The New Aurora Hills Middle School

Opening – January 9, 2012

We are quickly approaching the opening day of school in our new building.  Please read the following important information regarding the procedures to follow to ensure access and safety for all individuals.

Bell schedule

On the first day in the new building we will begin and end the day as usual.  Doors for 1^st period will open at 7:08 a.m.  First period class begins promptly at 7:15 a.m.  Please plan in advance so your child is in class ready to begin on time.  Dismissal time is at 2:50 p.m.

Class schedules

            Students will be given their second semester class schedules on December 20 with the new building room numbers.  Please be sure your child keeps this schedule in a safe place and brings it with him/her on January 9.

Entrances

            All students will enter the building on the west side in their respective wings.  The 6^th grade students will enter in the northern most wing; 7^th grade will enter in the center wing; 8^th grade will enter in the southern most wing.  We will have staff members outside by the west entrances to help guide students to the correct area.  If you drop off your child on the Uvalda Street side, students must walk to the west side to enter the building.

Sidewalk

            Students are to use the sidewalk on the north side of the building or the gravel path on the south side to move from the Uvalda Street side to the entrances on the west side of the building.  Please use this sidewalk in the afternoon also.

Busses

            Busses will drop off and pick up students on the west side (Troy Street).

Parent drop off and pick up

            Parents are to use the Uvalda Street entrance in front of the school to drop off students.  Use the north drive to enter the drive-through lane.  This is a continuous lane; please do not park cars in this lane.  Move quickly through the lane. Please be alert to pedestrian traffic around you.  The Troy Street side of the school is for busses and staff parking only.  Parents, please use the Uvalda Street side of the school to pick up students.

            There are three pedestrian crosswalks on Uvalda:  1)  at the intersection of Uvalda and East Kentucky, 2) at the current entrance to the teachers parking lot just south of the new building, and 3) at the intersection of Mississippi and Uvalda. 

There are three pedestrian crosswalks on Troy:  1) at the intersection of Troy and Mississippi, 2) at the intersection of East Kentucky and Troy, and 3) midway between Mississippi and East Kentucky.

Students are to use these crosswalks to safely cross the street.    The crosswalks closer to school will not be monitored by staff.  As always, it is essential for students to check traffic both ways prior to entering the crosswalk.  We will continue to have adult crossing guards to support students as they cross Mississippi. 

Parent visitors

            Please do not plan on visiting your child’s classes on this first day.   We know you are as excited to see the new building as we are.  With that in mind, please save Saturday, February 11, 2012, for our grand opening celebration.  At that time you will have the opportunity to tour the building and see your child’s classes.   Do not come into the building just to take a quick peek.   We are focused on student achievement, and even small disruptions can detract us from our course.  We appreciate your understanding and look forward to seeing all of you on February 11.  More details will follow as we get closer to that date.

Reminder to all students

            All lockers must be cleaned out prior to leaving school on December 20, 2011.  Please take everything with you.  There will not be access to the old building after this time.  Any belongings left in the lockers will not be returned.

Old building memorabilia

Do you have fond memories of this building?  Do you want to take a permanent piece of the old Aurora Hills home to forever display and add to your collection of memories that dot your landscape?

As a PTSO fundraiser, student locker fronts (door only with locker number and combination dial) will be sold for $10 each.  Remember how you kept your P.E. clothes for weeks in your gym locker?  The small gym locker fronts will be sold for $5; the large gym lockers for $10.  Do you have relatives or friends who made athletic history at Aurora Hills with their names on the large wooden plaques?  There is only one of each and interest has been quite high for these. 

Please check with Mrs. Austin about a particular wooden plaque.  Lockers will be available on December 20.  A portion of the proceeds will be donated to a charity.

Parents - 

Please click HERE to download the latest Aurora Hills Middle School Unified Improvement Plan for 2011-2012 and 2012-2013.

 Aurora Hills Middle School Family Book Club 

The Book Thief 

by Mark Zusak (Family Book Club Selection) 

 Mark your calendars for January 26, 2012 @6:30pm

It is 1939, Nazi Germany.  The country is holding its breath.  Death has never been busier, and will become busier still.  By her brother's graveside, Liesel Meminger's life is changed when she picks up a single object, partially hidden in the snow.  It is The Grave Digger's Handbook, left there by accident, and it is her first act of book thievery.  So begins a love affair with books and words, as Liesel, with the help of her accordion-playing foster father. learns to read.  Soon she is stealing books from Nazi book burnings, the mayor's wife's library, wherever there are books to be found.  But these are dangerous times.  When Liesel's foster family hides a Jew in their basement, Liesel's world is both opened up and closed down. 

Get what you need and what you read from the Main Office or through Mr. Roy Smith, family liaison.  You may check out a copy of the book from us and return it after the book club meeting or purchase your own copy at our school cost.  Come pick up your copy now for summer reading.

 Ahills 2011-2012 reading list proves to one of the best ever.

Click HERE to view the October 2011 newsletter for Aurora Hills Middle School.

Parents and Students -

Below is a link to the most current APS bus scheduling information available.

http://transportation.aurorak12.org/schedules/

This year at Aurora Hills, students will be participating in Mustang Mondays.  Mustang Mondays are designed to teach social skills and character development.  In addition, students will be participating in "No Place for Hate", a curriculum designed by the Anti-Defamation League to promote diversity and reduce racism among students.