In the Next Two Weeks

FINAL RSVP REMINDER - GRANDPARENTS & SPECIAL FRIENDS DAY:

Online registration closes today, Thursday, at 10:00 p.m. Full event details and RSVP form are HERE.

DETAILS FOR 9TH GRADE RETREATS - October 7/8:

All 9th graders will attend a full day retreat designed and presented by the AHA Campus Ministry Team. If your student has Mr. Mortl for their JCC class, they go to the Monday, Oct. 7 retreat. If your student has Mr. Meyer's or Ms Allured's for their JCC class, they will attend the Tuesday Oct. 8 retreat. All students will come to school as normal (note the late start on Tuesday) and will be transported to the retreat site using AHA bus transportation. Both retreats will return students to AHA by 2:40 p.m. Students should bring a bag lunch and water bottle, but no cellphones or backpacks are needed. Students may also be out of uniform on their retreat day and wear AHA spirit wear or class of 2028 AHA shirts.

OCTOBER 14-18 SPECIAL SCHEDULE:
Please review the schedule included here for October 14, 15, and 16. There is no school on October 17, 18, and 21. Classes will resume on Tuesday, October 22.

OCTOBER 16 IS TESTING DAY FOR GRADES 9-11 (No school for seniors):

On Wednesday, Oct. 16, the PSAT will be administered to all juniors. The PSAT, which is a shortened version of the College Board’s SAT, gives students an opportunity to identify their academic strengths and weaknesses as they prepare for standardized tests this winter/spring. The PSAT scores are also used to determine eligibility for the National Merit Scholarship Competition. The PSAT is digital this year. Juniors will be completing a brief digital readiness check in English class on Oct. 9 or 10 to prepare for the PSAT. Juniors need to bring a calculator and a fully charged Chromebook to the exam.

Freshmen and sophomores will take the Pre-ACT on Wednesday, Oct 16. The Pre-ACT gives students valuable practice by including questions and scores similar to those on the ACT. The Pre-ACT also provides early indication of progress and ideas for improvement. The Pre-ACT is a paper test. Freshmen and sophomores need to bring a calculator and #2 pencils to the exam.

Students will be dismissed when testing is finishing, shortly after 11 a.m., and buses will leave at 11:20 a.m. Seniors have the day off to visit colleges.

Parent Volunteer Opportunities

LUNCH VOLUNTEERS NEEDED:
Please sign up HERE.

STARFEST COMMITTEE - Meet other parents & have fun!

We are looking for parents who are interested in helping plan our annual Starfest auction in the spring; Starfest is AHA's largest fundraising event. Meetings take place once a month for one hour. Please email Sarah Hauer, staff lead, or Arica Logeais, Parent Chair, with interest or questions. We will be holding a Starfest Committee kick-off meeting on Tuesday, October 29. Thank you!

We Want You to Know

WINTER SPORTS REGISTRATION IS OPEN!
Click here to register. All students must have a current sports physical and concussion test to participate. Sign up for a concussion test here. Sports physicals can be uploaded directly to registration. Contact Jacque Lacy with any questions jlacy@ahastars.org. Winter sports start dates are:

Alpine Ski: November 11
Dance Team: October 21
Hockey, Girls: October 28
Hockey, Boys: November 11
Basketball, Girls: November 11
Basketball, Boys (grade 9): November 12
Basketball, Boys (grades 10-12): November 18

Reminder - REGISTER FOR FALL CONFERENCES:
Parent-Teacher conferences are October 14, 1:30 - 6:30 p.m. (online/virtual) and October 15, 1:00 - 6:00 p.m. (in person/on campus). Register for conferences through October 10. For more information and to register, click HERE and scroll down to Quick Parent Info. The conference registration system will ask you for a master password, Stars, which is case sensitive.

Reminder - SENIOR FAMILIES - Nov. 1 Yearbook Deadlines:
Senior parents, please review the following information about Senior Portraits (Senior Portrait Letter 2025.pdf) and Ads for Grads (Senior Ads 2025.pdf). There is a November 1 deadline for both items.

From the College & Career Center

ALL PARENTS:

Johns Hopkins is hosting an Explore Hopkins event on Thursday, October 17 at the Doubletree by Hilton in Bloomington from 7-8 p.m. Register HERE.
Harvard, Princeton, University of Virginia, Wellesley and Yale are hosting a Virtual Information Session on Sunday, October 6 from 6:00 to 7:15 p.m. They will discuss academic programs, campus life, selective college admissions and financial aid. Register online HERE.
Although the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) won't be open for application until December 1, the MN Office of Higher Ed is hosting College Knowledge Month in October so students and families can begin preparing early. They are hosting virtual sessions each week in October. Sign up HERE. Students who attend are also eligible to enter to win a $1,000 scholarship from ECMC the College Place.

SENIOR PARENTS:

It is College Knowledge Month in MN and many of the MN State public universities and colleges are offering fee-waivers for students to apply in October. There are lists in the CCC and here.
If your senior has a college application deadline of November 1, they must request their transcript by October 16. The college counselors need a minimum of two weeks notice to coordinate submission of your materials. We have 609 transcript requests so far this year. Also, remember, students are responsible for submitting test scores if they decide to apply to college with ACT or SAT scores. Some colleges will accept self-reported scores so do check each college's website for school policy.
Do your seniors have questions about the Common App? Are they still confused about how to request a transcript? Want another opinion on their college essay? Tell them to pop into Admissions Avenue in the CCC for help! The College Counselors will be available every Wednesday after school from 2:45-3:30 in the CCC for drop-in questions and assistance. Admissions Avenue will run until October 30.