AFSA PreK-12 Family Update
January 3, 2025
Dear AFSA Families,
I am thrilled to officially begin my new role as the Executive Director of AFSA PreK-12! I have had the pleasure to work at AFSA as a Dean of Students and High School Principal the last year and a half. I’m continually impressed with how AFSA is dedicated to creating opportunities for students not only inside the classroom but outside as well. The traditions and values established by our past director, Becky Meyer, have created pathways for student success. AFSA is a unique school that cannot be replicated elsewhere, which is why I choose to accept this new role and help AFSA continue its strong traditional values.
My philosophy as a school leader continues to be, “Great leaders create leaders around them.” A school's success does not solely depend on one leader at the top, but rather the community it is built upon. My mission as executive director is to ensure our students continue to thrive in all areas of learning that help them achieve their goals and prepare them for success. To accomplish this I will continue to support staff in all areas needed to help them be successful and perform at their best. I will work with families to create an environment where together we are able to fulfill our school’s mission and build the leaders that our future needs. It takes a village to support our future leaders and I believe AFSA is a perfect place for that.
My priority is to foster an open and collaborative learning environment where our community feels empowered to contribute their unique perspectives and ideas. I am open and committed to working together to navigate the future challenges, for with every challenge, comes an opportunity for success.
I am honored and excited to be the next Executive Director of AFSA. I look forward to the opportunity to collaborate with families to make AFSA the school where all students can fit in and stand out.
Together we can make a difference,
Sam Wakefield
All are welcome to join us at AFSA High School AND AFSA Elementary on January 16th for AFSA High School's Dairy Event and AFSA Elementary School's Literacy Night! We are also hosting an open house at both schools. Events run from 4-7 p.m. See below for more information about each event.
You Butter Believe It - AFSA's Dairy Event is full of dairy fun! Including cheese making, butter making, FREE Culver's custard (Thank you to the Little Canada Culver's!), cow crafts and mooore! Join school board member and retired U of M professor, Dave Smith and ag teacher extraordinaire Ms. Laura Wyatt, as they teach the science behind cheese making while making fresh mozzarella cheese. You Butter Believe It is coming up January 16th from 4-7 p.m. at AFSA High School. Stop by the cheese making sessions at 4:00 p.m., 5:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.
More about Laura Joswiak: Laura's debut book is titled “A Rainbow of Orange” and is available on Amazon and Ingram. It’s a delightful story about a spirited little girl with reddish-orange hair, in search of her lost orange kitten. She is currently working on her second story, which is a rhyming children’s picture book about a monkey. She plans to release that book in 2025. She may even share a sneak preview of this story at the literacy event on January 16th .
More about Elena Melling: Elena and her husband Michael (Yes, AFSA's very own Mr. Melling!) have been married for 21 years and live in the river valley of Wisconsin with their 6 sons. She is a homeschooler and small business owner. When their youngest son, Rhodes-who has Down Syndrome, was just 6 months old he showed he had a love for reading which inspired Elena to write a rhyming book about him!
Elena's book is titled Rhodes' Magnificent Toes. Join Rhodes, a spirited little boy, on an enchanting adventure that celebrates the advantages of being born with an extra chromosome! In Rhodes' Magnificent Toes , readers are invited into a day filled with fun, laughter, and toe-tapping excitement as Rhodes showcases his incredible hyper-flexibility and imaginative toe tricks.
Support AFSA Athletics with your PIZZA purchase! Starting January 6th through January 29 AFSA Athletes are holding a special Heggies Pizza fundraiser to raise money for all AFSA Athletic teams! Pizza's are large (12") and range in price from $11 - $14. Choose from the following:
- Double Cheese
- Sausage
- Pepperoni
- Sausage & Pepperoni
- Sausage and Mushroom
- Inferno
- Deluxe Combo
- Six Pack
- BCB (Bacon Cheeseburger)
- Chicken Alfredo
- Breakfast Pizza
- Cauliflower Crust Sausage & Pepperoni
- Cauliflower Crust Marcherita
- El Jefe (Mexican style with Chorizo, jalapenos and more)
To purchase pizzas find an AFSA athlete or contact our Athletic Director, Ms. Vorwald, avorwadl@afsak12.com. Thank you for your support!
THIS EVENT IS OPEN TO STUDENTS NOT CURRENTLY ATTENDING AFSA AT THIS TIME.
Current AFSA students in 6th -9th grade will have a special Taste of AFSA event this spring.
Please pass this information on to friends and family that are interested in learning more about AFSA High School! Thank you!
Get a Taste of AFSA High School! Prospective students, currently in 6th-9th grade, are invited to join for A Taste of AFSA High School on Wednesday, January 22, 2025 from 9:00 am - 2:00 pm. This is a great opportunity to see and experience a day in the life of an AFSA High School student. Students will be participating in a variety of subject related activities, meet students and staff and enjoy a complimentary lunch.
For more information about AFSA High School and to register for this event please go to www.afsak12.com and click on the A Taste of AFSA High School button on the main page.
We would like your help! We are reaching out to you and your family to find out how you first heard about AFSA PreK-12. This will help ensure that we are using our marketing efforts effectively and reaching families who may benefit from AFSA PreK-12. Whether you have been at AFSA many years or are new this year we want to hear from you! Please click here and take a moment to fill out this brief survey. Thank you for your help!
Attention AFSA PreK-12 Families! We need your help getting the word out about AFSA PreK-12! We would love to have you write a review on Google, share a post on social media, submit a quote or story about what you like best about AFSA PreK-12 or distribute flyers!
- Flyers: If you are interested in getting some flyers to help advertise the school please contact Ms. Forliti.
- Google Reviews: To write a Google review for AFSA Elementary click here and for AFSA High School click here.
- Social Media: To follow us on Facebook click here. To follow us on Instagram click here.
- Submit a Quote: If you are interested in submitting a quote or story, please fill out the AFSA Cheer Google Form or email Ms. Forliti.
Thank you for helping spread the word about AFSA PreK-12!
Show off your school spirit with some AFSA gear! We have a ton of different sweatshirts, tshirts, sweatpants and so much more to choose from. Just click here to check out all of the options and place an order.
Be a part of this year's 24th Annual AFSA High School Science Fair! All students at AFSA must complete a science fair project and present their findings to a panel of judges. This year, we are holding two science fair nights, February 6 for grades 7-9 and February 20 for grades 10-12 and we need your help! For each night we need about 40 science fair judges. If you are interested in volunteering click here to register. Thank you for supporting AFSA Prek-12!
Elementary Yearbooks (PreK-6th):
Elementary Yearbooks are on sale now for $15. Yearbooks will be delivered at the end of the school year. If you would like to order an AFSA Elementary (PreK-6) yearbook online please click here. Cash and check payments can be made in the front office of the elementary school. Orders for the AFSA Elementary yearbook ends April 25th, 2025.
High School Yearbooks (7th-12th):
High School yearbooks are on sale now! Yearbooks are $45 if ordered by March 8, 2025 and after that the cost goes up to $55 until the last day to order, April 29, 2025. Click here to order the HS yearbook online. The HS yearbooks are ordered through Entourage (not SchoolPay). You can also pay for high school yearbooks with cash or check in the front office at the high school.
AFSA High School students are invited to design this years 2024-2025 yearbook! Students can pick up a template from the front office. Designs must be turned in to Ms. Vorwald by January 20th. Contact Ms. Vorwald with any questions.
Join us at Culver's in Little Canada (2880 Rice Street Little Canada) for our Culver's fundraising nights throughout the 2024-2025 school year! See dates below! Take your family out to dinner and support AFSA K-12 at the same time! AFSA receives 10% of all food purchases from 5-7 p.m.
- January 21, 2025
- February 18, 2025
- March 18, 2025
- April 15, 2025
- May 20, 2025
Special thank you to the Little Canada Culver's for their continued support of AFSA K-12!
City of Little Canada Indoor Market - Join the City of Little Canada for their Indoor Market. The market will be held in the Little Canada City Hall Council Chambers (515 Little Canada Rd.) from 2 to 5 PM on January 13. The City is still accepting vendors. If you’re interested in being a vendor, contact Emelie Lindabaur at Emelie.lindabaur@littlecanadamn.org
The school directory is a great way for AFSA PreK-12 families to stay in touch! Click here if you are a current AFSA PreK-12 family and would like to be added to the 2024-2025 school directory. The directory will be emailed out to all participating families. If you have been in past directories you will still need to sign up this year to be included. Questions? Please contact Ms. Forliti