STAR Weekly Bulletin
February 6th - 11th
Counselor Appreciation Week
ARS Mission Statement
Message from the Principal
Dear ARS Families,
It's been a challenging week for us all, with the inclement weather. Our thoughts are with those that were impacted by the power outages and we hope you are all doing well now. We understand that this upcoming week will be a busy one for some of you, trying to catch up with family and friends, tackling damages caused by ice storm, attending our games and activities. Please take care of yourself and schedule some time to rest.
It's Counselor Appreciation Week!
We want to take a moment this week to celebrate our wondering, incredible counselors, Ms. Rutz, Ms. Howk and Ms. Stephen. They do an outstanding job of supporting our students and staff and we are grateful for all that they do. If you have a chance, please take time to acknowledge all they give to our school community and a kind word of appreciation.
Black History Month Celebration
How Did Black History Month Start?
Black History Month began in the summer of 1915 in Chicago, Illinois. Carter G. Woodson, an alumnus of the University of Chicago was traveling from Washington D.C. to take part in three weeks of activities that were to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the emancipation proclamation. Among the festivities, were exhibits spotlighting the progress made by African Americans over the years. Dr. Woodson's exhibit featured black history.
Ideas for Honoring Black History Month
Looking for ideas on how to celebrate Black History Month?
- Support Black-Owned Businesses
Learn about Black-Owned Austin and local businesses and find ways to support them.
- Purchase, Read, and Share Books by Black Authors
Dive into books that highlight the obstacles that Black Americans have had to navigate. Our ARS library, local libraries, and bookstores will have a selection to choose from.
- Learn About the Contributions of Notable Black Figures and Unsung Heroines/Heroes
Black History didn't just occur in one city! You can find several Black Texans to learn more about. Here are a few to get you started: Bessie Coleman, Barbara Jordan, Hattie Mae White, Curtis Graves, Wallace Jefferson, Beyonce, and Simone Biles! Happy Learning!!!
- Attend a Virtual Tour at the Smithsonian
The Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture is a museum that seeks to understand American History through the lens of the African American experience. You can visit several exhibits online year round.
Whichever ways you choose to celebrate Black History Month, remember it does not have to stop in February. Please take the time to acknowledge and celebrate the contributions made by Black Americans throughout history all year long.
Celebrating Black Figures throughout History
A resource provided by our Black Student Association
Campus Advisory Council (CAC)
The ARS Campus Advisory Council is a committee of parents, students, business and community representatives, teachers, principals, and other campus staff. The mission of CACs is to promote excellence in education for all students through broad-based representation. CACs provide valuable input to principals, who ultimately have decision-making responsibility for their campuses.
If you would like to find out about future meetings and get involved, please see the latest information in the Google document below.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/10WGdrveXrvQlQEWG9JY6BuDVq-C4_3byOrXtJuOt9vQ/edit?usp=sharing
Questions?
Please reach out to the ARS Parent Co-Chair: Carla Tremblay at carlatremblay@gmail.com
Attention 8th Grade Parents
February 9th (Changed due to weather closures and preparation): Pathway Day (STARS only)
NOTE: We usually have Pathway day before HS Highlight Night for families, but are unable to due to school closures this past week. Our STARS will have special activities with Pathways after HS Highlight Night.
Pathway Day is the opportunity for our 8th-grade STARS to tour our three high school pathway areas and meet our pathway teachers.
Pathways for their four year HS career
Engineering
Biomedical
Media Tech
Our high school student leaders will be present to share their learning experiences within each Pathway. They will also have a session with our high school counselor to discuss the steps needed to choose their first, second and third choice.
The purpose behind our event is for our STARS to identify which Pathway would be their best fit.
February 8th: Ann Richards High School Highlight Night (Families and STARS: Save the Date)
Time: 6:00-7:30 PM
The Ann Richards HS Highlight Night will be an evening where our 8th-grade families will have the opportunity to hear about Ann Richards transition from MS to HS.
We want our families to be part of the welcome and the five rotations, so please join us from 6:00 - 7:30 PM.
We will begin with a welcome and agenda for the evening in the large gym at 6:00, promptly. Then, we will break up in groups to visit the following:
Rotation 1: Visit our Engineering/Makerspace Area
Rotation 2: Visit our Biomedical Area
Rotation 3: Visit our Media Tech Area
Rotation 4: Visit with our College Counselor, Eric Heineman
Rotation 5: Visit our Project Specialist about HS opportunities, Jill Dicuffa
May 6th: Pathway to the STARS
A night of celebrating our STARS as they transition to HS. We will invite our families to be part of a ceremony where we acknowledge each STAR. The event is at school.
Then, our STARS will stay behind to have dinner and a dance.
More details to come.
Attention MS Families and STARS
Exciting news! The Cheerleaders are hosting a Middle School Valentine's Day Dance for 6th, 7th and 8th graders. The dance will be on February 10th from 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm. The theme is "A Night Under the Sea" and dress is semi-formal.
The dance is restricted to Ann Richards middle school students. We are NOT allowing outside guests to the dance this year. We will have some parent chaperones for students who want to stay on campus after school before the dance. Tickets are $7 before the day of the dance, and $10 at the door. We hope to see you there!
Parents and Caregivers:
If you would like to chaperone, please click on following link to sign-up for a position and time.
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/904084FA9A82CA1FB6-arscheer
Ana Josephson
Middle School STEM Teacher
Library News
Recycled Reads Book Fair
We're having a Recycled Reads Book Fair in April! We are asking for donations of gently used books of all genres for all age groups. We'll also accept unused journals, stationery and craft materials. Please send/deliver your donations to the ARS front office any time from now through March. Look for a volunteer sign up email in March. All proceeds will benefit the Ann Richards School Library. Thanks for your help!
Return Overdue Library Books
⬅️📚 Please help remind your kiddo to return library books they have borrowed. This helps us use our budget on new books instead of replacing those lost! If your child has lost a book, we will accept cash, checks or a replacement in lieu of payment. Lost books may also be paid for online using SchoolCash.com using the instructions linked here. Please let us know if you have any questions and thanks in advance!
-Minda Anderson, ARS Teacher-Librarian minda.anderson@austinisd.org
Carey Mayo, ARS Library Clerk carey.mayo@austinisd.org
I hope you can rest and relax ❤️ Read a good book (or not!) and enjoy 😉
STAR Weekly Events
Counselor Appreciation Week! - Let's celebrate Ms. Rutz, Ms. Howk and Ms. Stephen
Monday, February 6th - A Day
9:00 AM Teach for America Leadership Visit
4:45 PM Winter Guard JV Rehearsal
5:00 PM Zumba Classes
Tuesday, February 7th - B Day
4:35 PM - Starlettes Team Practice
5:00 PM CAC Meeting
5:30 PM - Basketball vs McCallum @ McCallum
6:00 PM Soccer vs. McCallum @ARS
Wednesday, February 8th - A Day
4:45 Winter Guard Varsity Rehearsal
5:00 PM - Free Zumba Classes
6:00 - 7:30 PM - ARS HS Highlight Night for 8th grade parents
Thursday, February 9th - B Day
10:00 AM UT OLLI Visit
4:35 PM - Star Little Middle School Dance Team
6:30 PM - HS Basketball Game @ARS
Friday, February 10th - B Day
Grade Level College Visits (7, 9, 10, 11)
4:35 PM Starlettes Team Practice
5:30 - 7:30 PM Middle School Dance
6:00 PM HS Soccer Game vs. Northeast @ARS
Saturday, February 11th
First LEGO League Qualifier @ARS School
Track Meet - St. Dominic Savio Early Birds Relay
9:00 AM Star Lights Competitive Team Practice
9:00 AM - MS Soccer Game vs Small MS @ SMALL
Good luck to our Starfish at Regionals this weekend.
PTSA NEWS
For the week of Feb 3- Feb 11, 2023
FEBRUARY TEACHER AND STAFF APPRECIATIONS
Let's show the L-O-V-E to our teachers and staff with a dessert bar!
You can drop off items to the front office of ARS anytime Monday, Feb 13th or by 9am Tuesday, Feb 14th. https://signup.com/go/GADhumu
ARS PTSA SPEAKER SERIES SPRING VIRTUAL BOOK CLUB
We are gearing up for our spring virtual book club with ARS SEL/CP&I Specialist Yolanda Dela Cruz! We will be reading This Book is Antiracist by Tiffany Jewell. The book club will meet via Zoom on Wednesdays at 6:30pm starting on February 15. It will last for four sessions, about one hour each: 2/15, 2/22, 03/01, 03/08. Book club is open to students, teachers/staff, and parents/caregivers. If you’re interested in joining us, please complete this form.
Also, please stay tuned for details about a parent/caregiver education presentation, “Parenting in the Digital Age,” also with Ms. Dela Cruz, at our virtual February PTSA Meeting. For more information, please email Erika Bodoin at speaker@arsptsa.org.
POP STARS WORK DAY-CANCELED DUE TO WEATHER ISSUES
We hope to announce a new date soon. To get on the Pop Stars newsletter, email popstars@arsptsa.org
“LOVE IS IN THE AIR” SPIRIT SALES MINI-CAMPAIGN
This Valentine’s Day, show your love to the favorite ARS person in your life! We have items for the entire family, plus friends, teachers, etc. Shop now at www.arsptsa.org/store
Este día del amor y la amistad, regale artículos de nuestra tienda virtual. Tenemos algo para cada miembro de la familia, y para amistades, maestros favoritos, etc. Compre ahora en www.arsptsa.org/store
INTERESTED IN ADVOCATING FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION
Please email the PTSA advocacy chair, Linzy Foster, at linzy.brakefield@gmail.com to be added to an advocacy mailing list to receive updates on what is happening at the TX legislature, how you can help, and important info on the Texas PTA Rally Day coming on February 27th. Please mark your calendars!
BUY A BANNER!
If you are a business owner, or employee of a business who would like to support our school by purchasing a banner you can do so at our online store. Thank you so much for Supporting our Stars!
Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders
Email: school@annrichardsschool.org
Website: https://www.annrichardsschool.org/
Location: 2309 Panther Trail, Austin, TX, USA
Phone: (512)414-3236