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Greetings Osprey Community,
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sophomores Oakley Felker and Lilah Gutt sell copies of
History through the Eyes of the Living
at their Humanities exhibition
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We've had fun this week visiting the three public middle schools in town--Mountain, Miller and Escalante--to talk with 8th graders about what AHS offers. It's always inspiring to hear our student ambassadors' perspectives on what we do well and what it feels like to be a student at Animas. They speak eloquently about how they are engaged in their learning, appreciative of their teachers and glad to have the opportunities they have.
Sophomores in Stephen Sellers' Humanities classes did an amazing job exhibiting their learning last night at Open Shutter Gallery, where they shared well-researched insights on World War I history and original poetry at their book launch party. The event was student-run, beautiful and professional.
As a reminder, next week there is no school on Monday for Presidents' Day or Tuesday, which is a Professional D
evelopment Day. On Thursday morning, our juniors will meet with nationally-known college admissions expert Peter Van Buskirk, who will present "The Admission Game" in which he will
reveal the "hidden agendas" of colleges and provide insight into how decisions are made. Van Buskirk will help our students learn how to find the colleges that fit them best and to make decisions that help them compete for admission.
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Dave Heerschap has always dreamed of receiving a cheese wheel for his birthday. This week, students made his dream a reality!
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Also on Thursday, we will welcome multiple community members onto campus at lunch for the Life Beyond the Nest Power Lunch Extravaganza, featuring workshops on studying abroad, volunteer opportunities, exploring careers in the military and dorm room cooking.
Friday afternoon, we will welcome Sloan Skinner from San Juan Basin Health Department, who will share information with our 9th through 11th grade students about e-cigarette and vape pen use. With shifting legal regulation, marketing targeted at teens and increased use among young people across the nation and locally, we want to empower our students and families with solid information that will help our kids make healthy choices in their lives. Sloan will return on Feb. 23 and March 1 during XBlock, and will also offer a presentation for parents on Wednesday, March 9.
Looking ahead to the following week, Student-led Conferences are after school on Wednesday, Feb. 24 for all 9th and 10th graders, as well as those juniors who have not yet finalized LINK Internship plans or who are receiving a C- or below in one or more classes. Scheduling for SLCs is underway. Stay tuned for a letter next week with more details.
During SLCs, and again on Monday, Feb. 29, we invite Osprey families who have questions about the potential changes to the daily schedule for fall 2016 to join us for a conversation. We invite you to read the letter that went home to AHS families about this potential change here. Founding teacher Lori Fisher and Math Department Chair Kyle Edmondson will be available from 3:30 to 6:00 on Feb. 24 and Head of School Sean Woytek will be available on Feb. 29 from 5:30 to 6:30. If you are unable to attend either session, but would still like to know more, please reach out to Sean.
 If you have not yet completed the Annual Parent Survey, please do so by next Friday. Input from our families helps us identify strengths in our program and areas of growth. You can access the survey here.
Finally, we are looking for an additional substitute teacher or two. Please pass the word along, and let interested candidates know they can email their application to [email protected].
Many thanks for all you do to help the Ospreys soar!
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Upcoming AHS Events
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View the 2015-16 AHS School Calendar here
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Senior Project Spotlight: Big Dreams, Tiny House
Senior Project is an in-depth study of a focused research topic chosen from among the academic disciplines students have studied throughout their career at Animas High School.
 Three senior ospreys, Connor Whitesell, Katie Austin, and Derek Pansze, are embarking on the ambitious journey of building their own tiny house. They will be exploring the topics of minimalism, environmental efficiency, and nomadism. Each aspect of the house will be built with our three thesis questions in mind:
Is there a significant psychological benefit to living minimally in a tiny house? Does nomadism have a place in modern society? How can you build a tiny house both economically and environmentally efficient?
This house will be built on a trailer so it can be transported and will be either auctioned off at the end of the year with the proceeds going to Animas High School or it will be donated to a tiny house homeless movement nearby. As this is a major project, there are some massive financial needs as well. The total budget is approximately $10,000, but that is likely to change. Any donations to this group would be greatly appreciated in the form of money, donated supplies, or a large workspace to build the house in. The group has also created a GoFundMe page at https://www.gofundme.com/v4mqm564. Questions or suggestions can be sent to [email protected].
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Student Council Rolls Out The Green Lake T-Shirts
Many of you are probably familiar with Durango High School's "The Red Sea" T-shirts. In response to student input, Student Council has designed Animas High School's very own spin-off of The Red Sea shirts. We present you "The Green Lake" T-shirts!
 These shirts aim to promote school spirit and act as a way to unify the school. Plus, it'll become the snazziest tee in your wardrobe. The pre-order price for Green Lake shirts is $10. If you are interested in purchasing a T-shirt, please complete the Pre Order Form and use the AHS Online Payment on the AHS website to pay for your shirt. please pay for your shirt in the 'Special Events' space and enter the name of the event as 'The Green Lake Shirt'. If you would like to pay in cash, you can bring money to Bridget in the Main Office. Shirts will be ordered in the next few weeks and will be handed out to students as soon as we receive them.
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9th Grade Humanities Exhibition: Artistic Responses to Fahrenheit 451
 Matt Dooley's 9th grade Humanities classes are creating multi-media art pieces in response to Ray Bradbury's dystopian novel Fahrenheit 451 in which all books are banned and a small group of rebellious citizens keep the great ideas of civilization alive by memorizing classic texts. The art pieces will be displayed at a local venue in town which is still to be determined, but in the meantime, they are raising funds for the art supplies and advertising needed to make this exhibition a capstone piece for these first-year Ospreys. Students are organizing every element of the exhibition, including Finance, Publicity, Venue, Food, Music, and Programs. Check out their exhibition website here and donate here to receive your own Animas gear!
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Vitamin Drive for LINK Internship in Peru
by Ellis McNichol
You know what costs five dollars and can dramatically help a child's life? MULTIVITAMINS. That's right folks, just the accumulation of five hundred pennies can buy an entire bottle of vitamins! My name is Ellis McNichol, and this March I am going to an orphanage in Peru for my LINK Internship. The vitamins that are cheap in America are in fact a rare commodity to young children in Peru. The program I am working with has countless children that are in desperate need of a privilege we take for granted. In America, we have access to so many things. These children have next to nothing, and spending simply five dollars on something that improves their health, that they should have access to, is the right thing to do.
These simple vitamins are designed to fill any nutritional gaps in their diet. This is critically important for children like those I will encounter in Peru, who do not always have access to adequate meals. They are also the building blocks for healthy bones, immune system functions, eyes and brains. It is ideal of course that children get their dietary needs from fresh produce, but in countries of need, this is not always available. This is a cheap, easy alternative that is truly vital for these children.
I have already started buying bottles, but cannot do this on my own. If your morals convince you to take action, you can bring the bottle to the front desk, I am leaving February 29, so please have them in the Friday before that. Thank you!!!
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Contact Us
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Phone: (970) 247-2474
Fax: (970) 247-2483
www.animashighschool.com
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College Corner
The founder of Best College Fit, Peter Van Buskirk, will speak to all Animas juniors on
Thursday, February 18 from 8:30-10:30
. "The Admission Game" focuses on the college admission process and provides insight into how admission decisions are made.
Congratulations to senior Oli Sakadinsky, who is a National Merit Finalist!
Scholarship Deadlines:
Colorado Mesa University Foundation Scholarships are due Feb. 14, CU Boulder Presidential Leadership Class Scholarship is due Feb. 15, Home Builders of Southwest Colorado Scholarship is due Feb. 22 and RBC Wealth Management Scholarship is due Feb. 23.
FAFSA Priority Deadline for most schools is Feb. 15. If you do not have 2015 taxes completed yet, use 2014 tax return.
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Student Council Sponsors Schoola Clothing Drive
Animas High School's Student Council will be hosting a Schoola Clothing Drive the week of February 22-26. Schoola drives aim to collect "pre-loved women's and children's clothes" that are then prepped and sold online at a discounted price. Finally, Schoola gives 40% of the proceeds back to Animas High School to help fund programs for our students. It's a win-win!
If you are interested in donating clothes, this is the perfect time to do it. Nothing says "I'm ready for spring" like getting rid of that winter-closet clutter! Plus, Schoola ensures that every step of the donation process as simple as possible, from the pre-paid labels to the collection bags to gather clothes in.
Interested in donating? Pick up a shipping label and Schoola shipping bag from Ashley Hein in the Jesse Hutt Wing. Next, grab all the old CHILDREN'S and WOMEN'S clothes from the depths of your closet, and pack them nicely in the provided shipping bag. Once you're ready, attach the shipping label to the bag and return your package to the collection bins near the main office in the Jesse Hutt Wing. BOOM! You're done.
Student Council will then handle all shipping/waiting in long post office lines so that you don't have to. If this drive is successful, we will strongly consider hosting more in the future. Thank you in advance for your participation!
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Osprey Week Scholarship Fund
As the time for Osprey Week approaches, Animas High School would like to acknowledge the needs and interests of all students, regardless of financial standings. There are a number of students who are not able to afford the cost of their desired Osprey Week, and our school is hoping to provide that money through fundraising efforts. If you want to donate to the Osprey Week scholarship fund, please go to the
donation link on our website
. Because there is no place on that site to indicate that you are giving this money to the Osprey Week fund, it would be helpful also to send Christine Imming a quick email letting her know you just donated to the Osprey Week Scholarship Fund. She will send you a donation receipt for tax purposes. Thank you, in advance, for your generosity!
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For More Photos and Updates...
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