May 7, 2020
Dear APHS Students, Parents and Guardians,
As we approach the weekend, we want to take this opportunity to thank you for all of your continued efforts during the school closure. We are so incredibly proud of the hard work students are putting into their learning activities each day. We also know that behind each hard working student there are hard working parents that are helping to support and encourage them under less than ideal conditions. Keep up the good work! For those that it applies to, Happy Mother’s Day! If there is anything we can do on the school end, please feel free to let us know. Thank you again for all that you continue to do.
Sincerely yours,
Mr. Quiles, Mrs. Mein and Mrs. Leach
Attention Students-Yearbooks are still available
We have a limited number of yearbooks still available. Many spring events have been canceled but the yearbook is still being printed and will include a ton of great memories to capture and preserve this unique year. Since the school schedule continues to change we ask that you please order your yearbook online at www.jostensyearbooks.com If you would like a yearbook, please don’t delay.
Here is the link for your school’s yearbook: http://jostensyearbooks.com/?REF=A05290700
Attention Class of 2020
Please see this message from Mr. Quiles regarding end of year activities for the class of 2020.
Attention Class of 2021
NEW COURSE OFFERING FOR SENIORS: College Readiness & Research Skills – College Credit Course available to Seniors in the Fall of 2020
Juniors have already signed up for their fall classes. However, there is a new addition to the Fall lineup of courses. A 1-credit elective called College Readiness & Research Skills has been added for Seniors in the Fall. It is a 1 semester course being offered in the Fall semester. As with all college credit courses, there is a fee of apropox. $60, but financial adjustments can be made in cases of hardship.
This semester course is divided into 2 sections for the college-bound student.
Section 1 is College Readiness. It covers such topics as college application process & deadlines, FAFSA process, career exploration, how to find the right college, college supports for all students, college supports for students with special needs, college life & first year expectations, etc. Naviance will be integrated in this portion.
Section 2 is Library Skills for Research and provides an introduction to library research and information literacy. Content will focus on how to create a research strategy for finding, retrieving, using and evaluating information in print and electronic formats, including the Internet. Also covered will be many of the academic, legal and ethical issues relating to information. Skills gained can be applied to research papers, projects, professional and personal information needs. This section provides a full college credit.
If you are interested in taking this course, please contact your guidance counselor via email and discuss fitting it into your schedule for the Fall. If you have any questions regarding this course, you can email Mrs. Yost.
Community Events
- This week is Teacher Appreciation Week. The district is having a K-12 Spirit Week to virtually celebrate our teachers. We have amazing teachers in the Averill Park Central School District who deserve recognition for always going above and beyond, especially in these unprecedented times. During Virtual Teacher Appreciation Week, we will shout out our teachers in fun ways.
- May 4: Motivation Monday – Share a story about a teacher who made an impact on your life.
- May 5: Take-a-way Tuesday – Ask your child “What is a famous line that your teacher ALWAYS repeats to the class?”
- May 6: Wear it Wednesday – Dress like your teacher
- May 7: Teacher Thursday – Share a picture of you and your teacher.
- May 8: Fun Friday – Create a card, artwork or sidewalk chalk in honor of your teacher.
- To have your photos or messages posted on our social media platforms, email them to radewitzb@apcsd.org throughout the week.
News for Students, Parents & Guardians
Arts Center of the Capital Region Launch Teen Video Contest to Promote 2020 Census in Rensselaer County
Teens ages 13-19 are invited to submit a video to be broadcast by the Rensselaer County Complete Count Committee to promote awareness, participation in the 2020 Census.
Contest winner will receive a $1,000 cash prize; five runners up will receive $100 each.
Program developed by the Arts Center of the Capital Region to help engage middle, high school students learning remotely due to COVID-19 pandemic
Effort part of Rensco Census Complete Count Committee’s effort to increase participation from Rensselaer County communities in the 2020 Census
RENSSELAER COUNTY, NY (May 5, 2020) – The Arts Center of the Capital Region (ACCR) and the Rensselaer County Complete Count Committee today announced the launch of a video contest asking local teenagers to create unique, exciting videos to promote the 2020 Census in Rensselaer County. Teens from ages 13-19 are invited to submit a video to be broadcast by the Rensselaer County Complete Count Committee to promote awareness of, and participation in, the 2020 Census. The contest winner will receive a $1,000 cash prize. Five runners up will receive $100 each.
The contest was developed by The ACCR to help engage middle and high school students who are learning remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With schools across New York State closed through the remainder of the academic year, the contest provides a unique opportunity for teenagers to collaborate using video technology readily available in smartphones and other mobile or video devices.
Rensselaer County teens interested in participating can visit www.artscenteronline.org for helpful tips on how to make a successful video, links to important resources, and how to submit their video.
Elizabeth Reiss, Executive Director of the Arts Center of the Capital Region said, “With the continued impact of COVID-19 on teenagers across Rensselaer County, we wanted to develop an opportunity to engage students in a positive, creative way while promoting the long-term impact of the Census in supporting schools and educational programs. Video production is a wonderful way for teens to express their creativity and stay engaged in their community. I hope this contest helps our teens connect to the arts, each other, and Rensselaer County.”
The Rensco Census Teen Video Contest is generously funded by The Troy Savings Bank Charitable Foundation, key partners in Rensselaer County Complete Count Committee’s efforts to get a full and accurate population count.
Leslie Cheu, Executive Director of the Troy Savings Bank Charitable Foundation said, “Rensselaer County is fortunate to have some very creative teens, and this contest will give them a chance to showcase that creativity and help boost our Census participation. We are pleased to sponsor this contest and excited to see the videos that our teens create.”
Contest Rules:
The winning video will address the purpose and power of the census, relaying direct facts on the census’ impact on Rensselaer County. The creator of the winning video, and any or all runner up videos, will give unconditional permission for their videos to be broadcast by the Rensselaer County Complete Count Committee at their discretion.
All applicants must complete the full application found at www.artscenteronline.org. Applicants must be permanent residents of Rensselaer County and between the ages of 13-19. Minors under the age of 18 may apply but must submit a consent form signed by a parent or guardian.
Video Guidelines:
Videos must be between 30 seconds to 2 minutes in length, filmed in horizontal orientation, and provided in a compatible YouTube format with the proper codecs (MPEG4, MOV, AVI, WMV) with suggested aspect of 16:9.
Videos are due by 11:59PM on May 29, 2020. Late submissions will not be considered. Videos exceeding the length requirements or submitted after the stated deadline will not be reviewed.
– All videos must be fact-based and contain no misleading or false information.
– All videos must engage Rensselaer County residents as the primary audience.
– All videos are strongly encouraged to:
– Contain a balance of emotional storytelling and clear, relevant, motivating information;
– Speak to the tangible benefits of the census. For example, the census means funding for your community for critical services like hospitals, health care, education, roads, SNAP, and more;
It also determines how many representatives your state will have in the House of Representatives; these are the people who will vote on issues that deeply impact your life and community.
Rules for Music Use: Any music used in videos must be in the “public domain”, meaning you have legal permission to use it, and the Complete Count Committee has legal permission to broadcast it. A selection of music can be found at www.artscenteronline.org.
Please note: Applicants can compose original music for their videos. However, any video using music that is not from the pre-approved list and is not an original composition will be disqualified.
About The Arts Center of the Capital Region:
The Arts Center of the Capital Region serves 40,000 people each year from the eleven counties surrounding Troy. The ACCR offers 500+ classes a year in pottery, digital arts, printmaking, culinary arts, jewelry making and metalworking, woodworking, painting and drawing, stained glass, writing and dance in addition to presenting programs for the public in their galleries and 100-seat Black Box Theatre. They are a partner of the New York State Council on the Arts, distributing $90,000 a year in decentralization grants for artists who work in the community.
About the Rensselaer County Complete Count Committee:
The Rensselaer County Complete Count Committee was formed in 2019 to encourage participation in the 2020 Census. The committee consists of representatives from federal, state, and local governments, and non-profit organizations from across Rensselaer County, including:
Boys and Girls Clubs of the Capital Area, Boys and Girls Club of Southern Rensselaer County, Capital District YMCA – Troy Branch & East Greenbush Branch, Capital Roots, CEO, Concerns- U, Cornell Cooperative Extension, Emma Willard, Hope 7, Hudson Mohawk Area Health Education Center, HVCC, Independent Living Center of the Hudson Valley. Indivisible Stephentown, Joseph’s House and Shelter. Lansingburgh Central School District, League of Women Voters of Rensselaer County, McCarthy Charities, NAACP Troy Branch, Oakwood Community Center, Rensselaer County Probation Department, Rensselaer County Department of Aging, Rensselaer County Department of Social Services, Rensselaer County Department of Mental Health, RPI, Sage College, St. Paul’s Center, The ARC of Rensselaer County, The Art Center of the Capital Region, The Sanctuary for Independent Media, The Troy Savings Bank Charitable Foundation, The Troy Savings Bank Music Hall Corporation, TRIP, Inc., Troy Area United Ministries,Troy City School District, Troy Housing Authority, Troy Public Library, Troy Waterfront Farmers Market, Uncommon Schools, Troy Prep, Unity House of Troy, Inc., Upper Hudson Planned Parenthood, Van Rensselaer Manor, and the YWCA of the Greater Capital Region.
For more information, visit www.youcountrensselaer.org
Connect with the Rensselaer County Complete Count Committee:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/YouCountRensselaerCounty
Twitter: www.twitter.com/YouCountRC
Instagram: www.instagram.com/YouCountRC
Please use the following hashtags in social media posts: #YouCountRensco #GetCountedNY
About the 2020 Census:
The Census is a once-a-decade count of every living person in the United States and five U.S. territories (Puerto Rico, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands). For the first time, the Census can be completed online at www.my2020census.gov. It can also be completed by mail, or by phone.
The census provides critical data that lawmakers, business owners, teachers, and many others use to provide daily services, products, and support for local communities. Every year, billions of dollars in federal funding go to hospitals, fire departments, schools, roads, and other resources based on census data. The results of the census also determine the number of seats each state will have in the U.S. House of Representatives, and they are used to draw congressional and state legislative districts.
For more info, visit www.2020census.gov
- Click the link below to connect to the Remote Learning Parent University https://sites.google.com/apcsd.org/onlinelearning/family-resources/parent-resources?authuser=0
- If you or your family feels they need additional support during this time, please use this link for a list of local Mental Health and Addiction Resource. Mental Health and Addiction Resources
- YEARBOOK ORDERS ARE STILL BEING TAKEN: Your yearbook link is: http://jostensyearbooks.com/?REF=A05290700
We encourage students to continue to remain connected. There are several ways that you can accomplish this:
- Students, please check your APCSD email daily. Your teachers, counselors and administrators will be using this as the primary means for communicating with you! Teachers have all established daily “office hours” that they are available to you. These hours are located within their folders on the Online Resources page: https://sites.google.com/apcsd.org/onlinelearning/home. Take advantage of this time with your teachers to stay connected.
- Speaking of staying connected, students, to stay connected with us, the APHS Leadership Team, by joining our Google Classroom “Averill Park High School Administration Connections”. All you need to join is the following code: whh5oj2 Many of you have already joined, our goal is to have ALL of you join to stay connected with us. We have received some questions from parents about being able to join as well. Please note due to privacy regulations, this Google Classroom is only open to students. Parents, we encourage you to review the Google Classroom with your student(s) to see what Mr. Quiles, Mrs. Mein and Mrs. Leach have posted. For those that have joined our page already, we have some new additions to our extended family. A Robin has built a nest and has 3 eggs in there so we should see some babies sooner than later. Log on to see pictures and catch up on their progress.
- One way to not feel overwhelmed and to keep on a routine is to follow your regular schedule. To help you with this, here’s the A/B day line up for this week: Monday, 5/4=A-day; Tuesday, 5/5=B-day (Cinco de Mayo); Wednesday 5/6=A-day; Thursday, 5/7=B-day; Friday, 5/8=A-day. Here is a weekly planning form you can use to help keep you organized and on top of assignments.
Parents & guardians, please help support your child(ren) with their virtual learning by monitoring their online learning & assignments. All teachers have set ‘office hours’ that they are available for students. The Student Support Team (SST) is working collaboratively to monitor student connectivity and continue to be in touch with folks that the SST team determines to be needed.
Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us if there is anything you need. This can be done via email, or by calling the high school at 674-7002. This line will be monitored daily, and you will receive a call back within one business day.
Our emails are as follows:
Mr. Quiles (High School Principal)- quilesh@apcsd.org
Mrs. Mein (Assistant Principal, Grades 9 and 11)- meinc@apcsd.org
Mrs. Leach (Assistant Principal Grades 10 and 12)- leachr@apcsd.org
Stay safe and stay well!
Mr. Quiles, Mrs. Mein & Mrs. Leach