February 5, 2021
Important Dates
February 8th: Return to In-Person Learning (Hybrid by Cohort)
February 12th: Midwinter Recess Begins at End of School Day
February 15 & 16th: NO SCHOOL - Midwinter Recess
February 17th: Classes Resume
Please see our calendar page above for a complete list of dates for the year.
February 12th: Midwinter Recess Begins at End of School Day
February 15 & 16th: NO SCHOOL - Midwinter Recess
February 17th: Classes Resume
Please see our calendar page above for a complete list of dates for the year.
Return to Learn Guide
Our entire staff is extremely excited to welcome our students back to Adams High School on Monday, February 8th by cohorts. School just is not the same when you take the students out of it! Our students bring the energy and the purpose of why we do what we do in our profession. We have been preparing the building to welcome our Highlanders back in a safe and comfortable environment.
Please be sure to check out our Return to Learn guide below to help our families prepare for school and become familiar with the new safety procedures in place.
Thank you for your continued diligence in modeling healthy behaviors at home so we can keep our school buildings open for in-person learning.
Please be sure to check out our Return to Learn guide below to help our families prepare for school and become familiar with the new safety procedures in place.
Thank you for your continued diligence in modeling healthy behaviors at home so we can keep our school buildings open for in-person learning.

return_to_learn_semester_2.pdf |
AHS 1st Semester Book Return
Please bring any Semester 1 textbooks or novels that you don’t need for Semester 2, on Monday, February 8th (Cohort A), and Thursday, February 11th (Cohort B). Please drop off these books first thing in the morning to the tables set up in the hallway by the book room.
Student 1:1 Device
RCS is committed to being a 1:1 district. Secondary students should bring their fully charged Chromebook or personal computer ready to use each day. Students who prefer to use their own personal computer or laptop from home and at school, should not check out an RCS Chromebook. Please consider that we recommend the device being used by a student has a working camera to support attendance, collaboration, and completing assignments. Using a district issued Chromebook provides a consistent experience and helps RCS provide the best support possible. As we maximize our budget and resources, we encourage families to be considerate and only check out district devices that will be used.
If you are in need of a device please fill out this form on the Technology website.
If you have other technical issues or questions, please visit our Technology Support website.
If you are in need of a device please fill out this form on the Technology website.
If you have other technical issues or questions, please visit our Technology Support website.
Parent Teacher Conference Dates Change
The dates of the Spring Parent Teacher conferences for high school have changed due to the semester starting later than originally planned. The conferences will be held virtually via zoom, as they were in the fall. The dates for the high school conferences are as follows:
Tuesday, February 23rd
5:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Parents will be able to start signing up for conferences during the morning of February 15 through ParentVue. As a reminder, the Spring conferences are generally for connecting with teachers of courses where you have particular concerns. You can always connect with teachers by email.
Tuesday, February 23rd
5:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Parents will be able to start signing up for conferences during the morning of February 15 through ParentVue. As a reminder, the Spring conferences are generally for connecting with teachers of courses where you have particular concerns. You can always connect with teachers by email.
New RCS Website Now Live!
After a year-long effort, our new RCS Website is now LIVE! We have remodeled the site from the ground up to be mobile-friendly, easy to use, secure, quick to load, American Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant, and visually engaging. We understand that there may be a slight learning curve for some users and the pages may need some modifications after day one, but we are confident that these will be minor adjustments. We greatly appreciate our community’s support as we work to improve our website and opportunities to enhance communications.
AHS Picture Days March 1st and 5th
Kaiser Studios will be at Adams High School on Monday, March 1st and Friday, March 5th to take student pictures and provide student IDs to students. Students will be called down by class. Order your pictures online at www.Kaiserstudio.com and use the School Code 2020ADAMS. You can also print the Kaiser Order Form and bring it with payment on picture day.

adams_hs_-_flyer.pdf |
AHS Art Students Win National Scholastic Art & Writing Awards
17 AHS Art students, led by AHS Art teachers Amy Limon and Emily McGowan, won awards in the The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards program. The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards is the nation’s longest-running, most prestigious scholarship, and recognition program for creative teens, Presented by the nonprofit Alliance for Young Artists & Writers. The Awards have fostered the talent of millions of students since 1923 and feature a distinguished list of alumni including Tschabalala Self, Stephen King, Kay WalkingStick, Charles White, Joyce Carol Oates, and Andy Warhol, all of whom received recognition through the program as teens. In the 2020 program year, nearly 320,000 works were submitted to regional programs, with more than 2,900 works of art and writing receiving national recognition, including more than $300,000 in direct scholarships and millions in tuition support.
Congratulation Highlander art students!
Congratulation Highlander art students!
News From the Counseling Department
Scheduling Timeframe for the 2021-2022 School Year
Counselors will soon begin the scheduling process for the 2021-2022 school year. The format will be different than in years past. All scheduling material will be uploaded in Google Classroom for students and families to review. Counselors have created video’s for each grade level’s schedule card as well as a tutorial on how to upload and submit the schedule card and how to input classes into StudentVUE. Scheduling cards will be submitted directly through the Google Classroom scheduling assignment.
Counselors will host virtual Q & A sessions before schedule cards are due. Students can attend these virtual sessions if they have questions about their schedule card. Dates and times will be posted in the grade level’s Google Classroom.
**If your student has not yet joined their grade level Google Classroom, please have them do so with the join codes below.
Counselors will host virtual Q & A sessions before schedule cards are due. Students can attend these virtual sessions if they have questions about their schedule card. Dates and times will be posted in the grade level’s Google Classroom.
**If your student has not yet joined their grade level Google Classroom, please have them do so with the join codes below.
Seal of Biliteracy Application for Seniors

In January 2018, the Michigan Department of Education introduced the Seal of Biliteracy to recognize high school seniors who are able to demonstrate a high level of proficiency in a world language, in addition to English. This seal provides evidence of linguistic skills that are attractive to future employers and college admission offices, in addition to preparing students with 21st century skills that will benefit them in the labor market and a global society. This application window is open for current seniors only. Testing will be done remotely; students must use their own devices and may test from home. The current capacity for this date is 30 students; additional dates will be added in the future for both seniors and juniors.
In order for students to be considered for this recognition, they must meet the following criteria:
1. Students must demonstrate a proficiency level of Intermediate High (as described by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages) in a world language.
2. Students must demonstrate proficiency in English by meeting MDE high school graduation requirements or its alternative.
3. English Language Learners (ELLs) must have earned a level 2.5 or higher on the ACCESS 2.0 assessment.
4. All students must fulfill the graduation requirements in all other content areas.
At this time, Rochester Community Schools is offering students the opportunity to earn the Seal based upon proficiency in any one language. In order to assess proficiency, the district will administer several state-approved assessments for students who wish to qualify.
REGISTRATION IS A 2-PART PROCESS
Part 1: Students must complete this online application using their RCS credentials: Seal of Biliteracy
Part 2: After completing this application, students who need to take the assessments will be sent a link to complete payment for testing. Please note that there may be a delay in receiving the link during spring break. Assessments cost $25 and must be paid for no later than 4pm on Friday, February 19, 2021 or students may not test. Every effort will be made to accommodate every language spoken throughout the district, but it may not be possible to earn the Seal of Biliteracy for a language for which a commercial assessment has not been developed.
For more information on the Michigan Seal of Biliteracy, please visit the Michigan Department of Education’s website. Should any questions arise, please contact Elizabeth Arcangeli, World Language Curriculum Coordinator at [email protected]. We look forward to celebrating this impressive accomplishment with our students and staff.
In order for students to be considered for this recognition, they must meet the following criteria:
1. Students must demonstrate a proficiency level of Intermediate High (as described by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages) in a world language.
2. Students must demonstrate proficiency in English by meeting MDE high school graduation requirements or its alternative.
3. English Language Learners (ELLs) must have earned a level 2.5 or higher on the ACCESS 2.0 assessment.
4. All students must fulfill the graduation requirements in all other content areas.
At this time, Rochester Community Schools is offering students the opportunity to earn the Seal based upon proficiency in any one language. In order to assess proficiency, the district will administer several state-approved assessments for students who wish to qualify.
REGISTRATION IS A 2-PART PROCESS
Part 1: Students must complete this online application using their RCS credentials: Seal of Biliteracy
Part 2: After completing this application, students who need to take the assessments will be sent a link to complete payment for testing. Please note that there may be a delay in receiving the link during spring break. Assessments cost $25 and must be paid for no later than 4pm on Friday, February 19, 2021 or students may not test. Every effort will be made to accommodate every language spoken throughout the district, but it may not be possible to earn the Seal of Biliteracy for a language for which a commercial assessment has not been developed.
For more information on the Michigan Seal of Biliteracy, please visit the Michigan Department of Education’s website. Should any questions arise, please contact Elizabeth Arcangeli, World Language Curriculum Coordinator at [email protected]. We look forward to celebrating this impressive accomplishment with our students and staff.
Senior Reminders
Please remind students to allow 2 weeks for the processing of transcripts through Parchment
· Please note it can take up to 2 weeks for a student’s college application portal to reflect that a college has received their transcripts
· For students who have received admissions decisions:
* Students receiving 7th semester transcript requests should log into Parchment and request transcripts to be sent to schools by selecting the college, and then selecting “Hold for Grades” to submit requests
· Scholarship information can be found on the counseling website under the link “Scholarship Bulletin” (click here) as well as hard copies located in the counseling office.
· Please note it can take up to 2 weeks for a student’s college application portal to reflect that a college has received their transcripts
· For students who have received admissions decisions:
* Students receiving 7th semester transcript requests should log into Parchment and request transcripts to be sent to schools by selecting the college, and then selecting “Hold for Grades” to submit requests
· Scholarship information can be found on the counseling website under the link “Scholarship Bulletin” (click here) as well as hard copies located in the counseling office.
AHS Athletic Updates

Visit our Adams Highlander Athletic webpage to stay up-to-date on the latest AHS Athletic news and sports highlights .
New Athletic Self-Screener for Athletics
Effective February 1st, 2021.
RCS is moving to a new platform for student-athletes and visitors to use for Covid-19 screening. The district has chosen a platform called Clear to Go!, which has an app you can download onto your Apple or Android Phone. For students, we have uploaded your RCS email address, student number, parents phone number, and email address. If you do not wish to download the app, you may use the screener link found in the daily reminder sent to your RCS email address. A screener reminder will go out via email each morning Monday through Sunday. Upon arrival at each practice/athletic event, each athlete will present the green check on his/her mobile phone device to their head coach, followed by a temperature check. If you receive a “fail exposure” or a ”fail symptomatic” notification, please do not enter the building and contact your head coach. A case will be opened and you will be contacted to begin the investigation and contact tracing. Please reference the athletic website for information about the phone app and the screening process. Please contact your head coach or athletic director with further questions. See attached file for more info. |
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health_self_screener_instructions_athletics.pdf |
Boys Golf Meeting February 8th
An informational meeting regarding golf tryouts and the upcoming season will be held on February 8th from 2:30 - 3:15 pm in the Media Center. Please bring something to write with and 1st semester grades. This meeting is to sign up for tryouts. Must attend if interested. Please email Coach Picot if you have a conflict or a question. [email protected]
Attention Prospective Baseball Players
Attention all prospective baseball players. If you are NOT on the off-season Remind and have NOT filled out the survey below, please do so. If you have already filled out the survey, please do NOT fill it out again. Coach Hall is trying to collect information about players that will be available for 4 man workouts in the near future. Survey link: https://forms.gle/ZV4K3VS23ZHud4G66
Remind link: https://www.remind.com/join/b772gag - Updates about 4 man workouts and eventually tryout times. Once we are back in person Coach Hall will hold a meeting before tryouts.
Remind link: https://www.remind.com/join/b772gag - Updates about 4 man workouts and eventually tryout times. Once we are back in person Coach Hall will hold a meeting before tryouts.
AHS Clubs Update
High school clubs and activities may resume beginning January 16. Please watch for information from you club advisor.
Informational Meeting on Active and Reserve Component of the Army
Calling all HIGHLANDERS!!!! Have you have ever thought about the military as an option for post High School Graduation.... then look no further. Staff Sergeant Roberts wants to educate young men and women on the options and benefits associated with serving the Active or Reserve Component of the Army. This is purely informational and to answer any questions you may have!!!! Bring a pen, paper, and a whole bunch of questions so Staff Sergeant Roberts can assist you with the answers.
Zoom meetings happen every Wednesday @ 1:00 p.m. Looking forward to meeting you!
Staff Sergeant Roberts, Michael
US Army Recruiter
Zoom meeting: https://zoom.us/j/5438206026?pwd=L2M4QmlHb3VXd2FwR2cxME9OS0gxQT09
Zoom meetings happen every Wednesday @ 1:00 p.m. Looking forward to meeting you!
Staff Sergeant Roberts, Michael
US Army Recruiter
Zoom meeting: https://zoom.us/j/5438206026?pwd=L2M4QmlHb3VXd2FwR2cxME9OS0gxQT09
A Note From Kim Kelly - PTSA President
Hello Highlanders! The new, updated RCS District website has been launched. It will no longer have the PTSA information on it, just links to our own site. Please visit the Membership Toolkit for all things PTSA.
Special thank you to our Student Council who heard the call and promoted the Helping Hands program on their Instagram account. Apparently that’s the way to reach the students, because we had some sign up almost immediately! Our next PTSA meeting is February 23rd at 9:30 am via zoom. Have a great weekend!
Hello Highlanders! The new, updated RCS District website has been launched. It will no longer have the PTSA information on it, just links to our own site. Please visit the Membership Toolkit for all things PTSA.
Special thank you to our Student Council who heard the call and promoted the Helping Hands program on their Instagram account. Apparently that’s the way to reach the students, because we had some sign up almost immediately! Our next PTSA meeting is February 23rd at 9:30 am via zoom. Have a great weekend!
AHS Green Schools Committee Collecting Eyeglasses for Lions Club
In conjunction with the local Lions Club, the Adams Green Schools committee will be collecting used eyeglasses from 2/8-3/5. Please drop off your eyeglasses in the box located at Adams front atrium entrance. (Note: we are collecting any prescription glasses, including sunglasses and reading glasses) If you have any questions email [email protected].
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Founders Day Celebration
Please join us on February 18, 2021 for a virtual celebration of some amazing volunteers within our Rochester Community PTA. On this special evening, we recognize and honor the accomplishments, commitment and dedication of the students, parents, educators, and staff of our Rochester community. This year’s celebration will also feature a silent auction, with proceeds supporting Rochester PTA Council scholarships.
CONGRATULATIONS to our Adams PTSA Honorees: Debbie Kesman (staff and parent) for re-inventing the wheel and facilitating the first (and hopefully last!) drive through registration. Soodong Kim (student) for mentoring 3 different students in the Helping Hands program and going above and beyond by dropping off art supplies and helping a student in both English and Korean. Pauline Joiner (Parent) for being an incredible advocate for all disabled students in RCS and being the PAC Chair at multiple schools. Also, Kim Kelly (Adams PTSA President and Parent) will be honored with a special District Bright Ideas award for her efforts in establishing the Highlander Helping Hands program. These individuals have gone above and beyond to volunteer their time and talents to enhance the Adams community. THANK YOU!! |
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Sparkle Awards
Regards,
Pasquale Cusumano, Principal
Todd Calcamuggio, Assistant Principal
Luke Swanson, Assistant Principal
Pasquale Cusumano, Principal
Todd Calcamuggio, Assistant Principal
Luke Swanson, Assistant Principal
AHS PREVIOUS WEEKS' IMPORTANT INFORMATION
Free 2nd Semester Food Service - New Registration Required
FREE MEALS! The USDA approved a waiver effective August 31, 2020, that provides breakfast and lunch meals, free of charge, for all children 18 years of age and younger, including ATPS students 26 years of age and younger. Meals, which meet guidelines from the USDA and Michigan Department of Education, will be distributed through the Rochester Community Schools food service program.
When students are in school in person, daily breakfast and lunch will be served onsite in school cafeterias. Weekly curbside meal service DOES require NEW registration. Families requesting weekly curbside meals after January 21, 2021 must submit a new registration using this link: http://ow.ly/gdQu50DeQOw.
When students are in school in person, daily breakfast and lunch will be served onsite in school cafeterias. Weekly curbside meal service DOES require NEW registration. Families requesting weekly curbside meals after January 21, 2021 must submit a new registration using this link: http://ow.ly/gdQu50DeQOw.
News From the Counseling Department
High School Career Connections Newsletter

hs_career_connections_newsletter_january.pdf |
Academic Recognition For Seniors Modifications
Student Career Exploration
It’s typically during our fall grade level meetings that we have students complete their state-required Educational Development Plans (EDPs) and spend some time in career education via Xello. Since we can’t meet in person currently, we sent out information about Xello & EDPs to students via their language arts classes and their counseling Google Classroom pages. Please ask your student about this, and help us make sure their EDP is complete. Check out Xello with them, too! It is PACKED with exploration and learning students can do to move them toward finding a career that’s a great fit for their personality, skills, and interests.
Khan Academy - PSAT/SAT Test Practice
We are encouraging all Adams students to utilize Khan Academy as practice for future PSAT/SAT testing. Khan Academy provides students with personalized practice and study opportunities based on previous test scores when students link their Khan Academy account to their College Board account. See the instruction below on how to set up and use your Khan Academy account.
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khan_login_instructions_2021.pdf |
Club Announcements
ADAMS HIGH SCHOOL MATH CLUB OFFERS TUTORING

Interested in free, online, one on one math tutoring by Adams High School Students? Our Math Tutoring Club can provide quality tutoring at no cost to elementary, middle, and high school students via ZOOM! Visit Adams Math Tutoring Club to schedule a session and to view our website.
ParentVUE and StudentVUE Logins
Parents can obtain login information via ParentVUE for their students in all grades and programs. Please note that students in grades 6-12 are able to change their own passwords and ParentVUE will only display the initial password.
Parents can visit the Remote Learning @ RCS page (https://www.rochester.k12.mi.us/pages/156551/remote-learning-rcs) for more details.
Please remember, we are here for you! If you have questions, feel free to reach out to us. If you have a general question contact the main office at 248-726-5200. If we are not available please leave a message or email us at [email protected] and we will get back to you. If you need to speak to your counselor, send them an email and they will be in touch with you as soon as they can.
Parents can visit the Remote Learning @ RCS page (https://www.rochester.k12.mi.us/pages/156551/remote-learning-rcs) for more details.
- ParentVUE (web browser) - go to Student Info.
- ParentVUE (app) - go to Student Info > Additional Information.
- If a student needs a password reset, you can use our support form. It is the first item under the Contact Us grid in the link above.
- If you are still having trouble logging in, please email [email protected]
Please remember, we are here for you! If you have questions, feel free to reach out to us. If you have a general question contact the main office at 248-726-5200. If we are not available please leave a message or email us at [email protected] and we will get back to you. If you need to speak to your counselor, send them an email and they will be in touch with you as soon as they can.