Hello Au Gres-Sims Families,
In a lot of ways, since January, it has felt like a "normal" school year again, something that we have all been yearning for going on two years now. The thing is, however, things are not the same as they were before the pandemic, and they are never going to be. No matter how much we may want everything to go back to the way it was before, no amount of wishing can erase the impact that the last two years have had on our lives. This is not a new concept. It was the Greek philosopher Heraclitus who said it best with the timeless adage, "Change is the only constant in life." The changes that educators have seen in schools are a mixed bag of positive and challenging, with some visible differences and many more changes that linger just below the surface.
With all of the change that has occurred around us, to us, and to our students, the "normal" schooling that we have returned to looks and feels a lot different than it did prior to March of 2020. Outwardly, we have maintained and sought to enhance many of the great things that we did before while acknowledging that there are new challenges that we face daily that were exceptions before the pandemic. We have seen troubling increases in apathy and misbehavior from students that have demanded different solutions than before. We have enlisted the support of additional resources and personnel to assist with these new hurdles. We have examined the way we have done things in the past and made adjustments. We are shifting from what has worked in the past that no longer works to the same degree to maximize the learning of our students and meet their needs.
There is no magic pill for this work; no wand that will "poof" our students back to the way they were before. It will take time, creativity, energy, commitment, patience, and cooperation from all of us...and that means you too. We want and need our parents to be partners and advocates for their children, our staff, and our district. We are committed to excellence and we need that commitment to be communicated to our students at home, as well as at school.
I have never been one who believed in change for the sake of change. Rather, I have always envisioned life as a slow moving train. If we stand still (resisting change) the train will get ahead of us, eventually leaving us behind. Instead of fighting change, I believe it is better to be fluid and flexible, to adapt to the evolving environment and circumstances and to get ahead of the train before it is too late.
Have a great weekend AGS,
Mr. Ming
K-12 Principal's Update
With one week left before break I’m sure that many families are planning their exciting vacation adventures. Oftentimes, social media is also considered as a part of these plans. Although many of us parents (myself included) are not “cool” and occasionally use apps like Facebook, a more common one with kids is Snapchat.
Snapchat users average more than 30 minutes per day and Snapchat has 319 million daily active users! More than 5 billion Snaps are created everyday. So, why is Snapchat dangerous for teens?
- Predators cross social media apps and may be able to get biographical information from other apps such as Instagram.
- It is designed to be addictive and many users use the app for group chat purposes. So, why is it so addictive? Snapchat creates a game where users can maintain their “streak”. This can cause a popularity contest and create a hierarchy of friendship status that sometimes makes others feel bad or afraid to be the one to “lose the streak”. Keep in mind that Snapchat is a business and their revenue comes from the amount of time users see advertisements, and the more time people spend on the app the more money the business makes.
- Snapchat also has a component called Snap Map which is interactive and shares users' specific location on a map.
- Like many apps, this social media platform can also cause anxiety and depression. It can lead to poor sleep and body image concerns.
- Download the app yourself so you can see for yourself some of the potential pitfalls of the program.
- Know your student’s username and password. Remember, messages often disappear on Snapchat after viewing them.
- Check that the Snapmap feature is not enabled. Hopefully this provided a quick overview of just one of the many social media apps.
From the Desk of Mrs. Socha
We are winding down to the end of Reading Month, yet we still have so many fun activities on the agenda! So far this month, elementary students have been learning jungle facts from a variety of “Mystery Readers”, middle school students are continuing to read in their novel, and high school students have been challenged with an independent book study. We have had dress-up days, sampled different food, put ourselves in the shoes of characters (ask a middle school student about carrying water!). There have been doors decorated, gift cards earned, and trivia games. The secondary students have also been challenged with Wordle - the new word game that has taken over most of social media. The Book Fair wrapped up today, and next week we have our Family Literacy Night in the elementary! It has been a busy month!
While we have been having fun celebrating Reading Month, we have also been looking ahead to spring testing. Shortly after we return from spring break, we will be diving into M-STEP and PSAT/SAT testing. The testing date for all PSAT/SAT testing is Wednesday, April 13th. This will be a big testing event, with adjusted schedules for most of the day. The M-STEP testing window begins on April 11th, and teachers will be reaching out in the coming weeks with details on testing days for each grade level. Once that round of testing is complete, we will move into our spring NWEA testing window, which begins on May 2nd. Talking about spring testing in April and May doesn’t seem possible, but it is not very far away!
For the PSAT/SAT day, it is important that all students arrive at school on time. The same is true for the M-STEP testing dates, as no one can enter a classroom once testing has started. There are many things that you can do to help your child prepare for state testing. For those students in 3rd - 7th grade who will be taking the M-STEP (along with 8th and 11th grade for science and social studies) you can find some helpful test prep information and resources available by visiting my M-STEP information newsletter.
Athletics Update
This past Thursday brought a conclusion to the winter sports schedule, with the completion of the girls middle school volleyball season. Congratulations to Coach Jeri, Coach Danielle, and the 7th and 8th grade teams who showed incredible improvement and cohesiveness throughout the season.
The arrival of our first warm day of 2022 had everyone thinking about spring and not a minute too soon. High School Spring Sports kicked off this week with practices beginning for baseball, softball, and track. Following spring break, our middle school track team will get going on their practices. We have a lot of outdoor fun coming soon.
Next Week's Game Schedule
NO GAMES NEXT WEEK
Make-up Day for AGS Preschool
Please mark your calendars for this GSRP make-up day.
Help Wanted at AGS
https://www.ags-schools.org/employment-opportunities--95
Job Opportunities at AGS
- Full-time Special Education Teacher (1.0, but flexible to part time if desired by the candidate)
- Cafeteria Worker/Cook (available immediately to complete the 21-22 school, with carryover into the 22-23 school year).
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.
The Wolverine Wake-up
We hope you're adjusting to the time change, it might be the last time you have to. Stay tuned for updates to that story. This week's issue is packed to the ceiling with stories happening in our world. In fact, you could say it's packed with more information than the yellow pages, but we have no idea what yellow pages are, our Editor-in-Chief made us write that. #dadjokes
Remember to check out the "mystery picture" this week. The first person to email our Editor-in-Chief with the correct answer will win a prize. Until next week, enjoy the warm weather ahead!
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