The Au Gres-Sims School District

Like a stone skipping across the water, skimming the surface of information will only get you so far. In today’s fast-paced world, it’s easy to fall into the habit of skimming information—scrolling headlines, glancing at summaries, and catching only the “big ideas.” While this may feel efficient, it often leads to shallow understanding. When we skim, we miss the nuances, connections, and context that turn information into insight. It’s like judging a book by its cover—you might grasp the topic, but not the meaning that truly matters.

Skimming may save time in the moment, but it can cost us more in the long run. In education, leadership, or daily life, decisions made from partial understanding can lead to miscommunication, missed opportunities, and misplaced confidence. Deep learning requires curiosity and patience—it asks us to pause, question, and reflect. When we slow down to fully understand a topic, we build stronger mental connections, make wiser choices, and communicate more effectively with others.

Depth over speed may seem more efficient, but it can often lead to thoughts are beliefs that are unjust and unfounded. Whether reading an article, analyzing data, or listening to a colleague, taking time to go deeper demonstrates respect for the information and for the people behind it. Take for example the performance of a school. There are a lot of metrics that can be, and are, used to measure the effectiveness of a school, but how deep do you dive into understanding the intricacies of the measurement? What factors were used to make the determination? Do you seek to understand or to reaffirm your opinion?

Linked below is a narrated presentation of the Michigan Context and Performance Report Card Report Card (CAP) for 2025. The report, assembled by the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, measures school success against the percentage of the school's students eligible for a federal lunch subsidy, a common indicator for the socioeconomic status of the area. Objectively, this report does not tell the whole story of the progress of our district, because no single report does. It does, however, present a deeper dive into the effectiveness of our staff to work with the students who walk through our halls each day.

I encourage you to take the 5 minutes to watch and listen because in an age of quick clicks and instant answers, the real skill is not finding information—it’s understanding it. Let’s challenge ourselves to dig deeper, think critically, and model the kind of learning that creates lasting growth.

AGS is proud to announce the return of the student Washington DC trip! In order to make the trip as cost effective for our families as possible we are cohorting two grades, with plans to take this trip every other school year. The trip is planned for September 13-17, 2026 for our 8th and 9th grade classes (note, this is NEXT school year...2026-27).

Locally, you may contact Mr. Dittenber with questions. We are partnering with Bennett Travel for this amazing student opportunity and our trip contact is Jeff Bennett. He may be reached by phone (231) 838-1925 or by email: jeff@bennett-travel.com

Registration for the trip is completed online, with instructions contained in the attached documents below. It is not too late to sign up for this great opportunity. Because we started the planning process so far in advance of the trip, you can still sign up using the online process. Don't miss out!

Hey AGS Nation,

I would first like to give a huge thank you to everyone who participated in this year’s Walk or Roll to School Day! It was heartwarming to see so many students, families, and staff coming together to celebrate healthy habits, sustainability, and community spirit. A special thanks to our very own Mr. Blackmore for spearheading the entire event!

This week’s P2 Character Strength was Integrity. Integrity is one of the most essential values a person can develop. It means being honest, keeping your promises, and doing the right thing, even when no one is watching. Integrity plays a vital role both in school and in everyday life.

In school, integrity helps create a fair and respectful learning environment. Students who act with integrity do their own work, follow the rules, and treat others with respect. This builds trust between classmates and teachers and helps everyone succeed on their own merits. It also prepares students for real-life challenges, teaching them to be responsible and accountable.

In the real world, integrity is just as important. Employers and coworkers value honesty and reliability. People with integrity are trusted with greater responsibilities and are more likely to succeed in their careers. In personal relationships, integrity helps build trust, which is the foundation of strong and lasting connections.

In conclusion, integrity is more than just telling the truth, it's a way of living. Whether in school or in life, acting with integrity leads to respect, trust, and long-term success.

Thanks & #WolverinesLead with Integrity!

While it may seem far away, staff are already attending webinars about upcoming changes to our Spring 2026 testing. Planning for these tests starts months before students sit down to take them. There are several important updates for Michigan families that we are learning about to ensure that we are prepared to launch our critical testing season. While students will continue to take the SAT with Essay this year as part of the Michigan Merit Exam, lawmakers are currently debating whether to remove the essay requirement in future years. Many lawmakers and educators have questioned the value of the SAT essay, noting that most colleges no longer require it for admission. They argue that keeping the essay adds unnecessary testing time and stress for students without providing meaningful benefits for their future opportunities. Another significant change is that beginning in spring 2026, the ACT WorkKeys will be replaced with the new WIN Work Readiness Assessment. The WIN test focuses on practical career skills—math, reading, and interpreting data—and students can earn a National Work Readiness Credential that showcases their abilities to future employers or training programs. These changes reflect ongoing conversations in Michigan about how to balance college readiness, career readiness, and the overall amount of testing required for students.

While April of 2026 seems quite far away, we are beginning to have conversations around these new testing requirements and what that looks like for our district and our students. In the coming months, we will share out more information as it is necessary.

Strive for Fewer than Five: Attendance Matters

As we move through the school year, it’s important to keep health and hygiene a priority to reduce the spread of illness. Encouraging children to wash their hands thoroughly and often, cover coughs and sneezes, and avoid sharing personal items like water bottles can make a big difference. Regularly cleaning frequently touched surfaces at home and keeping students home when they are sick are also key ways to protect others. By practicing these simple habits, families help create a healthier environment for everyone at school.

As we work together to keep our students in attendance, you may see our Big Sick vs Little Sick flyer around the school and community. We wanted to share a reminder of when students are ok to be in attendance and when you should keep them at home.

Big Sick vs Little Sick Information Flyer

Our Positivity Project focus this week at school was “Integrity.” These P2 character cards are great conversation starters to use around the breakfast and dinner table, on the way to school and on the way to sports!

Parents/guardians,

Last week the Freshman visited SVSU for MI CareerQuest. While there the students were able to visit four areas broken up by career categories including, engineering, trades, medical, and media/agriculture. This was a hands-on event where students were able to try work on “powerlines,” machine a part, create a media broadcast, pack sugar on a pallet, and so much more. Our students were so well behaved and had the opportunity to eat at Taco Bell/KFC, where they again represented AGS spectacularly.

High School Parents (grades 9-12)

In support of Postsecondary opportunities, the school will be hosting a trip to SVSU for a short walking tour and tickets to the SVSU vs Ferris State football game on Saturday November 8th. Please see the attached flyer for more details or use the link to sign up. https://forms.gle/4iCSPYogiyYehbUA6

Warmly,

Ashley Cardinal

K–12 School Counselor

We have some great news to share. A press release came out late this week announcing that the Michigan Legislature had passed a state and school aid budget year for fiscal year 2026 (started on October 1). Contained within that budget is continued funding for school-based health clinics.

This means that the construction-completed Au Gres-Sims Health Clinic will be opening soon! The district will be working closely with Sterling Area Health Center over the next few weeks to complete the start up process, and we hope to be open and fully functioning very soon. Look for information to come home soon!

The first Parent Advisory Committee for the Health Clinic of the year will be held on Tuesday, October 21 at 6p in the Elementary Library. The PAC is looking for a few new members, so if you are interested, please try to attend.

As the leaves change and the air cools, our fall sports season is coming to a close. We are incredibly proud of all our student-athletes and coaches for their hard work, dedication, and sportsmanship throughout the season. Let's get ready for the Winter Sports Season! Go Wolverines!

SCHEDULE

Tues. 10/21

• 6p JV Volleyball HOME vs Charlton-Heston
• 7:15p V Volleyball HOME vs Charlton-Heston
• 6p V Girls Swimming (CO-OP w/ SSC) AWAY @ Ogemaw Heights

Thurs. 10/23

• 6p JV Volleyball AWAY @ Mio Au-Sable
• 7:15p V Volleyball AWAY @ Mio Au-Sable

Fri. 10/24

• 7p V Football AWAY @ Charlton-Heston

Sat. 10/25

• 9a V Volleyball NSL Tournament HOME

The Middle School/High School Handbook has been updated to reflect changes in the process for athletic eligibility. A copy of that process is provided as an attachment below. Eligibility will now be pulled every week, starting with the 3rd week of the semester. These changes have been shared with the coaching staff and will be communicated with their student athletes.

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The PTO plays an important role in supporting our teachers and students with many of the extras that make AGS so great. Consider joining this wonderful group and helping to make this school year a special one.

EVENTS:

• Holiday Bazaar: Saturday, November 1 ~ 9:00a.m. - 3:00p.m.
  
• Breakfast with Santa: Saturday, November 29 ~ 8:00a.m. - 10:00a.m.

POPCORN FRIDAYS: The PTO pops the corn on selected Fridays throughout the school year in the elementary building. Volunteers are needed to make this happen, with a report time of 8:00a.m. Your son/daughter's teachers will be reaching out to you at different times throughout the year.

Please consider volunteering!

• October 24
• November 7, 21
• December 12
• January 16, 30
• February 13, 27
• March 13, 27
• April 10, 24
• May 8, 22

Important dates for October and November for the Au Gres-Sims School District

OCTOBER

• 20: 6p Regular School Board Meeting
• 24: End of 1st Marking Period

NOVEMBER

• 4: NO SCHOOL - Staff Professional Development
• 12: 1p EARLY DISMISAL - Staff Professional Development
• 12: 4-7p Elementary Parent-Teacher Conferences
• 13: 4-7p Elementary Parent-Teacher Conferences
• 14: NO SCHOOL - Safety Day

• December 6 - 6:15p.m. Au Gres Area Chamber of Commerce Christmas Parade - see attached flyer

• Chamber of Commerce Gourmet Nut Fundraiser - see attached flyer for details

Stay tuned while the crew films the next episode!

Current job listings:

• SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHER - ELEMENTARY

We are also always on the lookout for substitute teachers. If interested, please inquire with Mrs. Freehling in the district administration office, (989) 876-7150 and she will put you into direct contact with Laurie Crane at ESS-WillSub