Andover High School News & Events

October 1, 2024

Art - Jack Pena

Business - Saee More

English - Kollin Kelleher

ESL - Julie Vang

FACS - Peyton Hinson

Health - Devin Johnson

Math - Chloe Gindele

Music - Anthony Sedesky

Phy Ed - Katelyn Eisinger

Reading - Brandon Mayberry

Science - Lily Cameron

Social Studies - Amar Weldon

Support Services - Beau DuBois

Tech Ed - Jaxson Holler

Vocational - Cristopher Boyer

World Language - Ashley Johnson

Jefferson Award - Hannah Gunderson

• October 3: Final Picture Retakes (IMC) 7:00 - 10:00 AM
• October 7: Academic Lettering Ceremony (AUD) 7:00 PM
• October 9: PSAT/NMSQT for 11th Graders
• October 10: Last Chance Senior Photo During Lunches (AUD)
• October 10: Conferences
• October 17-18: No School; MEA
• October 24: Fall Band Concert (AUD) 7:00 PM
• October 28: Fall Orchestra Concert (AUD) 7:00 PM
• October 29: Fall Choir Concert (AUD) 7:00 PM

Trimester 1 Late Start Dates are listed here.

You can also view a District Calendar here.

Husky House Tutoring Center Dates and hours are listed here.

The homecoming dance will be taking place on Saturday, October 5th from 7:00 - 10:00 PM in the Gym. Tickets are currently being sold on SchoolPay via the lock and key on A-H Connect.* Tickets are $15 in advance, $20 at the door. The homecoming dance is for Andover High School students only.

*Homecoming Dance tickets are non-refundable once purchased. No paper tickets will be given out.

Please note that all detentions currently assigned MUST be served before you are allowed into the dance. If a student has a question about detention hours needed to be served, please have them connect with their Assistant Principal.

We are in need of many adult volunteers to help make this fun high school tradition a success. Please consider signing up to provide help with coat check, concessions, being a front door supervisor or floater. You can sign up for a shift and volunteer role at: Homecoming Dance Volunteers.

Thursday, October 10th from 2:50 PM - 8:30 PM

The process to schedule a time to meet with your student’s teacher is the same utilizing MyConferenceTime starting October 1st. You have the option of meeting in person or virtually with the link that is provided in the confirmation email you receive after you sign up. Please SAVE the confirmation e-mail you receive. It will be the only communication that contains the link to meet with the teacher virtually.

Show your support for the Andover HS school staff during fall evening conferences. Donate a Grab-n-Go snack item for teachers to have a quick bite to eat during evening conferences on Thursday, October 10th. If you would like to donate a snack item, please sign up at Fall Conference Snack Donations and select an available donation slot.

Please drop-off your donations to the school office during school hours starting Monday, October 7th through Thursday, October 10th. You can send the items with your student or we've even had families send items by Amazon! Please label donations VSC.

Tara Koschak

Mandy Johnson

Joan Angell

Courtney Piekarski

Tina Tamura

William Britt

Stephanie Peters

Please review the chart below regarding the steps used to address attendance concerns:

If your student is absent from school, please use the Parent Vue app and click the “Report Absences” button to submit your student’s absence.. After the absence request is processed, Synergy creates an attendance record for the student. Make-up work is expected to be completed. Please see the information below regarding the classification of absences.

ALL requests MUST be completed by a parent or guardian or the absence will be recorded as unexcused.

• Excused Absences- Religious holidays, death in family, illnesses, family emergencies, pre-arranged absences, inclement weather. Families should prioritize scheduling appointments and family vacations outside of school hours or when school is not in session.

• Unexcused Absences- Truancy, car troubles, oversleeping, babysitting, work

We look forward to partnering with you in this effort to keep your student attending school each day. Please feel free to reach out at any time with questions or concerns.

Sincerely,

Andover High School, Administration and Support Services

Students enrolled in an Advanced Placement (AP) course have the chance to stand out to college admissions officers and save money on tuition with a qualifying score of three or more on the AP Exams. The payment window for exams, as set by College Board, is now open.

Payment Windows

• Regular Payment Deadline: Sept 23 - Oct 31

• Late Payment Deadline: Nov 1 - Nov 10

• Exams for courses that begin Trimester 2 will get an additional payment window later in the year, but families may pay for them now if they choose.

Costs

• The fee for each AP exam is $72. If students qualify for F/R lunch, the fee is $10.

• A late fee of $40 is applied if payment is received during the late window of Nov 1-10.

• Please note that AP exams are non-refundable.

How to Pay

Payment is accepted online only through SchoolPay. All of the offered AP Exams are listed. Once you and your student have decided which exams they would like to take, add the desired test(s) to the cart and proceed to check out and pay for all the tests at once. Trouble access SchoolPay? Try our HELP Desk 763-506-HELP or 506Help@ahschools.us

For questions regarding AP exams, students and parents can connect with the AP teachers or our AP Coordinator, Kelly Tasche: kelly.tasche@ahschools.us

This past summer, these 4 Seniors had the privilege to attend Boys State and Girls State: Elizabeth Raab, Samuel Audette, Caelan Bobbe, Samuel Audette and Giovanna Morcho. This is sponsored by the American Legion and the Women's Auxiliary.

Participants learn the rights, privileges and responsibilities of franchised citizens. The training is

objective and centers on the structure of city, county and state governments. Operated by students elected to various offices, activities include legislative sessions, court proceedings, law-

enforcement presentations, assemblies, bands, choruses and recreational programs. Legion posts select high school juniors to attend the program. In most cases, individual expenses are paid by a sponsoring post, a local business or another community-based organization.

Congratulations on being selected to represent Andover!

Student Notice of Registration forms are available for Spring 2025 Semester. You will need this completed each semester for the college to allow you to register. These are only for students currently attending PSEO. Please reach out to your counselor if you need one.

Need to make up a class? See your counselor to register for credit recovery. You can see details here.

With school, sports, and activities in full swing, it's common for students to experience stress. You may feel like you are being pulled in many different directions to perform at your best. Recognizing symptoms of stress may help identify the things in your life that are causing them. Visit this site to identify symptoms of stress and connect you with resources to manage stress.

Is your student looking for a way to get involved at Andover High School? The Andover Leo Club is a student led volunteer group who works to respond to needs within the community by volunteering their time. The group meets every other Thursday after school at 2:30, and welcomes new members anytime! For more information, please join the Leos’ Google Classroom. For meeting dates, please click here. This year, students have chosen the theme of “High Schoolers Against Homelessness.” Service projects at Leo Club meetings will be geared around addressing the root causes, and impacts of homelessness. Our first service project of the year will be putting together hygiene kits for Stepping Stone Shelter in Anoka.

A huge THANK YOU to Fraisa USA Inc. for financially supporting the work of the Leo Club this year. Through their generous donation, we will be able to carry out many meaningful projects!

Join the Youth Service Google Classroom to see a list of upcoming volunteer opportunities in our community. Questions? Feel free to contact me at tammy.peterson@ahschools.us

In an effort to bring the spirit of service to Andover High School, Youth Service will be hosting a variety of fun and meaningful service projects during select late start Mondays. Service projects will take place right here at school; participating students will receive 1 service hour per session. Click here for more details on dates, times, and room location.

Last week at Drop in for Service, participants picked up trash that has been accumulating on the school grounds. Thank you to all the volunteers for a productive clean up!!

The next Drop in For Service will be held on 9/30. Students will be making dog toys that will be donated to the Coon Rapids Humane Society. All Andover students are welcome to join!

President’s Volunteer Service Award

The President’s award is given for hours completed in the calendar year. Any service from January 1, 2024 through December 31, 2024 is considered for the award. Just submit your Verification of Hours form to document the hours you’ve spent volunteering.

The Students in Action Multiplying Good Award for Public Service is a national recognition system honoring community and public volunteerism. Each month we recognize one student who has taken effective action, and created a meaningful impact while improving our community and making the world a better place. For the month of September, we want to recognize and celebrate Hannah Gunderson. Since her freshman year, Hannah has accumulated over 125 service hours. Her commitment to serving others earned her the 2023 Gold Level President's Volunteer Service Award. Congratulations Hannah!

There are many volunteer opportunities that come up throughout the school year at Andover HS. To start your volunteer journey, please complete the Andover HS 2024 -2025 online volunteer forms. Completing volunteer forms help keep our students safe while enriching their lives through extracurricular activities. Click Andover HS Volunteer Forms to start your volunteer application and background check request!

If you are interested in volunteer opportunities at Andover HS, please contact Tina Huston, Volunteer Services Coordinator - tina.huston@ahschools.us or 763-506-8430.

Seniors must submit their cap and gown measurements electronically through the Andover Cap and Gown Ordering Link. The deadline for submission for the cap and gown is Friday, October 4th.

How to order the free cap and gown:

1. Click on the link above
2. Fill in the required information and submit

Graduation announcements can also be ordered via the link below.

Please go to this link to order announcements or other graduation items (if you prefer to order through Jostens). Please note: All seniors will receive a black/gold tassel with their cap and gown. You have an option to purchase an additional “Keepsake” tassel if you choose.

Should you have any questions, please email Courtney Piekarski.