Andover High School News & Events

November 15, 2024

As we get ready to head into Thanksgiving Break, use this time to take care of yourself. Relax, recharge, and disconnect from school for a few days so that you are ready to start out trimester 2 on a high note. School breaks can bring forth all sorts of emotions for students. If you are concerned, anxious, or in need of support, the following video has some helpful resources for you:

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1x2ldA6BOwKAJZ75ry7vEBIQngJU5RWGy9gywyt6dWeM/edit#slide=id.g100eecf7be7_0_57

Trimester 2 starts when we come back on Monday, December 2nd with a Regular Start school day. All 1st hour classes will begin at 7:40 AM. Go Huskies!

Tim Feine

Principal

Andover High School

763-506-8401

• November 15-17: Fall Play
• November 18-20: Parking Permit Distribution (Cafeteria)
• November 22: End of Tri 1
• November 25: No School; Staff Development
• November 26: No School; Grading Day
• November 27: No School
• November 28-29: No School; District Closed
• December 2: Trimester 2 Begins
• December 6: Cafe Onstage Performance 7:00 PM (AUD)

Trimester 1 and 2 Late Start Dates are listed here.

You can also view a District Calendar here.

Husky House Tutoring Center Dates and hours are listed here.

On November 7th, 85 Andover students came together to create 12 teams to play in the annual NHS Volleyball Tournament. Each student paid $5 to play in the tournament with proceeds going to Hope4Youth, a nonprofit organization in Anoka focusing on ending youth homelessness. In addition, students could bring food to donate to the organization and earn volunteer hours for their contributions.

The tournament ended with a very close game with the Mystic Dragon Slaying Alpha Knights taking the championship for the evening.

Congratulations and Good luck to these members of the Girls' Swim and Dive team that qualified for the State meet this coming weekend!

• 50 Freestyle - Ali Oswell
• 100 Butterfly- LeeAnna Seward

Congratulations to the bowling team who won their conference tournament! This win guarantees them a berth to the Varsity State tournament on Saturday, December 7th. Good Luck Coach McGerr, Colt Zeis, Kadin Keen, Kennedy Seelen, Gabe Blake, Nathan Eull and William Schuhwerck! Go Huskies!

Boozhoo, han, hello,

November is Native American Heritage Month!

This month, we recognize Native people and cultures. While it is important to remember the past, it’s equally important to understand that we are still here, and that we are present in our schools and communities. Native Americans live in all parts of the country, including every major city. We hold jobs in every imaginable field, including:

• Peggy Flanagan (Ojibwe), politician, Lieutenant governor of Minnesota
• Lily Gladstone (Blackfeet/Nez Perce), actress, Killers of the Flower Moon
• Jaime Gomez aka Taboo (Shashone), musician, Black Eyed Peas
• Corey Gray (Blackfoot), physicist, LIGO
• Zach Whitecloud (Dakota), professional hockey player, Vegas Golden Knights

These are just a few notable Natives. There are so many more and their impact on our youth can be powerful. When youth of any demographic see themselves represented positively in fields that interest them, they are more likely to be inspired to succeed.

So please join me in celebrating Native American Heritage Month by increasing visibility and representation of positive influences for our Native students.

Miigwech, pidamaya ye, thank you,

Danielle Hale

Andover/Alternative cluster

American Indian education advisor

This is the last weekend to see our fall play Almost, Maine. Tickets can be purchased ahead of time for any of the performances on the Andover HS Theatre Page. All tickets must be purchased online.

Trimester 2 parking permits went on sale Wednesday, November 6th. Please access School Pay to purchase a permit for your student if they still need one. We have limited quantities available. Trimester 2 permit distribution will be on November 18th through the 20th in the cafeteria during lunch time. For questions you can contact Emily Fonder at emily.fonder@ahschools.us.

This holiday season, Andover High School continues to support the Family to Family Network, a non-profit organization in Anoka County that provides holiday assistance to families in need. Each year, our staff comes together to donate, and we are excited to extend this opportunity to include students and their families.

We will be collecting gift cards specifically for teenagers. Often, as children age, they are overlooked for holiday sponsorship. Collecting gift cards is a wonderful way to ensure that teens in our community have access to fun and meaningful gifts this holiday season. Please consider donating a gift card to your teen’s favorite place to eat, shop, get coffee, or buy gas.

The multicultural club started collecting gift cards in the morning before the first hour. Gift cards will be collected through Friday, December 2nd.

Mrs. Hufnagel and Mrs Angell, along with their 4 legged friends, Oakley and Kirby, are here to support students at Andover HS. They are certified Therapy Dogs. Therapy animals help mitigate stress, help with motivation, enhance overall well-being, and simply make us smile. Oakley and Kirby will be hanging out in the halls, doing some classroom visits, and helping in the Counseling Office. They are open to visits and love working with students.

Students, please check student vue to view your trimester 2 schedule. School staff continue to balance classes, update room numbers, verify teachers, and make schedule adjustments (so the schedule you started the year with may not be accurate now). Your student vue schedule is the most current version and updates show up immediately. Check and re-check it as we get ready to start trimester 2. The last day for student-initiated schedule changes was November 15th.

Check out the College and Career Center Calendar of Events!

You can also view the updated Career Center Newsletter.

We are excited to announce the opening of the 2025 Wallin Education Partners Scholarship! This is an excellent scholarship opportunity! It gives up to $16,000 over 4 years, comprehensive support including an advisor throughout college and internship opportunities. Minimum requirements: 3.0 GPA. NO ACT score required. A 2-year college option is also available, but does not open until March 1st. If you have questions, talk to Ms. Stam or Mr. Feigum in the Career Center or check out their website at www.wallinpartners.org. Start your application early! Go for it! You have nothing to lose, and everything to gain! The application window closes Monday, Jan 31st at 11:59 PM.

At this year’s Veterans Day assembly, the Andover Leos held a free-will donation drive to benefit Haven for Heroes, raising $248! Located in Anoka, Haven for Heroes offers safety and refuge to Veterans and their families in need of assistance. A huge “thank you” to everyone who donated to support this incredible organization.

On October 30th, high school students from across the district took part in a Youth Leadership Conference in Anoka where they learned about project planning, promoting events and solving problems. John Zheng, a 2019 graduate of Champlin Park High School was the keynote speaker. A successful entrepreneur with a master’s degree from Harvard, Zheng talked about how his time volunteering in the school’s youth service club had a huge impact on his life. The event was planned by Community Education youth service coordinators from each high school.

On November 5th, the Leos spent their day building two homes that will help families find affordable housing in their communities. They also donated ten blankets to welcome families as they move into their new homes. A big thank you to all the volunteers who made this possible!

Youth experiencing homelessness are among the least visible and most vulnerable in our community. With cold weather approaching, you can help provide HOPE this winter season by keeping young people Out of the Cold! HOPE 4 Youth’s Out of the Cold is a community-wide event to raise awareness, collect funds, and gather essential items for youth experiencing homelessness.

On Thursday, November 21st, the Leos will assemble snack packs to be donated to HOPE 4 Youth. They’ll then join the Out of the Cold event at Oakview Middle School. All students are welcome to participate! See details below:

Want to stay updated on all the incredible work the Leo Club is doing? Follow them on Instagram: @andoverleos.

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. The next Drop in for Service, will be held on December 16th. Click here to see the Tri 2 schedule.

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

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 return the Verification of Hours form to Tammy Peterson (Youth Service Coordinator) to document the hours you’ve spent volunteering.

As the holiday season approaches, we understand that it can be a particularly stressful time for families facing financial hardships. To support our families during this season, we are committed to offering various community support options. As these resources become available, we will be sure to include them in our newsletter. If your family is in need of resources, please reach out to our school social worker, Robin Burge Ross. She can be reached by phone at 763-506-8584 or by email at robin.burgeross@ahschools.us.

• Constance Free Church is offering a Thanksgiving Meal Basket to Andover families in need of holiday support.
• The Christmas Committee & Toys for Joy offer holiday gifts and meal baskets who meet income guidelines. Application closes on Nov. 22nd

The 2024 Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments (MCA) Individual Score Reports for students who took a test during the 2023-24 school year are available for families to access online. Families can access the document by logging into A-HConnect or viewing it on the ParentVUE mobile app.

Who takes the MCA test?

Students in grades 3-8 and in grades 10 and 11 take MCA tests each year. MCA reports will only be available for students who took an MCA test during the 2023-24 school year.

In addition to detailed test results, the report also includes a QR code directing families to an individualized video report of the student’s score. Parents, guardians and any person with educational rights to a student will be able to access the student’s MCA report online.

Get step-by-step instructions for logging in to view your student’s test score, and details if you need assistance.