Wolfpack Weekly Grades 9 - 12 | Smore Newsletters

Dear High School Families,

At Avon Grove Charter School, we want every student to experience academic success and remain on track to meet graduation requirements. We recognize that students sometimes encounter academic challenges, and we believe it is important to respond with consistent expectations, meaningful support, and opportunities for improvement.

Beginning with the second marking period, we will be implementing a more clearly defined academic support plan for students who are struggling in one or more full-year courses.

Most of the components of this plan are not new. Rather, we are bringing together several of our existing academic supports and expectations into a consistent process to help students, families, and teachers understand how we identify students in need of additional support and how we help them get back on track.

How Will Students Be Identified?

Our CST (Child Study Team) will review student academic performance at two points during each marking period:

At the end of the marking period, after grades have been finalized.
At the midpoint of the marking period, around the release of progress reports.

Students who have failed one or more full-year courses at the end of a marking period, or are failing one or more full-year courses at the midpoint, will be placed into our Structured Study Hall program.

For this process, identification is based specifically on marking-period (quarter) grades, rather than cumulative final course grades. As we move into the second half of the school year, we will also be monitoring students' overall course performance. Students whose cumulative final grades place them at risk of failing a course and potentially falling behind in graduation requirements will be addressed through a separate academic intervention process.

Our first review will occur following the finalization of first-quarter grades, and identified students will begin participating in the program during the second quarter.

What Is Structured Study Hall?

Students who already have a scheduled study hall will continue to attend their regularly scheduled study hall, but with additional expectations and oversight to help them make productive use of this academic time.

These expectations include:

Turning in cell phones during study hall to minimize distractions.
Sitting in a designated area closer to the teacher.
Receiving frequent academic check-ins from their study hall teacher.
Completing daily study hall reporting forms with increased teacher oversight.
Remaining in their assigned study hall rather than visiting open locations such as The Wolf's Brew or Nooks, including for 11th- and 12th-grade students.

Additional Support During Lunch & Learn

Students participating in the program will also have restrictions during our Lunch & Learn period (12:00–1:00 PM).

During this time, students will be limited to attending their assigned rALLy and lunch. They will temporarily be unable to participate in clubs or other optional activities that meet during this period.

During rALLy, students will be expected to focus on their academic responsibilities, and teachers will conduct daily check-ins to support their progress.

These expectations are designed to ensure students are taking full advantage of the academic support time that is already part of their school day.

Late Arrival and Early Release Privileges

Students who are identified through this process and currently have Late Arrival or Early Release privileges will temporarily lose those privileges while participating in the program.

During this time, students will be expected to attend school rather than arrive late or leave early, allowing them additional opportunities to complete academic work and receive support.

These privileges may be restored once a student has demonstrated sustained academic improvement and has been formally removed from the program.

How Can Students Exit the Program?

Our CST team will review student academic performance at each scheduled grade check (mid quarter and end of quarter). Students will remain in the program until they demonstrate the improvement necessary to have these additional supports removed.

We also recognize that students may make significant progress before the next scheduled review. In these situations, students can submit a request for an earlier review through a form available in their student bookmarks.

To be considered for early removal, students must demonstrate sustained academic improvement rather than a temporary change in their grades. We want to see that students have established consistent habits that will help them maintain their success moving forward. Due to students’ ability to request to be removed as soon as they demonstrate improvement, this program is not something that students can opt out of.

How Can Families Help?

We encourage families to regularly review their child's academic progress through PowerSchool and Schoology and to have conversations about upcoming assignments, assessments, and academic responsibilities.

If your child is struggling, we encourage you to work with them to identify what may be contributing to those challenges and to communicate with their teachers about available support.

Our goal is not to limit student opportunities unnecessarily. In fact, we want students to be able to enjoy the many experiences, activities, and privileges available at AGCS. However, we also believe that academic responsibility must remain a priority.

By providing clear expectations, consistent support, and opportunities for students to demonstrate improvement, we hope to help students develop the independence, accountability, and academic habits necessary for success.

Thank you for your continued partnership in supporting our students.

Matt Messick
High School Principal

Mark Miller
Assistant Principal

Picture Retakes Grades 7-12

Tardy Information

AGCS 7-12 Families,

We want to take a moment to share important information about your child’s school attendance for students in grades 7-12. Please take a moment to review our procedures regarding tardies:

Per the student handbook, students are considered tardy at 7:35. We allow a 3-minute grace period, extending this time to 7:38.
Students arriving to their first block class after 7:38, regardless of when they arrived on campus, will be considered tardy to school.
Tardies will be considered to be unexcused unless a doctor's note is provided. Any student that has over 10 cumulative medical absences will require an administrative meeting for further medical absences to be considered excused.
We will attempt to notify you if your child hits 3 tardies. On the 4th tardy, families will be notified via talking points if their child has reached 4 tardies and are required to serve a lunch detention.
Students will receive an after-school detention for each tardy for their 5th through 10th tardies.
Students will receive a Saturday detention for their 11th tardy.
A Parent/Guardian meeting will be scheduled after a student's 11th tardy.
All detentions will be held Monday-Thursday from 2:20-3:10.

By implementing this plan, we hope to reduce late arrivals, which significantly impact school resources and student learning.

Thank you for taking the time to review this with your child,

AGCS Administration and Attendance

School Counselor Updates and Information

College Reps Visiting AGCS: (interested students should sign up in Naviance)

11/2 - West Chester University

11/4 - Univ. of Pittsburgh at Johnstown

11/6 - East Stroudsburg University

AP Exams:

Fees for AP exams were due October 30th. Anyone who missed this deadline should contact Mrs. Alaxson ASAP. CollegeBoard will assess a late fee of $40 in addition to the $99 test fee for any student who registers after November 14th.

Resource for College Bound Students and their parents/guardians: https://app.collegelogistics.net/home

Scholarships:

The Alma Newlin Educational Fund is for students with a 3.0 or higher GPA and who are planning to study for a human healthcare-related profession. The application is now open. It must be submitted by February 26th. Apply here: https://hwfscc.org/scholarship.html. Questions should be directed to almanewlinscholarshipfund@gmail.com.

FASFA is open! Seniors, you can begin completing your FASFA. Attached is a resource on the benefits of completing the FASFA.

Start here: https://studentaid.gov/ - It is recommended that seniors complete their part of the application first and then invite parents to attend.

College Admissions Counselors at AGCS: (Interested students should sign up in Naviance)

Scholarship Opportunity for Juniors:

Coolidge Scholarship is a full ride, four year merit based scholarship - Go to the website for more information www.coolidgescholars.org - Submissions due 12/1/26

Information for Seniors:

How to Decide Whether to Apply Early Decision or Early Action: Double-check your ED/EA deadlines—some fall as early as October 15th. Note that some school-based scholarships require that you apply by the early deadline.

Financial Aid Year Resources

Federal Student Aid FAFSA info, resources & application: StudentAid.gov
The PA State Financial Aid Guide (PDF) provides an outline of state financial aid programs organized by eligibility and type.
The 2027–28 FAFSA form is open now at fafsa.gov.
2027-28 FAFSA Completion Resources from Federal Student Aid
- How to Create a StudentAid.gov Account Guide: This step-by-step guide is easy to print and share.
- 2027–28 FAFSA Preview Presentation: This PowerPoint and PDF include 2027–28 FAFSA screens and instructions for common user scenarios. The presentation can be used as provided at a FAFSA completion event or modified as needed.

High School Yearbook

The 2027 Avon Grove Charter School Yearbook is now available to order!

Filled with the people, activities, achievements, and memorable moments that shape the school year, the yearbook gives students a lasting way to remember their Avon Grove Charter School experience.

ORDER NOW AND SAVE

Order by Thanksgiving to receive the early-order price of $70. The price will increase after Thanksgiving, and yearbooks are printed in limited quantities, so families are encouraged to reserve their student’s copy now.

ORDER THE 2027 AVON GROVE CHARTER YEARBOOK

Questions or need help ordering? Call Student Services Company at 610-539-1330.

Don’t wait until the price increases—order now and make sure your student receives this lasting record of the 2026–2027 school year.

Ski and Snowboard Club

Interested in joining the Ski and Snowboard Club for the 2027 season check out the slide deck linked below for information about the club and when/where permission slips will be available and collected. Please email John Hashagen (jhashagen@agcharter.org) and Sylvo Szabo (sszabo@agcharter.org) with any questions. Stay tuned to the morning announcements for further information.

Ski and Snowboard Club Information