A MONTHLY NEWSLETTER FROM YOUR AVON HIGH SCHOOL.

January 19, 2012

AP Night January 30

Talent Show

Jan 31

FAFSA Workshop Day February 15

Riley Dance Marathon

March 10

Prom May 19

Commencement

May 31 (pending snow make-up days)

www.facebook.com/avon.ahs

Avon Welcomes New AHS Principal Avon Community Schools is thrilled to welcome Mr. Michael Swank into his new position as Principal at Avon High School (AHS). On January 1, he moved from his spot as Associate Principal at the Advanced Learning Center. Swank is in his 33rd year of education, and 3rd year at Avon. He said, "I am more than excited to follow Mr. Adcock and continue the incredible programs here at AHS. My transition has been smooth because we have such an amazing, hardworking staff." Swank's education includes a bachelors degree from Ball State University, masters at the University of Dayton, and post-masters work at Cleveland State University. He and his wife, Terri, have 5 children, ranging in ages from 23 to 28. Congratulations Mr. Swank!

Please join us for a retirement celebration in honor of Dr. Timothy Ogle Thursday, January 26, 2012 4:30pm-6:30pm

AHS Advanced Learning Center Enter Door #13 on the east side of the building

Avon High School 7575 East CR 150 South

Avon, Indiana 46123

317.544.5000

http://hs.avon-schools.org/ http://avon-schools.org/

Superintendent

Dr. Timothy Ogle

Principal Mr. Michael Swank

Assistant Principals Mrs. Stephanie Bode

Mr. Jim Ludlow Mr. Frank Meyer

Mrs. Kellie Rodkey

Athletic Administrator Mr. Brad Holsinger

Assistant Athletic

Director/Dean Mr. Lance Larkey

Editors

Mrs. Jennifer Benge Mrs. Stephanie Fortune

Mrs. Lara Habig

2

Yearbooks are now on sale! Yearbooks are now on sale through January 23 for $55. To order, please go to: www.YearbookOrderCenter.com or call 1-866-287-3096. No books will be sold after January 23! If you go to the website, use order # 3010 to go directly to AHS’s order page.

Prom Dress Donations Solicited This time of economic challenge is having an impact on everyone, and Avon High School students are no exception. It is because of a particular need that the AHS Interact Club, sponsored by the Avon Rotary Club, decided to step up and help. Student Director of School Activities Caroline Dearborn brought her plan to club members and found immediate support. “We have done projects that serve a wide variety of people in our community and our world, but I would like to do a project that would help teenagers directly,” declared Dearborn. That is when she proposed her idea of a Girls’ Prom Essentials Sale. On Sat., March 3 from 10 am to 1 pm, the Interact Club invites AHS girls going to the prom to come and shop from a supply of donated dresses, shoes and accessories. All shoppers should enter door #13, the Advanced Learning Center of the high school on the east side of the building. In addition to merchandise, the Prom Event Committee will be soliciting a wide range of door prizes including coupons for free hair styling, manicures, pedicures, flowers, prom evening dinners, etc. All proceeds from the event will be donated to the residents of Sheltering Wings for the purpose of shopping for clothing they might need in job hunting. To make this event a success for all who attend, the Interact Club is soliciting donations of prom dresses, dressy shoes, jewelry, etc. Drop offs can be made at door #1 of the high school through February 29. Contact person at the high school is Miss Heather Coffman, Interact Advisor, who can be reached at 544-5000 Ext. 5357.

3

The AHS Child Development classes and the Avon FCCLA Chapter worked together this semester to create 20 blankets for Riley Children’s Hospital. The service learning project helped AHS students put knowledge into action. As the child development classes discussed infant and toddler development, the students decided to give back to the community. The blankets will be distributed to children that come to Riley Hospital for long-term care to help them feel more secure and at home during their stay. The blankets will be presented during the Riley Dance Marathon at Avon High School, and the goal is to present 40 blankets total once second semester classes create blankets as well! The blanket materials were purchased through an AHS Student Government grant.

Business Professionals of America District Level Competition Results On Saturday, we had a great day at our District Level Competition. We took 13 students in 10 events plus the opens and had all of the students place in at least one category. We can be proud of our students as this was a crazy time of the year—vacation, finals, and other school obligations. I look forward to taking these students to the next level of competition at State which is March 18-20. Thank you for all of your support with our student’s endeavors. The events in bold will qualify for State Leadership Conference.

1st Place, Chloey Loman, Desktop Publishing 2nd Place, Brian Moreno, Medical Office Procedures 3rd Place, Broadcast News Production Team (Michele, Lul, Jennifer Nzekwu, Sabrienne) 4th Place, Michele Pinkins, Payroll Accounting 4th Place, Alexis White, Basic Office Procedures 7th Place, Kristen Peed, Banking & Finance 9th Place, John Hochgesang, Fundamentals of Web Design 10th Place, Lul Teklit, Payroll Accounting Open Events 1st Place, Michael Riddle, Management, Marketing Concepts 4th Place, Brian Moreno, Management, Marketing Concepts 7th Place Michael Riddle, Insurance Concepts 8th Place, Jose Reynoso, Insurance Concepts State Only Events: Computer-Animated Team: Lara Hunt, Kade Diallo, Chloey Loman Computer Modeling: Lara Hunt

4

Advanced Foods classes at Avon High School give students the opportunity to learn marketable skills for the future by participating in weekly cooking labs. In December, the classes wrapped up the dessert unit by taking part in a gingerbread house competition. Each lab group created gingerbread from scratch and used homemade frosting as glue to assemble the houses. This fun and engaging learning opportunity allowed the students to express their creativity through food while demonstrating techniques and skills learned throughout the semester.

5

Advanced Placement Art History Mr. Robert Frey, Avon High School Art teacher, would like to encourage parents and students to sign up for Advanced Placement Art History (APAH) next year. The APAH course is a college-level curriculum that promotes understanding of world cultures and religions through artwork. This is an academic course, so art production is not a part of the curriculum. Students who enroll in APAH should have an interest in world cultures and be able to read and process large amounts of text. Topics of study include, but are not limited to: Egyptian, Greek and Roman, Early Christian, Jewish, Islamic, Buddhist, Hindu, African, Medieval, Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, Impressionism, Surrealism and MANY more! APAH does not have a prerequisite. Like all AP courses, APAH is for weighted credit, and students may earn college credit for their work in this class. Best of all, taking APAH fulfills the ENTIRE Fine Arts requirement for the Academic Honors Diploma! Interested students should speak with their counselors in when filling out their course schedules for next

year. Please direct any questions to Mr. Frey (rwfrey@avon-schools.org). Here’s what former students have said about their experience in APAH: “While you learn about art and artwork, the real underlying theme of this class is people. It is fascinating. It gives the student a better understand-ing of the history of the world though visual representation. Even if you aren't going into an art related field, this class is beneficial” “APAH gave me insight into humanity as a whole. It teaches about cultures, practices and religions of the world and how they are expressed through art.” “This class was very educational, fun and interesting, and it opened my eyes to all of the different aspects of art. It was a great class and I learned so much more than I thought I would.” “This course teaches you how to think and write about abstract concepts and ideas. The themes of this class apply to every person, even those not particularly interested in art. You will learn more about history, philosophy, or religion in this class than any other.” Photo above: Mona Lisa, Leonardo da Vinci, oil on board, c. 1506

6

As you know, our school strives to ensure that our students graduate prepared for college and career. This includes consistent progress in our efforts to utilize technology in teaching and learning to provide more access to digital content, different types of activities and opportunities, and the ability to create and share knowledge. As in the world and other industries, the efforts to maximize the potential of technology continue to grow and expand as new technologies and innovative tools become available to support students and teachers. The Avon High School and Advanced Learning Center libraries will be participating in the first-ever Digital Learning Day campaign. This national campaign, launched by the Alliance for Excellent Education, is designed to celebrate innovative teaching and highlight practices that make learning more personalized and engaging for students and to explore how digital learning can provide all students with the opportunities they deserve—to build the skills needed to succeed in college, a career, and life. On Digital Learning Day—Wednesday, February 1, 2012—a national town hall meeting will be held to highlight and celebrate participants across the nation. Mrs. Robyn Young, School Librarian at Avon High School, will be a guest speaker at this event. The campaign is a movement that will help provide a quality education for EVERY child. We invite you to think about how you could re-enforce Digital Learning Day at home with a conversation around how much technology has changed, what kinds of things you can imagine in the future, or maybe offer some tips on how your child can become a good digital citizen. Change is up to YOU; the libraries will be participating and we hope you will spread the word to other parents to make them aware of this campaign to support a wave of innovation, personalized learning, and great teaching with effective uses of technology. To learn more about how to be a part of this groundbreaking event, sign up at http://www.digitallearningday.org. You can also “like” Digital Learning Day on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/NationalDigitalLearningDay and follow the discussion on Twitter using the hashtag #DLDday. Watch the official announcements of Digital Learning Day at http://www.digitallearningday.org/home-video/ and on Piers Morgan Tonight on CNN at http://ow.ly/6WvDH.

7

8

Upcoming ACT dates: April 14 (Avon High School is a test site) June 9 Register at www.act.org Financial Aid Information Night on January 24, at 6:30 p.m. in the AHS Auditorium. Thomas Ratliff, from Indiana Wesleyan, will be presenting information important to families about the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) and answering questions about the financial aid process. AP Parent Night will be January 30 at 6:30 in the ALC Cafeteria. Senior parents wanting help with submitting their FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) can bring their tax information in to the Avon Advanced Learning Center Media Center on February 15, 2012 from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Representatives from the National Center for College Costs will be on hand to answer questions and help parents navigate their way through this process. Pre-enrollment for the 2012-13 school is right around the corner! The guidance office will have large group meetings January 23-27. Students will receive their PSAT results as well as their Program of Studies and pre-enrollment forms during these meetings. The Area 31 Career Center located at Ben Davis High School will have their annual Open House on January 24, from 6:00-8:00. Current sophomores and juniors interested in enrolling in one of their career programs during the 2012-13 school-year, should plan to attend the Open House for more information. Scholarship opportunities for seniors are being updated on a regular basis. Parents/seniors can find current scholarship information including qualifications and deadlines on Naviance and on the daily announcements. You are invited to attend the Hendricks County College & Career Fair, Thurs. March 1, 2012 at the Hendricks County 4-H Fairgrounds & Conference Complex in Danville. Workshops begin at 5 p.m. and the fair opens 6-8 p.m. For more information can be found at HendricksCollegeNetwork.org.

Upcoming SAT dates: March 10 May 5 June 2 (Avon High School is a test site) Register at www.collegeboard.com

The Avon Parent Partnership Committee (APPC) is comprised of two parent representatives from each building. The purpose of the APPC is to facilitate communication between parents and administrators on academic issues in the Avon Community School Corporation. At the January 3rd meeting the group was pleased to welcome Mr. Mike Swank, new Principal of Avon High School. He spoke about his background in education as well as his vision for the future of Avon schools. The group was invited to ask any questions; a lively discussion resulted regarding preparing younger students for success in high school as well as making the most of the high school experience to prepare for college. The group was also pleased to welcome Mrs. Jennifer Davies, current director of the Outdoor Learning Center. The group was informed of field trip opportunities through the OLC, as well as the concerted effort to align OLC activities with the Indiana science standards and learning objectives. It was also reported that several Avon schools were given a Four-Star rating by the state, a status earned by meeting very stringent requirements. Discussion was also had regarding the possibility of all of the schools being on the same schedule for such things as Red Ribbon Week and Project Angel to simplify things for families of children in multiple schools. For more details about any of the above items, please see the full APPC minutes posted on the website.

9

10

Work Study Program Winter Appreciation Breakfast The Avon High School Work Study Program allows students to gain employment skills through internships within the school system and community. JD Fredbloom is pictured presenting his Employers with the ACSC Maintenance Department with their recognition award at the Winter Appreciation Breakfast.

Photos by Aurora Anderson Photography

12

Congratulations to Freshman Beth Prince for being named ESPN’s National Freshman Volleyball Player of the Year!!!! What an honor for this young lady, her fam-ily, the volleyball coaching staff here at Avon HS, and for all of her teammates and friends. Word on the street is she’s a pretty good basketball player as well… Here is a link to the story: http://espn.go.com/blog/high-school/volleyball/post/_/id/1232/beth-prince-named-freshman-of-the-year

The Avon Varsity Football Team capped off an outstanding season with a record of 10-2 and finished the season as Hoosier Crossroads Conference Champions! Several athletes earned All State Honors. Indianapolis Star Super Team: 1st Team – DeAndre Herron (OT), Charles Davis (RB), Lance Magee (Athlete), Elijah Daniel (DL). A.P. All-State Team: 1st Team – DeAndre Herron (OT). I.F.C.A. All-State Team: “Top 50” Team – DeAndre Herron (OL), 5-A Team – Charles Davis (RB) and Eric Heidorn (Kicker), Junior All-State Team – Elijah Daniel (DL). I.F.C.A. Academic All-State Team: Logan Haston (QB) and Eric Heidorn (Kicker). Congratulations to these athletes on a very successful 2011 season!

13

14

The Indiana Jazz Educators Association in conjunction with the Indiana Music Educators Association (IMEA) is pleased to announce the 2012 Indiana All-State Jazz Band and Combo. Two Avon students have been selected to participate. Shelby Enlow, trumpet, Avon High School — 2012 INDIANA ALL-STATE JAZZ COMBO PERSONNEL Jordan Ghaim, trumpet 1, Avon High School — 2012 INDIANA ALL-STATE JAZZ BAND PERSONNEL Auditions for these ensembles took place October 31 – November 3, 2011 at ten regional sites. Audition recordings were evaluated by college and university jazz educators. The All-State Jazz Band and Combo will perform as part of the IMEA Convention in Fort Wayne at 2:30 PM on Friday, January 20, 2012 in the Theater of the Allen County Public Library. Congratulations!!