I took this idea to the Senior Class themselves back in December, wanting to give them a voice on the idea, to help shape it and guide it. They responded very favorably, with wonderful ideas about where it should take place, what kinds of things we could talk about, and the even the format itself. The development of this idea has been a joy for me and has taught me about the graduates we are producing.

Some of the input provided to me was very clear, like that it should be a room with comfy chairs and that I should serve hot chocolate. Other areas were a little less developed and I took some liberty with, like some of the questions that we will ask. We decided together, however, on a format that everyone thought would be fun...a podcast. So after some learning of my own, and the assistance of a couple of very helpful and tech-savvy seniors, I am happy to announce the release of our idea, dubbed the SENIOR SCOOP.

The idea is that every graduating senior will have the opportunity to sit down with me and do an interview for the podcast, to share their voice with our community. Between now and graduation I hope to get to know our seniors better and for you to do the same. A webpage on our district site has been created to house the Senior Scoop (click here for the link) and as the recordings are completed and uploaded they will fill this page, with a recording date and a quote from the recording.

I hope you enjoy hearing from our senior class as much as I am enjoying this project. Thanks for tuning in.

Here is our first release: Senior Shea Menard

Thanks for reading (and listening!).

Mr. Ming

We all know that protecting children is everybody’s business. To help families know about some of the dangers our children face, there is a conference on Wednesday, April 12, at the Standish Sterling High School Auditorium running from 9:00-12:00. Some topics include Gun Safety, Car Seat Safety, Safe Sleep, Opioid Awareness, and Marijuana Awareness. You need to register by Friday, March 31. For more information or to register, call 989-245-7240.

Another way you can help support a happy and healthy childhood for our youth is through an initiative put on by the Arenac County Child Protection Council called Pinwheels for Prevention. With this initiative, families can purchase a pinwheel for $1. Purchases can be made until March 31. From donations, a pinwheel “garden” will then be created out in front of the elementary during the month of April. You should be seeing a flier coming home shortly with your elementary children.

PBS Kids is now offering an opportunity for families to sign up to receive free videos and activities from their show Cyberchase These will be sent right to your phone. This gives an opportunity to explore math, science, and the environment through indoor and outdoor experiments, fun games, and crafts for kids ages 5-8. All you need to do is text WDCQ to 30644 to sign up . The first text activity will be sent out March 30th and will continue year round. Families will receive a new set in each new season.

Is exercise more effective than medicine in managing mental health? According to a study at the University of South Australia, researchers are calling for exercise to be a mainstay approach for managing depression. A new study shows that physical activity is 1.5 times more effective than counseling or the leading medications. The study shows that physical activity is extremely beneficial for improving symptoms of depression, anxiety, and distress. Specifically, exercise interventions that were 12 weeks or shorter were the most effective at reducing mental health symptoms. According to the study, all types of physical activity and exercise were beneficial, including aerobic exercise such as walking, resistance training, Pilates, and yoga. Important to note, the research shows that it doesn't take much for exercise to make a positive change to your mental health!

We are already halfway through Reading Month, yet we still have so many fun activities on the agenda! So far this month, elementary students have been logging hours of reading to save the superheroes from the evil “Book Bandit”, and middle school students are continuing to read in their novel. We have had dress-up days, sampled different food, and used art to illustrate our reading. There have been doors decorated, gift cards earned, and trivia games. Middle school students have been earning Scholastic dollars, and next week we have our Family Literacy Night in the elementary! It has been a busy month!

While we have been having fun celebrating Reading Month, we have also been looking ahead to spring testing. Shortly after we return from spring break, we will be diving into M-STEP and PSAT/SAT testing. The testing date for all PSAT/SAT testing is Wednesday, April 12th. This will be a big testing event, with adjusted schedules for most of the day. The M-STEP testing window begins on April 10th, and teachers will be reaching out in the coming weeks with details on testing days for each grade level. Once that round of testing is complete, we will move into our spring NWEA testing window, which begins on May 1st. Talking about spring testing in April and May doesn’t seem possible, but it is not very far away! I will be sending out some more information about testing next week, including a helpful site with testing tips and information on how you can support your student during this testing process.

Also, a quick reminder for students who are taking credit recovery classes. Unless your class is scheduled during Seminar, your class end next Friday the 24th. There have been reminders on the announcements all week and messages in Google Classroom to remind students of these due dates and also to contact me to unlock their final exam when they are ready. Please do not wait until the last minute in case there are technical issues! I am hoping to have students scheduled for their next 9 week class by the end of next week.

Next Week's Schedule of Events:

Spring Sports have and are starting. Each team has their own schedule, so contact the individual coaches for tryout/practice schedules:

• Middle School Track (Boys and Girls): Mr. Jack Long; longj@ags-schools.org
• High School Track (Boys and Girls): Mr. Kevin Loga; logak@ags-schools.org
• High School Baseball (Boys): Ms. Shirley Moore; shirley.j.moore1@gmail.com
• High School Softball (Girls): Ms. Molly Luberda; luberdam@ags-schools.org
• High School Soccer (Girls, co-op with Standish-Sterling): Mr. Kacey Bentley; kc212000@yahoo.com

A sign up sheet will be posted in the main office. See the PDF flier for more details.

• April 21: Relay for Life of Arenac (see attached)
• May 19: Arenac Community Funds' 21st Annual Golf Outing, Huron Breeze Golf Course (see attached)

Job Opportunities at AGS

• Paraprofessional (Elementary Placement) - see attached Notice of Vacancy

We are also always on the lookout for substitute teachers. If interested, please inquire with Mrs. Miller in the district administration office, (989) 876-7157 and she will put you into direct contact with Laurie Crane at ESS-WillSub