New to AHS

1. Communication

Trojan Topics- emailed to parents/guardians every Sunday
Power School “school bulletin”- sign up through PowerSchool and decide the frequency at which you receive the bulletin
School Website- https://ahs.usd385.org/
Social Media-

Counseling Department Instagram- ahs_counseling_385

2. Trojan Nite

Develops a sense of community, sportsmanship, and comradery. 50+ year tradition.
Athletes compete in different sports and their class cheers them on from the student section. Athletes are elected by their class. Families cheer them on, too.
Each class chooses 2 colors, a mythical god/goddess, and a quote to represent them.
Students choose work sessions to attend to help create the float, costumes, etc. This is not mandatory, but highly encouraged.

3. Trojan Time (T-Time) Advisory

Advisory is held on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. These classes are for 40 minutes.
Advisory is set up for students to be able to go to teachers and get help on homework if needed, retake/make up a test, or utilize a tutor if needed. Students can use it as a study hall as well.
We invite Post Secondary Reps (College, Military, etc.) in during T-Time to present about their schools
T-Time is set up for students to use Xello to develop a postsecondary path (career, college, tech, military), IPS Portfolio (Individual Plan of Study), and to disburse any additional information/lessons that administration/counseling department deems pertinent.

4. Resources for Success

Tutors- We do offer tutors, who are typically upperclassmen, to help students with math or other subjects. Contact your counselor for this information.
Before/After School- Teachers are available before school from 7:30 am to 7:45 am and also after school from 2:50-3:30 pm. This is a great time for students to get help if needed.
Chromebooks- We are 1:1 Chromebooks for students! This is an amazing learning tool as well as a way to stay organized. Most teachers and the counselors use Google Classroom. This will help students to keep track of assignments.
Media Center (Library)- We have a fabulous Media Specialist and assistant. They will help students in any way they can (textbooks, research, Chromebook issues, finding a book from another library, etc).
Counselors- Counselors can assist students in finding resources to help them, guiding them through courses that will help them achieve their goals, working with them through issues that might hinder their success at school, and much more. Counselors divide students alphabetically by last name. Mrs. Ricke: A-G, Mr. Bohanon: H-O, Mrs. Lang: P-Z. We are here for all students regardless of where their last name falls.

5. Helpful Websites:

6. Weighted Grades & Graduation Honors

AHS requires students to earn 25 credits to graduate (see graduation requirements for details).
We move to the next grade level in multiples of 6. Students must have at least 6 credits to be a sophomore, 12 credits to be a junior, and 18 credits to be a senior. For example, a freshman student who fails 3 classes (1.5 credits) would only have 5.5 credits (5.75 including seminar) so he/she would not be a sophomore at the start of the next school year unless they took a summer class.
Classes are weighted meaning how they affect a student’s GPA depends on their weight. Honors and AP classes are worth more than regular courses. Visit the enrollment guide for the point-breakdown of each course.

7. Schedule Changes

Students have 3 days per semester to make a change to their schedule. After this time frame, changes must be approved by administration and will only be granted for highly unusual circumstances. (Per the handbook)
If a student wants to make a change after the first 5 weeks of school, not only does it require an administrator’s approval, but it will be an F on their transcript. (Per the handbook)