NEWS FROM THE PTO

🐶LOLA UPDATE: Lola, Angell's Therapy Dog, has been with the Angell community since 2022, when Walk-A-Thon funds were used for her purchase. After a hiatus from work, Lola is back on the job! Thank you for your patience. More information about Lola’s return to Angell can be found in Principal Fenech’s update below.

🏫RECORDING OF PTO MEETING + REMINDER OF FUTURE DATES: Thank you to everyone who attended the PTO meeting last Monday - we were grateful for the strong turnout and great conversation! All PTO meeting minutes are available with the secretary. The recording is available here (Passcode: lF1?aA%K) - the meeting starts around 1:15.

Please mark your calendars for the next PTO meetings - free childcare and snacks provided!

• Wednesday, November 19, 6:30 pm, Angell

• Wednesday, January 14, 6:30 pm, Angell

• Wednesday, March 11, 6:30 pm, Angell

• Monday, May 18, 6:30 pm, Angell

🧺 THANK YOU: FALL PICNIC: A huge thank you to Rowan Anastasia for chairing the Angell Fall Picnic last week and to Brooke Tomlins for corralling volunteers and supplies. It was a great event and gave families a chance to reconnect - we appreciate the time and effort Rowan and the volunteers put in to make the evening so special. 

🔬SCIENCE OLYMPIAD (WESO) UPDATE: Hello from your WESO head coaches - we need your help to have the most successful WESO year yet! If you are interested in coaching or being one of our critical Key Volunteers (we need 2 to be able to register our team), please fill out this interest form. If you weren’t able to come to our info session last week, here is a recording. 

Looking forward to another fun and exciting year of Science Olympiad at Angell! - Jill and Senja, Angellscioly@gmail.com

🏫 REMINDER - ANNUAL FAMILY DUES: We ask each family to contribute $125 per child annually to cover enrichment activities, field trips, and school events for every student. This tax-deductible donation helps us keep offering these opportunities without charging per-event fees.

This year, we’re also aiming for strong participation from Angell families - please help us reach our goal of 80% contributed by December 1st, 2025 !

Please Venmo the PTO Treasurer @angellptotreasurer and include your student name(s) and “Yearly Dues” in the "What's it for?" field, or drop a check at the office. Your contribution—at any amount—directly benefits your child’s school experience. Thank you!

NEWS & NOTES FROM PRINCIPAL FENECH 

IN SEARCH OF:

• Five gallon water jugs for upcoming student council projects.

• A carpenter recommendation. The wooden bench that honors a former member of the Angell community has rotted out, so we’d like to build a new one. 

• Boys’ underpants and pants (size 5-6). For folks who’ve been on the receiving end of clinic clothes, please wash & return. If anyone has pants or underwear to donate, please do so.  

TRAINING KIDS FOR LOLA TIME!

• I shared this presentation with all students today during our weekly Zoom announcements.  Parents/caregivers should know that folks should ask permission to pet Lola, and help ensure she’s not swarmed by kids. If Lola ever brings her front legs off the ground, simply state “off!” - Lola is not prone to jumping on people but “off” is the command if she does. In the upcoming days, I’ll visit each classroom with Lola to ensure that all students have Lola time, and we can practice how to interact.  

• When Lola is settled back into “work,” teachers can sign up for regular Lola visits. Lola’s work/visitation schedule will flex, and she’ll spend 1-2 hours in the main office each day. This is the time when she provides love to anyone who comes by the office or clinic.

• Here is an FAQ I created.

FOOD SERVICE UPDATE: As of October 1, 2025, AAPS will no longer be able to provide universal free meals for all students if the state aid budget is not passed or is passed without universal breakfast and lunch funding. Please know that this difficult decision was not made lightly. We remain hopeful that state legislators will soon pass a budget that includes the Michigan School Meals program—maintaining free breakfast and lunch for all students.

All AAPS families are strongly encouraged to complete the annual Education Benefit Form (EBF) to ensure that all free and reduced-price lunch eligible students are identified. The form can be completed electronically in the AAPS Family Portal, which you can log into here. Hard copies of the Education Benefit Form are available in your school office. Please review the full message on this food service change here.

CARE SOLACE: Need mental health or substance use care for your student or yourself? AAPS contracts with Care Solace to provide free, confidential Mental Health and Substance Abuse Care Coordination Services. Care Solace is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to connect students, staff, and their families to mental health and substance abuse service providers. 

Over 200 languages are supported, and help is available to those with and without insurance.

• Call 888-515-0595 anytime. A dedicated Care Companion will help you every step of the way to research options, secure appointments and follow up with you to make sure it's a good fit.

• Search anonymously by visiting caresolace.com/aaps 

Information about Care Solace is available in Spanish, Arabic, and Mandarin.  

ALANA’S FOUNDATION FLU VACCINE CLINIC - OCT 6: All AAPS students and family members are welcome to the Alana’s Foundation Flu Vaccination Clinic at Pioneer High School on Monday, October 6, from 3:00 - 7:00 p.m. Vaccine is available for those two and up. A flu vaccine doesn’t always prevent the flu, but it can lessen flu’s more serious symptoms, reducing the risk of serious illness and flu-related hospitalization in children and adults with chronic conditions. 

** Get a $5.00 Target gift card for each dose, while supplies last! ** 

Save time and pre-register: 

1. GO TO: https://alanas.vna.org

2. ENTER:  Clinic ID: 2819   Passcode: ALANAS2025

3. SCROLL DOWN AND SELECT PIONEER HIGH SCHOOL, OR ENTER DATE

More information for parents/guardians here: CDC’s Flu Info for Parents

REPEAT INFORMATION

CTE MILLAGE: On November 4, 2025, voters residing within the Washtenaw Intermediate School District’s service area will be asked to consider a 1 mill tax that would support the expansion of Career Technical Education (CTE) learning experiences from preschool through high school graduation.CTE helps students understand why they learn what they learn from PreK-12, and it opens doors to college, careers and beyond.

If a CTE millage is approved by voters in November, students in preschool, elementary, middle and high school would benefit from new programs and expansion of existing programs. Washtenaw County’s CTE framework would span from PreK-12, with age-appropriate experiences that build on each other as students grow and learn.

To learn more about the proposal, visit www.washtenawisd.org/ctemillage. The WISD is hosting community information sessions: 

• Wednesday, September 24th at 5:30 PM - In-person at Washtenaw ISD

• Thursday, October 9th at 5:30 PM - In-person at Washtenaw ISD