The Au Gres-Sims School District

www.ags-schools.org

Au Gres-Sims Families and Community,

In the speedy world of today, everyone wants it now. Whether that be deliveries from Amazon, news from around the world, or entertainment. Now, NOW, NOW. Learning is another one of those things that everyone seems to want right now, but the reality of learning, the process of it, is much different.

Everyone reading this presumably spent time in school and knows deep down that learning does not happen with the snap of the fingers or the waving of a wand. Learning takes time, as do any processes that are worth doing. In fact, "learning" that happens too quickly is seldom the deep, beneficial, impactful, and lasting learning that can be used for new applications later in life. For example, have you ever browsed through the news on your phone, maybe reading an article or two (well, not really reading, more like light browsing) and then found that five minutes later you are barely able to recall anything that you've read? Now think about something that you spent a lot of time learning about in school, something you put a lot of effort into, something that wasn't easy, but you pushed through anyway. Maybe it was memorizing the symbols of the periodic table or perhaps it was the preamble of the Constitution. Chances are good that you still retain some, if not, most of that information.

When schools shut down in March of 2020, the whole world was shook by the disruption. Learning became a lower priority in many students' lives. As we've been able to return to a more regular routine, learning has resumed, but it has brought with it a number of new challenges, hurdles that didn't exist before the pandemic. We now have students who previously were very close to one another in their learning continuums much more spaced out, calling for different systems and strategies to meet those widely distributed needs. As a district we are working to address those needs in a variety of ways. In her post below Ms. Socha speaks to one tool, ExactPath, that is aligned to each individual students' learning path and needs. The return of drop-in tutoring at the secondary level (see below) is another strategy that will be employed. My encouragement to everyone reading this is to work with your child and their teacher(s) to take advantage of the tools and strategies at our disposal so that all students continue to make progress on the deep meaningful learning that school provides.

zoom_out_map

K-12 Principal's Update

Every year, suicide takes the lives of more than 44,000 Americans. That's why September has been designated as National Suicide Prevention Month. A new source of help for everyone is the use of “988”, which is a suicide and crisis hotline. With that said, we also have a 31n Mental Health Counselor available on campus on Monday and Thursday. Our new counselor is Victoria Naert. As we do weekly “wellness checks” of students we sometimes get feedback from students seeking a counselor to speak with. If you do not wish your child to speak with Victoria, please call the office to request a “refusal of services” form.

Well, we’ve just finished week 3 of school, and our increased regulation of cell phone use in the classrooms seems to be successful so far. General responses from secondary staff indicate more direct engagement from students and improved overall behavior, although students are now seeking to use their chromebooks more often for non-academic purposes. To date, we have only had a few cell phone infractions.

Homecoming “week” is finally upon us. Below are a couple of summaries of the week’s events:

Sunday- Powder Puff football game at 2:00. Free to all.
Wednesday- (High School only) Scavenger Hunt at 6:00 followed by a bonfire.
Friday- Parade at 4:30 starting at Bopp-Busch, followed by a carnival at the school until 6:30. The football game starts at 7.
Saturday- Homecoming Classic Golf Scramble at 10 at Knollview. Dance from 8-11

Below is the schedule for the week for special secondary dress up activities:

Monday- Jersey Day- Wear your favorite sports jersey (HS, College, or Pro)
Tuesday- Country vs. Country Club- Are you a country bumpkin or a fashionable VIP?
Wednesday- Superhero Day- Dress as your favorite Superhero
Thursday- Hawaiian Day- Get out those Hawaiian shirts and shorts for one more day of summer!
Friday- Maroon and Gold Day

Our “School Store” is up and running at the elementary level. In just one week, we have had an astonishing 92 donors of gift money to the classroom for a running total of $3,880! This is amazing!!! In addition, from general daily purchases, there has been an additional $486 which will go directly back to elementary classrooms. The intent is to provide the same opportunity to our secondary families shortly.

And one last, but important, note. The end of the school day is always a busy one. Please call prior to 2:30 for transportation changes. This helps reduce the likelihood that things don’t get missed as we are scurrying at the last minute. We want to make sure our most precious commodities make it home safely! Thanks!

zoom_out_map

From the Desk of Ms. Socha

We have wrapped up our first week of NWEA testing! Most of our K-1 students will now be completed with their testing, as they only have reading and math assessments to complete. The 2nd-11th grade will continue testing next week. Make-up testing will take place during the last week of September, including our Middle School students taking their math assessment.

Last year, we introduced a new intervention tool, that used in conjunction with NWEA will help meet the individual needs of each student. The tool, called ExactPath, syncs with each students’ NWEA score and creates a personalized pathway of skills that are needed to fill in any gaps in a student’s learning. Regardless of the reason for the gaps, ExactPath will provide the students with lessons and activities to help them master their missing skills. The fun part is that we can issue challenges to students as well, which can be used for classroom or House competitions! Just a small amount of time in the platform each week will make a huge impact over the course of the school year. It will be important for students to take the test seriously so that their path truly reflects the needs that they have, and also provides them the opportunity to challenge themselves beyond, as it moves through students through standards both above and below grade level. Therefore, students who perform well on NWEA will be able to work on skills that will continue to move them forward!

As the process of identifying needs moves forward through testing, we will also be preparing the necessary steps required by the Read by Grade 3 law. In the coming weeks, we will be sending out more information about parent informational meetings for both the Read by Grade 3 law as well as Title I support. These meetings are designed to let parents know of the supports that the district has put in place to support our youngest learners who have academic needs. Watch for information to come out in the next week or two!

Breakfast and Lunch Menu for the September 19-23

zoom_out_map

Athletics Update

Next Week's Schedule of Events:

Mon. 9/19

6p MS Volleyball HOME vs. Oscoda/Fairview

Tues. 9/20

6p V Volleyball HOME vs. SASA/CHA

Wed. 9/21

6:15p MS Football AWAY @ Charlton Heston Academy

Thur. 9/22

6p MS Volleyball AWAY @ W-P
6:30p JV Football HOME vs. Mio

Fri. 9/23

7p V Football HOME vs. Hillman

zoom_out_map

Middle and High School Drop-in Tutoring

In an effort to provide the academic support that our students need, the middle and high school will have drop-in after school tutoring starting next week. The tutoring will run after school until 4:30 on Mondays and Thursdays in the Cyber Cafe. Students are invited to drop in to work on their homework and/or get help from a teacher on a particular topic.

Dates for Tutoring the next few months:

Mon. 9/19
Thu. 9/22
Mon. 9/26
Thu. 9/29
Mon. 10/3
Thu. 10/6
Mon. 10/10
Thu. 10/13
Mon. 10/17
Mon. 10/24
Thu. 10/27

Tutoring for our elementary students will look a little different (based on the age of the students) and will begin after the first parent-teacher conferences of the year. We will update you on the details as we get closer to that date.

zoom_out_map

Important Dates

Important dates for September for the Au Gres-Sims School District.

SEPTEMBER

19th: Board of Education regular meeting 6pm in the Elementary Library
21st: Early Release at 1pm
23rd: Homecoming Football Game
24th: Homecoming Dance

zoom_out_map

Help Wanted at AGS

We are looking to add several community-minded members to our amazing team. If you or anyone you know might be interested in joining the Au Gres-Sims staff, please check out the employment opportunities section of our website.

https://www.ags-schools.org/employment-opportunities--95

Job Opportunities at AGS

COOK / KITCHEN STAFF

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.

If you are interested in substitute teaching and need assistance with the paperwork process, a WillSub representative will be in Arenac County twice per month for onsite consultation.