NEWS FROM THE NEST  
October 7, 2016
Kathy Kelly speaks about her work in Iraq, Afghanistan and Israel at NEST Meeting
Hello Osprey Community,

A key value for us as a school is ensuring that what students learn at AHS is relevant to their lives and connected to the adult world.  This week, our campus was filled with visitors bringing these values to life, including Fort Lewis College Biology professor Steven Fenster, international social justice activist Kathy Kelly, educators from the Responsible Sex Ed Institute, La Plata County Clerk Tiffany Lee Parker, State Representative J. Paul Brown, local journalist David Holub, members of the Colorado Democracy Challenge and several Osprey parents who graciously served as panelists expressing both conservative and liberal viewpoints.  We are so grateful for these folks coming in to share their expertise and experiences with our students; it expands our curriculum in important ways.

Britt Gordon's swimming XBlock at the Rec Center
Next week, students will continue connecting their work to our community, with juniors heading to Fort Lewis College on Monday for the Real History of the Americas celebration on Indigenous Peoples' Day to enrich their study of US History in Humanities, and our sophomores working alongside Trails 2000 and the Powerhouse Science Center to do ecology fieldwork and trail work at Horse Gulch on Tuesday and Wednesday for Biology class.

Arava, Janae, Heather, Sara and Libby in their fall colors
On Tuesday evening next week, we will host an Osprey Parent Talk from 5:00 to 6:00 in the AHS Commons.  School counselor Arava Geva, Spanish teacher Susy Raleigh and Lauren Patterson from Celebrating Healthy Communities will lead a conversation about strategies for talking with teens about high-risk behaviors, including drug and alcohol use.  They will share data from the Healthy Kids Colorado Survey, which our students took last year, as a way to examine student perception and behavior.  Please join in the conversation!

Next Thursday evening from 5:00 to 6:00, all families are welcome to join our IT Director, Dusty Grannis in the AHS Commons to learn more about a trip to the Galapagos Islands that he'll offer June 2 through 12 with the travel company  Explorica.  Students from Mountain Middle School will be traveling the same itinerary, same dates with MMS Instructional Leader Angela Crossland.  Interested but unable to attend the info session? Contact Dusty directly at tech@animashigschool.com.  The deadline to sign up for our other international travel option for the year, Kyle Edmondson's trip to Thailand during Osprey Week and Spring Break, is Friday, October 21.  Want to learn more about that opportunity? Email kyle.edmondson@animashighschool.com.

9th grader Sydney Beekman at work on the Mask Project for Humanities
Looking ahead a week, all juniors will take the PSAT/NMSQT on Wednesday morning, October 19 here at school, free of charge.  Scores on this exam are used to determine qualification for  National Merit Scholarships.  We will welcome all families to campus that same afternoon for Student-Led Conferences (SLCs).  Please refer to this letter, sent out earlier in the week, to learn more about what to expect and SLCs and how to sign up for a time slot.

Finally, we're wishing the AHS Mountain Biking Team good luck at their fourth race of the season this weekend in Nathrop.  The Ospreys are second in their division heading into the race, with State Championships right around the corner, thanks to great coaching from AHS teachers Ashley Carruth and Tina Hott, plus the whole Durango DEVO crew.

Enjoy your weekend and thanks for all you do to help the Ospreys soar!
Upcoming AHS Events
See the full 2016-17 School Calendar here



 
Osprey Appreciations: 
AHS MakerSpace in the Works
sophomores Amanda Studdard, Janey Rusk and Caeley McClain follow another group's plans to build a four-sided structure for Math 2
We would like to express our deep appreciation to the Coutts and Clark Western Foundation for their generous donation of $6500, which will help to create a MakerSpace at Animas High School.  Thanks to this gift, we will be better able to provide all AHS students with a chance to manifest their curiosity, diving into hands-on experimentation and fabrication as they develop scientific thinking and engineering skills.  It is our experience that those students who find authentic engagement develop a love of learning and discover individual passions that lead to success in college.  We look forward to giving all students the opportunity to develop, model, construct, test and refine their unique, creative solutions to authentic, real-world problems and challenges, right here on our campus, thanks to the support of Cootts and Clark Western Foundation. Thanks, too, to Osprey Parent Lisa Gates for helping with this grant!

We also appreciate the recent donation of art supplies we received from South City Market managers Troy and Lorraine.



 
AHS Yearbooks on Sale Now
Hi Ospreys & Osprey Families! We are starting to sell yearbooks! Our yearbook costs this year are lower than they have been in the past; our prices are starting at $35. From Jan 1 to March 15 yearbooks will cost $45, Then from March 15 to the end of school, yearbooks will be $50. You can pay by giving a check to Bridget at the main office or you can pay through the Animas High School website under the families tab in online payments.

We are also starting to sell senior pages!! Senior pages are for parents who want to buy either a half page for $25 or a full page for $50 in the yearbook where they can send in cool, goofy photos of their senior/s! If you would like to purchase a page come and meet with the yearbook design team or contact us at yearbook@animashighschool.com. Yearbook meets on Mondays, Tuesdays,Thursday, and Fridays from 2:30-3:20. We can't wait to hear from you and see some sweet photos!




 
College Corner
Monday of next week is Fort Lewis College Free Application Day; seniors can apply between noon and 1:30 on our campus.

A representative from the University of Colorado Colorado Springs will be here next Tuesday, October 10 during lunch.
Ospreys at the Western Slope College Fair
AHS seniors and families are encouraged to attend the FAFSA Night in Fort Lewis College's Reed Library from 5:00 to 7:00 Wednesday evening; this session will be facilitated by financial aid officers and is open to all students, even if they do not plan to attend FLC.
Jess shares lots of scholarship opportunities on her digital portfolio. One that has a deadline soon (October 31) is open to all 9th through 12th graders: the Moose Youth Awareness Scholarship. Check it out here.



For More Photos and Updates...
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Phone: (970) 247-2474
Fax: (970) 247-2483