AHS Newsletter
Home of the Cougars
A Word from our Principal
Good morning. As you well know, Governor Parson recently announced that all Missouri schools will be closed for the remainder of the year. To say that we are disappointed is an understatement. This part of the school year is the time we get to celebrate with the students, we get to see them show off all they have learned, and a time for us to honor the seniors as they move on to the next challenge. I would be lying if I said we don’t feel robbed of these experiences. I’m sure you feel the same as parents, and I know the kids feel it.
It is critical at this time that we move past the shock of this situation, past the anger, and take steps forward. In this final push, we need to focus academically on getting the kids ready for the next level. At the high school, this is a complicated task. It is easy to see how math and English have concepts that build on each other and are critical to the next course. It becomes harder to see the connections when looking at elective courses. I have asked the teachers to determine the essential outcomes for their courses and to share them with you and your student. This week, we will polish those up and send them to you shortly. We are working to be as transparent as possible so that you can not only see what we need the kids to learn but also, and most importantly, to see why.
In an effort to make sure you have a true picture of where your student’s grades were as of our last day of attendance in school (March 12), we will be sending report cards this week. Please review those grades with your student. Academic performance will determine the interventions we assign to students either over the summer or as we return in the fall. It is critical that you and your student understand that a combination of their grade and their performance on remote learning will impact their placement next school year.
If you have any concerns or questions, we are here for you. Please feel free to contact your student’s teacher, counselor, grade level administrator, or me if necessary. We are here to serve you.
Stay healthy,
Deann
Here is the email I am sending to the kids:
I hope this email finds you well. I know it has been a while since I emailed. As it seems like is always the case, things have been changing at a frantic pace and I on purpose don't send you information until I am sure I have solid plans to provide you. We are going to move into a third phase of our remote learning starting on Monday. I have some work happening in preparation for that so not all the details are available in this email, but they are coming - and soon.
Tomorrow afternoon, the teachers will be turning in your grades for Term 5 and we will be sending report cards home by the end of the week. I know there will be some issues with grades that we will need to work through. Here are the important things you will need to know:
First, grades are based on work done through March 12 unless it is an AP, Dual Credit or Online course. Those types of courses continued as normal when the rest of us were in an enrichment-only status.
Second, some of you will have grades you are unhappy with. We will have a way for you to address this. Please be patient with me--we will send you specific information on how to appeal that grade.
Third, the remainder of the year will be all about Next Level Readiness. No grades won't be taken BUT that doesn't mean you can just disengage. Your progress will be reviewed and your skill sets evaluated to determine if you are ready for the next course in that content. So, if you are not proficient in 9th grade English class, don't expect a free pass into 10th grade English. You should expect to either 1) be assigned to summer school, 2) be assigned to a Content Camp at or near the beginning of next school year, or 3) be reassigned to the course next year. Essentially the bottom line is that in order to get credit and move forward, you have to show us that you are Next Level READY.
Finally, some of you were not seeing success in courses prior to March 12. You should expect to receive a personalized learning plan in order to obtain the credit.
This COVID-19 situation has happened and there is nothing we can do to change that, but how largely it affects your learning is up to you. If you stick with your teachers who are working extra hard to prepare you, things will be fine. If you go missing on us and don't attempt or do any work, then the impact may be much more far-reaching. It is our goal to minimize the impact on you to the best of our ability.
Again, hang in there! We know life is very different right now compared to what it was a month ago. We know your time will be spent very differently than it was back then. That is ok. The only thing that is not ok is to stop communicating with us and to stop trying. Together we are #AfftonStrong.
Talk with you soon,
Dr. Myers
About Affton High School
Dr. Tim Luecke, assistant principal, grades 11&12
Dr. Jon Langhans, assistant principal, grades 9&10
Email: jlanghans@afftonschools.net
Website: http://ahs.afftonschools.net/
Location: 8309 MacKenzie Road, Affton, MO, USA
Phone: (314) 638-6330
Facebook: facebook.com/AfftonHighSchool
Twitter: @AfftonHS