The APHS Look AHEAD- December 2022
Newsletter for APHS Students and Parents- v.39
The APHS Look AHEAD- December 2022
Dear APHS students and families,
I hope this newsletter finds you and your family doing well. It is with excitement and enthusiasm that we enter the month of December at Averill Park High School.
The mad rush between now and the upcoming holiday break can be very busy, and certainly stressful. While there are a lot of celebrations, it can be easy to lose track of our priorities and responsibilities, and ultimately feel overwhelmed along the way. Please be sure, while enjoying yourself, to keep an eye on classwork and academic progress during this month. The last thing anyone wants is to celebrate the New Year having fallen behind!
As we head into this month, we are looking forward to our annual Holiday concert, as well as our first Holly Ball Dance in over three years! We are also taking the beginning steps in the production of our first HS Musical in a long time, "Little Shop of Horrors". Being able to bring these events back has made a huge difference in our school community, and I look forward to seeing many of our students, and their families, as we celebrate some of these special times together.
Believe it or not, when we return in January, we will almost immediately begin the development of the 23-24 student schedule. This starts with the release of our 23-24 Averill Park High School Course Catalog during the first week after break. Please keep eye out for this important document, along with more information about the course selection process, which will begin at the end of January.
Finally, please remember that December, no matter how we celebrate, is a wonderful time to do good, both for ourselves, and for others. During this "Do Good December", here is a link to some daily activities you can do to brighten the day of another, while at the same time lifting your own spirits: https://actionforhappiness.org/do-good-december
As always, I wish you all the best as we enter the holiday season, and a new year. If there is anything that you need, please never hesitate to reach out to me directly.
Be well,
Serving every student every day,
Heath C. Quiles
Principal, Averill Park High School
The APHS Building Leadership Team
-Mr. Heath Quiles, High School Principal (quilesh@apcsd.org)
-Mrs. Christina Mein, Assistant Principal, Grades 10 and 12 (meinc@apcsd.org)
-Mrs. Rebecca Leach, Assistant Principal, Grades 9 and 11 (leachr@apcsd.org)
#AP_EveryStudentEveryDay
"Creating passionate learners who contribute positively to their community and the world."
JANUARY REGENTS WEEK SCHEDULE
Here is a link to the Exam Schedule:
https://averillpark.k12.ny.us/news-archive-2022-2023/5874-aphs-january-2023-regents-exam-schedule
Specifically,
Monday, January 23rd: There will be normal instruction for all students at Averill Park High School.
Tuesday, January 24th: Only those students taking the ELA exam (8:00am) or the Living Environment exam (12:00pm) report to the high school. No regular instruction for other students will occur.
Wednesday, January 25th: Regular instruction will occur for all students, except those taking the Geometry exam (8:00am) or the Algebra 1 (12:00pm) or Physics exam (12:00pm).
Thursday, January 26th: Regular instruction will occur for all students, except those taking the Global History & Geography II exam (8:00am) or the Algebra 2 exam (12:00pm).
Friday, January 27th: Only those students taking the Earth Science exam (8:00am) or Chemistry exam (8:00am) report to the high school. No instruction for other students will occur. This is a Superintendent's Conference Day for Faculty and Staff.
Warrior Wednesday- December Focuses on RELATIONSHIP SKILLS
WARRIOR WEDNESDAY THEME: RELATIONSHIP SKILLS
This competency focuses on developing skills to establish and maintain healthy and supportive relationships and to effectively navigate settings with diverse individuals and groups. Knowing what qualities we value in friendships and what healthy relationships look like can help us to share with others what we appreciate about them.
Additional information about how Averill Park will be addressing this theme and how you can support your child at home can be found here.
The Chronicle- The APHS Newspaper Goes Electronic!
APHS is debuting the first issue of the Chronicle for 2022-23! We are excited to see that the paper has now gone electronic!
Here is a link:
https://sites.google.com/apcsd.org/aphschronicle/?pli=1#h.74ckrfqhlkyh
APHS Food Drive
Beginning in December, APHS Student Government in conjunction with several clubs (Key Club, YAG (Youth and Government), and SADD (Students against Destructive Decisions) will be running a food drive to benefit the AP backpack program and the regional food bank. Look for our flyers and boxes in the hallways. See what you can give!
Holly Ball - December 10th
Holly Ball is set for December 10th from 7 to 10pm in the high school gym. Tickets are $10 on sale Monday - Thursday 12/5-12/8. Tickets will not be sold on Friday or at the door. If a student is bringing a guest from outside of Averill Park High School, they must have a guest form signed by both the guests and our administrators prior to buying their tickets. All students who plan to attend must be eligible to do so, both academically and behaviorally.
Pancake breakfast fundraiser - December 3rd
Pancake Breakfast will be held December 3rd, 8am - 10am at the Applebees in North Greenbush.
Tickets are $10 and can be purchased from any member of Unique Opportunities or Ms. Freeman. Email Ms. Freeman at freemann@apcsd.org to arrange to reserve your tickets.
Tickets sold will support students attending our first Unique Opportunity -a trip to see the Jets vs. Jaguars game.
This new club provides students the chance to plan a trip outside of the school day for their peers. The goal is to create healthy social connections, and provide opportunities for all students regardless of financial situation.
Senior Class selling Candy Grams
The senior class will be selling Candy Grams during lunches Monday 12/19 - Wednesday 12/21. Candy Grams will be handed out before the holiday break. Candy Grams cost $1 each or 5 for $3 and all profits go towards reducing the cost of Senior Dinner Dance tickets. So, send a note to make someone smile before the holidays while supporting the class of 2023.
APHS Quarter 1 Honor Roll and Top 5 Students
https://averillpark.k12.ny.us/news-archive-2022-2023/5862-aphs-1st-quarter-honor-rolls
SADD STUDENTS PRESENT AT ESCAPE THE VAPE EVENT
Averill Park CSD SADD students participated in the “Escape the Vape” event held at the SHAC Community Center recently. The event centered around health risks related to vaping.
Two presentations were given on the dangers of vaping, with one coming from the Student Assistance Program (Alyssa Evans and Kim Favro) and the other from the Rensselaer County Health Department. Information was presented at tables from Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), the NOpiates Committee, Sky High Adventure Community Center, Averill Park SADD, and East Greenbush SADD.
Among the 40 people in attendance, AP SADD students included Caoimhghin Williams, Gianna Zatorsky, Ruby Mainville-Geerholt and Nick Williams.
Lip Sync Raises More Than $1,000
More than 70 level 4 and 5 Spanish and French students participated in the World Languages Department’s 13th annual Lip Sync contest which raised more than $1,000 for its Extracurricular Fund.
Spanish 4 Block 1 took Honorable Mention for their rendition of “Livin la Vida Loca” while French 4 was given the award for Best Costumes as they danced to “Ça plane pour moi.” Spanish 5 won Best Lip Syncing for their performance of “Cásate Conmigo” and the Best Choreography Prize was awarded to French 5 for their dance arrangement of the song “Barman.” The Best Overall Performance prize was given to Spanish 4 Block 5 for their version of “On the floor (Ven a Bailar)”.
APHS World Language, and guest ELA teachers, entertained the multigenerational crowd of more than 250 people with their interpretation of the Greek pop song Adiaforos. AMS World Language teachers judged the event while a dedicated crew of APHS students ran the light/sound board and managed the stage. Mr. Engel provided a livestream of the performance which can now be viewed here.
Ms. Christy, administrative intern, supervised the event.
Peer Tutoring coming soon to APHS
Peer Tutoring is Coming Soon to APHS!
National Honor Society members are hard at work to coordinate a peer tutoring program after school at the high school. Peer tutors will be available on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2:15-3:15 in the library for drop in tutoring. Tutors can help with homework assignments, quiz corrections, studying and reviewing notes. Students are responsible to bring materials to the session.
NHS is also in the process of setting up one-on-one peer tutoring for specific students in specific subjects. As each piece becomes operational an email will be sent to high school students and parents with the start dates and procedures.
After School and Late Bus information
The late buses are now running!
Please remember that ALL students staying after school must sign up each day. To do so, you can click on the 'After School Sign Up' button on your Launch Pad or click on the yellow 'After School Sign Up' button that is located on the APHS webpage.
After school expectations:
- Students who are staying after school are expected to either be with a teacher or other staff member/advisor, or be signed up to stay in the library.
- After students are done working with a teacher or attending a club meeting, students are to report to the supervised location as follows:
- On TUESDAYS and THURSDAYS students will wait in the cafeteria until their ride and late bus arrive at 4:15 pm. We have supervision in the cafeteria until that time.
- On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays students will go to the library after working with teachers or attending clubs to wait until their ride gets here. Students should be picked up by 3:15 pm on M/W/F. We have supervision in the library until 3:15 pm on those days.
News from the Counseling Center
FROM THE COUNSELING CENTER:
College Application Deadlines
Please review your college applications carefully for specific deadline dates. If college recommendations are necessary, please forward a request to your counselor two (2) weeks prior to the deadline date. If the deadline is January 1st please forward the request to your counselor no later than December 9th due to holiday recess.
College Planning:
The Counseling Center receives information regarding financial aid, invitations to events on campuses, scholarships, etc. This information can be found in the Counseling Center or on Naviance. Naviance is a College and Career software program available that the students have been introduced to and encouraged to use.
College Entrance Exams:
Please check the College Board website for any updates and cancellations concerning upcoming exams.
COLLEGE ENTRANCE TESTS:
ACT TEST DATES - REGISTRATION DEADLINES:
December 10, 2022 - -Registration Deadline: November 4, 2022
February 11, 2023 - - Registration Deadline: January 6, 2023
April 15, 2023 - - Registration Deadline: March 10, 2023
June 10, 2023 - - Registration Deadline: May 5, 2023
ACT ASSESSMENT and ACT ASSESSMENT PLUS WRITING:
(Choose either of two test options — the ACT Assessment or the ACT Assessment Plus Writing, which includes a 30-minute Writing Test. Not all colleges and universities require a Writing Test. Check with the colleges you are considering — or go to www.actstudent.org for a list of institutions that require or recommend the Writing Test.)
SAT I & II
TEST DATES - - REGISTRATION DEADLINE
December 3, 2022 - - Registration Deadline: November 4, 2022
March 11, 2023 - - Registration Deadline: February 11, 2023
May 6, 2023 - - Registration Deadline: April 7, 2023
June 3, 2023 - - Registration Deadline: May 5, 2023
Students with disabilities who wish to apply for accommodations on college placement testing should pick up an information sheet in the counseling center or refer to the website for the test they wish to take. Decisions regarding accommodations for College Board and ACT testing rest with the testing company.
Working Papers:
If you need your working papers, please print out the application at https://averillpark.k12.ny.us/working- papers or stop by the Counseling Center. Once all forms are completed and the physical form, AT-16, is signed by a medical professional, you will need to bring all originals, and a form of ID (ie. Birth certificate, NYS ID) to the Counseling Center for processing.
News from the Health Office
Grade-level physicals:
State law requires your child to have a physical examination because he or she either entered school within our District for the first time this year or they are in kindergarten, 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th, or 11th grade. 8 NYCRR 136.3(b)(1). A physical exam is mandatory because the District must: (1) appropriately assess the student's current health status; (2) determine the student is free from contagious diseases and fit to participate in all aspects of school programming; (3) identify any need for the District to modify its programming in consideration of your child's health needs; and (4) secure any necessary health care supports within the school environment. Please send this paperwork either by email to millerv@apcsd.org or have it faxed to 518-674-7052. Communicate with Mrs. Miller that you are having papers faxed so that she can confirm when they are received.
Tylenol and Ibuprofen permission slips:
In order for your child to receive any Tylenol or Ibuprofen, written permission needs to be turned in EVERY year. If you have not done so please fill out the attached form
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1v-M20kCWIhLHqrrpiKuWO-24DTOdcsGNZknE5LGF0MY/edit
and send it back into the nurse's office. Verbal permission is no longer accepted for permission.
Seasonal Influenza (Flu) Information
Influenza, or the 'flu', is a severe respiratory illness that is easily spread and can lead to severe complications, even death. To protect your child from getting the flu, the NYS Department of Health says:
- Get the seasonal flu vaccine for yourself.
- Encourage your child's close contacts to get a seasonal flu vaccine, too. This is very important if your child is younger than 5 or if he or she has a chronic health problem such as asthma (breathing disease) or diabetes (high blood sugar levels). Children under 6 months can't be vaccinated and so need to rely on those around them being vaccinated.
- Wash your hands often and cover your coughs and sneezes. It's best to use a tissue and quickly throw it away. If you don't have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your upper sleeve, not your hands. This will prevent the spread of germs.
- Tell your children to:
- Stay away from people who are sick;
- Clean their hands often;
- Keep their hands away from their face, and
- Cover coughs and sneezes to protect others.
IMPORTANT LINKS TO CALENDARS AND SCHEDULES FOR 2022-2023
The APCSD District Calendar for 22-23:
https://www.averillpark.k12.ny.us/images/2022-2023_District_Calendar.pdf
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hYmkNpCz8VeXZLC7xfrcwugS1jyDgo3h/view?usp=sharing
This is a fixed schedule, and will not change based on snow days.
Our Daily Bell Schedule for 22-23:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1lcPp84ngqBMdb_zIdS__uFIYRBn0XRQbKettmfZ2tgk/edit?usp=sharing
Please note that this includes schedules for one- and two-hour delays, as well as half days.
Marking Periods/Grade Reporting at the HS for the 22-23 School Year:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1xgsWJUMocNNgA3PROdA-ZRPPWw9Yl_2BX8Cl-t9F25s/edit?usp=sharing
The HS Lunch Schedule for 22-23 will be sent to all students and families as we get closer to opening!
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1MYU8Pt28QuFZm7FejZklyNaLr7q_842Y/view?usp=sharing
Attendance, On-Time Arrivals, and Reporting Absences
Regular attendance in school is a precursor to academic success, and being on time, and present in instruction, is a life skill that reflects a high level of responsibility, organization, and college/workplace readiness.
Anytime that your child is absent from school, it is important that you report this absence to the HS Attendance Office, on the same day, at 518-674-7024. Conversely, you may report absences via our dedicated attendance email address:
Each morning, the school day begins promptly at 7:30 am. Students should plan to be in their first block classroom, and ready to learn, at that time.
Students who arrive to school after 7:30 am will be considered tardy to school, and will need to receive a pass from the Attendance Office prior to reporting to their first block class.
Students who arrive to school late without a written excuse from a parent/guardian in hand will be assigned a detention during their Advisory period for the same day.
Updated Eligibility Guidelines for the 2022-2023 School Year
At Averill Park High School, student participation in extracurricular activities is a privilege. Students earn these privileges through maintaining good standing in their attendance, behavior, and academic performance.
Ineligibility is defined as restriction from participation in extracurricular activities and events for a 5-week period. The following criteria are used to determine that a student is ineligible:
Attendance:
Students who have acquired 5 or more unexcused absences to school within any five week marking period are not eligible to participate in extracurricular activities for the following five weeks.
Behavior:
Students who have been involved in any disciplinary infraction which results in an ESD, ISS, Out-of-School Suspension, or who have 3 or more referrals within a five week marking period, are not eligible to participate in extracurricular activities for the following five weeks.
Achievement:
Students who are failing 2 or more classes during any five week marking period are not eligible to participate in extracurricular activities for the following five weeks.
All students who are ineligible, except those who have received an Out-of-School Suspension, will be offered the opportunity to earn back eligibility through a variety of means, including but not limited to:
Students who have acquired 5 or more unexcused absences from school in a five week marking period will be referred to a restorative attendance circle. If a student actively participates in, and regularly attends, scheduled circle meetings, the student may earn back eligibility.
Students who are ineligible as a result of discipline referral(s) may request to work with their assigned Assistant Principal to develop a community service plan. At the completion of the plan, the student may earn back eligibility. Students who have received an Out-of School Suspension will not be offered this opportunity.
Students who are ineligible as a result of failing 2 or more classes may work with their teachers/counselor to develop and implement an Academic Recovery Plan. Upon successful completion of the plan, the student will provide their assigned Assistant Principal with documentation from their teacher(s) that he/she is passing their class prior to the date of the scheduled event. At that time, the student may earn back eligibility.
APHS Building-Wide Norms 22-23
With our day-to-day school life finally returning to a more normal routine, we will be working this year to rebuild the common, building-wide expectations for how we conduct ourselves, and treat others, while engaging as a member of the APHS school community.
We have developed guiding norms for all students at APHS. Please take a few minutes to take a look, as these are the basis of our collective expectations for students at the high school. We will go back to these often throughout the upcoming year:
Hallway Norms:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1y-pKKvtfvH0LZz5-viMNei2rTV-vfQ05/view?usp=sharing
Bathroom Norms:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1muMNet_0jPMtQWn-VHHp11w7wiRywa2N/view?usp=sharing
Classroom Norms:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1y-pNRXBs0nqzR-quwCs_u9gLNPYg2lzH/view?usp=sharing
Cafeteria/Lunch Norms:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1s7neyDaiuhpe-FErk7zQj-8loPrT45Gp/view?usp=sharing
Courtyard Norms:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1M-MB1yOn8bl_7C-XU9XpTn34orYb1ugV/view?usp=sharing
Norms for Digital Citizenship:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dqB2t1_FrQA3Wp7iDN2DYyLBR79GGZ5T/view?usp=sharing
Diversity and Equity Norms:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Qp8awk2_bsHZOQLWdAr0c44NjSSc_hkr/view?usp=sharing
Alcohol and Drug Free Norms:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1blKPY643qw4zIptZUKmU2ttYH5Yo42IG/view?usp=sharing
Senior Courtyard/Atrium Norms:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1PzOa7LOqIiVQKk2zEK5HEokP0kPbLZAf/view?usp=sharing
Upcoming Events/Important Dates
December 2022:
7 - Winter Concert, 6:30pm
10- Holly Ball, 7pm
16 - Quarter 2 Progress Grades posted on Schooltool
23-30 - Holiday Recess - No School
January 2023
2 - Holiday Recess - No School
3 - Classes resume
Averill Park High School
Email: quilesh@apcsd.org
Website: https://www.averillpark.k12.ny.us/
Location: 146 Gettle Road, Averill Park, NY, USA
Phone: 518-674-7000
Twitter: @APHS_Leaders