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September 5, 2024

Welcome back! It was so exciting to see all of our students and staff back for the beginning of another great school year!

Please forgive the longer-than-usual Superintendent’s Update.  I usually pare down this update to provide brief snippets of important activities in the district.  My first item, the Strategic Plan, is a major activity that has set the direction of our district and requires a more detailed look.

Strategic Plan

On Monday, August 26, the Alpena Public Schools Board of Education proudly adopted the APS 2024 Strategic Plan during its regular board meeting. This comprehensive plan marks the culmination of months of collaborative effort, beginning in February with the board's Strategic Plan Summit. Over 50 dedicated students, parents, staff, administrators, and community members came together to shape the future of Alpena Public Schools.

The result is a Strategic Plan built on five key pillars, each supported by an overarching goal that guides our district's mission, "Alpena Public Schools, in partnership with our community, teaches and challenges all students to become lifelong learners and productive citizens:"

• Academics and Programs: Deliver high-quality instruction to maximize student achievement.

• Whole-Child Development: Optimize supports to increase student engagement and growth.

• Personnel: Attract, recruit, retain, and develop highly qualified staff.

• Family and Community Partnerships: Build and strengthen trusting relationships with families and partners.

• Stewardship: Advance and maintain a long-term sustainability plan.

The Strategic Plan is rooted in a commitment to continuous improvement, with each pillar supported by the design and delivery of effective systems. These systems are about driving our district forward, ensuring every student, educator, and community member plays a role in our shared success.

Our next step is to engage our entire school community in meaningful conversations about how they will contribute to the success of this plan. We believe that every voice matters in this journey and we are committed to ensuring that our Strategic Plan reflects the aspirations and needs of our community.

To keep our community informed and involved, we will provide regular updates on our progress at Board of Education meetings. I will also be visiting local businesses, churches, and organizations to present the Strategic Plan in detail and gather valuable feedback. If your organization is interested in hosting the superintendent for a discussion about the Strategic Plan, please reach out at 989-358-5042.

ASK APS

As a part of FAMILY & COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP, aligned with our goal to BUILD & STRENGTHEN A TRUSTING RELATIONSHIP WITH FAMILIES & PARTNERS, I am pleased to announce a new feature that will allow the district to know what is on the minds of our community and answer important, common, or interesting questions about the operations of our school district.

The answers to questions we can answer will be shared in various ways; 1) in my Superintendent Update, 2) on our Website, 3) via social media, 4) through weekly communications from principals or other means.

ASK APSis your chance to submit a question you have had about the why and how behind operations at APS. Please understand, ASK APS is not intended to be a way to ask questions about specific incidents or individuals. For those questions, please reach out directly to your child’s teacher or principal. While we will do our best to answer as many questions as we can, there is no guarantee that we can provide an answer to all questions.

Closing Thought on Strategic Plan

The real work begins now that the Board has approved our strategic plan.  We fully intend for the work of the Strategic Plan to be inclusive and collaborative.  As stated above, every voice matters in this process, and I hope you will take advantage of the opportunities to share your voice as we move forward.

Have a wonderful and education-filled year!

As the new year begins, Alpena Public Schools seeks to reinforce attendance expectations for all athletic events.

The district reminds our students, families and community that attendees have an obligation to behave in a manner that allows for safe and enjoyable experiences for all fans. 

“Alpena High School Athletic Events are a source of pride for the district and community. We strongly encourage student, parent and community attendance and participation at sporting events. These are school events so we expect all those in attendance to demonstrate appropriate behavior and language that allows a family friendly positive viewing experience for all.” said Jon Studley, APS District Athletic Director. 

• Parents are reminded that any students in eighth grade or younger must be accompanied by their parent or guardian for admission to any Alpena High School sporting events.

• The adult accompanying the student needs to be in attendance and monitor the behavior of their child for the duration of the event.

• Attendees of any age that are disruptive are subject to ejection from any event.  

“We encourage parents to talk to their children as well as model good sportsmanship and respectful behavior as a fan and spectator at all school sporting events,” said Jon Studley, APS District Athletic Director.

Research tells us that parent engagement in a student’s education is one of the most impactful ways to improve a student’s academic performance. A partnership between school and families benefits all involved. Alpena Public Schools (APS) seeks to use a layered approach with a wide array of tools to provide information to our families and facilitate communication. Families can determine what tool or tools suit them best. APS will offer the following to help families to be engaged in the educational process; 

Direct Communication at open houses, orientations, parent conferences, parent advisory councils, school visits, school events and by phone.

Weekly Principal Updates-Principals provide families with a weekly informational email on events in the coming week(s). 

School Messenger a mass communication system that can be customized by both the sender and the receiver to include any combination of phone calls/Emails/Texts

Phone and Email Communication- APS provides families both phone and email information to communicate with the board, leadership and school staff.   

Website-www.alpenaschools.com includes a large amount of information for the user. The news section and pop-ups provide timely updates on important issues.  

APS Media Relations- APS works with the local media as a source of community information regarding operations of the district as well as school events/activities. 

APS APP- the App contains information that is easily accessed and includes customizable preferences for the user. 

StudentVUE and ParentVUE- allows both parents and students to access information and communicate regarding a student’s academics, behavior, attendance, and transportation using the web or the app.

APS Social Media- All schools and the district offer social media options to 

Interact and receive feedback from students and families, send and receive private direct messages and share relevant information that supports the ability of students and families to succeed and thrive in school and at home. 

Friday Folders-APS uses Friday folders at K-5 to provide hard copy materials to parents. 

K-5 Parent/Teacher APPS- Elementary schools utilize communication apps including Bloomz, Seesaw, Class Tag, Remind and Class Dojo to share information with families. 

Brightspace- this online system allows students to interact with teachers, view assignments and participate in learning even if they are not physically present in a school building.

Athletic Communication- The athletic department uses Bound to communicate with student/athletes and guardians as well as provide schedules and athletic information in one location. The new website is https://gobound.com/mi/schools/alpenahs

Surveys-Google surveys will be used to gather data on important topics from different groups in the district including students, parents, staff and community members. 

APS Live Streams and Recordings on YouTube- APS utilizes youtube livestreams and recordings to attend meetings virtually or watch at your convenience. Find us on YouTube @AlpenaPublicSchoolsMichigan