Silver, violin, Brianna Vago, viola, Natalie Salisbury, cello, Marc Greeley, violin, Brianna Vago, viola, Oliver Genyk, viola, Hebe Clarke, cello, Lilia Robins, flute, Maia Fenz-Mrozewska, clarinet, Eryn Springstead, clarinet, Quentin Faro, trumpet; and Fiona McKillop, trumpet.
• Huron High School Band students received 88 first division and 15 second division ratings in SOLO competition, as well as 25 first division and 8 second division ratings in ENSEMBLE competition on January 16 in the Michigan School Band and Orchestra Association's District Solo & Ensemble Festival at Livonia Franklin High School. Students throughout the state perform in this state qualifying event. The student's performance was evaluated and a rating between "I" (Excellent) and "V" was assigned.
  The following Huron Band students received a "I" in SOLO performance at this festival. The symbol (2) after a students name indicates that they had two events receiving that rating in the same category:  Annie Song (2), Ian Blaauw, Laura Wu (2), Ben Gugino, Mary Scott, Patrick Gilchrist, Tess Chamberlain, Mark Vander Roest, Kristen Giuffrida, Sofia Porter-Castro, Oscar Chen, Callie Svaan, Peter Dixon (2), Jaeheun Seo, Jake Johengen, Eric Giuffrida, Andy Zou, Pelham Barron, Henry Upton, Jody Liu, Adam Miller, Peter Dolce, Elspeth Hayden, Corinne Froning, Kathleen Huntzicker, Bre'Anna Simpson, Evan Stemmer, Jong Hwan Koo, Adam Clover, Hannah McCabe, Caleb Hires, Jiaao Hou, Julie Dejnozka, David Gissiner, Michael Shen (2), Emma Mees, Brian Collins (2), Patricia Glover, Alon Glazer, John Han (2), Beixi Li, Sridhar Bhagavathula, Paul Miller, Christine Mei, Anna Burch, Chloe Biermann, Deborah Hai, Abby George, Robin He (2), Chelsea Miller, Emily Chang, Patrick Wan (2), John Lee, Kate McCall, Andrea Manoppo, Jinwoo Lee, Eugene Zen, Deniz Karabakal, Lucy Ai, Melissa Liu, Ray Batra, Jakob Hildebrandt, Kaitlin Daida, Kieran Williams, Michael Hymes, David Mees, Catherine Vogt, David Hinz, Spencer Snow, Emma Boyd, Brandt Hofman, Nathan Liang, Sussy Pan, Domenic DiGiovine,  Laura Ganzel, Jenny Wang (2), Yeon-Woo Chung, Robert Pan, Jamie Hibbs.
  The following Huron Band students received a "II" in SOLO performance at this festival:  Tara Murthy, Andrea Dekker, Robin Peshick, Katy Thompson, Hannah Gadway, Tiffany Chang, Mark Boyer, Carl Stemmer, Patrick Jalilevand, Rosie Klauscher, Alexandria Strother, Xiangya Hu, David Vallem, Linda Liu, Mikhail Kotval.
  The following Huron Band students received a "I" in Ensemble performance at this festival. The symbol (2) after a students name indicates that they had two events receiving that rating in the same category:
  Jackie Maeroff (2), Chloe Biermann, Frank Zhu, Laura Knutilla, Sridhar Bhagavathula (2), Manuel Anderson (2), Jaeheun Seo (2), Jake Johengen, Michelle Song, Annie Song, Kaitlin Daida, Adam Schwartz, Laura Ganzel, Nick Richardson, Ian Blaauw, Sam Brodkey, Ben Brenner, Patrick Gilchrist, Peter Dolce, Callie Svaan (2), Mary Scott (2), Kevin Egedy, Kristen Giuffrida, Chelsea Miller (2), John Chuko, Kathleen Huntzicker, Zibo Zou, Rohan Paul, Annie Song, Chris Kaczmarek, Ben Gugino, Don Gozzard, Jake Johengen, Tara Murthy, Donovan Hyter, Hannah Smith, Cameron Brown, Charlie Nicoli, Nora Eder, Emma Dolce, Skye Bryant, Jacob Higle-Ralbovsky, Bre'Anna Simpson, Katy Thompson, David Mees, Sunjay Josyula, Jinwoo Lee (2), Oscar Chen, Yeonwoo, Chung, Michael Shen, John Lee, Alexandre Jolliet, Andrew Gadway, Andrew Toader, Raji Kiridena, Mark Adams, Kyle Stevens, Brian Collins, Peter Dixon, John Han, Nick Baker, Kate McCall, Katie Kraft, Jakob Hildebrandt, Adam Clover, Pelham Barron, Mark Vander Roest, Emily Chang, Abby George, Alexandria Strother, Jody Liu.
  The following Huron Band students received a "II" in Ensemble performance at this festival:  Adam Schwartz, Laura Knutilla, Matt Schulte, Mark Schulte, Allie Glover, Frank Zhu, Manuel Anderson, Kieran Williams, Paul Miller, Mark Boyer, Patrick Gilchrist, Erica Hotchkiss, Robin Peshick, Adam Miller, Austin MacDougald-Tassava, Kyle Stevens, Nathan Mahowald, Reid Arozarena, Nathaniel James, Andrew Radant (2), Nathan Liang, Tyler Ross, Alisa Lee, Abby Pianelli, Mia Kanzawa.
• On Saturday, January 23, the Huron High School Bel Canto Choir performed at the Michigan Music Conference in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Bel Canto was one of six choirs that were chosen from across the state to perform at this music educators state conference. This wonderful group of young women performed beautifully for a very appreciative audience of music educators and the general public. Many compliments were received. In addition, Huron's Bel Canto choir and A cappella Choir will travel to Salzburg, Austria on March 17th to participate in an international choral festival.
• On Saturday, January 23, the Huron High School A Cappella Choir, the Pioneer High School A Cappella Choir, the South Lyon High School A Cappella Choir, members from the Ypsilanti men's chorus Measure for Measure, and members from the University Musical Society, joined Maestro Arie Lipsky and the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra in a performance of the Mozart Requiem. The two hundred choral singers along with the wonderful orchestra made for a magical night at Hill Auditorium. This work is sung entirely in Latin and lasts approximately one hour. For our high school students to have learned this much material in such a short amount of time is testament to their wonderful choir teachers.
• On Saturday, January 23, Cherry Westerman, director of choirs at Slauson Middle School, conducted the Junior High SATB State Honors Choir at the Michigan Music Conference in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Cherry directed 120 of the state's best young singers chosen by audition in October. Cherry was chosen by colleagues from across the state to conduct this wonderful choir. The choir sang with beauty and grace as demonstrated by their wonderful conductor. Congratulations to Cherry for this accomplishment and for a wonderful performance on that day.
• This past weekend, Skyline Vocal Music students attended the MSVMA Solo and Ensemble Festival at Saline High School. Bel Canto, A Cappella Choir, and Skyline Blues earned Division I ratings and are eligible to participate in State Solo and Ensemble Festival in March. Cantare Men's Chorus received a Division II rating. Soloists earning a Division I rating: Rachel Kerr, Emma Griffith, Tasha Major, Christiana Hench, Jonathan Jue-Wong, Freida Steiner, and Alayna Baron. Soloists earning a Division II rating: Tasfia Bari, MacKinzie Cole, Betsy Brown, Jessica Parent, and Rose Wall.
• Burns Park students in Ms. Jewel Walters' class raised $2,182.29 for Haitian reliev by holding a sale of school supplies, stickers and small toys on February 5. They donated $1,396 to The Red Cross and TCF Bank matched that amount! The rest, $786.29 went to Doctor without Borders.
• Thurston students raised $739.59 for the Haitian Relief effort through a collective effort that included a successful bake sale from Mrs. Vanderhoff's third grade class, special donations from Mrs. Goodly and Dr. Murphy's classrooms and a school-wide coin drive orchestrated by the Thurston Student Council.

Todd Roberts, Ed.D.
Superintendent