The Au Gres-Sims School District

We have been fortunate this autumn with some beautiful weather, but the changing of the seasons is inevitable. The leaves falling to the ground and the ever-shortening days are reminders that winter is on its way and that the run of uncharacteristically pleasant temperatures will be ending soon. Looking at the forecast for our near future it would seem that we have hit that point, that time in the calendar when we must begin making accommodations for the arrival of snow and ice.

While the ground has not yet frozen, and the likelihood of a big winter weather event is low, now is a good time to share a reminder of our winter cancelation protocols. I often share with kids, staff members, and families that it is often not about how much snow we get, but when we get it.

School Days:

• The Michigan Department of Education stipulates the minimum number of instructional days (180) and clock hours of instruction (1098) that schools must have in order to receive full state aid funding.
• The MDE grants local school districts the discretion to cancel up to 6 scheduled days of instruction and has a waiver process in place for the cancelation of up to an additional 3 days that can be waived without penalty.
• Short of a declaration of state emergency or legislative action for forgiveness, days canceled in excess of 9 in a given school year must be made up.

Local Protocols:

• Predicting the weather is difficult at best, and the only way to determine if the roads are safe enough to transport our students to school is by driving them.
• Under the threat of poor weather, I plan accordingly and am typically on the road driving our district around 4:00-4:15am. Our buses drive a lot of roads each day, and it takes time to check as many of them as possible in order to make an informed decision.
• Information about the roads and conditions are coordinated between neighboring districts, our ISD, and the road commission.
• The target time that I set for myself to make the decision is 5:30am, though this can be pushed later for developing systems. Regardless, I try to get all communication out about cancelations by 6:00am.
• Decisions about scheduled athletic and activity events will not be made until the afternoon on days where school is canceled. The road conditions can change a lot during the course of a day and it is very difficult to reschedule games during the winter season.

Communications:

• If the decision is made to cancel school information goes out in a number of ways:
• A phone call is initiated across the district, usually going out between 6:00 and 6:30am.
• The closing is shared to local radio and tv networks.
• It is posted to our social media platforms and as an alert banner on our school website.
• The calendar on our website is updated with the SNOW DAY #.
• I try to provide as much time for our families to make accommodations for childcare as possible and whenever possible I will attempt to make a decision the preceding night. This is not always possible, however, as weather reports are no guarantee.

Last year I had some help from some students in making a snow day video, answering many of these questions, and the information is still relevant this year. Take a look at it if you are interested.

Personally, I hope to not have to use these protocols very much, for the weather to be great, and for our kids to be in school. It is, however, best to be in-the-know, to have a process and not have to use it too often.

The school has put together a student trip to Washington DC for the Fall of 2026. This would be for next year's 8th and 9th grade students (this year's 7th and 8th grade students). In order to make the trip as cost effective for our families as possible we must fill the bus. Our current numbers do not support that and we are at risk of the trip being canceled.

Mr. Dittenber has sent a form home with students (and also shared digitally) and we need to hear from the families of our current 7th and 8th grade students. Planning out this far in advance provides us a great opportunity to conduct fundraisers and further reduce the cost of the trip, but we need to know if we will reach our goal participation.

We need a minimum of 30 students signed up for the plans of this trip to move forward. The cut off date to sign up is Friday, December 5th. We have been in touch with the travel company and they assure us that up to that date we can cancel the trip and issue a full refund to our families who have signed up and made payments.

Hey AGS Nation,

This week’s P2 Character Strength was Bravery. Bravery plays an important role in both our education and our everyday lives. In school, bravery means having the courage to speak up in class, ask questions when we don’t understand something, or try new activities even when we’re unsure of the outcome. It takes bravery to admit mistakes, to stand up for what is right, and to keep trying after failing a test or project. When students are brave, they create an environment where learning and growth can truly happen.

In the real world, bravery continues to shape who we are and how we succeed. It means facing challenges head-on. Whether that is starting a new job, standing up for others, or making difficult decisions. Bravery helps us push beyond our comfort zones and take risks that lead to new opportunities.

Ultimately, bravery builds confidence, resilience, and integrity. It reminds us that success isn’t about never being afraid, it’s about choosing to act with courage despite fear. Whether in the classroom or in life, bravery helps us learn, grow, and make a positive difference in the world.

Thanks & Stay Brave Wolverines!

Expanding Learning Support Beyond the School Day

Last week we shared information about Khan Academy and how it supports our secondary students’ learning. This week, we’re excited to highlight another valuable resource, Paper. Paper provides free, online tutoring for students after school hours, giving them access to academic help whenever they need it.

Attached is a document explaining how students can log in and use Paper from home. We know that learning doesn’t stop when the school day ends, and this platform ensures students can continue to get the support they need—even outside of the classroom. Through Paper, students can connect live with tutors for 1:1 help on classwork or submit writing assignments for feedback before the due date. This service helps students strengthen their understanding, refine their work, and build confidence in their learning.

With both Khan Academy and Paper, Au Gres-Sims students now have access to powerful tools for success—whether they’re in the classroom or studying from home. We encourage families to remind students to take advantage of these great opportunities to expand their learning and reach their full potential.

Strive for Fewer than Five: Attendance Matters

As we move into November, it’s especially important for students to be in school each day. Consistent attendance helps them stay on track with lessons, group projects, and assessments that often take place before scheduled breaks like Opening Day and Thanksgiving. When students miss school right before a holiday, they can still fall behind their peers. Even taking just a day or two off here and there add up over time and the learning lost impacts student progress. We appreciate your efforts to ensure your child is present and engaged each day—every day in class truly makes a difference in their learning and success.

Positive Attendance =

Academic Learning Success and Social and Emotional Learning Success

Mrs. Heck’s 3rd grade class had the overall best attendance percentage for the month of October! Way to go 3rd graders! Your class has earned an extra recess this month with Mrs. Phillips!

AGS staff had the opportunity to hear from Dr. Jody Carrington and what an amazing experience it was. I feel that many of us came away from this PD with new thoughts and plans of how we can connect with not only our students but our community as well. Below you will find Dr. Carrington’s 3 step process that we can try to shift our thinking toward in order to best serve and connect with our students.

Address

You can't address that which you don't acknowledge. The question should not be "what's wrong here?" but instead, "what's happened here?". This small shift in context will change the way you make sense of the world and the people in it.

Acknowledge

When you are acknowledged, you rise. The simple complexity of it all is that every single one of us needs to feel seen and we are all born with the capacity to do that for each other.

Reconnect

We were never meant to do any of this alone. The hard work of repair and reconnection is the most important investment we will ever make. Human relationships are the one thing we will never automate.

Senior Parents,

With FAFSA now open it is time to complete this graduation requirement. As a reminder, there is an event on November 13th at 5 - 7 pm at the Delta College Planetarium. The school will provide anyone with proof of attendance to this event a $30 gas card. As students/families complete the FAFSA the school will also be providing the student and the parent a $50 gas or Amazon card through a grant we were awarded. If you have any questions please reach out to me via email and I will be happy to help.

Families Grades K-12

The trip to SVSU on Nov. 8th is cancelled due to a lack of interest.

Warmly,

Ashley Cardinal

K–12 School Counselor

Congratulations to the girls varsity volleyball team on a successful season. Their season came to a conclusion with a defeat in district play, and with it also comes the close to our fall sports seasons.

As the weather turns colder and we move indoors, we’re excited to kick off another winter sports season here at Au Gres-Sims! Our student-athletes, coaches, and staff are looking forward to a season filled with teamwork, dedication, and school pride.

GO WOLVERINES!

SCHEDULE

Mon. 11/10

• 6p MS Girls Basketball HOME vs Tawas
• 60 MS Boys Basketball AWAY @ Tawas

Tues. 11/11

• 6p MS Girls Basketball HOME vs Hale
• 6p MS Boys Basketball AWAY @ Hale

Thurs. 11/13

• 6p MS Girls Basketball HOME vs Oscoda
• 6p MS Boys Basketball AWAY @ Oscoda

The Middle School/High School Handbook has been updated to reflect changes in the process for athletic eligibility. A copy of that process is provided as an attachment below. Eligibility will now be pulled every week, starting with the 3rd week of the semester. These changes have been shared with the coaching staff and will be communicated with their student athletes.

Check out the Wolverine Exchange Sideline Store for all your AGS Gear. Great stuff is being added daily and you never know when a discount code will pop up, so check back.

Shop the Wolverine Exchange Sideline Store Now

The PTO plays an important role in supporting our teachers and students with many of the extras that make AGS so great. Consider joining this wonderful group and helping to make this school year a special one.

EVENTS:

• Breakfast with Santa: Saturday, November 29 ~ 8:00a.m. - 10:00a.m.

POPCORN FRIDAYS: The PTO pops the corn on selected Fridays throughout the school year in the elementary building. Volunteers are needed to make this happen, with a report time of 8:00a.m. Your son/daughter's teachers will be reaching out to you at different times throughout the year.

Please consider volunteering!

• November 21
• December 12
• January 16, 30
• February 13, 27
• March 13, 27
• April 10, 24
• May 8, 22

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

NOVEMBER

• 12: 1p EARLY DISMISAL - Staff Professional Development
• 12: 4-7p Elementary Parent-Teacher Conferences
• 13: 4-7p Elementary Parent-Teacher Conferences
• 14: NO SCHOOL - Safety Day
• 17: 6p Board of Education Regular Meeting (Elementary Library)
• 27: NO SCHOOL - Happy Thanksgiving
• 28: NO SCHOOL - Thanksgiving Weekend

• Movie at the Au Gres Community Library (see attached flyer)
• November 12 - 2:00p.m.

• November 14 ~ 12:00 - 4:00p.m. Craft Day at the Library (see attached flyer)

• December 6 - 6:15p.m. Au Gres Area Chamber of Commerce Christmas Parade - see attached flyer

• Chamber of Commerce Gourmet Nut Fundraiser - see attached flyer for details

Stay tuned for the next exciting episode!

Current job listings:

• PARAPROFESSIONAL - LOWER ELEMENTARY

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