Thurston Family Update

Thurston Family,

As the weather gets colder, our Drive-line keeps gets longer. To support a quick and smooth drop-off/pick-up process for everyone, we ask everyone to follow these important Drive-line procedures.

• Parents/Guardians must stay in their vehicles. Please do not get out of your vehicle. If you need to get out of your vehicle to support and/or say goodbye to your child, you must park on the street and walk up to the building with your child.
• Parents/Guardians must pull as far forward into the Drive-line as possible when dropping-off and picking-up. Cars stopping prematurely backs up traffic onto Prairie St. This further delays drop-off and pick-up as cars backed up onto Prairie slow the process of vehicles leaving our lot to make space for more vehicles.

We will continue to remind parents to pull all the way forward and to stay in their vehicles. Please be sure you follow our Drive-line procedures daily!

Your proud principal,

Cory McElmeel

Wednesday, 1/29

Early Release Day - 1:00pm Dismissal

Friday, 1/31

Thurston PTO Science Fair - 6:00pm - Thurston Library

Friday, 2/7

100's Day at Thurston

Monday, 2/10

National African American Parent Involvement Day

Did you know we have an attendance email? Please feel free to email @ thurstonattendance@A2schools.org when you know that your child will be absent.

We are excited to announce that AM care will now be offered through Rec and Ed. Our AM care program will begin on Monday, February 3 at 7:15am. Below you will find the links to the registration, please remember that if you need care for 5 days a week to register for both options. Questions? Please email aapschildcare@aaps.k12.mi.us or call 734-994-2300 ext.53253.

Registration Links:

Thurston Before Care M/W/F

Thurston Before Care T/TH

The Ann Arbor Public Schools Young 5’s program is an optional opportunity for those students who meet the age criteria for entrance. Enrollment is limited to space availability and is not guaranteed at neighborhood schools. For the 2025-26 school year, students must turn five years old between May 1 - December 1, 2025. Neighborhood and in-district transfer applications for Young 5s for the 2025-26 academic year will first be available from Tuesday, January 7 - Thursday, February 13, 2025. More information can be found here.

The engineering honor society, Tau Beta Pi of the University of Michigan, is sponsoring a MindSET event on Sunday, February 9th from 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm. They will be making ice cream using a bag of salt and ice and make ice cream origami. Students will learn the engineering behind the activities. Please sign up for this free event by filling out this form or use the QR code on the attached flyer

Monday, February 10th is National African American Parent Involvement Day! National African American Parent Involvement Day (NAAPID) was created in 1995 by Joe Dulin, a retired educator and former AAPS principal, to encourage African American parents to get involved in their children's education.

We welcome our Thurston families to join us this day between 9:30am and 1:00pm to participate in your child's school day experience.

AAPS Winter Weather Guidelines: (click on the hyperlink to be directed to the full site)

• On days where the temperature and/or windchill are below 0 degrees Fahrenheit, students will not have recess outside.

• On days where the temperature and/or windchill are below -20 degrees Fahrenheit, school will be closed.

The 2025 yearbook is on sale now for $20.

Did you know???

Our fifth grade students create the yearbook.

They take photos and design pages to ensure EVERYONE is in the book.

The yearbook is a memory book that represents EVERY Thurston student through their picture day photo and candid photos from the school year. It is a book that is published at the end of the school year.

This year, families need to purchase a book in order to receive one. Head to Jostens to order.

This year we want EVERY Heron to get a yearbook. If you are in need or are able to donate head to the following links:

• Need a yearbook: LINK
• Want to donate yearbook(s): LINK
• simply put in “donation” for the first and last name and add to cart

2025 yearbook Recognition ads

This year the yearbook staff is offering recognition ads. Loved ones can design their special message for their Heron by heading to this website to secure your space. Recognition ads are $30. The deadline Jan. 31 Click here to buy now (You will create an account separate from the one you used for ybkplus.com and it has a secure portal to play by credit card. You will be able to pick your layout and add photos and text. It is an ⅛ of a page)