Letter From Jerry
In our efforts to keep the life and principles of Martin Luther King, Jr. alive, I want to share a sampling of activities going on at Emerson.
- Kindergartners talked about MLK and watched a BrainPop video about him. The thing that hit home most for the kids was people being judged for the color of their skin.
- Our kindergartners through 2nd graders sang songs such as “We Shall Overcome” and watched short videos about MLK and Rosa Parks.
- 1st graders made “Peace cakes” with their buddies illustrating the four aspects of peace: peace with each other, peace at home, peace with animals, and global peace.
- 2nd graders are working on a play about MLK and Rosa Parks to present to the K-2s, in addition to making a timeline of important events in his life.
- Cindy Annchild spoke to 3rd-5th graders about what it was like growing up in the South during the Civil Rights Movement and her family’s rich history of fighting discrimination.
- On Tuesday 3rd graders will be reading about the Heidelberg project in Detroit and then writing on what they can do to influence the world in a positive direction.
- 4th graders talked about the Jim Crow laws, discrimination, segregation, non-violent passive resistance and about how Martin was influenced by the teachings of Gandhi and how Gandhi was influenced by the writings of Thoreau.
- In the library students have been and will continue to read books about the Civil Rights era, making sure that the kids know that the battle is far from won and that adults are going to pass the work on to them.
- 4th graders performed a play for our senior friends at Brecon Village. It was about Jackie Robinson and his fight for equality in baseball.
- 5th graders studied the Little Rock Nine and school desegregation utilizing excerpts from both Eyes on the Prize and a film made by Teaching Tolerance on the Children’s March.
- Students are studying African American American paintings in lower school art classes.
- MIddle School students will be celebrating kindness and compassion next week by giving students the opportunity to recognize each other for acts of kindness and compassion. At the end of the week, students will be making a collaborative movie to synthesize their week-long efforts.
Peace,
Jerry Loewen, Head of School
All School Announcements
See You at School on Tuesday
There is no school on Monday to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day. But we will have school on Tuesday. We apologize if there was any confusion from the website calendar showing no school on Tuesday.
ERB Testing Schedule and Practice Tests
All 4th-5th grade students will start ERB testing on Jan. 22 and middle school students will start on Jan. 28. Testing dates are subject to change if school is not in session or due to extenuating circumstances. Next week, January 22-24, MS Social Studies classes will administer the Lang Arts practice tests (Levels 4-6). Also, on January 22nd, they will spend one advisory period (30 mins) going through the Math practice tests (Levels 4-6). Students in grades 4-5 have been practicing during their computer lab time. Students may also take the practice tests at home as many time as they’d like. Learn more.
Bus Reminders
- Jan. 27: No buses
- Jan. 28: No morning bus. Afternoon bus only.
Order Main Dish Lunch for Second Semester
Main Dish orders DO NOT continue to second semester unless you place a new order. Visit www.maindishlunch.com and click on Lower School or Middle School to place your order.
Make Pizza Lunch Changes
The second session of Pizza Lunch begins on Friday, Feb. 7. If you don’t want to make any changes, there is nothing to do. To make changes, please email Jen Barba by Jan. 24.
2014 Auction Dates and Deadlines
Friday, March 14, 2014 at Barton Hills Country Club
The Auction helps make Emerson an even better school community for our children by supporting academic enrichment, professional development, updated technology, financial aid, and more. Invitations mail in early February.
How You Can Help Support the Auction
- Sponsor: Help defray auction expenses with your cash donation.
Invitation Inclusion Deadline: January 21st
Catalog Inclusion Deadline: February 7th - Advertise: Place an ad in the Auction catalog to promote your business.
Deadline: January 24th - Donate Items: Consider what you might enjoy winning
Forms Deadline: January 31st
Items Due: February 25th
Questions?
Class Baskets: Cj Hauptman
Donations, Volunteer, Ads & Sponsorship: Beth Anderson or 665-5662 x305.
K-5 Information Meeting
Sunday, Feb. 2, 2pm – 4pm
If your child is thriving at Emerson, please share the love. Tell someone you know about the upcoming K-5 information meeting. We can’t thank you enough for the support. Learn more.
Middle School Announcements
Visiting Author Eric Walters Books Available
Once again Nicola’s Books is bringing an author to Emerson Middle School. Grades 6 to 8 will hear author Eric Walters talk about his new book on Friday, January 24. The book, Rule of Three, imagines what would happen to the world should all the electricity and thus all of our modern technology come to a sudden halt. Told through the eyes of a high school boy, the pre-release reviews promise that this story has likeable, realistic characters, nail-biting action, and deft humor. One review simply instructed everyone to buy it or regret it later. If you want to buy the book, please download the pre-order form here and return with payment to Linda in the library no later than the morning of January 24, or simply bring your money to the event that afternoon. The author will be signing the book at that time, too.
Pioneer High School
- 8th Grade Parent Information Meeting: Tuesday, February 11. 6:30pm. Learn more.
- Held in the Little Theater and includes information about the enrollment process
- General curriculum and program information at 7pm in Schreiber Auditorium
Dexter High School
- 8th Grade Information Meeting: Wednesday, Mar. 12, 7-8pm at DHS Center for Performing Arts
- Parent IB specific evening meetings will be held in March, dates TBD
- More about Dexter High School and more about the International Baccalaureate program
Skyline High School
- 8th Grade Information Session for non-public school students: Thursday, Jan. 23 at 5:30pm
- General information session starts at 6pm
- 5:30 session is in a smaller room. Please ask when you get there.
Saline High School
- 8th Grade Open House: Monday, Feb. 3, tours 6-6:45pm, presentation at 7pm in auditorium. Learn more.
- For enrollment/admission information, please contactMandy Rucky (734) 429-8000 ext. 8018.
- Beginning February 18, 2014, Saline Area Schools will begin to accept enrollment paperwork.
- Testing Out Information: Testing out registration is currently taking place. All students that would like to test out of a class must submit their application by January 31, 2014.
Community High School Parent/Student Orientations
- Orientations: Thursday, Jan. 30, 7:00-8:30pm, Monday, Feb. 3, 7:00-8:30pm, Thursday, Feb. 6, 7:00-8:30pm. Learn more.
- Applicants must be current 8th graders, meet the district’s residency requirements at the time of application, attend an orientation meeting with parent/guardian, and submit a completed application by 4:00 PM Friday, February 7 2014.
Other News & Events
This Week at the Ann Arbor District Library
- Jan. 20, 1-2pm: Main library MLK Day concert–Biakuye Percussion Group.
- Jan. 21, 7-9pm: Washtenaw Community College, Morris Lawrence Building Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Reads Author Event Ruta Sepetys, author of Between Shades of Gray. This is a middle grade/young adult book (yes, we own it and you may check it out) about a Lithuanian family that is sent to Siberia during Stalin’s “cleansing” of the Baltic region. The author is the daughter of a Lithuanian refugee and was inspired by her family history to write the book.
