Owls Nest Newsletter
Agua Fria highlights & updates for owl students & families
A Few Words from Principal Daniels
Hello Owls!
As we progress through the end of academic year, I am so pleased to see the commitment and active participation of our students and families in various school initiatives that highlight and reflect our community. I'd ike to extend my appreciation to all the students who participated in the Student Voice Summit. Your enthusiasm, creativity, and thoughtful contributions have been instrumental in shaping the future of our school. Your voices matter, and it's inspiring to see you actively engage in discussions and initiatives aimed at enhancing our learning environment. Also, a big thank you for the support and engagement we received from our families at the Caregiver Workshop. Your presence and involvement show the importance of our partnership in nurturing the academic and personal development of our students. Together, we create a strong support system that empowers our young learners to thrive academically and beyond.
Congrats to the Class of 2024! We are so excited to celebrate you at your graduation, a huge milestone that signifies your success as an Owl and we are happy to see you spread your wings as you go off to on your future adventures!
-Principal Daniels
As we approach the end of another fruitful school year, we are excited to celebrate the dedication and hard work of our staff with our end-of-year staff luncheon. This is a special time for our team to celebrate accomplishments and enjoy each other's company, reflecting on the year's achievements. We invite our wonderful community of parents to support this event by contributing desserts, drinks, gift cards, or small gifts. Your contributions will make the celebration even more memorable for our hardworking staff.
Please click on the link below to sign up and see how you can contribute:
Thank you for your generosity and for helping us make this event a success. Your support means the world to us!
Monday 5/13 & Tuesday 5/14 Schedule
Wednesday 5/22 & Thursday 5/23 Schedule
5/4-Together We Thrive: Caregiver Workshops for Stronger Families
The "Together We Thrive: Caregiver Workshops for Stronger Families" event was held on May 4th at Agua Fria High School. This free event provided caregivers with expert-led workshops, complimentary meals, and free childcare services. A resource fair offered further support, presenting valuable information and networking opportunities. The workshops facilitated intimate and effective learning experiences, enhancing the caregiving capabilities of attendees and fostering community connections. We look forward to hosting another workshop in the fall and hope to continue supporting our parent/caregiver community.
Student Voice Summit
This past April 25th, our library transformed into a hub of student engagement during the inaugural Student Voice Summit. This event brought together students from various grades to discuss and influence the ongoing and future initiatives at our school. The summit offered an open forum for students to articulate their views, share experiences, and suggest improvements, truly embodying our commitment to inclusivity and collaborative growth.
Participants engaged in thoughtful discussions, providing insights that were both enlightening and instrumental in shaping our understanding of student needs and aspirations. The feedback collected was overwhelmingly positive, indicating a collective appreciation for the direct line of communication with school administrators and the genuine consideration of their input.
The summit not only empowered students but also provided administrators with invaluable perspectives that will guide future decisions and policies. We are already seeing the impact of this summit in our planning processes, and we are committed to ensuring that the ideas voiced are integrated into our strategic goals.
We look forward to hosting more such events, continuing to build a school environment that is shaped by its students, for its students. The success of the Student Voice Summit is a testament to the vibrant and insightful community at Agua Fria High School, and we are excited about the future we are building together.
Hello Seniors!
This message is about the senior check out process. The check out is mostly digital however all students will have to check their chromebook and charger with tech in the library. If you owe fees or a uniform those will also have to be taken care of before the check out process can be completed. The process must be completed by Wednesday 5/15, prior to coming to graduation practice on Thursday. Seniors can take care of any in person check out after classes are over on Monday and Tuesday (do not ask to go during class). If you have any questions please see your counselor or you can email Ms. Tiffany ktiffany@aguafria.org You can actually begin the process now by completing the senior survey(link below).
**Diplomas can be picked up starting May 20 (checkout must be cleared in order to pick up the diploma). Diplomas must be picked up by the senior, not a family member.
This link is to the digital checkout for seniors https://innovation.aguafria.org/senior-checkout/
This link is to the senior survey https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScDNj202VX1LVbNuyGGnIoAlWAjynmdYEAk0M7HM9AvPVnj2w/viewform
Important Dates
Senior Information: Class of 2024 just a reminder of some important info and dates. Please check these out and if you have any questions, please reach out to Assistant Principal, Kristen Tiffany ktiffany@aguafria.org
5/13 & 5/14 Half Days for Seniors (5/14 is last day for seniors)
5/15 Senior Checkout-Specific info to follow
5/16 Graduation Practice (New Gym) 8am-10:30am *Mandatory event for seniors
5/18 Graduation (State Farm Stadium) 4:30pm
*Seniors report 3:15pm
*Please take a look at the above dates and be sure to note all Mandatory dates for seniors.
Graduation Information
Hello Senior Families!
Less than one week until graduation! Below you will find information related to the graduation ceremony. Please read all items and attachements carefully. If you have any questions, please reach out to Ms. Tiffany. Thank you!!
Graduates please note:
The ceremony begins promptly at 4:30pm at State Farm Stadium. All graduates must be at the stadium and ready to enter by 3:15pm.
Students and families park in the west lot and enter through gate #1.
Leave all belongings with your family. You will NOT be able to carry anything with you including a purse or bag of any kind. Phones will be turned in to staff prior to walking out to the stadium.
Dress code will be checked and enforced. You will walk through the stadium medal detectors before going down to the staging area. Only approved cords, stoles, medals, pins, etc will be allowed to be worn during the ceremony. All AFHS academic stoles or cords are approved as well as any approved cords or stoles handed out by your AFHS club sponsor. Leave any floral leis, money leis, or other adornments that are not approved with your family. Decorated caps may only be worn if the design was pre approved at the senior social. Any adornments or caps that have not been approved will not be allowed to be worn.
Senior Families:
No tickets are needed to enter.
Please view all prohibited items to the stadium included in this communication (balloons, glass vases, etc)
Programs will be available at the entrance--1 program per family please.
Athletes of the Month
Congratulations to our April Athletes of the Month, Luca, Yahaira, and Heber!
Luca is the center snare for the Winter Percussion team, meaning he is THE captain of the entire team. All timing and pulse fall on his shoulders. He is a leader to other members of the team, he teaches members of the line how to play, how to march, and how to be expressive. All in all, Luca is a true percussion student. Our program has come a very long way over the years, and Luca's growth mindset and leadership skills are a major contributing factor to where we are now. Without him, the drumline would not be what it is today. He embodies what all coaches hope to see - growth. He is an outstanding musician and leader and the entire staff is very proud of him.
Yahaira has shown tremendous growth this year on and off the softball field. Yahaira has stayed academically eligible all season while being our workhorse in the circle with pitching in almost every single game this year. Yahaira has also been an offensive leader in the batters box; leading the 4A West Valley Conference with the highest batting average of .552. Most recently, Yahaira was named 1st Team All Region Position Player. We are so proud of the person and player Yahaira Espinoza has become.
Heber is in the top 1% of student athletes when it comes to dedication, work ethic, and simply his drive to be the best he can be. He has improved an insane amount over his years in the volleyball program and has become one of our strongest blockers (35 blocks this season) and most strategic hitters (71 kills). He is always the first to set up the net and first to put equipment away without coaches even asking. He takes feedback from all coaches and teammates and keeps a level head no matter the circumstances in a game. Whether he's on the bench or on the court he is consistently supporting his teammates and brings the HYPE always. In terms of academics, Heber is currently FIRST in his class while maintaining nearly straight As in all honors and AP courses. We are so proud of everything he's accomplished since freshmen year and are truly in awe of his relentless work ethic both in academics and athletics.
Changing from Aktivate to Final Forms
Agua Fria High School has transitioned to a new system called Final Forms to clear all student-athletes. Please see the attached documents to help you set up an account on Final Forms and to start the process to get your athlete cleared. We require ALL athletes to have a new physical on file by June 1 in order to participate in summer practices or any sport in the upcoming school.
We will no longer be using Aktivate. You will lose access to all data on Aktivate at the end of this month.
Important note: items like your birth certificate, your insurance card, and the Brainbook/Opioid Certificates will not transfer to the new system on Final Forms. Please download them from your Aktivate account and re-upload them into Final Forms. If you need any assistance, please contact your coach, Mr. Jovanelly, or Ms. Dodd at the Athletic Office.
Counselor Corner
Summer school applications are open. School counselors reached out to families this month to get permission to sign students up. Please reach out to your student’s counselor if your student is off-track and you did not receive an email that your student is signed up for summer school.
Senior parents, please make sure you are encouraging your seniors to finish strong. Any senior, who does not meet graduation requirements, will not be able to participate in graduation. School counselors met with seniors again this spring to review each student’s transcript and graduation requirements.
Questions for Administration
If you have a question or want to speak to an administrator at any time during the year, please reference the alphabetical breakdown below. A specific administrator is assigned to students based on their last name.
A-C-Mr. Jovanelly jjovanelly@aguafria.org
D-J-Ms. Tiffany ktiffany@aguafria.org
K-P-Mr. Gardner agardner@aguafria.org
Q-Z-Ms. Alickovic aalickovic@aguafria.org
Principal Autumn Daniels adaniels@aguafria.org
Social Media and Regular Communication
Regular Communication
Email and the Remind App will be our primary source of communication with parents and students this year. The email address used will be the primary email given at registration. Parents are also automatically added to Remind through the contact information provided in your enrollment paperwork. Students’ Remind accounts are automatically created for students using their student email account.
Join us on the Remind App @aguafriahi
Here are directions to join Remind
Social Media
Click here for all of our Social Media accounts
Website: www.aguafria.org/afhs
Facebook: Agua Fria High School
Twitter: Agua Fria High School @aguafriaowls
Instagram: @aguafriaowls