AGS NEWS

Ben Malecki, Principal

Zachary Bradley, Assistant Principal

Lisa Wissinger, Dean of Students

Kristen Kinney, Counselor (Students Last Names A-M)

Melissa Welsh, Counselor (Students Last Names N-Z)

Barb Stinson, Office Secretary

Randi Thorp, Office Clerk

October

23 - End of Quarter 1

26 - 30 - Spirit Week! (see information below)

26 - Tryouts begin for Volleyball; Wrestling begins

28 - Early Release Day

30 - Halloween Dance from 2:30 - 4:00 pm (see information below)

November

2 - PD Day for Staff, No School for Students

4 - Early Release Day

13 - Vision Testing for 7th Grade Students

Today marked the last day of Quarter 1! It's unbelievable to think that we're 25% of the way through our school year. I'm grateful to be a part of this community and impressed by the growth we've already made this year. It's a great sign of what's still to come at AGS!

Successful Conferences!

Thank you to everyone who attended Fall Conferences last week! It's a healthy sign of our partnership to see so many families coming to collaborate around student learning. It was a treat to meet many of you and learn more from you, too.

Thank you to anyone who helped feed our staff on those long Conference days, too!

Special Guests

What Fenton Area Public Schools are doing with SRT and Early Release Days is exemplary work. I'm comfortable saying that with my perspective coming from other districts prior to this year. I also would point to the other area school districts taking notice of what we're doing, visiting, and learning. Yesterday, we had leaders from Davison Community Schools visit AGS and other schools in the district to see how we're using both SRT and our Early Release Days to strengthen what we offer students. It gave us a great opportunity to describe our work and learn from other educational leaders, too.

Washington DC Trip

After Conferences last Tuesday, we held a Parent Meeting for anyone interested in learning more about the 8th Grade Trip to Gettysburg and Washington DC. We're taking our first group from AGS on this trip from April 22 - 26, 2027, and students and chaperones can sign up over the next few months. As of 6 am this morning, more than 50 people had registered for the trip. We're excited about this opportunity for this year, and excited to grow it in the years ahead. You can check out our official World Strides website HERE.

Incredible Artists

Like in the past, I wanted to highlight some of the great work that you could find around the hallways at AGS. Students in Mrs. Birchmeier's and Mrs. Dmoch's art classes are impressing us and bringing life to our hallways!

Bite of Reality

Yesterday, Mrs. Kalakay's and Mr. Kutchey's 8th grade Social Studies classes experienced the Bite of Reality program. This event was organized by our AGS Career Coordinator Mrs. Kocks and included an incredible team from Genisys Credit Union who helped our students get a sense of how real life feels - budgeting can be a pretty foreign concept to a middle schooler, and Bite of Reality provided some really powerful learning.

I hope you have a fantastic autumn weekend! KINDNESS and COURAGE!

Mr. Malecki

Halloweek Spirit Week!

We are excited to celebrate Halloween with a fun-filled Halloweek (Halloween Spirit Week) that is optional for staff and students to participate in all week!

Monday: PJ Day - Wear your favorite comfy pajamas!

Tuesday: Color Day - Each grade level has a different color!

8th grade: Black

7th grade: Orange

6th grade: Purple

Thursday: Twin Day - Match up with a friend or even a group!

Friday: Costume Day - Costumes are welcome, but NO masks, NO fake blood, No weapons, and ALL face painting must happen before school (not at school)

We are excited to see the imagination and creativity next week!

Halloween Dance

And on Friday, a Spooktacular Halloween Dance from 2:30 - 4:00 pm!

Our first dance of the school year will be on Friday, October 30 from 2:30 - 4:00 pm in the AGS gymnasium. AGS students can look forward to:

• DJ, Music, and Dancing
• Basketball and Volleyball
• Costume Contest (Follow all rules from Halloweek announcement)
• Concessions like pizza, pop, and candy available for purchase, so extra spending money is a great idea

Tickets are $8 each and will be sold during lunches all of next week, as well as at the door. Remind your student to bring their ticket to enter an exciting raffle! We're excited to see everyone on Friday afternoon!

Boo Bags

The 8th grade class is running a Boo Bag fundraiser! Students can purchase Boo Bags during lunches on October 28th and 29th. Boo Bags will be delivered to staff and students during SRT on October 29th!

Information for all three Festive Activities are in the fliers below!

She contributes to our school and community in so many ways. In the classroom, she is thoughtful, creative, and works well with everyone. As a student-athlete, Anna-Kate just finished a great season with our fantastic Cross Country team. Her perseverance and dedication are stand out traits there.

Anna-Kate is also a reliable friend. When students had the chance to nominate classmates for our new HOPE squad, Anna-Kate was frequently nominated because of her trustworthiness, kindness, and compassion. In a school of great students, Anna-Kate is a very worthy Student of the Month!

As we approach the end of Quarter 1, now is a great time for students to check grades, complete missing assignments, and reach out for help when needed! We encourage families to check in with their students about their academic progress regularly.

Don't forget to take advantage of available support opportunities! AST and SRT sessions are great ways for students to get extra help, ask questions, and catch up on assignments. This all builds confidence in our learners.

As always, please don't hesitate to reach out for support.

Kristen Kinney, Counselor (Students Last Names A-M)

Melissa Welsh, Counselor (Students Last Names N-Z)

AST is free after school tutoring and it's available on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2:30 to 3:15 pm. AGS teachers are present to help and provide support to students. Transportation is available for students residing within the district. A light snack will also be provided.

Please email Mrs. Seelbinder or Mrs. Killian for more information

Mrs. Seelbinder: jseelbinder@fentonschools.org

Mrs. Killian: jkillian@fentonschools.org

Please also complete the brief form linked below if your child will be attending AST:

AST Permission 2026-2027

The Tiger Paw Pantry is here for anyone who may need a little extra support. We have all kinds of things - from bathroom and hygiene essentials to clothes, school supplies, bedroom items, kitchen supplies, and so much more! The Tiger Paw Pantry is located in the media center!

If you or yyour family could use anything, just click this link and fill out the form! Tiger Paw Pantry Request

And remember, you can ALWAYS email me if you have a question, concern, or something going on at home that you'd like help with, whether it feels big or small.

-Mrs. Underwood

Want to join the Fenton Middle School Ski & Snowboard Club?

WHAT: Lots of NEW Information to share this year! Please join us for a brief meeting & signup

WHEN: Tuesday, November 17 at 6 pm

WHERE: AGS Middle School Cafetorium

WHO: New and returning members (This is a great program for learners!)

Melani Loria is the AGS and FHS Ski and Snowboard Club Sponsor

Sara Eastman is the Elementary Ski and Snowboard Club Sponsor

The Fenton Rotary Club is working to support families this holiday season with their Angel Tree Project. Please click below for more information.

All middle school students have a four-lesson state mandated health curriculum that our physical education teachers deliver during SRT. Those lessons will begin for some students toward the end of September. We rotate students in for these lessons, then rotate them out once they've had them. Lessons include units on Human Reproduction and HIV/AIDS. According to Public Act 226 of 1977, you have the right to review the materials used in these lessons. If you would like to review the materials, please email Mr. Malecki. You also have the right to excuse your student from participating. If you wish to excuse your student, please complete this Reproductive Health Opt Out Form. Paper copies of this form are available in our main office. If you wish to have your student participate, no action is required.

Email (Principal): bmalecki@fentonschools.org

Email (Assistant Principal): zbradley@fentonschools.org
Website: AGS Middle School
Location: 3255 Donaldson Drive, Fenton, MI, USA
Phone: 810.591.7700
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Fenton-Area-Public-Schools-110556712352619/
Twitter: @fentonschools