
Dimond Newsletter
January 21, 2025
Dear Dimond Families:
We are well into the 3rd quarter and seniors will start to prepare for graduation. For some, the work they do now will make the difference between graduating or not. Senior parents, please be looking for key information in the weeks to come regarding senior activities and events.
Mark your calendars, this year graduation will be on Thursday, May 15th, at 2:00 PM at the Alaska Airlines Center. Also, remember to order graduation items through Jostens.com (like caps and gowns); your items will be delivered to the school for pick-up later in the spring.
The weather is still playing tricks on us as we swing from rain to snow and back again. Please remember to be careful, not only walking to and from the building, but on your drive to and from school. Also remember that ASD has switched away from “Remote Learning Days” to “Snow Days” you can check out this link from ASD for more information regarding School Closures.
Warm Regards,
Principal D’Atri
New News For this Week's Newsletter
ASVAB
The Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) is a standardized test that helps determine a person's suitability for military or career services
What does the ASVAB measure?
Aptitude: The ASVAB measures a person's aptitude in four domains: verbal, math, science and technical, and spatial
Strengths: The ASVAB helps identify a person's strengths and potential
Learning propensity: The ASVAB evaluates a person's propensity to learn different subject areas
We will be holding the ASVAB test on the morning of Thursday, January 30th in room G110. The sign up sheet is on the Career Resource Center door. Don’t forget it’s also free!
Math Tutoring
It’s never too early in the semester to start going to math tutoring. Math tutoring is held after school in Mr. Beatties room B108. Its highly encouraged that you bring notes you may have taken in class and past assignments.
Chromebook Audit
The district is conducting the first chromebook audit since the pandemic. It is a big task to inventory devices for a district this size correctly. We need help from families to bring in any ASD chromebooks in the home, no matter what the condition of the device. This audit is not about assigning fines, but rather a way to make sure we are using our district resources effectively. You may drop off any chromebooks at the front office at any time during the school day. We appreciate your assistance! In a few weeks, devices will be locked if the user logging in doesn’t match the person the device was checked out to. Keep an eye out for further information, but for now, we are just asking for all old, broken or unused chromebook devices to be returned to the schools.Gifted Mentorship Program
Applications for the 2025/26 Gifted Mentorship Program open on February 1, 2025
(Open to eligible and interested current sophomores and juniors.)
There will be two informational ZOOM sessions for interested students and parents.
February 11 at 4pm
February 13 at 6pm.
ZOOM links and more information are available on the ASD Gifted Mentorship page:
Academies Of Anchorage
School Calendar
January 29th: PTSA Meeting at 6PM in the Library
February 3rd-7th: Spirit Week (More Details to follow)
February 7th: Spirit Olympics Assembly
February 7th: Sadie Hawkins Dance (More Details to follow)
February 17th: No School- Presidents Day Holiday
February 28th: No School- Student Released Professional Development Day
March 7th: No School- Student Released Grading Day
March 10th-March 14: No School- Spring Break
DHS Sports
Grades Matter! Academic Eligibility for Sports and Activities:
Students participating in sports or all-state academic/ fine arts activities must remain academically eligible. Eligibility is checked at the beginning of the 1st and 2nd semesters, as well as the beginning of the 2nd and 3rd quarters. ASD VIRTUAL STUDENTS be aware that although virtual courses are self-paced, a quarter grade will be given based on your work completed during the grading period. This grade counts towards your academic eligibility. Students who are not eligible will not be able to participate in their sport or activity.Career Resource Office
Our Dimond Career Resource Center is run by Mrs. Lauwers and is open on Tuesdays and Fridays or afterschool by appointment only. She is here to help you with anything related to college applications, scholarships or life after high school. If you would like to speak to her and she is not in her office her email is lauwers_kimberly@asdk12.org.
PTSA
Urgent Call for PTSA Board Members and Volunteers for the Dimond High School PTSA
The Dimond PTSA is in urgent need of volunteers to fill all board member roles. Unfortunately without new volunteers the PTSA is in jeopardy of dissolving. These positions are currently held by parents whose students graduated in May, and we are ready to pass these responsibilities to current Dimond parents.
We understand time is valuable, and these roles do not require extensive hours—just a small but meaningful commitment to help support our school community.
If you’re interested in any of these positions, or would like more information, please reach out to us at DimondPtsaboard@gmail.com or send us a message on Facebook.
Parent volunteers are a vital part of keeping the Lynx Lair open daily. It is currently only operated 1-3 days a week. Student’s flock to the Lynx Lair when it's open to purchase snacks, smoothies and coffee. The Lynx Lair is a major revenue generator for the PTSA. Without being fully open daily we lose sales that go back to our students and staff through grants. 10+ Staff and student grants are awarded every year to help within the classroom or with extracurricular activities.
Reflection Art Contest
PTSA sponsors an art contest each year to honor several mediums within fine arts. Please check the PTSA website for entry details. Contest submissions must be turned in by February 14th.
Dimond Stays Golden
This year, we have made it a priority at Dimond to identify the values that make this school a place people want to be. Those are community, respect, and integrity. All of our school-wide expectations are delivered within the context of these values, and we strive to model these values in the way that we communicate with students and each other.
We are committed to reflect on the fact that our words and actions shape the degree to which others feel safe and valued within our community. We understand that tone and timing are important factors to consider in any difficult situation and endeavor to proceed thoughtfully. Finally, we strive to ensure that our words and actions match our intentions.
We would like to invite you as community members to join us in our pledge to practice value-driven communication. School is often challenging, and it is a normal part of the process for tensions to arise. Every person has the right to be treated with respect, no matter the frustrations or feelings on either side. With this in mind, we hope to hold one another accountable within difficult conversations.
Staff may, if feeling a conversation is taking an unproductive turn, ask to revisit after both parties have had a chance to think. Likewise, if you feel that you are not being heard or understood in a way that feels respectful, we ask that you hold us accountable to the standard and request a different time to further discuss the issue at hand.
We are all humans who have good days and bad, and we are all adults who want your child to succeed. Let’s work together to make Dimond a school that models what a community really looks like.
Seniors
A.J. Dimond High School
Website: https://www.asdk12.org/dimond
Location: 2909 West 88th Avenue, Anchorage, AK, USA
Phone: (907) 742-7000