Au Gres-Sims Families and Community,
As the weather warms up and spring begins to bloom around us the tendency is to get a little wanderlust, to take your eyes off of the main thing and to look elsewhere. That main thing for our students is school and learning. With your help at home I know we can finish this year off the way that we have attacked it this year, with fight and effort.
May is also the final month of careers. No, I'm not talking about any of the employees of our district (even those who are retiring still work into June!). What I'm referring to is the Au Gres-Sims careers of our graduating seniors, the class of 2023. For many of our graduates, AGS is their home away from home, the only school that they've ever attended. A high percentage of our graduates have called these halls their school for 13 years, working hard year in and year out. In fact, many of our seniors have been at AGS longer than a lot of our staff, myself included.
While Spring brings with it budding trees and blooming flowers, signs of a fresh beginning, it also brings the end to another class of students. Our seniors are the fruit that we bear from our tree of learning. Let's use this month to celebrate their efforts and the efforts of all of our students who have put forth tremendous effort this year by finishing strong and leaving a legacy.
Have a great weekend.
K-12 Principal's Update
April is Earth Month, and although the month of April is almost over, it’s never too late to do good things. Earth Month is a perfect opportunity to teach children about the environment. It is a chance to help them appreciate the world around them and make a difference in protecting it. Use this tip sheet to talk, read, and sing with children about the earth and show them ways we can all do our part to keep it healthy. For a copy of additional opportunities, see the following newsletter from the Great Start Collaborative.
Registration for the STEM Innovators Program is now available on the website www.svsu.edu. This free camp is open to high school students interested in making a STEM idea become reality. Participants will work with SVSU engineering, business, and health sciences faculty to explore innovative STEM solutions, develop a business idea, conduct a feasibility study, learn marketing strategies, design a prototype, and pitch their creative idea to local experts. A true "Shark-Tank" experience! Camp dates are June 19 - 22 and registration deadline is May 12, 2023.
Although the end of the year sounds like a long ways away…it really isn’t. For planning purposes, below are some events going on throughout the district for the remainder of the year. We will keep you posted as we gain information and things potentially have to change.
-May 4 Distracted Driving Experience with grades 9-12
-May 5 Band Festival
-May 6 Prom at 8:00 at the Tribal Center
-May 11 Veterans’ Assembly from 9:15-11:00 in the main gym for 9th and 10th grade
-May 17 1:00 Early Release PLC, Spring Band Concert at 7:00
-May 25 MS/HS Inflatable/Grill Out Incentive starting at lunch and in the afternoon
-May 26 Last Senior Day
-May 29 No school- Memorial Day
-May 30 Pre-Districts: BB at Hale vs. Hale at 4:00, SB at Au Gres vs. WP at 4:00
-May 31 Graduation Rehearsal 8:30-10:00, Senior Class Night 6:00-8:00
-June 1 Graduation Rehearsal 8:30-10:00, MS/HS Academic Awards 7:00-8:00
-June 2 Districts (if win on 5/30): BB at Alcona vs. WP at 10:00/SB at AGS vs Alcona at noon, Graduation at 7:30
-June 5 Elementary Fun Day
-June 7 1:00 Early Dismissal- Exams 1st-3rd hours
-June 8 1:00 Early Dismissal- Exams 4th-6th hours- Last student day
8:30-9:45 4th/5th Awards
10:00-11:00 1st/2nd/3rd Awards
10:30-11:30 6th Grade Orientation in MPR
11:30-12:30 K Awards
From the Desk of Ms. Socha
We had another busy week of testing, and next week is only going to get busier as we open the NWEA testing window. Like last year, the NWEA is really our biggest focus during this Spring testing session. We are required to report growth as part of the Section 98b Goal Reporting requirement by the state, and we use this to inform so many academic decisions in school as well. The NWEA testing window for students K-11th grade will begin next week. I will also be completing M-STEP make-up tests as well.
I know many families have been asking about summer school opportunities. We will be releasing specific information in a few weeks. For high school students, we will be offering our traditional Credit Recovery program. Students who need to retake classes for credit will be invited directly to the program. Information about that will be coming out soon.
Finally, to help us out with testing - please be sure that your student is coming to school each day with a fully charged Chromebook. We do not have a lot of extra devices in the building, and we also do not have a lot of additional days to do make-up testing. We cannot afford to have students coming to school without their necessary materials. Bringing school-issued Chromebooks to school each day is imperative. We would appreciate your assistance in making sure that students are prepared for school each day! As always, a good night's sleep helps too! If you have any questions regarding testing, please feel free to contact me!
Athletics Update
If you are looking for something to do this week, come out and watch our AGS athletes in action.
The middle school track meet that was cancelled on April 17th has been reschedule for May 17th @ Tawas.
Next Week's Schedule of Events:
Mon. 5/1
- 4p V Softball AWAY @ Mio
- 4p V Baseball AWAY @ Mio
- 4p MS Track AWAY @ Hale
- 5p V Soccer AWAY @ Oscoda
Tue. 5/2
- 2p V Track AWAY @ Fairview Invite
Wed. 5/3
- 430p V Soccer HOME (SSC) vs. Millington
Thu. 5/4
- 2p MS Track AWAY @ Fairview Invite
- 4p V Softball HOME vs. Posen
- 4p V Baseball HOME vs. Posen
Fri. 5/5
- 430p V Soccer AWAY @ Millington
Huffman Basketball Camp
Important Dates
MAY
- 5: State Band Festival at Gaylord High School
- 6: Prom at Tribal Center in Standish
- 12: Board of Education Spring Work Session - 12-4 at Elusive Games in Au Gres
- 15: Board of Education Regular Meeting - 6pm in Elementary Library
- 17: Early Release for all students @ 1pm
- 29: Memorial Day Holiday - no school staff and students
- 31: Senior Class Night (High School Gym)
The Wolverine Wake-up
This week's issue takes a behind-the-scenes look at the folks who aren't in the spotlight each week, but without them, we wouldn't be able to bring you fresh content each week. We're talking about our lighting crew, staff writers, artists, and camera operators. Check out this week's issue and CLICK HERE to view The Wolverine Wake-Up Issue 84.
ATTENTION SENIORS AND SENIOR PARENTS - MONEY IS AVAILABLE FOR YOU FOR NEXT YEAR!!!
You may have already received some information in the mail about the Michigan Achievement Scholarship and our seniors will be hearing more and seeing more about it from now through the end of the school year. Below are resources to help you with the process, please take advantage of them and call the main office of the school if you need any assistance.
Letter explaining the Michigan Achievement Scholarship (MAS)
FSA ID Worksheet (FAFSA Login)
Which Parent to use on the FAFSA (students with 2 households)
Au Gres-Sims School District
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