News and Upcoming Events

Walk-a-Thon

Our annual Angell walk-a-thon is scheduled for Wednesday, October 9th. 

This is the year we focus on our libraries - both Angell’s main library and the individual classroom book collections.  Your children LOVE their books - picture and board books, fiction, non-fiction, and graphic novels.  Our voracious readers keep going back for more books, and we hope that the Angell community will help us fill the shelves! 

Students will walk (or run!) for 20 minutes (15 min for Young 5s) to earn your pledges.  Parents/caregivers are welcome to cheer on our students on Oct 9th. Pledges are due by Thursday, October 10th before the fall break. Cash, check and Venmo are accepted. Please do not hesitate to reach out with questions.

We can’t do this without you! Sign up to volunteer and come cheer the students on! Grandparents and college-aged kids are also welcome to volunteer. The rain date is Wednesday, Oct. 16th.

Our goal is to raise $12,000 as a school. We hope that each student raises $40 in pledges, but any amount is greatly appreciated. 

Thank you for supporting literacy at Angell Elementary!

Science Olympiad Informational Session

Angell Elementary is proud to participate in Washtenaw Elementary Science Olympiad (WESO) again this year.  WESO is open to students in Grades 2 to 5.   This year’s tournament will be held on Saturday, May 10th at Pioneer High School. 

We are going to have our Angell WESO coaches recruitment/info session via Zoom meeting on Wednesday, October 16 at 7pm.  Check next week’s Flyer for the Zoom link. This meeting is for returning coaches and anyone who may be interested in coaching a Science Olympiad Team. 

Detailed information regarding WESO can be found on their website. If you have any questions please contact Jill Gorsuch, Senja Tomovic or Kimberly DiMaria. 

Family Contributions and Fundraising

Each year our PTO spends tens of thousands of dollars to provide enrichment opportunities including field trips, supplies, special projects like updating our school library, teacher and staff appreciation gifts, and events like our annual Fall Picnic and Ice Cream Social.  Please look for a flyer that will come home with your children soon, detailing how the PTO raises and spends money. 

We ask families to contribute toward our annual expenses by making a tax deductible donation to the PTO.  This year, like last, we're asking families to contribute $125 per child to cover each child's annual expenses.  However, any amount is appreciated and will be thoughtfully utilized.  PARTICIPATION (at any amount) is more important than the size of the donation.

Payments may be made via Venmo @angellptotreasurer. Last 4 digits: 0375. Please include in the memo: email address, name of student(s), and “Fall FC.” PLEASE NOTE WE HAVE A NEW VENMO ACCOUNT THIS YEAR.

If you have questions about fees/suggested amounts, or to make a payment plan, please email your PTO president.  

Corporate Sponsorship - Do you work for Google, Ford, Toyota, GM? Does your company match donations for nonprofit organizations in the community?  If so, we would love to be your non profit match!  A match may help double or triple your donation to Angell Elementary. The PTO is happy to provide a receipt or letter documenting your donation if your employer requires one to complete the transaction Contact your PTO Treasurer with any questions or to obtain additional information or documentation.

PTO Time and Talent Survey - we need help!

Please complete our Time and Talent Survey to let us know how you’d like to get involved this year.

Every parent or guardian of an Angell student is automatically a member of the PTO. The Angell PTO's mission is to build a sense of support, pride and enthusiasm, while encouraging parent and staff involvement in service of our children's education. What we accomplish in a school year requires participation from every family.  That will look different for every family and that's ok! This might be setting up tables for our Book Fair, serving as Room Parent for your child's classroom, or chairing the Talent Show.  

Teacher Treats

Calling all bakers! Now is your time to shine!

Please review the slots posted and consider signing up to bring our teachers treats!  Our goal this year is to provide homemade treats every other week, and we have about forty staff on any given day.  We understand if homemade is not an option for you and appreciate store bought treats as well.  

Ideally, the day listed is preferred, but if you need to change the date within that week please let Katie Jedynak know.  We do have teachers with nut allergies, so nut free is preferred.  Please label if there are nuts.  Gluten free options are appreciated as well!

Thanks for your consideration!

News from the Library

Please see our Angell Library October newsletter.  

Notes from Principal Fenech & the Office 

SPIRIT WEAR SALES: Deadline is Monday, October 14th

Here’s a flyer of our Fall Spiritwear options!  Visit https://bit.ly/AngellSpirit2024 to place your order by 11:59PM on Monday, October 14th.  (New families: you can expect spirit wear sales twice/year.  Our springtime options will be more colorful and will feature our eagle mascot.  We like to rotate options.)

REPORT ABSENCES TO THE ATTENDANCE EMAIL

If keeping a child home please email ang_attendance@a2schools.org to share your child’s full name and the reason for their absence.

LOST & FOUND

Please remember to label your child’s belongings.  We check clothing and food containers for names to aid in getting possessions back to you.  At present, we have 67 clothing items hanging in the Lost & Found.  Feel free to stop into the school to check the Lost & Found.  (New families:  We typically donate unclaimed items to the PTO Thrift Store twice/year. When a donation date approaches, we’ll let you know.) 

AUTHOR VISIT

Jorge Cham will visit Angell Elementary for an author visit for grades 3-5 on Thursday, November 7th from 10:00 - 11:00. Upper elementary families are invited to join this author visit.  Mr. Cham has written two illustrated chapter books and multiple picture books for kids.  Parents interested in purchasing Mr. Cham's books can use the following link to order books by Friday, October 25th.  The link includes an option for personalization and inscription that Mr. Cham will write after the author visit.   https://www.schulerbooks.com/Angell-Cham

M-STEP LETTER FOR Gr. 4-5 FAMILIES

• MSTEP Letter for Ele/Middle (October 2024) 

OUTDOOR CREATIVE PLAY

Do you have any weather resistant toys that we could use outdoors?  We are seeking lightweight aluminum kitchen items, weather resistant pretend food or dishes, small PVC pipes (to build with), wood cookies, etc.  We want to provide additional options for imaginative play outdoors.  (Thank you, Mrs. Starling, for providing awesome sand tools!!) 

HILL & OXFORD

The City of Ann Arbor is still seeking applicants for our vacant crossing guard position at Hill St and Oxford. Please share this direct link with interested folks.  In the meantime, we will install the orange “See Me” flags for kids to hold up as they cross the road.  Families might also want to reach out to the City of A2 with suggestions at https://www.a2gov.org/departments/engineering/traffic/Pages/Make-a-Suggestion.aspx

Special Education Millage on November Ballot

Are you curious about the special education millage renewal on the November 5th ballot? The Washtenaw ISD will be holding in-person and virtual community information sessions and welcome all community members to attend to learn more about the millage renewal.  

• Thursday, October 10 at 4:00PM. at the Washtenaw Intermediate School District

• Thursday, October 10 at 6:30PM. online virtual webinar via Zoom

• Monday, October 21 at 6:30PM. at the Washtenaw Intermediate School District

Learn more and sign up at www.washtenawisd.org/SpecialEdRenewal!

REPEATS/REMINDERS:

DRESS FOR THE WEATHER

We take kids outside for recess in light rain, so please be sure your child has appropriate clothes for rainy days, and eventually snow and cold temperatures.  If your family needs support acquiring any needed clothing, please reach out to me at fenechm@a2schools.org

CLEAR YOUR CLOSETS OF COSTUMES & SPIRIT WEAR
If you have costumes or Angell spirit wear you’d like to repurpose, you can drop them off to the office anytime before October 29th.  If your child has grown out of Angell spiritwear, we are happy to share used spiritwear with other Angell kids.

BUS TOKENS

If your family would like bus tokens to help you get to school events like parent-teacher conferences, the Walk-A-Thon, etc. simply call the office.  We’ll get bus tokens sent home with your child.