Principal TAPPAN MIDDLE SCHOOL

Roberta M. Heyward, Ed.S

Assistant Principal
2251 E. Stadium Blvd. Ann Arbor, Michigan 48104
Chris Roberts Phone (734) 994-2011 * Fax (734) 997-1873
[email protected]

Building Support
Administrator

March 2020
Greetings Tappan Families,

Join me in welcoming the month of March! March’s weather can be a bit tricky in Michigan. Yet, we know Spring is around
the corner. We are well into our third marking period. Please look for Interim Grades to be posted in PowerSchool on
March 6th, with third-quarter ending on April 3rd. Final third-quarter grades will be posted in PowerSchool on April 10th.

Tappan 2nd Annual Book Drive- March 2nd-13th Tappan will be collecting books for our local community centers. Our
goal is to beat last year’s collection of 1,300 books!

Incoming 6th Grade Tappan Parent Orientation Wednesday, March 11th at 6:00-7:30 PM. (Orientation for parents
only)... Our Incoming Parent Orientation Night will begin in Tappan’s auditorium. We will provide families with an overview
of our middle school program and answer any questions. At the orientation, parents will learn about the 6th-grade
curriculum, classroom expectations and co-curricular opportunities for students. All feeder schools have been informed
and will send information to families.

Spring Parent/Student/Teacher Conferences- Wednesday, March 18th, 4-7p. Spring conferences are for
parents/teachers who have concerns about a student’s progress. Walk-in times are 4-5:30p. During this time,
parents can meet with teams/teachers on a first-come, first-serve basis. From 5:30-6:45p, teams will schedule meetings
with parents/students.

Tappan’s 19-20 Yearbook- The PTSO will provide limited funding for the purchase of yearbooks for any family receiving
free/reduced-price lunch. If you would like to be considered, please complete the form here by March 16th.

Attendance & Punctuality… Punctuality is important for your child and for our classrooms. When students arrive late,
they miss the opportunity to settle into class, prepare their materials, and complete the first assignment of the morning. It
is disconcerting for children. Additionally, students often feel uncomfortable being the center of attention as they enter the
classroom late. When dropping off, please work to bring your child to school on time.

Rotary Food Drive AAPS has partnered with the Rotary Club to collect food for our local food bank, Food Gatherers, to
fight hunger in our community. This spring food drive will provide food for families over the summer months when children
do not have access to meals at school. For the 2019 Campaign, AAPS contributed the equivalent of 9,886 meals, and
our goal is to do even more this year! This year's food drive will be March 9 - March 20. Donations can be brought
to the school.
Tappan’s Mission: To come together to design a school community where everyone will have fun,
love learning, want to excel, achieve to their potential, and care for each other.

Tappan’s Vision: TMS will be a rigorous learning environment where there are high academic and
behavioral expectations for all students, and where all students achieve at high levels under the
Middle facilitation of skilled, effective, culturally competent educators. Schools -
Current 8th grade
SOC/NRCE
students must submit an
In-District Transfer application to request their next school. Current 8th grade SOC/NRCE students are considered "In-
District" in regards to the enrollment processes. These students should apply in this In-District Transfer window to request
the high school desired for next year. In the application, they must select "Yes" to the first question to access the IDT
application. Parent questions can be directed to [email protected] or 734-994-2249.

8th Grade PSAT Testing 8th-grade students will take the PSAT8/9 English & Math assessments during the morning of
April 14, 2020. This is a paper/pencil test, and all students will be tested in an environment that follows strict and test-
specific guidelines of the College Board. All 6th and 7th-grade students will have a late start on Tuesday, April 14,
2020. The PSAT 8/9 is the first test in the SAT Suite of Assessments. Tightly aligned with SAT and PSAT/NMSQT, it
establishes a baseline for college and career readiness. A link to PSAT 8/9 student guide can be found here.

6th-8th Grade M-Step Testing The M-Step and MI-Access tests are quickly approaching after spring break! All
mandatory tests for each grade level will be held during the time of the academic class within your child’s typical schedule.
All tests will be taken over the course of several days. All A2Virtual+ students who take an online class as a replacement
to a face-to-face academic class (such as English, Math, Social Studies, or Science) will be assigned an on-campus
location during their online class testing time. Please make the proper arrangements for your child to be in school during
these times. 8th graders will be taking the M-Step for Social Studies and Science, only, this year. It is important that your
child is here for all testing days! Please see the schedule below:

Students will be testing in SOCIAL STUDIES classes during the week of April 20th, 2020
Students will be testing in SCIENCE classes during the week of April 27, 2020
*Reminder - 8th Grade Math and ELA will be covered through PSAT on April 14, 2020
Students will be testing in Math classes during the week of May 4, 2020
Students will be testing in ELA classes during the week of May 11, 2020
Makeup Testing will take place each week and during the week of May 18, 2020

Students will engage in M-Step practice at school. If you are looking for your son/daughter to also practice M-Step
questions at home, please access the link below. The preview is intended to provide students and teachers with a brief
look at the English language arts (ELA), mathematics, science, and social studies technology-enhanced item types. The
M-STEP Spring 2020 Preview must be used in Google Chrome. Copy and paste this link into Google Chrome:
https://wbte.drcedirect.com/MI/portals/mi/
The directions to access the sample items are the same for both methods: a) M-STEP is on the top left side; MI Access is
on the top right side b) Select "Online Tools Training" c) Select "Sample Item Sets" d) Select the grade e) Select the
content area f) Login with the Username and Password provided on the login screen

Transition Day in AAPS is May 7th. Is an early release day for students. Current 5th and 8th-grade students will
transition to their 6th/9th grade feeder schools for an afternoon of learning, meet & greets, and touring
buildings. Please try to avoid scheduling appointments during the day (dentist/doctor) that conflicts with transition day
activities. Missing these activities will make it challenging to provide individual students with the same
information/experience at a later date.

PTSO- It is not too late, please consider donating to our Tappan PTSO. Because of your support, our PTSO is able to
provide funding for programs and services, which benefit our students, families, and staff. Thank you for your support!

August Tappan’s Information Day- (Save the Date for August 20, 2020). Parents will be provided grade level
times to bring their child to Tappan to retrieve schedule, take photo ID (new this year), find assigned locker, meet
administration and available staff, and tour the school.

Save The Date:

Assistant Principal
2251 E. Stadium Blvd. Ann Arbor, Michigan 48104
Chris Roberts Phone (734) 994-2011 * Fax (734) 997-1873
[email protected]

June 8th-11thBuilding
Tappan’s 8th Grade D.C. Trip
Support
Administrator
June 12th Last Day of School for all students 10:47a dismissal (no lunch served)

August 20th Tappan’s Information Day (Grade Level Times TBD)

If there are any questions, we can be reached by calling the school office at 734-994-2011 or by emailing us at the email
addresses listed above.

Each Child-Every Day,

Tappan Administration