Dear AMS Cougar Families,

I snapped this photo of the beautiful sky over the softball field one morning this week. The fact that the activity buses were all lined up in it was a bonus, as this is Love the Bus Week. This week is dedicated to honoring our bus drivers. We will be honoring our bus drivers with special treats every day this week at AMS. Please take a moment to thank your student's bus driver.

This Friday is Parent Teacher Conference Day. If you are interested in a conference with your student's teachers and have not heard from them yet, please go ahead and send an email to the team.

Please make sure to pay your student's meal charges. As a school our balance is nearly $5000. If you are interested in making donations to help pay down student meal charges, please reach out to Tandace Creasman our bookkeeper at Tandace.Creasman@acsgmail.net.

Afternoon Academy was off to a great start this week. This is an opportunity for students who need support with homework, classwork, or general concepts to get support from a certified staff member. This week, we will only have sessions on Wednesday and Thursday. There will be no Monday session this week. Students should report to the cafeteria at dismissal. Tutoring will end right before 5:00 and students will be escorted to the front loop for pickup at 5:00 PM. Please submit this form if your student will attend any of the days this week. The form will be updated each week, but the link will stay the same. Bus Transportation will begin to limited locations on Monday, February 20.

Sports Tryouts gear up this week. Only seventh and eighth grade students may play. Sixth grade students are permitted to manage. Students need to have physicals completed and turned in order to tryout. The days and times for tryouts with contact info for each coach is listed below this letter.

Students at AMS will begin writing for the annual national Do the Write Thing Challenge this week. The “Do the Write Thing” Challenge gives middle school students an opportunity to examine the impact of youth violence in their lives. Through classroom discussions and essays, students communicate what they think should be done to reduce youth violence and make a personal commitment to actively address violence in their school, home, and community. All students will have the opportunity to respond to the Do the Write Thing challenge or an alternate prompt in class, however, parents and students must give consent for students to be entered into the national competition. A letter that includes more details about the prompt, contest, student supports, and contest prizes is linked here.

Please mark your calendar for our first Community Night featuring Homework Diner of the semester. It will be on Tuesday, February 21 at 5:00 in the AMS cafeteria. All ACS students and families are welcome to attend. There will be a delicious catered meal for all. Do you have to need homework help to attend? No! We are working hard to build relationships as a school community and would love to see lots of families at each event. At 5:30, in the media center, the ACS School Board will be hosting a Superintendent Search Forum where they are hoping to hear what families want in a new superintendent.

Here's to another great week at Asheville Middle School!

Jo Landreth

Principal

Asheville Middle School

Contact Coach Tommy Gassaway with questions.

Tommy.Gassaway@acsgmail.net

Contact Coach Marshall Crutcher with questions.

John.Crutcher@acsgmail.net

Contact Coach Adrienne David with questions.

Adrienne.David@acsgmail.net

Contact Coach Martinia Akers with questions.

Martinia.Akers@acsgmail.net

Contact Coach Kathryn Meinert with questions.

Kathryn.Meinert@acsgmail.net

February 16th, will be a Free Sports Physical Day. Please stop by the Center to get your sports physical form and to schedule an appointment.

Blood pressure screenings will take place for the entire month. Come by if you would like to have your blood pressure checked!

An art contest will be held for entire month, as well. The topic is "What Health Means to You." The winner will be selected at the end of this month for a prize.

Remember, you must be registered to be seen at the Blue Ridge School-Based Health Center, also know as our Cougar Care Center. Students can stop by for registration forms or with any questions.

Field trip chaperones in 6th, 7th, and 8th grades

End of Grade Test proctoring

Please complete the volunteer training process (see below) so that you are ready when we need you! Then let your student's teachers know that you are ready and willing!

Grief counseling provided by Four Seasons is time-limited for the purpose of addressing grief that is related to the loss of a person by death. Professionally trained counseling staff utilize well-established, proven techniques. Students and their grief counselor will devise a plan to address their specific needs.

If you think this is a great fit for your student, please complete this form.

If you are interested in learning more, please let the AMS Counseling staff know!

ACS Volunteer Training Schedule for 2022-2023

All level II volunteer training will be held virtually for the 2022-2023 school year. There are 20 slots available for each session. The sessions last 30 minutes. Please register at the Sign-up Genius link below

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090F4BA5A92BABFB6-acsvolunteer1

You will need to attend the entire session in order to receive credit for the training. Once the training session starts, you will not be allowed into the Zoom session. Attendance will be taken at the end of each session.

Tuesday, February 21, at 12:00 PM (@Boardroom at 85 Mountain St.)

Tuesday, March 14, at 12:00 PM (@Boardroom at 85 Mountain St.)

Thursday, April 13, at 12:00 PM (@Boardroom at 85 Mountain St.)

Link to the Background Check form: https://bib.com/secure-volunteer/ASHEVILLE-CITY-SCHOOLS/home

Just a reminder from the AMS Family and Student Handbook:

Requests for educational leave should be completed and submitted to the principal at least two weeks in advance of the planned travel. No more than five days will be approved, and families must submit this form and students must submit the assigned work to have the absence coded as educational leave.

In order for an absence to be considered educational, the student must meet educational goals and standards as outlined in the Standard Course of Study. All standards are available here on the NC Department of Public Instruction website. These standards must be listed out on the form.

Educational Leave Form

School Health Program

A Division of the MAHEC Family Health Center

When to Keep Your Student Home from School

There are times when your student should not attend school. Keeping your student home at these times will prevent the spread of illness to other students at school. If you have questions, please contact your School Nurse, Lina Lam at 828-708-5328.

ILLNESS WHAT TO DO?

Difficulty breathing or other signs of serious illness - Keep student home. See Healthcare Provider.

**See COVID-19

Chickenpox

Keep student home until they have no new sores for 24 hours AND all sores are dried and crusted.

**During an outbreak of chickenpox, students who are NOT vaccinated for chickenpox (Varicella) and have been in close contact with someone sick with the infection will not be allowed at school for 21 days after they were last exposed to chickenpox, even if not sick.

COVID-19 (positive antigen or PCR/molecular test)

Keep student home until:

• It has been at least 5 days after the first day of symptoms (or specimen collection date if asymptomatic); AND

• It has been at least 24 hours since the student had a fever (without using fever reducing medicine); AND

• Other symptoms of COVID-19 are improving

**Student should wear a well-fitting mask for 10 days after the first day of symptoms to minimize the risk of infecting others, unless an exemption to mask use applies. The student may remove their mask sooner following 2 sequential negative tests 48 hours apart.

COVID-19 symptoms, including: • Fever or chills • Cough • Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing • Fatigue • Muscle or body aches • Headache • New loss of taste or smell • Sore throat • Congestion or runny nose • Nausea or vomiting • Diarrhea

Keep student home until:

• Student has received a negative PCR/molecular test for COVID 19 OR an alternate diagnosis from a healthcare provider AND: o It has been at least 24 hours since the student had a fever (without using fever reducing medicine); AND
• They have felt well for at least 24 hours

OR

• It has been at least 5 days after the first day of symptoms AND It has been at least 24 hours since the student had a fever (without using fever reducing medicine); AND Other symptoms of COVID-19 are improving

**Unless student has received a negative PCR/molecular test or alternate diagnosis, they should wear a well-fitting mask for 10 days after the first day of symptoms to minimize the risk of infecting others, unless an exemption to mask use applies. The student may remove their mask sooner following 2 sequential negative tests 48 hours apart.

Diarrhea that cannot be controlled and/or has blood/mucus in it or with a fever

Keep student home. See Healthcare Provider.

**See COVID-19

Fever with oral temperature 100.4 F or higher and not feeling well enough to participate in class. Keep student home until fever-free for 24 hours without using fever- reducing medicine such as Motrin or Tylenol

**See COVID-19

Head lice

If lice are first found at school, student may stay until end of the day but may not return until treatment has been started and all live lice are gone.

Illness that prevents the student from taking part in class activities easily - Student may return to school when able to take part in activities.

Impetigo

Keep student home until 24 hours after antibiotics have been started.

MRSA

Keep student home if sore is draining and cannot be covered with a clean, dry bandage. Keep student home if they cannot keep from picking at sore.

Pink eye with white or yellow discharge or eye pain - Keep student home until seen by a healthcare provider and 24 hours after 1st dose of medicine, if prescribed.

Rash with fever or behavior change - Keep student home until seen by a healthcare provider and treated if needed.

Ringworm

If ringworm is first found at school, student may stay until end of the day if it can be covered. Student may not return until treatment has been started. Area must remain covered until completely healed.

Scabies

Student must stay home until after treatment is complete.

Strep throat

Keep student home until 24 hours after antibiotics have been started.

Vomiting 2 or more times within 24 hours- Keep student home until able to tolerate regular diet.

**See COVID-19

February 13-17: Love the Bus Week

Monday, February 13: NC Check-In Reading (6th-8th)

Monday, February 13: Girls' Softball Tryouts (3:30-5:00)

Monday, February 13: Track and Field Tryouts (3:30-5:15)

Monday, February 13: Girls' Soccer Tryouts (4-5:30)

Monday, February 13: Baseball Tryouts (3:30-6:00)

Monday, February 13: ACS Board of Education Regular Session @ 85 Mountain Street (5 PM)

Tuesday, February 14: Golf Interest Meeting in Media Center (8:35 AM)

Tuesday, February 14: Track and Field Tryouts (3:30-5:15)

Tuesday, February 14: Girls' Soccer Tryouts (4-5:30)

Tuesday, February 14: BaseballlTryouts (3:30-6:00)

Wednesday, February 15: Middle of the Year Panorama Survey in Advisory

Wednesday, February 15: Track and Field Tryouts (3:30-5:15)

Wednesday, February 15: Baseball Tryouts (3:30-6:00)

Thursday, February 16: Track and Field Tryouts (3:30-5:15)

Friday, February 17: Parent Teacher Conference Day; No School for Students

February 20-24: Progress Reports Go Home

Monday, February 20: NC Check-In Science (8th only)

Monday, February 20: Track and Field Tryouts (3:30-5:15)

Tuesday, February 21: Track and Field Tryouts (3:30-5:15)

Tuesday, February 21: Baseball, Softball, & Girls' Soccer Scrimmages @ Flat Rock (4:30 PM)

Tuesday, February 21: Community Night Featuring HW Diner & Superintendent Search Forum (5 PM)

Wednesday, February 22: Two Hour Delay schedule

Wednesday, February 22: Track and Field Tryouts (3:30-5:15)

Thursday, February 23: Track and Field Tryouts (3:30-5:15)

Beyond two weeks, but worth looking ahead at:

Monday, February 27: NC Check-In Math (6th-8th)

Tuesday, March 7: Washington, DC Field Trip Parent Meeting (6 PM)

Wednesday, March 8: Two Hour Late Start

Monday, March 20: Required Workday

Friday, March 31: Early Release Day; End of Quarter 3 (No School for Students)

Saturday, April 1- Sunday, April 9: Spring Break (No School for Students)

Wednesday, April 19: Two Hour Late Start

Wednesday, May 3: Two Hour Late Start

May 26-June 9: End of Grade and End of Course Testing window

Monday, May 29: Memorial Day Holiday (No School for Staff or Students)