News from AGMS - 2/17/2022

BULLDOG BULLETIN

February 17, 2022

Important Dates

Friday, 2/18: Deadline to Order a 2021-22 Yearbook, LINK

Monday, 2/21: Teacher Workday, No School

Tuesday, 2/22: 9th Grade Registration Info Night, AG Multipurpose Room, 6pm

Thursday, 2/24: General PTO Meeting & Middle School Matters Speaker, 6pm

Wednesday, 3/9: Early Release Day, 12:30pm

Friday, 3/11: Spirit Night at the Charlotte Checkers

VIEW FULL CALENDAR

Announcements

Schoolwide Expectations Reminder

As we move into the rest of the second semester, teachers and students need to maximize instructional time. To that end, please remind and reinforce with your child that no phones or Bluetooth devices (AirPods, ear buds, wireless headphones, etc.) are allowed during the school day. Phones should be turned off and stored in backpacks at all times. The school’s policy is to secure confiscated phones in the office for parent pick up so that students can focus on their instruction and assignments. To help enforce this rule, hats, hoods, doo rags, bonnets, or other head coverings (excluding religious ones) are not allowed at school. Students will be asked to remove all headcoverings during the school day. We appreciate your support with this schoolwide expectation so we can ensure all students are focused on learning.

NC DEPT. OF HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES UPDATE

Effective February 21, regardless of vaccination status and whether individuals are masked, close contacts who are asymptomatic will no longer be required to quarantine from school. This includes individuals who are exposed to the virus in a household setting. While exposure notifications are still recommended, school districts will have much more flexibility in determining how these notifications may be made, either at the individual, group, or even school-wide level.

District leaders will be working closely with our partners at the Mecklenburg County Public Health Department to review the new guidance and to what extent our pandemic-response protocols may be adjusted when the new guidance takes effect. We can share that the new guidance appears to be limited to contact tracing and quarantines.

Recommendations about masking in schools remain the same since the October 2021 updates, which recommend masking in schools when community transmission levels are considered “substantial” or “high.” Masks are still required in all CMS facilities, in accordance with Board of Education policy. For additional information, see the North Caroline Department of Health and Human Services StrongSchools Toolkit (LINK).

THE AG FUND HOMEROOM COMPETITION

The week of February 22nd through 25th, we will have a homeroom competition to encourage donations to the AG Fund. Currently we are at 68% of our goal of $85,000. 100% of the money raised goes to support AGMS. The week of February 22nd, we will be counting every dollar to see which homeroom can raise the most money.

The grade level homeroom with the highest participation will win a donut party.
The grade level homeroom teacher with the highest participation will win a $50 Amazon gift card.
The school wide homeroom with the highest donations will win a pizza party.
The school side homeroom teacher with the highest donations will win a $100 Amazon gift card.

Checks (made out to AG Fund) may be mailed to P.O. Box 11777, Charlotte, NC, 28220 or you may donate online HERE.

CMS FAMILY ENGAGEMENT SURVEY

The CMS Family Engagement Survey will be open thru Friday, February 25, 2022.

It is a 5-10 minute survey exploring parent / guardian perceptions of:

Student and family support
Student safety
Communication between schools and families
Responsiveness to concerns
Opportunities to engage in the school such as volunteering and being asked for input and feedback
Access to resources (curriculum, mental health supports, etc.)
Online engagement and support

To complete the survey, please go to https://bit.ly/CMS-Family-Survey. Parents / guardians will need their child’s Student ID to complete the survey.

AG SPIRIT NIGHT AT THE CHARLOTTE CHECKERS

Mark your calendars for our upcoming AG spirit night at the Charlotte Checkers game on Friday, March 11th. Come out and cheer on the Checkers as they take on the Springfield Thunderbirds. Tickets are just $18 and $5 from every ticket sold comes back to AGMS. Doors open at the Bojangles’ Coliseum at 6pm, and the puck drops at 7pm. Use this LINK to purchase your tickets.

ROAD CLOSURE AT ROCKBROOK DRIVE

On Monday, February 14, Char-Meck Storm Water Services began construction on a water project that will impact traffic patterns around AGMS, Selwyn Elementary and MPHS. Rockbrook Drive will be closed for two to three weeks during completion of the project. Please plan ahead to allow time for an alternate route.

CMS CALENDAR CHANGES ANNOUNCED

CMS announced calendar changes on Monday, 2/7. Monday, 2/21 will now be a teacher workday as it was originally scheduled. Students will not report to school on Monday, 2/21. In addition, the previously scheduled early release day of Wednesday, May 4th will now be a full instructional day.

This calendar update allows the district to have flexibility should more severe weather occur before the end of the school year.

GENERAL PTO MEETING & MIDDLE SCHOOL MATTERS SPEAKER

Our mid-year PTO general board meeting will be on Thursday, February 24th from 6-7pm in the multi purpose room. We will give a brief mid-year report and hear from Mr. Conner (6-6:30pm) followed by Middle School Matters guest speaker, Meghan Yoho (6:30-7pm).

Ms. Yoho is a licensed clinical mental health counselor with Southeast Psych. Her presentation will focus on the teenage brain, with an emphasis on mental health. A big thanks to our Middle School Matters PTO chairs, Ashley Hall and Lisa Wilson, for organizing this presentation.

DEADLINE THIS FRIDAY

The deadline to place an order and guarantee your child receives a 2021-22 yearbook is Friday, February 18th. While you may still order a yearbook online after this date, your order will not be guaranteed. To order a yearbook for your child, use this LINK. Please contact Sherese Smith ([email protected]) or Martha Kinney ([email protected]) with any questions.

2022-23

PTO BOARD AND COMMITTEE CHAIRS

The PTO Nominating Committee is currently filling board positions and Committee Chairs for the 2022-23 school year. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Brooke Koppang ([email protected]) or Claire Marston ([email protected]) to learn more about available positions. You can find a list of current Executive Board positions HERE and Committee Chair positions HERE.

If you're not interested in a leadership role, but would like to volunteer to serve on a committee, we would love to hear from you. Let us know what interests you, and we will help you find a place to serve.

HELP STOCK THE COUNSELOR CLOSET

The AGMS counselors are in need of a few items to stock their supply closet. If you able, please send in the following to the front office.

Gently used sweatpants or joggers (sized to fit middle school students)
pencils
spiral notebooks

SCHOOL TOURS

AGMS offers monthly school tours for prospective parents and students. Tours are led by parent volunteers and provide information to help you determine if AGMS is a good fit for your family. If you are interested in signing up for a scheduled tour, please use this LINK. Please note, masks are required while on the AGMS campus.

Eighth Grade News

RISING 9TH GRADE REGISTRATION

The school year has flown by and it is time for high school registration. We want to help prepare you and your rising 9th grader as they embark on this new journey to high school.

Please join us for parent registration night on Tuesday, February 22nd at 6pm in the AG multipurpose room to learn more about what is expected from your rising 9th grader. Contact Dominque Ashley, 8th Grade Counselor at [email protected] with any questions.

AG BUDDIES

If you are an eighth grader that plans to attend Myers Park High School in the fall, consider joining AG Buddies. Participate in fun after school activities with students from MPHS that will prepare you for your transition to high school.

Join our Remind group for further information: @agbud

Spring Sports Tryouts

SPRING SPORTS TRYOUTS BEGIN FEBRUARY 14TH

Spring sports tryouts begin February 14th. Spring sports include baseball, boys/girls soccer and boys/girls track. All paperwork must be complete and submitted prior to tryouts.

Parents must complete a "Ticket to Play" online. Access the CMS Ticket to Play HERE.
If you have already completed a Ticket to Play for a fall or winter 2021 sport, you do not need to complete another ticket.
The deadline to turn in paperwork for baseball and soccer is February 14th at 10am. The deadline to turn in paperwork for track and field is February 22nd by 10am.
Sports physicals and any additional paperwork must be turned in to Ms. Lunsford or the front office.
Students must have a 2.0 GPA to be eligible to play.

Tryout schedule:

Baseball: February 14th through 16th, 4-5:45pm
Soccer (girls and boys): February 14th through 16th, 4-6pm
Track (girls and boys): February 22nd through 24th, 4-6pm

To verify your child's paperwork prior to tryouts, email Ms. Lunsford at [email protected]. If you need assistance with Ticket to Play or have any other questions, contact Ms. Lunsford or speak to her in person.