The Au Gres-Sims School District

This snowy week I would like to recognize one of our secondary teachers, Mr. Kevin Beardsley, who was honored on Tuesday night at SVSU as a STEM Star educator. See the press release below about Mr. Beardsley's honor.

Saginaw Valley State University and the MiSTEM Network – East Central Michigan Region have recognized 20 educators for their contributions to STEM education. The individuals, representing schools in seven Michigan counties, were honored as “STEM Stars” at a STEM teachers dinner hosted by SVSU on Tuesday, Feb. 21. Each honoree received a $250 award to enhance STEM education in their classroom or program. The award recipients also were presented with a 3-D printed STEM Stars keepsake that was designed by SVSU’s Cardinal Solutions and produced by the university’s independent testing laboratory.

“Our 2023 STEM Stars are caring, devoted educators who empower their students to become innovators and critical thinkers,” said Adrianne Cole, director of STEM at SVSU. “These teachers are dedicated leaders in their schools and communities, and I am honored to recognize them as exceptional role models for STEM education.”

This is the fourth year SVSU and MiSTEM have recognized educators for their efforts. Nominations were reviewed by a selection committee.

This year’s award recipients included teachers, administrators, chief science officer advisors, instructional and IT specialists, esports coaches, and FIRST® Robotics and FIRST® LEGO® League coaches. They represented schools from seven of the eight counties within the MiSTEM Network – East Central Michigan Region. The list of award recipients with portions of nominator comments follows.

The MiSTEM Network is funded through a statewide grant and promotes the impact of STEM on economic development and education in the state. The purpose of STEM@SVSU is to develop a STEM talent pipeline to meet the current and future needs of the Great Lakes Bay Region by providing professional development for STEM teachers, engaging STEM professionals to enhance STEM learning and increasing experiential learning for students at all grade levels. For more information about SVSU’s STEM program, visit svsu.edu/stem or follow the program on Facebook and Instagram.

Kevin Beardsley, Science Olympiad coach for 6th-12th grade, Au Gres-Sims Middle/High School, Au Gres

“From awesome cell projects, to volcanoes, to presentations on STEM related areas, Kevin has helped to build a STEM focus in the Au Gres-Sims School District. He has dedicated countless hours of after-school time to Science Olympiad along with many other extracurricular activities.”

Congratulations to Mr. Beardsley for this awesome award!

Have a great weekend everybody,

Mr. Ming

The month of March is quickly approaching. Not only is it “March is Reading Month” (MIRM), but it is also National Nutrition Month. Next week’s newsletter will have more details about MIRM, but if you would like to start celebrating National Nutrition Month, here are 50 ideas to help you celebrate and get involved.

Looking ahead for the moms out there, here is a local MOM2MOM opportunity at the Arenac Community Center in Standish. This takes place Saturday, April 15, and runs from 9-12. To reserve a table call Heather Stroh at 989-751-7279. All proceeds benefit the Arenac County Baby Pantry. This event is being run by the Arenac County Child Protection Council. Come support some great organizations!

ADHD is common in kids, but there are a lot of misunderstandings about the disorder. It is also becoming increasingly more common. Below are some myths about ADHD.

Myth #1- ADHD is only a problem in childhood and that it will just “go away”. ADHD does change over time, but it doesn’t mean it disappears. About one-third of kids with ADHD will no longer have ADHD symptoms by the time they are adults. Another one-third will have symptoms of ADHD through adulthood, but they won’t be as impairing as they were in childhood. And nearly one-third will have significant ADHD symptoms throughout life. The recommended treatment should be teaching kids the skills that will help them manage their symptoms all their lives.

Myth #2- Only boys have ADHD. Although twice as many boys are diagnosed with ADHD as girls, girls are less noticeable. Girls exhibit less hyperactivity and so it is less visible and disruptive. Girls also have a tendency to show more traits of inattention.

Myth #3- ADHD is caused by poor parenting. ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder. Parents are crucial in helping kids with ADHD learn how to manage their behavior. Positive reinforcement is important for building strong relationships with parents and in motivating the child to continue the appropriate behaviors.

Myth #4- Students who take ADHD meds are at higher risk for drug addiction. Many studies have found that for kids diagnosed with ADHD, taking stimulant medication neither increases nor decreases their risk of addiction to alcohol, nicotine, marijuana, and cocaine. Unfortunately, kids with ADHD are at a higher risk for substance abuse than other kids, but this is linked to the disorder itself, not the medications used to treat the disorder. Because many kids with ADHD are prone to impulsivity, trouble focusing, and hyperactivity, substances that curb these issues with minimal effort are attractive.

Myth #5- Taking ADHD medication will change my child’s personality. Stimulant medications for ADHD are sometimes said to make children moody or sedated, but that isn’t the case with most kids. If it does happen, it means the child is getting the wrong dose or the wrong medication for their needs. There is no one-size-fits-all medication regimen for ADHD. Children respond differently to the different groups of stimulant medications and the different release formulas. When unwanted side effects occur, it’s common to switch medications and formulas. The dose also matters. For example, if the dosage is too high, the child may begin to seem zombie-like or irritable. If that happens, the medication needs to be adjusted.

This past week has thrown a wrench into a lot of plans! First, our IRIP meetings had to be rescheduled for next week due to the snow days. These will now be held on Tuesday. Our District Professional Development was canceled on Wednesday, and I am working to reschedule that topic for the fall. The passive consent forms will be sent home to our HOUSE winner on the next day that we have school, as I was out sick at the start of the week and was not able to pass them out. (I am writing this on Thursday, so if we have school on Friday, they will go home then. If not, I will pass them out first thing on Monday.) For the High School HOUSE group - this will not give a ton of notice, but I am hoping that parents have read about it here and are aware!

March is Reading Month kicks off next week on Wednesday! The theme for elementary is Reading is our Superpower! There may be some Super Heroes here to encourage the students to read! Elementary Reading Month activity calendars will be going home on Wednesday with activities for the month.

• We will also be having a Family Literacy Night in the elementary on March 23rd. We will be serving pizza at 5:00 and activities will begin at 5:30.
• Elementary students will be attending an “Animals are Superheroes” assembly during the month as well.
• We are looking forward to a fun Reading Month in the Elementary.

Middle School will also be celebrating Reading Month with a school-wide novel through the One School, One Book program. Each Middle School student will receive their own copy of the book, and they will experience the book together in their ELA class for the next several weeks. The book title will be unveiled on Wednesday. Middle School students will also have a calendar of activities that will include trivia days to earn money to spend on books through Scholastic, dress-up days, and fun activities tied to the book on HOUSE days. The calendars will go out on Wednesday. We are looking forward to all of the fun things that March will bring!

The MHSAA Playoffs are upon us. The girls play this week and the boys start theirs next week.

The Girls Basketball District is hosted by AGS, so all games will be played on our court. There are four teams in the district and teams are seeded based on their regular season results. The four teams in the district are: #1 AGS, #2 Hale, #3 Mio, #4 Fairview.

Tickets must be purchased through GoFan only. North Star League and Student Passes will not be accepted for the games.

https://gofan.co/app/events/916873?schoolId=MI4040

(For Monday's games only; a new link will be generated and posted for the Wednesday night's district final game.)

Next Week's Schedule of Events:

Mon. 2/27:

• 5:30p V Girls Basketball MHSAA District @ AGS: Game 1 - Au Gres-Sims vs. Fairview
• 7p V Girls Basketball MHSAA District @ AGS: Game 2 - Hale vs. Mio

Tue. 2/28:

• 6p V Boys Basketball HOME vs. Whittemore-Prescott (Senior Night)

Wed. 3/1:

• 7p V Girls Basketball MHSAA District Final @ AGS: Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2

Did you know that Au Gres-Sims has a cooperative agreement with Standish-Sterling for boys and girls soccer? Well, we do, which means that this Spring our girls players can participate in MHSAA soccer.

There will be an informational meeting at 3pm on Thursday next week, during seminar, with Coach Bentley. Any high school girls who are interested should plan on attending this meeting in the main office.

We have had tremendous numbers, growth, success, learning, and fun with the youth basketball clinics that have been taking place on Saturdays this winter. Seeing the future of our hardwood teams playing during halftime of the varsity games has been incredible!

Coach Becky and Coach Matt have organized some inter-school games with Hale, a chance for our kids to play against some others. The intention is to pass this out this Saturday, but the more places the better!

Saturday, March 4th @ Hale

Saturday, March 11th @ AGS

Both Saturdays will feature the same schedule, based on gender and grade level:

9:00 a.m. 3rd-4th Grade Girls

10:00 a.m. 3rd-4th Grade Boys

11:00 a.m. 5th-6th Grade Girls

12:00 p.m. 5th-6th Grade Boys

See the attached document for additional information.

Important dates for March for the Au Gres-Sims School District.

March

• 6-10: National School Breakfast Week (lots of fun stuff for the students!)
• 8: District Band Festival at Alcona
• 15: Early Release @ 1pm for All Students
• 15: 6:30p Beginning (5th, 6th, Jr. Jazz) Band Concert at AGS
• 16: MS/HS Parent Teacher Conferences
• 20: 6p AGS Board of Education Regular Meeting
• 23: 5p Elementary Family Literacy Night
• 24: End of Quarter 3

Important and note-worthy events taking place in Au Gres and Arenac County

• March 4: Dueling Pianos @ Edmund's Inn
• April 21: Relay for Life of Arenac (see attached)

The 2023 ESS Art Contest is now open to students in grades K-12! Be sure to submit your artwork by March 12th, 8:00 pm Eastern Time. Winning students will each receive a $500 American Express gift card and $500 for their school!

Quick Facts:

• The contest information is located at ArtContest.ess.com.​
• To enter, students must submit a drawing or painting with an image representing “If you could take a school field trip anywhere, where would you go?”​
• The contest ends on March 12th, 8:00 pm Eastern Time.​
• The top five finalists in each Grade Group will be featured on ESS’ Facebook and Instagram during the week of April 10th for public voting.​
• Public voting ends on April 16th, 8:00 pm Eastern Time.​
• Winners will be announced on April 19th.​
• Winning students will receive a $500 American Express gift card, plus $500 for their school.

SORRY FOLKS, WE GOT SNOWED OUT THIS WEEK!

Job Opportunities at AGS

• Paraprofessional (Elementary Placement) - see attached Notice of Vacancy

We are also always on the lookout for substitute teachers. If interested, please inquire with Mrs. Miller in the district administration office, (989) 876-7157 and she will put you into direct contact with Laurie Crane at ESS-WillSub

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