The Au Gres-Sims School District
www.ags-schools.org
Au Gres-Sims Families and Community,
With this in mind and in conjunction with feedback that our students provided to us last school year we have set up a series of winter activities. Mr. Ostrander, our athletic director, has done a lot of behind the scenes work to create some opportunities for our students, to help them beat the winter blue/grays. Now we just need your participation! All of these activities are designed for fun, but don't require any special skill other than a willing attitude and attendance.
We have plans in the hopper for:
- Ski Trip: February 4th
- Bowling Trip: March 11th
- 3 v 3 Basketball Tournament, grades 3-12: March 25th
I encourage you to ask you students about these activities to gauge their interest and to refer back to this newsletter for more information as we get closer to those dates. We hope your students take advantage of these opportunities to beat the blues.
Mr. Ming
K-12 Principal's Update
With us just passing the halfway point in the school year, many supplies slowly start to become depleted and worn down at this juncture. Over the years we have accumulated numerous backpacks (with limited supplies) from various donors. If you would like a backpack we would be happy to provide one to you, just let your teacher know. We also have some supplies. If we have these in stock we would be happy to provide them to you.
If you have a teenager then it probably means that they have their own phone and that they spend “too much” time on social media. You are not alone! Sometimes screen time can be good for learning and relaxation, but it can also inhibit healthy living while creating conflicts within families. Attached is a link with “50+ Tips to Limit Screen Time Without Conflict.”
Although we most often talk about the dangers of social media and online platforms, one thing we need to also talk about is how to protect the many passwords we have for these platforms. See the following link for information on a “Password Manager for Families”.
Looking ahead, we have Student Count Day on February 8 and will be having a mid-winter break from February 10-13 and will be returning to school on Valentines Day! More details to follow in upcoming weeks.
From the Desk of Ms. Socha
NWEA testing is now underway and we have finished up our first full week of testing focusing on reading and math. Next week we will focus on science and language and then I will begin make-up testing. This will include students who did not complete the test during class time and students who were absent. Per our district NWEA policy, I will also be retesting students who dropped more than 10 points from their previous score. Such a drastic drop in scores is usually indicative of a testing effort issue, so I will retest in an effort to get a more accurate score. Since we use this data for many important areas of focus, it is important to have accurate data. The goal is to have all testing completed by February 3rd.
We also started our 2nd semester this past Monday, which means a new set of classes for students in credit recovery and who are taking electives. Again, for students taking a credit recovery class during a regular class period (1st-6th hour) the class will be 9 weeks. This is more than enough time to complete the course, especially with a 55-minute class period every day devoted to the class. There is a 9-week pacing schedule built into the course to keep them on pace to finish in plenty of time. Students who are taking a credit recovery class during seminar have the full semester to complete the class due to the shorter meeting time for seminar. Parents, you will always receive an email when your student is first enrolled in the class, as well as a final score report at the end. The enrollment email has the teacher’s name. If you ever have any questions about your student’s progress in the class, please feel free to contact me and I can share the contact information for the teacher. Your child also has an email and phone number to contact their teacher. Just a reminder that students also have access to live help for their classes each day from 9:00-5:00 with the live help rooms. They have access to this in their Google Classroom.
Finally, a new marking period means new elective classes for seminar electives on Tuesdays and Thursdays. We asked students for input on electives and based on that, we added a Middle School PE elective and a few more art-based electives. We now have a drawing/free writing elective and a vocal music/guitar class! Strategy games also continues to be a favorite and we have lots of students learning how to play games like chess, checkers, and Risk. Students also asked for a study skills class to have the opportunity to focus on keeping up their grades and getting work completed. Our Junior class is taking an SAT prep class as well, something we provide every year during marking period 3 to help our Juniors prepare for the SAT. It is a busy time to start to new calendar year!
School Breakfast and Lunch Menu for January 23-27, 2023
Athletics Update
We are going strong with our winter sports seasons so please come out and support our student-athletes.
Next Week's Schedule of Events:
Mon. 1/23
- 6p V Girls Basketball AWAY @ Whittemore-Prescott
- ~7:30 V Boys Basketball AWAY @ Whittemore-Prescott
Wed. 1/25
- 6:30p V Girls Basketball AWAY @ Owendale-Gagetown
- 7p V Hockey HOME vs. Mt. Pleasant (Tawas Bay Ice Arena)
Thu. 1/26
- 7p V Boys Basketball AWAY @ Posen
Fri. 1/27
- 6p V Girls Basketball AWAY @ Posen
- V Hockey AWAY @ Port Huron (Suburban Ice Macomb)
Sat. 1/28
- 3:30p V Hockey AWAY @ Anchor Bay (Suburban Ice Macomb)
BEAT THE WINTER BLUES - Middle School Ski Trip
We have organized a special group rate of $57 per person and that includes skis/snowboard/helmet rental and a lift ticket, but we need 20 people to get that rate. That number includes both students and adults, so let's make it happen!
If you are interested or have any questions, please contact Mr. Ostrander at ostranderg@ags-schools.org.
Important Dates
JANUARY
FEBRUARY
- 10-13: Mid-Winter Break, no school for staff and students
- 20: 6p Board of Education regular meeting
- 22: Early Release for all students at 1pm
Community Events
- Saturday, February 18th - Arenac Community Funds Trivia Night (Arenac Community Center, Standish)
Help Wanted at AGS
Job Opportunities at AGS
- We do not currently have any vacancies for the district. If you are interested in a substitute role please contact the administration office
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
Saturday Youth Basketball
Another great showing of our 2nd-5th graders and volunteer coaches for Saturday youth basketball.
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