Colin Treinen

Culturally Minded:  Colin cares about people and is able to look beyond his person needs putting others first.  This past month, he was able to step up and help a student in need when others may have overlooked it not wanting to get involved.  He went above and beyond to see that he was taken to the right place for help and was not leaving until he knew the student was safe.  He is truly a perfect pick for the weekly Wildcat Way and symbolizes the Compassionate characteristic.  Thank you for going the extra mile; it truly makes a difference.

Hall of Fame 

Congratulations to The 2021 Selection

Dr. Katie Garza, Class of 2008

Jessica Hoppe, Class of 1997

From your Leadership & KAPUT teams ~  Homecoming week is finally here!

Our spirit days are:

Monday:  Blast from the Past

Tuesday:  Hawaiian Day

Wednesday:  College wear/Jersey Day

Thursday:  Corporate vs. Camo

Friday:  Class Color/Green & White Day

Monday: Comfy Day

Thursday:  Hallway and Mural Decorating 

• Will taking place from 2:45 - 5 PM.  Classes will be competing for spirit jug points and bragging rights!  Pizza and soda will be donated by Alpena Alcona Area Credit Union. 

The Homecoming Assembly 

• It begins at 12:45 on Friday, October 8th, with the induction of two new members into the AHS Hall of Fame.  Next ~ the  underclassmen royal court will be announced, and the formal part of the assembly will commence with the crowning of the AHS senior representatives.  The pep assembly then kicks into high gear with the spirit jug class competitions along with the roof-raising A-L cheer.  

The celebration continues with the 2021 Homecoming Parade 

• The parade  will begin at 4:45 starting at Ella White Elementary school, traveling down 3rd Avenue, to Garden Street. There will be plenty of candy for everyone!

The First Annual Northland Area Federal Credit Union Tailgate Party (in partnership with: Meijer, Aunt Millie, Frito Lay, and Pepsi)

• A huge thank you to Northland for reaching out to take over the tailgate party-- APS thanks you and your partnering community sponsors-- The community of Alpena is fortunate to have such amazing businesses.

• Immediately following the Homecoming Parade at the parking lot of Park Family Stadium.  

• Hot dogs, pop, chips, and more will be provided.

Saturday, October 9th:  The 2021 Homecoming Dance  

• The dance will be taking place outside in the front oval of the high school from 6 - 10 PM.  There will be tents, a bonfire, a warming area and two different dance floors this year.  Leadership is so excited to partner with KAPUT in bringing this new experience to our students! 

• Tickets are available at the gate and will be $10 per person.  Guest passes are available in the House Offices and need to be completed and returned not later than 2:45pm on Friday.

• At the dance in the TENTS and OUTSIDE areas masks are STRONGLY RECOMMENDED but not REQUIRED.  When students enter the building, they MUST mask, and masks will be available as they enter.  Thank you for helping to mitigate risks for all in attendance.  

A huge thank you to our Leadership class led by the wonderful Mrs. Kris Spain in all that they have done to make Homecoming happen this year; it was a huge stress with the unknown and uncertainty as we progress into the year with COVID still impacting our community.  In the wake of the pandemic, and last year's loss of so much for everyone, they worked tirelessly to make Homecoming week (thank you Alpena Alcona Area Credit Union for all the pizza & pop for hall decorating), the parade, Northland Area Credit Union Tailgate Party, Hall of Fame Assembly, and finally the Homecoming Dance a reality.  It is all Leadership's hard work and countless hours of time to see the week and culminating dance really happen-- thank you!

Also, a thank you to the newly formed KAPUT (Kids and Parents United Together) Executive Committee and parents that pulled together to get the funding through Alpena County Youth and Rec-KAPUT to get the tents and equipment necessary to make the dance happen!  Alpena County Youth and Rec supports all the KAPUT activities throughout the year with their generous grant awarded to our KAPUT team. We also want to thank all of our volunteers and donations by our KAPUT families.  A huge thank you to all parents and families who have donated goods to decorate the space in the front oval, which is the first outdoor dance venue at AHS; it will be an exciting night and one not to forget!  

• To become involved in KAPUT email Brydi Haugerud haugerudb@alpenaschools.com.  

  • Co-Chairs Michelle Dhruvan and Stephanie Couture will reach out to you with more information on the Band App used for communication.  Thank all the Board members for volunteering

  • Secretary: Larry Johns, Treasurer, Toni Schmitt, Trustees: Christina Klimczak & Sara Bradury

  • The next event hopefully will be announced immediately following Homecoming.  You can expect great things this year for AHS students.  

ATTENDANCE OFFICE-- Thank you Mrs. Tessmer for all you do for AHS students

EARLY DISMISSAL

• If you are dismissing your student before the 2:30 dismissal time, please call the Attendance Office in the morning of the date of early dismissal, or even the day before would be great.

• We cannot call the class or send paper passes DURING CLASS TIME to dismiss your student.   Your student will be dismissed via their student email on their chromebook and/or phone.  The student is SENT a GOOGLE CALENDAR invite for this purpose.  Staff is really advocating personal responsibility for students and this is a step in that direction.  You can enforce this at home and make it a reminder to the student to use this system.  Students show the teacher their dismissal time at the beginning of the hour that they are being dismissed from and use this as their PASS to leave.

• Thank you for your assistance in this matter, as there are over a thousand students in the building at one time and only one Attendance Office Secretary.

Attendance Calls start Monday

• The robo calls for absences and tardies will begin on Monday, October 4. Parents, please review your child's attendance regularly.  Also, parents are encouraged to report student absences through ParentVue as well as calling the Attendance office via phone. If you need assistance setting up your ParentVue account, please call 358-5200.

• We apologize that calls have not started sooner this year, but with quarantines and COVID pieces unfolding the first few weeks of school, Mrs. Tessmer and I were hesitant to start the calls due to 100% or even 90% attendance accuracy.

• Thank you for your patience and understanding as we navigate 21st Century procedures and support for academic success.

Assessment Corner

• October 13, 2021 we will be providing assessments for PSAT 9, PSAT/NMSQT, SAT (no essay) at the Aplex. Times will be announced in the coming weeks.

• Letters to Students who Signed-up for each Assessment

  • • • PSAT 9 Information Letter 

      • PSAT/NMSQT Information Letter 

      • SAT (No Essay Letter) 

• Students have already signed up for this session. 

• These test are not required for fall of 2021; all students must take these assessments in the spring of 2022.

• Any questions please reach out to Mr. Studley via email studleyj@alpenaschools.com or via phone 989-358-5351.

Last year's test results for PSAT9, PSAT 10, ACT and MSTEP can be picked up in F-House Office. 

MHSAA Scholar-Athlete Award (seniors Only)

The online application for the 2021-22 Scholar-Athlete Award is now available. Students will fill out the entire application online, which includes applicant background info, short-answer questions and essays. Judges will also be reviewing and scoring applications online.

Schools are limited to the number of students who will be considered for the award. Class A schools can nominate 6 boys and 6 girls, Class B can nominate 4 boys and 4 girls, Class C can nominate 3 boys and 3 girls and Class D can nominate 2 boys and 2 girls.

To get your students involved, here is what you need to do…

1. Direct students to mhsaa.com/scholarship to start the application process.

2. Once there, students will create an account.

3. Finally, students will need to enter the Access Code provided to you by the MHSAA. WE WILL SEND YOU THIS CODE IN A SEPARATE EMAIL.

​At this point students can start to fill out the different parts of the application. If they leave the application, they will pick up where they left off when they return. Students also need two letters of recommendation. Students can upload PDFs or Word docs themselves, or they can use the system to have recommenders upload recommendations themselves. The deadline is Dec. 3, at 4:00 p.m. Since the process is entirely online, there is no internal school deadline.

• For more instructions for ADs, click here.

• For tips and instructions for students, click here.

• For more information about the Scholar-Athlete award, click here.
   

Please E-mail Mr. Studley for the code to this application 

AdviseMI- helping students and families prepare for life beyond high school

• FAFSA is Open!- The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) opened to students on October 1st. This is a form that must be filled out by every student attending college and determines what federal aid a student is eligible to receive. FAFSA should be filed as soon as possible, as some aid is first come, first served. On October 13th all seniors will go to the media center to receive assistance with college applications and starting their FAFSA. Please begin filling yours out at fafsa.gov and reach out with any questions. I will also be offering one- on-one appointments to help families through the process. 

• Scholarship of the Week- Coca-Cola Scholar Program (Apply Here), due October 31st: National program that awards over $3.5 million dollars to 1,400 students annually. Applicants must be pursuing a degree at an accredited U.S. College following graduation and have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher. More scholarship resources, including a month by month list of scholarships, can be found here 

• College Rep Visits- all October- To celebrate Michigan College Month, we have many college reps coming to visit AHS to discuss their schools. Sign up sheets for these presentations can be found in the Media Center by the printer. Every student who attends a presentation is entered to win many fun prizes including gift cards and college swag.

• College Night October 6th, 6pm in the Gym- Hopefully you saw the information above from the counselors regarding College Night, but I just wanted to make one more push for it here! This is a wonderful opportunity for students and their loved ones to explore the many options available to them after high school. We will be having around 50 colleges, universities, trade schools, the military, and other organizations present. This year we are also having two 30 minute sessions of an AHS alumni panel during College Night to help students understand the different options after high school from the perspective of someone who has been in their shoes!

Please reach out to me if you need anything or would like to schedule an appointment- deckerb@alpenaschools.com or 989-358-5243

School Success Spotlight, Mrs. Siegert (Room E110)

DRESSES/DRESS CLOTHES--If you are in need of a dress or dress clothes for the upcoming Homecoming Dance, our Dress Closet is loaded with beautiful dresses and some men's suit jackets/ties. All items are free. Please see me in E110 during your lunch hour or Leadership during 3rd Hour (with your teacher's permission)  to look through our inventory. It's a Dress for Success moment! 

AHS FOOD PANTRY--The AHS Food Pantry is available to all students in need of additional food during the week. We have a variety of items from granola bars, soup, pop tarts, etc. The food pantry is located in E110.

PEER MEDIATION--NorthStar Mediation Services will begin taking applications for peer mediator candidates this week. Applications will be due by October 11th. A Peer Mediator is someone who is able to help others solve their problems in a calm, respectful manner. If you are interested in being a Peer Mediator, want an application or would like more information, please contact me in the School Success Office. 

ANXIOUS/FEELING BLUE?--Feeling stressed? Overwhelmed? Depressed? Need some coping strategies for your anxiety and depression? We'll be starting several support groups in October. Stop in to see me if you need more information. Follow the link if you think you might want to participate! Link

GROUPS-Would you be interested in participating in other types of support groups (grief, loss, etc)? Let us know! Follow the link.

Media Center News

• Please come to school with your Chromebook and charger each day ready for class.  We do not lend Chromebook chargers out - you must use the one assigned to you. If you forget your Chromebook, you may borrow one once per semester. 

Campus Closet -- Open for Our Alpena Community    Evening Hours

• Patrons will have to mask upon entering

• BUY FROM NEARBY Event: Friday, October 1: 2:30-4:30 pm

• College Night: Wednesday, October 6: 5:00-7:00 pm

• Homecoming: Friday, October 8: 4:00-6:00 pm

Athletics for the week of October 3 to October 8

Monday, October 4th

Girls Golf MHSAA Regionals at 9am - Saginaw Valley Golf Course

Girls Freshman and JV Volleyball vs. Sault Area High School at 5pm - Home

Girls Varsity Volleyball vs. Sault Area High School at 6:30pm - Home

Tuesday, October 5th

Boys Varsity Soccer vs. Gaylord High School at 5pm - at Gaylord High School

Boys Tennis vs. Petoskey at 5pm - at Home

Wednesday, October 6th

Boys Tennis Tournament at 9am - at Midland Tennis Center

Girls Freshman and JV Volleyball vs. Cadillac High School at 5pm  - at Cadillac High School

Girls Volleyball vs. Cadillac High School at 6:30pm - at Cadillac High School

Thursday, October 7th

Girls Golf - Alpena Invite at 9am - at Alpena Golf Club

Boys Varsity Soccer vs. Cadillac High School at 5pm - Cadillac High School

JV Football vs. Traverse City Central at 6pm - at Traverse City Central High School

Friday, October 8th

Varsity Football vs. Traverse City Central at 7pm - Home

Saturday, October 9th

Boys JV Soccer vs. Oscoda High School at 9am - Oscoda High School

Boys Varsity Cross Country - Heritage Invitational at 9:30am - Saginaw Heritage Immerman Park 

***NEW***  Parents please address with your students

TikTok Challenge concern and potential ramifications-- ex. Title IX implications and disciplinary action

As you know, AHS was subject like many schools across the nation with bathrooms damaged with the September's TikTok challenge.   It is important to know that some of these challenges can be life changing if done to the wrong person or place.  Please talk to your kids about these challenges and the consequences.  News Article

Thank you for your support in this matter.

Upcoming Events:

• 10/4/21 Homecoming Week

• 10/4/21 Volleyball's Pink Out 6:30pm Varsity

• 10/5/21 GSA Meeting in G116 contact Mrs. Vought or Mrs. Linton

• 10/6/21  6:00 -7:30 pm College Night in the AHS Gym; Alumni Panel 6:45 and 7:15 in the Auditorium

• 10/8/21 Homecoming Assembly, Parade, and home Football Game

• 10/11/21 Peer Mediation Applications are due to Mrs. Siegert

• 10/12/21 AHS Climate Meeting 2:45pm G101

• 10/13/21 PSAT/MSQT, PSAT 9, SAT (no Essay) this will be off campus - more information next week

• 10/13/21 Early College Parent Meeting 7:8:30pm

• 10/20/21 Unity Day/Anti Bullying Month

• 10/21/21 Josten's Meeting for students in the Auditorium 9:35am

• 10/26/21 NHS Induction 6pm AHS Auditorium

• 10/28/21 1/2 day AM Students; PM Parent/Teacher Conferences