Hello Au Gres-Sims Families,
One resource that is great for future AGS graduates and their families, that everyone should bookmark right now is bayfoundation.org/students. This is a great resource for local scholarships, many of which receive very few applications each year simply because people are unaware it exists. The Bay Area Community Foundation benefits residents of Bay and Arenac counties through the giving of grants, awards, and scholarships geared at improving the lives of our local communities.
I highly encourage high school students and families to check out the site above as a go-to resource for opportunities for post-secondary education. The scholarship application season has begun, don't miss out on the opportunity to fund the future.
- October 31, 2021: Deadline for the regional Martin Luther King, Jr. Scholarship application
- November 1, 2021-February 7, 2022: BACF general scholarship application period. This is a general application that may be applied to individual scholarships through one application...some of these scholarships are available ONLY to AGS students!
There are a lot of places to look for information, but some of it can be found in your own backyard.
K-12 Principal's Update
The end to the regular season of fall sports is quickly coming to a close. The boys varsity football team wraps up their regular season this Friday at home vs. Posen and is expected to host a home playoff game next week. Stay tuned for details on what day/time this will take place. Our varsity girls volleyball team also starts postseason play with district action on November 3 in Mio, taking on the winner of the Midland Calvary Baptist/Fairview competition. This is the second game that evening and is slated to begin at 7:00 pm. Best of luck to our Wolverine student-athletes!
Although the Au Gres Chamber of Commerce had a fantastic Halloween in the Park this past weekend, there is another opportunity for a “Trunk or Treat” taking place Sunday, October 31, from 5:30-8:30 at the Arenac Community Center located at 583 E. Cedar St. in Standish. Come join the fun!
This past year and a half hasn’t been easy. COVID-19 changed the way we educate our youth, spend our time, work and learn. With all the upheaval, taking care of our mental wellbeing — especially our teens’ — has become more critical than ever before. That’s why we’re excited to bring you teen Mental Health First Aid (tMHFA) in person and online. tMHFA is an evidence-based training from the National Council for Mental Wellbeing in partnership with Born This Way Foundation. It teaches teens in grades 10-12, or ages 15-18, how to identify, understand, and respond to signs of a mental health or substance use challenge in their friends and peers. The training gives teens the skills to have supportive conversations with their friends and how to get help from a responsible and trusted adult.
From the Desk of Mrs. Socha
We are currently in a very important season here at Au Gres-Sims - it is Data Season! Data is something that teachers and administrators are always looking at, and data is constantly being collected through classroom work observations and other formative assessment methods. However, after our fall testing session, we begin some important work with data that helps set the stage for the weeks and months to come. First, we hold data meetings with teachers to review fall testing data and identify areas of need within classrooms. We also use this data to plan for interventions, both at the elementary and secondary buildings. This includes rosters for seminar classes at the secondary, and Title support at the elementary. We also hold IRIP meetings, where we discuss data for students who have been identified as needing an Individual Reading Improvement Plan (IRIP) as outlined in the Read by Grade 3 Law, and we set goals for those students based on the collected data. We also hold Child Study Meetings, to determine a plan of action for any student who is brought to the team with concerns in any area, either academic, behavioral, or social-emotional. This is an incredibly busy time, but crucially important, in order to give all of our students the supports they need to be successful.
There are many things that families can do at home that make a big impact on the achievement of students in the classroom. One of the main ways is to encourage reading at home! The graphic below shows the tremendous impact that reading just 20 minutes a day at home can make. This goes beyond elementary as well!!
Filling Out the FAFSA for Your Student
As the college application and financial season approaches, more families are concerned about how they will pay for their child’s education. Most parents do not realize that if they fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid or FAFSA it could help their child’s admission chances.
Some families may question whether they should take the time to fill out the FAFSA. Over the years when talking to different families, they have shared reasons why they did not submit the FAFSA. These reasons have ranged from the fear of a difficult and lengthy process to believing they are too wealthy to qualify for aid. I feel that submitting the FAFSA should be put on the list for every family regardless of their financial state.
When a family completes the FAFSA, the EFC or Expected Family Contribution is generated. This is an important number in the financial aid process and packaging. The colleges determine your financial need by subtracting the Cost of Attendance (COA) by your EFC. The completed FAFSA also turns on a few other switches that may make the financial outcome better.
Here at AGS we have enrolled in a program called Going Merry that helps students and parents complete the FAFSA in a simplified form. This program also connects students with scholarships that are available to them from around the nation.
As the counselor, I am here to help any way I can when it comes to helping your students apply for college, find the trade or vocational school that is right, or connecting them to a career right out of high school. Please reach out to me with any questions or concerns you may have.
(https://www.payfored.com/10-reasons-to-fill-out-the-fafsa/)
Athletics Update
Next Week's Game Schedule
- Tues 10/26 V Volleyball HOME vs. SASA and Hale, 6pm (Senior/Parent Night) PINK OUT
- Wed 10/27 MS Football HOME vs. Alcona, 7pm
- Thur 10/28 JV/Varsity Volleyball HOME vs. Atlanta and CHA, 6pm
- Sat. 10/30 V Volleyball League Tournament @ AGS, 9am
Varsity Football WILL have a playoff game which will be determined (opponent, location, time) based on the MHSAA selection committee. The game will be played either Friday, 10/29 at 7pm, Saturday, 10/30 at 1pm, or Saturday, 10/30 at 7pm. Details will be released as soon as they are known.
Important Dates
OCTOBER
- OCT. 29: End of 1st marking period
NOVEMBER
- NOV. 2: No school for students/Staff Professional Development
- NOV. 3: 8-9a "Cauffee & Sup"
- NOV. 9: 5:45p Board of Education Meeting (Budget Update, followed by regular meeting, moved from Nov. 15 (School Holiday)
- NOV. 10-11: Elementary Parent-Teacher Conferences
- NOV. 15: School Holiday - No Students or Staff
- NOV. 25-26: School Holiday - No Students or Staff
Help Wanted at AGS
https://www.ags-schools.org/employment-opportunities--95
Job Opportunities at AGS
- Full-time Special Education Teacher (1.0, but flexible to part time if desired by the candidate)
- (2) full-time Paraprofessionals
- Health Resource Advocate (grant-funded for the 21-22 school year)
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
