FRIDAY FALCON
January 2020 - Volume 1:4
PRINCIPAL'S NEWSLETTER
Dear AHS Community,
Second semester begins next Wednesday with a C Day schedule. All classes will meet and we will have our expectations assembly, as well. On Thursday the A day and B day rotation will start.
As we welcome in the new semester, we will recognize and celebrate National School Counselor Week, February 3-7. The counselors have scheduled a week of activities to highlight the week.
Monday, February 3: MIndful Monday - start the day with a mindful activity. Kick off National School Counseling Week with a mindful minute in each class.
Tuesday, February 4: Grati Tuesday - students share an affirmation with a staff member. Students can pick up sticky notes at the school counseling office to write a note of affirmation to a teacher/staff member.
Wednesday, February 5: Wonderful Wednesday - Take good care of yourself and build joy into your day. Morning announcement about taking care of yourself and celebrating the day.
Thursday, February 6: Thrive Thursday - Focus on positive energy, PMA, and self-care activities. Students can pick up a healthy snack in the school counseling office.
Friday, February 7: Fun Friday - TBD
Parents, please consider sending a short note of thanks to your child's school counselor for the work he/she does to support your child and family.
EVENTS
- Please remember that there is NO PARKING OR DROPPING OFF in the front circle of the high school. This is a FIRE/EMERGENCY ZONE. Drop off is behind the building in the morning and if you are picking students up during the day you MUST park in the VISITOR lot.
- Spirit Wear is sold in front of the cafeteria, every Wednesday between 10:30am and 12:30pm. Cash or checks made out AHS Booster Club are accepted. Contact Nicole Leavens at nicoledlox@gmail.com with any questions.
NURSE'S CORNER
- As we head into cold and flu season your friendly AHS Nurses would like to remind parents that we do NOT stock cold or allergy medication. If your child has an upper respiratory infection please administer cold or allergy medication at home before school starts. Furthermore, we are unable to administer Tylenol if a parent or guardian has not filled out the E Collect form on Powerschool under "Health History/Medication Administration" or passed in a "blue" Emergency card.
- LOST AND FOUND!!!! Please remember to check the Lost and Found in the Nurse's Office. All unclaimed items will be donated after Mid-terms.
Ms. Lane and Ms. Twohig
Senior Scholarships Available!
Just a remind to keep checking the AHS Information page and the Guidance page for updates on scholarships that are available for graduating seniors. See the link below.
AHS HAPPENINGS
RELAY FOR LIFE
Relay For Life Reaches New Fundraising Level with Avon High Students Help
Relay For Life of Farmington Valley reached a new milestone this year with the help of 85 students from Avon High School. The 2019 Relay held in May raised $633,000 to support the work of the American Cancer Society. The 85 students from Avon High raised over $21,000 which is a significant contribution to the total. The $633,000 raised has resulted in the Relay, for the second year in a row, being recognized by the American Cancer Society as being number 4 of the 3000+ Relays across the United States and number 1 in New England. As the Farmington Valley Relay has grown the students of Avon High have continued to play an important part in that growth. Their work is greatly appreciated by the Relay’s Event Leadership Team and the American Cancer Society.
Relay for Life is the major fundraiser for the American Cancer Society and supports the research and patient services functions of the Society. A Relay is an event that gives everyone in the community a chance to celebrate the lives of people who have battled cancer, remember loved ones lost, and fight back against the disease.
This year’s Relay will be held the weekend of May 16 and 17. Although Relay teams can be formed at any time the opportunity to participate in the Relay and to form teams will be presented at an assembly to AHS on February 12.
Avon High School students are to be congratulated on their continued support of the American Cancer Society. Avon High School students have been involved in Relay For Life for the past 5 years and have raised a total of $163,000!
If you or your child want more information or if you want to form an adult team from your work, church, civic group, family, etc. contact Dr. Harvey Dutil, Farmington Relay Team Recruitment Chairperson at dutilrelay@gmail.com or visit the Farmington Relay Website at www.relayforlife.org/farmingtonvalleyct .
SAVE THE DATE! AHS Junior/Senior Prom 2020 will be Saturday, May 23rd, 2020 at the Aqua Turf Country Club. More details to come!
Project Graduation
Thank you to everyone who supported Project Graduation on January 20 by dining in or taking out at E & D Pizza! We are working hard to put together some fun activities that you can participate in as well as support the end of year party for our seniors. Follow us and like our facebook page at AHS Project Graduation – we list upcoming events and meetings where you can get involved.
On February 7 we will be having a Painting Social Art fundraiser where you can paint a picture, sip cocoa and enjoy a fun night out with friends while supporting Project Graduation. It will be held at Raymour and Flanigan Furniture store 15 Waterville Rd., Avon from 5:30-8PM. The cost is $35, includes paint supplies, light fare and soft drinks, and can be purchased at www.paintsocialart.com/eventcalendars/ct-rievents/. A portion of the proceeds plus a donation from Raymour and Flanigan will all go to our June event. Bring friends and escape the cold on Friday, February 7. Reservations are required.
The PTO needs a few people to step up and help in small ways with some fun events in support of Project Graduation. Parents of all grades are welcome to volunteer! We hope to promote and grow AHS SCHOOL SPIRIT while supporting Project Graduation at the same time. If you are interested in finding out more, contact Carol Shubinski at carolanddan@comcast.net or Erika Evanko at epevanko@gmail.com
1st Annual Avon Spring Gala. Save the date for May 2, 2020 for an incredible evening with food, dancing, entertainment and even an auction! This event already has a chair (thank you, Abha Bernard!) and a free Boppers DJ. Abha is looking for a few more people to help with specific party tasks, including ticket sales, publicity, additional entertainment, decorations, and food. She is also looking for two people to help organize a silent auction that night. This event will help raise money for the Project Graduation party, but will also provide a great evening of socializing and spirit for everyone. Any parents are welcome to join in the planning for this new event!
1st Annual AHS Olympics! Another great idea for combining spirit building and fundraising! We have a chair (thank you, Katy Bredice), but she needs 4-5 parents to help her plan this fun day of field events using the turf, track, and baseball field. This event will likely be on a Sunday afternoon in the Spring. This could be a great opportunity for some sports parents or coaches to help work out the logistics for some friendly competitions. Which games would be popular? How should teams be organized? What food should we have? Should we offer other entertainment? Parents of all grades are welcome to volunteer and figure out these logistics of what could become a valued annual tradition for our students.
Project Graduation is a substance-free late night party on graduation night that keeps our graduates safe and off the roads. We have a DJ, games, food, entertainment, and raffles. No one dying on graduation night benefits our entire community. Creating a party that attracts 95% of the graduates is expensive. The more helpers and volunteers we can have to raise money to offset our costs, the less we have to charge the graduates families. Plus, these amazing new events will benefit our entire community and provide a boost to school spirit for all students. Please consider volunteering in some small way to make a difference. If you want to help, but the field day and gala are not your thing, you can reach out to Carol or Erika to hear about other opportunities.
On January 7, School Counselors provided a PSAT presentation during advisory to students in grades 9-11. The focus of the presentation was on accessing and understanding the results of the PSAT and PSAT 8/9. School Counselors also discussed the role of standardized testing in college admissions, how to access and understand PSAT results, and learn next steps about how to access and utilize CollegeBoard and KHAN practice resources to improve scores. You can view the presentations by visiting our website: https://www.avon.k12.ct.us/ahs-home/school-counseling/upcoming-events. Our hope is that students will use the information shared to better understand their scores and to utilize the resources available to improve their scores on the SAT and PSAT.
If you or your student have any additional questions, please contact your School Counselor.
Junior students and families:
We are kicking off the junior planning season. Junior planning meetings provide an opportunity to review your current progress and discuss post-secondary planning. The meetings last about 30 minutes and parents are welcome to attend in person or over the phone, if available.
Junior Planning meetings will begin after midterm exams. Students should make an appointment for their junior meeting by stopping in to see our assistant, Ms. King, or by calling her at 860-404-4740, x1180. Meetings can be scheduled on a Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday between 8:00 AM and 1:00 PM. Students are encouraged to schedule their meeting during one of their free periods.
Our office uses Naviance as a tool to facilitate the college planning process and to submit paperwork for college applications. Students and parents are both provided their own accounts. If you are unable to attend the meeting, or need to access Naviance prior to your scheduled appointment, you can receive your login information by contacting Ms. King at jking@avon.k12.ct.us.
We are looking forward to meeting with you.
School Counseling Department
IN THE CLASSROOM
Science Department
Biology - Ms. Kane
Students in Ms.Kane's biology class using bubbles to model cell membranes. Who says science isn't fun???
Chemistry - Mr. Tinker
Chemistry students designed experiments to generate and collect gases and investigate atmospheric properties.
Environmental Science - Mr. Tinker
Environmental Science students compared different kinds of light bulbs for energy efficiency, cost, and temperature change to evaluate and make recommendations.
Environmental Science - Mr. Marella
Environmental Science students worked to solve the Home Insulation Engineering Challenge. Given a limited quantity of materials, students developed insulation designs to reduce the rate of heat loss by applying their understanding of convection, conduction and radiation.
Language Arts Department
The Language Arts Department held a Poetry Out Loud recitation competition a few weeks ago in class. The winners are pictured below. Congratulations! - Ms. Killelea
Ian Nevins and Aairah Khan
Lucia Newman and Makena Logan
Mathematics Department
Geometry Honors - Ms. Adreana
In Geometry Honors, students have been exploring two-dimensional figures, congruence and transformations. They then demonstrated their new learning by completing an Amalgamation Project, which combines Geometry and Art!
Bravo to Makena Logan who had the winning project in Ms. deGozzaldi’s two classes as voted by her classmates!
World Language Department
The World Language Department at Avon High School would like to share the news of UConn's recent addition of Bachelor's Degree in American Sign Language (ASL) to their list of majors. Avon was mentioned as one of the few high schools in the state to offer an ASL program. We are excited to provide ASL courses at the high school which meet the language requirements needed for graduation and may lead to opening the door for our students to enter the Deaf community. Congratulations UConn for being the first University/College in Connecticut to establish this degree! You can read the full article here: CT By The Numbers Article - UCONN - Ms. Bravin
Introduction to Theatre
Introduction to Theatre students have been busy working on their set designs for the January mid-terms. Students will present their color renderings and 3-D models to classmates. Each student has been reading a different script in order to plan and execute their designs.
Rehearsals for Shrek the Musical are underway with AHS choral teacher Andrew Brochu teaching the ensemble singing. Former opera singer Craig Hart is working with soloists. After mid-terms, director-choreographer Foster Evans Reese will begin running character development and dancing rehearsals. Costumer Susan Zygmont has introduced us to her talented daughter, Skylar Zygmont, who will be working with a student tech crew to design, build and paint a set for Shrek, which will be presented the last weekend in April. More details to come! - Ms. Paterson
AHS STUDENT CLUBS
Avon Math Team
The Avon High School Math Team hosted 25 schools and 300+ students for the January Capital Area Math League competition on Wednesday, January 15. The A Team from Avon won the meet and continues to lead the league. Thanks to all the teams and coaches for making for a great meet all around. - Ms. LaBrosse and Mr. Lukowicz
Athletic Update
Fall Athletic Survey
Please click the link below to participate in the Fall 2019 Athletic Survey.
Please follow AHS Athletics on Twitter @AHS_Falcons.
Spring Registration is now open. Go to the Athletic Website to register online.
An updated physical and payment are required prior to first practice.
Click HERE to register.
NCAA Informational Night is February 6th at 6:30pm in the AHS Auditorium
Admission is Free. This is a joint presentation with Canton High School Athletics. Guest speaker Molly McCarthy from CCSU will be presenting followed by a question and answer session.
Please contact the athletic office for further information.
Home Athletic Events for January:
- Boys Basketball 25th(12:00,1:30 and 3:00pm) and 31st (3:45, 5:15 and 6:45pm)
- Wrestling January 22nd 6:00pm. January 24th, 4:00pm
- Boys Ice Hockey January 25th and 29th 8:00pm @Avon Old Farms
- Girls Ice Hockey January 29th 5:30pm @Newington Ice Rink
Please feel free to contact the athletic office if you have any questions or concerns (860)404-4747.