Be Involved - Work Hard - Be Kind |
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Monthly Eagle Family Newsletter |
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Your Monthly Message from Principal Fish... |
Hello Eagle Families,
It's hard to believe but it's true... we are entering month two of the most challenging school year launch in history! And we're not alone in this journey - we know this. All school districts and high schools are scrambling to adjust to state requirements. So far, we are are so proud of you, our kids, our staff and the entire Arlington community for launching the school year as smoothly as possible. Special thanks to the Marysville Home Depot, the Skagit Farmer's Country Store, Coastal Community Bank and the Snohomish PUD for donating tote bags and the funds needed for textbook and materials distribution. Without generous community stakeholders like these, education in Arlington would be far more challenging. If you know someone at one of these wonderful organizations, please thank them for helping Arlington High School to support Every Eagle!
While learning from our spring experience is critical (and we have), recognizing that this school year is absolutely different from that challenge is important too. When we closed down in March and re-opened just weeks later, grades couldn't go down, the pandemic response was so new that everyone was scrambling to find a foothold and our approach to the final couple months of school was simply to maintain. Now, our families and kids have adjusted somewhat to the national and state response to COVID-19 and our approach is to begin where they are and build from there. So far, there's been the thrills of victory as we provided nearly 1,600 Chrome Books to our kids and assembled and delivered text books, materials and supplies to Every Eagle too. Our attendance has also been consistently strong - another victory in comparison to the spring. But there's also been technology challenges every day, frustration with our accepting our new reality, anxiety, fear and tears. And I am not just referring to the kids here, we feel this struggle with them! To help YOU and your students at the secondary level to navigate Google Classroom and Skyward Family Access (Gradebook) better, here is a video from Mr. Davis (parent and AHS Science teacher) on precisely how to keep up with your student's Google Classroom work during Distance Learning 2.0 and even beyond (we've used Google for a while, but now - we're consistent across the school and district in how we set this up). I've added the link to the resource section below as well for future reference.
Bottom line? The amount of hard work, resilience and determination our kids, parents and staff are showing to deliver the best education possible is nothing short of spectacular! But it's also imperative that we continue to recognize how hard all of this continues to be on all of us. We in education were built for human connection and our curriculum was designed to be delivered daily on our campus, not through a monitor. It's hard on the kids and families, and it's hard on teachers and staff members too. Please remember that what ever it is we're building with our kids, we're building! We're taking them from where they are and doing all we can to deliver the essential standards they need to be successful moving forward. We will do our best to keep it minimal and meaningful. In the long run, that will yield the greatest results (we hope) for our students, while also preventing fatigue and burnout in the kids and us alike. None of this is ideal, but together, we're moving forward in a way that's second to none in Washington state!
Lastly, we've changed the format of our monthly newsletter to provide you with better resources and access to information at Arlington High School and Arlington School District. The section directly below this message is a series of "buttons" that provide you direct access to important resources like the High School and Beyond Plan for AHS (graduation requirement for Every Eagle), Family Access (Skyward Gradebook to monitor your student's progress), our AHS web resources and more. If there are other resources you would like us to link, please reach out to us directly - we're happy to help!
Here's to another safe and healthy month at AHS!
Duane
PS - We have a big Character Strong In Action at AHS announcement coming later in October! It's a challenge to our entire campus community and it will be revealed during our Welcome Back Virtual Assembly on Oct 16...stay tuned!
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Parent Quick-Access Resources |
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"Are you a member or ally of the LGBTQ+ community? Would you like to meet other members of this community in a safe space, hang out, make friends, and talk about LGBTQ+ issues, learn about LGBTQ+ culture and history, and advocate for and support LGBTQ+ students at Arlington High School--with snacks?!
If your answer is yes, then email AHS' LGBTQ+ Club Advisor Mr. Ford at jford@asd.wednet.edu for more information."
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2nd Quarter Driver's Education is available at AHS. Applications are available for pick-up and online. Class starts Nov. 16th and the fee is $475. If you have any questions contact Mr. Brooke at 360-618-6300 x.3269 or at jbrooke@asd.wednet.edu
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Arlington High School will have Dorian Photography on campus to take student photos on November 19th and 20th. Students will be assigned time slots based on grade level and last name. Please stay tuned for more information from AHS on the photography schedule for your student. Photo order forms will be sent home. Student ASB/ID cards will be printed onsite.
Session times:
November 19: 3:30-6:30pm
November 20: 11:00 - 6:30pm
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SENIORS!
Congratulations seniors class of 2021! Early graduation startup will begin the week of October 5- October 12, 2020. Jostens has many offers to help families with all your graduation needs, please watch this video and follow their link to start your order and verify the spelling of your name for your diploma.
Be sure to stay current on important Senior happenings by checking our Senior page on our website frequently!
It's Yearbook time! Senior Grad Ads may also be purchased October 17-November 1 for $55. They are available online using Family Access or in person at the AHS Office. Once you purchase the space, you will receive an email with a link to upload your images and message. PLEASE make sure the email on Family Access is accurate.
The subject line of the email should be your senior's name and SNR PIC. There is no fee to submit your senior photo. If you are a senior by credit status and do not submit a photo, we will use your ASB/ID card image. If you are not a senior by credit status, you must submit a photo in order to be included.
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FRESHMAN!
We know you want your student to do well in high school but sometimes it is hard to figure out the best ways to support them. Studies show that parent involvement drops as students move from elementary into middle and high school. Your involvement is critical to your student’s success even more so now as your student faces all of the complexities that come not just with high school, but with high school in our current environment. We encourage and expect all of our Arlington Eagles to 1) work hard, 2) be kind and 3) be involved.
To make growth in all of these areas possible, showing up for class is key. Pay attention to school attendance and encourage your student to attend their class zooms daily and check in on google classroom regularly.
Please don't hesitate to reach out to your student's teachers, counselors, and assistant principal with any concerns. Go Eagles!
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Yearbooks and Senior Grad Ads |
Yearbooks will be for sale October 17 - November 1!
Books are $65 at this time and can be purchased online using Family Access or in person at the AHS Office. There will be one more opportunity to purchase books in January. In June, books will be $70 and available on a limited basis only.
Senior Grad Ads may also be purchased October 17-November 1 for $55. They are available online using Family Access or in person at the AHS Office. Once you purchase the space, you will receive an email with a link to upload your images and message. PLEASE make sure the email on Family Access is accurate.
SENIOR PICTURES are due no later than Friday, October 30. Email them to ahayman@asd.wednet.edu. The subject line of the email should be your senior's name and SNR PIC. There is no fee to submit your senior photo. If you are a senior by credit status and do not submit a photo, we will use your ASB/ID card image. If you are not a senior by credit status, you must submit a photo in order to be included.
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Due to COVID-19 restrictions, AHS will not be a test center location for either the SAT or ACT college entrance exams at least through January 2021. Colleges and universities are fully aware of the lack of testing opportunities for students and have adjusted college entrance requirements to account for this. If you have particular questions about the change to college entrance requirements for a particular postsecondary program, please visit that college/university admissions website directly.
We will be unable to offer the PSAT/NMSQT exam in October, also due to COVID-19 restrictions. We have tentatively rescheduled for an alternate testing date of Tuesday, January 26. This date is tentative and will be re-evaluated based on COVID-19 conditions as we approach the new year. If your 10th or 11th grade student would like to register for the January 26 test date, more information will be available to families soon.
If your student is enrolled in an AP (Advanced Placement) course and would like to take an AP exam next May, he/she must register online through myap.collegeboard.org. Students must obtain a join code from his/her AP teacher to register online. Each exam is $95 and payment can be made online through RevTrac. Students who qualify for free or reduced lunch do not pay exam fees but must email Mrs. Bennett to complete their registration for their exam(s): abennett@asd.wednet.edu. The deadline for students to register online through College Board AND pay their exam fee(s) through RevTrac is November 6.
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) opens on OCTOBER 1! Any Senior who intends to pursue postsecondary education or training needs to fill out a FAFSA. Completing the FAFSA determines whether you will be eligible for student financial aid. You can complete the FAFSA at: https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa or download the app from your app store "myStudentAid."
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Did your student receive a grade of "Incomplete" for a class in the Spring of 2020? |
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Arlington High School will follow OSPI recommendations and backfill grades and credit for Spring 2020 Incompletes with the grades that your student earns this semester (Fall 2020) in the next course in their pathway for the content area affected. For example, if your student received an incomplete for English 9 in the Spring of 2020, but earns a passing grade this Fall in their English 10 class, they will receive the same grade for both courses. So, if they earn a B this semester in English 10, they will receive a B for their English class this past Spring!
The majority of incomplete classes from the spring can be backfilled in this way. It is imperative that your student is present daily in their zoom meetings and keeping on track with their google classroom work so that we can utilize the opportunity to backfill grades as well as see academic success for your student this semester.
For questions, please reach out to your student's counselor.
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Need to see what you have checked out from the library OR need a great new book to read? Click here to see a detailed tutorial on how to do that!
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Parents and Students
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PLEASE RETURN YOUR BOOKS FROM LAST YEAR!
Books can be returned to the front doors of Arlington High School, Mondays through Fridays during the hours of 8am to 3pm. Please ring the doorbell, and we will come out to help you. Thank you so much!
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Character Strong - It Takes All of US! |
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The Family Character Dare of the Month is... |
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No Tech Table Time!
This dare is one WE ALL NEED from time-to-time! Be intentional about a meal or time this week to absolutely disconnect from our social media, emails, phones and other tech distractions. It's simple, but helps us all connect to one another better - some time for just US... Try it and encourage Every Eagle!
For the kids, our Weekly Character Dare is generally posted in the Commons, but we also share it on social media via @AHSFlyEaglesFly (Facebook, Twitter and Instagram) where we have over 6,000 subscribers who can be view these dares daily (just not during No Tech Time - lol). By working on these dares together and talking about them, we grow closer and more connected. The kids get this opportunity together in Friday's Every Eagle Advisory. The Staff have Weekly Dares too! The more WE do as adults, the more THEY do as kids. Family Dares simply tie it all together... here's Character Strong's C.A.R.E approach! It's a fun, simple approach to building Every Eagle's Commitment, Patience, Humility, Selflessness, Kindness, Respect, Honesty and Forgiveness - traits that lead to success beyond AHS. Enjoy your monthly Family Dares!
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October is Patience Month with Character Strong!
"Inspiring all students to act as responsible, productive citizens who embrace lifelong learning."
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AHS Capital Project Improvements Marching Forward! |
By this time next year we will have an entirely new and more secure front entrance to AHS with a reconfigured front office area designed to better serve our students and families while continuing our district commitment to safer, more secure learning environments.
By December of 2021, we will have a new special education bus drop zone at the end of the C-Wing, new learning spaces in the C-Wing (including a new Life Skills Program learning suite and a new STEM Lab) and a new Scene Shop addition to the back of the BPAC for the Drama Program. By the start of the 2022-23 school year, we will also have new science and AFJROTC spaces in the rooms where the Life Skills program currently resides. As you can see, Every Eagle will benefit from these improvements!
We are so excited for these new learning spaces at AHS and for the opportunities they will bring to our staff and students in the very near future. We are so fortunate to live and work in such an amazing and supportive community, thank you Arlington voters!
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Hello Eagle Families!
I am looking forward to seeing you in person someday soon, but until then, let me introduce myself. I am a new Arlington Eagle, but not a new nurse. I have 20 years combined Hospital and School Nursing experience and am so thankful to call Arlington home. I want families and students to know that my goal as your nurse is to support and empower you in understanding your student’s health needs and for students to own that responsibility as they move through their high school years. I love to hear from you, so please feel free to call or email me anytime with questions or concerns. There are SO MANY outlets sending out health information and, unfortunately, not all sources are equal. So, if you have questions about COVID-19, how to survive a shark attack, or anything in between, please reach out!
My first job here is to ensure that students’ health care needs are not a barrier to learning. In order to do that well, I need to make sure that we have a Health Care Plan in place each year. These plans give direction, from your student’s medical provider, on how to implement their orders. Without these plans, we are left with band-aids and 911. So, if you received the phone call or email recently asking you to complete your student’s life-threatening health care plan, please contact your student’s medical provider right away. I am hearing from multiple clinics that these requests can take up to 2 weeks to complete and, in some cases, if an appointment is needed, may be even longer. If you think that there no longer exists a health condition requiring a health care plan, contact me and I will get you the form to have your student’s health record updated. These health care plans are not only helpful in guiding care, they are required by law to be in place. So, let’s get these forms in prior to the start of in-person learning so that every student has a chance to come to school safely. Because we all love peace of mind.
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Here is the month coming at you! |
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10a - Welcome Back Virtual Assembly in Advisory!
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September 15 - October 15 |
Hispanic Heritage Month spans September 15-October 15. Hispanic Heritage Month started as a commemorative week in June of 1968. As time passed, the push to recognize contributions of the Hispanic community gained momentum and now a month is designated for the celebration of Hispanic Heritage month. You may wonder why Hispanic Heritage Month crosses into two months.
The timing of Hispanic Heritage Month fits with the timing of several Latin American Independence Day celebrations--Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. These five nations declared their independence from Spain on September 15, 1821. Mexico declared its independence from Spain on September 16, 1810. Chile and Belize also fall into this window of time in declaring their independence. In one presidential proclamation, Bush noted that "Not all of the contributions made by Hispanic Americans to our society are so visible or so widely celebrated...Hispanic Americans have enriched our nation beyond measure with the quiet strength of closely knit families and proud communities."
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School Pictures
November 19: 3:30-6:30pm
November 20: 11:00 - 6:30pm
More details to come!
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