The Au Gres-Sims School District

The cancellation of school on Thursday due to the black ice brought an abrupt end to the week, a week that marks the transition point into the second half of the school year. This point is a good time for reflection on where we've been and where we are going.

This school year we have brought back many of the elements of school that we have missed so much since the sudden closing in March of 2020. Band concerts, full stadiums, after school clubs, etc. have all been welcomed back with open arms. In response, the feel of school has been much different this year. There has been less trepidation and more of the typical behaviors of years past. In a lot of ways this has been good. In some ways, however, it has been not so good. Our students have all been impacted by the pandemic academically, socially, emotionally, and mentally. This year we are working hard to fill those newly developed needs with things like ExactPath, which creates a specialized learning plan to help students develop their own areas of need.

Despite the push for being done with the pandemic, we are still feeling, and will still feel, its impact. This has taken a number of forms, but includes staffing shortages (for full-time and substitutes), breaking negative academic habits, increases in behavioral incidents, modifications to instructional practices, etc. Each of these has been exacerbated by the loss of the flexibility that we were afforded last year. That makes the work that we are doing all the more important. What we ask in return is your patience and participation with the process. Every student learns at a different pace and they are all at different places. It will take us time to make up the learning that was suspended during the worst of times.

Thank you for working with us. Have a great weekend.

-Mr. Ming

As a reiteration to Mr. Ming’s communication sent out previously, here is a quick summary for the beginning of next week.

• Monday- Full day- MS/HS exams from 8:15-1:00 for 4th-6th hours and then an abbreviated schedule for 1st-3rd hours from 1:00-3:10. K-12 Report cards will be sent out at the beginning of this week.
• Tuesday- Full day- 8:15-3:10

We are fortunate to work with some great educational partners. Below are a couple of opportunities provided through them.

1) The Great Start Collaborative has coordinated a movie opportunity with the State Theater in Bay City. Free admission is provided for two movie opportunities with a suggested donation of non-perishable food items to be given to the Good Samaritan Rescue Mission in Bay City.

-Sunday, January 16, 1:00 pm- “Tangled”

-Sunday, February 20, 1:00 pm- “Luca”

2) Through the MSU Extension, low-income residents in Arenac, Gladwin, Iosco, Ogemaw, Oscoda and Roscommon Counties ages 18 and older can earn up to $60 in fruits and vegetables!

The “Cooking for One [or Two]” class (with MSU Extension Community Nutrition Instructor Melissa Prohaska) reminds people that cooking for a small household can be simple and enjoyable. Participants receive and discuss real recipes and learn helpful tips for making healthy choices, like eating well and being active. This series will run for six weeks the weeks of January 26-March 2, 2022. Amidst our ongoing pandemic, participants will have the choice of attending in-person on Wednesdays, 1-2:30 p.m. at Willow Creek Apartments in Standish OR by phone/Zoom Thursdays, 1:30-2:30 p.m. The instructor will connect with each registrant to understand their attendance preference.

Pre-register by calling Kelsey Killinger, MyMichigan Health Community Health Supervisor, at 989-343-3542, or send an email to Kelsey.killinger@mymichigan.org. Another option is to visit https://bit.ly/3FYf0ax.

There are several updates to share as a result of the snow day on Thursday, January 13th. As explained in the information that was released yesterday, our 4th-6th hour exams have been pushed back to Monday, January 17th. This change, along with several other factors, will require the secondary NWEA schedule to be pushed back a few days. Therefore, 6th-11th grade NWEA testing will begin on Thursday, January 20th. The Elementary schedule will remain the same, beginning on Tuesday the 18th. I am hoping to still have testing wrapped up by February 4th, but I may need to extend the test window if testing is not complete.

We are working hard this week to prepare for the adjustment to our credit recovery classes, which begin on Monday. Students should be receiving emails from Edmentum if they are enrolled in credit recovery classes. There will also be students taking elective classes through Edmentum, and these students will also receive emails. I will be finishing up these enrollments and working to finish 2nd-semester schedules over the next couple of days. I will be available to students after the exam hours on Monday, as well as Tuesday to answer questions about schedules and make any necessary adjustments. I encourage all students to check their school emails over the next few days (especially seniors) as we make final adjustments to schedules.

I was able to speak to 9th, 10th, and 11th-grade students over the last week about the changes to credit recovery classes, including the 9-week course length, Edmentum teachers of record, pre-tests to exempt from mastered material, and adjusted protocols for the Cyber Cafe to provide the most successful environment for students to make-up lost credit. A detailed explanation of the changes can be found in my newsletter entry last week, and will also be outlined in a letter that will go home next week with students who are taking credit recovery classes 2nd semester. We appreciate your patience as we make this transition!

Congratulations on starting a new semester

Testing times and locations for this coming week. No doctor’s order or prescription needed.

Central Michigan District Health Department – Branch Office

4489 W. M61 in Standish

(989) 846-6541

• Tuesday, January 18 9:00 am – 11:30 am (Rapid Antigen Test)
• Friday, January 21 9:00 am – 11:30 am (Rapid Antigen Test)

Flu/COVID Vaccine Clinic. Appointment Required.

5447 Sturman Rd in Standish

• Thursday, January 20 10:00 am- 5:00 pm
• https://ph-centralmichigan.as.me/SaganingCommunityCenterCOVIDBooster - SIGN UP HERE!

I must also regrettably inform you all that I will be leaving the District starting on Monday January 17, 2022. I accepted a job as a Hospital Administrator in Tawas and will begin my career in the Healthcare industry. I have loved working with all the students and wonderful staff here! And I hope you all do well in the new semester. Thank you so much for your kindness and patience during my time here – It has been a pleasure.

In the future, please direct any COVID-related questions and reports of positive cases to Mr. Chris Ming, our incredible superintendent. His email is mingc@ags-schools.org or by phone at (989) 876-7150.

Again, thank you!!

As Ms. Pedersen mentioned in her post, she will be leaving her position for a great opportunity at Tawas Ascension. AGS would like to thank her for the work that she has done for our district and wish her the best of luck as she kicks off her career there.

With her departure, I (Mr. Ming) will be resuming the role of primary COVID point of contact for the district. Please contact the administrative office via phone, or me, via email for all case related information.

Likely, you have recently read about the CDC and MDHHS updating quarantine and isolation guidance. The guidance that these organizations provide the framework for the policies and procedures that K-12 school districts use for contagious diseases. AGS is in the process of now of reviewing that guidance and aligning it to our own policies to put in place the best possible measures for keeping our students and staff safe. We are working with the Central Michigan District Health Department and our own local Arenac County branch and expect to have updated information for our school community next week, with a goal of introducing the changes starting on January 24.

Next Week's Game Schedule

ALL ATHLETIC PRACTICES, GAMES, AND CLINICS HAVE BEEN PAUSED FOR NEXT WEEK. Please review the attached letter for details.

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

January

• January 17th: Rescheduled MS/HS Exams (see attached letter that was emailed on 1/13) Regular Board Meeting 6:00 in Cyber Cafe
• January 24th (week of): new report card mailing (adjusted due to school closing on 1/13)

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

Full-time Special Education Teacher (1.0, but flexible to part time if desired by the candidate)

Upper Elementary Teacher (1.0)

(1) Paraprofessional

Health Resource Advocate

Hello Buster! This beautiful and happy dog belongs to AGS Teacher, Mrs. Barb Richardson.

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