The summer months were filled with planning and preparation, and it has been wonderful to finally have our students back in the building. Their energy brings the high school alive in a way I can’t describe.

As we enter the second week of the school year, I wanted to take a moment to share some updates with you. Despite the unusually hot weather this past week, I am pleased to report that our students have shown remarkable resiliency. They have been respectful and have followed our expectations which includes our newly implemented cell phone policy.

I am also excited to inform you that after-school activities have started, providing numerous opportunities for our students to participate. Whether it’s joining a club, sports team or any other extracurricular program, we encourage all students to take advantage of these offerings.

Looking ahead, we are excited for Homecoming week, which will take place from September 24th – 28th. This is a special time for our school, and we are thrilled to welcome back our alumni to celebrate with us.

Overall, we are off to a great start and looking forward to another successful year filled with learning and growth. Thank you for your continued support.

Matt Schmit

AHS Principal

• First day of school was August 22nd. We had a great day welcoming our students to the new 2024/2025 school year.
• The AHS Athletic Programs is partnering with Scorecard Inc to create a systems-wide analysis of our athletic programs that offers objective perspective that leads to quality assessment.

• Four students from Austin High School have been selected to attend the Global Youth Institute, part of the World Food Prize Foundation. Our students will be among the 150 student delegates from around the world that will participate in the World Food Prize Conference alongside world leaders in Des Moines, Iowa this October. At the conference, students will have the opportunity to share their researched findings in roundtable discussions with leaders in the fields of science, industry, and policy. They will attend workshops and sessions on global food security, agriculture, and sustainability, and participate in the Feeding a Fragile World Simulation to grow their understanding of food challenges facing our world.
• The students selected to serve as Minnesota delegates from Austin High School including their research topics are:
• Chloe Cannon - Poor Infrastructure in Rural Romania
• Makayla Dokpodjo - The United Arab Emirates: Turning Deserts into Greenhouses
• Sabreen Nagid - Political Causes of Starvation in Sudan
• Isabella Rosenthal - Improving Belize's Food Waste and Food Production
• The students' participation would not have been possible without the support of their teacher and mentor Lisa Sanders and community partners Hormel Foods and the Hometown Food Security Project.

• ​All ninth grade BARR teachers were invited to attend a two-day BARR (Building Assets, Reducing Risk) implementation training in June. Additional training on trauma and effective team meetings all took place in August.
• ​This year we have three BARR teams: Team Packer, Team Scarlet and Team ALC
• ​I-times have officially started this week with students working on development "House Rules" or behavior expectations for all I-Time lessons.
• ​During back to school, teachers worked in departments to ensure all their courses had updated syllabus, scope and sequence and pacing charts completed and uploaded into our Teaching and Learning site. This information will be essential as we continue to review instructional practices as aligned with our new grading policies.
• ​Austin Area Learning Center is opening credit recovery this month. Students and families were invited to an open house in early September and applications for Credit Recovery will be available in the counseling office throughout the year.
  

• Austin Public Schools is thrilled to welcome Dr. Raymond Diaz as the new assistant principal at Austin High School. He will be succeeding Kim Goblirsch, who has taken on a new role as the Academic Coordinator at the school.

• Regarding student enrollment, Austin High School has seen an increase of 60 more students than anticipated this year. To accommodate this growth, we have added a few additional elective courses.

To learn more about the Packer Profile and the district’s long-term strategic plan, please visit AccelerateAustin.org.

September 3, 2024 - Night School Credit Recovery Starts

September 23, 2024 - No School - Professional Development

September 24 - September 27: Homecoming Week

September 28, 2024 - Homecoming Dance

Wescott Sports Complex

October 10, 2024 - AHS Student Picture Retake Day

October 16, 2024 - No School - Professional Development

October 17-18, 2024 - No School - MEA

October 27, 2024 - End of Quarter 1

• The AHS Homecoming Dance will take place on Saturday, September 28th from 7 to 10 pm at Wescott Field.
• Tickets can be purchased using the QR code on the flyer for $10. Students will need their ID.
• If students are bringing a non-AHS guest, they must complete the form in the office by September 20th at 3:00 pm.
• There will be dancing, games, and food trucks! Hope to see all students there!

We will be having an informational meeting Wednesday, September 11, 2024 in the Christgau Hall at 6:00 p.m. The purpose of this meeting is to share with you the plans we have for the trip to Washington D.C. in the summer of 2025 for students in grades 9. 10, 11 and 12 in the 2024 – 2025 school year. It is important that all students who are interested in going on this trip attend with a parent. We will be discussing student expectations, tentative itinerary, tentative cost, and fundraising opportunities. We will also discuss the process for signing up for the trip. Students will sign up for the trip by October 27th, 2023 and submit the intention form to the cashier’s office by that time. A $150 deposit will need to be made by October 25th, 2024 and the entire trip costs need to be paid by the end of April 2025. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact your Social Studies teacher or Ms. Sanders at 460-1800 ext. 0260. We look forward to seeing you at the meeting. If you are unable to attend the meeting, please reach out to Ms. Sanders in room 260 after September 11th to receive the information that was shared at the meeting.

Wednesday, October 9, 2024 the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) will be administered to interested sophomores and juniors. The PSAT/NMQST is a standardized test serving as a practice version of the SAT exam. It includes modules for reading, writing, and math. The PSAT also prepares students for college readiness and is the qualifying exam for the National Merit Scholarship. It is the only test that the Hormel Foods Corporation will accept for their special scholarship program. These scholarships are available to the children of current, retired, or deceased employees of Hormel and its subsidiaries. In no instance will any officer or employee of the Hormel Company play a part in the selection of scholarship winners or monies to be awarded. The NMSQT Corporation handles the entire award process.

Sign up will take place starting September 4; forms are available in the Career Center and Cashier’s Office. Parents/guardians will need to complete the registration form and submit to the cashier by September 26 at 3:30 PM.

To Prepare: Click here to learn more about the Digital PSAT/NMSQT. Full length adaptive digital practice is available on the Bluebook app. Additional resources are available on Khan Academy. There will be a mandatory PSAT Prep and Device Check session for students on Tuesday 10/1 at 7:45 AM and again at 3:30 PM in the Career Center. This step is critical so we ensure the correct version of Bluebook is on their device.

Testing Day: On 10/9/24 the test will start promptly at 8:30 AM. Students can check the window outside the Career Center to see their room assignments the week of the test. The test will take approximately 2.5 hours.

If you have any questions regarding the PSAT Test, please contact Jane Carlson in the Career Center.

Peer Power Partners (PPP) is a mentoring program that encourages students of ALL abilities to intermingle and grow together. We teach about differences and helpful techniques to encompass many different abilities, and we also do activities for peer interaction. This promotes an inclusive school environment and builds relationships both within the school setting that carries over to the community.

Our goals are to increase knowledge, understanding, acceptance, awareness and to promote friendship and advocacy. PPP is a beneficial program for ALL students.

We will only be able to accept 50 participants per school this year, applicants will be reviewed after the application deadline. Participants will be notified upon acceptance.

Application Deadline is October 31st

Please use this link to sign up: https://forms.gle/B8oK6BtJkxANZ89X6

It is important to be at school every day. If your child is going to be absent, please notify our attendance office.