Kristen Bishop, CEO/Head of School
Dear AGCS Community,
Happy New Year, I hope you’ve had a chance to relax and enjoy family throughout the winter break.
We ask that you remain vigilant and aware of the potential impact of the respiratory diseases (Influenza, RSV, and COVID-19) circulating in our community. These illnesses challenge our schools and local healthcare system across our region following the holiday season. Protective measures still apply, practicing healthy habits to prevent the spread of illness and staying home if you are sick.
I also want to bring attention to National School Choice Week, which took place from Jan. 23- 27. This week was dedicated to raising awareness about the different educational options available to families and the importance of providing every child with a high-quality education.
I am such a strong advocate for school choice. As the Head of the School, I believe every child deserves the opportunity to attend a school that meets their unique needs and learning styles. Whether it is traditional public schools, public charter schools, private schools, or homeschooling, all these options can provide students with a quality education. I want to take this opportunity to thank our school community for choosing Avon Grove Charter School.
In honor of school boards’ commitment to our students, schools, and communities, January was once again designated School Board Director Recognition Month. The nine members of each local school board are a vital part of the administrative team, making informed decisions that lead public schools and provide opportunities for every student to succeed. School Board Directors, who are unpaid, devote an average of 10 hours each month to board business's challenging and complex responsibilities, including voting on budgets, adopting policy, and conducting comprehensive planning. Their role has only been made more difficult by the ongoing effects of the pandemic and related issues that impact the well-being of our students and families. Thank you, Avon Grove Charter School Board of Directors, for your commitment and dedication to our school community.
Now, as we look ahead, let’s continue as we start our school year, “Rising Strong.” I know you are committed to meeting our challenges and celebrating our successes.
In partnership,
Kristen Bishop
K-6 Family Bingo Night
We hosted our first K-6 Family Bingo Night on Jan. 20 at the State Road Campus. We had over 100 guests and 25 staff members who participated in a fun night of bingo, music and kid-approved jokes! We hope to make this an annual event for our families and expand on all of the fun!
Wolfpack Pantry
In December we received a generous donation from our Board President Mr. Degler and the Lion’s Club to support our Wolfpack Pantry. Our Wolfpack Pantry is currently located at the State Road Campus and is available for any student/family that may need assistance with food, toiletries, clothing, school supplies and access to resources in the community. The Pantry was a long term goal of ours, but with the support of the Lion’s Club we were able to make it a reality sooner than anticipated. In the coming months we will be opening another pantry at ELC. We are very grateful for to Mr. Degler and the Lion’s Club for supporting our vision and look forward to expanding our resources and reach to students and their families.
If you would like to learn more about having access to our Pantry, please reach out to Mrs. Weaver (jweaver@agcharter.org) or your divisional principal/guidance counselor.
High School College and Career Fair Event
On Feb. 17, with the support of the Southern Chester County Chamber of Commerce, the high school will be having a College and Career Fair. If you are interested in coming in to present information about your career, please see the flyer to register.
As a thank you to the Chamber of Commerce, we have included their website, https://www.scccc.com/, so you can look to support local businesses that are helping us or consider joining them if you have a local business.
Social Emotional Learning Mission
- Our sixth-12th graders are in the top 80-99th percentile compared nationally in the areas of having supportive relationships, working through challenging feelings, and using strategies to regulate their emotions.
- Our fourth and fifth graders have shown improvements in all areas of social emotional learning
- 95% of our K-3 students report having an adult at school they can count on, which is an improvement from the fall.
This year, we have been intentional about utilizing our half days to build in SEL skills (self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills and responsible decision making). We are focusing on strengthening relationships within our AGCS community while engaging in fun activities. We are excited for our next half day of activities, including the College and Career Fair for our high school students.
Summer Camps
We're excited about offering four camps at AGCS this year!
Keep your children engaged with discovery-based learning this summer, led by our own staff and upper school students.
- Explore the outdoors and spend time with our farm animals at Micro-Farm Camp
- Hone your problem-solving skills at Camp Invention
- Keep active in Sports Camp
- Discover at Day Camp
Learn about all the camps at our summer camp page.
- On Monday we also kicked off One Book, One School, which was an opportunity for students, staff & parents to come together as a community while reading one book. Students in grades K-5 read Almost Super by Marion Jensen. Students in grades 6-8 read Flying Lessons and Other Stories by popular young adult authors such as Walter Dean Myers, Jacqueline Woodson, and Kwame Alexander.
- On Thursday, Jan. 26, we had the opportunity thank parents and caregivers who volunteer to support AGCS in the classroom, for special events, through the AGCS Sports Boosters and Parent Teacher Organization, and in numerous other ways. We had the great fortune of celebrating with a few volunteers at Wholly Grounds in Oxford over coffee and donuts hosted by Head School/CEO Kristen Bishop.
- Also on Thursday, during our annual Literacy Day, students participated in many hands-on activities to celebrate the joy of reading. At the conclusion of the day, we held our Vocabulary Parade at the Early Learning Center! Students selected a word and turned it into a costume. The goal was to create a culture where word study is creative, interactive, memorable, and fun.
- We rounded out the week with the middle school dance on Friday, Jan. 27.
Alumni Spotlight
Anastasia Frommeyer, AGCS class of 2019, graduated from Susquehanna University with a degree in management and is now the recruitment coordinator at Herr's. We're so proud of you!
Anastasia said of her time at Charter, “I miss the teachers at Avon Grove Charter; they made my experience a great one! They truly care and get to know their students. They work to find the best way for you to learn and are willing to help in any way they can! Avon Grove Charter feels like a family and helps prepare you for whatever your next steps may be!"
AGCS is now accepting applications for the 2023-2024 school year!
If your AGCS student has a sibling who is not currently enrolled at AGCS and you'd like to enroll him/her for the upcoming school year, you'll need to complete an online Enrollment form for the sibling. Sibling enrollment forms must be submitted no later than Feb. 28 for your child to be eligible in March lottery drawing for any open spots in the grade in which you are looking to have them enrolled.
For questions regarding the Intent to Return form or process, please email our Enrollment Department at enrollment@agcharter.org.
The AGCS winter athletic teams have been on the court since the beginning of December. The cheer squad continues to improve their routine in both skill and technicality. They do an amazing job pacing the energy of the crowds and supporting the basketball team. Coaches Erin D’Avanzo and Gia Deddezio have created a fun, competitive environment and we are grateful for what the cheer team brings to the athletic program.
The AGCS basketball team continues to improve throughout their season. The Wolves are currently in third place in the MIL with a league record of 4-3. Senior captain, Josh London, leads the team once again in scoring. The team has dealt with their share of injuries this season. However, the team, coached by Barry Keith, Lance Martin, and Dylan Bittle continue to raise the bar for the boys, both on the court and in the classroom. Come on out to support our boys, every Friday night through Feb. 17. All home games are played at Goldey-Beacom College and games begin at 8 p.m.
The senior athletes for both cheer and basketball will be honored before our game against Tome School on Friday, Feb. 17. Ceremony will begin at 7:45 p.m. Game begins at 8 p.m. Come on out. Go Wolves!
February is National Heart Month! The American Heart Association has a checklist for life’s eight essentials for heart health, found here. Feb. 3 is “National Wear Red Day.” Wearing red on this date brings attention to heart disease as a leading cause of disability and death in America. Heart disease can be prevented and managed through simple lifestyle changes like diet, exercise, and not smoking or vaping. Choose heart healthy foods, manage your weight and stress levels, and talk to your doctor if you are at risk for heart disease! More resources can be found on the NIH website.
As the winter turns to spring, our staff and students are looking forward to field trips in many grade levels. Due to staffing, the school nurses do not attend field trips. The only medications allowed on field trips are epinephrine injectors and rescue inhalers. If you need to attend a field trip to manage your child’s medical needs, please contact your child’s teacher and the school nurse.
Nelson Earns Perfect ACT Score
Tennyson Nelson, a junior at Avon Grove Charter School, has earned a perfect ACT score.
"This is an amazing accomplishment,” said Matthew Messick, high school principal. “Tennyson has consistently pushed himself academically, and it is not a surprise that he scored high, but a perfect score, wow! We look forward to seeing where his resume takes him.”
The ACT is an entrance exam used by many colleges and universities to make admissions decisions. It is a multiple-choice, pencil-and-paper test administered by ACT, Inc. The purpose of the ACT test is to measure a high school student's readiness for college and provide colleges with one common data point that can be used to compare all applicants.
“I am very proud of Tennyson; this was an impressive feat!” said Adrienne Basilio, 11th- and 12th-grade school counselor.
This was Nelson’s first time taking the test. He earned a composite score of 36, which is the best possible score on the ACT. He said he took practice exams and had a tutor to help him prepare for the exam. He scored 1550 on the SAT.
“I would like to thank Mr. Pennell for his continued support,” said Nelson, who is a resident of Landenberg. “I am glad that I don’t have to retake it.”
Nelson has attended Avon Grove Charter School since first grade. He is the treasurer and historian for the Tri-M music honor society, a member of DECA, treasurer for the National Honor Society, a member of the Academic Competition team, plays trombone and euphonium for the jazz band, and he fences.
After graduation, Nelson plans to major in aerospace engineering and attend Rice University, Carnegie Mellon University, California Institute of Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, or the University of Chicago.