Alpharetta High School

December 8 – Anchor Time Ends

December 8 – Recovery Deadline

December 8 – Winter Orchestra Concert

December 9 - PTSA Dessert Buffet for staff

December 9 - Course Catalogue Updates due

December 12 – 16 – Georgia Milestones EOC

December 12 - 16 - Recommendations for 2nd semester course changes

December 12 – Winter Band Concert

December 13 - School Governance Meeting

December 16 - Tacky Holiday Sweater

December 16 – Fire drill – end of day 3:45

December 20, 21, 22 – Final Exams for first semester (Early Release days)

December 20 - AHS Holiday Party - Invitation Attached to this week's email

December 20 - January 5 - Window for 2017 -18 Course recommendations

December 22 – Last day of First Semester

Biometric Screenings will be at Alpharetta High School again this year
Sign up info coming soon…

Screenings will be on the Teacher Workday

Monday March 13

8:00am-2:00pm

Cafeteria

Before your mid-year conference, all teachers should have four documents uploaded to the PL section of TKES for recertification.

Please mark a place on your calendar to upload these documents:

1. Teachers will develop and implement processes and procedures to build community and positive relationships with students. (by mid-October)

2. Staff members will participate in the development of a school-wide definition of rigor and engagement that will be used in PLC meetings and lesson and assessment planning throughout the year. (by mid-October) This document is attached to this week's newsletter.

3. Teachers will design and implement lessons that incorporate researched based instructional strategies. (at least one example first semester by the end of November and at least one example second semester by the end of March)

4. Teachers will design formative assessments and use the data to create differentiated lessons that illustrate rigor and student engagement. (at least one example first semester by the end of November and at least one example second semester by the end of March)

Let Rebecca know if you need help.

The following students will be attending a basketball game out of state (Kentucky) on December 9th and will miss the entire day. They know that they are responsible for making up any classwork/test that they are missing. Thank you for understanding and your cooperation:

Mahima Sangtani

Chandler Davis

Croix Bethune

Allie Hood

Gene Osuoha

Kendall Phillips

Jordan Shambry

Jalyn Tillerson

Gogo Maduka

Taylor Hood

Mary Ziegler

Grace Knutsen

Juju Maduka

Erica Campbell

Our yearbook staff wants pictures of staff members outside of AHS AND a photo of you from when you were in high school. Please send them in to Rita Flowers - FlowersR1@fultonschools.org

Portal page is not available yet so you will find the following items attached to this week's newsletter email:

· Charitable Fund PowerPoint presentation

· Contribution directions (step by step)

· Difference View (to help illustrate the difference in giving options)

· Fulton Gives logo

As a reminder, please be sure to direct all email communication to CharitableFund@fultonschools.org.

Thank you so much for your patience and willingness to serve! The world is a better place because of you! J

Students in face-to-face Economics this semester are taking their EOC on Tuesday, December 13th. Students taking Economics online are taking their EOC on Wednesday, December 14th. Students will be missing ½ of their classes that day to take the EOC. We will have no bells both of these days due to testing.

All face to face Econ students are taking their EOC on Tuesday:

• 1st, 2nd, 3rd period + anyone with extended time AM

• 4th, 5th, 6th period PM

All online Econ students are taking their EOC on Wednesday AM.

Remember the challenge - Don't let students get away with "I don't know" - fully support their learning and circle back to them. Share how it's working so we can learn and grow professionally together as a school-wide PLC:

https://goo.gl/forms/BYmD0Ql9G9XGqw3E3

Final exams will be here before we know it and some of our students already know they will miss some or all exams. Students who will be absent on final exam days due to absences will be coming to you soon with PINK Pre-Approved Absence forms that should be signed by an administrator first.

If you sign one of these forms, please note the student’s name and then submit that student’s make-up exam (in addition to other students who are absent from your exam) to Carolyn Vezeau in 1220 by 2:00 on December 22nd. I have attached the cover sheet that should be attached to the front of each exam folder. Extra forms and folders are available with Carolyn.

No students can exempt finals fall semester.

As students complete their make-up exams, we will place them in your mailbox. Make up exams will take place on January 5th and January 6th in the Media Center.

If students or parents ask you directly about taking exams early, please tell them it is against policy and direct them to the AHS website or you may copy and paste the information below.

Here is the information about make-up exams that is now on our website:

Students who will be absent during Final Exams must obtain a PINK Pre-Approved Absence Form from the Attendance Office and attach a written request signed by the student’s parent/legal guardian to take make-up exams. The form along with the written request must be submitted for approval to the Attendance Office no later than 4:00 pm, Friday, December 16th, 2016.

Final Exam Make-up days will be January 5th and 6th in the Media Center from 9 am – 3:30 pm. Any student who is unable to make-up exams during these sessions will need to make arrangements directly with Ms. Decaminada, ASAP. Teachers will not be administering any make-up exams and no final exams may be taken early.

If a student is absent on the final exam days due to an illness, a doctor’s note must be provided upon his or her return in order to obtain permission to make up exams. If a student is absent from a final exam, the teacher will calculate the final grade counting the exam as a zero. Upon make-up of the exam, the teacher will re-calculate the grade and submit a revised grade. Incompletes will not be given.

Please let Whitney know if you have any questions!

We have completed first semester IG sessions. Thank you to those who planned and facilitated and thank you to all who participated. Now it is time to look ahead to next semester. Because so many folks are away from the building on the Fulton County PD days, we have decided to hold AHS University sessions (shorter, specific PD sessions hosted by AHS teachers) on the county days for those of us who are here. We will host IG sessions on the AHS PD days.

The survey below asks for ideas for AHS University sessions - What do you want to learn about?

It also asks what you want to do next semester with your IG group. There are new IG groups to consider; some groups will begin fresh and host the same sessions for new people; other groups will continue for those who want to keep learning about the topic. You must complete the survey so we know where to place you for next semester.

https://goo.gl/forms/mKRGcWsZ9egJRDRp1

Flor Castillo 4

Jason Dasinger 4

Elizabeth Whitehurst 4

Rebecca Rhodes 7

Judy Brookshire 11

Asha Jassani 12

Michelle Waliaga 16

Pam Kelly 17

Deanna Velazquez 22

Ashley Passaglia 23

Addie Cooper 27

Meredith Drummond 27

Tracy Misner 27

"Words have power, and when you speak, you give them life. Speak into the atmosphere. Speak into existence what you believe, desire, dream, and hope."

- Amaka Imani

We want to create a community filled with more balanced lives. The School Governance Council proposed a solution, and the Instructional Leadership Team agreed; thus, we have declared two nights a semester during the 2016-17 school year as "Balance Days."

February 15th

March 15th

The nights above are Wednesday nights the week of the 17th (to celebrate the class of 2017), and on these nights there will not be any homework assigned, no assessments will occur the next day, and no AHS meetings will be scheduled.

The idea is that Raiders will go home right after school and work to create balance in their lives. Staff members and students alike will take a night off. Club sponsors and coaches and directors may hold meetings and practices and games as needed. We feel students release stress through these extracurricular activities.

Please plan to enjoy yourself and work your assessments around these dates this year.