AFSA High School Newsletter
October 8, 2021
Thank you to everyone who joined us for the Potato Hug! The students did an excellent job with their SAE projects and art work! Please make sure to sign up for conferences coming up October 20th! See below for sign up link.
A couple of important reminders:
- Please do not drop off students any earlier than 7:30 a.m. The building is not open before that time.
- All students must bring a reuseable water bottle to school. We have water bottle refill stations upstairs and downstairs at the high school
Have a wonderful weekend!
Included in this week's newsletter:
- Special Education Advisory Council
- AFSA Activation Week Advisory Winners Announced
- O-term Update!
- AFSA K-12 Conference Sign Up Link
- AFSA K-12 Staff Conference Meal/Food Donation Request
- Science Fair Mentors
- AFSA K-12 Activity Fee 2021-2022
- AFSA Class of 2022 Yearbook Submission Information
- COVID-19 Information and Reminders
- Advisory Corner
- Department Updates
- Club Corner
- AFSA K-12 Free Breakfast and Lunch 2021-2022
- Photos of the Week
- Calendar of Events
Have a great weekend!
Thank you!
Special Education Advisory Council
AFSA’s Special Education Advisory Council will meet on October 20th, 2021 at 6:00pm in room 205 at the K-7 building. Sarah Lozano, AFSA K-7 School Counselor, and Ashley Berens, AFSA Licensed Occupational Therapist, will share information on how self-regulation and sensory processing are connected and how to best support your student if/when they experience difficulties in these areas. Please join us if you are able.
AFSA Activation Week Advisory Winners Announced
O-term Update
AFSA K-12 Conference Sign Up Link
Conferences for grades K-12 will be available on Wednesday, October 20, 2021 from 8:30 am to 8:00 pm (no school for students that day). Conferences will be 15 minutes long.
For grades 8-12, select as many classroom teachers as you want to see. Students are welcome to attend with parents.
Appointment times are separated into "Zoom" or "In-person" times. Please select a time based on the method in which you'd like to attend. If you select an in-person time, zoom will not be available (and vice-versa.) If you select a Zoom appointment, the link will be sent to you prior to your appointment time by your selected teacher.
You may check who your child’s teachers are in PowerSchool. For help scheduling grades 8-12 please call 651-259-4988.
AFSA K-12 Staff Conference Meal/Food Donation Request
AFSA's K-12 tri 1 conferences are coming up October 20! We are looking for families who would like to donate gift cards, beverages, snacks, and dessert for the staff on conference day!
Due to COVID restrictions we are only looking for store bought individually wrapped items. Items may be dropped off at the high school or elementary school. Please make sure you indicate that your donation is for conferences.
Donations may be dropped off during school hours. Monday, October 18th end of the school day is the last day to make a donation.
To sign up for a donation please click here!
Thank you for supporting AFSA StAFSA!
If you have any questions please contact Ms. Forliti at stephanieforliti@afsahighschool.com.
Thank you!
Science Fair Mentors
AFSA K-12 Activity Fee 2021-2022
If this fee presents a financial hardship for your family please contact our Executive Director, Becky Meyer, bmeyer@afsahighschool.com.
AFSA Class of 2022 Yearbook Submission Information
Attention AFSA Class of 2022 it is already time to think about the yearbook! We need the following from each senior:
- Senior Photo
- Baby Photo
- Parent/Guardian Letter
To submit your seniors photos and letter please click here. If you have any problems uploading the items you can email them to afsamedia@afsahighschool.com.
Items are due by December 22, 2021.
Please contact Ms. Forliti or Ms. Vorwald with any questions.
More information about graduation will be emailed out to families at a later date.
COVID-19 Information and Reminders
Masks are required to be worn by all staff and students at AFSA K-12 at this time. This includes during school hours and any events held at the building. If you do not have a mask please ask for one from the front desk at both buildings.
Free COVID-19 Tests Available at School: Through Minnesota's statewide education COVID-19 testing program, AFSA is offering Vault tests for the 2021-2022 school year for students and staff at no cost. Students can take these tests home and return them to school to they can be shipped to the lab. We want to keep kids and staff healthy, safe and in their classrooms.
If you would like a Vault test kit sent home with your student, please email our high school Covid Coordinator, Luba Vanyo, lvanyo@afsahighschool.com or our elementary Covid coordinator, Shelbi Pool, at spool@afsahighschool.com.
Other Testing Options:
Governor Tim Walz announced an expansion of testing capacity in the state’s COVID-19 community testing network in order to meet increased demand. Beginning October 15, Friday testing will be offered at the state sites in Mankato and St. Cloud. Beginning October 17, Sunday testing will be offered at the Moorhead and Winona sites.
The sites will be adding an additional testing day to increase their capacity. Each site is increasing its weekly capacity by approximately 500 tests for a max weekly capacity of approximately 2,500 per site:
- Adding Friday Testing Beginning October 15
- Mankato: Monday–Friday, 11 a.m. – 6 p.m.
- St. Cloud: Monday–Friday, 11 a.m. – 6 p.m.
- Sunday Testing Beginning October 17
- Moorhead: Sunday, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.; Monday–Thursday, 11 a.m. – 6 p.m.
- Winona: Sunday, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.; Monday–Thursday, 11 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Read more information about the testing sites.
How Minnesotans can get a COVID-19 test:
- Walk in or schedule an appointment for a free test at one of the state’s 11 community testing sites across Minnesota: COVID-19 Community Testing Sites.
- Order a free test through the state’s at-home testing program: COVID-19 Test at Home.
- Find other testing options near them through the state’s Find Testing Locations map, including through local providers, pharmacies and clinics: Find Testing Locations.
Who Should Get Tested
- Even if you are vaccinated, Minnesotans should get tested:
- if you have symptoms of the virus;
- if you have had close contact with someone who has COVID-19;
- if you are returning from international travel;
- or if you have attended a large gathering or event where people are not wearing masks and are not able to stay 6 feet apart.
- People who are unvaccinated should test before travel (domestic or international).
- Unvaccinated teachers, staff and students in K-12 should test weekly at a minimum or more frequently per CDC guidance.
- With the at-home program and community testing sites offering free testing across the state, the state has made it easy for Minnesotans to find a test.
Vaccine Information:
https://mn.gov/covid19/vaccine/find-vaccine/locations/index.jsp
Advisory Corner
This week in advisory, high school students received a college and career readiness lesson on scholarships, where they were given information on dozens of scholarship opportunities available to them. 8th Graders received a lesson about managing anxiety in class.
Weekly Department Updates
In Music Appreciation, we have learned about Medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque music so far! This week we started learning about music from the Classical period. In theatre, students finished their haunted house sets and production is working hard to build and prepare for the play "She Kills Monsters."
In Essence of English, we wrapped up our character unit; next week, we will start on a new unit. Composition students are working diligently on their Review of Literature portion of their research paper. We are close to finishing the Age of Reason/Enlightenment in American Lit as students are reading and analyzing some of the works from Revolutionary times.Sci Fi is beginning to work on their Short Story Final Analysis Paper. ELC continues to work on Short Stories and improving their writing and grammar skills.
In Health and First Aid, students are diving further into Nutrition, learning about dietary guidelines, nutrition standards, and food labels. Physical education students in Team Sports are playing large team games, including capture the flag, and slow pitch softball.
Club Corner
Art Club
Art Club meets once a week on Mondays right after school starting November 2nd 3:30-5:00 p.m. Come start your week right on Monday afternoons in the shop! We will be making a bunch of different projects and working with lots of different materials depending on the club members' interests. If students have something specific they would like to bring to work on, have someone in your life with some special artmaking skills willing to teach the group, or have any questions regarding the club, reach out to Ms. Vorwald avorwald@afsahighschool.com
Athletics
Any student interested in playing basketball this winter please email AFSA's Athletic Director, Jake Brown at jbrown@afsahighschool.com. Practices will begin at the end of November, so please be in contact with Mr. Brown as soon as possible. This year the boys team will be coached by Mr. George who is the high school gym teacher. Our girls team will be involved in a co-op with Hmong College Prep Academy. Once we know the amount of girls basketball players interested we will work on a transportation plan, so our players can be at practice each day.
E-Sports
The team had their first match this week. They played Minecraft Bed Wars against Foley High School. The team broke the record for fastest win at just under 2 minutes as led by Reid E. as the MVP of the match. If your student is interested in joining e-sports please contact Mr. Delmont.
FFA
CDE teams are meeting regularly now! If students are interested in participating in a CDE Team they should sign up on the CDE wall outside 132. General Livestock will be competing on Oct 13 at the University of Minnesota and Horse will be competing on Oct 15 at University of Wisconsin- River Falls.Fish and Wildlife, Horse, General Livestock, Floriculture, and Ag Mechanics are all teams that are for sure happening! Please contact Ms. Leiding for more information.
Latin Dance Club
Dance club meets from 3:30pm to 4:30pm. Students that attend must have a ride home ready for pickup at 4:30 pm. Dance club is free and open to high school students, and all staff. Students please meet in lobby at the high school. Please contact Mr. Garcia for more information.
REACH (Racial Equity and Cultural Harmony) Squad
REACH will begin meeting next week Tuesday during 1st lunch in the Study Hall! We welcome all students to share their personal experiences and discuss difficult issues in a safe, welcoming environment. We want to empower students and AFSA to be a part of the solutions. If you are interested in joining, please see Ms. Groves in 211 (before school, after school, during advisory, or sign up outside 211).
Spanish Club
Our next meeting will take place on Tuesday, October 19th during 1st lunch. Join us to play some getting to know you games and update our Duolingo score board! See Ms. Garcia for more information.
Speech Team
Speech Team is meeting on Tuesdays during 2nd lunch. Come hear about and get involved in exciting public speaking events and categories ranging from serious to humorous. Interested students can talk with Ms. Spector for more information.
Youth in Government
Youth in Government is an opportunity to share your opinions and hear the opinions of others. If you like to debate (respectfully), stay at hotels and eat yummy food, this is the event for you! It is 4 days in January, with hundreds of other students from around the state. Students wanting to learn more should talk with Ms. Nelson or attend the meetings, Tuesdays during 1st lunch in Ms. Nelson's room.
AFSA K-12 Free Breakfast and Lunch 2021-2022
Breakfast is available at both the elementary and high school building from 7:30 a.m. -7:55 a.m.
Breakfast and lunch menus can be found on our website - click here!
Photos of the Week
FFA Meeting
Visit from the Region IV FFA Officers
Potato Hug Fun
Calendar of Events
Oct. 20 - NO SCHOOL - Conferences
Oct. 20-22 - NO SCHOOL
Oct. 25-28 - Oterm for 5th-12th grade
Oct. 29 - No School for students
Oct. 29 - AFSA at the City of Vadnais Halloween Party
Nov. 5 - Numeracy Night - AFSA Elementary
Nov. 11 - AFSA High School Presentation Night and Open House
Nov. 16 - Culver's Fundraising Night
Nov. 24-26 - No School
Contact Information
Website: www.afsahighschool.com
Location: 100 Vadnais Boulevard, Vadnais Heights, MN, USA
Phone: 651-209-3910
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AFSAEagles
Twitter: @AFSAHighSchool