Erin Cummins-Roper introduces the class of 2025 to the visiting professionals from a variety of industries at this week's 9th Grade Career Fair |
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Greetings Ospreys,
Bravo to our Osprey thespians for their strong work with the short comedy Ten Ways to Survive the Zombie Apocalypse last night! Thank you to drama instructor Joy Kilpatrick for her leadership with our troupe, and to all who came to the show, and all who donated to Durango Food Bank upon entry.
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Sophomores are fully immersed in designing, prototyping and building their rockets, applying their knowledge of the math and physics of projectile motion in preparation for the Rocketry Exhibition, which will be Tuesday May 10, 9:30am to 12:30pm at Smiths Sports Complex. Drivers needed to support the exhibition--sign up here if you can help!
All School Exhibition is the following week, on Thursday May 19, 4-7pm. Students from all grades will exhibit work from across all disciplines at this end-of-year celebration of learning. Mark your calendars now as this is an event you won't want to miss!
Curious to hear a bit more about the 9th grade 20% Project? Quillspreys Illyria Brunner and Maddie Tharp have you covered! Take a listen to their latest podcast here. For their 20% Project, Gus Close and Jackson Wilton are working with mentorship from senior Kristina Bodewes to organize a Toy Drive for children at Mercy Hospital. Please consider donating new toys--details below!
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Students in 9th through 10th grade received academic advising through advisory this week to review transcripts, consider what credits they need towards graduation requirements and learn about how they might tailor elective choices to best fit their postseconday goals. Juniors are doing this same work in partnership with Erin Cummins-Roper through individual appointments. This is all in preparation for requesting courses for the 22/23 school year. We are putting the final touches on our 22/23 Course Catalog in the next couple of weeks. We will be reaching out to families of students who would benefit from AHS Summer School, an in-person credit recovery program, soon as well. Stay tuned for more details.
We're hearing reports from the field that our juniors are doing great work at their LINK Internships! Scarlett Moore and Za Barrett, active members of the Animas Quill team, are interning with the Durango Telegraph. Check out their first story, "Discovering Durango's Treasures" in this week's edition. We look forward to the class of 2023 presenting their internship projects at All School Exhibition.
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junior Ashlee Parker thriving at La Plata Humane Society, where she's being mentored by Colleen Dunning, AHS' founding Biology teacher |
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Jake Imming shows off the safe installation she completed this week on LINK, where he's interning with local handyman Robert Dominguez |
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Senior Project Update
Robert Cossey has been doing a deep dive into the theory and practice of economics in his Senior Project work. In his thesis, he explored the microeconomics at play in Zimbabwe and Argentina as a way of better understanding inflation. At All School Exhibition, Robert will host a presentation about financial planning, covering personal finance, behavioral finance, retirement planning, saving and investing. He'd love to know ahead of time who might be interested in attending. Let him know here if you think you may be interested!
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9th Grade Career Day
Maddie Tharp, Animas Quill
Wednesday this week the freshpeople toured around the AHS classrooms, exploring a variety of jobs presented to them by professionals in those fields. The jobs were not only those done by college graduates, many trades jobs were also exhibited to the students. “The day went really really well.” Erin Cummins-Roper exclaimed, “Everybody that signed up to come came, which is really impressive given that they’re busy professionals. So we felt really special that so many people made time to come and work with our students.” Throughout the day, during their core classes, the freshpeople cycled through the classrooms where there were a variety of professionals stationed to talk with them.
Alyce Goff expressed, ”Career day was fun, I liked meeting all the new people. Any management job they had there [career day] stuck out to me,” she said, “I think it was really interesting just talking to people.” Each student had a handout with questions to help them start conversations and gain a deeper understanding of what each profession entailed on a daily schedule and how to get into such careers.
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“Some of the careers that were represented: we had careers in the fitness industry, we had an attorney, we had all sorts of people from the energy sector including La Plata Electric Association, solar, electricians. We had a brewer,” Erin commented, “We had a really wide variety of people, which I think was really great for the 9th graders.” Some of the people who came to speak with and inspire the freshpeople ranged from company owners to executive directors, to someone from the city council, to an architect. Many of the freshpeople had very in-depth conversations with professionals from many different careers, even some that they wouldn't have originally thought of as interesting careers. The students were in each room for about 15 minutes, that way they would wander around and talk to people, learning more about what interests them and what careers they might never want to do.
A special thanks to all the busy professionals who took the time to come to AHS and inspire the students. Brenda Macon from Durango Arts Center, Mary Oswald from San Juan Hand Therapy, Brandan and Kelsey Lancaster from Performance Automotive Repair, Laura Wenger from Tomsic Physical Therapy, Robert Ramirez, and Matt Lee from Durango Electrical Services, Jessika Buell from Durango City Council, Marketing Squared and Lucky Services, Josh Pronozuk from Jaynes Corporation, Darrick Robinson and Carrie from La Plata Electrical Association, Scott Nielsen and Pete Stockwell from Durango Fire Protection Wildland Division, Christine Imming from AHS, Colleen Dunning from La Plata County Humane Society, Angela Peterson and Karen Engel from Centura Health/Mercy Regional Medical Center, Jeremy Wissing and Ross from TL Roofing, Spencer Roper from Steamworks Brewing, Dan Imming from Durango Fire Protection District, Max Fisher and Kal Fowler from Four Corners Rainbow Youth Center, Katie Whitney from Whitney and Showalter Law Firm, Lauren Davis from RMBA Architects, Sage Frane from Sun Ute Community Center, Lindsay Harmon from Shaw Solar and Matt Justice from Intermountain Wall Systems.
As a continuation of our 9th grade career exploration, we will take the class of 2025 on field trips on Wednesday May 11. We need parent volunteer drivers to help transport students. Contact Erin Cummins-Roper at collegecounseling@animashighschool.com if you can help.
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Staffing Updates
There are some shifting roles in the works for next year, including Julian Springer moving from the math to the science department.
"I have enjoyed teaching junior math immensely these last three years and it is with sadness, and also with a great deal of excitement and anticipation, that I step into this new role. Mathematics has always been a passion of mine, being the common thread tying together the various fields of science in which I have worked and studied. I have had the great fortune to work with many brilliant student mathematicians in my time here, and to watch all of my students grow their math literacy, their competency as problem solvers, their collaborative ability, and their confidence and self awareness. It has been a wonderful teaching experience, and I firmly believe that I have been extraordinarily fortunate to be a part of the Animas Math Department. With the juniors on their LINK internships, I have had more time to think about the fulfillment I have gotten through this position, and about just how lucky I have been to help students along on their mathematical journeys towards college and their future careers. Math rules!
As many of my students know, while I love the field of mathematics, my own training and schooling was in the sciences. So, when the opportunity to step into the role of sophomore Physics teacher presented itself, the chance to develop my teaching practice in this direction was too tempting to pass up. I can now focus all of my attention into the field of science, and continue on my own journey as a teacher-learner. I am thrilled at the prospect of working with the sophomore students and team, helping our students develop an understanding and appreciation of the physical world that surrounds us and the mechanics that dictate how it works. My deepest intellectual excitement comes from the connection to nature that a strong understanding of the physical world can foster. I sincerely look forward to helping my students develop this viewpoint, and to drawing out my students' unique and individual passions for physics this coming year and the many years that follow!"
Please see the Employment Opportunities page on the AHS website and help us spread the word if you know an excellent educator who might be a good fit for our school community!
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Enjoy the weekend and thanks for all you do to help the Ospreys soar! |
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Upcoming Events
LINK Internships (11th grade): Mon. 4/25 through Fri. 5/13
Bears Ears Camping Trip (9th grade): Mon. 5/2 through Thurs. 5/5
Professional Development Day (no classes): Fri. 5/6
Career Exploration Field Trips (9th grade): Wed. 5/11
All School Exhibition: Thurs. 5/19
Senior Supper: Thurs, 5/26, 6pm at AHS
Advisory Olympics: Fri. 5/27, 8:25am to 12:30pm at Fort Lewis College
AHS Graduation: Fri. 5/27, 4pm
Transitional Presentations of Learning (9th through 11th grade): Tues. 5/31 through Fri. 6/3
Last Day of School: Thurs. 6/2
Rising Senior College Book Camp: Fri. 6/3
First day of 2022/23 School Year: Mon. 8/22
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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
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