Hello Au Gres-Sims Families,
As today is the first day of October that means that the first Wednesday of October is next week on the 6th. Just a reminder that the first Wednesday of each month I am hosting "Cauffee & Supe" at the Au Gres Cauffee Shop across the street from the school from 8-9a. This is an opportunity to talk with me about whatever is on your mind.
Finally, I will conclude this week with a call for input from all of our middle school parents. September 15-17 we took our AGS middle school students on a 3-day, 2-night trip to the Hartley Outdoor Education Center for a place-based learning experience. While not everyone chose to attend, we did have the majority of middle school students participate. Now, we are interested in feedback on both the process and the experience. Next week, students will take a short survey to provide their thoughts on the experience and we are asking for the same thing from parents. Our team would very much like to hear from ALL middle school parents, regardless of whether or not their student(s) went on the trip. We are just as curious about the reasons why students did not attend as we are about the experiences that students and parents had who did attend. The parent survey form is linked below and I would like to encourage all parents to complete this survey by Friday, October 8th. Our team will use this information, along with our own observations, and the feedback of our students to craft an even better program for next year's trip. Thanks for your help with this!
Hartley 2021 - Parent Feedback Survey
Have a wonderful weekend AGS,
Mr. Ming
K-12 Principal's Update
Last week I spoke briefly about the support from our Wolverine Pride Association and banners that have been put up through town the last two years. Although the banners were not athletic in nature, the focus of the WPA is to support all student-athletes of the district. The banners are just one small example of the many endeavors that the association has supported. One of the primary ways that funds are raised to help support the WPA is through concessions at home contests. If you are interested in being a part of this great group of people, please let the school know and we will connect you with the appropriate individuals. Another group of individuals that have the sole purpose of supporting our kids is the Au Gres-Sims PTO. The PTO is also looking for additional members to be a part of the wonderful things they do. For more information, contact Mrs. Holly Gordon at gordonh@ags-schools.org.
In addition to wonderful groups such as the PTO and WPA, this year is also the first year of an annual recognition program recently started called the Au Gres-Sims Athletic Hall of Fame. Our very first class of individuals to be inducted will take place at a ceremony on Saturday, October 9, followed by a short recognition at halftime of our varsity football game that same day. Game time is 5:00pm. We would love to see you at the game while coming out to support past athletes, coaches, and individuals who have had a great impact and success at AGS while wearing the maroon and gold!
And just one last update. Our first NHS blood drive had to be moved to Thursday, October 7, and will run from 10:30-3:30. We would love to have you on campus to contribute. For more information, call the main office or email our NHS coordinator, Mrs. Celaya, at celayac@ags-schools.org.
From the Desk of Mrs. Socha
With the exception of a few last-minute make-ups that will take place on Monday due to absences, we are all done with our NWEA testing for Fall!! Now the important work begins of digging into data and coordinating interventions for students to fill any missing skills that they need. We have several different ways to accomplish this across the district, from small group classroom interventions, Title I support, Seminar classes in high school, and the use of our ExactPath tool, which gives each student their exact missing skills in reading, language, and math. NWEA is just one piece of data that we use to determine the needs of students, and help them on their journey to become stronger students!
Now that the data is complete, I can start looking at some totals for House points! The competition is going strong already this year, and Team Amistad in the middle school is making their presence known this year!! However, the game can change at anytime! I am looking forward to sharing Marking Period 1 results in a few weeks!
On Wednesday night, we had our Read by Grade 3/TItle I parent informational meeting. The purpose of the meeting was to inform 2nd and 3rd-grade parents, as well as any student with an Individualized Reading Improvement Plan, the structure of the law, and how it affects them and their students. We discussed the history of the law, what the law requires, as well as the supports that we give starting in Kindergarten to take a proactive approach to Literacy and grade level mastery by 3rd grade. If you were not able to attend the meeting, here is a helpful document from the Michigan Department of Education that outlines the law and important pieces of information that every elementary parent should know.
Read by Grade 3 Informational Document
Finally, with today being the first day of the new month - I am including digital versions of the School and Home connection newsletters for both Elementary and Middle School for October. Please click on the links below to access each newsletter!
October is College Month
This month and next, high schools across the U.S. are sponsoring free College Application Week (or Month) events where students and families can get help with the application process.
Michigan College Month is part of the American College Application Campaign initiative, with the goal of providing every graduating high school senior the opportunity to apply to college and for financial aid. Special focus is placed on assisting students who would be the first in their families to attend college and on students who may not have otherwise seriously considered applying to college.
Here at Au Gres-Sims we will be focusing on helping all seniors fill out the FAFSA and college applications. Whether it be community college, trade program, private college, or a university we want our students to have the opportunities that are best for them. Please be watching Thrillshare and emails for more information regarding FAFSA and college applications.
Athletics Update
Next Week's Game Schedule
- Mon. 10/4: MS Girls Basketball HOME vs. Fairview 6pm
- Wed. 10/6: MS Football AWAY @ Whittemore-Prescott 6pm
- Thu. 10/7: MS Girls Basketball AWAY @ Atlanta 6pm
- Thu. 10/7: JV Football AWAY @ Oscoda 6:30p
- Thu. 10/7: JV/V Volleyball AWAY @ Whittemore-Prescott 6pm
- Sat. 10/9: V Football HOME vs. Charlton Heston Academy 5pm ... HALL OF FAME INDUCTION
Important Dates
OCTOBER
- OCT. 6: Cauffee and Sup at the Au Gres Cauffee Shop, 8-9a
- OCT. 9: Hall of Fame Induction Celebration and Ceremony, 2pm; Varsity Football Game, 5pm
- OCT. 20: Early Release all students at 1pm
- OCT. 21: MS/HS Parent-Teacher Conferences
- OCT. 29: End of 1st marking period
WE ARE HIRING!
We are hiring for the following positions:
- Substitute Teachers
- Substitute Bus Drivers
Information can be found under 'Employment Opportunities' on the district website or can be provided by calling the district office at (989) 876-7150.
Au Gres-Sims School District
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