May 13, 2022

AMS Principal's Weekly Update 5-13-22

School News

Dear AMS Students and Families,

It was somewhat of a challenging week this week at AMS with several students and staff out with Covid.  Earlier this week, I sent a communication regarding the high cases of Covid affecting AMS.  I want to reiterate again that if your child is experiencing a sore throat, nasal congestion, fever, and/or body aches, please keep them home and either test them at home with a rapid test or take them to an urgent care or your primary care provider to get tested.  In some cases, individuals may not test positive until several days after the onset of symptoms or being in contact with a covid positive individual so it is a good idea to test for several days if your child is experiencing symptoms or was exposed to a positive individual.  While many students suffer from seasonal allergies, it should not be assumed that symptoms are simply allergies.  I appreciate your efforts in helping to mitigate covid spread and keeping our school community healthy.  Here are some reminders that I shared last week as well:

  • The Berkley School District offers free rapid testing for students and staff Monday-Friday from 7:15-8:00 AM at the Administrative Offices building (Tyndall) located at 14501 Talbot in the city of Oak Park. 
  • Additionally, Oakland County Health Division has a comprehensive webpage with information about COVID-19, symptoms and testing sites. You may find this website helpful.
  • If at anytime you have any questions or would like additional testing kits, please contact our school office or our school nurse, Jillian Langevin at 248-837-8012. 
  • I also recommend masking as a precautionary measure to mitigate spread until Oakland County is upgraded back to a low level.  Currently, Oakland County is at a HIGH level of transmission.   

This week AMS staff and students had a visit from Dr. Joe Schmidt who will be taking over the role of Assistant Principal starting with the 2022-23 school year.  Dr. Schmidt was very eager to visit AMS so that he could begin learning more about our school and begin getting to know our students and staff.  At the end of his visit, Dr. Schmidt shared that he found our students and staff to be very welcoming and personable and looks forward to his second visit on June 2 to continue learning more about all of the great things happening at AMS!

Last week, I shared some very unfortunate information about one of our AMS parents, Deena Goedge, mother of Faith, Lauren, and Claire Goedge.  It is with great sadness that I share that after a long battle with cancer, Deena passed away on Tuesday with her family by her side.  For those who wish to pay their respects to the family, there will be a visitation on Tuesday, May 17 from 2:00-8:00 at Sawyer Fuller Funeral Home on 12 Mile in Berkley.  A GoFundMe Page has also been set up to help the family with funeral and burial expenses along with medical expenses.   Please join me in keeping the Goedge family in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.    

Upcoming Dates

Monday 5-16-22 
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
Track Home v. Royal Oak @ 4:30

Tuesday 5-17-22
March Miracle Preliminary Round
Student Council Meeting 3:20 in room 200
Baseball at West Hills @ 4:30
Softball at Novi @ 4:30
Tennis Home v. Berkshire @ 4:30

Wednesday 5-18-22
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
AMS Spring Band Concert @ 7:00 pm in the BHS Auditorium

Thursday 5-19-22
Homework Club
Art Club 3:20-4:10 in Room 110
Baseball at West Hills @ 4:30
Tennis Home v. Cranbrook @ 4:30
Softball at Bloomfield Hills @ 4:30
Berkley African American Parent Network Meeting @ 7:00 pm at Norup
 
Friday 5-20-22
Honor Roll Breakfast 7:30 a.m. at Hurley Field
(Honorees and families will be notified by the end of the day on Monday)
March Miracle Finals Round

The Alliance Of Coalitions Community Survey

The Alliance of Coalitions for Healthy Communities along with our local organization, The Tri-Community Coalition, is working to reduce substance use among youth and adults in Oakland County. Your completion of a survey will help create a better understanding of the problems happening in our community. The Alliance will use this survey information to inform the planning of future coalition efforts.  The survey is anonymous and will take approximately 5 - 10 minutes to complete.   As a thank you for completing the survey, you will receive a link at the end to register for a chance to win a $100 gift card.  To take the survey, please click on The Alliance of Coalitions Survey. Your participation is greatly appreciated!

8th Grade Speech Contest

AMS is holding its third annual 8th Grade Promotion Ceremony Speech Contest! One eighth grade student will be chosen to deliver such an honourable speech to the AMS Class of 2022. The speaker will be addressing families of the Berkley community, principals, teachers, staff, and, of course,the 8th grade on the day of the promotion ceremony. To learn more about what is entailed, please click on AMS 8th Grade Speech Contest.  If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Russell or Mrs. Cabalum.   

Spring NWEA Testing

Spring NWEA testing will take place over the next 2 weeks with ELA testing taking place the week of May 16 and Math testing taking place the week of May 23.  While this should happen everyday, please make sure your child charges their device over the next 2 weeks to make sure they have adequate battery life to take the test.  

AMS Band Donation Drive

The AMS Band program is currently holding a donation drive.  Donations will be used for equipment upkeep and replacement, an overhaul of our music library, percussion instruments, performances, and all other expenses to help make the experiences these hard working kids have, memorable. Your donation is greatly appreciated and you will receive a tax-deductible receipt. If you would like to help support the AMS Band program, please click on AMS Band Donation Drive.

9th Grade BHS Choir Auditions

Choir auditions are coming up for current 8th graders who will be taking Choir in 9th grade at BHS next year.  For more information about dates and audition times, please click on BHS Choir Auditions.  

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 May, please click AMS May 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.  To access the golf practice and match schedule, please click on Middle School Golf Schedule 2022.

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 17 - Meeting
May 24 - Meeting
June 7 Last Meeting 
June 10 Decorate 8th grade hallway for Clap Out

National Junior Honor Society - All NJHS meeting for the 2021-22 school year are complete.  For questions about NJHS, 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.   

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, May 19 at 7:00 p.m. at Norup.  

Receiving Parent Notifications
Through Schoology

If you would like to receive email update notifications through Schoology, please follow the steps below:

  1. Click the dropdown menu located in the upper right corner where your child's name is listed and choose settings.
  2. Click on the Notifications tab
  3. Change email summary to "On" and set your preference for frequency of receiving notifications
  4. 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

Detroit Medical Orchestra
Presents Vignettes, May 15, 2022 at 3:30 PM

Schmidt Family GoFundMe

The Schmidt Family needs our help!. Dave and Colleen Schmidt have five boys under 12 and another baby boy due in 3 weeks. Colleen is a stay-at-home mom, and Dave is the sole provider for the family.  Dave recently had a cardiac event, is in heart failure, and unable to work. He is a flooring installer and will never be able to return to his job. He will be a heart patient for the rest of his life, and the entire family will have to redefine their new normal.  Many in the community may know Dave, who is the president of the Berkley Dads Club. Between he and Colleen they have spent the last ten years volunteering literally thousands of hours coaching teams, creating schedules, doing field maintenance, designing and distributing uniforms, being advocates for youth sports and recreation in Berkley, not to mention the untold and unseen activities that go along with running a youth organization this size.  Many, many families have benefitted from their hard work and generosity and now they need the community to lift them up and help them navigate this difficult transition. To learn more about how you can help, please click on the GoFundMe Page that has been set up to help support the Schmidt family.

Walk to Cure Arthritis 2022

On June 5, there will be a fundraising walk organized by the Arthritis Foundation. It will be held at Jimmy Johns field and provides complimentary concessions and tickets to a ballpark game after the walk. We have a number of students in the district who experience Juvenile Arthritis. We also have a number of educators who live with arthritis. Your support funds research and education to hopefully find a cure for Arthritis.  Support one of AMS's very own students, Guiliana Pietraszewski's team at https://events.arthritis.org/team/27420 or grab a group of friends and create your own team. For more information, please click on 2022 Walk to Cure Arthritis .  

Berkley Parks and Rec Summer Volleyball Camp

Volleyball Camp 2022, July 18th - 22nd
Girls - 9:00 am - 11:30 am; Boys - 12:00 pm - 2:30 pm
Camp Directors Theresa Stanicuk Cabalum and her staff with over 25 years of coaching experience
Cost - $70 - includes t-shirt, fun competitions, building fundamental skills, and game strategies.

Register at Berkley Parks & Rec Website

Next week's weekly update will likely be delayed as I will be with our 8th Graders in Washington DC through Sunday morning. 

Have a great weekend!