Hello Osprey Students and Families,

With just a month until the first day of school for all students on Monday, August 21, we're here to make sure you have everything you need for the start of the 23/24 school year.

2023/24 Schedule and Calendar

All fall semester classes will meet during the first week of school, August 21 through 25, and Osprey Blocks, our new 3-week intensive elective courses, will run from August 28 through September 15. Save the date: we will host a Back-to-School Open House on Thursday, August 24 at 5pm for all families, with a potluck meal and a chance to hear from faculty about grade-level projects, Osprey Blocks and more.

Wondering about start/end times or school holidays? Check out the Daily Schedule and School Year Calendar. You can find these on the AHS website under News and Events.

This year, our school day will begin at 8:30am and end at 3:20pm, better accommodating students who ride the bus. We will share more information soon about how to register for the Hub Bus, which transports students between DHS and AHS. As a reminder, all AHS students are able to access Durango 9R transportation routes free of charge.

Please note that unlike local Durango 9R schools, we do not have early release on Mondays.

Student Schedules: NEW Osprey Block Added!

Login to Infinite Campus (IC) to view 2023/24 student schedules.

• contact our registrar Maureen Truax at registrar@animashighschool.com if you're having any difficulty logging into IC
• email Maureen if you don't see a fall Osprey Block
• students can request course changes after August 1

We've added an exciting new Osprey Block offering: Emergency Response in Our Community, taught by Elliot Baglini and Peter Bradley who are both accomplished outdoorsmen: Email rebecca.ruland@animashighschool.com no later than August 4 if you would like to switch into this Osprey Block. Maximum enrollment is 15 students.

The Emergency Response in Our Community Osprey Block will feature an immersive look into the rewards, challenges and skills required in working as an emergency responder in our region. From wilderness medicine professionals, to wildland firefighters and ambulance medics, we rely on underappreciated pros who work from behind the scenes to ensure we are safe--and to help us when things go wrong. During this course, students will have the opportunity to interface with firefighters, paramedics and search and rescue personnel, all while learning about the skills and equipment they utilize to respond to a variety of crises in our community. Through an analysis of emergency medicine in our local media and interviews with a wide array of responders, students will assess the challenges that these professionals face in our community and develop ideas to address the problems they identify. Finally, students will learn and practice basic wilderness medicine skills while working towards a Wilderness First Aid certification, with a short backpacking trip at the end of week three to practice their new skills in action and to reflect on their experiences.

Fall Sports

Now is the time to register for fall sports! Many Ospreys are student-athletes who play on Durango High School teams, or sports teams in other home districts.

Registration and physicals are due July 31 for all DHS fall sports teams. Try outs and practices for DHS fall sports teams begin August 7 (July 31 for Boys' Golf). DHS Fall sports include Girls' Volleyball, Football, Boys' Golf, Boys' Tennis, Boys Soccer, Boys' & Girls' Cross-Country, Softball, Dance Team and Cheerleading.

• DHS Athletics website
• DHS Athletics Registration
• Info about free sports physicals

AHS has just one sports team--the Mountain Biking Team--and we encourage participants of all skill and experience levels to join. The team is coached through Durango Devo, the amazing program that's been growing riders in our community since 2006 with a mission of developing lifelong cyclists. You may have noticed the Devo vans in our parking lot, since they've moved their operations onto our campus.

The ties between AHS and Devo run deep. Many AHS students have gone on to race at highly competitive levels, including Ainsley Haggart, Riley Amos, Stephen Davoust and Keiren Eagen, to name a few. Devo co-founder Sarah Tescher is mom to two AHS alumni (Dylan Williamson '17 and Jack Tescher '22). Current AHS Board Member Cara Kropp is a Devo coach, and our Outdoor Education Program Coordinator, Ashley Carruth has coached in the past, too. We love Devo for the way they support healthy youth development!

The AHS team trains and travels alongside the Durango High School team, and participates in weekend races through the Colorado High School Cycling League, which creates an inclusive atmosphere where all youth are welcome regardless of expertise or resources.

AHS Mountain Biking Team registration opens July 29 and practices begin August 29. The first race is in Leadville August 27. Practices are Tuesdays and Thursdays, 4:30-6:30pm and participation in races is optional. Registration for the bike team is through Durango Devo, and scholarships are available.

• AHS Mountain Biking Team Information
• Registration through Durango Devo
• Scholarship Information

We'd love to see the AHS Mountain Biking Team grow this year and encourage all students to consider signing up!

Student Clubs

Student activities provide great leadership opportunities for our students and allow them to pursue their interests and passions with peers who share them. AHS students have many extracurricular activities to choose from, and we encourage them to start groups and clubs when they don’t already exist. Student clubs generally meet during lunch with a faculty advisor, though some are offered as elective classes and others extend beyond the campus walls and school day. Clubs include Student Council, TRIO Talent Search, Quill Media, Rainbow Youth Center GSA, Dungeons and Dragons, Student Ambassadors and more.

We will host a Student Activity Fair early in the school year so students can promote new clubs, explore existing ones and decide which they'd like to join.

School Supplies

Wondering about school supplies? We don't distribute school supply lists at AHS as different classes will require different materials. Teachers will share expectations in the first week of school. Please consider school supply shopping at the Durango Office Depot; when you mention Animas High School at the register, they will make a donation.

Each student at Animas High School is required to have a laptop computer and can expect to use it daily for accessing web-based resources and teachers' Digital Portfolios, working with Google Suite, checking school email, ordering lunch, etc. As a college preparatory school, we put a strong emphasis on teaching students to work effectively with technology. Using a phone in place of a laptop computer does not work in an educational setting and it’s important for all students to have access to a computer daily at school. Our students use a variety of laptops, including PCs, Macs and Google Chromebooks.

Students who do not own a laptop can borrow one for the year from AHS through our laptop loaner program. You can find the Yearly Loaner Laptop Agreement on the AHS website under the Our Families > Forms tab, here. We also have daily laptop loaners for days when a student’s computer is not available.

Our faculty and staff are filling the summer with all the things that fill their buckets, and we hope you are, too!

Chemistry teacher Madi Neukirch was happy to find a sweet resting spot while rock climbing in Kalymnos Greece. Heather Prekup, from our inclusion Department, is getting many snuggles in with the adorable newest member of her household, Miss Belle. Math 10 teacher Ande Lloyd was spied in the AHS Makerspace earlier this month working on a student-designed custom table for the D&D Club. Spanish teacher Jenny McKenzie backpacked with her husband, Fort Lewis College professor Michael Rendon on the Isle of Skye, Scotland, where the plentiful bugs, called "wee beasties" by the locals, were as plentiful as the spectacular views. And, last but not least, Physics teacher Julian Springer did some high-adventure river guiding earlier in the summer, including navigating high water through Cataract Canyon on the Colorado River--looks like they enjoyed the trip!

We have just a few open seats left and enrollment is open through October 1, in case you have folks asking if it's too late to come to Animas for the 23/24 school year. Prospective families can reach out to libby.cowles@animashighschool.com to schedule a tour or learn more.

Keep enjoying this summer break and thanks for all you do to help the Ospreys soar!

Upcoming Events

Staff Orientation: Wed. 8/9 through Fri. 8/18

First Day of 23/24 School Year (all grades): Mon. 8/21

Back-to-School Open House: Thurs. 8/24, 5pm--save the date!

Fall Osprey Blocks: Mon. 8/28 through Fri. 9/15

Labor Day Holiday (no classes): Mon. 9/4