AHS Opening Newsletter
August 2024
Dear student, parents, and guardians:
On behalf of the Eagles of Avon High School, we welcome the Class of 2028 to the Nest!
Freshmen, you are just days away from launching the next chapter of your lives. We are excited for you to join us!
Communication is key to a successful high school experience. Always feel free to email me directly at bullerk@avoneagles.org. We are quick to respond. Emails such as this one will be the method you will receive school communication from the high school. When we email parents, we are also emailing our students. Parents/guardians and students receive the same communications to keep households on the same page. Students: it is necessary for you to check your “avoneagles” email daily.
Twitter (@KDBuller) is used to highlight our Eagles and as a brag page. Our high school webpage will almost always have a link on the homepage to my most recent email just in case you delete it. AHS school counselors will send weekly communications; these communications are critical to college and career search processes.
We are honored to announce the following personnel changes or additions in staffing:
- Mr. Justin Carroll; Multimedia Teacher; Replacing Mr. Scherf
Mr. Ethan Eraybar; Music Teacher/Band Director; Replacing Mr. Jacobs
Mrs. Nicole Kusek; Science Teacher; Replacing Mr. Danckers
Mr. Mike Ryan; Associate Athletic Director
Mrs. Veronika Sikora; Foreign Language Teacher, Replacing Mr. Digman
Our administrative and counselor caseloads will be the following:
Mr. Vinny Hokavar; last names A-G
Mrs. Kelsey Mellino; last names H-O
Mr. Adam Castrilla; last names P-Z
Mrs. Sherry Pietch; last names A-E
Mrs. Brianne Reinhard; last names F-K
Mrs. Julie Malone; last names L-Rj
Mrs. Rene Argenti-Reinker; last names Rk-Z
If you have any questions, please call the high school office at 440-934-6171 or email bullerk@avoneagles.org.
Eagle proud,
Mrs. Kristina Dobos Buller, Principal
Mr. Adam Castrilla, Assistant Principal
Mrs. Kelsey Mellino, Assistant Principal
Mr. Vincent Hokavar, Assistant Principal
Important Fall Dates
August 12: 9th-12th Grade Schedules Go Live at 9:00am
August 13: AHS Student Services Office Opens
August 14: Senior Parent Meeting; 6:00pm-8:00pm, AHS Performing Arts Center
August 19: Parking Pass Pickup; 9:00am - 3:00pm; Main Office
August 19: New Student Orientation; 1:00pm-3:00pm
August 19: Freshman Orientation; 6:00pm - 8:00pm, Freshmen receive schedules
August 20: Teacher Workday – No Student Access to Lockers or Classrooms
August 21: Teacher Professional Development Day
August 21: Freshmen Access to Lockers; 1:00pm-5:00pm
August 22: First Day of School
August 28: Open House – Virtual Videos Sent Between 5:00pm-6:00pm
& Traditional Open House from 6:00pm-7:00pm.
New Driveway Added to Avon High School
The Avon Local Schools purchased property to provide additional access and egress to Avon High School.
Additionally, the parking lot was resurfaced and redesigned for a new drop off and arrival flow as well as a new structure for student parking spaces was created.
In the coming days, a video as well as a map of the facility will be shared with all households so that you may best understand the traffic flow.
It will take a good week or so for all drivers to learn these patterns and we ask for your patience. The additional driveway should improve the conditions of the lot overall.
Freshmen Orientation
Orientation will be held on August 19th in the AHS Performing Art Center. Park in the west parking lot.
This is a must-attend event for all freshmen and their parents. We ask families not to bring younger siblings or friends. This orientation has high school appropriate conversations that may not be suited for children.
Time: 6:00pm - 8:00pm
Note: Those freshmen playing girls soccer, boys and girls XC, varsity golf, or JV tennis should meet with Mr. Ryan and Mr. Frombach on August 20th at 10:00am for a make-up orientation. Meet in the high school commons. Parents of these students should attend the August 19th event, though.
New Student Orientation
Those 10th - 12th grade Eagles who are new to the Nest for the 2024-2025 school year are invited to attend a VIP event hosted by the high school counseling team on August 19th from 1:00pm - 2:00 pm. This is a student only event. New Eagles will get a tour of the school, a chance to meet each other, access their lockers and schedules, receive a brief glance of our handbook, and learn the ins and outs of our dress code provisions. New students: meet counselors at the west entrance. We are excited to meet you!
Open House - Blended Format
Each educator will email a three to five minute video of introduction to each of their student’s homes during Open House hours. Feedback on these videos has been tremendous. Families can see, hear, and get a feel for each of their student’s educators at their leisure. These videos will be emailed from 5:00pm - 6:00pm on August 28th. Additionally, AHS will be open to parents who want to meet teachers in person from 6:00pm - 7:00pm on August 28th as well. We hope this blended format will meet all our parents’ needs.
Bell Schedule & Periods
Students must be in school by 7:35am if they wish to make it to first period on time at 7:40am.
There are two entrances to AHS prior to first period. Enter AHS via the south loop or west main entrances.
Please note: the only way to enter AHS after 7:35am, is through the main office/west entrance.
Anyone entering the school after the 7:35am bell will be marked tardy to school.
The west door will close and lock promptly at the 7:35am bell.
Attendance
During the 2023-2024 school year, AHS attendance was at its lowest with students accumulating the most unexcused absences in school history. Ohio law provides households 65 hours for personal or family illness without documentation. These 65 hours should not be thought of as personal leave or travel, all of which are becoming more and more commonly requested reasons to miss school and not covered under the excused list.
Please note: a student will not be permitted to receive credit for unexcused absences unless an administrator deems extenuating circumstances.
AHS operates with strict adherence to Ohio’s guidelines for attendance. A subsequent email on excused and unexcused absences will be sent to you. Follow this link for Ohio law.
The AHS attendance line is (440) 934-1770. This is a voicemail that is active 24 hours a day. A parent/guardian must report a student’s reason for absence by 10:00 am each day the student is not in attendance. Students may not call themselves off from school. If a parent/guardian does not call us in accordance with Ohio law, we will reach out to you.
Note: if your student needs to leave school early, for any reason, the student MUST provide the attendance desk a note in the morning. This is the same process you have used in all Avon schools thus far.
Vacations
Vacations are highly discouraged outside of scheduled breaks. If you plan on taking a vacation please fill out a vacation form BEFORE your vacation and turn it in to the Main Office for administrative approval. Note: hours away from campus during a vacation accumulate towards the 65 hour limitation for excusal.
Refer to the handbook, page 21, for more information.
It is not advised to make travel arrangements during ACT, AP, or OST testing dates, as those opportunities will not be rescheduled and your student will face undue hardships in missing those assessments.
Travel will not be approved during examination dates:
Seniors: May 20th - 22nd
Underclassmen: June 3rd - 5th.
Students who miss exams, risk course failure.
Stay Connected
Worried your high school student will not share details with you? Concerned you won't recall announcements? Subscribe or follow the Nest at the following:
Mrs. Buller’s Twitter: Click Here
Avon Athletics’ Twitter: Click Here
Student Services’ Twitter: Click Here
The following links provide important reference materials. These documents can also be found on the district website: www.avonlocalschools.org.
AHS Fees 2024-2025 (Reference Only - Fees will be assessed later in the fall.)
Food Service Information
Everyday at Avon High School our students have the opportunity to use our food service program for both breakfast and lunch. Please see the information provided from our food service department below for your reference.
Depositing Lunch Money & Applying for Free & Reduced Lunch:
New Users: follow this link to PaySchools Central and click on “register” on the log-in page. Follow the prompts to create an account and add student(s) to your account. Follow this link to view the Parent User Guide.
**NOTE: If wanting to fill out a free/reduced application, after creating your account, you MUST log out and log back in to access this feature**
Current PaySchools Central Users: follow this link to PaySchools Central. Use your current log-in credentials for PaySchools to log-in to PaySchools Central. Auto-replenishments will need to be RESET for the school year. Any settings you had last school year will not carry over to this school year.
***PaySchools Central now allows you to see more at once! You can load lunch money, manage lunch auto-replenishment, pay school fees, make before and after school care payments, set up notifications and access the free and reduced meal application. You can also see more than one child’s account at a time!
Important: You must apply for free/reduced waivers each year; they do not carry over year to year. All meal status from the 2023-2024 school year will expire on September 30, 2024. If an application is not completed by this date, your meal status will change to “FULL PAY.”
Free & Reduced Income Qualification Information:
Click here for the 2024 Federal Poverty Guidelines
Cashless Policy:
Money will not be accepted at the registers during breakfast or lunch service. If a family does not wish to use online deposits into food accounts, a student must submit a cash or check deposit into the deposit boxes located in the cafeteria before school starts. Funds will be credited to the student's account and available to purchase off of the same day. If you deposit money in PaySchools Central, it must be in BEFORE school starts to use it the same day.
If cash is brought to the register during service or if money is deposited in PaySchools Central after school starts, the funds will not be available until the next day. Every student will receive one complete meal, but a la cart items will be excluded from sales as funds have not been loaded into accounts.
To view lunch balances please use your PaySchools Central log-in. PowerSchool does not always update in real time.
New Keypads:
In order to get students through the food service line more efficiently and accurately we have moved from the biometric fingerprint to a keypad system. Each student will be required to know their 6 digit Student ID. This ID is on their PowerSchool profile. If students forget their ID we will ask for their last name and encourage them to remember their Student ID.
Menus - View Lunch Menus (available after Aug 14th)
Breakfast $1.50 , Middle & High Schools Lunch $3.25 , Elementary $2.75, X-Tra Milk $0.50
Reduced meals are no charge as part of the biennial state budget for school year 2024-2025
If you have any questions please reach out to Nancy Mazzeo at mazzeon@avoneagles.org or 440-937-3049.
School Fees
You are encouraged to pay school fees each school year for your high school student. Payments can be made online using https://payschoolscentral.com/ or you can bring a check made payable to “Avon Board of Education” in an envelope marked “student fees” and turn it in to the main office.
Underclassmen may be excluded from participation in school travel, field trips, etc. due to outstanding school fee balances.
Seniors will have to meet all school fee obligations by February 28, 2025, in order to participate in senior events such as the Washington DC trip, Prom and Commencement.
Medication & Drug Policy Information
Pursuant of the Avon Board of Education policy, no student will be permitted to possess prescription medication on school grounds. The administrative office will be responsible for the dispensing of prescribed medication. Below is the link for the medication authorization form that must be completed and returned with the prescription or over the counter medication in the original container. More details on these policies can be found in the Student Handbook.
Medication Authorization Form - Click Here
The Ohio Department of Health (ODH), under Ohio Revised Code 3701.13 and 3313.671, requires all students entering the 12th grade to provide written proof that they have received a dose of the Meningococcal (meningitis) vaccine after age 16. The deadline is September 6, 2024.
Meningitis Vaccine Requirement for 12th Graders Form - Click Here
Junior & Senior Release Information
Juniors and seniors who selected JR/SR Release are eligible to leave campus during the designated period. Release will begin as soon as the first day of school.
Release periods occur first, fourth, sixth, and seventh periods.
Follow the link to the terms of JR/SR Release. Unless a parent or student notifies Mr. Hokavar a request for a schedule change, release will be granted.
Schedules
Students will be able to access their schedules through PowerSchool on August 12th. Freshmen will also be given a copy of their schedule at orientation at Freshman Orientation.
Schedule changes will only occur for the following reasons:
Summer school or CCP credit
Academic misplacement - determined by the classroom teacher once the school year has commenced
Technical error - a course is missing or duplicated
Change in the master schedule
Contact your school counselor to request assistance if one of the above mentioned concerns has occurred. Advanced Placement courses will not be dropped.
Senior Parent Meeting - The College Application Process & Transition Beyond AHS
Date: Wednesday, August 14th
Location: High School Performing Arts Center
Time: 6:00pm - 8:00pm
AHS counselors will meet with the Class of 2025 and their parents/guardians on August 14th. Our team will begin working with our students on this critical transition - life beyond high school. A link to the presentation will be made available following the event for those who can not attend.
Parking Permits
All students who drive to school must have a parking permit. This permit must be displayed in the vehicle at all times while on campus. Only students with a current driver’s license, not a temporary permit, may purchase a permit. Verification of a valid license will be required to purchase and pick up permits from AHS.
Permits for the 2024-2025 school year will go on sale in August of 2024.
August 12th: permit sales open to the Class of 2025
August 13th: permit sales open to the Class of 2026
(There will be limited parking pass availability for the Class of 2027.)
Should permits remain available after our August sale, they will be sold on a first come, first serve basis. Keep in mind a student must have a VALID license to buy a permit.
A link will be emailed to students the day before sales open.
In order to buy a permit, students will need to upload an image of their driver's license.
Parking Passes for the 2024-2025 school year are $25.00. (Eight of these dollars will go towards the graduation class of the ticket holder as a fundraiser for Prom.)
Parking pass pick up will be available in the main office: August 19th, 9:00am-3:00pm.
Park in your proper spot on the first day of school.
Following August 19th: students may bring their proof of online payment to the main office with their driver’s license to secure a permit. JVS students must have a permit to park on campus.
Parking in the pickleball courts will not be permitted this fall.
Student Arrival & Dismissal
Avon High School is open to students from 6:45am until 3:15pm, unless a student is being directly supervised by a school district employee. Students will not be permitted to stay in the building beyond 3:15pm. Students who arrive between 7:00am until the start of their day will be in a supervised study hall in the commons.
The access road that leads from the north to the south lot will be open 24 hours a day. However, the Hunter’s Trail exit is gated. The gate will be open on school days the following hours:
School Days:
Open from 5:15am - 8:30am
Closed from 8:30am - 1:15pm
Open from 1:15pm - 4:30pm
School Supplies & Chromebooks
AHS does not have a school supply list. With the use of personal devices, there are very few items a high school student needs. Here is a list of recommended items:
Pencils, blue and black pens, highlighters, a pencil pouch, calculator, Avon Chromebook or personal device, paper, folders, backpack, and a reusable water bottle are highly recommended items. (Water stations are located throughout the school.)
Students in all math classes, Algebra I and beyond, must have a scientific calculator.
Students in grades 9-12 who have district Chromebooks maintained them from last year.
Summer Chromebook Pickup Reminder
For any new students in grades 6-12 and/or any current students needing a school device, please pick up a school Chromebook and charger at the time and location listed below (regardless of the school your child will attend this fall):
Avon East Elementary
3100 Nagel Road, Avon, Ohio
Monday, August 12th @ 8am - 6pm
For any student in need who cannot pick up on this day, a school Chromebook and charger will be issued directly to your child as quickly as possible after school begins.
If you have any questions, please email the technology department at techhelpdesk@avoneagles.org anytime and we will be happy to get back to you as soon as possible.
District Strategic Plan Audit Meeting
The District Strategic Plan Audit Meeting will be held on August 7th at 3:00pm in the Avon Middle School Media Center. This Meeting is open to the public and we encourage anyone to attend who is interested in moving Avon Local Schools forward. Our meeting will consist of reviewing our current strategic plan and breaking out into smaller focused groups when needed. Should you plan on attending the meeting, please contact Deb Suhay at the Board of Education Office, suhayd@avoneagles.org Phone: (440-937-4680). If you have any additional questions regarding the strategic planning process, please reach out to the Superintendent’s office.