Family Newsletter | January 2021
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This school year has been challenging for us all, but it won't stop Helen from Mrs. Larsen's second grade class from showing her appreciation of literature.
New Year, Same Unique Circumstances
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Dear AMS Flower Families,
Welcome back and Happy New Year! The need to learn how to effectively “do school virtually” is critical for us to accomplish our mission at AMS. We serve nearly 10,000 scholars across several campuses in Arizona. Our goal is to prepare each of our scholars for success in high school, college, and life. The COVID-19 pandemic presents another barrier that we must navigate so that our kids can access their education. The most effective thing we can do for our scholars in Arizona is innovate new solutions to address the issue of access to high-quality online instruction, especially in neighborhoods that have been marginalized.
At the time of this writing, our students have completed assignments online utilizing Schoology and Study Island. They have received virtual P.O.W.E.R Bucks for their demonstration of outstanding character. They have leveraged a platform such as Zoom, to maintain communication with their teachers and peers. Most importantly, they have endured. We are forever grateful for the time, energy, and dedication our entire community has poured into navigating this "new normal." Our teachers, staff, families, and surrounding communities have worked tirelessly to ensure our scholars are equipped with the tools needed for their success. Our students, despite the unique circumstances, continue to endure and persevere. We are here for you all, always, and especially during this time. Please do not hesitate to contact us should you need anything.
Mr. Walker
Principal
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Teacher & Staff Spotlight |
Each month, the newsletter will celebrate teachers and staff members who have gone above and beyond in their efforts to provide all students a high-quality education.
This month, we celebrate
the following teachers and staff members:
Mrs. Getting (Teacher of the Month) Mrs. Juana, Mr. Pancho, & Ms. Reyna
(Staff Members of the Month)
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Mrs. Getting is from Mesa, Arizona and she loves the desert! She has lived in several other states but Arizona is home. Prior to teaching, Mrs. Getting worked as a soccer coach, a substitute teacher, and a program coordinator of youth sports.
This is Mrs. Getting’s second year with AMS Flower. She is passionate about teaching, and she is extremely excited to be a part of the AMS Turtle family.
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Our maintenance team, Juana, Pancho, and Reyna, are always willing to go out of their way for our teachers and students.
Any given day, they come into classrooms and does what needs to be done quickly, effectively, and with a positive attitude.
Our team will check in on teachers and staff members to see how they are doing, as well as our scholars. It is the consensus from our entire school community that they work so hard and deserve to be recognized.
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As the world of digital learning accelerates, it is critical that we study and understand the impact of the digital learning experience on student outcomes. As we guide today’s scholars into tomorrow’s global visionaries, we must adapt to 21st century learning. In doing so, we must focus on internet safety and digital engagement. The internet is a learning tool and being a responsible digital citizen is vital to the safety and learning of others.
AMS has partnered with Go Guardian, a software program that will help our schools easily manage student devices, better understand our students’ needs, and keep them safer online.
Our teachers have been trained on how to utilize the Go Guardian software. The process is simple: Go Guardian is installed on all Google Chromebook devices. When students log in, their online activity is tracked and monitored by the teacher. Should the teacher observe any student browsing non-education related or inappropriate content, the teacher can flag and close the content. It is then that the teacher will be able to contact families to notify them of their child’s off task activity.
In a world in which cyber security has proven to be a threat, it is our goal to keep your children and their identities safe and to ensure that they are responsibly utilizing 21st century technology.
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On Monday, January 25, students in grades 3-8 will take their second benchmark exam of the school year in Math and ELA! This paper exam will be an instrument to see how students are performing academically and will provide teachers with data to help students prepare for the AzM2 in April!
On Monday, families must stop by AMS Flower to pick up their individual folder with paper exam materials.
Your child's teacher will proctor the exams Tuesday, January 26 through Friday, February 5.
On Monday, February 8, please return the completed exams.
For those students who are on campus for on site supervision, they will be given their exams at school. For those students who are learning at home, those students must have their exam picked up on Monday, January 25.
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AMS Flower at ASU
Flower scholars participated with a special project in December at the request of the Director of Education, Andrea Feller, at the Art Museum of Arizona State University. Scholars were asked to create a heart that represented what they wanted most for the new year, 2021. Scholars were asked to reflect about how the year with COVID-19 had affected their lives, their education, and how they hoped the new year would bring change. The hope most stated was "to find a vaccine and to end COVID-19 so masks were not needed!
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Want to communicate regularly with your child's teacher about the success of your child in class? Make sure you have downloaded the free Class Dojo app and begin communicating with your child's teachers today!
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If you or your child are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, please keep your child at home and seek testing.
If you have scheduled a visit to get tested, please immediately inform the front office and your child’s teachers and keep your child at home until you have results.
Doing this will slow the spread of COVID-19.
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2020-21 AMS Flower Calendar: |
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January Dates
Jan 4: First Day of Semester 2
Jan 15: $1 Dress Down Day
Jan 18: MLK Day - No School
Jan 25 - Feb 3: Benchmark 2 Window
Jan 29: $1 Dress Down Day
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Connect with the AMS Flower Office Team
602-888-9572
Connect with Principal Walker
cwalker@amsflower.org
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