The Au Gres-Sims School District
www.ags-schools.org
Hello Au Gres-Sims Families,
This year has seen the rediscovery of the joy of learning. There is hope once again for our children and that look of enjoyment and inquiry in their eyes. We are a long way from saying that things are back to normal and that we are all caught up. I can, however, say that the work we will do, the hard work that is learning, development, and mental growth is of the utmost importance and it is a task that we are up to. We all have time to make up for and for our students that means making up ground with their learning. I encourage you to enjoy the summer this year, but also to consider including learning with your plans, each of our students is eager and willing to become the best version of themselves they can be.
K-12 Principal's Update
The intent of today’s newsletter is to provide to you more specific information about some of our end of the year events. We would like to keep things as normal as possible while still adhering to education guidelines and agreements, which are often not the same as other State guidelines. Although there are a million details to cover regarding these events, here are some key points.
For special events hosted inside the gym, like MS/HS Academic Awards (5/25), Senior Class Night (5/26), and our Elementary Awards Ceremonies (6/8), we ask that spectators wear masks at ALL times and socially distance in the bleachers and floor seating. When events are held outdoors on school grounds masks are not required as long as we socially distance.
Exams will take place on Monday and Tuesday, June 7 and 8. For exams, most will be required to take place in person but some may be able to be done remotely. At the least, these must be done at the same exact time as the normal class exam period. This is to ensure that all students are completing the same exam and working on the same playing field. The time frames are listed below.
Monday, June 7
1st hour- 8:15-9:47 (1 hour 32 minutes)
2nd hour- 9:52-11:24 (1 hour 32 minutes)
3rd hour- 12:00-1:45 (1 hour 45 minutes)
Tuesday, June 8
4th hour- 8:15-9:47 (1 hour 32 minutes)
5th hour- 9:52-11:24 (1 hour 32 minutes)
6th hour- 12:00-1:45 (1 hour 45 minute)
For our Seniors, don’t forget that you can purchase your chromebooks for $20. Remember, we will still need to collect these before you purchase them and take them with you so that we can wipe them clean. If you choose not to purchase your chromebook, please return it to the office or bring it with you to one of the mandatory rehearsals next week on Wednesday or Thursday morning.
And as a reminder, here are some of the important end of the year dates and events:
-5/21 Spring Band Concert at 7:00 pm at the football field, last Senior day
-5/25 9th Grade Orientation at 5:30 in Cyber Cafe, MS/HS Academic Awards at 7:00 in Main Gym
-5/26 Senior Graduation Rehearsal 8:30-10:00, Senior Class Night and Awards at 6 pm in Main Gym
-5/27 Senior Graduation Rehearsal 8:30-10:00
-5/28 Senior Graduation at 7:30 pm at the football field
-5/31 No School- Memorial Day
-6/4 Elementary Fun Day at City Park, Hosting of BB/SB Districts- games at noon
-6/7 1st-3rd Exams (1:45 Dismissal) *ALL students must take these on campus
-6/8 4th-6th Exams (1:45 Dismissal) *ALL students must take these on campus, Last student day
8:30-9:45 4th/5th Awards in Main Gym
10:00-11:00 1st/2nd/3rd Awards in Main Gym
10:30-11:30 6th Grade Orientation in Elementary Library
11:30-12:30 K Awards in Main Gym
From the Desk of Mrs. Socha
This may feel like a post inspired by the movie Groundhog’s Day, but I want to make sure that families are getting the information about our Summer Enrichment Opportunities! This past week, I sent an email out to all Middle school families with information about our Summer Enrichment Program for current 6th-8th graders. It included a link to this flyer with program specifics. Nte that this program is for ALL students. The platform will use recent data to meet each student at their level, to push them ahead from where they currently are. Students are required to complete 3 hours a week in the platform, with the flexibility to complete those hours when it best fits in their schedule. The program is virtual, however students will need to come on campus on the first and last day of the program in order to take the pre and post screener, receive or turn in their chromebooks, and get their log-in and program information. The link to sign-up is located at the bottom of the flyer that is linked above.
We have the similar program for the elementary students who are not already part of the Title I Summer Program with Mrs. Gordon. To avoid confusion, these flyers were also sent out to those students via parent emails. The format and requirements are the same. If you did not receive the email, please call me at (989)876-4686 or email me at sochaj@ags-schools.org
Finally, as we wrap up the semester, we will be able to finalize the High School list of students for Credit Recovery. Letters will then be sent out to invite students to take part in this important program. This will allow students who have failed a semester in a class to get back on track.
Shifting gears to our current day to day focus - NWEA testing is wrapping up this week in the Middle and High School, and next week I will begin focusing on make-up testing. I will also have virtual students in for testing almost every day next week. Lower Elementary has pretty much wrapped up completely, and due to scheduling shifts in M-STEP due to the 2-week in-person learning pause, 3rd-5th grade will be working on completing their NWEA testing next week and fully wrapping up the week of June 1st. It is a tight schedule, but we are right on track to wrap up the end of this school year!
Distress Tolerance Skills
When emotions are at their most intense or we feel in crisis and want to engage in unhelpful behavior we are in distress. If our goal is to get through the intense moment without making things worse, we can use distress tolerance skills to help. Distress tolerance helps us accept the moment until our emotions pass or reduce in intensity and we are able to cope more effectively by using other skills. Here are some strategies to help you ride out the wave of your emotional distress.
Radical Acceptance Sometimes we run into a problem that’s simply out of our control. It can be easy to think “This isn’t fair” or “I shouldn’t have this problem”, even though those ways of thinking only make the pain worse. Radical acceptance refers to a healthier way of thinking during these situations. Instead of focusing on how you would like something to be different, you will recognize and accept the problem or situation as it is. Remember, accepting is not the same as liking or condoning something. Learning to accept the problems that are out of your control will lead to less anxiety, anger, and sadness when dealing with them.
Self-Soothe with Senses Find a pleasurable way to engage each of your five senses. Doing so will help to soothe your negative emotions. Here are some ideas. Vision: Go for a walk somewhere nice and pay attention to the sights. Hearing: Listen to something enjoyable such as music or nature. Touch: Take a warm bath or get a massage. Taste: Have a small treat—it doesn’t have to be a full meal. Smell: Find some flowers or spray a perfume or cologne you like.
Distraction (A.C.C.E.P.T.S) Negative feelings will usually pass, or at least lessen in intensity over time. It can be valuable to distract yourself until the emotions subside. The acronym, A.C.C.E.P.T.S., serves as a reminder of this idea:
Action: Engage in activities that require thought and concentration like a hobby, project work or school
Contributing: Focus on someone or something other than yourself by volunteering or contributing to a cause or person
Comparisons: Look at your situation in comparison to something worse.
Emotions: Do something that will create a competing emotion. If you feel sad, watch a funny movie. Feeling nervous? Listen to soothing music.
Pushing Away: Do away with negative thoughts by pushing them out of your mind. Refuse to think about the situation until a better time.
Thoughts: When your emotions take over, try to focus on your thoughts. Count to 10, recite a poem in your head or read a book.
Sensations: Find safe physical sensations to distract you from your intense negative emotions. Hold an ice cube in your hand or eat something like a lime.
The most important thing in reducing stress is to try something. If the first thing you try doesn’t work, try something else. You will find those strategies that work best for you that you can put in your distress toolkit to use in the future.
Athletics Update
Athletic practices and competitions for high school teams resume next week. Coaches will be sending details and updates if they haven't already.
Monday morning, May 24th, AGS will have rapid antigen testing of all student-athletes ages 13-19 starting at 7:30a in the high school cyber cafe. Student-athletes that have tested positive within the past 3 months should bring a copy of the medical paperwork to the main office and will not be required to antigen test.
2021-2022 Sports Physicals
At the same time and location the Pfizer vaccination will be available for any 12-17 year old students (accompanied by their parents). There is no cost for the vaccination.
Mark Your Calendars
MAY Events and Dates to Remember
- MAY 25: Academic Awards Night, 7pm in the Gym
- MAY 28: High School Graduation, 7pm at the Stadium
- MAY 31: Memorial Day Holiday, No School for Staff and Students
This week it's fresher than a pair of gas station shades!
Au Gres-Sims School District
Email: web@ags-schools.org
Website: www.ags-schools.org
Location: 310 South Court Street, Au Gres, MI, USA
Phone: (989) 876-7150
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuGresSims/?ref=br_rs
Twitter: @agsschools