The Au Gres-Sims School District
www.ags-schools.org
Hello Au Gres-Sims Families,
Au Gres-Sims has stayed open to this point because we have been able to prevent the spread of the virus within our walls. The safety precautions that we have put into place are being followed and we have been able to swiftly act with your cooperation and support to any suspected cases. This has meant working with the health department very closely to determine and notify close contacts and to put them into quarantine.
Due to the rise of cases in our area there have been a number of families that want to change from the in-person hybrid learning format to the virtual learning format. We certainly understand this desire and respect this decision. All we ask, however, is that our parents continue to communicate with us by calling the main office at (989) 876-7157. Our administration needs to know so that we can actively track our students, their attendance and academic progress correctly. We want to continue to provide the best possible education and support for our students, but we need your help. We cannot provide the instructional support necessary if we do not know what is going on.
The other area that we need your continued diligence and communication on is the health of your child. Due to the influx in cases in the area the health department is behind in calling to make notifications. If your child has been determined to be a close contact and must go into quarantine, we need to know. Please call the school so that we can record that information and keep everyone safe.
To this point, we have been able to keep our doors open and we want to continue to do so for as long as it is safe and feasible. We can only do this when armed with the best possible information. We thank you for your partnership and appreciate your assistance in keeping all of the staff and students of the Au Gres-Sims School District safe.
Have a great weekend,
-Mr. Ming
A Reminder of Commonly Used Health Department Terms
- POSITIVE CASE = a COVID test has been confirmed as positive via testing and that information has been relayed to the district; must quarantine for 10 days from onset of symptoms and be 24 hours symptom free after that window before returning
- PROBABLE CASE = a case in which the an individual is experiencing COVID symptoms AND has had close contact with a known positive case. This is presumed positive; must quarantine for 10 days from onset of first symptoms and be 24 hours symptom free after that window before returning
- CLOSE CONTACT = a person that has been within 6 feet of a positive or probable individual (whether masked or unmasked, symptomatic or asymptomatic) for 15 minutes or more of cumulative time in a 24 hour time span. This includes the 48 hours preceding the emergence of symptoms in confirmed positive and probable cases; must quarantine for 14 days from the last date of contact with a positive or probable case. If symptoms emerge, they should get a test. If they do not, they may return to school or work at the end of the 14 day window.
- CLOSE CONTACT OF A CLOSE CONTACT = any person that fits the definition of a close contact to a person that has been determined to be a close contact (a degree of separation from a positive or probable case). These people (students) ARE permitted to attend school, but are highly encouraged to monitor their symptoms very closely.
- CONTACT TRACING = process by which the patient, health department, and school district work together to investigate the potential spread of the virus
- QUARANTINE = a period of isolation in which an individual is to the extent possible be away from all other people, including family. If a student is unable to isolate away from a positive or probable parent their 14 day quarantine time will not begin until the parent is 24 hours clear of their 10-day window.
Update
Tis the season for working from home! The following learning opportunities (mostly science related) are great Christmas gifts and just some family fun.
Root beer science kit ($16): Young foodies and scientists will love this DIY root beer kit. And as a delicious bonus, the root beer is all natural!
Create your own published storybook kit ($30): Creative kids can bring their ideas to life with this storybook kit! They can doodle and write on the pages, and then mail it in to have it turned into a hardcover copy.
Magic of Science experiment kit ($15): Children can show off 20 impressive experiments to their friends and family with this Magic of Science kit. Part magic, part science; 100% fun.
Build your own pinball game ($49.95): Why buy an arcade game when kids can make one themselves? After the basic design is complete, kids can add their own creative touch by designing the obstacles and theme.
Mozzarella and ricotta cheese-making kit ($29): Pizza night just got a whole lot better with this cheese-making kit!
STEM/STEAM Koala Kits ($16.95): These monthly STEM (and STEAM) toys and projects are great for innovative kids of all ages.
Our tentative return of high school students and athletics is Wednesday, December 9. Practices for JV/Varsity girls and boys basketball will be communicated through the individual coaches. Our junior high players will also be able to begin practices starting December 9 and will continue with an adjusted game schedule beginning the week of December 14. We are looking forward to seeing all of our Wolverine student-athletes on the court. Keep those grades up ladies and gentlemen! Stay tuned as we get more details from the Governor and Health Department.
From the Desk of Mrs. Socha
Flexibility. Perseverance. Self-Motivation. Adaptation. Preparation. These are all traits and actions that we have had to call on regularly over the last several months. With the newest order from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services moving our high school students back to remote learning, we've had to call on these important traits once again. Whether you are a highschool student who is temporarily virtual due to the order, or a K-12 student who chose the virtual option for the semester, I can not stress enough the importance of staying in contact with your teachers! Joining scheduled Google Meets, responding to posts in Google Classroom, emailing with questions - these are all pieces that are critically important to having a successful virtual experience. We are all here to support you, and we are fortunate to have the technology that allows us all to connect face-to-face over a Chromebook in literally seconds!
My biggest piece of advice for those who are currently virtual is to make a daily schedule and stick to it! Plan a start time, and go right through your daily schedule as if you were in school. Schedule yourself a few short breaks to avoid getting burnt out. You will see that if you commit to a daily schedule, that you will keep on track with your work and avoid getting behind. Many times we can feel very overwhelmed when we get too behind and have a huge list of things to complete. We can even feel hopeless that we will never catch up! If you do find yourself in that situation, please reach out to your teachers to help you develop a plan to get back on track. However, the best advice I can give is to work on your classwork each day - just like you would if you were here in school! I know that everything in life seems to be upside down and abnormal. If we all work together, we can get through it. We are here for you!
Gratefulness
As the COVID 19 pandemic continues, stress levels for students/parents/families remain elevated. Sometimes it may feel like things are overwhelming and too much to handle. These feelings may lead to a lack of motivation, withdrawal from relationships, depression and even physical symptoms of illness (headache, stomachache, insomnia, etc.).
One strategy that has shown to reduce the feelings of stress and anxiety is based on gratefulness. Gratefulness is an awareness practice and a way of training, deepening, and directing our attention. Like other forms of self awareness, gratefulness makes us more resilient and flexible, and also offers a way to frame and learn from everything that unfolds in our lives.
With the Thanksgiving holiday quickly approaching, this is a great time to focus on some of the simple things in life that we often take for granted. A short, entertaining video can be found here that can help you start thinking about being thankful.
Some students and adults use gratefulness as a way of staying positive in their lives. There is a wide selection of gratefulness apps that include uplifting daily messages that can be added to your phone. Some people keep a gratitude journal, listing at least one thing to be grateful for each day. Reviewing the journal periodically can be very inspiring. Rather than a journal, some people dedicate a wall or mirror as a place to add stickynotes with messages of gratitude. Watching the wall expand and become covered builds a positive spirit.
Regardless of how your family is spending Thanksgiving this year, may it be a time to reflect and appreciate the people, events and other memories that have made a positive impact on your life. Maybe this is the moment to exercise gratitude and build it into our daily routines.
Mark Your Calendars
- Wed Nov 25: Virtual Learning Day PK-12
- Th-F Nov 26-27: School Holiday - Thanksgiving
***DUE TO NEW COVID 19 RESTRICTIONS CAROLING AND SANTA WILL NO LONGER BE HAPPENING AT THE EVENT
Fall
AGS - America's Farmers Grow Rural Education Bayer Fund 2020 Winner
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