The Au Gres-Sims School District

Year after year the end of October means two things for schools, the completion of a very full month of learning and the beginning of the holiday season. As we move from the month of pumpkins to the month of turkey the calendar starts to look less regular, with more breaks and fewer 5-day school weeks. Those breaks and changes start next week, so make sure your calendars are marked.

Time to Fall Back

Just a reminder that Daylight Saving Time ends this weekend in the middle of Saturday night. Don't forget to roll back your clocks one hour when you wake up Sunday morning, as DST ends at 2am this Sunday, November 6th. That means 2am magically becomes 1am this Sunday.

Tuesday is Election Day

Next Tuesday, November 8th, is Election Day and is a Professional Development Day for our teaching staff. This means that students have the day off so that teachers and other educational staff members can become students for the day and continue their own learning, growth, and development.

While a day off is the highlight of Tuesday for students, the importance of voting for those who are eligible cannot be understated. Regardless of what side of the political aisle you sit on or where you fall on the spectrum, the right to vote is something that we all must take seriously. This is a fundamental right of the citizens of our great nation and the best means by which every citizen can have their voice heard. We are all entitled to our beliefs and I encourage you all to exercise your right on Tuesday.

Safety Day

Tuesday, November 15th is another one of those "break" days that is built into our school calendar, known as Safety Day. While falling inconveniently on a Tuesday this year, this is a day of importance to the culture of Northern Michigan. The school district, both the administrative and main offices, will be closed.

Thanksgiving Break

Rounding out the school holidays in November is our Thanksgiving Break. Students and staff will enjoy a short 2-day school week, with the break commencing Wednesday, November 23rd through Friday, November 25th.

Winter Weather Notifications

Falling loosely into the "time off of school" category is the looming winter season and the increased risk of school cancellation due to inclement weather and unsafe road conditions. Last year we were fortunate to not have our first weather cancellation until December 6th, but in year's past we haven't been as lucky. While not an exact science I do try to follow a process for making that decision and getting that communication out.

• On the road between 4:00 and 4:30a, driving the most populated areas of our district first, typically along our bus routes, followed by our more remote regions of the district.
• Coordination with neighboring districts, some of whom we coordinate services with and/or drive through as part of our bus routes.
• Decision made, with communication out prior to our earliest route (career center) leaving. The goal with this is notification by 6am.
• Notification is made through postings to our AGS Website, Facebook, Twitter, and app pages, as well as to the local radio and television stations. We also send a phone call to the district call list and will occasionally use text messaging. This is why it is critically important that you keep your contact information in Skyward current and up to date.

Thanks for reading and good luck to our Varsity Football team tomorrow.

AGS Maroon and Gold fight fight

Maroon and Gold fight fight

Who fight, We fight

Maroon and Gold fight fight!

Have a wonderful weekend,

Mr. Ming

Congratulations to our Varsity Volleyball and Football teams on phenomenal seasons. Just as important as the wins and losses are the way you represent our school as student-athletes. Best of luck to our football team as they continue their playoff journey with a home game on Saturday at 1:00 vs. Morrice.

As the Holidays draw near, here are a couple of family opportunities sponsored by the Great Start Collaborative of Bay-Arenac Counties. On Friday, November 25, from 6:00-7:00 pm, you can be a part of the Santa Parade and Lighting of the Depot at the Standish HIstorical Depot Welcome Center. This is located at 107 N. Main Street in Standish. There is no cost. For more information call 989-718-3021. Two days later, you can catch a free movie in Bay City. A food or cash donation to benefit the Safe Harbor Kitchen is encouraged. Playing on November 27 starting at 1:00 pm is, “A Christmas Story”. This is located at 913 Washington Avenue in Bay City. For more information call 989-892-2660.

To get connected with more local resources in Northeast Michigan call “211”. Some of the services and resources include: Bill payment assistance, disaster service, education, employment and financial support, food, health care, personal and household items, transportation.

In an attempt to stay apprised of the ever changing world of technology and social media, I would like to provide to you some information on a platform called Twitch. Twitch is a popular platform that live streams and connects with strangers through live chat and direct messages. To learn more about this platform and what’s important for families to understand, click on the link here.

Report cards are going home today with elementary students and being sent out for Middle and High School. We are looking forward to speaking with elementary parents at parent/teacher conferences next week. As report cards come home, if you have any questions regarding the scoring scale that we implemented last year, please feel free to contact me.

During conferences, any Kindergarten through 3rd-grade student that has been identified as needing an Individual Reading Improvement Plan (IRIP) will be given a yellow folder at your conference. You will need to bring that folder to the elementary library to meet with Mrs. Gordon or me to go through your child’s IRIP and home plan. There will also be a letter coming home to explain that process to any student who has an IRIP. If you have had an IRIP in the past, please bring the at-home bag that you were given at your initial IRIP meeting, so we can give you more goodies to support your student at home!

Finally, our November School and Home Connection newsletters are ready for you to read. These newsletters give helpful tips to assist parents in how to help support their child physically, academically, and emotionally. We hope that you find the information helpful!

Elementary Newsletter - November

Secondary Newsletter - November

Over the last month we have celebrated college month here at AGS. I have met with the seniors several times to talk about applying to colleges and completing the FAFSA to qualify for financial aid. Seniors were placed in a drawing for two $25.00 gift cards for the Escape Room if they applied to at least one college during this month; the two winners of the 12 students that applied were Shea Menard and Josh Pittman. I will continue to work with students on applying for scholarships throughout the school year. The Bay Area Community Fund has officially opened their scholarships on Tuesday Nov 1, 2022 and those are open until February 2023. The following link will take you to the Bay Area Community fund website for more information: https://bayfoundation.org/what-we-do/areas-of-impact/education-youth/scholarships.

This week was manufacturing week and in honor of that AGS Sophomores visited Vantage Plastics in Standish. Students were given a brief presentation on what Vantage Plastics produces and the different job opportunities that exist in manufacturing, not only at Vantage but across the country. There was a tour of the facilities where students were able to see the plant in action and engage with interns and employees. The president and owner of Vantage was excited to speak with our students and to continue working together to create a school to work experience in the future.

Congratulations to both our Varsity Volleyball and Football teams who have had excellent seasons and represented the Maroon and Gold well both with their competition and sportsman attitude.

IT IS NOT TOO LATE TO GET YOUR TICKETS FOR TOMORROW AFTERNOON'S (SATURDAY) MHSAA VARSITY FOOTBALL HOME PLAYOFF GAME. KICK OFF IS 1:00PM AT THE STADIUM VS. MORRICE.

Click the web link below to purchase your tickets for the game. Tickets for MHSAA playoff games are sold exclusively through GoFan.

GoFan Ticket Link - Click Here

Next Week's Schedule of Events:

Mon. 11/7:

• 6p MS Girls Basketball HOME vs. Hillman

Wed. 11/9:

• 6p MS Girls Basketball AWAY @ W-P

Thu. 11/10:

• 6p MS Girls Basketball HOME vs. Atlanta
• ~7:30p MS Boys Basketball HOME vs. Atlanta (game will follow MS Girls)

Sat. 11/12:

• 10a MS Boys Basketball AWAY @ Hillman

Our Varsity Football team plays for the regional championship tomorrow, Saturday 11/5, at 1pm. If they advance out of the regional the MHSAA State Semifinal would be on Saturday, 11/12. Both the time and location of the State Semifinal are TBD.

The Wolverine Wake-Up is a student written publication that comes out weekly and shares the reporting of our own high school students and their interpretation of what is going on the in the world. The teacher sponsor and editor-in-chief is Mr. Luke Freeman. Thanks for reading.

Sorry, due to scheduling conflicts this week there is no Wolverine Wake-up to share. We hope to have the next great edition out for you next week.

In an effort to provide the academic support that our students need, the middle and high school will have drop-in after school tutoring starting next week. The tutoring will run after school until 4:30 on Mondays and Thursdays in the Cyber Cafe. Students are invited to drop in to work on their homework and/or get help from a teacher on a particular topic.

Dates for Tutoring the next few weeks:

• Mon. 11/7
• Thu. 11/10
• Mon. 11/14
• Thu. 11/17
• Mon. 11/21
• Mon. 11/28

Tutoring for our elementary students will look a little different (based on the age of the students) and will begin after the first parent-teacher conferences of the year. We will update you on the details as we get closer to that date.

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

NOVEMBER

• 8th: NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS - ISD-wide Professional Development day
• 8th: Election Day
• 9th-10th: Elementary Parent/Teacher Conferences
• 14th: PTO meeting in Elementary Library, 6p
• 15th: NO SCHOOL STAFF AND STUDENTS, District and Administration Offices will be closed
• 17th: School Board Meeting, 6p (*Note: this is a change from the original date of Monday, November 21st, therefore it is a "special meeting")
• 23rd-25th: NO SCHOOL - Thanksgiving Holiday

Important and note-worthy events taking place in Au Gres and Arenac County

• Saturday, November 5th - 9a-3p - AGS PTO Bazaar @ AGS Elementary = Shop for great gifts from 40+ vendors. $1.00 Adult Admission with proceeds going directly to the students through PTO-sponsored activities. (See flier below)
• Monday, November 14th 6p - AGS PTO Meeting in AGS Elementary Library
• Thursday, December 1st (6p registration, 7p start) - Arenac Community Funds Holiday Auction (Ali's Up North)***
• Saturday, December 3rd - Christmas Parade (starts at AGS parking lot and ends in the City Park
• Saturday, February 18th - Arenac Community Funds Trivia Night (Arenac Community Center, Standish)

***Items for the ACF Holiday Auction should be turned in to any committee member by November 21st, including a donation form. See attached PDFs for details. Locally, items and forms may be turned into Chris Ming in the administrative office of the school district or Dale Wiltse at City Hall.

Job Opportunities at AGS

• We do not currently have any vacancies for district staff positions.

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 and she will put you into direct contact with Laurie Crane at ESS-WillSub

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