April 2, 2021
Greetings Ospreys,

Things are rolling right along here at the Nest, with spring in the air, Senior Project thesis papers turned in, talk of college decisions. juniors finalizing LINK internship placements and planning underway for graduation.

We have made the tough call that some traditional AHS spring events will not happen this year, due to COVID. We will not host Osprey Week, Prom, All School Exhibition, Senior Celebration or Advisory Olympics this time around. It's difficult to let go of these valuable community events, but our hope is that in doing so we will be able to pull off several other important ones. We hope to have the following end-of-year events happen in person: Senior Project TED Talks, Transitional Presentations of Learning, Senior Supper and Graduation.

It may seem early to start thinking about these end-of-year events, but with just 3 weeks until juniors leave for their LINK Internships and only 7 weeks of regular classes left, the final stretch of the 2020-21 school year will pass quickly!

A new event in the works, thanks to our hardworking Student Council, is a virtual AHS Talent Show, which will premier at our NEST Meeting on April 21. Ospreys are a talented bunch, and students and staff are encouraged to send in a short video or still image sharing what they love to do--whether it's art, dancing, music, skiing, biking, stand up comedy or something else. We're excited to give Ospreys this opportunity to shine! Email submissions to Taylor at s.schermer@animashighschool.com by Friday April 9.

Student Council is also hosting the Spring Blood Drive here on campus April 16, 9:30-3:30. Students, staff and community members are encouraged to sign up to donate blood; see eligibility guidelines here.
Beautiful Work
Students in Torrey Baldwin's Math 9 class have worked to address real-world problems using the algebraic and graphical methods they’ve been learning in their "Solve It!" unit. Check out Niko Peterson and Gavinn McKinney's project, where they identified the number of hours they'd need to work to earn a motorbike. Olivia Schill created and applied an equation modeling the length of a panic attack, Maddie Tharp explored a pole vaulter's arc and Brayden Harms dove deep into modeling the area of a star. Check all the projects out here on the Math Department website.
Career and College Counseling
AHS' Sophomore Inspire Week has been recognized by the Colorado Department of Education with a Promising Practice Award, acknowledging the powerful work sophomore teachers and AHS college counselor Jess Morrison do with our sophomores to help them better understand the wide range of paths to postsecondary college and career options.

All 9th, 10th and 11th grade students will take the PSAT or SAT at school on April 13. Submit a written statement to libby.cowles@animashighschool.com as soon as possible if you would like to opt your student out of any of these standardized exams. Letting us know sooner rather than later really helps us with planning! See all the details about spring testing here. As a reminder, CMAS for juniors has been cancelled.
Academic Advising and Course Selection for 2021-22
We will provide academic advising to 9th and 11th graders next week in preparation for course requests for the 2021-22 school year (10th and 12th grade students have already received this round of advising). Look for the updated AHS Course Catalog, which will include elective offerings for next year, coming your way the week of April 12-16. Students will complete course requests for next year during in-person days the week of April 19-23.

XBlock Credit for Spring Semester
Students will receive a semester of XBlock credit if they can demonstrate they have completed 40 hours of wellness-supporting activities between January 1 and June 4, when the spring semester ends. To receive credit, submit both forms below:


As a reminder, all AHS students are required to have 3 years of XBlock credit to graduate!

Have a good weekend and thanks for all you do to help the Ospreys soar!
Upcoming AHS Events

AHS Board Meeting: Wed. 4/7, 5:30-7:30 via meet.google.com/yvq-xuei-suo

AHS Reunión Informativa En Línea en Español: Wed. 4/7 5:30pm via meet.google.com/drv-kmdq-pss

Graduation Deadline for Seniors (Graduation Survey due): Fri. 4/9 (see details here)

AHS Talent Show Submissions Due: Fri. 4/9

PSAT8/9, PSAT10 and SAT (9th, 10th and 11th grade: no classes): Tues. 4/13

Marketing Committee Meeting: Wed. 4/14, 1pm via meet.google.com/edo-ngye-kvt

Graduation Deadline for Seniors (cap & gown orders, seniors photos and input for senior pages due): Fri. 4/16 (see details here)

Spring Blood Drive hosted by Student Council: Fri. 4/16

NEST Meeting: Talent Show hosted by Student Council: Wed. 4/21, 12:35-1:05pm

No Hub Bus: Mon. 4/26

LINK Internships (11th grade): Mon. 4/26 through Fri. 5/14

School Excellence Committee Meeting: Wed. 4/28, 5pm

Professional Development Day for Staff (no classes): Fri. 4/30

Graduation Deadline for Seniors (student speeches due): Fri. 5/7 (see details here)

Senior Project TED Talks: Thurs. 5/20 through Wed. 5/26

Senior Supper: Thurs. 5/17 6-8pm

Graduation: Fri. 5/28, 4pm

Memorial Day Holiday (no classes): Mon. 5/31

Transitional Presentations of Learning: Tues. 6/1 through Fri. 6/4

Last Day of School: Fri. 6/4
As a reminder, if you do online shopping with Amazon, please consider signing up for Amazon Smile and designating Animas High School as your charity of choice! It's quick and easy and means AHS gets a donation when you shop, at no extra cost to you!
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