AMS Principal's Weekly Update 4-15-22
Dear AMS Students and Families,
There were lots of great happenings this week (and one from last week) at AMS. Prior to March of 2020, our 8th graders annually visited the Oakland Schools Technical Campus in Royal Oak to learn about career related program opportunities starting in 11th grade. While we were not able to visit OSTC on site this year, on Monday, students and instructors from OSTC visited AMS. This career prep fair for our 8th graders included stations in the gym manned by the OSTC students to showcase many of the fantastic career orientated programs that OSTC has to offer. Students enjoyed learning about programs in the areas of criminal justice, robotics, health sciences, communications, culinary, welding, marketing, transportation, and more. Thank you to OSTC for sharing their programs and experiences with our students. Also, thank you to Mrs. Jergovich for all of her work in coordinating the career fair. Overall, it was a great experience for our students!
This week, we learned that our district was named a 2022 Best Community for Music Education! This designation comes from the National Association of Music Merchants Foundation for demonstrating outstanding achievement in efforts to provide music access and education to all students. Berkley is one of 13 school districts in the state of Michigan to receive the Best Communities for Music Education award, one of 738 nationwide, and has been an award recipient since 2012. Our award winning music program is both a point of pride for AMS and across the district. This does not happen without having outstanding music educators combined with amazing support from our parents. With that, I want to recognize our 3 AMS outstanding music teachers; Doug Engle, Pam Kilbride, and Julie Smith for all they do to provide a great experience and promote a love of music for our students. I also want to thank our music families for all of their continued support in making AMS and Berkley a great place for students to develop into outstanding musicians.
Lastly, I want to congratulate the 30 students who became the latest members of the AMS Breakfast Club last week. 10 Students in each grade were nominated by a teacher for making positive contributions to their classroom. The students recognized are not necessarily students who earn all A's, but rather students who are making great strides in completing work, participating in class discussions, and demonstrating kindness and respect towards others. A special thanks goes out to Mrs. Saltsman, Mrs. Aytes, and Mrs. Bajorek for their continued efforts in supporting this ongoing initiative.
Upcoming Dates
Monday 4-18-22
Gaming Club 3:20-4:10 in Room 113
Anime Club 3:20-4:10 in Room 100
Homework Club 3:20-4:10 in the Media Center
Tuesday 4-19-22
Baseball @ Ferndale at 4:30
Softball @ Ferndale at 4:30
Wednesday 4-20-22
Dungeons and Dragons Club 3:20-4:10 in Room 113
Homework Club 3:20-4:10 in the Media Center
Rainbow Room 3:20-4:10 in room 110
Track Home v. Oak Park at 4:30
Tennis Home v. Covington @ 4:30
Thursday 4-21-22
Homework Club
Art Club 3:20-4:10 in Room 110
Softball Home v. Novi at 4:30
Berkley African American Parent Network Meeting 7:00 p.m. at Norup
Friday 4-22-22
AMS Dodgeball Tournament (End of Day)
Course Selections for 2022-23
On Monday, I sent out information to students and parents for 6th and 7th Grade students to select their classes for next year and asked that this be completed by today, April 15. We still have a significant number of students who have not completed this process and it is imperative that all students complete this so that we can adequately plan our staffing for next year and create student schedules. If you have not yet completed course requests for next year, please click the appropriate link below to complete this process.
7th Grade Course Selection Form (Current 6th Graders)
8th Grade Course Selection Form (Current 7th Graders)
Spring PSAT/MSTEP Testing
Spring testing began this week with 8th grade taking the PSAT on Wednesday. Below is the remaining schedule for testing (some tests may change due to conflicts, however individual teachers will communicate any changes from the schedule below):
Week of April 18 - Specific testing days to be determined by each teacher
- Make-Up PSAT Testing for 8th Grade
- MSTEP Science Testing for 8th Grade in their Science class
- MSTEP ELA Testing for 6th and 7th Grade in their ELA class
Week of April 25 - Specific testing days to be determined by each teacher
- MSTEP Social Studies Testing for 8th Grade in their Social Studies class
- MSTEP Math Testing for 6th and 7th Grade in their Math class
Please make sure that your child has their device fully charged on the days for MSTEP testing. MSTEP testing requires the use of a district device. We will have extra devices for testing for those students who currently use their own personal device during the regular school day. As it relates to opting out of taking the state standardized tests, opting out is not allowed by the school or state. Should a student's family decide that their child will not take the test, it will negatively count against the school's required participation rate. To learn more about this, please see the Letter from State Superintendent, Dr. Michael Rice.
Spirit Week April 18-22
Next week AMS will be holding a spirit week. We will be deviating a little bit from our typical spirit weeks in that there will be a competition between the entire student body and staff. Below are the themes for each day next week and all students are encouraged to participate:
Mustache Monday - Wear or draw a mustache.
Tacky Tuesday - Mix-up your clothes (must still meet the dress code expectations).
Zoomwear Wednesday - Show your Zoom attire that you wore during virtual learning?
Throwback Thursday - Get your 50's, 60's, 70's, 80's or 90's gear on!
Class/Staff Colors Friday - 6th Grade (White), 7th Grade (Blue), 8th Grade (Green), Staff (Black).
March Miracle
After many years of rescheduling, we are excited to kick off our first annual March Miracle basketball tournament at AMS from May 17-20. Anderson will be promoting physical fitness and community service through this fun basketball event. All students grades 6-8 can participate, while raising money for Camp Casey, whose mission is to provide safe, fun experiences for children and families affected by childhood cancer, rare blood disorders, and other life-threatening illnesses through accessible horseback riding programs. We hope this inaugural year kicks off a future of successful March Miracle tournaments. Yesterday students were provided information about this event from Mrs. Saltsman and staff from Camp Casey. For more information about how students can participate to support this worthy cause, please click on March Miracle Information. Also if you know of a local business that would like to be a sponsor for this event, please click on the March Miracle Sponsor Form.
Berkley African American Parent Network
Join State Representative Regina Weiss and the Berkley African American Parent Network next Thursday, April 21st at 7:00 PM at Norup. You don't want to miss this opportunity to engage in discussion with Representative Regina Weiss. As a former educator, Weiss brings with her to Lansing an in-depth, intimate knowledge of the many issues plaguing Michigan's public schools and is dedicated to using that knowledge to help improve education policy at the state level. State Rep. Weiss currently serves on the School Aid and Department of Education Committee.
Lunch Options
Students have the option to bring their own lunch or get a school lunch. As a reminder, school lunches are being offered this year free of charge to any student who wishes to get a school lunch. To view the school lunch menu for April, please click AMS April Lunch Menu.
Athletics
Boys Tennis - The schedule for the season is listed below and all matches start at 4:30. If you have any questions about boys tennis, please contact Coach Robert Hall.
April 20 Home v. Covington
April 26 @ Cranbrook
April 27 Home v. West Hills
May 2 @ Detroit Country Day
May 4 Home v. East Hills
May 10 Home v. Bloomfield Hills
May 12 Home v. Derby
May 17 Home v. Berkshire
May 19 Home v. Cranbrook
May 24 @ Bloomfield Hills
May 26 @ Berkshire
Baseball - The schedule for the season is listed below and all games start at 4:30. If you have any questions about baseball, please contact Coach Tyler Smith.
April 19 @ Ferndale
April 26 @ East Hills
April 28 @ Cranbrook
May 3 @ West Hills
May 5 @ Detroit Country Day
May 10 @ East Hills
May 12 @ Ferndale
May 17 @ West Hills
May 19 @ West Hills
Softball - The schedule for the season is listed below and all games start at 4:30. If you have any questions about softball, please contact Coach Patti Kidd.
April 19 Home v. Ferndale
April 21 Home v. Novi
April 26 Home v. Bloomfield Hills
May 3 @ West Hills
May 5 @ Detroit Country Day
May 10 Home v. East Hills
May 11 @ Ferndale
May 17 @ Novi
May 19 @ Bloomfield Hills
Track and Field - For information about Track and Field, please click on Berkley Middle School Track and Field 2022 . The schedule for the season is listed below and all meets start at 4:30 For questions about Track and Field, please contact Coach Beth Hanna.
April 20 Home v. Oak Park
April 28 @ Ferndale
May 6 @ Hazel Park
May 9 Home v. Detroit Country Day
May 16 Home v. Royal Oak
Golf - You can find detailed information about the middle school golf team, by clicking on Middle School Golf 2022. If you have any questions, please contact the girls Coach Sue Ciaravino, or the boys Coach Brett Grier.
Open Wrestling - Starting April 12th, Berkley Wrestling will be hosting open practice in the BHS wrestling room every Tuesday evening from 6:00-8:00 pm. This opportunity is open to all students grades 6-12. No experience necessary. For questions, please contact BHS Wrestling Coach Ron Fritz.
For all athletic related questions, please contact AMS Assistant Principal and Middle School Athletic Coordinator Mr. Cowdrey (248) 837-8202.
Student Clubs and Activities
Below are club and extra-curricular opportunities being offered to our students throughout the year. Clubs are continuously added throughout the year, so make sure to check the updates each week:
Student Council - Below are the dates pertaining to Student Council for the remainder of the year. Meetings take place in room 200 at 3:20 and will last approximately 30 minutes. For questions, please contact Student Council sponsor Mrs. Alderman.
May 10 - Meeting
May 24 - Meeting
June 7 Last Meeting
June 10 Decorate 8th grade hallway for Clap Out
National Junior Honor Society - The last NJHS meeting for the year will take place on May 10 in room 105 at 3:20. For questions, please contact NJHS sponsor Mr. Johnson.
Art Club - Art Club takes place every Thursday from 3:20-4:10 in room 110 through May 26. There will be a 25 student limit with participants established within the first week. Art Club will have a focus on drawing. All skill levels are welcome. Students should bring a sketchbook and their own drawing materials. Special papers and advanced drawing mediums will be available for those that want to explore. For any questions related to Art Club, please contact Ms. Reid.
Rainbow Room - The Rainbow Room is an inclusive after school club offering for LGBTQ+ students and LGTBQ+ allies. All students are welcome to attend. The Rainbow Room Club takes place every Wednesday from 3:20-4:10 in room 110. For any questions about the Rainbow Room, please contact Ms. Reid.
Gaming Club - The Gaming Club takes place every Monday from 3:20-4:10 in room 113. Students will have the option to play video games, board games, card games, or any other game related activities. If you have any questions about the Gaming Club, please contact Mr. Morris.
Dungeons and Dragons Club - The Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) Club takes place every Wednesday from 3:20-4:10 in room 113. Students with previous experience and those wishing to learn are welcome to attend. If you have any questions about the D&D Club, please contact Mr. Morris.
Anime Club - The Anime Club takes place on Mondays from 3:20-4:10 in room 100. Anime is a style of animation originating in Japan that is characterized by stark colorful graphics depicting vibrant characters in action-filled plots often with fantastic or futuristic themes. If you have any questions about the Anime Club, please contact Mr. Stoia.
Homework Club - Homework club takes place on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 3:20-4:10 in the media center. Students have the opportunity to work independently or receive extra help with homework. Students who choose to attend homework club must be working on school work or school related work.
General Information
Join the AMS PTSA!
Please consider joining the AMS PTSA. The PTSA helps support programs, classroom needs, and opportunities for our students throughout the year. While your assistance with PTSA sponsored events is always appreciated, your membership does not obligate you to volunteer for events. Joining the PTSA has never been easier. Join online by visiting the AMS PTSA membership page. The next PTSA meeting will take place on Tuesday, May 10, at 7:00 p.m. in the AMS Media Center.
Berkley African American Parent Network
The Berkley African American Parent Network (BAAPN) is a parent run organization that works in partnership with the Berkley School District and Oakland County Schools. The BAAPN network is a way for parents with African American children in Berkley Schools to connect with each other. BAAPN is committed to supporting student engagement, high academic achievement, and increased parental involvement. For more information, please visit the BAAPN Website. The next BAAPN meeting will take place on Thursday, April 21 at 7:00 p.m. at Norup with special guest Representative Regina Weiss (27 House District).
Receiving Parent Notifications
Through Schoology
If you would like to receive email update notifications through Schoology, please follow the steps below:
- Click the dropdown menu located in the upper right corner where your child's name is listed and choose settings.
- Click on the Notifications tab
- Change email summary to "On" and set your preference for frequency of receiving notifications
- Change overdue submissions to "On" to get notified when assignments are late or missing.
Berkley High School National Honor Society Free Peer Tutoring
Did you know that students from the BHS National Honor Society offer free peer tutoring? If you child is in need of tutoring, please email me and I will email you the list of tutors. It is as simple as looking through the list, identifying a tutor that meets your child's needs, and contacting them.
Inclement Weather and Morning Entry
When there are inclement weather conditions such as rain, falling snow, and/or actual temperatures below 20 degrees, students are allowed to enter the building upon their arrival to school. Once students enter through their designated grade level door, they must wait in the hallway until 8:05.
Homework Club
Did you know that students can get assistance with homework 3 days a week at Homework Club? Homework Club is held on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 3:20-4:10 in the media center. During this time, students can work independently on homework or receive assistance from staff.
AMS Event Calendar
Please click here for a printable version of the AMS 2021-22 Event Calendar. Please keep in mind that due to continued uncertain times, events are subject to change and events may be added or removed.
Yearbook Orders
Families can order yearbooks for the 2021-22 school year for $35.00. To order a yearbook online, please visit the Jostens AMS Yearbook Order Page. On the first page fill out the required fields but leave the homeroom field blank as students do not have a homeroom at AMS. Yearbooks will arrive around the first week of June and will be distributed to students before the end of the year.
Amazon Smile
Did you know that for every purchase you make on Amazon, a small percentage can go to benefit the AMS PTSA? All you have to do is a quick setup on the Amazon phone app and any future purchases will automatically generate a small donation to the AMS PTSA. To setup AmazonSmile on your existing Amazon phone app, please follow the directions below:
1) In the upper left hand corner select where you see the 3 horizontal lines
2) Scroll down and select settings
3) Select AmazonSmile
4) Add Anderson Middle School PTSA to your list of charities and make sure that the "generating donations" is turned on.
5) Your app should now be defaulted to AmazonSmile and any purchases you make will automatically generate a donation to the AMS PTSA.
To set up on a computer, simply go to smile.amazon.com, go into the same settings above, and setup the AMS PTSA as your charitable donation.
Follow us on Facebook and Instagram
Follow AMS on Facebook and Instagram. To find us, click in the search and type andersonmiddleschoolvikings to access our page. Both pages have a Viking as the profile picture.
AMS Spiritwear
Anytime is a great time to purchase AMS spirit wear. Ordering is simple through our online store with many options to choose from. To shop for AMS spirit wear, please visit the AMS Online Spirit Wear Store.
Local Happenings
Berkley Family in Need of Assistance
One of our Berkley families, including one of our AMS staff members, is in need of assistance after falling on hard times and facing eviction from their Berkley rental home. To learn more about how you can help, please click on the GoFundMe Page that has been set up to help support this family in need.
Berkley Days Race Marshalls Needed
Berkley Days is back and the event coordinators are looking for students to work the race on the morning of May 14th in exchange for a free wristband. If you are interested in helping out, please click on Berkley Days Race Marshall Sign-Up
Community Skate Night
Come One, Come All! Rad Music, Flashy Lights, 50/50 Raffle, Silent Auction!
Saturday, April 23rd, 5:15-7:15 pm
Skate World, 2825 E Maple Rd, Troy
$12/skater (includes skate rental)
$5/spectator (includes 1 silent auction ticket)
To our families who celebrate Easter, I hope you have a Happy Easter.
Have a great weekend!
Sincerely,
Michael Ross
AMS Principal
Direct Line: (248) 837-8201
Email: michael.ross@berkleyschools.org
