Education

UPDATED: After-school activities canceled at several Washtenaw County districts

Today's snowstorm is leading to cancellations of after-school activities and events across Washtenaw County.

• Ann Arbor Public Schools have canceled all after-school and evening activities because of the storm, said spokeswoman Liz Margolis.

Ypsilanti parents pack school board meeting to oppose school closings

Parents who couldn't fit in the Ypsilanti school board meeting gathered outside in the cafeteria, where they discussed the budget situaiton. Tom Perkins | For AnnArbor.com

Roughly 150 parents, teachers and community members packed the Ypsilanti Public Schools board meeting Monday night to make clear their opposition to proposed school closures.

Many of those speaking during the public comment portion echoed remarks and concerns shared in several public forums over the last month.

From the Front of the Room

Preventing Senioritis: Part II

The senior slumps into the classroom and puts his head down on his desk.

The senior slouches in the classroom, eyes red from being out late the night before - or from doing something illegal in the parking lot.

The senior’s not in the classroom at all.

The senior shows up, but mostly just to flirt. No homework, no notebook.

The senior does homework, but not much of it. A sloppy few sentences at best. The senior is not apologetic about her lack of effort. Quite the opposite. The senior is self-righteous about having earned the right to blow off her assignments. How dare the teacher try to make her feel guilty?

With slideshow: Washtenaw County students put on a show for National African American Parent Involvement Day

Ypsilanti tap dancers Marius House and Daniel Grimes perform during the National African American Parent Involvement Day program.

Melanie Maxwell | AnnArbor.com

Students from six Washtenaw County school districts tap-danced, twirled and sang their way into the hearts of parents and other audience members Monday night with the seventh annual NAAPID Night Showcase of Talent.

Updated: Schedule of preschool open houses around Ann Arbor

It's time to start looking for preschools around Ann Arbor for the 2010-2011school year.

Following are open house listings sorted by date. Some schools do not offer open houses, preferring to offer individual tours. Contact information for them can be found below the listings.

Here are some things to consider when looking for a preschool.

Scholarship competition offers top dollar to winning economic recovery idea

A new scholarship competition that will award as much as $40,000 to a grand prize winner is asking Michigan's students: How would you save the state's economy?

The Motivate Michigan scholarship contest will award 10 scholarships to students who come up with the most creative, viable ideas to help the economically-battered state recover.

4 tips for nailing the college interview from a Yale alumnus

It's high season for college admissions.

And Ann Arbor-area high school seniors with an eye on the Ivy League could find themselves meeting over coffee for an admissions interview.

Greenhills student named finalist for INTEL Science Talent Search

It's not every high school student who can offer up a science project with a title like Analysis of Peroxisome Proliferator-activated Receptor Gamma in the Regulation of Angiogenesis.

But Greenhills School Senior Mary Guan did, and her efforts recently made her a semifinalist in the INTEL Science Talent Search, one of America's oldest and most prestigious pre-college science competitions.

Lifelong benefits of learning a second language young

April Scarlett | Contributor

Enough research has been done over a long enough period of time to show there is absolutely a significant life-long benefit for children who learn a second, or even third, language at a very young age. Universities like Oxford, Cornell and Cambridge have done intensive studies, and their conclusions are all in alignment. Bilingual children experience greater academic success, self-confidence and cultural sensitivity throughout their lives.

According to the Language League, there are the “5 C’s” of early language learning. They are: capture the critical period, craft cognitive skills, cultivate self-confidence, celebrate cultural understanding and create a world of possibility.

Michigan Daily: University of Michigan celebrates opening of research corridor's Lansing headquarters

The University of Michigan joined its partners in officially opening the University Research Corridor's office in Lansing on Friday.

U-M President Mary Sue Coleman was joined by Lou Anna K. Simon, president of Michigan State University, and Jay Noren, president of Wayne State University, at the event.

From the Front of the Room ** Special Edition **

Opinion: On Lincoln and Tecumseh paying $25,000 to be named a Best School District in Michigan

It’s really hard to imagine why anybody involved in trying to educate young people would choose to pay for the privilege of being named Best.

Dispiriting too.

with video : Eberwhite Elementary students Jitterbug, Hustle and Macarena the night away at annual Decade Dance

The gymnasium, cafeteria and hallways of Eberwhite Elementary School in Ann Arbor were packed Friday night for the school's annual Decade Dance.

Started several years ago in celebration of Eberwhite's 50th anniversary, the Decade Dance is a daylong celebration of music from various decades. Students in each grade learn a different dance from a different time period — ranging from the Hustle to the Macarena and Cha-Cha Slide.

The kids also dress up in costumes that match fashion from the various decades.

Stefanie Murray is the Community Director for AnnArbor.com. Contact her at stefaniemurray@annarbor.com.

With slideshow: University of Michigan basketball players inspire Scarlett Middle School students

University of Michigan basketball players took on sixth graders in air hockey and ping-pong at Scarlett Middle School today, leading to cheering and high-fives all around.

"It's pretty sweet watching my classmates beat them at ping-pong," said Darrell Jackson, a sixth-grader and self-proclaimed basketball fan.

EVERY WEEK (AND MORE) AT YPS: Ypsi Idol & More help for Haiti top Ypsilanti school district news

Every week, Ypsilanti school district spokeswoman Emma Jackson sends out an e-mail to local media highlighting various events going on in the district.

Here's this week's e-mail:

More YPS help for Haiti. YHS National Honor Society members are collecting donations through Feb. 12 to aid the relief effort in Haiti. Everyone who makes a contribution will receive a blue wristband to symbolize their generosity. All donations will be given to the American Red Cross. Details: Robin Evans, NHS sponsor, (734) 714-1160.

Adam Hollier resigns from Ann Arbor school board; new applicants sought

Adam Hollier's short tenure on the Ann Arbor school board is over.

He withdrew from the race last year, but was elected anyway. In the end, he agreed to serve and was sworn in last July.

But on Wednesday evening, Hollier resigned his seat effective Feb. 12.