News from AGMS - 2/23/2022

BULLDOG BULLETIN

February 23, 2022

Important Dates

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

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

Friday, 3/11: PTO Executive Board Meeting, 8:45am

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

Tuesday, 3/15: Spirit Night at Chipotle, 5-9pm

Monday, 3/21: SLT Meeting, 4pm

Thursday, 3/24: Footloose Performance, Multipurpose Room, 7pm

Friday, 3/25: Footloose Performance, Multipurpose Room, 7pm

Friday, 3/25: End of Third Quarter

Saturday, 3/26: Footloose Performance, Multipurpose Room, 7pm

VIEW FULL CALENDAR

Announcements

THE AG FUND HOMEROOM COMPETITION

This week is the 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.

Donations made prior to this week will count towards the competition.

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.

MASK UPDATE

On Tuesday, February 22nd, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education voted to make masks optional effective March 7th. At this time, masks remain required on CMS transportation vehicles due to federal rules. Until March 7th, all students, staff and visitors must continue to wear masks indoors unless a medical professional has provided a written exemption.

Even after masks become optional, CMS recommends that masks be worn when indoors. The policy change simply means that the choice is up to families regarding whether their students wear a mask or not. For more information, you may read the CMS press release HERE.

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).

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.

AG SPIRIT NIGHT AT CHIPOTLE

Want to take a break from cooking and help raise money for AGMS? Mark your calendar for our spirit night at Chipotle. If you don’t want to visit the restaurant, you can also order online and pick it up to go! To order using the app or Chipotle website, enter the online code (M64CH9H) and pick up your order at the store below.

Date: Tuesday, March 15th

Location: 2921 Providence Road, 28211

Time: 5pm - 9pm

Online code: M64CH9H

In person: Show this flyer to the cashier before you pay

HELP STOCK THE COUNSELOR CLOSET

The AGMS counselors are STILL 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 AG gym shorts or basketball shorts (sized to fit middle school students)
Gently used sweatpants or joggers (sized to fit middle school students)
pencils
spiral notebooks

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.

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.

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

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

TRACK & FIELD TRYOUTS

Track and field tryouts began February 22nd and continue through March 1st. Please see this LINK for detailed information about the tryout schedule and attire. If you have any questions, contact Ms. Lunsford at danieller.lunsford@cms.k12.nc.us.

2021-22 AG Fund Sponsors

Thank you to our corporate sponsors for their contribution to the AG Fund. If you would like to see your logo here, contact aginvestinexcellence@gmail.com.