High School News
What's happening in the Agora High School Department
Positive Student Outreach
Attendance Rewards
This fall, Agora launched an attendance rewards incentive program for our students at all grade levels. Our Attendance Rewards program is intended to increase student attendance using monthly raffles and a year-end grand prize. Each month, eligible students will be entered into a monthly drawing. The following month, three winners will be drawn based on their attendance rate for the previous month. One student is randomly selected per school (elementary, middle and high school).
To be eligible for the Attendance Rewards drawings, students must be enrolled at Agora for the entire month and must maintain 95% or better attendance for the month. Students who have consecutive months of 95% or better attendance will receive an additional entry for the monthly drawing. Students are not eligible if they have any unexcused absences during the month. Students with 10% or better improvement in their monthly attendance will receive a certificate of achievement.
Earlier this month, the names of our first Attendance Rewards winners were randomly drawn, and Kayla K. was our very first high school winner! She is pictured below with her family coach, Mr. Michael Chapman, who delivered Kayla's prize with great fanfare!
MTSS Update
Earlier this month, all high school students were asked to complete a short survey to assess their needs from the perspective of the students themselves. The results of this survey will help our high school staff and administration as we continue to develop our MTSS framework. Pennsylvania’s Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) is a standards-aligned, comprehensive school improvement framework for enhancing academic, behavioral and social-emotional outcomes for all students. Agora's vision is to implement academic and behavioral strategies to support all of our students in reaching their highest potential.
As part of our MTSS development, high school students will be meeting with their advisory teachers on a monthly or weekly basis, depending on each student's individual needs. These meetings are designed to support students in reaching their highest level of success here at Agora, so it is important for students to respond when they are called or invited to an online meeting by their advisory teachers. Parents and learning coaches can support these efforts by making sure students are responding to contact attempts by Agora staff and attending their advisory meetings.
Meet the Staff
College & Career Readiness Coordinator
We are excited to introduce to you Agora's new College & Career Readiness Coordinator, Mrs. Kristin Thatcher! Kristin has a background in serving clients with network systems and software solutions. She has been employed by Agora for the past eight years as a para professional and family coach. Kristin enjoys working at Agora, and she said that serving in this new position is the perfect next step to enable her to work alongside the Agora community in a broader capacity.
As College & Career Readiness Coordinator, Kristin will work with all grade levels to enhance Agora's career readiness education. She will serve Agora students and families with college and career experiences such as tours, job shadowing, community service, and guest speakers.
Kristin finds it intriguing to research the many career options available today--an activity that will be essential as College & Career Readiness Coordinator. She also looks forward to the new challenges this position will bring, and she is thrilled at the prospect of continuing to work with Agora staff and families by organizing and sharing experiences with them. Kristin's advice for Agora students at all grade levels is to always find the positive in every experience and grow from it!
Kristin lives in the Harrison City area with her husband of 19 years, their four children, and a Golden Doodle named Sampson. She officially assumes her duties as College & Career Readiness Coordinator on December 10.
Collaborative art project in the works--students needed!
Agora Cyber Charter School
c/o Mrs. Nichole Simpson
590 North Gulph Road
King of Prussia, PA 19406
To download and print the feather template, click here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1uUdDNoYFvDgC3mT4FCMgJo_yI__IftXv/view
Get creative and add your own unique design to your feather(s)!
Cut out your finished feather(s) and place in an envelope that is long enough. You must provide your own stamp and send to the address listed above.
Parents and learning coaches, please encourage your high school students to participate in this collaborative artwork, which we intend to proudly display at school events and in the main school office for all to see!
Your one feather will build the wings to encourage others to fly!
Come travel with Agora!
Grand Canyon
We are getting so excited about our trip to the Grand Canyon in May! The five-day trip will take us to Las Vegas, Zion National Park, and of course the iconic Grand Canyon. Though the original registration deadline has passed, we have a few more spots open, and we would love for YOU to join us on this awesome adventure! This trip is open to high school students and their family and friends.
To learn more details, please visit our website here: https://trips.grandclassroom.com/Trip/Index/AgoraCyberCharterGCTrip2018
You can find the registration button on the webpage.
If you are unable to go with us but would like to support our student travelers, feel free to shop our fundraiser at MixedBagDesigns. MixedBag has a lot of nice gifts, and with the holidays coming, what a great way to purchase a gift and help Agora students at the same time! Our student travelers get 40% of the sale price, and your purchases are shipped directly to you, usually within two weeks of placing your order. Please visit our fundraising site here: http://www.mixedbagdesigns.com/agora-cyber-charter-school
When you check out, please write Agora or Ericka Nicol into the “student supported” blanks. It should indicate in the top right corner that you are supporting Agora Cyber Charter School.
Lastly, we are offering opportunities for businesses to purchase tax-free advertising space on the back of our travel t-shirts. If you or someone you know might be interested in this, please email me at enicol@agora.org for more details.
If you have any questions about the trip or fundraisers, please call or email Erika Nicol, the Grand Canyon trip coordinator, using the information below.
610.230.2978
Denmark, Sweden, and Norway will be your destinations on this trip sponsored by Agora's International Travel Club! Your tour of Scandinavia begins in Oslo, home of Viking kings and canyon-cut fjords. Next, it’s Copenhagen, Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale city. Here you’ll climb the 17th-century Round Tower, Europe’s oldest functioning observatory. In Stockholm, see the Royal Palace and the city’s oldest church, dating from 1306...and much more!
This tour is open to Agora high school students and their family and friends. Everything is included in the price except lunches and gratuity. Departing flights will be out of Pittsburgh or Philadelphia. EF Tours is handling the arrangements.
If interested, please contact trip coordinator Trisa Lesczynski at tlesczynski@agoracyber.net
Agora High School Clubs
Pennsylvania Bullying Prevention Toolkit
The Center for Safe Schools and the Highmark Foundation have announced the launch of the Pennsylvania Bullying Prevention Toolkit. The toolkit provides centralized, easy-to-use information, tools, and best practices to help families, schools and communities recognize, understand, and prevent bullying. For more information on bullying prevention, please visit the new website at https://bptoolkit.safeschools.info/
Agora's Parent-Teacher Organization is experiencing exciting growth as a critical part of the Agora community! The APTO was formed for the purpose of supporting the education of students at Agora Cyber Charter School by fostering relationships among the school, parents, Learning Coaches and teachers, as well as Agora staff members. We are celebrating the addition of the APTO's executive council, all of whom are Agora parents--Tabitha Houck, Mary Davenport, and Bruce Sarte. The APTO has great things planned for its meeting schedule this year, but to reach its goals and potential in supporting our students, more parents are needed!
- PTO’s are a great opportunity to meet other Agora parents
- Parent involvement is critical to student success
- You can be the first to hear about important school news and upcoming events
- You can learn how to volunteer your time to positively impact the learning experience of ALL students at Agora
- PTO’s bring together the home and the school so that parents and teachers can collaborate in the education of our children
You can find out more information about the APTO on the Agora website: https://agora.org/community/pto/
Join Agora students, pareents, teachers, and the community for these special celebrations across the state! The events will feature family-friendly fun and exciting giveaways! All events are listed on the Agora website...go to Community > Events and Outings > National School Choice!
Upcoming Dates to Note
December 2018
December 3: Agora Board Meeting, 5:30 PM
December 20: Student Asynchronous Day / Staff Professional Development
December 21: AM 1/2 Day Student Asynchronous Day / AM Staff Professional
Development, PM School / Office Closed
December 24 - 31: Winter Break, School / Office Closed
January 2019
January 1 - 2: Winter Break, School / Office Closed
January 7: Agora Board Meeting, 5:30 PM
January 19 - Feb. 2: National School Choice Week events - see Agora website > Community
January 21: Martin Luther King Jr. Day, School / Office Closed
January 25: Quarter 2 Ends
January 28: Student Asynchronous Day / Staff Professional Development
Do you know any students who are interested in enrolling at Agora?
Please refer them to Ilene King.
610-952-2634
High School Administration
Jeff Miller, Principal
Frank Nagy, Assistant Principal--Grade 9 and Math Dept.
Erin Hilson, Assistant Principal--Grade 10 and Science Dept.
Holly Allen, Assistant Principal--Grade 11 and English Dept.
Heather McCormick, Assistant Principal--Grade 12 and Social Studies
Regan Shebeck, Assistant Principal--Operations and Electives Dept.
Erinn Slacktish, HS Director of Special Education
Serena Loccisano, HS Assistant Director of Special Education
Danielle Schall, HS Assistant Director of Special Education
Colleen Freyvogel, HS Assistant Director of Special Education