I have no doubt saying that the past two years have been difficult as the world has grappled with a pandemic. Along with the havoc the virus has caused in people there have been secondary effects that have been just as severe. Society has grown bitter and jaded, and the whole world just feels stressed. Though many of the impacts that I have alluded to have centered around adults, children are not immune to these stresses. Now, more than any other time in my career, school-aged children are showing the stress of society, they are wearing it as clearly as the shirt on their backs. In the developing brains of our students the stress that is palpable in our society manifests in different ways. We have seen an increase in extreme behavior, school threats, apathy, and wild swings in emotions. It cannot be said enough that this is not anybody's fault, but rather, a byproduct of the situation that we are all living through.

With the rise in stress and its manifestations in school and society there has been an increased awareness of an old, somewhat taboo, term, mental health. Mental health basically amounts to a person's psychological and emotional well-being. For far too long there has been a stigma associated with mental health, something that has unfortunately led to fixable issues not being addressed out of fear of what it would mean to talk to a counselor or trained specialist. A silver lining to this pandemic is that the stigma surrounding mental health is dissipating, meaning that people are now becoming more receptive to the idea that their mental wellbeing is as important (if not more) as their physical health AND they are being intentional in doing something about it.

At AGS we are blessed to have Ms. Brooke Cunningham in our building two days a week as a mental health counselor for our K-12 students. Educated and certified in social work, Ms. Cunningham is a valuable member of our student support team and provides a listening ear, skill, and expertise in the area of mental health. She helps our students with everything from coping mechanisms, to anger management, to relationship disputes, to prevention of self-harm. She is a resource that provides an incredible service to our students. The support that she provides cannot be understated as she is busy with students from the minute she arrives until the minute she leaves on the days that she is in our building. Below is the self-described role of Ms. Cunningham's services as a mental health counselor.

My Role:

My primary role at your school is to support students with mild to moderate mental health issues.

Some of the services I provide include:

• Administer behavioral health screening tools

• Administer brief behavioral health assessments

• Crisis intervention

• Ex: suicide, loss of a loved one, illness in the family, lack of resources, etc.

• Brief interventions for emotional support and regulation

• Obtaining and integrating information regarding a student’s behavior and supports necessary for success in school and life

• Provide short-term individual and small-group counseling services to students

• Provide appropriate referrals for students in need of more intensive services

• Provide psycho-education services to assist student and parents/caregivers in understanding student diagnosis, behavioral health needs, and support services offered

• Functions as a liaison and resource between home, school and community agencies

As a student growing up I (Mr. Ming) personally dealt with a lot of loss, with some of my closest relatives passing away. I also experienced stress in other ways and these events impacted me deeply. I didn't have anyone in my school to talk to and as a result I buried it deep and it festered. I carried this stress and strain with me for a long time and there is no doubt in my mind that it negatively impacted me. Our students don't have to go through that. Mental Health is important and it is a sign of strength, not weakness, to recognize that mental wellbeing needs to be addressed.

Have a great weekend AGS,

Mr. Ming

So, are you thinking about a skilled trade? The problem is that skilled trades don’t make enough money. Wrong! Half of current skilled trade workers with less than 10 years’ experience earn at least $50,000 to start. After five years, a person who attends trade school and then starts working will be $140,000 ahead, on average, compared to a student who enrolls in a four-year college before working. Well, maybe it pays decent, but I’m a female and the skilled trades are better for men. Not necessarily. Skilled trades are for everyone! Well, I can’t do a skilled trade because the work is too physically grueling. According to data, only 12% said their aversion to manual labor was their primary reason not to enter the skilled trades. Stay tuned. In upcoming weeks more information will be provided about some summer Bay ISD Career Center opportunities.

There is a special Car Seat Safety Day at Graff Chevrolet in Bay City. This will take place on Saturday, May 7, and run from 10:00-2:00. On this date they will conduct car seat safety checks and will help install car seats. Some families may qualify for free car seats! Graff service technicians will also be on site providing free battery and tire tread safety checks. If you have questions about qualifying for a free seat or would like to schedule an appointment, please call Alex Samuel at 989-415-6983.

Did you know that there is a Covid testing walk-in clinic at 4489 W. M-61, Suite 3, in Standish? It runs weekly on Wednesdays from 8:30 am-12 pm and 1 pm-4 pm.

There is a LARA Child Care ACCESS Fair on April 30, 2022, for anyone in Michigan interested in learning more about operating a child care business. There is one in Bay City at the Career Center on April 30 from 10-1 (flier below).

https://www.michigan.gov/lara/-/media/Project/Websites/lara/CCLB/Access-Fairs/Bay-Arenac-Access-Fair-Flyer.pdf?rev=c21b2ca9bfc946f0af0a271e89ac9a75

Go here to register:

https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=h3D71Xc3rUKWaoku9HIl0YJVN3_MXiZAgpehXTtOCP9UQ1kyMDZRVlk1N002TFFJTktGMVRBME5RUS4u

Although this week was a short week, it was certainly a busy one! We started M-STEP testing with our 5th and 8th-grade students, and also completed PSAT and SAT testing with our 8th, 9th, 10th, and 11th-grade students. Testing continues next week with M-STEP for 3rd - 8th grade. A few important things to note for testing days: once a testing session starts, a student cannot enter late. Therefore, please be sure to have your students to campus on time so that they do not have to wait in the office for testing to end. Also, it is very important for our middle school students to bring their Chromebooks to school fully charged each morning. We do not have enough outlets for every student to plug in their computer in the testing room. We also have to have the room set in a certain configuration, so having to arrange students at the last minute to accommodate Chromebook issues puts a delay in the testing session. Please help us by encouraging your child to charge their chromebooks at night and bring them to school each day. We appreciate your support in making these busy testing weeks more successful! Once again, here is a link to my M-STEP testing information page with suggestions on how you can help prepare your child for a successful testing experience!

We recently had 2 opportunities for parents to complete our school improvement survey and be entered for a chance to win a $25 gas card. The winners were - Erica Hetzel, Robert Verdusco, Alisa Kieliszewski, and Tanya Susko! Congratulations and thank you to all of the parents who submitted surveys to give us important feedback that we need to make district wide decisions. If you have not yet had the opportunity to give your input on a survey, you can access them by scanning the QR code below. Please note that the surveys are specific to each building. Thank you in advance for participating in this important work!

Elementary

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/J9T2VDX

Secondary

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/WRF3C8H

We have entered the start of about five weeks of state testing across most grade levels. Students took PSAT and SAT tests this week, as well as the M-STEP for the 8th grade students. Test anxiety and burnout are concerns and issues that our students may start facing over the next month of school.

Take the time to talk to your students about the testing they are taking and how they are handling the stress that comes along with it. We are doing our best to spread the testing out for each grade level.

The Health Department has asked us to pass along that it is never too early to start thinking about back to school shots. If you will have a new student joining AGS next year, you can get ahead of the game by scheduling your vaccinations now. See the attachment below for details.

Resources are both linked and attached as PDF files:

• COVID-19 Home Ellume Test Quick Start Guide
• OTC Parent Letter
• MI Backpack Information Packet

Rain, gray, and cold can't keep us down. Spring Sports are here!

Next Week's Game Schedule

• Mon. 4/18: Varsity Baseball & Softball AWAY @ Whittemore-Prescott, 4pm
• Mon. 4/18: MS Track AWAY @ Tawas, 4pm

• Tue. 4/19: Varsity Track AWAY @ Oscoda, 4pm

• Wed. 4/20: JV Baseball AWAY @ Oscoda, 4pm

• Thu. 4/21: Varsity Baseball & Softball AWAY @ Alcona, 4pm

• Fri. 4/22: JV Baseball AWAY @ Hale, 4pm

• Sat. 4/23: Varsity Baseball & Softball Tourney HOME vs. W-P, CHA, BCAS, starts at 9a, championship at 3p

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

APRIL

• MON. 4/18: 6p Board of Education Regular Meeting
• WED. 4/20: Early Release at 1pm = ALL STUDENTS

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

• Full-time Special Education Teacher (1.0, but flexible to part time if desired by the candidate)

• Cafeteria Worker/Cook (available immediately to complete the 21-22 school, with carryover into the 22-23 school year).

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.

The gusty gales of Spring are upon us, er maybe we're still in winter. No problem though, because no matter what the weather is, The Wolverine Wake-Up will always be in season!

Enjoy this week's issue!

Issue 51: April 13, 2022

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