The Au Gres-Sims School District

Hello AGS Nation!

A HUGE thank you to our Au Gres-Sims Whitney Fire Department for coming out and providing another wonderful, fun, and educational Fire Safety Day demonstration!

Our students had a great opportunity to learn about fire safety, see demonstrations, and gain valuable knowledge from the dedicated firefighters who help keep our community safe. We truly appreciate you taking the time to invest in our students and make learning such a memorable experience!

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

Integrity means doing the right thing, even when no one is watching. It means being honest, keeping our promises, taking responsibility for our actions, and treating others with respect.

In our schools, integrity builds trust between students, teachers, and staff. When students demonstrate integrity, they take responsibility for their learning, tell the truth, give their best effort, and make positive choices, even when those choices are difficult.

In our community, integrity strengthens relationships and brings people together. It means being dependable, helping others, following through on commitments, and standing up for what is right.

At Au Gres-Sims schools & community, integrity is an important part of what it means to be a Wolverine. Our character is not defined only by what we say, but by the choices we make and the actions we take every day. When we lead with integrity, we inspire others to do the same.

Do What Is Best for Students. Do What Is Right. Be a Wolverine of Integrity!

Go Wolverines!

October can feel like a long month educationally. With the excitement of the new school year behind us and the first long holiday breaks still a few weeks away, this stretch of dark mornings and routine-filled weeks can feel like a heavy lift for both students and parents. It is completely normal for student energy and enthusiasm to dip around this time of year.

As a family, you play a powerful role in helping your child stay motivated. Here are a few simple, high-impact ways to reinvigorate learning and refresh your child’s energy at home:

• Focus on Small, Celebrated Wins: When energy is low, recognizing effort makes a big difference. Celebrate small daily accomplishments like working through a tough problem or staying focused on reading to help your child see their progress and build confidence.

• Get Outside & Move: Take advantage of the remaining sunny, pleasant days by bringing learning outdoors or taking a quick family walk after school. A little sunshine and fresh air can clear away autumn brain fog, reset focus, and make homework time much easier.

By making small tweaks at home to encourage curiosity and celebrate effort, we can help our students navigate this mid-fall stretch with confidence and enthusiasm.

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 November 17th 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