The Au Gres-Sims School District

Shortly, bus routes will be posted on the front of the Main Office and sent out via email. The times are not exactly timed for residences but are listed at corresponding corners for reference. Please allow 5-10 minutes before and after your scheduled time to account for changes of times due to students that are adding and dropping from our school roster (this is happening continuously by the minute), and for general transportation issues we work through. After the first few days, times should start to become more consistent. Please also make sure your children are standing at your designated pick up spot so our drivers can clearly see you in a safe area.

Open House is scheduled to take place on Thursday, August 21, and run from 4:30-6:00 for elementary students and from 5:00-6:30 for MS/HS students. Open House is a great time to meet and greet your new teacher while exploring the buildings and getting you ready for your new learning adventures. Student classroom schedules for this event for MS and HS families can be picked in the Events Lobby entrance heading into the main gym if they weren’t picked up during “Schedule/Chromebook Pick Up” from 8-3 earlier in the day.

Open House for our 11th and 12th grade Academy students will take place on Wednesday, August 20th, and run from 5:00-7:00 pm in the Cyber Cafe.

This is an opportunity to learn more about our Academy Program while completing Academy paperwork and School of Choice paperwork, if applicable. Please bring a copy of your transcripts to this event.

If you can’t attend, but have questions about the Academy, contact Academy Supervisor, Shauna Fox, at 989-305-9857 or foxs@ags-schools.org.

Here are the color-coded and written events calendars for the 2025-26 school year. Any changes to the school year calendar will be communicated through the school website

Linked below are the PDF schedules for our fall sports teams. Changes could occur, however, so up-to-date schedules may always be found on our website

Schedule and Chromebook pick up is slated for Thursday, August 21, and will run from 8:00-3:00. This is for students in grades 9-12. Please enter through the Main Office. If you have any fines, we highly encourage these to be paid on this date.

When picking up your chromebook, fliers will also be provided offering the opportunity to purchase insurance for the school year. The cost is $29 for Dell Chromebooks. To find out what Dell chromebook you have (either 3100 or 3110), check the back in the small print. This offer ends September 30.

Insurance must be purchased online through the school website or at the following link: https://gpo.worthavegroup.com/gpo/agsschools/ . When completing the transaction they will ask for a student number. This is simply the lunch # that students use on a daily basis, but it can also be found on Skyward. To help make the decision if you want/need insurance, click on the purple hyperlink showing “What’s Covered”.

*If you are unable to pick up your chromebook during this time you will receive it the first day of school.

For our morning procedures, students are able to head to their respective classrooms at 7:55 each morning. If students arrive from 7:40-7:55 they will remain in the glass hallway area and be released at 7:55. Please do not drop off your children before 7:40 as we do not have supervision prior to this.

The drop off and pick up for:

• High school students will be at the north doors on Michigan Avenue OR next to the main entrance of the parking lot of the Events Lobby.

• Middle school pick up and drop off will be at the north end of the glass hallway by the flagpole.

• Fourth and fifth grade will be at the south end of the glass highway by the kitchen.

• Second and third grade will be at the south side of the parking lot at the covered entrance of the elementary.

• Preschool, kindergarten, and first grade will be on Court Street in front of the elementary.

Although we are just starting back to school, Homecoming is just around the corner! Homecoming this year takes place the week of September 19. Although there are various dress up days during the week, the week concludes with a plethora of activities on Friday and the Homecoming dance on Saturday. Some of the events on Friday include a parade starting at 4:30, a Carnival beginning at 5:00, and the Homecoming football game at 7:00. Come enjoy the fun while contributing to our strong school culture and Go Wolverines!

For our Career Center families, the bus will leave the parking lot at 6:35am promptly on the first day of school, August 25th.

If students choose to ride OR drive to the Career Center separate from the bus, they MUST have a permission form on file in the main office first. Only two students are allowed to be in the vehicle, the driver and one passenger. Failure to do so may jeopardize future driving opportunities. This policy is for safety purposes.

If you have not so far, please make sure you have updated your yearly fall registration information in Skyward. In addition, please make sure you complete the Household Information Report provided through Food Service. Although all students receive free breakfast and lunch, these forms are needed for school funding and other reporting purposes.

ELEMENTARY

ELEMENTARY PHYSICAL EDUCATION

• One pair of lace-up tennis shoes to keep at school (if they are still working on shoe tying please send velcro tennis shoes)

• Extra pair of Socks

Optional Donations to P.E. Class

• Disinfecting Wipes

• Box of Band-Aids

• Mini Reusable Ice Packs

• Box of Kleenex

KINDERGARTEN

• Backpack - large enough for their folder to fit

• Plastic pencil box for their crayons, scissors, glue, and pencils

• Multiple boxes of Crayola crayons – 12 basic colors ONLY at first. If you want to buy a 24 count box, please only send your child with the eight basic colors to start the year. (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, black, brown, pink, gray, white, & peach). Buy extra boxes to have as they will need them every once in a while

• Child’s scissors

• At least 20 Elmer’s glue sticks

• Pencils - Ticonderoga brands

• Tennis shoes for indoors/gym (especially useful in the winter months). These will stay here at school all year!

• 10-12 black expo markers (preferably the skinny, fine point ones for better writing)

• At least 2 of the large pink erasers

• 1 (70pg) Spiral notebook for journal activities (name on front)

• Headphones (not earbuds)

• Water Bottle

• A box of Ziploc bags sandwich, quart or gallon size

• A box of Puff or Kleenex brand tissues

Please note the request for Crayola and Elmer’s. Although others may be cheaper, these particular brands work the best for our needs! Stock up now while they are on sale! It’s also not a bad idea to have some at home!

FIRST GRADE

For self:

• (1) box of 24 count crayons

• (8) large glue sticks

• (1) 2 pocket folders (pictured ones are fine)

• a plastic pencil box

• backpack (large enough to hold a 10 x 13 folder)

• number 2 wooden pencils (Ticonderoga brand are the best)

• Handheld pink erasers

• gym shoes to leave at school

• 12 count colored pencils

• children scissors

• Kleenex

• 5 personal dry erase markers

• personal headphones

SECOND GRADE

There are a few supplies that you will need for the school year. Some of them you will keep in your desk and some will be shared with the class. If you can please bring:

• a pencil/crayon box (You will need this to carry your supplies.)

• a pencil sharpener with shavings reservoir

• hand held eraser

• pencils (no plastic coverings, they ruin the sharpeners; Ticonderoga brand are the best)

• a pack of colored pencils

• a box of Crayola crayons (16 or 24 count)

• a pair of scissors

• 2 glue sticks

• two 2 pocket folders

• two dry erase markers

• a box of kleenex

• a backpack

• a pair of gym shoes

• personal sized hand sanitizer

• earbuds or headphones

• Clorox wipes

• composition notebook

Please refrain from bringing in 3 ring binders/trapper keepers as there is not room in our desks.

THIRD GRADE

There are a few supplies that you will need for the school year. Some of them you will keep in your desk and some will be shared with the class. If you can please bring:

• a pencil/crayon box

• 3 pink pearl erasers

• one box of sharpened pencils (no plastic coverings, they ruin the sharpeners)

• 1 box of colored pencils OR Crayola crayons

• 1 box of markers

• a pair of scissors

• 2 glue sticks

• two 2 pocket folders

• 1 pack of dry erase markers

• 1 composition notebook

• a backpack

• a pair of gym shoes

• earbuds or headphones (not wireless)

• Clorox wipes (optional)

• 1 bottle of Elmer's glue (optional)

• Kleenex (optional)

Please refrain from bringing in 3 ring binders/trapper keepers as there is not room in our desks.

FOURTH GRADE

• 2 notebooks

• 1 box of crayons or colored pencils

• 2 pk of erasers (NOT the pencil toppers)

• 1 pk of dry erase markers

• 1 pair of scissors

• 1 pair of headphones (not earbuds)

• 1 pk of Lysol wipes

• 2 small sanitizer to keep at desk (would get extra to be replaced throughout the year)

• 3 different colored folders

• 1 storage box for materials

• 2 pencil sharpeners (ones that collect pencil shavings)

• 2 boxes of Kleenex

• 2 pk of pencils

FIFTH GRADE

For self:

• pre sharpened colored pencils

• a personal pencil sharpener with reservoir

• 2-3 highlighters

• 2 glue sticks

• single subject notebook

• pencil box

• gym shoes

• backpack

• erasers

• 1 pair of scissors

• 1 pair of headphones

• 1 pack of pencils

• 2 folders

• 2 fine point dry erase markers

To share with the class:

• 1 box of kleenex

• disinfecting wipes
  Please refrain from bringing in 3 ring binders/trapper keepers as there is not room in our desks.

MIDDLE SCHOOL

Used Daily

Optional but frequently used/asked for Classroom Consumable Items

• Good sturdy binder (at least 2”)/Trapper keeper

• 5 Star folders w/ 3 hole punches for binder quantity of 6

• Pencil pouch for binder

• Cheap wired headphones to keep in a binder

• Many No. 2 pencils

• College ruled notebook paper

• Glue sticks (just a few)

• Scissors

• ​Black Sharpie Markers

• Colored​ pencils

• Liquid Whiteout

• Stencils​ (for projects)

• Puffs/Kleenex tissues

• Unscented hand sanitizer

• College lined loose leaf notebook paper

This year, AGS will again focus on increasing attendance for all of our learners. Over the summer, members of our staff took time to learn more about how attendance directly impacts academic success. Research is clear—students who miss just a couple of days per month are at a much higher risk of falling behind academically and even dropping out. That’s why our goal this year is for every student to have nine or fewer absences, which is about one per month. Students with strong attendance (missing 5% or less of school days) consistently achieve higher proficiency, while those who miss 10% or more are considered chronically absent, a habit that becomes harder to break over time. Good attendance isn’t just a school skill—it’s a life skill that benefits future success in the workforce as well.

When it comes to academic improvement, every missed day counts. Whether it’s for a doctor’s appointment, a family trip, or just a “day off,” each missed day increases the chance of falling behind. Students learn best when they are here, and this year we’re increasing our efforts to encourage consistent attendance. We’ll be sending regular communications, meeting with families when absence rates climb, and celebrating students whose attendance stands out. We are going to put a lot of effort into celebrating the positives this year and being present in school is one of them. Together, with the support of our AGS families and community, we can make strong attendance a shared priority.

As we prepare for the first day of school, here’s a quick guide on when to keep your child home due to illness:

• Fever above 100°F

• Vomiting two or more times in 24 hours

• Severe sore throat with fever, headache, stomachache, or swollen glands

• Stomach pain accompanied by fever, vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, or sharp pain

Students who are not experiencing the above symptoms are ok to come to school and be a part of the learning taking place.

Construction of the school-based health clinic has been completed, but we need your advocacy to help get it open. Currently, the Michigan Legislature has not passed a school budget bill for the 2025-26 school year. The proposals from the House and Senate are wildly different, with one protecting specific funding for school based health clinics and the other consolidating it into a different part of the budget. The impact of this consolidation would severely impact our ability to open and run the clinic that we have been working so hard on completing.

I encourage all of our families to contact Representative Mike Hoadley and Senator Michelle Huitenga to advocate for dedicated funding for school-based health clinics, so that we may continue our partnership with Sterling Area Health Center and open the doors to our beautiful new clinic on campus.

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AUGUST

• 18: 6p Board of Education Regular Meeting
• 21: Open House; 4:30-6:00 Elementary, 5:00-6:30 MS/HS
• 25: First Day of School
• 29: NO SCHOOL - HOLIDAY BREAK

SEPTEMBER

• 1: NO SCHOOL - LABOR DAY
• 15: 6p Board of Education Regular Meeting
• 17: 1p Dismissal - Professional Development for Staff

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