September 2026

Dear D7 Families, Staff, and Community Members,

We are so excited to see all of our students on September 8th. Our staff has worked tirelessly to make sure this school year will be something truly special.

I am including a few quick reminders for you as you prepare for next week.

Back to School Week:

School District Calendar and General Information:

The “First Day of School” is Tuesday, September 8th. Students will attend the first week, September 8th - 11th, as ½ days. In the afternoons, our staff will be engaged in mandated professional development time as well as classroom work time. Below are the Start and End times for the upcoming first week of the school year. I have also attached a School Calendar for your review:

High School: Full Day: 7:50 a.m. to 2:55 p.m.

Half Day: 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

Middle School: Full Day: 7:57 a.m. to 2:50 p.m.

Half Day: 8:00 a.m. to 11:07 a.m.

For the first day of school ONLY, on Sept 8th, in order to ease the transition for our students, 6th graders enter at 7:50 am and then the 7th and 8th graders report at 8:50 am.

Elementary School: Full Day: 8:20 a.m. to 3:17 p.m.

Half Day: 8:20 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

Administrative Staffing Update

We are pleased to welcome Dr. Eric Pate as the new Assistant Principal and Athletic Director at Annapolis High School.

Dr. Pate brings extensive experience in educational leadership, school administration, and athletics, including previous service as an Assistant Principal/Athletic Director and as an Assistant Principal. He holds a Doctoral Degree in Educational Leadership from Central Michigan University, along with master's degrees in education and a bachelor's degree in Communication Studies.

His leadership experience, commitment to students, and background in both academics and athletics will make him a tremendous addition to the Annapolis High School administrative team. Please join us in welcoming Dr. Pate to Annapolis High School!

Leadership drives our district and we are thrilled to have such a talented administrative staff!

Staff Professional Development

When students go home at the half-day mark, our staff will continue to engage in professional development training activities that include State Mandated Safety; Special Education interventions and support; Eureka, Envision and IReady Math; English Language Arts Reading Interventions / Dyslexia. I am so proud of our dedicated staff that goes above and beyond to give their all for our students.

D7–Shines and our Building Look Great

As you visit our buildings, you will notice the well-maintained grounds and gleaming interiors. The district looks amazing and is ready for our students to walk through our doors. This could not happen without the leadership of Pat Atanosian, D7 Maintenance Supervisor, and her team: Ray White, Loarn Chilcote, Ricky Fremont, Bryan Sturgeon, Jacob Hernandez, Darreus Simmons and the Enviro-Clean Staff.

D7 Chromebook Protection Plan Program

As you know, many of our students are issued chromebooks to support their curriculum needs. Accidents happen and repairs can be costly for families. This year, we have partnered with K-12 Tech to offer families a $30 Chromebook protection plan that provides unlimited covered repairs for the entire school year. K-12 Tech handles the repair process, building pickup, and device delivery.

Families can enroll through September 25:

Directly from the district website |Students and Families| tab >Technology Protection Plan
Enrollment link https://rocket.k12techrepairs.com/club/dearborn-heights-school-district-7/GWoEye

D7 Board of Education

Our D7 Board of Education has also been busy this summer. The D7 Board and I worked on all D7 Policy reviews and revisions, as well as the Student Handbook Review. Special thanks to the D7 Board members for their dedication to the governance of our district.

In closing, I encourage you to enjoy these last days of summer with your loved ones. See you on the 8th!

Sincerely,
Mark Kleinhans
Superintendent