The Au Gres-Sims School District

What do you do when you are presented with a situation in which you don't have enough time to get it all done? This is a troubling spot to be in. There are a lot of directions you can take, but most often people jump into a fight or flight response; fight through the congestion or run away from the stress.

Spring time, and the final quarter of the school year, is a busy time for staff and students alike. The positive side of that is that time flies by and before we know we are enjoying summer time in this majestic part of the state. The negative side is that the rush of this time of year is stressful for students...and their families. It feels like everyday is a struggle to meet expectations and forge forward. For students, the result is withdrawal for too many.

As we continue the state testing process around our district we are noticing a not surprising, yet still concerning trend, student apathy. The manifestation of this is a "don't care" attitude, with students giving reduced (and in some cases zero) effort on their school work. Learning is important, a statement that I'm sure everyone reading this agrees with. Learning, however, is not easy, and requires overcoming barriers. The busyness of spring time is one of those barriers.

With this in mind, here are some questions that you can ask your children (and maybe yourselves) when they get that feeling of having too much to do and not enough time. Hopefully, they help students understand the importance of their learning, before they throw away the gains that they've made so far.

Questions to ask when there is too much to do and not enough time BEFORE shut down occurs:

1. What are the most important tasks that I need to complete right now?
2. Is there anything on my to-do list that can be delegated or postponed to a later time?
3. Am I able to break down my larger tasks into smaller, more manageable chunks?
4. Have I taken a break recently to refresh my mind and reduce stress levels?
5. How can I prioritize my tasks based on their level of importance and urgency?
6. What strategies have worked for me in the past when dealing with similar situations?
7. Am I being realistic about what I can achieve in the time I have available?
8. Who can I reach out to for support or assistance with my workload?
9. Can I adjust my expectations or deadlines to reduce the pressure I am feeling?
10. What positive actions can I take to improve my productivity and reduce my stress levels?

It is that time of the year where I have the special privilege to announce this year's top 2 AGS students! Congratulations to our Salutatorian, Allyson Stange. Allyson is the daughter of Ed and Roxanne Stange and will be graduating with a GPA of 3.741. Allyson plans to attend Central Michigan University and study Biochemistry. And congratulations to our Valedictorian, Elizabeth Beardsley. Elizabeth is the daughter of Kevin and Jennifer Beardsley. Elizabeth will graduate with an impressive GPA of 3.922. Elizabeth plans to attend Saginaw Valley State University and study Elementary Education. Congratulations to these two hard working and wonderful young ladies! They are phenomenal representatives of the Au Gres-Sims School District!

The AGS Athletic Hall of Fame is looking to induct its third class this fall. If you know of some deserving recipients, please fill out a nomination form. These can be found online on the school website and/or forms can be picked up at the main office. Nominations for this third class are quickly coming to a close and will be accepted until May 1.

There are a couple of exciting events going on May 6. First is the Grand Opening for the Arenac Community Center. This is being held on Saturday, May 6, from 12-6. The address for the Community Center is 583 E Cedar St, Standish, MI 48658, which is the old Standish Elementary. Some of the events for the grand opening include emergency preparedness and community resources. Don’t miss out on this great community resource. The second is the AGS Junior/Senior Prom. Prom this year will take place at the Tribal Center in Standish and will run from 8-11 pm. This is always a great event that makes memories that last a lifetime.

Busing

Due to a shortage of drivers because of a State mandated driver recertification, there will be no transportation for route number one of Aaron Abair’s on the mornings of Monday, April 24, and Wednesday, April 26. In addition, there will be no transportation for route number three of Ted Gibb’s on the afternoon of Monday, April 24.

Testing continued this week with our 3rd - 6th grade students completing the ELA M-STEP and our 7th grade taking the Math M-STEP. Many of our elementary students were working so hard that they needed a 3rd day to test, so we added an additional testing hour on Thursday. I will take any students who are not completed and finish them up during make-up sessions over the next couple of weeks.

Next week, 3rd-6th grade will be completing the Math M-STEP and 7th grade will take the ELA M-STEP. 8th grade students will be taking the Science M-STEP on Thursday, and 11th grade will also be taking the Science M-STEP on Tuesday. State testing has many specific rules and guidelines that must be followed to maintain the integrity of the assessment results. Violation of any of these rules and guidelines requires incident reports to be filed with the state, which can result in tests being flagged as invalid. All staff members who administer tests are familiar with the requirements and have received state-mandated training in order to do so. One important guideline prohibits students from entering a test session once the assessment has begun. Therefore, it is important that students arrive at school on time on testing days, to avoid having to wait in the office for an extended period of time waiting for the assessment to end. For our middle school students, it is imperative that they bring their Chromebooks to school each day fully charged. With specific seating arrangements as a requirement for testing, we do not have the capability to have students plugging in Chromebooks during the sessions. Also, it is important to note that there are NO cell phones or electronic devices allowed in testing sessions. All cell phones must be turned off and either placed in a locker or with the test administrator for storage. Even if the students are finished, they cannot access their phones until the testing session is complete. If you need to reach your child during this time, please call the main office and leave a message with Mrs. Vollbach. We thank you in advance for your assistance with this!

Somewhere in between, that's what we are asking for. Two weeks ago it was sunshine and warm, borderline hot, temps. This past week has been cold and wet. Let's hope the weather dries up and heats up a bit as we have a busy schedule of games coming up.

Next Week's Schedule of Events:

Mon. 4/24:

• 4p MS Track AWAY @ Whittemore-Prescott
• 4p V Baseball HOME vs. Oscoda
• 4p V Softball HOME vs. Oscoda
• 4:30p V Soccer HOME (SSC) vs. Bullock Creek

Tue. 4/25

• 4p V Track AWAY @ Alcona

Wed. 4/26

• 7p V Soccer AWAY @ Hemlock

Thu. 4/27

• 4p V Softball HOME vs. Alcona
• 4p V Baseball HOME vs. Alcona
• 4:30p V Soccer HOME (SSC) vs. Pinconning

Fri. 4/28

• 3:30p V Track AWAY @ W-P Invitational

Sat. 4/29

• 11a V Softball Tourney AWAY @ W-P

AGS will be hosting the Huffman Basketball Camp in our main gym on Wednesday, June 28th. The cost of the camp is $35 and is open to students in grades 2-12 (different times). Don't wait to sign up as space is limited. See the flier below for more details and click the link to register.

EVENT SIGN-UP LINK

Important dates for April and May for the Au Gres-Sims School District.

APRIL

MAY

• 5: State Band Festival at Gaylord High School
• 6: Prom at Tribal Center in Standish
• 12: Board of Education Spring Work Session - 12-4 at Elusive Games in Au Gres
• 15: Board of Education Regular Meeting - 6pm in Elementary Library
• 17: Early Release for all students @ 1pm
• 29: Memorial Day Holiday - no school staff and students
• 31: Senior Class Night (High School Gym)

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

• April 21: Relay for Life of Arenac (see attached)
• April 27: Arenac County Community Connections (formerly "Project Connect") Giveaway and Services (see attached)
• May 19: Arenac Community Funds' 21st Annual Golf Outing, Huron Breeze Golf Course (see attached)
• May 28: Au Gres Memorial Day Parade (see attached)

With the first game jitters out of the way, our Team sat down with players from our baseball and softball teams to get the ball rolling on Spring season sports.

Click the link to watch The Wolverine Wake-Up Issue 83.

The graduating class of 2023 has a new opportunity for funding for post-secondary funding. The amount that ALL seniors are eligible for is dependent on the type of school that they will be attending after graduating from AGS. The key to unlocking that money is filling out the FAFSA and everyone is encouraged to do so.

You may have already received some information in the mail about the Michigan Achievement Scholarship and our seniors will be hearing more and seeing more about it from now through the end of the school year. Below are resources to help you with the process, please take advantage of them and call the main office of the school if you need any assistance.

Letter explaining the Michigan Achievement Scholarship (MAS)

MAS Handout

MAS Website

FAFSA Tips Handout

FSA ID Worksheet (FAFSA Login)

Which Parent to use on the FAFSA (students with 2 households)

Job Opportunities at AGS

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