ARHS PGO Parent News

April 30th 2017 marks the 7th annual Daffodil Run in support of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hampshire County! This family friendly community event held at Kendrick Park in downtown Amherst offers participants a 5k walk/run or 10k run option. Participants race past many of the 50,000 daffodils planted in celebration of the Town of Amherst’s 250th anniversary. Festivities include a pre-race warm up, music, bounce house, games, barbecue and more! Join us to help make a difference in the lives of Hampshire County children facing challenges. Celebrate spring with us at the Daffodil Run!

Registration is open at RaceWire.com. Visit: https://racewire.com/register.php?id=7340
Visit http://www.chd.or/DaffodilRun

AMHERST SURVIVAL CENTER HOSTS JOB FAIR
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 26, 1-2:30PM

Amherst, MA – The Amherst Survival Center in collaboration with the Franklin Hampshire Career Center will sponsor a Job Fair on Wednesday, April 26 from 1:00 to 2:30pm. The Job Fair will include a dozen employers from the area. This is the third year that the Amherst Survival Center has held a Job Fair. Job Fairs at the Center are open to everyone.
The Job Fair will be held in the Center’s Community Dining Room, at 138 Sunderland Road in North Amherst. The Job Fair will take place at the Center on a day when no other services are available to the public.
Job Fairs are part of the Center’s job search assistance program. The program also includes weekly one-on-one assistance every Thursday from 11:30am-1pm, access to the Center’s public computers, and of course access to interview and employment related clothing through the Center’s Community Store. In addition, the Center has also begun to hold recruitment events with several temporary agencies in the area. The Center holds two Job Fairs a year, and in the late spring also hosts a panel for youth on finding summer employment.
According to Mindy Domb, Executive Director of the Amherst Survival Center, “the response to our Job Fairs has been consistently positive, encouraging us to continue to sponsor them as well as the recruitment events. We’re excited to present these programs, and to work in partnership with the Franklin Hampshire Career Centers and the prospective employers, in order to bring this possible employment service to our participants.”
Participants have shared what they thought was most helpful about past Fairs, including: “It was helpful to meet people from different companies. And to see what jobs they might be hiring for”, and “everyone was very welcoming and informative. And I have made a contact in which I feel positive about.”
“The Job Search Support Program increases our community’s access to employment opportunities and the skills they need to take advantage of them,” said Tracey Levy, Program Director. “The value of this program has been repeated to us by participants and we’re excited to continue to offer job search support in various ways.”
All are welcome to attend the Job Fair. The Amherst Survival Center’s Community Store also makes clothing available for free to participants, including clothing that could be useful in the job hunt scenario. The store is open Monday, Tuesday, Friday from 11am-2:45pm, and Thursdays from 11am-6:45pm.
The Amherst Survival Center connects residents of Hampshire and Franklin Counties to food, clothing, health care, wellness and community, primarily through volunteers.
Mindy Domb
Executive Director
Amherst Survival Center
P.O. Box 9629, 138 Sunderland Road
North Amherst, MA 01059
tel: 413.549.3968 x107; fax: 413.549.5860
Website: http://www.amherstsurvival.org

Want updates on the Amherst Charter Commission? Check out their website https://www.amherstma.gov/2248/Charter-Commission

There is a new feedback form online that directly relates to the draft proposed charter. Make your voice heard by completing the form here [https://www.amherstma.gov/ FormCenter/Charter-Commission- 29/Amherst-Charter-Commission- Draft-Charter-133].

All of the drafts of the proposed charter can be found on our website under Charter Drafts [https://www.amherstma.gov/ 2293/Charter-Drafts .

The Jones Library is proud to announce that the Fourth Annual Samuel Minot Jones Awards for Literary Achievement will honor ARHS parent Cammie McGovern, author and founder of Whole Children, and Arthur Kinney, founding director of the University of Massachusetts Center for Interdisciplinary Renaissance Studies, for their literary contributions. The gala event, the “Sammys”, will take place on Tuesday, May 2, 2017, at 6:00 p.m. at the Mead Art Museum at Amherst College.

The Sammys is Amherst’s signature event honoring the community’s remarkable and vibrant literary heritage. The evening will begin in the beautiful Mead galleries with delicious, abundant hors d’oeuvres, beer and wine from local breweries/vineyards, a signature cocktail, and live music. The awards ceremony will be held next door in comfortable Stirn Auditorium, where the evening will end with dessert, coffee and book signings by the honorees.

All proceeds from the Sammys will be used to support Library collections, purchasing materials in all formats and for all ages. Tickets can be purchased at the Jones Library or online at www.joneslibrary.org/sammys

Important links:

Event webpage:  www.joneslibrary.org/sammys

Facebook event:  https://www.facebook.com/events/1850103661869056/

Jones Library Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/joneslibrary

Jones Library Twitter page:  https://twitter.com/joneslibraryma

The Bay State Summer Games is Massachusetts’ own Olympic-style athletic competition that has annually been held since 1982. Each year the Summer Games features 7,000 athletes competing in 26 sports. Athletes of all ages and abilities represent over 300 Massachusetts communities each year. The Summer Games annually take place during the month of July. The Summer Games consist of Showcase Sports, Individual Sports, and Team Sports. Tryouts for Showcase Sports are held during the month of June statewide. Finals for all Summer Games competitions are held in the Metro Boston and Central Massachusetts area.

Got to http://www.BayStateGames.org for a list of the 15 individual sports and 5 team sports and to register.

On Saturday, May 20 from 3 to 5 pm the Massachusetts Education Justice Alliance is holding a rally on Boston Common with the theme “Resist, Invest, and Envision:  Demand the Schools our Communities Deserve.   All students, staff and families are invited to attend.

Here is the website for more information:

http://www.massedjustice.org/ may-20th-rally-for-public- education/

The Middle School and High School ELL Departments are hosting a picnic at Mill River Recreation Area (NEW LOCATION) on May 17 from 3:30-6:30 pm.  It is a potluck event where we honor our graduating seniors, welcome rising 9th graders, and say goodbye to students and staff who will not be returning next year. Families of current and former ELL students are welcome!

Join Us for the 2nd Annual Black Scholars Rising
Celebrating the Diaspora of African-American Culture
Friday, May 5, 2017 | 6:30pm
Amherst Regional Middle School, 170 Chestnut Street Cafeteria & Auditorium

Food will be provided by the ARHS Culinary Arts Program.

See flyers below:
BSR Save The Date      RESERVA LA FECHA_5deMayo

A new and expressive vibe took over the classrooms and halls of ARHS when the PGO Big Idea Grant, entitled Global Citizenship, manifested itself all day on Thursday, April 6. Four artists worked in over twenty classes in Dance, English, Music, and French.

Tony Vacca, a wild, local percussionist lead the group, setting a full array of percussion instruments on stage collected from around the world, as choral, jazz ensemble, and concert choir groups came to play with him.

Mamadou N’diaye, a rapper / musician from Senegal inhabited the French corridor, sharing his knowledge of cultural diversity in Senegal with Oumy Cisse’s French classes where he talked about local languages, religion, fashion, traditional musical instruments, and the origin of Rap music that has been traced to West Africa.

Tantra Zawada, an African American poet from New York City, performed poems by such well known poets as Walt Whitman and Maya Angelou, inspiring the students in 10th grade English classes to create their own “Remakes” of published poems and share them with one another.

Meanwhile, Abdou Sarr, a Senegalese dancer, taught a harvest dance to all of Tracy Vernon’s dance classes.

The day culminated in a G Block assembly, where approximately 400 students, had the opportunity to actually watch these four performers share their expertise, along with some of the students who had created performance pieces during the day.

We are so grateful for all the support and enthusiasm we received from administrators, teachers, and staff. Special thanks to the PGO for funding this project!

Oumy Cisse, Tracy Vernon, & Ellen Reich (Grant Writers)

ARPS’ School Equity Task Force meets the first Wednesday of the month, from 6-8 pm, in the high school library.  We invite all parents and guardians to attend our meetings.  We discuss issues of equity in our schools and how to resolve inequitable obstacles as they confront our youth.

April 14th-April 21 – No School: Spring Break

April 27th-30th – Student Produced Plays, 7:30 – 9:30 pm

May 2nd – Chorale Spring Concert, S. Congregational Church, 7:30 – 9 pm

May 2nd – Valley Gives Day

May 5th – 2nd Annual Black Scholars Rising, 6:30 pm

May 10th – Early Release

May 12th – DTE Spring Concert, 7:30 – 9:00pm

May 17th – ELL Annual 7-12 Picnic

May 16th-17th – Math MCAS

May 24th – Symphonic Orchestra, Combined Choruses, Wind Ensemble, 7:30 – 9:00pm

May 25th – Jazz Ensemble Tribute Show, 7:30 – 9:00pm

May 29th – Memorial Day

May 30th – June 2nd – Senior Exams

June 2nd – Last Day for Seniors & Senior Prom

The Amherst Survival Center in collaboration with the Franklin Hampshire Career Center will sponsor a Job Fair on Wednesday, April 26 from 1:00 to 2:30pm. The Job Fair will include a dozen employers from the area. This is the third year that the Amherst Survival Center has held a Job Fair. Job Fairs at the Center are open to everyone.

The Job Fair will be held in the Center’s Community Dining Room, at 138 Sunderland Road in North Amherst. The Job Fair will take place at the Center on a day when no other services are available to the public.

Job Fairs are part of the Center’s job search assistance program. The program also includes weekly one-on-one assistance every Thursday from 11:30am-1pm, access to the Center’s public computers, and of course access to interview and employment related clothing through the Center’s Community Store.  In addition, the Center has also begun to hold recruitment events with several temporary agencies in the area.  The Center holds two Job Fairs a year, and in the late spring also hosts a panel for youth on finding summer employment.

According to Mindy Domb, Executive Director of the Amherst Survival Center, “the response to our Job Fairs has been consistently positive, encouraging us to continue to sponsor them as well as the recruitment events. We’re excited to present these programs, and to work in partnership with the Franklin Hampshire Career Centers and the prospective employers, in order to bring this possible employment service to our participants.”

Participants have shared what they thought was most helpful about past Fairs, including: “It was helpful to meet people from different companies. And to see what jobs they might be hiring for”, and “everyone was very welcoming and informative. And I have made a contact in which I feel positive about.”

“The Job Search Support Program increases our community’s access to employment opportunities and the skills they need to take advantage of them,” said Tracey Levy, Program Director. “The value of this program has been repeated to us by participants and we’re excited to continue to offer job search support in various ways.”

All are welcome to attend the Job Fair. The Amherst Survival Center’s Community Store also makes clothing available for free to participants, including clothing that could be useful in the job hunt scenario. The store is open Monday, Tuesday, Friday from11am-2:45pm, and Thursdays from 11am-6:45pm.

The Amherst Survival Center connects residents of Hampshire and Franklin Counties to food, clothing, health care, wellness and community, primarily through volunteers.

Contact: Tracey Levy, Program Director 549-3968 ext 102

Beginning today, Amherst police will be on the lookout for people texting or sending emails while driving. They’ll be participating in a statewide campaign to reduce the number of crashes, fatalities and injuries caused by distracted drivers.

Each year Hood offers a scholarship to seniors.  This year Megan Rice is the only ARHS finalist for the Hood scholarship.  You can vote for her at:

https://hood.com/scholarship

Good luck Megan!

On Monday, April 17, 2017 from 10:30 am to 11:30 am, Multi-Arts is inviting all children from the community to celebrate EARTH DAY and create artistic post-cards referring to this question: “Why does the environment matter and what can we do to protect it?” Our art teacher will inspire and guide them in the art design of the post-cards.  Multi-Arts will deliver them to people in power  The event will be held at Immanuel Lutheran Church.

Space is limited, please reserve your space at info@multi-arts.org

ONLINE: Children can also participate in this event online, by writing their message at: http://www.multi-arts.org/voices-of-children-for-the-environment.html This web page will be available online through April 21^st.

Multi-Arts is extending the invitation to celebrate EARTH DAY to the adult community.  They will make available an ART STATION table with art supplies, post-card paper, and examples of designs and message.  This event will also be held on April 17, 2017.  It will be from 10:30 am to 4:00 pm. The ART STATION table will be located at the entrance hallway of the Immanuel Lutheran Church.

The Charter Commission is zeroing in on a set of recommendations for reshaping Amherst government. We invite you to attend one of our upcoming feedback sessions. These feedback sessions will provide an opportunity for the public to learn about and to comment on the emerging plan. There is still time to have input but as the weeks go by, the chance to influence the plan will diminish. Please join us for one or more of these sessions. You can also participate with a feedback form that you can find on our web site, or by sending us an email.

Web address: https://www.amherstma.gov/2248/Charter-Commission
Feedback Form: https://www.amherstma.gov/FormCenter/Charter-Commission-29/Amherst-Charter-Commission-Draft-Charter-133
Email address: charter@amherstma.gov
Facebook page: amherst charter commission

All feedback sessions will be held in the Woodbury Room at the Jones Library
· Wednesday, April 5, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
· Tuesday, April 11, 7:00 – 9:00 pm

To those who have already signed up for the Stop & Shop A+ Rewards Program, thank you! From the money raised last year, the PGO Grants Program was able to award monies to 12 of the proposals submitted by students and teachers. And this was without costing anyone more than a minute to register their card by following this link and by doing their grocery shopping at Stop & Shop!

AHRS parents/guardians are invited to participate in our 2nd annual Career Day advisory on Thursday, April 27th to share your career path story.  Last year’s event, which involved multiple parents/guardians and community members, was very popular with our students.  We encourage people who participated last year to come again – the 9th and 10th grade students scheduled for this year did not participate in last year’s program.

Participating in our Career Day advisory requires only a 1 hour commitment, from 10:10 a.m to 11:10 a.m.  During your visit, you will be stationed in a classroom with another speaker and will be asked to speak for 10-15 minutes to a group of students who have signed up in advance to hear your presentation.  They will then have time to ask questions.

To confirm your participation in our Career Day advisory, please reply to this email expressing your interest by Friday, April 7th. Please include your name, job title/profession, place of employment, and contact information.  Further details about the event will be sent to you in April.

At ARHS, we strive to prepare students to be both college and career ready. Our goal is to inspire our students and educate them about the career opportunities open to them and the importance of furthering their education after high school.  We hope that you will join us for this educational opportunity.

March 30, 2017

To:       The Amherst Public School District staff and administration and the Amherst community,

From:  Phoebe Hazzard, Amherst School Committee Vice-Chair and Dr. Michael Morris, Interim Superintendent

While the proposed new schools building project failed to achieve a two-thirds majority in Tuesday’s referendum vote, our district will continue to move forward and plan for ways to ensure that our schools remain the best teaching and learning environments possible for our students and staff. There is no question that there was a wide range of opinions and feelings about the project in our small community. But the rigorous and passionate debate leading up to the vote reinforced how deeply our community cares about our elementary schools. And, the activity around the referendum has sparked an upswell in civic involvement, with many district parents now engaging as elected participants in our local democratic system.

Though provocative, the conversation around the proposed building project has also made our community increasingly aware of persistent issues that educators, administrators, and school committees have been grappling with for years, particularly the challenging physical environment of the Fort River and Wildwood buildings, uneven socio-economic distribution of our families, lack of affordable preschool, and fiscal challenges. Our educators work every day to provide our children with outstanding educational experiences despite a challenging teaching environment. These problems remain unresolved, and as we move forward we must be committed to continuing to consider how to address them in the most fiscally responsible and timely manner possible.

The Amherst School Committee will hold its next public meeting on April 25th at 6:00 p.m., at which we will likely discuss next steps. Interim Superintendent Dr. Morris will move forward with requests for the town to fund the outstanding capital repairs needed at Fort River and Wildwood, beginning with $500,000 to replace the Wildwood boiler. The district will also request $115,000 to conduct a site and building assessment at the Fort River School to inform discussion about the future potential of that site.

As we begin this next chapter, we’d like to express a sincere thank you to the members of the School Building Committee for their hundreds of hours of work on the proposed school buildings project.

Three Amherst Regional High School students have been awarded national medals for the 2017 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, the nation’s longest-running and most prestigious recognition program for creative teens in grades 7–12. Ava Blum-Carr received a Gold Medal for her oil painting “Detainees”, one of only three paintings from Massachusetts selected for that honor. Maya Durham won gold in the category of Comic Art for her drawing “The Last City”, and she is the only student in the state to win national honors in this category. Both Blum-Carr’s and Durham’s artworks address the refugee crisis. Ling Li won a Silver Medal for her drawing “Amalia” in the Drawing & Illustration category. All three works were created this fall in the Art Portfolio class led by teacher Ben Sears. Sears will also be honored as a Gold Medal Educator. Blum-Carr’s and Durham’s Gold Medal winning works will be on display at either Parsons, The New School for Design or the Pratt Manhattan Gallery. On June 8, 2017, the pair will be among those honored during a special awards ceremony live-webcasted from the world-famous Carnegie Hall.  You can see their artworks here.

We are pleased to announce that ARHS junior, Neosha Narayanan has been awarded a NCWIT (National Center for Women in Information Technology) Award for Aspirations in Computing (AiC) for Massachusetts in 2017. The NCWIT Award for Aspirations in Computing honors high school women who are active and interested in computing and technology, and encourages them to pursue their passions. You can view her award page here.

1. If you are planning to attend a community college and have not yet applied or taken the Accuplacer test, required of all entering students, you should do those things ASAP. It’s almost time to register for fall classes and you’ll want to take care of it as early as you can to get the classes you want.

2. HCC registration day is Saturday, April 8.  GCC Open House is Tuesday, April 18 and registration begins on Tuesday, April 19.  You will want to attend these events if you intend to enroll.  Check the college websites (hcc.edu and gcc.mass.edu) for precise information.

3. The FAFSA deadline for the Mass Grant, available to Pell recipients is May 1.  This deadline applies primarily to low-income students who are going to community colleges and have not yet filed a FAFSA.

4. If you have not heard about your admissions or financial aid status from any colleges by April 10, you should call them to get the information you need.

5. Please indicate all admissions decisions in Naviance (connection.naviance.com/amherst).  When you have made your college decision, please “set the attending college under “Colleges I’m Thinking About.”  Then go to “About Me,” and do both the Graduation Survey and Graduation survey Supplement.  Total completion time, 4 minutes!  .”

6. If you are having trouble deciding between your colleges, comparing your packages or figuring out how you can possibly pay for this, you should come to the MEFA presentation “Paying for College” in the ARHS cafeteria on Thursday, April 6 at 7:00 p.m. There is a group presentation and the speaker will talk to families individually afterward if needed. Bring your financial aid award letters.  This is not only for parents.  Students should attend.

7. I am available for appointments with senior families who would like to discuss appealing financial aid awards, handling waitlists or any other college admission matters.

8. IMPORTANT, you can deposit at only one college before May 1. We will send only one final transcript for each graduate.

9. I know that this can be a very difficult time for many seniors. Please see me or your guidance counselor if you would like some help.

Myra Ross

College Advisor

Are you getting ready for graduation? If yes, please see this important notice about graduation to help you prepare for the big day.

This year, Amherst Regional High School’s JETS Engineering Club entered six teams (47 students, grades 9-12) into the national Test of Engineering Aptitude, Mathematics, and Science (TEAM+S).  ARHS has competed in the TEAM+S competition since 1989. TEAM+S is a national academic competition formally sponsored by the Junior Engineering Technical Society and recently taken over by the Technology Student Association. More than 1,000 teams of students compete nationwide every year in a fun and fast-paced competition that inspires creativity, teamwork, critical thinking and valuable insight into the world of engineering.  The theme of this year’s competition was “Engineering the Environment.” Students worked in teams of 8 to complete a multiple choice test, a 1000-word essay, and finally a hands-on design/build challenge. You can see photos from this event here.

If you’re one of the 1.4 million high school athletes across the country that excels in the classroom, on the field and within your community, apply now.

Wendy’s High School Heisman is looking for all types of high-achieving seniors (Class of 2018) from more than 29,000 public and private high schools within the U.S. We consider young men and women who participate in a wide range of sports as well as school and community activities.

To achieve award eligibility for the 2017 Wendy’s High School Heisman, students must be seniors during the 2017-2018 academic year, graduating with the class of 2018.

Click here to apply for Wendy’s High School Heisman.

2017 represents the 36th year of a totally fun Amherst High tradition: Project Graduation (also known as Senior Party).  Every year, on the evening after graduation, parents of both seniors and juniors have organized a great party to celebrate ARHS graduating seniors and give them a final chance to hang out and have fun.

This is not a school-sponsored event! It happens every year with a lot of help from parents, business donors, and the entire community.

Check out the website at: http://www.arhsprojectgraduation.com/

ARHS parent and acclaimed author Cammie McGovern will be part of a benefit fundraiser for Whole Children on April 1 at Barnes and Noble in Hadley.

It’s that time of the year again! Registration for Splash! Spring 2017 is now open.

Amherst Splash is a one day event where middle and high school students take classes taught by Amherst College students. This year, Splash! will be held on Saturday, April 15th from 9am to 4pm.

We are thrilled to debut an awesome course catalog. This year features old favorites like How to Solve a Rubik’s Cube, as well as exciting new options like Introduction to Sailing and Minimal Logic. View the full list of classes here: https://amherstsplash.learningu.org/learn/Splash/2017_Spring/catalog Each student will register for 5 hour-long classes (one of which must be lunch), which are filled on a first come, first serve basis! There is a $10 registration fee that will cover all five courses, materials, and lunch. Scholarships available on request.

Register for Splash! here: https://amherstsplash.learningu.org/learn/register.html

Registration will be closing on Monday, April 10th at midnight! If you have any questions or concerns, please email us at amherstsplash@gmail.com.

The Daffodil Run 5K Walk/Run & 10K Run

Sunday, April 30, 2017

10:00 AM

Kendrick Park, Amherst

Registration costs before April 1st:

5K Run Adult: $25,  Student: $18,  Child (under 12): $8

Join the fun in support of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hampshire County! The Daffodil Run is a community event for all ages and abilities.  Run or walk, enjoy entertainment, food and more.  Register before April 1st for early bird rates and an event t-shirt.  Registration is live on RaceWire.com. Visit our web site for more details or call 413-259-3345.

Visit www.chd.or/DaffodilRun

The Jones Library Celebrates the Thoreau Bicentennial Statewide Read,

Bocce, Badminton, Croquet

Amherst, Massachusetts —Think you’ve got game? Think you can take on a UMASS college athlete and win? How about at Bocce?

Join us on the Downtown Common for “The Games on the Common” where ordinary Amherst citizens of all ages can engage in demonstrations of backyard prowess. Show off your style. Try your hand at a new game. Unlock secret talents. Pick up pro tips. Participate or spectate. Bring your A game or order up a nice picnic lunch from one of our fine cafes, pubs and restaurants and join us for croquet, bocce, and badminton.

April 9 and 23 from 12 – 4 pm, (the April 2nd date has been cancelled due to weather) the Amherst BID is providing games, balls and nets and offering an open invitation to the community at large. UMASS Athletics is sending student athlete ambassadors to join in the fun. The Town Common is a level and welcoming playing field used for over 250 years as a community resource.

The Amherst Charter Commision is hosting public workshops for community members to learn about and have input into the emerging recommendations

The Charter Commission is zeroing in on a set of recommendations for reshaping Amherst government. These workshops will provide an opportunity for the public to learn about and to comment on the emerging plan. There is still time to have input but as the weeks go by, the opportunity to influence the plan will diminish. Please join us for one or more of these sessions. You can also participate with a feedback form that you can find on our web site, or by sending us an email.

Web address: https://www.amherstma.gov/2248/Charter-Commission

Email address: charter@amherstma.gov

Facebook page: amherst charter commission

All workshops will be held in the Woodbury Room at the Jones Library

· Thursday, March 30, 7:00 – 9:00

· Wednesday, April 5, 10:00 – 12:00

· Tuesday, April 11, 7:00 – 9:00

On Tuesday, March 21, the Amherst-Pelham Regional School Committee and the Union 26 Committee, meeting jointly, unanimously decided to postpone the search for a permanent superintendent of schools until fall 2017.  The committees will name an interim superintendent to serve for the 2017-2018 academic year, with a permanent superintendent to start on July 1, 2018.  Dr. Michael Morris has served as interim superintendent during the current academic year.

The committees deliberated about how best to proceed with the search for a new district superintendent following the news last week that the search firm hired to conduct the process on behalf of the district had inappropriately requested criminal background information from applicants. The committees had a thorough and deliberate discussion in which members balanced multiple issues, including the desire for a new educational leader, confidence in the current search firm, resources expended to date, the timing of the search, and the strong need to have a permanent superintendent who has the full confidence of the community and the committees.

The committees strongly believe that postponing the search until fall 2017, which would follow the typical calendar for superintendent searches, gives our district the best opportunity to ensure a better pool of qualified and diverse candidates than if we restarted the search immediately.  The committees also intend to work closely with the district’s human resources staff and Ray & Associates, the search firm, to ensure that a new search would adhere to all Massachusetts employment and discrimination laws, as well as achieve a standard of excellence that we expect for a search of this importance.  We are committed to bringing regular updates to the committees and the public as we restart the search process during the next few months.

Our committees have expressed how deeply they value input from the community in matters related to the governance of our school district, and continue to be interested in the full participation of the community. We hope that the volunteers who stepped forward to help with the screening of candidates and the broader search will continue to be interested in participating when we pick up this process again in the fall.

We are grateful to interim superintendent Dr. Morris and the district leadership team for their support during this search process. The committees will continue to work with our interim superintendent and other district leaders to ensure that we have a stable, robust educational plan in place for the next school year. We also will continue to work closely with our talented and dedicated educators, principals and other staff to ensure the continued success of our students and schools.

———–

El martes, 21 de marzo, el Comité Escolar Regional de Amherst-Pelham y el Comité de la Unión 26, reunidos conjuntamente, decidieron por unanimidad aplazar la búsqueda de un superintendente permanente de escuelas hasta el otoño de 2017. Los comités nombrarán a un superintendente interino para servir en el año académico 2017 -2018, con un superintendente permanente para comenzar el 1 de julio de 2018. El Dr. Michael Morris ha servido como superintendente interino durante el año académico actual.

Los comités deliberaron sobre la mejor manera de proceder con la búsqueda de un nuevo superintendente de distrito tras la noticia de la semana pasada que la firma de búsqueda contratada, para llevar a cabo el proceso en nombre del distrito, había solicitado de manera inapropiada información de antecedentes penales de los solicitantes. Los comités tuvieron una discusión minuciosa y deliberada en la que los miembros han equilibrado múltiples cuestiones, entre ellas el deseo de un nuevo líder educativo, la confianza en la empresa de búsqueda actual, los recursos gastados hasta la fecha, el momento de la búsqueda y la fuerte necesidad de tener un Superintendente que tenga la plena confianza de la comunidad y de los comités.

Los comités creen firmemente que posponer la búsqueda hasta el otoño de 2017, que seguiría el calendario típico de las búsquedas de superintendentes, da a nuestro distrito la mejor oportunidad de asegurar una mejor reserva de candidatos calificados y diversos, que si volvemos a iniciar la búsqueda inmediatamente. Los comités también tienen la intención de trabajar en estrecha colaboración con el personal de Recursos Humanos del Distrito y Ray & Associates, la firma de búsqueda, para asegurar que la nueva búsqueda se adhiera a todas las leyes de empleo y discriminación de Massachusetts, así como lograr el nivel de excelencia que esperamos para una búsqueda de esta importancia. Estamos comprometidos a llevar actualizaciones periódicas a los comités y al público mientras reiniciamos el proceso de búsqueda durante los próximos meses.

Nuestros comités han expresado lo mucho que valoran el aporte de la comunidad en los asuntos relacionados con la gobernanza de nuestro distrito escolar, y siguen interesados en la plena participación de la comunidad. Esperamos que los voluntarios que se ofrecieron para ayudar con la selección de los candidatos y la búsqueda más amplia sigan interesados en participar cuando retomemos este proceso de nuevo en el otoño.

Estamos agradecidos al superintendente interino Dr. Morris y al equipo de liderazgo del distrito por su apoyo durante este proceso de búsqueda. Los comités continuarán trabajando con nuestro superintendente interino y otros líderes del distrito para asegurar que tengamos un plan educacional estable y robusto establecido para el próximo año escolar. También continuaremos trabajando estrechamente con nuestros talentosos y dedicados educadores, directores y demás personal para asegurar el éxito continuo de nuestros estudiantes y nuestras escuelas.

There are many highly selective colleges and universities that sponsor free overnight “fly-in” programs for seniors in the fall.  They are usually two days long and are designed to welcome students to campus who can then assess whether an institution would be a good fit.  At the same time, they can get to know you a little so they can put a name with a face should you decide to apply.

This program may be for you if you earn high grades, take primarily honors and AP classes, and fit into at least one of the following three categories:

1. Neither of your parents has a four-year college degree.
2. You come from a Low income household
3. You are a person of color

These Fly-In programs are selective. There are essays to write and application deadlines, some of which are this spring.

College Greenlight is a website that can help you find fall Fly-In programs with their dates and application deadlines.  The dates on the website are for this current school year, and will likely be updated for next year soon.  For now, use the 2016-17 information as a guide that will let you know which colleges have programs, when they are, what they are named, and when to apply.

If any of the colleges on the list, most of which meet full demonstrated need, is of interest to you, check the college’s own website for up-to-date information about the program you might want to apply for.  If you don’t see what you are looking for, contact their Admissions Office for help.

If applications require teacher or counselor recommendations, be sure to request them a few weeks in advance.

College Greenlight: http://blog.collegegreenlight.com/blog/college-fly-dive There are many highly selective colleges and universities that sponsor free overnight “fly-in” programs for seniors in the fall.  They are usually two days long and are designed to welcome students to campus who can then assess whether an institution would be a good fit.  At the same time, they can get to know you a little so they can put a name with a face should you decide to apply.

There are many highly selective colleges and universities that sponsor free overnight “fly-in” programs for seniors in the fall.  They are usually two days long and are designed to welcome students to campus who can then assess whether an institution would be a good fit.  At the same time, they can get to know you a little so they can put a name with a face should you decide to apply.

http://blog.collegegreenlight.com/blog/college-fly-diversity-programs-2016-2017/

If you’re one of the 1.4 million high school athletes across the country that excels in the classroom, on the field and within your community, apply now.

Wendy’s High School Heisman is looking for all types of high-achieving seniors (Class of 2018) from more than 29,000 public and private high schools within the U.S. We consider young men and women who participate in a wide range of sports as well as school and community activities.

To achieve award eligibility for the 2017 Wendy’s High School Heisman, students must be seniors during the 2017-2018 academic year, graduating with the class of 2018.

Click here to apply for Wendy’s High School Heisman.

FREE Workshop
Date: April 5th and April 12th
Where: Amherst Regional High School Library
Time: 5:00pm-9:00pm
To Register: Nancy Stewart email: sepac@arps.org or call 413-687-4255

Youth Mental Health First Aid is designed to teach parents, family members, caregivers, teachers, school staff, peers, neighbors, health and human services workers, and other caring citizens how to help an adolescent (age 12-18) who is experiencing a mental health or addictions challenge or is in crisis. Youth Mental Health First Aid is primarily designed for adults who regularly interact with young people. The course introduces common mental health challenges for youth, reviews typical adolescent development, and teaches a 5-step action plan for how to help young people in both crisis and non-crisis situations. Topics covered include anxiety, depression, substance use, disorders in which psychosis may occur, disruptive behavior disorders (including AD/HD), and eating disorders. Identified on SAMHSA’s National Registry of Evidence-Based Programs and Practices, the training helps the public better identify, understand and respond to signs of mental illnesses. Any adult is welcome to attend.

(Must attend both days and pre-register; limited to 25 participants.)

Mental Health First Aid_English

Mental Health First Aid_Spanish

ARHS Librarian, Leslie Lomasson, has been named a recipient of the 2017 Massachusetts School Library Association Web Seal of Excellence Award. A school library’s web presence is an important tool for teaching, learning, communication, advocacy, and public relations. This award recognizes excellence in a school library’s use of web tools. The Amherst Regional High School Library website is exemplary: http://arhs.arps.libguides.com/ARHS-Library

Ms. Lomasson will receive the award on May 7th at the MSLA Annual Meeting and Awards Dinner at the Hyannis Resort and Inn. This awards dinner is a part of the MSLA Annual Conference, “Beyond the Binding.”

March 29th– Early Release; Coffee with Principal Mark Jackson
March 30th – Combined Concert: Jazz and Symphony Band
March 31st – A Night on Broadway, 7:30 – 9 pm
April 3rd– ARHS Scholarship Application Deadline
April 5th– ARHS Blood Drive; Chamber Winds Concert 7:30 PM
April 6th– Chamber Orchestra Concert 7:30 PM
April 9th – Local Vocal Chord Bowl, 4 – 7 pm
April 14th- April 21– No School: Spring Break
April 27th – 30th – Student Produced Plays, 7:30 – 9:30 pm
May 2nd – Chorale Spring Concert, S. Congregational Church, 7:30 – 9 pm
May 10th – Early Release
May 16th-17th – Math MCAS
May 29th – Memorial Day
May 30th -June 2nd – Senior Exams