Greetings Ospreys,
With cooler temperatures moving in, we want to remind folks that we have sweet AHS hoodies ($25), t-shirts ($10) and travel mugs ($5) in our main office. Swing by with exact change or a check made out to "AHS" to buy spirit gear and show your Animas pride!
Families who were unable to attend this week's Senior College Night with Erin can view her presentation, which covered information about the college application timeline and process here.
Next Week's Events
Enjoy the long weekend--no classes on Monday, due to the Labor Day holiday.
New and returning families are invited to join us for Parent/Guardian Orientation Tuesday from 5:30 to 6:30. We are so glad to be able to welcome parents and guardians into our buildings to meet teachers and staff in person this fall! Stop by to hear what's happening in your student's grade-level core classes, electives and advisory. View the schedule here.
|
|
XBlock classes begin on Wednesday afternoon. Please remember that students will be released at 3:30 on Wednesdays from their XBlock location. View course descriptions, locations and gear needs here. XBlock course assignments will be completed on Tuesday and students and families will be able to view them in Infinite Campus under the "Schedule" tab. For more details about our XBlock program, please refer to the letter we sent to students and families earlier this week.
Next Thursday is the Add/Drop deadline for first semester classes. Students will not be able to make schedule changes after this date. If a course is dropped past the Add/Drop deadline, the student with receive a "W" for withdrawal on their transcript. The Add/Drop Form is available on the AHS website under "Our Families" > "Forms."
|
|
Ospreys Enthusiastically Kick Off New Year with Cultural Events
by Animas Quill Staff
The AHS community gathered Wednesday in person for the first time in 18 months for a fun-filled NEST meeting and Student Activities Fair.
Student Council co-presidents senior Kristina Bodewes and junior Sage Robbins led the agenda of the NEST meeting, which marked a return to some important Animas cultural practices, such as impersonations, XBlocks and the sharing of gratitude through Appreciations.
Juniors and seniors gave teachers a taste of their own satirical medicine by impersonating them through introductions. In a twist on the annual tradition of the faculty impersonating graduating seniors each year, the students donned costumes and props that spoofed the goofy “trademark” behaviors of their beloved teachers. Digital Arts teacher Roxy McKnight reflected, “I love that even though [the] young Ospreys only had last-minute preparation for teacher impersonations, [they] still found ways to embody [our] quirky characteristics. It means a lot to the staff because we pour out our hearts and souls into Senior Impersonations.”
World Language teacher Susy Raleigh enjoyed junior Harper Jones’ impersonation of her, sharing “I thought it was great! Harper was one of my first French students. I see her as my friend. The impersonations showed respect. They could have been a lot meaner.”
Impersonations are a great example of how student-teacher relationships work at Animas. And thanks to senior Tiernan Stein’s spot-on impersonations of Steve Smith and Julian Springer, the legacy of the Silver Fox and the Red Fox will likely continue into the future.
The Animas staff also arrived with props and costumes to introduce their first-quarter XBlock offerings. After not holding community XBlock for an entire year, the teachers have returned eagerly with a wide range of options. Students are looking forward to exercising together. Junior Kade Wagoner expressed that he was "excited we can do XBlock again 'cause we didn't get to last year. I get to build relationships with my teachers and do kick-flips with them."
|
|
The NEST meeting wrapped up with Math teacher Kyle Edmondson’s favorite Animas tradition: heartfelt appreciation; he remarked: “It’s good to see everyone feelin’ the love.” Students appreciated each other, their teachers, and most of all, their advisors. As it turns out, everyone in the school has the best advisor ever.
StuCo co-president, Sage Robbins, shared: “I thought the NEST meeting went very well for a couple reasons. First off, I felt like our community was connected for the first time in a long time. I also enjoyed the meeting because of the teacher impersonations, they were the perfect way to start off the year. The last positive thing I noticed from this meeting was that everyone in the audience was participating and very respectful.”
The cultural enthusiasm continued immediately after the NEST meeting at the Student Activities Fair. Representatives from many groups and organizations positioned themselves at tables to share information and get interested students involved. Ospreys learned more about such groups as the Photography Club, Stillwater Music, Quill Media, Student Council, Chess Club, Student Ambassadors, College Club, GSA, 4 Corners Freeride Ski Team, the AHS Mountain Biking Team, DHS Sports, the Rotary Interact Club, and the Maker Space. In some cases, clubs were started on the spot by students with specific interests. Inspired by an environmentalism project last year, sophomores Porter Hilgenberg and Mia Macon started a Fashion Club to educate people about upcycling and conservation of materials. Sophomores Caleb Bates, Shea Davis, and Brayden Harms didn’t see a lot of clubs they were interested in, so they recruited faculty advisor Tina Trujillo to facilitate a Gamer Club, where participants can play Magic the Gathering or Dungeons and Dragons during lunch.
All in all, student culture is off to a strong start this year!
Enjoy the long weekend and thanks for all you do to help the Ospreys soar!
|
|
Upcoming AHS Events
Labor Day (no classes): Mon. 9/6
Parent/Guardian Orientation: Tues. 9/7, 5:30-6:30pm at AHS
XBlock Classes Begin: Wed. 9/8
1st Semester Add/Drop Period Ends: Thurs. 9/9
School Excellence Committee (SEC) Meeting: Fri. 9/10 11:30am-12:30pm at AHS
School Photos (9th grade): Tues. 9/14
School Photos (11th and 12th grade): Wed. 9/15
School Photos (10th grade): Thurs. 9/16
College Fair at Durango High School: Tues. 9/14, 6-7pm
AHS Board of Directors Meeting: Mon. 9/20, 5:30-8:30pm at AHS
AHS Board of Directors Meeting: Tues. 9/21, 5:00-7:00pm at AHS
Healthy Kids Colorado Survey in Advisory: Wed. 9/22, 12:45-1:40pm
NEST Meeting: FastTrack Interactive Safe Driver Program: Fri. 9/24, 2:05-3:30
Back to School Social: Fri. 9/24, 5-7pm at AHS
Professional Development Day (no classes): Mon. 9/27
|
|
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
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
