Good Afternoon, this is Steve Mares, principal of Athens Drive Magnet High School with announcements for the upcoming week. A copy of these announcements will be posted on our school website, emailed and texted to our school families, and emailed to the Athens Drive PTSA email group.
What an unbelievable Fall for weather….!! I hope you all are safe, and everybody came out of this latest storm without personal injury or loss. Thank you for your understanding with regards to school closing, postponement of events, etc. The most important factor is always the safety of our students and school families!
With regards to make-up day information, please remember the following: Tomorrow, Saturday, October 13th is NOT a make-up school day for students. Originally, Wake County Public School System (WCPSS) had announced that it was, but WCPSS announced later that it would not be using tomorrow as a student make-up day. So, please do not worry about tomorrow being a school day. This coming Friday, October 19th, is now a full day of school for students. Originally it was an Early Release Day, but now it is being used as make-up time for students and Friday, October 19th will be a full day of school.
Please know that our Homecoming football game against Green Hope High School that was originally scheduled for tonight, has been moved to Monday night, October 15th, beginning at 7:00 p.m. Next Friday, October 19th, we will celebrate Senior Night at our home football game versus Cary High School. We will hold our Pep Rally at the end of the school day next Friday that was canceled for today due to the closing of school, and at the Pep Rally we will announce our Homecoming King and Queen.
Please also note that due to the changes with regards to our Homecoming football game, our SAT Prep Course that was scheduled for Monday, October 15th, from 6:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m., has been changed. It has been moved to Wednesday, October 17th from 6:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. The Tuesday, October 16th class will remain on schedule from 3:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m., and students can attend either class. If you have any questions with this schedule change, please contact Mr. Remaley at cremaley@wcpss.net.
Please know that we will be celebrating College Application Week next week. College Application Week activities will include: College Trivia each day (questions presented on the daily announcements, winners will receive a small prize for participation); find the mascot scavenger hunt each day (a photo/print out of one of the NC college mascots will be placed in a common area of school- when students find the mascot they can take a picture or selfie that shows the mascot and its location in the building and then present their photo in student services-first three each day receive a prize); door decorating contest (teachers decorate their classroom door for a chance to win 1st, 2nd, 3rd place); and free/reduced price college application to selected NC colleges (application stations will be set up in Ms. Carlton’s office each day). If you have any questions regarding our College Application Week celebration, please speak with Mr. Wright in Student Services.
Thursday, October 18th, beginning at 2:30 p.m. in the Library Reference Area, we will be hosting an information session for students who are interested in the Duke Summer Program for High School students. If you are seeking to gain academic credit from renowned Duke faculty, interested in engaging deeply with a subject, hoping to spend your summer enjoying residential activities on Duke’s historic West Campus, or seeking to prepare for college and create an international network of peers, this may be of interest to you. Parents and students that are interested in this program are encouraged to attend.
As we continue observing National Bullying Prevention Month, we are asking all students to sign a pledge to STOMP Out Bullying. Students can visit the STOMP Out Bullying table on Monday, October 15th during both “A” Lunch and “B” Lunch to sign the pledge. Also, we will be celebrating Unity Day on Wednesday, October 24th to be UNITED for kindness, acceptance, and inclusion. We are asking our staff and students to wear orange to come together in one message of hope and support to visibly show that we believe that no student should ever experience bullying. Let’s continue to find ways change the culture by putting an end to Bullying and Cyberbullying!
Please know that we continue to have representatives from universities meeting with our students during the school day. University representatives are located in the area outside of the Attendance office during both lunch periods. This is a great opportunity for our students to learn about the various programs that are available, admission requirements, and financial aid. For more information on the colleges that are visiting, you can contact Ms. Carrillo in Student Services (919-233-4050 ext. 24893) or visit the Student Services website (http://adhs-student-services.weebly.com). Upcoming visits from schools include Savannah College of Art and Design on October 24th; William Peace University on October 25th; and Appalachian State, Cal Berkeley, UNC Charlotte, UNC Greensboro, East Carolina University, and the University of Alabama on October 31st.
If are students are interested in unleashing their inner artist, we have the perfect opportunity for them—the Reflections Arts Contest. This PTSA led initiative is a great way for our students to shine. This year’s theme, “Heroes Around Me,” calls for our students’ own unique interpretation through the Arts. Categories include: dance, film, literature, music, photography, and visual arts. Look for the Reflections flyers around school and click on the QR code for submission guidelines and entry form. In addition, you can go to the Athens Drive PTSA website (athensdriveptsa.com) for information. The entry deadline is Monday, October 22nd.
I want to share exciting news regarding the grant that we have been awarded from NC GreenPower. They have awarded us (mainly a student led group of STEM Academy students!) a matching grant that will help us install a PV System here at Athens! In short, a PV System (photo voltaic) is a big solar panel (similar to the arrays you see in solar farms). The system would be hooked into the energy grid here at Athens, help us cut energy costs to the school, and provide some excellent learning opportunities for our students. It is most likely going to be positioned on the roof outside the senior hallway, both for ideal exposure to the sun and visibility to the students and staff here at the school. Pretty incredible right?!? And again, this whole process has been STUDENT DRIVEN. Originally it was thought that we would need to raise close to $15,000 that would be matched by NC GreenPower to install the PV System, but after receiving bids for the construction it is likely to be closer to $8,000.00 – $9,000.00. While we’ve started the fundraising process, I’m hoping that our entire school family can get behind this cause and help us raise this money! Whether you donate or not, I would ask that you please consider passing this message along to others who might be able to donate as well. We will be creating a plaque with the names of our biggest donors once we’ve hit our goal; so, if your spouse/brother/sister/parents/friends/coworkers/business friends work for a company that might be willing to donate to a great cause within education and would like themselves or their business to be recognized for doing so, please let them know that this is a great opportunity to do that. Donations can be made directly though this link (https://bit.ly/2L8YpmZ). Any questions can be directed to Mr. Shane Barry (sbarry@wcpss.net), our STEM Coordinator. We have just over five weeks left to reach our goal and I know we can get there to support this student initiative! Thank you for your support!
Our Fall athletic teams are winding down their regular seasons and are already beginning Senior Nights, Conference Tournaments, and State Playoffs. For the most up-to-date schedule information, please check the Athens Drive Athletics website (http://www.wakecountyathletics.com/athensdrivehs) to stay aware of all changes, game dates, and game times of our Athletic competitions. Thank you for your understanding as we have had to change many of our athletic events due to weather and school closings.
Those are all the announcements for this week. Please continue to check the Athens Drive website (www.wcpss.net/athensdrivehs) for general information and to help you stay informed. I hope you all enjoy the cooler weather and have a wonderful weekend. Go JAGS and please take care.