Anzar High School

July, 2024

Happy Summer Anzar students and families,

I hope you are enjoying your summer so far! This letter is being mailed and posted on the website, and on ParentSquare to make sure as many families can access it as possible.

• This summer we say goodbye to some of our teachers and wish them the best of luck in their new endeavors: Mr. Brazil, Mr. Swindell, Ms. Sam, and Mr. Rabusin.

• We welcome four wonderful new teachers to the Anzar family, Mr. Carothers (Biology & AVID 9-11), Mr. Reitsam (Algebra & Geometry), Mrs. Thompson (PE), and Mr. Warden (World History & PE for Athletes). We are in the process of hiring a Math Intervention teacher and a Skills Development teacher. If you are interested or know someone who might be interested, please send me their contact information or send them mine. 

• Students wishing to speak with Mrs. Hicks should request an appointment at this link. 

• Anzar’s office will be closed through July 24th for summer break. If you need assistance setting up an email and/or registering for Aeries, please come to Anzar's office July 25th or 26th. We will have bilingual staff on hand to assist you. 

Things to look forward to this summer:

• We are offering ASB Cards next year! Students who purchase an ASB Card for $50, free admission to dances held on campus, early bird pricing for Winterball and Prom, as well as discounted yearbook prices.  ASB cards can be purchased here or at the school office once the school year begins.

* Yearbook flash sale is happening now! Purchase your yearbook for $50 here at GoFan or in the office once school begins. The regular yearbook price is $85

• Here is the bell schedule for next year. Bus route information for the school year can be found here.:

• The first day of school is Thursday, August 8th. 9th graders should report to Anzar at 8:15 am and 10-12th graders should report to Anzar at 11:15am. Please make sure these dates and times are marked in your calendar. 

For grades 10-12th the bus will pick you up at San Juan Ballpark at 11am and Aromas School at 11am.

• On August 6th we are excited to host all incoming 9th graders and their families to an ice cream social at 6pm in the Anzar Library. This will be an opportunity to meet your advisor, get your schedule and Chromebook, purchase Anzar gear, yearbook, ASB card, Fitness clothing, and more. Please RSVP here: https://forms.gle/ssMBB2GjG1crxZRRA

 if you plan to attend. 

• Students needing Health & Fitness will be required to take it on campus unless it does not fit in their schedule. All students in Health & Fitness will need to purchase Fitness clothing. The order form can be found here. Please take your completed order form and check (made out to Anzar High School Booster Club) or cash to your PE teacher during the first full week of school. You can also come to the 9th grade Ice Cream Social on August 6th at 6pm in the Library to purchase your PE clothing if you would prefer. If you are experiencing financial hardship, some gently used Fitness clothing is available. Please speak with your Fitness teacher about this. 

• Students enrolled in AP classes: if you were assigned summer work it is due on the first day of school.

• Our Parent Booster Club meets on the first Tuesday of the month at 6pm in the Library. A Spanish translator will be available. If you cannot join the Booster Club, you can help by donating to our book: https://rebrand.ly/so4s5v9 or Amazon wishlists: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/8FO95G30JCYK?ref_=list_d_wl_lfu_nav_4. 

• I have included a list of important dates for the next school year. Please put the dates in your calendar and put that document on your refrigerator or somewhere you will see it often. 

There are a few orders of business that you must do this summer:

• Data confirmation will be required in Aeries. All families must login to Aeries. There will be banner at the top of your screen that requires you to confirm that all of the information in Aeries is accurate (in lieu of the old school emergency cards) and it will require you to read and sign some documents electronically. If you need assistance with this, our office is open July 25th and 26th from 9-4. We can help you. If you have never logged in to Aeries or need assistance logging in, we can also help with that. 

• Included in this envelope is a signature page stating that you have read and understand the student/parent handbook. PLEASE actually read the handbook, sign the document, and have your student return it to their Advisor on the first day of school.

• I have also included the Technology Use Agreement for 9th graders. Students must have this signed before a chromebook will be checked out to them and every student must have a school issued chromebook. Families of 9th graders, please bring these completed forms to the Ice Cream Social with you to check out your chromebook. 

• PLEASE sign up to receive messages through ParentSquare. I communicate thoroughly and often through ParentSquare. This is where you will learn the answers to most of your questions. Please download the app, make sure we have the correct phone number in Aeries for you and every family MUST have an email address in Aeries. 

• All parents are required to have an Aeries account and log in regularly. I will be pulling reports to determine who is not logging and will be requesting meetings to better support and communicate with your families. 

  • In Aeries you will track your student’s grades and attendance. Please check it weekly. You can communicate with your student’s teachers through Aeries.

  • To login, please use this website: https://aromassanjuanusd.aeries.net/student/LoginParent.aspx Make sure you are using the correct website, if not, you will not be able to login. If you don’t know your password, click “Forgot my password” and follow the directions.  If you need assistance logging in or don’t have an email, please make an appointment with our office on July 25th or 26th, we will have staff available to assist you. 

Announcement:

We have made some significant changes to our Graduation Exhibition program at Anzar High School. This decision follows extensive research and reflection on our practices and their impact on our students.

The concept of graduation exhibitions originates from Theodore Sizer’s work, "Horace’s Compromise: The Dilemma of the American High School." The idea is for students to demonstrate mastery of their knowledge and readiness for postsecondary life to community members before earning their high school diploma.

At Anzar, students have completed exhibitions within their content area classes, scored by their content area teachers. These projects required students to explore complex issues from multiple perspectives, allowing them to gain and demonstrate their mastery of the subject and the Habits of Mind and EPERRs (Evidence, Perspective, Extension, Relevance, Reflection). Students worked on research, writing, creative, and oral presentation skills, guided toward successful completion.

Each summer, Anzar High School staff reflects on the recent graduate exhibitions and additional lessons learned during the school year. This process has revealed both the positive and engaging aspects of our curriculum and areas needing improvement. During the 2023-2024 school year, we have extensively discussed the concerns and challenges posed by the exhibitions. We have realized that while beneficial in some ways, graduation exhibitions can be barriers to graduation for some students and a factor driving students to other schools. Moreover, our students receive no added benefit in college admissions for completing these exhibitions. Additionally, we have faced challenges in retaining highly qualified teachers (graduation exhibition coaches) due to burnout and difficulties in recruiting new exhibition judges from the community, placing a heavy burden on Anzar teachers.

Considering feedback from staff, students, and parents, we have decided to make significant changes to the Graduation Exhibition program moving forward. After evaluating the reimagined graduation exhibition within content classes, we concluded that the best use of classroom time is to incorporate the strengths of our exhibition program throughout the school year instead of a cumulative project.

During the 2023-2024 school year, Anzar students, families, and staff worked to identify our Core Values. At Anzar, we are dedicated to cultivating a vibrant community where empowered students develop into college and career-ready individuals. We prioritize fostering unique relationships that support each student’s journey, ensuring they achieve their fullest potential in a nurturing and inclusive environment.

With that, Post Graduate/Service Learning Reflections (PGSLs) will remain unchanged. The purpose of a PGSL is self-reflection. We believe that developing and practicing the life skills of decision-making and goal-setting is crucial in the complex 21st-century world. The process of self-reflection is a key element of this exhibition and will allow students to assess their life purpose. Students will continue to write and present their PGSLs to a panel of judges during their senior year.

Students will no longer be required to complete exhibitions in all content areas. Instead, they will have the choice to enroll in Advanced Placement (AP) Seminar and/or Research classes. Research by Jagesic et al. shows that students who successfully complete AP Seminar or both AP Capstone courses have higher scores on subsequent AP exams in English, History, and sometimes Sciences. The researchers also found that students who earn the AP Capstone Diploma achieve higher grades in their first-year college courses and have higher college retention rates from the first to the second year.

The ideal student for the capstone courses is at or above grade level in their iReady Diagnostic 3rd assessment. They should be able to synthesize and analyze evidence in academic writing, as demonstrated by a writing sample. Motivated and eager to learn, these students may be four-year college-bound.

AP Seminar:

• Taken as a 10th or 11th grade English class

• Is a prerequisite for AP Research

• Engages students in cross-curricular conversations exploring academic and real-world topics by analyzing divergent perspectives.

AP Research:

• Taken as an 11th or 12th grade elective

• Allows students to deeply explore an academic topic, problem, or idea of individual interest through a yearlong investigation.

Students who pass AP Seminar, Research, and four additional AP courses with a 3 or higher will receive the AP Capstone diploma, recognized by universities and employers worldwide. Those who pass the AP Capstone courses but not four additional AP courses receive a certificate.

AP Courses Offered at Anzar High School:

• AP Seminar

• AP Research

• AP Spanish Language and Culture

• AP Literature and Composition

• AP Language and Composition

• AP Biology

• AP Statistics

Future additions include AP Environmental Science and AP Calculus A/B.

Thank you for your understanding and support as we make these significant changes to better serve our students and prepare them for their future endeavors.

Works Cited:

“AP Research.” AP Research – AP Students | College Board, 

apstudents.collegeboard.org/courses/ap-research. Accessed 12 June 2024.

“AP Seminar.” AP Seminar Assessment – AP Students | College Board, 

apstudents.collegeboard.org/courses/ap-seminar/assessment. Accessed 12 

June 2024.

Jagesic, Sanja, et al. College Board, New York, NY, 2020, AP  Capstone TM 

Participation, High  School  Learning,  and  College  Outcomes:  Early  Evidence, 

https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED603711.pdf. Accessed 3 Aug. 2023. 

Sizer, Theodore R. "Horace’s Compromise: The Dilemma of the American High School." 

Houghton Mifflin Company, 1992.