Week of ...

February 6, 2022

EMPOWERING 21ST CENTURY GRADUATES

The Wildcat Way...

Congratulations on your selection...Lilly Gembel

Lilly was nominated by Jon Studley for Wildcat Way this month for stepping up to sing the National Anthem at the basketball games. Collaborative: Team player-Willing to fulfill a variety of roles in group settings Communicator-Able to effectively share, receive and interpret information Flexible-Willing to adjust, adapt and compromise to address varying circumstances.

Lilly is the true meaning of the Wildcat Way! She works very hard in all of her classes and excels; she is a student that teachers recognize as a team player, contributor, collaborator and a student that stands out for excellence. She is a member of AHS Skating Club and contributes whenever asked throughout the community whenever there is a need.

Rotarian of the Month congratulations

Sawyer haugerud

Student edition Rotary Student of Month February-- Sawyer Haugerud

congratulations

student of the Week

Michael kreis

Michael Kreis, January 31, 2022 - 2021-2022

Winterfest 2022

Winterfest-- looking forward to seeing all the school spirit

New this year, AHS Leadership has invited two 5th grade representatives from each elementary school and two 8th graders to come to the Winterfest Representative Breakfast Friday with their parents to see first hand the excitement that exists at AHS with school spirit. The guests will be given a tour of the hallway decorating and murals; Leadership can't wait to share AHS school spirit with future Wildcats. The rest of the district will have a spirit week in all buildings to follow the tradition of Winterfest K-12.

Go Cats and thank you Leadership for all you do to make AHS a great place.

Dance Permission Form - update event date as needed

Winterfest Dance Passes-- Deadline is February 10th @ 8am

Dance passes can be picked up in the Main Office and E-House offices.

Any questions, see Mrs. Johnson in the Restorative Center in E-house.

Do You Need Help for Winterfest?

Hello, my name is Jennifer and I am co-owner of The Hollyhock Emporium in Harrisville. We are a clothing consignment and artisan retail store. More importantly we have a dress swap that allows students to get a formal dress for $20 and if they bring in a used dress, the receive $10 off their dress. We also have shoes and some accessories that are *very* reasonably priced and are slowly building a selection of more gender fluid clothing items. On top of that we do have some sponsorships available for anyone who is unable to come up with $10 or $20. We would be happy to help anyone find something that makes them feel fantastic. The swap is currently ongoing and we will do our best to keep all the formal wear out/on the floor until all the surrounding schools have had their dances as well as bringing them out again for prom. If you have any questions or need any further details, please call the store during business hours and myself or my partner Monica would be happy to help. We are open Monday, Thursday, and Friday 12-6; Wednesday 12-4; Saturday and Sunday 11-4. We are active on Facebook if you would like to check us out there to see who we are.

Thanks,

Jennifer Kozlow

Co-owner at The Hollyhock Emporium

989-916-6500

This week is National School Counseling Week. Alpena High School has an incredible team of school counselors that deserve to be celebrated this week! School counselors play a crucial role is keeping our school running effectively and efficiently for all students. While our counselors have the opportunity to meet with many students throughout the school-day, they do even more behind the scenes. What all do our school counselors do? Check out the list below!

School Counselor Responsibilities

Scheduling All Students - Student Counseling - Crisis Intervention - Assisting with Post High School Plans - Financial Aid Assistance - Meeting with New Students - Monitoring Credit and Graduation Status - Conducting Parent Information Forums - Facilitating Student Groups - Referring Students to Outside Resources - Coordinating and Providing Student Supports - Assisting with College Applications and Referrals - Connecting Students with Credit Recovery and Enrichment Opportunities - Coordinating and Overseeing Work Based Learning - Proctoring Testing - Helping with Student Educational Development Plans (EDPs) - Coordinating Student Awards - Providing Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Opportunities

THANK YOU to Our Great Team of Counselors and Support Staff!: Mrs. Vought (Students A-E), Mrs. Daoust (Students F-L), Mrs. Matteson (Students M-R), Mrs. Miller (Students S - Z), Mrs. Pilarski (SE Teacher Consultant), Mrs. Bennett (E-House/Counselor Secretary) and Traci Shumaker (Registrar)

Assessment Corner

SAT School Day Test Date is April 13, 2022

ACT Test date is April 14, 2022

MSTEP April 20 A-L

MSTEP May 21 M-Z

When to Take the SAT

The SAT can be taken any time starting your freshman year. However, most students take the test in the spring of their junior year. Doing so will give you enough time to take the test twice, which is highly recommended, as 67 percent of students improve their score the second time around.

Once you receive your initial test results in your junior year, you'll know your weak points and can prepare to retake the test if you so choose. If you're not satisfied with your initial score, you can take the test for the second time in the fall of your senior year.

When to Start Preparing for the SAT

For those serious about getting a superior score on the SAT, it's never too soon to start preparing. However, most students begin preparing for the SAT in the spring or summer before their junior year, as it gives them enough time to take the test, find their weak point from the first go-around and then take the SAT again in the fall of their senior year.

How to Prep for the SAT

The best way to prep for your SAT is through classroom learning and by taking courses that challenge you and help you build the knowledge you need to be successful on the test, in college and in your future career.

If you take a free practice test with The Princeton Review , we can provide you with a personalized score report that includes the areas where you're strong as well as areas that need improvement. We pride ourselves on providing you with problem sets with questions that most closely resemble what you'll find on the SAT. However, the best way to prep for the SAT is to enroll in our SAT Prep course , which has both online and in-person options.

What to Do on Test Day

The day of your test, try not to worry about studying. Enjoy a hearty breakfast, and make sure you arrive at the test site early. In most cases, doors open at 7:45 a.m. and close at 8 a.m., and you won't be admitted once the test has begun.

It's best to leave your cell phone, tablet, and other devices at home, as the test administrator can deny you admission if you're found in possession of these prohibited electronic devices. You do, however, want to make sure you bring the following:

Admission Ticket and photo ID
Two number 2 pencils with erasers
An approved calculator and extra batteries
A watch with all alarms silenced
A drink and snack for the break

The test administrator will read all the instructions verbatim before you begin. They'll also tell you when you can start or stop working on each section. You must work on each section during the allotted time, and once it's complete, you cannot go back. You'll likely receive both a 10-minute and a five-minute break sometime during your test, which are the only times for eating and drinking.

Once the test is complete, the administrator will collect and count all test booklets to ensure everything has been turned in before students are released.

Counseling Corner: Are you experiencing a great deal of anxiety right now? Mrs. Vought is starting a "Stress Busters" group for young women, so let Mrs. Vought know if you are interested or have a friend who might be interested. Contact voughtl@alpenaschools.com.

Alpena High School FAFSA Completion Night in the AHS Media Center 2/10/22 6-8 P.M.

12th-grade and 13th Year APS families are invited to FAFSA Completion Night, next Thursday, 2/10/22, in the AHS Media Center from 6-8 P.M. AHS Counselor, Lori Vought, and Advise Michigan College Advisor, Brianna Decker, will assist families with completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, which is necessary to get assistance to pay for higher education and training. “The FAFSA form is very important, it is used for grants, scholarships, loans and work study programs”, said AHS Counselor Lori Vought. “All families can benefit from completing the FAFSA regardless of their financial situation.”

It is helpful if the student registers online for a Federal Student Aid ID in advance of the event at https://fsaid.ed.gov. Students that need assistance with that can contact Ms. Decker at 358 5243 or deckerb@alpenaschools.com.

What to bring to FAFSA Completion Night

Social Security Number. Be sure that it is correct!
Student and at least one parent or guardian
Records of income, such as income earned from work and business, child support paid or received and any other untaxed income. If you have them, refer to the W-2 Forms or Federal Income Tax Return IRS 1040, 1040A or 1040EZ.
Information about assets, such as savings, certificates of deposit, stock options, bonds, 529 plans and other college savings programs; and investment real estate, business and farm.
Driver’s license number, if you have one.
Dates of birth, include the month, day and year.
Month and year of marriage, separation, divorce or other change in marital status.
An FSA ID to sign electronically. (This can be created beforehand at fsaid.ed.gov, or at the time of application.)
Emails for parent and student with the ability to login to them.
List of colleges you are considering.

Families can preview the information or begin the process of filling out the form at www.fafsa.gov.

If you can’t attend, but need assistance, feel free to contact our College Advisor, Breanna Decker, at 358 5243 or deckerb@alpenaschools.com to make an appointment to meet and get help.

AdviseMI Announcements

Scholarship of the Week- open to all grades! The Optimist Club of Alpena Oratorical Contest- write speech on topic, "Staying Optimistic In Challenging Times", due February 28th to main office, application here

Students, please take advantage of the many generous local scholarships offered to you. These awards will have smaller applicant pools, therefore your chances of being selected are higher. Remember a list of all scholarships can be found here . Also remember to work on your Community Foundation Scholarship application, due March 1st. This allows students to apply for many scholarships at once, Apply Here

FAFSA Lab February 10th, 6pm in Media Center- Need help filling out and submitting your FAFSA? Please join me, the counseling staff, and ACC financial aid administrators for the FAFSA night. This is a hands-on event where we will help you directly; please come with your questions and 2020 tax forms. Full list of documents needed can be found here

Spring 22 EC Pre-Application Meeting Flier.pdf

early college news

Contact Mrs. Nugent for any questions 358-5248

If you make it to every class on time every hour, you are automatically entered into our weekly attendance drawing. Enjoy those $20 Campus Closet gift cards Patrick, Isabelle and Dylan!

After School Tutoring!

We are continuing to offer tutoring assistance after school for all AHS students! This will be staffed by AHS teachers and assistance can be provided in any subject. Tutoring sessions will be held in the Media Center from 2:45 to 3:45pm every Monday and Thursday that students have a full-day. Specific information for each week will be posted in student announcements. Students do not need to sign up in advance and students are responsible for their own transportation. Please contact Mr. Pattison @ pattisonj@alpenaschools.com if you have any questions.

PARENTS, WE NEED YOUR HELP-- PLEASE DISCUSS THESE ITEMS AT HOME WITH YOUR STUDENTS

Student hallway language is a problem. Students often don’t realize that their conversations are overheard by staff and visitors. Visitors have noted how offensive the language is and does not portray the culture that we are building at AHS. All forms of inappropriate language are highly discouraged, and students must choose their words carefully being aware that others hear what they say.
In the past weeks, we have had groups of students "hanging out" in the bathrooms primarily the girls' bathroom. We have faced issues lately that have been concerning and will need to have female staff ask the students to take of their needs and not congregate/loiter in the bathrooms. This week, a teacher asked the group to move on during passing time and found the students refusing to leave when asked. As this is a current safety issue, students who refuse will face consequences. Students have plenty of areas that allow them to visit during passing time other than the restrooms.
Mask use in school. I know that this not easy for anyone; however, we have to do it and do it right to keep from being remote and facing the quarantine issues with the close contacts. We remind students repeatedly to please cover their nose and mouth so many times in a day that our teachers are losing valuable classroom teaching time. We ask that students make the best effort to mask properly and allow the teachers to focus on their teaching. Students may be referred to their principals for repeated insubordination and consequences. Again, students can ask for mask breaks, step out into the hall with permission, and/or step outside for a quick breather at passing time. We know it is difficult to mask all day and masking is a problem that must be addressed in all classrooms doing our very best to do it properly. Thank you in advance for your support!
As AHS attempts to work at the best customer service possible, Mrs. Manning, AHS Switchboard Secretary, is taking all calls personally at switchboard versus the phone tree that has been in place for a few years. As we discussed the pro's and con's with families after we made the changes, it was suggested that the 358-5200 have two main selections: 1. AHS Attendance and 2. TBJH Attendance, so we moved to adding a phone tree with two selections-- after the two options, the call goes directly to Mrs. Manning. We are hoping that this modification will meet our parent needs as we move forward with semester 2. Please feel free to share your thoughts on our changes as we want to make our phone system the most user friendly as possible.

KAPUT-- MARCH EVENT--- Parent Leader Needed

Parents-- I am looking for a parent to lead the March Activity Event night for all students. If you are interested, please contact Romeo Bourdage via email bourdager@alpenaschools.com or call 358-5200. You will have helpers, but KAPUT needs a parent to take charge and run with it. Are you ready to lead? Take a risk? And make the Activity Event the best ever? Contact Romeo or Stephanie!

We have two solid team of parents for the final two events: After Prom & Senior Experience Event. We need parents to make the events a success for all AHS students.
If you are interested in being part of KAPUT: Contact Chair Persons: Stephanie Couture @ 989-464-7220 tscooch@hotmail.com or Michelle Dhruvan @ 248-660-2287 michelle.taulbee521@gmail.com or the KAPUT email ahs.kaput@gmail.com

AHS Transcripts

2021/22 Semester 1 transcripts have been completed! To make it easier for students to send transcripts, Alpena High School has partnered with Parchment, Inc. to send student transcripts electronically. Students should visit www.Parchment.com to register and have their transcripts sent electronically to the college/university to which they are applying. If the college/university is NOT listed on the Parchment website, students should go to the Registrar’s Office in E-104 and see Mrs. Shumaker for assistance. Every AHS student e-mail account was sent a direct link to Parchment to make it quick and easy for students to register. Please email Mrs. Shumaker at shumakert@alpenaschools.com, stop by her office in E-104 or visit www.support.parchment.com.

HOW TO REPORT THREATS/CONCERNS

OK2SAY is the student safety program which allows students to confidentially report tips on potential harm or criminal activities directed at students, school employees, and schools. It uses a comprehensive communication system to facilitate tip sharing among students, parents, school personnel, community mental health service programs, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, and law enforcement officials about harmful behaviors that threaten to disrupt the learning environment.

https://www.michigan.gov/ok2say