August 17, 2022
Greetings Ospreys,

We are so excited to welcome students back to the Nest next week! Please read on for all the details you need to know about our Student Orientation activities.
Week One Schedule
Monday 8/22
  • 9th grade: student orientation at AHS 8:25am-3:30pm
  • 10th, 11th and 12th grade transfers: optional open house 9am-3pm
  • returning 10th, 11th and 12th grade: no school

Tuesday 8/23
  • 9th grade: orientation at AHS 8:25am-3:30pm
  • 10th grade: orientation including time at Lake Nighthorse 8:25am-3:30pm
  • 11th grade: orientation including rafting on the Animas River 8:25am-3:30pm
  • 12th grade: Senior Sunrise and advisory breakfast 6:45-9:00am

Wednesday 8/24
  • all students: grade-level core classes in the morning, orientation activities in the afternoon 8:25am-3:30pm

Thursday 8/25 and Friday 8/26
  • all students: regular classes including electives (see daily schedule)


Student Health Information
Our students' health and wellbeing are important to us! Please be sure that you have turned in all medical forms and medications prior to the first day of school so we can take good care of our Ospreys.
9th Grade Orientation
Beginning high school is a big deal, and we're here to help our newest Ospreys thrive during this pivotal time! With an extra day of orientation activities on Monday designed just for our 9th graders, we have plans in place that will help the transition to AHS be as smooth as possible for the class of 2026.

Ninth grade advisors Tory Dille, Mike Bienkowski, Christine Imming, John Grotenhuis and Cameron Elder will work alongside their advisees over the course of Monday and Tuesday with support from older students and other staff. Freshpeople will embark upon their first mini-project, complete with an exhibition for the rest of our school on Wednesday afternoon that will welcome them into our community and help us get to know each student individually. Digital Art teacher Drew Semel will work with 9th graders to make sure they get all the support they need with technology set up, and our registrar, Maureen Truax will be on hand to help with any schedule questions. We'll review the AHS Student Contract to make sure expectations are clear, and have lots of fun along the way.

All orientation activities for 9th graders happen on campus.

Freshpeople should bring the following on Monday and Tuesday:

  • laptop computer
  • sack lunch

Students who need to borrow a computer from school for the year should complete the Annual Laptop Agreement. Catered lunch begins Wednesday and students will learn how to preorder lunch with Drew on Monday.
10th Grade Orientation
Sophomores will begin the year with some fun and relaxation at Lake Nighthorse on Tuesday before beginning classes on Wednesday morning. Tenth graders will meet at AHS Tuesday morning at 8:25, where they'll have a quick hello with Rebecca, our new head of school, and then load up in vans courtesy of the fine folks at Mild to Wild to shuttle to Lake Nighthorse for a morning of reconnecting, playing and relaxing with sophomore advisors Lori Fisher, Jessica McCallum, Erin Skyles and Lauren Lucky (who will adopt Britt Blasdell's advisory this fall while Britt is out on maternity leave). After a picnic lunch at the lake, sophomores will return to AHS for an afternoon with advisors to make sure they are set for the year ahead. We'll be sure to welcome our 4 new sophomores into the fold during this day's activities, too!

Sophomores should bring the following on Tuesday:

  • signed permission slip----THIS MUST BE PRINTED, SIGNED BY PARENT/GUARDIAN AND PRESENTED TO ADVISOR
  • any necessary medications
  • sack lunch and snacks
  • full water bottle
  • sunscreen/chapstick, sun hat
  • swim suit (school friendly-leave your cheeky-kini at home!) and water shoes
  • towel and change of clothes (as needed)
  • paddle boards and/or other small inflatable watercraft if you have them
  • beach toys/games (frisbees, volleyballs, etc.)
  • no laptop computer needed on Tuesday

Wednesday, after a morning of core classes, sophomores will attend our first NEST Meeting of the year and the 9th Grade Mini-Exhibition, then participate in some fun mixed-grade culture-building activities.
11th Grade Orientation
Juniors begin the year on Tuesday with a morning raft trip on the Animas River led by professional guides from Mild to Wild alongside junior advisors Jenny McKenzie, Ande Lloyd, Carlin Nielsen and Libby Cowles plus Dean of Students Dave Farkas. We will meet at Mild to Wild headquarters at 8:25, located at 50 Animas View Drive where we'll circle up in our advisory groups, welcome our 8 new juniors and then hit the river for a leisurely float from the 32nd Street put in to Whitewater Park. No river experience necessary--this is a fun and safe stretch of the river!

Students can stash backpacks and phones in Dave's vehicle in the morning so that items remain dry and get transported to campus when we're done rafting. After a picnic lunch by the river, we'll hop on a bus back to campus for an afternoon of activities designed to make sure everyone is ready for the year ahead. Note that students who drive themselves to Mild to Wild in the morning will need to arrange their own transportation when released from AHS at the end of the day to get back to Mild to Wild to pick up cars.

Juniors should bring the following on Tuesday:

  • AHS Permission slip--THIS MUST BE PRINTED, SIGNED BY PARENT/GUARDIAN AND PRESENTED TO ADVISOR
  • Mild to Wild waiver--THIS MUST BE PRINTED, SIGNED BY PARENT/GUARDIAN AND PRESENTED TO MILD TO WILD
  • any necessary medications
  • sack lunch--each raft will have a cooler where students can stash lunches
  • full water bottle

Students should arrive ready to raft, applying sunscreen ahead of time, wearing clothing that will be comfortable when wet (bathing suits, shorts, sun hat, no jeans) and river-ready footwear that can get wet and won't fall off (no flip flops), Mild to Wild will provide lifejackets and helmets for all; please don't bring your own.

Juniors will have core classes Wednesday morning, followed by our first NEST Meeting of the year, the 9th Grade Mini-Exhibition and mixed-grade culture-building activities.
12th Grade Orientation
Welcome to senior year, class of 2023! Your advisors, Steve Smith, Dave Farkas, Madi Neukirch and Julian Springer are excited to see you at the top of the ABC Trail for Senior Sunrise next Tuesday morning, bright and early! Seniors will meet at ABC trailhead at the corner of East 10th Street and East 6th Avenue at 6:45am for a short hike up to the FLC campus. There just might be a few other folks there to welcome you to your senior year, too. Don't miss this one--it's a really sweet Animas tradition! After Senior Sunrise, you'll head off to breakfast with your advisor.

Like the other grades, seniors start core classes Wednesday morning and then will join us for NEST Meeting, 9th Grade Mini-Exhibition and more activities to help us build our school community in the afternoon.


We know that the end of summer can feel a little bittersweet, but hope that your family is feeling some of the excitement we are about the start of the year. The energy around the Nest is so positive and we're ready for our sweet Ospreys to fly on back!
Upcoming Events

AHS Board Meeting: Thurs. 8/18, 5:30pm via meet.google.com/wmt-amow-sqt

Student Orientation (9th grade, optional for transfer students): Mon. 8/22

Senior Sunrise (12th grade): Tues. 8/23, 6:45am at ABC Trailhead

Student Orientation (9th, 10th and 11th grade): Tues. 8/23

Classes Begin (all grades): Wed. 8/24

NEST Meeting and Student Activity Fair: Wed. 9/1

Labor Day Holiday (no classes): Mon. 9/5

XBlock Classes Begin: Wed. 9/7

Family Orientation: Wed. 9/7, 5:30pm

Osprey Back-to-School Social: Fri. 9/23, 5:30pm
Animas High School prepares all students for college and postsecondary success by creating critical thinkers and engaged citizens through an innovative, student-centered, project-based curriculum. We accomplish this through:
Rigorous academics, where all students are prepared for college success
Culture of excellence, where students are held to high expectations
Strong student-faculty relationships, where students are well known.
Engaging learning, where students see the relevance in their education