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08.16.19 “I’ve always loved the first day of school better than the last day of school.
Firsts are best because they are beginnings.” - Jenny Han
Dear AHS Families, I cannot say enough great things about the first two days of school! Our students arrived Thursday morning and...BOOM! We were off and running into the 2019-2020 school year! Within minutes, our hallways, stairwells, and classrooms - long vacant - were bursting with life and activity. The expressions on the faces of hundreds of teenagers bore witness to one fact - Anderson High School is a GREAT place to be!! If I had a dollar for every smile, laughter, and friendly comment I witnessed and heard, I think I could retire early!! Truthfully, in six years of administration I don’t recall an opening day to a school year that got started more smoothly than this one. Our staff were READY for our incoming students. They were EXCITED about getting to know them and helping them feel comfortable. THANK YOU for playing a HUGE role in helping your son/daughter get ready for this school year! Have a GREAT weekend!! Rob P.S. The 2019 Yearbooks are in and ready to be handed out. Students can pick up their yearbooks everyday this week after school (until 3:30) in room 114. There are extra books on sale for $60.00. Please contact Ms. Pendery with any questions. UPCOMING SCHOOL EVENTS:
8/26 - Picture Day at AHS - Questions? Email [email protected] 8/26 - FHSD Board of Education Meeting, 7 pm at Nagel MS 8/29 - Senior Parent Night, 6:00-7:00 pm in Titus Auditorium 8/29 - Parent Open House, 7:00-8:45 pm (more info to follow) 9/2 - Labor Day, No School 9/18 - FHSD College Fair, 6-7:30 pm at Nagel Middle School 9/19 - AHS Building Showcase #1, 6:30-8:00 pm - Stop by and tour the facility! 9/21 - AHS Building Showcase #2, 9-11:30 am - Stop by and tour the facility! 9/23 - FHSD Board of Education Meeting, 7 pm at Nagel MS 9/27 - AHS Homecoming Football Game!! 9/28 - AHS Homecoming Dance, 8:30-11:30 pm at AHS!! 10/4 - 10/7 - Fall Break, No School! 10/12 - AHS BUILDING DEDICATION, 10:00 am - More info to follow!! 10/17 - Fall Conferences - More info to follow!
MOMENTS OF THE WEEK:
IS THIS COOL OR WHAT?!? Our PTO commissioned this project and it’s only possible because
of all the parents who are involved! Please join!! - Membership information below.
The week kicked off with another INCREDIBLE Freshman Orientation on Tuesday!! All
Freshmen were assigned to groups with upperclassmen who will serve as mentors throughout the year. Here’s one of our Link Crew groups having fun!!
Another HUGE shout out to our AHS PTO for taking such good care of our teachers!! We
LOVED the goodies on our first day back!!
Who appeared early Thursday morning at AHS for LIVE back-to-school news coverage?
Randi Rico from Channel 5 and our very own Ally Kraemer from Channel 9!! AHS is the PLACE TO BE!!
Was great to have several of our Link Crew leaders speaking about why they love Anderson
at our New Parent Orientation this week!!
Our first day of school on Thursday was TREMENDOUS!!
The sounds coming out of the Orchestra Room with Director Felipe Morales-Torres
ALREADY sound AMAZING!! CONSTRUCTION UPDATE: If you have not been by the school within the past couple days, I would encourage you to stop by sometime soon to check things out!! The place is looking INCREDIBLE! We have a few areas that are still being finished up and we’re excited for everything to be finished very soon! Construction crews are working to tie in new duct work in both Titus Auditorium and the Varsity Gym that will allow the new air conditioning to begin in those areas. We are hoping that will be finished sometime next week. We are also waiting on the lower level locker rooms to be completed and anticipate that work to be done within the next week or so. That said, check out some of these pictures of the REST of the building:
New signage on the exterior of the Main Entrance along Forest Road!!
Newly renovated Learning Commons with brand new furniture throughout!!
Another shot of some of the new furniture and small group breakout rooms in our new
Learning Commons!!
Our Titus Lobby is BRILLIANT with new light and refinished flooring!! Can’t wait for all the
“dust to settle” -- literally!! :)
Our Athletic & Performing Arts entrance was reconfigured for enhanced security as well as
increased HDA accessibility - check out the ramp!!
LOVE our new interior signage throughout the building!! Thanks to Corbitt Graphics!!
Here’s a peek down the English Hallway!!
Check out the “Mike Hall Way”!! First time with new flooring, lighting, and fresh paint in 3
years!! FROM THE DISTRICT: Did you know that Forest Hills receives 9% less state funding than other Ohio schools? FHSD receives 32% of the district’s general funding from the State of Ohio. According to a 2019 report by the Fordham Institute, Ohio districts receive an average of 43%. Forest Hills residents provide 63% of the district’s funding and the remaining 5% is federal and local sources. The Forest Hills Board of Education has placed a 4.7-mill operating levy on the November 2019 ballot. This levy is essential to provide necessary funding for classroom instruction including staff, textbooks, technology and supplies. Our finances show that, without a doubt, the district needs to request an operating levy now to continue to provide the high-level learning opportunities for which Forest Hills is known. Click here to find more information here. Tour Forest Hills facilities during the district’s upcoming Building Showcase: If you haven't been inside our schools recently, there are some BIG changes! We invite you to tour all 11 district properties during a three-day period in September. Find out more here: http://bit.ly/2yEUF99 BECOME A MEMBER OF ANDERSON’S PTO: Anderson has a strong tradition of parents and staff supporting the school through membership in the PTO. Our online form is fast, secure and might just make you feel like a superhero! Your membership entitles you to a student directory and the satisfaction of knowing you are covering the costs of the programming that enriches your student’s experience throughout AHS. Your membership is critical and we thank you! https://www.foresthills.edu/anderson/about/pto.html
BUILDING PRACTICE UPDATES:
IN-SCHOOL DISCIPLINE - This year we are pleased to offer another alternative style of discipline for students who have broken the student Code of Conduct. In lieu of suspension, students may receive in “In-School Discipline”, which consists of remaining at school with a qualified teacher during the Period(s) from which they would have otherwise been suspended. Questions? Contact Assistant Principal Emily Stanyard.
CELL PHONE GUIDELINES- At AHS, we are committed to providing the best conditions possible so that learning may occur. We are keenly aware that universal access to cell phones can pose a threat to authentic learning at times. As a result, we will be instituting consistent classroom guidelines whereby students are asked to have their phones on “silent” during instructional periods unless provided express permission from their teacher(s). Should a student forget (as we all do), he/she will be given a verbal reminder. If the phone is out again, the teacher may confiscate the phone for the duration of the period. We have asked teachers to stay in communication with parents should cell phone problems persist among particular students. Questions? Contact Assistant Principal Emily Stanyard.
ATTENDANCE INFORMATION: Our goal at Anderson is for all students to attend school and be on time for classes. Students who have good attendance achieve higher grades and have an overall better school experience. We can do this by partnering with you, the parent! As a reminder school starts at 8:00am. Students are required to be in class by 8:00am. If your child is going to be absent or tardy please call the attendance line at 232-2772 ext 2900. As a reminder a parent/guardian phone call received by the attendance office on each day of the student’s absence for any of the acceptable reasons outlined in the district policy is sufficient to excuse the student’s absence up to the tenth (10th) absence yearly. Subsequently, after the tenth (10th) absence, the parent/guardian must provide written documentation from a treating physician, nurse practitioner, physician assistant, or relevant third party stating the day(s) absent and reason for such absence. Absences are defined as full-day absence, tardies, and early dismissals. Therefore the 10 parent calls include full-day absences, early dismissals, and tardies. Student absences in excess of ten (10) days will be recorded as unexcused absences unless a doctor’s note is presented to attendance officials for each additional absence. Parents will be notified in writing when their child has reached the Excessive Absence threshold (38 hours in a month or 65 hours in a year of Excused or Unexcused Absences). Additionally, if your child reaches the Habitual threshold (30 or more consecutive hours, 42 or more hours in a month, 72 or more hours in a year) an Absence Intervention Team (AIT) will be convened to develop a plan for intervention. Successful completion of this plan will avoid referral to the Juvenile Courts. Out of Town/Vacation Attendance Process: If a student is going to be out of town or on vacation parents are required to submit, in writing, to building administration their intent to take student out of school and include dates. The intended vacation will then be submitted to the District level for approval. Once the absence has been approved the parent will be notified and students will be allowed to make up work missed. Please submit all requests to Emily Stanyard at [email protected]. STAY IN TOUCH WITH REMIND: If you are interested in receiving text messages that are “class specific”, please consider joining the appropriate class on Remind by following the instructions below. I typically only use this for last minute reminders and the messages are directed at STUDENTS, rather than parents. To join, text the appropriate code below to the number 81010:
Class of 2023 (Freshmen) - @ekg7kk2
Class of 2022 (Sophomores) - @ggf74b Class of 2021 (Juniors) - @76g7c7 Class of 2020 (Seniors) - @36k9k
DISTRICT UPDATE REGARDING CHANGES TO ADVANCED PLACEMENT (AP) REGISTRATION: This communication is in regards to changes made to the registration process for AP (Advanced Placement) testing announced by The College Board beginning in the 2019-2020 school year. As part of the introduction of new resources, AP is requiring that students register and determine their commitment to taking the exam in the fall as opposed to the spring. This year, there is a default setting in the registration system that pre-registers all students enrolled in an AP class to take the exam. Students will indicate to their teachers if they do not intend to take the AP exam no later than October 4th. Registration for the exam will be completed in the AP classroom. After the fall date, AP will charge an additional $40 fee for late registration and a $40 fee for cancellation. The overall cost of taking the AP exams ($99/exam) has not changed when students commit by the November date. Families will be able to pay exam fee costs this year in the EZ pay system, the system currently used to pay other student fees in FHSD. Payment will not have to be made by the October 4th date but rather may be paid in installments throughout the year. All final payments should be made no later than April 3, 2020. Questions regarding any of this information may be sent to Assistant Principal Kyle Fender or Brian Robinson, Associate Director for High School Teaching and Learning. PARENTS OF CLASS OF 2020 & BEYOND - NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY SELECTION PROCESS: Summer is a great time for students to do community service. One way that they are rewarded for their service is through selection into NHS. Students with a 3.75+ cumulative GPA at the completion of first semester and with 30+ hours of community service logged into Innerview.org will be considered for Induction into NHS. Scholarship, Service, Leadership and Character are the four pillars of NHS, and provide the basis used in the selection process. Please be sure to have your student take pictures of their service and to log the hours into Innerview.org. Questions on Innerview can be directed to [email protected]. Questions about National Honor Society can be directed to Tonya Herron at [email protected]. FOOD GUIDELINES: Please refer to the following website to learn more about our District’s Food Guidelines: FHSD Food Guidelines.
