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Greetings Ospreys,
I hope this letter finds everyone rested and relaxed after a long break. If you are new to Animas High School, we warmly welcome you! If you are returning, we have missed you. Really.
Our teachers come back next week, and we will begin actively preparing for an epic school year which commences on Monday, August 21.
If you have looked through our staff bios on our website, you know we have some incredible humans who keep coming back for their love of educating young people. We are also excited to welcome several new staff members:
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Peter Bradley, joining us from the world of global outdoor expeditions and classroom teaching, will be teaching Grade 10 Humanities
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Sarah Brockett, joining us from Aztec High School, will be teaching Humanities for grades 10 and 11
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Emma Boone, joining us from Mountain Middle School, will be teaching grade 11 Humanities
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Elliot Baglini, joining us from Colorado Timberline Academy, will be working with Erin Cummings-Roper in the College and Career Department as well as teaching two classes
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Genevieve Buzan-Dansereau, a student teacher at AHS last year, will be teaching grade 9 Humanities as well as working with the Inclusion Department
Our cup runneth over. In this world we live in, educators are in high demand. There is an acute shortage nation-wide. We would like to think that AHS is unique and special enough to attract a different breed of educator who seeks a strong culture, democratic workplace, and an expectation to design learning that engages and inspires young people. I believe that is what we have at AHS. We have the same expectations of ourselves as we do of our students. Work hard--no task is too big or too little. Don't seek to be perfect, but make sure you are continuing to grow and learn. Be better than you were before. Be reflective and, perhaps most importantly, be kind. That’s it.
We also have a number of professors from the Education Department at Fort Lewis College hosting classes at our school as well as student teachers from both FLC and PEBC joining us. The building will be full of students and staff interested in teaching and learning.
In addition to new staff, we have about ninety new students joining us; sixty will be freshmen and the remaining students are transferring from other high schools. We will dedicate several days the first week of school welcoming and orienting incoming freshmen. One of those days will be off campus participating in a ropes course. Other newcomers will be welcomed by their grade level teams. Unlike previous years, all but grade 9 will jump into a regular academic schedule right away on Monday, August 21.
As you know, we are launching a new program this year called Osprey Blocks which are deep dives into one topic for a three week period. We have two blocks scheduled this year one starts the second week of school, and the other happens before spring break. During Osprey Blocks, regular classes will not be scheduled. Teachers are working together across grade levels to design engaging experiences and learning for their students. When students successfully complete the academic work of an Osprey Block, they will earn a semester’s worth of credit which can be applied to language, math, science, language arts or social studies, depending on the content of the course. Presently, we have nine options that range from a trip to Mexico with our Spanish faculty to Special Relativity which uses mathematics and logic to develop an understanding of the world and the stunning realities hidden from view. You can see our course catalog for more information.
Just like classes that have course fees for special materials or activities, most of our Osprey Blocks have a cost. The cost may cover certification in content such as Wilderness First Aid, raft rentals, transportation, food, or overnight trips. AHS has budgeted over $20,000 to offset those costs and has obtained grants from the City of Durango and the Moniker Foundation for the same purpose. Our first priority is to make sure students who qualify for free and reduced lunch do not experience hardship to participate in the Osprey Block of their choice. If any student struggles to pay the cost of their Block, we will work with them and figure out a way to attend the Block of their choice. If the Block your student has chosen has a cost, the instructors will be emailing you next week to let you know more. Parents who want to break up payments over nine months can make those arrangements. Parents who are in a position to donate to the school in support of other students, are welcome and encouraged to do so. One way or another, we will make it happen. It is our goal to make these learning opportunities not only memorable, but in some cases, transformational. If your student is not yet registered for an Osprey Block, contact our registrar, Maureen Truax at [email protected].
Back to School Night is scheduled for August 24 from 5:00-6:30. This is your chance to meet teachers and staff. Please join us. Because we are collocated on the campus of Fort Lewis College, traffic and parking can be a challenge for both schools. Last spring during All School Exhibition, FLC police gave warning tickets to cars parked outside of the AHS lot. Back to School Night this year happens to fall on the evening that FLC students are moving back into the dorms. It should be lively for all of us. We ask, actually we plead, that you carpool, bike, walk or bus to join us. We will have staff out there directing traffic. We are privileged to be on this campus. It is absolutely an inspirational environment. Let’s keep the peace and be good neighbors.
One of the many things that makes charter schools unique is parent involvement. In Colorado, charter schools were authorized for that very reason--to give families a voice in their students' education. Animas High School is the quintessential example of that. It was founded by a group of parents who had the time, energy and commitment to create an educational alternative for families in this community. One such parent, Jesse Hutt, continues to contribute through her work as a board member and her leadership in our successful capital campaign that allowed us to live in this incredible building. That spirit of community makes any school better. The idea that we all have a stake in our success and that we can be agents of positive change in this institution, is powerful. Just this week, I met with a father whose daughter is joining us next year. Like all of you, he has many talents. He is volunteering to run a very interesting Osprey Block this year (details to be revealed soon) because he wants to be part of this community and the life of his daughter. There are a million ways to get involved. Please look for the TWIGS parent table set up during Back to School Night to learn how you can contribute and carry the torch of parents like Jesse Hutt.
Look for more details of all things Animas each Friday in the News for the Nest. Here’s to growing and learning together all of 2023/24!
With Respect,
Rebecca Ruland
Head of School
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