Important Dates:

March

1: Used Book Sale Collection Begins

2: Orchestra Night @ Hill Auditorium

3: Connect with Community Shadow Day *for students admitted to Community HS only*

10: No School; Election Day

13: Trimester 2 ends; Middle School Dance 6-8pm Parents: sign up to help!

20: Report cards are sent home with students; Used Book Sale Collection ends

ALSO 20: Parents night out! Sign up to volunteer. It's a cute time!

25: AAPS High Schools Visit for Course Scheduling with students

26: Used Book Sale

30: Spring Break begins

April

6: School resumes

10: No school

14: PSAT Testing Day

May

4: Spring Expo 5:30-7pm

7: Early Release Day (dismissal at 12:52pm)

20: Early Release Day (dismissal at 12:52pm)

22: Color Run

June

3-5: Chicago Trip

5: Trimester 3 ends

9: Ice Cream Social 5:30-7:30pm

11: Graduation at 9:00am

12: Last day of school (1/2 day); report cards sent home with students

News & Announcements

T3 Electives

Click here

Clubs and Extracurriculars

Sign Up Here

Snack Cart --

As you may have seen or heard from your students, on February 7th we launched the Phoenix Next Student Snack Cart (big props to Ms. Monteleone for donating the colorful cart.) The feedback and interest from students and staff has been amazing -- and we have raised $188.50 thus far!!

Thank you to everyone who has helped move this from concept to reality! Special shout out to Jessica Bell and her 6th graders in the Personal Finance math elective class. We are a small but mighty tribe and we make things happen! Thanks also to Ms. Fenech, Ms. Myers, Mr. Parnes, Ms. Adams, Sue Sullivan, Cristy Starkweather, and many others who have supported the creation and operation of the Phoenix Nest Student Store.

We need more adults -- staff and parents -- to invest resources in this endeavor to maximize the fundraising potential that will benefit all STEAM middle school students and enable every single young person to experience field trips with our school community. We have a long way to go to reach our target for this year and it is imperative that we create a sustainable fundraising model to support future middle school class trips.

What are resources? How can you help?

• Time
  • Help staff the cart during the school day! Please contact Ms. Bell to get on the schedule.
• Money
  • Don't have the above to spare? Then please consider donating funds or gift cards(Amazon, Costco, Target, Wal-Mart, Meijer, etc.) to procure stuff.
  • Or better still, please donate directly to the STEAM middle school field trip fund.
• Stuff
  • Don't have the above to spare? Then please consider picking up extra individually packaged snacks or drinks while you are out grocery shopping and donate to the snack cart.
    • Highly desired: Granola bars, protein bars, crackers, popcorn, Gatorade, sparkling water, juice, baked chips, etc.
  • We want to provide healthy items, so we politely decline donations of junk food, including candy/gum, chips/fried foods, cookies, or soda pop.
• Energy
  • Encourage and motivate your students to become independent and wise consumers.
  • Moreover, please help alleviate the immense stress and pressure on teachers and staff to feed students from their own resources. Their investment in our students is beyond measure.

No one can do everything, but EVERYONE can do something!

Season 4 Athletics --

A2 STEAM Athletics is excited to start the registration process for Season 4. This season will begin after school on Monday, February 24th, 2020 through Friday, April 17th, 2020. We will be offering 6th, 7th and 8th Grade Boys and Girls Volleyball at A2 STEAM, and Competitive Swimming at Clague Middle School.

The registration deadline for Season 4 is Friday, February 21st. The registration process is online at www.a2steamathletics.weebly.com

In order to be eligible for an after school athletic sport you must complete and adhere to the following:

• Online registration with A2 STEAM Athletic Department
• Participation Fee: Complete via the Ann Arbor Rec & Ed Website The cost for all middle schoolers in AAPS is a one-time fee of $150. There are scholarships and/or waivers available. Please contact me for more information. We are here to help!
• A2 STEAM needs a copy of your Pay-to-Play receipt (printed) turned into the office with your child’s physical. Please put all materials in an envelope labeled with your child’s name.
• *Sports Physical completed and signed by a doctor. All sports physicals MUST be dated on or after April 15th, 2019.

6th Grade Volleyball Practice for Boys and Girls will take place on Mondays and Wednesdays. Practice times are from 3:30-4:30pm. We do not have a game schedule yet, but as soon as we do I will send a copy home with all athletes. 7th/8th Grade Boys and Girls Volleyball will practice Monday, Tuesday & Thursday. Practice times are from 3:30-5:00pm. If students need to dismiss at 4:45pm in order to take the late bus, that is permissible. (See late bus route below.) These times may change based on coaches' schedules. Coaches will update you during the season of any practice/game changes.

Competitive Swimming will start on Monday, February 24th. Please check the website for updated practice and meet schedules. Students participating in Competitive Swimming will be bussed to Clague Middle School for practice directly after school. Students should report to bus 109 at the back of the school immediately after the bell. There is no return bussing from practice. Parents will need to pick up their student-athlete from Clague Middle School at the completion of practice days.

Please feel free to email me with any questions you may have. Let’s have a great Season 4!

Best,

Amanda Stowe-Blanchard, Athletic Director

stowea@aaps.k12.mi.us

The A2 STEAM late bus is route number 34 It runs on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays. The bus is scheduled to depart STEAM at 4:45 and makes the following stops:

• Arrowwood Clubhouse 4:47
• Carrot Way Apartments 4:49
• Leslie Park Cir @ Michelle Ct 4:50
• Stone Rd @ NW 53 4:58
• Pointe Ln @ Upland Dr 5:02
• Broadway St @ Jones Dr 5:05

High School Information --

Below is a link to the paper form that was passed out in school day. This has ALL of the dates for information sessions, deadlines for transfers or Community HS applications, and days that high schools will be coming to A2 STEAM.

2019-20 High School Transition Info

Chicago Trip Info --

Fundraising and Donation Info:

• We are working to fund our scholarship needs for the Chicago trip this year. Some of you indicated you'd be willing to donate money towards this cause! If possible, please consider donating any amount on the PTO website using this link: https://squareup.com/store/a2steampto

Trip Code Info:

• Website: www.etadventures.com
• Trip/Group Code: annarbor20
• Password: chitrip20

Trip Registration Info:

Please be sure to register your child for the trip and keep current with payments on the website above. You do not have to make a payment to register, so even if you have requested a scholarship, you still must register your child in the online system to reserve their spot. Select a "quad room" unless you want to pay more for a double.

Note for chaperones:

Please be aware that you should select a "double" room -- if you select a "quad" room you will be sharing a bed with another adult!

Scholarship Info:

If you are requesting a scholarship, you must have completed the "Free and Reduced Lunch Application" and the "Sharing Information with Other Programs" form so that we can verify eligibility. Then, please also register on etaadventures.com to be sure to reserve your child's spot (no payment necessary).

Parent To-Do Checklist:

• Register your child on the ETA website (www.etadventures.com) to reserve their spot.
• Make payments on the ETA website
• Complete the AAPS double-sided health form (Ms. Monteleone has extra copies if needed!)

Donations --

We are seeking to purchase books for Book Clubs in ELA that will support our 8th graders knowledge of the Civil War and Reconstruction Era. Please click on Ms. Monteleone's Amazon Wish List if you're able to purchase a copy or have one on your shelf at home. Used copies are totally acceptable!

Ms. Monteleone's Wish List -- Classroom Amazon Wish List

We currently need the following items:

• Pencils
• Tissues