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sophomore Riley Amos riding his way to a 1st place finish for JV Boys
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Greetings Osprey Community,
The AHS mountain biking team took 2nd place once again in the Division I South league last weekend in Granby. With just one more regular season race to go, they are well positioned to head to State Championships again this year and we're plenty proud of the way these student athletes represent us when they are out and about!
Students who are part of the
Animas Restorative Team engaged in a full-day retreat today with trainers from
La Plata Youth Services to further develop their skills and understanding of restorative practices. We've been using restorative justice (RJ)--which focus on authentic accountability that repairs harm done--to respond to conflicts and behavioral issues at Animas for several years now, and this is the second year we have had a student team involved in leadership around RJ. We look forward to growing the work of the Animas Restorative Team this year beyond responding to issues through restorative circles, with students taking the lead on proactive work to help our community better understand what restorative practices are and how they can be useful in all walks of life. Kudos to the students who have committed to this important work in support of our positive school culture.
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Animas Restorative Team members at today's retreat
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Our 9th graders will head to AHS co-founders Phil and Lucy Bryson's ropes course next Tuesday for a day of adventurous team-building activities. Phil's organization
On the Edge has been facilitating leadership programs for over 20 years, and we've been fortunate to bring Ospreys to his facility in Bayfield for several years now, free of charge.
Please be sure that permission slips and waivers are turned in by Monday!
The
AHS Parent Advisory Committee (PAC) will have its first meeting of the year next Wednesday from 8:30 to 9:30 in the Commons. Please join us to learn more about the work the math department is doing to refine our math program, hear about our upcoming Fall Fundraiser and speak with senior ambassadors, Sean and Libby about any questions or concerns you might want to share. Being part of PAC is a great way for families to learn more about our school, connect with other parents and get involved. If you'd like to volunteer in some capacity, please complete the
AHS Volunteer Survey, or reach out to
volunteer@animashighshcool.com. Looking ahead, mark you calendar for the
Osprey Parent Fall Hike on Tuesday, October 10. Meet at the Purgatory Flats trailhead and get to know other Animas parents while enjoying the beautiful autumn in the San Juans.
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senior Will Klumpenhower's Student Council campaign video
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Next Wednesday evening, we encourage all seniors and their families to attend the
Senior College Night: Understanding Scholarships and Financial Aid from 5:30 to 7:30 in the AHS Commons. Financing college can be confusing and stressful, and our college counselor, Jess Adams, will offer concrete guidance for families about how to maximize opportunities to offset costs. We appreciate seeing so many juniors and their families at this week's Junior College Night; if you missed the session, you can see what Jess covered
here. Remember, too, that there are tons of great resources for families about the college admissions process on
Jess's Digital Portfolio. Jess and our LINK Internship Coordinator, Janae Hunderman, are off to Aspen with a group of Ospreys tomorrow for the
Colorado Western Slope College Fair, where they'll be able to meet representatives from over 240 colleges and attend over 30 workshops--a great opportunity for our region!
We hope you all have weathered the hail storm and enjoy your weekend. Thanks for all you do to help the Ospreys soar!
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Upcoming AHS Events
- Colorado Western Slope College Fair, Sat. 9/30 and Sun. 10/1 in Aspen
- Parent Advisory Committee (PAC) Kick Off, Wed. 10/4, 8:30-9:30am at AHS
- Senior College Night: Scholarships and Financial Aid, Wed. 10/4, 5:30-7:30pm at AHS
- PSAT/NMSQT for Juniors, Wed. 10/11, 8:30-12 at AHS
- AHS Board of Directors Meeting, Wed. 10/11, 5:30-7:30pm at AHS
- 2nd Quarter XBlocks Begin, Wed. 10/18
- Student-Led Conferences, Wed. 10/18, 4-6pm at AHS
- Healthy Kids Colorado Survey, Thurs. 10/19
- Freshman/Sophomore College Night, Wed. 10/25, 5:30-7:30pm at AHS
- Professional Development Day for Staff (no classes), Fri. 10/27
- Professional Development Day for Staff (no classes), Mon. 10/30
See the 2017-18 School Calendar here
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Ashley Carruth's Project Refinement
 One of our Habits of Heart and Mind is Refinement, and junior Humanities teacher Ashley Carruth, who's been at AHS since 2012, takes it to heart. Here, in her own words, is the story of how and why she's switching up a project she loves this year:
Having taught the Morality and Politics of Justice Project for five years, it became apparent that I had gotten into a bit of a rut. While my students seemed to enjoy it well enough, and developed important critical thinking skills, I was not as inspired by the project and exhibition. I have been feeling the need to get my students outside of the four classroom walls, connecting with community organizations in authentic and meaningful ways, and realized that while I was enjoying the more healthy work-life balance I have achieved as a tenured teacher at Animas, that balance came at a cost to my students. After chatting with a few students about their desire for more hands-on and meaningful projects, I decided to put my money where my mouth and heart were. If I'm asking my students to develop their own philosophies on moral and political justice, why shouldn't we try to actually solve an issue of injustice facing our own community? Why just write another essay and do another art piece to present to parents when we could really take action? It is important to me that my students apply the philosophies and rhetorical analysis skills in a meaningful way AND also be engaged citizens who can not only take an informed and articulate stance on political issues, but also feel empowered to bring about positive change in their community.
As I applied the philosophies of justice I was teaching my students to my own teaching practices, I realized that I was perhaps not ensuring justice in my own classroom with the more traditional project models of writing and presenting. I needed to figure out a way to ensure that I was providing opportunities to not only challenge all students with rigorous academic inquiries but also providing opportunities for all students to succeed both in my classroom and the world beyond. Ideally, students will be able to address the issue of injustice we choose to work as a class through a diverse array of projects that tap into their own strengths, talents and learning styles. For instance, some students may write a policy proposal and present it to City Council while others may do a film project to raise awareness and others paint a mural in town.
Thus, the idea for the Justice at Its Heart project emerged.
The goal of this project is to connect students with the outside world in an authentic way as students will have to work with various community organizations and community members in Durango to understand the complexities and nuances of an issue of injustice and then develop a multi-disciplinary solution that fills a real need in the community.
Through this work, students will hopefully develop answers to these essential questions:
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What do I believe and why?
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What is the individual's role in creating a just society?
What is Justice?
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How should the government balance security/welfare, liberty and equality in order to create a just society?
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College Corner
College Admissions Rep Visits
Montana State University, Tues. 10/3, 10:00-10:30
St. John's College
, Tues. 10/3, 12:00-12:30
Whitman College, Tues. 10/3, 12:00-12:30
Senior College Night: Scholarships & Financial Aid
Wed 10/4, 5:30-7:30 at AHS
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For more news and photos visit the AHS Facebook Page
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