AO High School

THANK YOU to all of our students, parents / guardians, and staff members for making our first day of our Blended Learning Plan a success! It was great to see so many of our students back in the building. Please read below regarding some minor modifications and procedures. Students were emailed a meal order / survey to complete for tomorrow. Please complete this survey only if you are attending AOHS in-person and need to order a meal tomorrow. We are going to try to use this process to streamline and organize our meal preparation for all of our students and kitchen staff. Students and parents / guardians were emailed regarding how to complete the COVID-19 self certification process on www.teacherease.com Parents / guardians, please communicate with your student(s) to determine who will complete this whenever we are in-person learning. By completing the self certification we will be able to check students into the building much faster. We will still take everyone's temperature and check to make sure they are feeling well. Thank you for your cooperation today as we worked within a crowded parking lot. Starting tomorrow we are asking that parents / guardians dropping students off enter the bus drive off of Main St. and then turn right directly into the parking lot at the northwest corner of the parking lot. Please do not use any other portion of the bus drive as our buses need to be able to get students dropped off in a safe and orderly fashion. We are working to meet the technology needs of students who need to utilize a district owned Chromebook. Those will be distributed to students tomorrow. Please be reminded that if your student is experiencing any symptoms they should stay home. We are able to provide you with information to have students experiencing symptoms receive a COVID-19 rapid test at Kirby Medical Center in Monticello free of charge. #WEareAO #BOMBERPRIDE

Go to the AOHS website > Menu > Guidance Counseling > Scholarships for new resources and scholarship opportunities. We are now eligible for the CBAI Scholarship because Gerber State Bank is going to sponsor us. See the Scholarship page for more information.

We are excited to have students back in the building tomorrow! Students will not be permitted to enter the building before 8:00 AM. Please be sure to review other procedures and schedules included in our reopening plan - https://bit.ly/3dAYH6d Students - charge your Chromebook tonight so you are ready to go in the morning! Complete the symptoms check on Teacherease prior to arriving at school or getting on the bus - we will check before you enter the building as well. If you have any symptoms, don't take any chances - stay home and be safe. #WEareAO #BOMBERPRIDE

The Plumbers/Pipefitters & Apprenticeship Overview information session is Thursday at 2pm. Any high school student or parent is welcome to listen. If you like hands-on training over classroom learning and don't want student debt, email amendez@argenta-oreana.org to get the link!

The October AOHS Newsletter is available. Please take a few minutes to check it out at the link below. #WEareAO #BOMBERPRIDE https://www.smore.com/c93as

Dear Bombers - This past summer we had roof work completed at the middle school and high school. While reviewing the progress of the roof work, we noticed that there was a gap along some of the upper windows on the south side of Kimler Gym where the brick appeared to be separated and bowing outward. As we looked further into the situation, we had concerns with the appearance of the wall on the outside and inside. We contacted a structural engineer to investigate and provide us with a report of their findings. After multiple site visits and analysis, the engineering firm provided their initial report to us on September 10. The report identified concerns that specifically cited north and south walls of Kimler Gym being out of plumb, tension rods connecting the north and south walls not functioning properly, and other minor issues. They also recommended additional steps to further understand the overall impact and extent of their noted concerns. Their recommendations included a 3D scan of the walls to fully understand the composition of the walls and any reinforcements provided during initial construction in 1952. On September 18, we met with representatives from the structural engineering company and from Christy Foltz Construction. The walls were scanned on September 28 and we received an updated report from the structural engineer based on those scans this morning. The news is not good and not what any of us wanted to hear. The scans confirmed the initial findings that the north and south walls are leaning outward at the top. The scans also revealed that the makeup (size of brick and block) of the walls are not as sturdy as they had hoped and do not include structural reinforcements such as rebar. Additionally, the scans confirmed that the north - south tension bars were never properly anchored into the block or brick and therefore not effective. Kimler Gym was constructed nearly 70 years ago and building codes over the years have changed significantly. The report stated, “...we do not feel that it is safe to occupy the gym and recommend that occupancy be restricted until a fix can be constructed.” As of today, October 6, 2020 we are closing Kimler Gym while we await proposed solutions from the structural engineering company, architects, and construction company.

Juniors & Junior Parents: There is a sign-up form in the student's email for the upcoming PSAT/NMSQT on Wednesday, Oct. 14. This is the last formal pre-test before the April SAT & the qualifying test for the National Merit Scholarship Program. Please respond by Friday, Oct. 9.

Upcoming opportunities in the guidance office:

Go to the Scholarships page on the guidance website to see a new scholarship opportunity: https://www.argenta-oreana.org/o/ao-high-school/page/scholarships--426

Here is a summary of the presentation on financial aid last night. We had a great turnout; thank you to all who attended! There are screenshots below, or you can click https://5il.co/lgmq to go to the document to use the embedded links. The FAFSA opens next Thursday, October 1.

JUNIORS-- it's your turn! Here is information on the upcoming PSAT/NMSQT, the last official pre-SAT test and the qualifying test for the National Merit Scholarship Program, which is being offered on October 14 at AOHS. There will be an RSVP form sent out in the next couple weeks. https://5il.co/ldj1

Seniors/Parents: If you haven't completed a FAFSA (Free App for Federal Student Aid) in the last 5 years or so, it would be beneficial to attend the virtual presentation on the Financial Aid Process tonight at 5pm. Mrs. Mendez will send the link to student/parent emails shortly. You do not have to turn your camera/microphone on. If you don't get the link, please contact us as soon as possible.

There is a Virtual CAREER Information Session available with the Plumbers & Pipefitters Apprenticeship Coordinator for ALL high school students. Apprenticeships are a great alternative to college for those who prefer to learn hands-on and earn a salary while doing it. Email Mrs. Mendez at amendez@argenta-oreana.org if you'd like to attend!

SENIORS-- Please fill out the short form in your email from Mrs. Mendez ASAP. We are taking roll call for the SAT next week on 9/23.

Juniors & Seniors: Tomorrow kicks off our virtual college information sessions with Lindenwood University! Email Mrs. Mendez at amendez@argenta-oreana.org if you'd like to attend with Lindenwood, or with any other universities listed below. All sessions are at 2:00pm.

19 years. Never forget.

Seniors-- If you're coming to pick up your yearbook tomorrow, grab an SAT Student Guide while you're at it! The SAT is on September 23. The guides will be inside the high school doors. One book per student, please.

The AOHS September Newsletter is available. #WEareAO https://www.smore.com/87azs

Seniors, need information on the FAFSA? Virtual Financial Aid Night is Thursday September 24 at 5pm. See the flyer below or click https://5il.co/kldp.

Colleges are beginning to schedule virtual information sessions for AO juniors & seniors. Lindenwood University is hosting a session on Tuesday, September 15, at 2pm. Invitations were sent out today to students' emails! Go to AOHS>Guidance Counseling>College & Careers to see a list of scheduled sessions.