AMS Hornet News
September, 2020
Welcome Back!
Welcome to a new school year--a year that will be like no other. Things won’t be how we once knew them and we won’t do things as we always have, but new opportunities await! This is a school year that many of us will remember for a long time. Mr. Hibbs and I are hopeful that once we all get adjusted, many memories and positive experiences will occur for our AMS students and staff. We will all need patience, flexibility, and grace as we march forward. Let's all come together and make the very best of it!
Safety First!
Please know that we are also limiting the number of visitors in the building. It's not that we don't want you here, it's that we want to beat COVID so that we can stay in school!
Technology Tips
Positivity Project
The password is P2.
Some motivation from Kid President!
Daily Schedule
School Begins 7:25
1st Hour 7:25-8:15
2nd Hour 8:20-9:05
3rd Hour 9:10-9:55
4th hour 10:00-11:00
5th Hour 11:05-11:50
6th Hour 11:55-12:40
Dismissal 12:40
Weekly Schedule
Blue Group (Last Names A-K)
Monday-At AMS
Tuesday-On Google Classroom
Wednesday-Synchronous: Live Meets
Thursday-At AMS
Friday-On Google Classroom
Gold Group (Last Names L-Z)
Monday- On Google Classroom
Tuesday- At AMS
Wednesday-Synchronous: Live Meets
Thursday- On Google Classroom
Friday- At AMS
Attendance Requirements
For the 2020-2021 school year, according to the State of Michigan, the district must report the number of students "engaged in pandemic learning." We will be tracking "positive attendance" through "two way interactions" daily and per class. The "two way interactions" can occur in the following ways: in person learning when a student is physically in class, synchronous learning when a student participates in a virtual / live Meet or Zoom session, email/messaging communication between the teacher and student, phone communication with the teacher and student, completed assignments that are submitted to the teacher, and synchronous online learning during school hours as witnessed with Go Guardian.
Please also know that we value the importance of your child being at school every day and learning as much as (s)he can. Please have your student log in to all six classes in Google Classroom daily or come to school if participating in the hybrid model. We are working together through these new expectations so please continue to ask for clarification and have patience as we all navigate this new territory. We will not be as strict on attendance as we have been in the past. We will not have negative consequences regarding attendance as long as kids are completing their work.
Office Hours
Wednesday Expectations
Yearbook
STAR Testing
Your student's math & ELA teachers will be administering the STAR test to your student between now and October 2. Below you will find two documents that will answer questions about what the assessment is, what teachers do with the data, and how you can assist your child in preparing for the assessments if (s)he is a remote learner on the testing day.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1PaY6qvlXm-6Pk5rsrZWnxjkZCAwyP2em/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1pF4Wa5aocLF5ImtF-vGsTfdtJR7DHm6C/view?usp=sharing
Here is a video about remote STAR assessments:
https://p.widencdn.net/bui2t8/Administering-Renaissance-Star-Assessments-Remotely
If your student is a 100% online student, and you want to bring your student to school to complete the STAR reading and math tests, please email (loetting@kearsleyschools.org) with your student's name and grade level. Mrs. Oetting will then be contacting you to create a schedule for September 23.
Your student should not test with joining a session with their math or LA teacher.
Grades
Menus
Interested in knowing what is offered for breakfast and lunch?
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Cy4aJeIYMx1qp0hWXPhmbGrH88WCBTRJ/view?usp=sharing
You can access the menus on the www.Kearsleyschools.org and choose departments. From there, click food service, lunch menus, AMS.
Getting proper sleep is vital for us all!
A "B-code" Reminder on Being Safe while online!
A very important part of the "B-code" is being safe.
As we have taken a large part of our learning online over the past several months, thinking about being safe online is crucial. Please help teach your child to be safe online and to respect others.
Why is digital citizenship so important?
- Just like in the offline world, we want our students to be safe, secure, happy, kind, and ethical online.
- Students don’t always have the life experience or brain development to navigate digital dilemmas or use technology safely and effectively. So, like many other areas of life, they need guidance from trusted adults, including teachers and family members.
- Even if students are not online very much during the school day (or online on “protected platforms”), many begin connecting, sharing, creating, and viewing as soon as they step out of the classroom.
- As parents and educators, we can’t ignore this fact or waste the opportunity to tap into students’ interests and lives, and help steer them in the right direction.
See the link below for ideas on helpful tips and lessons for digital citizenship.
Mrs. Lisa Oetting
Mr. Douglas Hibbs
Mr. Martin Coe
The Best Office Staff Around
Mrs. Greer, Mrs. Sauer, Mrs. HIll
Armstrong Middle School
Principal: Lisa Oetting
Assistant Principal: Douglas Hibbs
Email: loetting@kearsleyschools.org
Website: https://armstrong.kearsleyschools.org/
Location: 6161 Hopkins Road, Flint, MI, USA
Phone: 810-591-9929
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kearsleyams/
Twitter: @kearsleyams