Dear Osprey Students and Families,

Student-Led Conferences (SLCs) will take place on Thursday, October 17 between 4:00 and 6:00pm at AHS. We look forward to welcoming families to campus for these important check in conversations, facilitated by students and designed to foster meaningful reflection and communication about student progress and growth. SLCs occur once a semester; in the fall they are mandatory for all 9th, 10th and 11th grade students. Each SLC should take approximately 20-30 minutes to complete.

We require that students arrive in professional dress for SLCs, as we believe that presenting oneself in a polished, mature fashion helps set the tone for a thoughtful and engaged conversation. We also believe that learning to dress in a professional manner is a valuable life skill, so we require professional dress for Exhibitions and Presentations of Learning as well. In addition to daily dress code expectations, professional dress requires that students wear: a button-down shirt and tie, shirt with finished neck, sweater or blouse; a nice pair of slacks (no jeans), skirt or dress; dark socks to match trousers and dress shoes (no sneakers, no excessively high heels). Please communicate with an adult at school if finding professional dress clothing is cost-prohibitive; we have clothing to lend and we can help!

SLC Format

Teachers will share grade-specific expectations and help students prepare for SLCs in their core classes and the format will vary a bit from grade to grade. 

• 9th grade: fall SLCs will offer students and families a chance to go beyond the regular, "How is school going?" conversation and instead dive deeper into self-reflection through a series of guided questions about their classes, including Osprey Block, as well as their general wellbeing.  
• 10th grade: the fall SLC takes the form of an interview, with parents using questions students will provide to dialogue about progress, goals and visions of the future. 
• 11th grade: SLCs are a two-way interview with parents about their own high school, career and college experiences, with parents interviewing students about their goals and learning about how students want support as they work to achieve these goals through LINK, AHS coursework and college planning.
• 12th grade: In 12th grade students do not do SLCs, however, we encourage all parents and guardians to check their grades in IC and discuss their performance with their students

Grade-level teachers will be circulating through classrooms during SLCs, but the expectation is that students are truly the ones leading the conversations. Multiple SLCs will take place simultaneously in each classroom and if questions arise during a conference, teachers will be available to offer support.  

Scheduling and Signing Up

There are several available appointments for each time slot at each grade level. Please select a time that works well for your family (and please only sign up for one conference slot per student!) by using the following online links. Be sure to hit the “Save and Continue” button after selecting your SLC time slot.

• 9th grade SLC sign up HERE
• 10th grade SLC sign up HERE
• 11th grade SLC sign up HERE

If your family is unable to meet on October 17, you must reach out to the appropriate teacher to reschedule. All SLCs must be completed by Thursday, October 24.

• 9th grade: Humanities 9 Teacher Cameron Elder cameron.elder@animashighschool.com  
• 10th grade: Physics Teacher Julian Springer julian.springer@animashighschool.com 
• 11th grade: Chemistry Teacher Madi Neukirch madison.neukirch@animashighschool.com

As always, our goal with SLCs is for students to take the lead in their educational journey, learning to authentically assess their progress and refine their personal goals. We encourage you to engage in the conversations with fresh ears and open minds, and we hope that the experience will be meaningful for you. Please feel free to reach out with any questions, feedback or concerns.

Upcoming Events

9th Grade Postsecondary Night: Wed. 10/9, 5:30pm

NEST Meeting: Osprey Block Presentations: Thurs. 10/10, 8:25am

TWIGS Parent Coffee: Fri. 10/11, 8:30am

Colorado Free Application Days: 10/15-10/17

AHS Board Meeting: Wed. 10/15, 5:30pm

AHS Campus Tour: Thurs. 10/17, 8:45am RSVP here

Student-Led Conferences (9th through 11th grade families): Thurs. 10/17, 4-6pm

Professional Development Day (no classes): Mon. 10/21

AHS Campus Tour: Tues. 10/22, 5:30pm RSVP here

PSAT/NMSQT (11th grade): Wed. 10/23: see 2024/25 Testing Letter for full details

2nd Quarter Clubs and XBlocks begin: Wed. 10/30

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.

Educational programs, activities, and employment opportunities at AHS are offered without regard to disability, race, creed, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, family composition, marital status, national origin, religion, ancestry or need for special education services.