The Den Quarterly

Dear AGCS Community,

Spring is here, and the end of the school year is quickly approaching. This means the opportunity to get outside more, spring athletics, spring concerts, and the anticipation of end-of-the-school-year celebrations! I’m so proud of how our students and staff have grown as learners and connected with our community this school year.

I’m excited about the upcoming celebrations for the Class of 2023. Your hard work paid off; we all believe in your ability to achieve great things as you embark on your next journey.

The state testing period is rapidly approaching, and our students must be prepared for these assessments. State tests are a vital tool that we use to measure student growth and proficiency. They also provide us with insights into our teaching methods and curriculum. Please ensure your child attends school on test days, gets plenty of rest the night before, and eats a healthy breakfast.

We understand that testing can be stressful for our students, and we assure you that we take every precaution to minimize that stress. Our teachers have been working diligently to prepare our students, and we will provide them with a supportive and nurturing environment during testing.

We will share our annual report during the summer to inform you of goals, achievements and future planning. We are looking at the possibilities of a new schedule change and the construction of a new building, and we are excited to share our goals for this endeavor with you. We aim to create an environment that promotes academic excellence, fosters community and inclusion, and gives our students the tools they need to thrive.

Through the exploration of different schedule options, we hope to offer a more flexible and dynamic learning experience that accommodates different learning styles and individual needs. We also aim to enhance student engagement and achievement by providing more opportunities for collaboration, hands-on learning, and personalized instruction.

In addition, the goal of the potential new building will provide state-of-the-art facilities that will remove old modular classroom space, support our academic programs and extracurricular activities for the upper school level. We envision a functional, practical but also inspiring, and welcoming area where our students can learn, grow, and explore their passions.

We are committed to working closely with our staff, students, and parents to ensure smooth transitions. By working together, we can achieve our shared goal of providing an exceptional educational experience for the students we serve.

As we approach the end of the school year, we are working hard to ensure that our students finish the academic year strong. I am grateful to our students, families, and staff for their dedication and commitment to AGCS.

Thank you for your continued partnership,

Kristen Bishop

The Chester County Intermediate Unit, in partnership with an agency called 4EveryKid, received 1,500 pairs of free shoes through their Soles4Souls initiative. AGCS was fortunate enough to provide over 60 pairs of shoes to our students.

In April, we started an after-school gaming club for students in grades 4-8. Mr. Braydman and Mrs. Lindenbaum run the club on Tuesdays and Wednesdays for students to play a variety of board and video games.

Students in grades 3rd-8th are taking the PSSAs this week! We know it can be difficult to get motivated in this time of year; however, we kindly ask that you ensure your child arrives to school on time. Students will provided breakfast at school if they arrive on time, before testing begins.

Our last SEL dedicated half day for the 22-23 school year on April 21 was a culmination of all the SEL standards learned this year (self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making). Students participated in community-building activities such as games, crafts, and physical activities that integrate our Social Emotional Learning (SEL) standards. Additional wellness topics and academic help sessions were also offered to our high school students. We’re excited that we had an opportunity to continue to build community. Additionally, select middle school and high school students participated in a “Student Voice” day to provide input and feedback on how AGCS can continue to build a positive school climate and plan for engaging and meaningful activities for next year.

We are looking for volunteer community leaders to help us stay up to date on resources and opportunities in our surrounding districts. See information below.

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.

• Hone your problem-solving skills at Camp Invention
• Keep active in Sports Camp
• Discover at Day Camp
• Explore the outdoors and spend time with our farm animals at Micro-Farm Camp - Sorry! Camp is full!
  
  

Learn about all the camps at our summer camp page.

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.

AGCS is proud to share that for the second year in a row, AGCS has been recognized in the Pennsylvania School Public Relations Association’s (PenSPRA) Excellence in Communications Contest!

This year, close to 250 outstanding entries were submitted for rigorous judging, and of those entries, we have received the distinction of being awarded an Award of Merit. This award is a reflection of our school and is made possible by the passion, dedication, and support that our students, staff, and community show for school each and every day.

View our award-winning videos:

• What is CAAP?
• Kindergarten at the Early Learning Center

Each year, AGCS highlights the graduating class and celebrates their post-secondary plans. Check out our Facebook page for daily posts spotlighting our seniors as they prepare for graduation! View the AGCS Facebook page.

AGCS Athletics have been making some big moves in the Mid-Atlantic Independent League this year. The winter season came to end on February 24, 2023, with our Wolves claiming 3rd place in the MIL, our highest finish to date. Senior Josh London won the MVP Award for the 22-23 Season.

The spring seasons are underway and once again the varsity teams are making moves in the standings. The girls varsity soccer team started their season an outstanding 5-0 before suffering their first loss of the season at home last Friday against Chestertown Christian. Junior Ariana Tlaseca is leading the league in goals with 6, as of April 17. It has been a great effort of ball control and defense by the team.

The MS girls soccer team has started their 2nd season by going 2-2 so far. The girls are growing and playing a strong unit. We love what having a MS team means to the development of our athletics programs.

The boys lacrosse season has also started out well. The competition is string this year in the MIL and the boys have been holding their own. The team has been getting pretty banged up with a series of injuries but the depth, leadership, and skill level of the team is keeping them afloat. The coaches are great teachers of the game and the excitement for our team and the season continues to grown.

Come on out to support our Wolves at Nichol Park.

Water: Warmer weather means sun and heat! Please send your child with a water bottle daily to stay hydrated as temperatures increase. If you choose to send sunscreen to school with your child, please review the procedure, found in the “Medical History and Consent to Treat” form in Power School:

Sunscreen: Parents/guardians may choose to supply their child with non-aerosol topical sunscreen, if it is approved by the US Food and Drug Administration. Parents/guardians must complete and submit the following information in order for their child to apply sunscreen during school hours, at a school-sponsored activity, or while under the supervision of school personnel.

• you confirm that you are the parent/guardian of the student.
• you confirm that you understand that the school is not responsible for ensuring that the sunscreen is applied by the student.
• you confirm that the student has demonstrated that they are able to self-apply the sunscreen.

A school may cancel or restrict the possession, application, or use of a non-aerosol topical sunscreen product by a student if any of the following occurs:

• The student fails to comply with the school rules concerning the possession, application or use of the non-aerosol topical sunscreen product.
• The student shows an unwillingness or inability to safeguard the non-aerosol topical sunscreen product from access by other students.

If a school cancels or restricts the possession, application, or use of a non-aerosol topical sunscreen product by a student, the school entity shall provide written notice of the cancellation or restriction to the student's parent or guardian.

Tick Bites: Warmer weather also means an increased risk for tick bites! If your children love to play outside (yay!) or you have a pet that could bring ticks into your home, it’s important that you perform tick checks on your family. Pennsylvania is the number one state in the country in reported cases of Lyme disease, making early tick removal crucial! For more information, visit PA Lyme at https://palyme.org/

Allergies: As spring blooms around us, a reminder that season allergy medication is not administered at school. Over the counter allergy medications are available in long acting forms, which should be administered before or after school. Please contact your child’s physician if you need additional information as to when your child should take allergy medication.

Mandated Physicals: If your child is in 6th or 11th grade and you have not turned in the mandated physical for this school year yet, but send them in as soon as possible. Students typically receive immunizations required to attend their next grade level at this exam. A dental exam is required for 3rd and 7th grade students.

Pennsylvania Association of School Nurses and Practitioners: Finally, we would like to congratulate Nurse Holly on being named President Elect of the Pennsylvania Association of School Nurses and Practitioners for the 2023-2025 term. This is the first time a school nurse from a charter school has been named to this position!

We would like to take a moment to emphasize the importance of safety in our school. As educators, our top priority is to provide a safe and secure learning environment for our students. In order to achieve this, we need your help.

Please remind your children to report any suspicious behavior or potential safety concerns to a teacher or administrator. It is important that we all remain vigilant and report any concerns we may have. We also ask that parents and guardians monitor their child's social media activity and report any concerning posts or messages to the school administration.

Additionally, please make sure that your contact information is up-to-date so that we can reach you in case of an emergency. We encourage all families to have a safety plan in place in case of an emergency.

We will continue to work closely with law enforcement and emergency personnel to ensure that we are prepared for any situation that may arise. We appreciate your partnership in keeping our school community safe. If you have any questions or concerns regarding school safety, please do not hesitate to reach out to us.

• May 8 - Facilities Committee Meeting

• May 9 - Strategic Planning Committee Meeting

• May 12 - Finance Committee Meeting

• May 16-26 - AGCS Fun Run Fundraiser K-6

• May 16 - AGCS Board of Trustees Working Session

• May 16 - AGCS Board of Trustees Public Meeting

• May 19 - Arts Fest

• May 29 - School Closed - Memorial Day

• June 8 - Last Day of School - Early Dismissal

• June 9 - School Closed - Teacher In-Service

• June 9 - Finance Committee Meeting

• June 12 - Facilities Committee Meeting

• June 13 - Strategic Planning Committee Meeting

• June 20 - AGCS Board of Trustees Working Session

• June 20 - AGCS Board of Trustees Public Meeting

• June 28 - AGCS Board of Trustees Annual Meeting

• July 3-4 - School Closed

• July 11 - Strategic Planning Committee Meeting