Animas High School News from the Nest


	9th grader Simon Donnaway, feeling psyched after successfully completing his first AHS POL

Greetings Osprey Community,

What a powerful week this has been, with students engaged in meaningful reflection, pushed by peers and teachers alike to be authentic in their Presentations of Learning. There have been so many moving moments at the nest this week and we are grateful for our amazing students and teachers and their willingness to participate in rich conversations about growth, learning, passions and goals. As one 9th grade parent said after watching her son's POL and seeing his teachers ask probing questions that demonstrated their knowledge of him as a unique, whole person, "I really get it now!"

First semester grades will be finalized and posted in Infinite Campus by 3pm today. As we do not send out print copies of report cards, log in to IC to view final semester grades. For students who receive an Incomplete, communicate directly with the teacher to verify expectations and deadlines for completion. Please reach out to advisors in January if you have questions about next steps for recovering credits for failed classes.


Sophomore Ce Compton shares evidence of growth and learning during her POL with Tina and Susy

After the holiday break, classes will resume on Tuesday, January 3, as Monday the 2nd is a Professional Development Day for our staff. Remember that our daily schedule is shifting slightly, so our day will go from 8:25 to 3:25. Second semester schedules are available in Infinite Campus and there will be a two week add/drop period at the start of 2nd semester which will give students the opportunity to make changes in elective classes. Third quarter XBlocks, which are also listed in IC, begin on Wednesday, January 4; please be sure to purchase passes for the Rec Center, Rock Lounge or Chapman Hill for the following XBlock classes: Basketball, Volleyball, Weight Lifting, Rock Climbing, Skiing/Riding/Skating/Ski Touring.


	Sara and Jessica enjoying our lunch today

Finally, before we head off for our holiday break, we'd like to share our heartfelt appreciation for all of our AHS families. Working in partnership with you to help our students become thoughtful, articulate, caring young adults is an honor and a privilege and we are grateful for the opportunity. Thank you, too, to all the parents who made our delicious Staff Appreciation Luncheon so special today!

Wishing you all a joyous holiday season and many thanks for all you do to help the Ospreys soar!

Upcoming AHS Events

Winter Break (no classes): Mon. 12/19 through Fri. 12/30
Professional Development Day (no classes): Mon. 1/2
First Day of 2nd Semester: Tues. 1/3
Enrollment for 2017-18 Opens: Tues. 1/3
Parent Advisory Committee (PAC) Meeting: Wed. 1/11, 8:30-9:30am at Smiley Cafe
AHS Board Meeting: Wed. 1/11, 5:30-7:30pm at AHS
MLK Day (no classes): Mon. 1/16

See the 2016-17 School Calendar here

Beyond the Nest: Dave Heerschap

Notoriously engaging AHS science teacher Dave Heerschap has moved up to Lander, Wyoming with his wife Lauren, where they are working with Brunton, Inc. to design, patent and market a very cool compass for geologists. Dave missed the classroom too much to stay out of it, and so he's taken his educational antics to a STEM enrichment class and substitute teaching in the Lander School District, where he reports he's "spreading the magic of project-based charter school magic up in the great white north."

Unfortunately for us, Dave and Lauren have decided to stay up in Lander at least through next school year, and so he will not return to AHS next fall as originally planned. While we miss him a whole bunch, we're also excited for Dave and love seeing how his life adventure continues to unfold. Dave writes, "My experience at Animas has been life-changing, and my perspective on how public education can and should look has been radically and positively reshaped over the course of the last 6 years. It goes without saying that I will miss working with the incredible Animas team, the students that make our school so awesome, and the parents and community members that contribute so much of themselves to make our school so great."

You can reach Dave at 843 S. 4th Street, Lander, WY 82520 or [email protected] .

Contact Us

Phone: (970) 247-2474

Fax: (970) 247-2483

www.animashighschool.com

In This Issue

Upcoming AHS Events

Beyond the Nest: Dave Heerschap

Ospreys Soaring

Advanced Chemistry students Kelsie Williams, Berr Kilgo, Serena Bennet and Celia Hale all recently had infographics they created accepted for publication on the SciJourner website, which is funded by the National Science Foundation and is designed to promote scientific curiosity and literacy through scientific journalism!

For More Photos and Updates...