The Au Gres-Sims School District

www.ags-schools.org

Hello Au Gres-Sims Families,

It certainly is beginning to feel a lot like the holidays. This year we have made it a point to do as many of the "normal" things from year's past. This week we picked back up our Holiday Band Concert, something that I sorely missed last year, having heard all the amazing things about our fantastic band program. I am happy to say that the show did not disappoint and it was amazing to see the hard work, time, and effort that our students have put into their music. Not only did it look good, but it sounded great. What stood out to me was everyone's mood, their spirit, as we took in the best of the holidays. Music has a way of doing that, bringing you back to a less chaotic and adversarial time. Congratulations to all of our young musicians and kudos to the amazing Mrs. Gordon for taking us all on a magical sleigh ride Wednesday night.. Events like that don't happen without the help of many others as well. For everyone that helped make it happen, thank you for the joy of the seasons.

Of course, with events like the one that we had this week and the Bazaar that we had last Saturday, there is an increased risk of the virus that has changed our lives. I truly appreciate the understanding of people that have respected our expectations of masking during these community events. The only way that we can continue to offer these events (even in modified fashion) is if we are able to do so safely. At the end of the day, our primary responsibility is the safety, security, and learning of students and while all of the "extras" are wonderful, if they impede on our primary mission, then we will be forced to pull back. So, for everyone that was in attendance and respected our request to wear a mask, thank you, you have helped us keep our kids safe.

As we rush into the holidays, please be safe. You may have noticed that we have had an influx in the number of cases, following the Thanksgiving holiday. In talks with the Arenac health department, it seems like the greater Au Gres community is in a tough spell right now with a high caseload. With holiday break on the horizon, please take care of yourselves and your children. We are in this together, facing this NewTomorrow one day at a time.

Have a happy and safe weekend everyone.

Mr. Ming

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K-12 Principal's Update

If you have a child under the age of 5 and are looking for great playtime activities to participate in, drop by the Arenac Community Center from 4:30-5:30 every 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month. Each family will receive supplies for a dinner to make at home and a chance for prizes. Please use the back parking lot by the soccer fields and the back door. For more information text Amy Trogan at 989-992-1803.

If you are looking for some time to visit with Santa, he has some virtual visits available on Wednesdays from 6:30-7:30 pm. You can get more information about the virtual visits on the Standish Santa House Facebook page. In person visits at the Standish Santa House will take place on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6:00-8:00 pm. One family is allowed at a time and masks are required.

With Covid, it has been tough to get to the movie theaters. Well, you have a couple opportunities to watch some movies in Bay City at the State Theater while getting into the holiday spirit. There are showings of, “It’s a Wonderful LIfe” on Sunday, December 12, and, “White Christmas” on Sunday, December 19. Both showings start at 1:00 pm and the doors open at noon. There is no ticket needed and the showings are free with a food or cash donation which goes to the Safe Harbor Kitchen.

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From the Desk of Mrs. Socha

This week marks the halfway point of Marking Period 2. For our secondary students, especially high school, this is the final push to make it successfully to the end of the semester. It is important to keep in communication with your teachers about your grades at this time, in order to complete the semester with a passing grade. We are in the process of making some adjustments to our credit recovery opportunities, so it is very important that you work hard to pass the class on your first attempt. More information about the changes to credit recovery will be coming out soon.

Today I sent a letter home to elementary families about interim reports. As I have discussed in several previous entries, our switch to standards based grading allows for more specific information about your student’s progress on a regular basis. Be sure to check in Skyward for updated information on your child’s progress through the standards, as well as daily work and assessments for updated information on progress! A copy of the letter that was sent home today can be accessed here.

Finally, with a number of students currently identified as close contacts, it is a good time to remind families to keep in contact with classroom teachers if you are choosing to keep your child home for the quarantine period. Throughout the contact tracing process, we notify teachers which students are close contacts, but not all families decide which option they would like to take when we contact them to inform them of the close contact status. If you have not told us specifically which option you are choosing, please let the teachers know once you decide so that they can be sure to get any necessary information to the student. This will be a helpful step in making sure that our students do not fall behind if they are off for an extended period of time. As always, we appreciate your help as we navigate this year!

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Athletics Update

Winter Sports season is upon us as we welcome in the cold of December.

Next Week's Game Schedule

Mon. 12/13: JV/V Boys Basketball HOME vs. Mio 6pm
Tues. 12/14: MS Boys Basketball HOME vs. Oscoda, 6pm
Tues. 12/14: V Girls Basketball AWAY @ Mio, 6pm
Wed. 12/15: MS Boys Basketball HOME vs. Charlton Heston Academy (replaces cancelled WP game)
Thurs. 12/16: JV/V Boys Basketball AWAY @ Oscoda, 6pm

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Important Dates

Important dates for December for the Au Gres-Sims School District

DECEMBER

DEC. 20: Board of Education regular meeting in High School Cyber Cafe 6p - Please note that the location has changed (originally in elementary library) due to a use need of the elementary library.
DEC. 22-DEC 31: Winter Holiday Break (school resumes on Monday, January 3, 2022)

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Introducing the new AGS Health Resource Advocate

Thanks to a grant secured by the Bay-Arenac ISD, AGS has hired a health resource advocate to lend expertise to our district during the pandemic.

We are pleased to welcome Cristen Pedersen (pedersenc@ags-schools.org) to our wonderful staff. Ms. Pedersen will be coordinating and conducting contact tracing as well as sharing health-relevant information in the newsletter. Some of you may have already met her during morning testing or received communications from her. Please know that Ms. Pedersen is working very closely with the AGS Administration to help keep our kids safe.

Here is a brief introduction from Cristen herself...

Hello Au Gres-Sims School District! My name is Cristen Pedersen and I am the new Health Resource Advocate for Au Gres Sims School District. I am a Public Health graduate student at Saginaw Valley and I have a Bachelor's Degree in Human Biology. My passion is to educate and empower people to improve their health and wellbeing.

My goal here at AGS is to be a resource for you and family. I am available for any questions or comments that you may have in regards to COVID-19 vaccinations, testing, or simply any concerns you may have about your students' health. Thank you and I look forward to getting to know each and every one of you.

Right now the Central Michigan District Health Department is offering Rapid Antigen Testing at the Arenac Branch located at 4489 W M61 Standish, MI- On the Corner of Deep River and M61. Tuesdays and Fridays 9:30am - 11:30 am.

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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