The Au Gres-Sims School District

Happy Halloween, Wolverine Nation!

As we celebrate Halloween, we want our students to enjoy the excitement and fun while keeping learning a priority. Thank you for helping us make this a safe, positive, and memorable time for everyone. We appreciate your continued support and partnership!

Have a safe and Happy Halloween!

Go Wolverines!

This week, AGS focused on the character strength of Creativity!

Creativity in the classroom helps students develop critical thinking, problem-solving, collaboration, confidence, and resilience. By encouraging students to explore ideas, experiment, and learn from mistakes, teachers create opportunities for deeper engagement and meaningful learning. These skills extend beyond school, preparing students to adapt to change, innovate, communicate effectively, and solve real-world problems. Creativity is not just about making something new; it is about teaching students to think independently, overcome challenges, and apply what they know in meaningful ways.

Reminders!

• Vision Bus: Will be here next week!

• PTO Holiday Bazaar: November 7th from 9:00 AM–3:00 PM.

Next week, our staff will gather for a full day of professional learning on Tuesday November 3rd. While students are not in school our staff will engage in work to continue building their capacity as educators. Professional learning is essential for educators because it equips them with updated instructional strategies, research-based methodologies, and current technologies to meet the evolving needs of diverse learners. By continuously refining their practice, teachers can enhance student engagement, improve academic outcomes, and maintain a high standard of educational quality across the district. Our elementary educators will continue their learning around our literary curriculum resource, HMH Into Reading which is aligned to Michigan’s Public Act 146, the literacy and dyslexia law passed in 2024. Our secondary educators will work on several tier one instructional practices during the day as well. They will be discussing grading practices, current test out policy which is a part of Michigan law and the Michigan Merit Curriculum, and the essential standards. Our staff focuses on essential standards that are must learn skills before a student moves to the next grade. While we teach all standards as required, we put extra emphasis on the essentials as these are the skills students need the most to be successful.

We also wanted to share an opportunity being hosted at the Historical Museum of Bay County. If you have any questions, please see the attached flyer.

Free Family Fun – Night at the Museum!

Families with young children are invited to enjoy a FREE evening of screen-free fun at the Historical Museum of Bay County! This special event features scavenger hunts, a magic show, games, prizes, food, and more!

• Date: Saturday, November 7, 2026

• Time: 5:00–8:00 PM

• Location: Historical Museum of Bay County, 321 Washington Ave., Bay City

• Audience: Families with children ages 0–8

• Cost: FREE!

Flyer

We know how dedicated families are to keeping children healthy and thriving. However, as the school year progresses, routine medical, dental, and specialty appointments can quickly accumulate, and even excused medical absences add up toward overall attendance totals and missed instructional time.

To help minimize missed classroom instruction while still prioritizing your child’s health, we encourage families to take advantage of our Sterling Area School-Based Health Center . Located right on campus, the health center offers convenient care during the school day, helping your child get the quality medical attention they need with minimal interruption to their learning time.

Seniors:

• Scholarship opportunities are emailed to school email weekly and local scholarships will become available in early spring.

• Seniors and parents, Jostens was here to provide Cap and Gown and other graduation goods ordering packets. A QR code is at the bottom of my newsletter for just ordering the cap/gown/tassel/stole without anything else. Order online by October 30th to be part of the group order.

• FAFSA is now Open, as of October 1st, and we will have two FAFSA nights to support the students and parents with this process. Completing the FAFSA is a graduation requirement, if you have questions please reach out via email or stop in the office. The next FAFSA night is December 3rd at 6:30 and it will be catered in through Olive Garden and there will be prizes.

• If your student is planning to visit a college campus during school hours, please keep the following guidelines in mind:

1. Notify the Office in Advance: Please make sure to pre-arrange or pre-notify the main office prior to the date of the college visit. Advance notice helps us mark the absence appropriately in our system and ensures teachers are aware ahead of time.

2. Bring Verification Back to School: Upon returning to school, students must bring an official note or proof of attendance from the college’s admissions or visitor center. Once submitted to the office, this note will confirm the visit and officially excuse the absence.

MS/HS:

• We will start working in Xello in grades 6-12 through the winter and then Education Development Plans (EDPs) will start in the spring.

Reach Out Any Time!

My door is always open. If your student needs extra support, or if you simply have a question, please don't hesitate to contact us by phone, email, or by stopping by the counseling office. Emailing is the fastest way to reach me as my voicemail box will not accept voicemails. (cardinala@ags-schools.org)

Let’s work together to make this year the best one yet!

Ashley Cardinal