It was fantastic to
wake-up this morning and read an amazing Durango Herald article about AHS! The
piece profiles our “school’s stunning transition from being what just three
years ago was widely viewed as a precarious teaching venture into an educational
Cinderella story.” Please take some time to read this article and view the
photo gallery and video that accompany the narrative. READ
IT HERE
Remember, Next Week is Osprey (Project) Week and every AHS student will be participating in an amazing
project-based experience. Please take a moment to review the following updates:
2012-13
All-School Exhibitions
AHS’s
Katz Wins Role Model Award
Ospreys in
the News
College Counseling Update
Testing&
Assessment Update
AHS BOD Update
HTH Founder to Visit AHS
Good Reads
2013
Graduation Information
Registration
for 2013-14
Animas High School on
Facebook
Upcoming
Events
2012-13
All-School Exhibitions
Final All-School Exhibition Part II:
May 9th, 6:00-8:00 p.m.
Humanities and Spanish Classes will be hosting an
End of Year Exhibition at Animas High School.
AHS’s
Katz Wins Role Model Award
The Celebrating Healthy Communities coalition of
San Juan Basin Health announces the winners of our 2nd Annual La
Plata County Adult Role Model Awards. Youth were asked to nominate adults
21 and older who inspire responsible, positive behavior in young people.
Seventy adults from throughput La Plata County were nominated.
Congratulations to Animas High School Spanish
Teacher Becca Katz who was selected for this prestigious accolade. READ MORE HERE
Ospreys in the News
Check out Daniel’s recent
meeting with a Supreme Court Justice HERE
Read about Cooper’s bold
expectations for DHS lacrosse HERE
Many of AHS’s and Durango’s
finest young cyclists recently left their mark in Arizona. Read
More Here
The Animas Quill profiled
all of our student athletes this spring. Read about these amazing leaders in
the classroom and on the pitch, slopes and trails HERE
Help us keep up on all of
the amazing osprey news! We don’t want to miss any positive press related to
our students. Articles, student news and photos, etc. can be submitted to michael@animashighschool.com
College Counseling
Update
9th & 10th Graders:
Underclassman and their families recently received a letter from the College
Counseling Dept. discussing College Planning Timelines for 9th and 10th
graders. If you missed the mailing, you can READ IT HERE
11th Graders: Your
two big goals are: 1.) Finish the year with strong grades and 2.) Create a
college list of 8-12 schools divided into safety, target, and reach categories.
Please see Elaine if you have any questions about your college list or the
admissions process. Summer is a great time to brainstorm your personal
essay topics and to become familiar with the college application. To preview
the Common Application and the essay questions, please click here.
You should also continue checking in with the 11th
Grade College Planning Timeline.
12th Graders: Students
and families who are still negotiating with financial aid officers
may be interested in reading the latest installment in The Wall Street
Journal's financial aid series, "Colleges Cut Prices by Providing More Financial
Aid."
Seniors, please make sure that you have
completed the Final Senor Reflection so that we have the correct information as
to where to send your final transcript. Complete the reflection here.
As always, please contact Rachael and
Elaine in the College Counseling Office with any questions or concerns.
Testing&
Assessment Update
1. This
week we are concluding our final round of NWEA MAP testing for the school year.
MAP stands for Measures of Academic Progress, which means that these
tests are designed to show a student's progress from Fall to Spring. If you would like to see an NWEA progress report for
your 9th or 10th grade student, please send an request to kristi.good@animashighschool.com
2. Interested
in Summer test prep? AHS is willing to sponsor an ACT or SAT prep course
in June. This means it would be offered at a discount to AHS students.
To take advantage of this opportunity or for more information,
email kristi.good@animashighschool.com
AHS BOD Update
The AHS Board would like to express our sincerest
thanks to Kerry Masterson, Facilities Chair, and Denise Dickinson, Treasurer
and Development Chair, for their service and dedication to AHS. Both have
contributed countless hours supporting our school and our cause. Kerry
will continue to help us while we move to Twin Buttes, but her term with the
board is over. She has been instrumental in facilitating the move to Twin
Buttes. Denise is moving on to new horizons and we thank her for her
substantial impact on our school during her time on the board. Both will
be missed tremendously.
Additionally, the Animas High School Board of
Directors recently distributed a communication to our community heralding all
the great things to come for our school. You can find a copy of the AHS
BOD’s LETTER HERE.
HTH
Founder to Visit AHS
With so many
amazing developments happening this spring at AHS, it’s becoming more difficult
to keep our weekly updates succinct. However, there’s plenty of room available
to announce the upcoming visit of High Tech High founder Rob Riordan to Animas
High.
Rob has worked
as a teacher, trainer, and program developer for over 35 years. As a teacher in
the Cambridge, MA public schools, he developed an award-winning writing center
and two innovative school-to-career programs: the Cambridge-Polaroid Technical
Internship Program and the Cambridge-Lesley Careers in Education Program. He
was named National School to Work Practitioner of the Year in 1994. From
1996-99 he directed the New Urban High School project, a joint initiative of
the Big Picture Company and the U.S. Department of Education. For several
years, as a faculty member of the Harvard Graduate School of Education, he led
the practicum seminar for Harvard's student teachers. He was a founding staff
member of the Tennessee Governor's Academy for Teachers of Writing, and a Lead
Founder of the Community Charter School of Cambridge, MA. His publications
include several articles on high school humanities and two books: Schooling for
the Real World: The Essential Guide to Rigorous and Relevant Learning (Jossey
Bass, 1999), with Adria Steinberg and Kathleen Cushman, and Seeing the Future:
A Planning Guide for High Schools (The Big Picture Company and the U.S.
Department of Education, 1999).
Bio from the High Tech High
Graduate School of Education homepage.
In addition to working with Animas High
School’s founding team, Rob has been an inspirational mentor and important
touchstone for Head of School Michael Ackerman and founding AHS faculty
members, John and Lori Fisher. Five years of collaboration will culminate in
Riordan’s visit to Durango later this month. Rob will be working with faculty
and administration, observing students’ tPOL prep and end of the year efforts
as well as serving as a guest panelist for the Class of 2013’s thesis
defense/TED-talks. We are enthralled to have such an amazing educational leader
visit us and provide us with a real-time, on-the-ground analysis of AHS’s
import an execution of the High Tech High model. Stay tuned for more!
Good Reads
Big changes coming to
the ACT test. READ
ABOUT IT HERE
2013
Graduation Information
Registration
for 2013-14
We’re (almost) full!
Enrollment, registration and waiting list questions or concerns can be
forwarded to the AHS Registrar at enroll@animashighschool.com or
contact us via the school’s Main Office at 970-AHS-AHS4
Animas High School on
Facebook
Are you connected with
Animas High School on Facebook? When you “LIKE” Animas High School, you can
follow all the action via the AHS news feed, catch the weekly Friday Show, read
daily campus updates and view photos of our ospreys in action! You’ll also be connected
to AHS promotions and giveaways throughout the school year. Be sure to
participate in our HOODY
GIVEAWAY contest, which runs through this Friday!
Like. Share. Win!
1. Like the AHS Facebook
Page.
2. Share this pic.
3. Win a new hoody in your
choice of sizes (S-XL).
We will pick one random "share-er" next Friday 5/10 to
win a brand new AHS Hooded Sweatshirt. Let the liking and sharing begin!
Upcoming Events
Movie Night Double
Feature Tonight to Benefit AHS!
Durango Devo, in collaboration with sponsors
Specialized, Pedal Born Pictures and the Natioanl Interscholastic Cycling
Association present a Movie Night Double Feature showing of SINGLE
TRACK HIGH and WATERMARK.
May 8th and
9th at 6:30pm at the Backspace Theatre. Adults $15, Students $10
Proceeds benefit the state champion ANIMAS HIGH SCHOOL Mountain Bike
Team, DHS MTB team and the Durango Swim Club.
Come show your support for our young adults and enjoy these two amazing
films! More info can be found HERE.
DON’T
MISS THE DURANGO CONNECT FILM…
A premier showing featuring a cast of thousands… about 9,000±
The Durango
Connect documentary film will premier on Wednesday, May 15th at Miller Middle School auditorium. Save the date and
please help get the word out! DON’T
MISS THE DURANGO CONNECT FILM…
First Class
Celebration Event, May
18, 2013 at Sorrel Sky Gallery, 5:30-7:30 p.m.
Come meet our graduating seniors at this
reception to honor them and wish them well as they prepare for their journey
beyond Animas High School.
Animas High School Values:
• Rigorous academics, where all students are prepared for college
success
• Culture of excellence, where students are held to high
expectations
• Strong faculty-student relationships, where students are well
known
• Engaging learning, where students see the relevance of their
education
