Greetings Ospreys and Families,

It’s been a sweet first three days of the 2024/25 school year with lots of orientation activities that have helped students and staff connect and prepare for the year ahead. Regular classes start tomorrow!

We’re reaching out today to share information about the classes that will regularly take place on Wednesday afternoons at AHS, now that student orientation has wrapped up–Clubs and XBlocks.

At AHS, we know that student wellbeing is foundational to learning. As you can see on our Daily Schedule, Wednesdays are a bit different from the rest of the week, with an opportunity in the afternoon for culture-building and wellness-supporting activities. All students have grade-level core classes in the morning and elective courses do not meet on Wednesdays.

Immediately after lunch, students in all grade levels will participate in Clubs this year where we once had Advisory meetings. Clubs are designed to build relationships around shared interests, develop leadership and give students a chance to diversify their extracurricular activities. Clubs can be teacher-generated or student-generated.

View the 1st Quarter Club Options

Next Wednesday, August 28, we will use the Clubs period right after lunch to present first quarter options to students. We will send out the Clubs Request Form after next Wednesday and Clubs will begin on Wednesday, September 4.

One of the ways we work to support physical and mental health is through our XBlock program, which provides weekly opportunities to exercise through partnerships with community-based organizations such as Chapman Hill, Gravity Lab climbing gym, Durango Devo, Catacombs CrossFit and more. These classes contribute to our strong culture as students play alongside teachers and peers across grade levels. 

View the 1st Quarter XBlock Choices

First quarter XBlock classes will begin next Wednesday, August 28 and will end on October 23. There are 6 classes total this quarter

Clubs and XBlock will not meet during Osprey Blocks from September 17 through October 3.

Many of our XBlock classes take place off campus and students are released from their XBlock location at the end of the day; we do not provide transportation back to campus from off-campus locations on Wednesdays. The off-campus XBlocks travel to their meeting locations from AHS by bus, unless otherwise noted. Students are allowed to drive themselves from campus to XBlock locations but may not transport other students, with the exception of siblings. The Hub Bus runs from AHS to DHS at the end of the day on Wednesdays for those who remain on campus. 

Some XBlock classes are free, while others require a fee. If the cost of XBlock provides a financial hardship for you, please reach out to our Director of Operations at christine.imming@animashighschool.com.

XBlock is graded on a pass/fail basis determined by participation, and in order to receive credit, students must attend a minimum of 70% of the classes in a quarter. This includes both excused and unexcused absences. Please make every effort not to schedule appointments during XBlock.

Students are required to complete 3 years (1.5 credits) of XBlock to graduate from AHS, even if they are participating in team sports. For those who participate in organized sports, we offer Athlete Study Hall as an XBlock option. All 9th, 10th and 11th grade students are required to take XBlock; most seniors have already completed this requirement, but they are welcome to attend XBlock.

Students will receive the XBlock Sign Up Form through their student email Friday morning at 8am and will have time in classes to complete the XBlock form if they do not complete it independently.

Please reach out if you have any questions!

Upcoming Events

First Day of Regular Academic Classes: Thurs. 8/22

1st Quarter XBlocks Begin: Wed. 8/28

AHS Board of Directors Meeting: Wed. 8/28, 5:30pm

Back-to-School Open House for Families: Thurs. 8/29, 5pm

Labor Day Holiday (no classes): Mon. 9/2

1st Quarter Clubs Begin: Wed. 9/4

TWIGS Buds Meeting: Wed. 9/4, 5:30pm

TWIGS Caregivers' Coffee: Fri. 9/6, 8:30am

Professional Development Day (no classes): Mon. 9/16

Osprey Blocks: Tues. 9/17 through Thurs. 10/3

Fall Break (no classes): Fri. 10/4 through Mon. 10/7

Animas High School prepares all students for college and postsecondary success by creating critical thinkers and engaged citizens through an innovative, student-centered, project-based curriculum.

Educational programs, activities, and employment opportunities at AHS are offered without regard to disability, race, creed, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, family composition, marital status, national origin, religion, ancestry or need for special education services.