ARHS PGO Parent News

Fall Semester Exams will be held January 17th-20th.  The schedule is:

1/17- B Period Exam

1/18- A and E Period Exams

1/19- C and F Period Exams

1/20- D and G Period Exams

For a more detailed exam schedule, click here.

Please note:

• Exam days are NOT cycle days.
• B period review is on Friday, Jan. 13th, which is a day 7.
• If a class meets every other day, please follow these general guidelines:
  • Math Elective will meet for both review and exam sessions and will not alternate with Directed Study, AAC, or Academic Skills…even if that means it meets two days in a row.
  • Students who have AAC alternating with Academic Skills will attend Academic Skills.
  • Students who have AAC alternating with Directed Study will attend AAC.

• Please remember…students may NOT take final exams early.  Here is an excerpt about exams from our Student and Family Handbook:

• All exams are to be taken during the regularly scheduled exam period for the course. Students are not permitted to take exams before when their class is scheduled to take them. There are no exceptions.
• Students who have an unexcused absence will receive a “0” for missed exams.  A student who misses an exam because of an excused absence will receive an INC on his/her report card.
• Final exams missed because of an absence must be completed during the first week of the new semester.  Students who do not complete final exams during this time will receive a 0 for the final exam grade.
• Students will be dismissed at 11:55 on both Thursday, Jan. 19th and Friday, Jan. 20th. Unless they have an appointment to meet with a teacher, students must leave the building immediately after dismissal on both days.

• Lunch will not be served on Thursday, Jan. 19th or Friday, Jan. 20th.

• Monday, Jan. 23rd is a teacher work day.  There is no school for students.
• The first day of semester 2 is Tuesday, Jan. 24th.  It is a Day 1.  The day will begin in advisory to distribute semester 2 schedules.

Students who took the PSAT in October should pick up the hard copy of their scores and the actual test booklet in the Guidance Office.  The booklet contains all the questions on the test.  Students can see the correct answers as well as exactly what they got right and wrong.

For senior families:  Come to the FAFSA completion event on Thursday, January 19 in the cafeteria at 7:00 p.m. sharp.  Spend two hours and leave with your federal financial aid form complete.  WIFI will be available.  Families can bring a laptop or tablet.  Please register in advance at fafsaday.org.  Check the website for a list of documents to bring.

Juniors should begin to plan their college admissions testing schedule.  The ACT will be offered on February 11, April 8 and June 10.  The SAT dates will be March 11, May 6 and June 3.  Register with no late fee by midnight on January 13 for the February ACT.  Late registration is possible until January 20.  Sophomores who are earning a B+ or better in honors chemistry should consider taking the chemistry subject test in June.  (SAT website: collegeboard.org; ACT website actstudent.org)

ARHS College Advisor, Myra Ross, will begin meeting with juniors and their parents/guardians on February 9.  Juniors must complete the Junior Questionnaire for College Conference under About Me in Naviance before making their appointment  in Guidance after February 1.  Parents/guardians should attend if at all possible.  Make sure your child knows when you could be available.

The First Annual Valley’s Got Talent competition will be held on Sunday, March 26th, from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm in the Bangs Community Center. This is an amateur talent competition for all ages!

1st Prize $1000, 2nd Prize $500, 3rd Prize $250!
Auditions will be held on February 6th in the Bangs Community Center from 6:30 pm-8:00 pm.
For an application go to: https://www.amherstma.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=1818

Come join the ARHS Choirs for a night of fun skits and small group performances!

The performances will be:
Friday, Jan. 6th at 7:30
Saturday, Jan. 7th at 7:30
Sunday, Jan. 8th at 2:00

Tickets are $5 for students and $10 for adults and will be sold both at Lunch Period and at the door.

Desserts will be served. Come out to support the choral program in one of our biggest fundraisers of the year!

The Writing Center in room 141 will be open additional hours after school until 3:00 on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and just in time for finals! Students can make an appointment online or drop by anytime to access additional one-on-one writing support. Encourage your students to stop by for focused support with any aspect of the writing process – from developing an outline to reviewing a final draft.

The Amherst Hurricane Boosters is an independent group of parents, coaches and other supporters of Middle and High School sports in Amherst. We raise funds to: ensure the continued existence of sports programs, increase participation in athletics, ensure a positive experience for participants, and promote achievement in sports. We work closely with the Athletic Department, and with coaches and teams.

You are invited to attend a informational meeting on Thursday, January 12th @ 6 p.m. in the ARHS Cafe.

Please register to attend through FamilyID. https://www.familyid.com/ programs/arhs-arms-hurricane- booster-meeting or by clicking here.

Light refreshments will be served.

The P.O.C.U. Club (People of Color United) is sponsoring a Food Drive to benefit the Amherst Survival Center – for the entire month of January.

Please consider contributing dry or canned food items.  Collection boxes are outside of Guidance Office  and in room 168.

The annual Four Town Meeting will be held this Saturday.

For over 20 years, middle school students from Amherst’s sister city Kanegasaki, Japan, have come to Amherst for a short visit in March. This year, they have asked us to receive four high school students in addition to the usual group of middle schoolers. Any family interested in hosting a Japanese student from March 22-26, please contact Aaron Kropf (KropfA@arps.org, 362-1541) or Denise Boyd (BoydD@arps.org, 362-1838)

Sell Your Outgrown or Lightly Used Winter Gear on Consignment to Support the Amherst Historical Society and the Crocker Farm PGO

Clean out your garage and basements and earn extra money from your unwanted winter gear. The Historical Society will be accepting lightly used winter sports equipment to resell, either as donations or on consignment, during its 2-day ski, skate, and snowboard sale. Consignors earn 50% of all revenue from their sold items. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Society’s partner in this event: the Crocker Farm Parent-Guardian Organization.

Consignments will be accepted only on Friday, Jan. 6, 4 to 6 p.m., at Crocker Farm School. The Society reserves the right to refuse any consigned or donated items not in usable condition.

The two day Ski, Skate, and Snowboard sale runs Friday, Jan. 6, from 6 to 9 p.m., and Saturday, Jan. 7, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Crocker Farm Elementary School. (280 West Street) The Sale features both new and used equipment at rock-bottom prices so that the entire family can afford to get the equipment they need. Experts will be on hand to help individuals buy just the right item and the right size.

The Amherst Historical Society reserves the right to refuse any consigned or donated items not in usable condition. You must pick up your money or unsold items after the sale ends on Saturday afternoon, from 1:30 to 3 p.m. Any unclaimed items will be donated or discarded and uncollected funds will be considered a donation.

For information, contact Bonnie MacCracken at 413-256-6857 or at amhersthistory.org

We wish you and all of the ARHS community a happy holiday season and a peaceful, well deserved break. See you next year! Your Parent News Editors — Becky,  Jennifer and Mare

The students in the picture are using computers to program arduino boards. Arduino boards are able to read inputs (light on a sensor, a finger on a button, or sound on a microphone) and turn them into an outputs (activating a motor, turning on an LED, or making a speaker beep.)

In the background on the right is Jim Kurose.  Jim is a Computer Science Prof at UMass who is currently the Assistant Director of the National Science Foundation (NSF) for the Computer and Information Science and Engineering.

Many thanks to those who were involved including but not limited to: Norm Price, Jennifer Welborn, Nat Woodruff, Ned Young, Kerry Shaw, Renee Fall, Deanna Roux, Michael Morris, Sarah Dunton, Rick Adrion, Kathryn Runyan, Liz Breen and Patty Bode.

Important Dates for Seniors 2016-17:

Jan. 1-15, Regular decision application deadlines at many 4yr colleges
Jan. 11, Request for school portion of application must be in Naviance for Feb 1st college deadlines
Jan. 15, UMass-Amherst regular decision application deadline – all materials DUE by Feb 1
Jan. 19, ARHS FAFSA Completion Event—bring completed tax return and W2 and leave with FAFSA almost complete (register fafsaday.org)
Jan. 21, SAT; Northampton HS; registration deadline Dec. 21 w/ no late fee (Jan 3 w/ fee waiver or late fee)
Feb. 1 or 15, Financial aid application deadline at most 4yr colleges (some earlier)
Early Feb., GCC and HCC individual “Decision Day” admission conferences at ARHS
Feb. 15, Local Scholarship packet e-mailed to seniors.
Mar. 1, UMass FAFSA deadline
Late March, HCC Foundation scholarship deadline
Apr. 3, ARHS Scholarship Application deadline (3:30 p.m.).
April (TBA), MEFA “After the Acceptance” program about comparing financial aid awards and making college decisions
May 1, Candidate reply deadline: students must inform 4-yr colleges about enrollment intentions, and deposit at only one college.
May 1, FAFSA filing deadline for eligibility for Mass grant, available only to Pell grant recipients
Jun. 2, Last day of school for seniors
Jun. 9, Graduation!

Thank you to those who have signed up for the Stop & Shop A+ Rewards Program. The funds raised through this program make it possible to support many initiatives and have made a difference to teachers and students. Among last year’s recipients was Mike Thompson, ARHS Science teacher who wrote: “[t]hanks again for helping us build our repertoire of authentic labs and allowing us to purchase equipment that we otherwise could not afford!”

If you have not done so, please take a moment to register your Stop & Shop cards for the A+ Rewards Program and help support exciting projects proposed by our students and teachers.

Purchases made at all Stop & Shop stores will benefit ARHS, including purchases at stores in Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, and Rhode Island!

Dec. 23rd – Early Release
Dec. 26th – Jan 2nd: Holiday Break No School
Jan. 3rd – Classes Resume
Jan. 13th-14th – Dance Theatre Ensemble, 7:30pm – 9:00pm
Jan. 16th – MLK JR. Day- School is Closed
Jan. 19th – Early Release Day
Jan. 20th – Early Release Day
Jan. 23rd – Teacher Curriculum Day- No School
Jan 24th – Quarter 3 and Semester 2 Classes Begin

If you are using the Common Application, you might want to check out the following two associated sites:

Common App on Track
This is an app for both Android and iOS that may help you keep your applications to Common application colleges organized.  It contains deadlines, requirements and even sends reminders through push notifications!  Don’t want your parents to bug you constantly for the next month?  Try it!!

Scholar Snapp: Scholarsnapp.org
This site can assist you in applying for scholarships.  Certainly, it is not the only such website available to you, but its intent is to make applying a little easier.

You fill out one application that can be used for many scholarships that are listed on the site.  Check it out.

AND, DON’T FORGET TO APPLY FOR FINANCIAL AID!!  MEET YOUR FIRST DEADLINE!!

Remember the January 19 FAFSA completion event here at ARHS at 7:00 p.m. sharp.  Register at fafsaday.org.

There are two substantial scholarships for low and middle income students that many of you should think about:

Red Pine Scholarship (www.tpi.org/scholarship/red-pine-scholarship)

Yawkey Scholarship (www.tpi.org/scholarship/yawkey-scholars-program):

• These are for high achievers among you who will be attending a four-year college THAT DOES NOT MEET NEED.
• Naturally, most of you will not know where you will be going by February, when the applications are due.That means, APPLY if you meet the criteria.If it turns out that your chosen college does not meet need, you may be eligible.
• For Red Pine, you need a family income of under $80,000.
• For Yawkey, the family income must be under $65,000.
• Awards are substantial, ranging from $5,000-even $25,000.
• The application deadline for both is February 15.
• The application process is somewhat involved, as it should be when so much money is at stake.  Do not wait until close to the last minute to apply!!

The websites are thorough.  Read them carefully for all of the necessary information.

There will be an informational meeting on Tuesday, December 20th @ 3:00 in Room 146.

ARHS Athletics has teamed up with Pioneer Valley CrossFit and will be offering a CrossFit program for our High School students starting January 2017!

Where? ARHS Weight Room
When? Monday/Wednesday/Friday from 3:15 pm-4:15 pm. Jan 4th-March 8th
Cost?  Full Fee $57  Reduced Lunch Fee $31  Free Lunch Fee $26

What is CrossFit?
CrossFit is a broad, general and inclusive fitness program designed to increase your work capacity and generally prepare you for any challenge in life.

Pioneer CrossFit programs focus on building a strong body and mind with constantly varied workouts as well as eating appropriately to sustain an active, healthy lifestyle. A big part of the Pioneer Valley CrossFit experience also includes the camaraderie and support of those around you. We often say that our members join for the workouts and the expert coaching but they stay for the community.

Registration will be through our FamilyID sports registration program.

We are very excited to offer this program to our students!

http://www.umass.edu/newsoffice/article/massachusetts-marks-computer-science

Cap & Gown measurements for this year’s graduating class will take place this Friday, December 9 during all lunch periods in room 146 at ARHS. University Cap & Gown is the company that provides this service and a representative will be here to take orders. This is the only time they will be on site this year. The cost is $17.00, payable when measured, for a souvenir outfit that includes a cap, gown and tassel which the student keeps. University Cap and Gown will accept cash or a check for orders which will be delivered in late May. Extra tassels will be available for purchase this week at a cost of $3.00. Don’t forget to place your order to ensure a properly fitted gown!

Questions can be referred to Terry Ominsky by replying to this e-mail or calling 362-1706.

The Theater Company invites you to Briefs – 10 short plays written by contemporary playwrights, directed and performed by over 30 of our students this Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Tickets are $5 for students and staff at the door.  Come a little early if you want the best seats – The show starts at 7:30, but doors will open at 7:00.

The first ARHS basketball games of the season are scheduled for this Friday & Saturday at The Curry Hicks Cage at UMass.

Ticket prices are $5/students and $7/adults.

For Saturday, if you bring back your Friday ticket stub, it is $3 entrance fee. 

Go ‘Canes!

Vehicles parked on campus without current ARHS Parking Permits will be towed.

If your car is towed, please contact Ernie’s Towing at 40 Montague Road, North Amherst at 413-586-1021. It will cost approximately $135 to retrieve your vehicle.

Parking Permit applications are available in the Deans Office, room 168.  Please return completed application with $75 check.

Please see this letter regarding students receiving assignments over Winter Break.

Are you trying to figure out how to thank your children’s teachers for their wonderful work this holiday season? Here’s a great way to give a gift that teachers appreciate and is an easy way to remain in compliance with the law that forbids public employees from receiving gifts valued at more than $50. AEF’S THANK A TEACHER/STARS IN OUR SCHOOLS!

Contribute to AEF in a teacher’s name and they will get the gift that keeps on giving: money that comes back to the schools in the form of excellence grants. The teacher will receive a card from AEF indicating that you supported AEF in their honor. Click here Thanking a Teacher through our Stars in Our Schools; or go towww.amhersteducationfoundation.org and click on “Stars in Our Schools”.

How is AEF helping the elementary schools? AEF grants are funding the following programs:

Math coaches are receiving training to help underperforming kids in grades 3-6! Students with special needs district-wide have much-needed laptop computers! Music teachers are bringing visiting artists to the schools!

Thank you and happy holidays,

The Board of Amherst Education Foundation

Ethan Clotfelter, Becky Michaels, Clare Bertrand, Meg Robertson, Isabella Dell’olio, Rick Hood, Michael Hutton-Woodland, Sue Kelly, Ken Leblond, Sovann-Malis Loeung, Amanda Rivera Lopez, Susan Kennedy Marx, Jennifer Mendelsohn, Adelia Pope, Megan Rosa, Amanda Seaman, Sudha Setty, Jen Veshia

For over 20 years, middle school students from Amherst’s sister city Kanegasaki, Japan, have come to Amherst for a short visit in March. This year, they have asked us to receive four high school students in addition to the usual group of middle schoolers. Any family interested in hosting a Japanese student from March 22-26, please contact Aaron Kropf (KropfA@arps.org, 362-1541) or Denise Boyd (BoydD@arps.org, 362-1838)

Dear ARHS Parents and Guardians:

With the Presidential election now a few weeks behind us, I want to revisit some of the larger issues that, like the rest of the nation, we are working our way through.

To begin, here are two observations:

1. Shortly before Election Day, our government class held a school-wide, mock Presidential election. For students, the results were: Clinton: 71% and Trump 13%; for adults, Clinton, 68% and Trump 14%. The remainder of the votes were distributed somewhat evenly between Stein, Johnson and ‘other’’.

2. The results of the election were deeply upsetting to a great number of ARHS students and faculty.

The upshot: we are a politically diverse school. The political affiliations held by the 1200 or so citizens – both students and adults – that spend seven hours a day together under this roof mirror that of our nation.  

Like with any other challenge, our work is to find opportunity in the moment. With considerable urgency, preparing kids for the hard work of democracy is what the moment asks of us.

In my judgment, the questions below are central to our nation’s future. They also double as immediately relevant to our school:

– How do we  challenge ourselves to live in the current tensions and not succumb to easy generalizations? Where there is strong emotion and deep conviction, the temptation to demonize and point fingers becomes almost irresistible. But, in my judgment, the larger priority is to manage whatever slashing judgments we might hold in the interest of not dehumanizing those with whom we disagree. These days, adults across the nation don’t do this particularly well. I’m interested in finding ways to help students learn this skill.

– This skill is a balancing act. On one hand, convictions are meant to be expressed. And, expressing a conviction that is critical of another’s perspective can’t be construed as an act of hostility. The real issues that divide us aren’t easily wallpapered over. On the other, conviction isn’t a license to stop listening and working to understand. However difficult, we need to do both well.

These tensions have surfaced in ARHS classrooms and, no doubt, will continue to do so. Our work is to manage them so that teaching and learning can continue, but, more importantly, so that students learn how to navigate them on their own. I’d like to think we can graduate students who contribute productively to  the nation’s political discussion and not just add to the noise.

Specifically, the day after the election, we refreshed the faculty on what we have referred to over the last few years as ‘managing difficult moments’. The framework for how to do this well is described in this article, which we’ve relied on for the last several years.

http://bokcenter.harvard.edu/managing-hot-moments-classroom

The intent here is to help adults frame conversations for young people, when emotions are running high, that provide them with space to express what’s on their minds, but in a way that keeps an ethic of respect running through the discussion. Regardless of the topic, this is important. Given the charge that is currently running through the nation, our community and school, it is especially so.

Please let me know if you have thoughts or concerns.

Thank you,
Mark Jackson
ARHS Principal

Hour of Code:  Next week many science classes at Amherst Regional High School will conduct an Hour of Code.  These classes will expose students to the wonderful world of coding and hopefully spark or develop student interest in computer science.  For more information please visit the Hour of Code website at https://code.org/learn.

Thank you to those who have signed up for the Stop & Shop A+ Rewards Program. The funds raised through this program make it possible to support many initiatives and have made a difference to teachers and students. Among last year’s recipients was Kathleen Olson, ARHS SE teacher:

“…The grant money was used to fund interview workshops with private consultant Mark Efinger. Mark’s workshops were a wonderful supplement to the communication and transition skills we target within the program…It was a joy to watch my students stretch themselves in this way and experience the confidence-building positive results…”

If you have not done so, please take a moment to register your Stop & Shop cards for the A+ Rewards Program and help support exciting projects proposed by our students and teachers. Purchases made at all Stop & Shop stores will benefit ARHS, including purchases at stores in Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, and Rhode Island!

The following Tidbits for Seniors come from Myra Ross, ARHS College Advisor:

1. If you applied early decision, please be sure to have your back-up plan in Naviance by Monday, December 5.  (Remember that a back-up plan must include mostly colleges that are less selective than the one you applied to already; you will not need the back-up plan if you are admitted!)  For now, list the colleges but do not request the transcript.  If you are deferred or denied, you will only need to go into Naviance and request the transcript.  It is important for you to know what you will do if your first choice doesn’t work out in December.  Many of your other deadlines will be in early or mid-January.  Experience has shown me that it is better for you to take time to develop the plan now when you are thinking clearly than to try to do it when you are upset after having been deferred or denied.  It’s not fun to think about that, but if it happens to you, you will likely be glad you developed the plan fully.
2. If you have not met with me this year, please make an appointment ASAP.  It is not too late.  You do not need to complete the senior questionnaire in Naviance to make the appointment.
3. If you have not yet met with your counselor regarding your recommendation, make an appointment to do that ASAP.  We have a lot of recommendations to write and cannot do all of them at the last minute.  Recommendations may not be written on time if you don’t give us at least two weeks.
4. If you have not already done so, see the teachers who have agreed to write recommendations for you to be sure they have what they need from you.  If your earliest deadline is January 1, their deadline for uploading your recommendations is Monday, December 5.  Please remind them of this deadline.
5. Don’t forget to match your Common Application to your Naviance account.  There’s a blue box in “Colleges I’m Applying to” that requires your Common Application e-mail address and confirmation of your date of birth.  You must do the match if you are using the Common Application.  Remember, it will not work until you have put at least one college into the Common Application and completed the FERPA waiver.
6. If you have not already done so, turn in your signed lime green release form ASAP or we won’t be able to send anything to colleges on your behalf.  It’s the easiest thing to do, and it’s of critical importance.
7. WHEN YOU PUT YOUR COLLEGES INTO NAVIANCE, DON’T FORGET TO REQUEST A TRANSCRIPT SEPARATELY.  BE SURE THAT THE DEADLINE SHOWS.  IF IT DOESN’T, YOU PROBABLY DID SOMETHING WRONG.  Check the college website for the name of the application type.  If you can’t figure out why no date shows, see Mrs. Cappelli in 101 or Mrs. Tracy in 309.
8. Do you have any colleges with January 1 deadlines that you have not entered into Naviance “Colleges I’m Applying to?”  If so, it’s time to put them in.  The deadline for this is Friday, December 2.  The deadline for listing colleges with January 15 deadlines is December 15.  Please don’t miss these deadlines.  If you need to add a college after these dates, please tell a Guidance secretary.
9. The UMass regular decision deadline is Friday, January 15.  Deadline for all credentials (including official test scores) is Wednesday, February 1.  Most of you should apply.
10. BE SURE TO SEND YOUR TEST SCORES OFFICIALLY FROM THE TESTING COMPANY!  You do not want to be the first kid on your block to be denied because a college never got your test scores.  Believe me, it happens.  If you are taking a December test, you should send the scores (four free) before you see them.  If you are on free/reduced lunch and took the test with a fee waiver, you get eight colleges free.
11. Remember to list all of your colleges in the Common Application as well as in Naviance.  Both steps are required in order for electronic transfers of school materials to work.
12. Once you have submitted an application to a college, check its status frequently to see that all materials have been received.  The best way to do that is to log onto the application tracker on their website.  If two weeks have passed since you submitted, you can call the Admissions Office to have them check your file.  If they say they are still missing an item, come into the Guidance Office and we will fax whatever they have not located.  Colleges lose materials all the time.  Don’t worry about this!
13. It’s not too early to take action regarding financial aid.  The FAFSA and CSS Profile (required by many private colleges) are already available online.  Talk to your parents about completing the required forms by your first financial aid deadline.  Remember, it is not necessarily the same date as a college’s application deadline.  Some FAFSA deadlines are in January.  Many are on February 1.  UMass’s deadline isMarch 1.  All financial aid forms must be completed by the colleges’ deadlines.  Late filings often mean less or even no financial aid.
14. We will be hosting a FAFSA-completion event on Thursday, January 19 at 7:00 p.m. in the cafeteria.  Financial aid counselors from several area colleges will be here to assist you with the FAFSA.  It’s a great opportunity for you to get help if you are a first-time completer.  More details to follow.

Dec. 1st- 3rd: Theater: Immersive Play  7:30pm – 9:00pm

Dec 2nd: Merry Maple Lighting 4:30-5:30pm on Amherst Town Green

Dec. 8th- 10th: Theater: Briefs Plays 7:30pm – 9:00pm

Dec. 14th: Early Release Day; Students Dismissed at 12pm

Dec. 21st: Combined Concert (Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Orchestra, Chorale, Hurricane Singers, Concert Choir) 7:30pm – 9:00pm

Dec. 23rd-: Early Release

Dec. 26 – Jan 2nd: Holiday Break No School

The Jones Library is holding its fifth On the Same Page community reading program, this year featuring the book The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History, a Pulitzer Prize-winning book by Elizabeth Kolbert.  A series of programs will be held in February 2017, based on topics and themes from the book.  On the Same Page – Amherst will culminate in an author appearance to be held on Tuesday, February 28, 2017 at the Amherst Regional Middle School Auditorium.

The Sixth Extinction was the winner of the 2015 Pulitzer Prize for general nonfiction, a finalist for the PEN Literary Award and the L.A. Times Book Prize, and a New York Times bestseller that was included on many “Best Books” lists in 2014 and 2015.  This book explores five mass extinctions that have occurred over the past half-billion years, when the diversity of life on earth has been severely reduced.  Scientists are now tracking the next mass extinction, of which human beings and their actions may be the direct cause.  Kolbert explains how humans have altered life on the planet and how these actions may become our legacy.

Elizabeth Kolbert has been a staff writer at The New Yorker since 1999. Previously, she worked at the New York Times, and was also a contributor to the Times Magazine.  She received a Lannan Literary Fellowship in 2006 and a Heinz Award in 2010, and won the 2010 National Magazine Award for Reviews and Criticism. She is the editor of “The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2009” and the author of The Prophet of Love: And Other Tales of Power and Deceit; Field Notes from a Catastrophe, and The Sixth Extinction.

On The Same Page – Amherst is designed to bring the local community together by encouraging residents to read the same book and by offering programming and opportunities for discussion about the book and the themes it contains.   Now an annual event, On the Same Page – Amherst explores a different book each year to include a variety of themes, topics, genres, and writing styles.

For further information about the On the Same Page – Amherst, please contact Janet Ryan at 413/259-3223.

Seniors – it’s a good idea to check the scholarship list on the Colleges tab in your Naviance account occasionally.

Nominations are being accepted until January 6, 2017 for the Dr. Norma Jean Anderson Civil Rights and Academic Award.

The award applauds the contributions of a current, teacher, administrator or staff member in the Amherst and/or Amherst/Pelham regional school districts who promote the ideals of a just and respectful community built on compassionate relationships.

To nominate a candidate, provide a statement of at least one page explaining why this candidate should be selected.  The focus should be removing systematic privilege based on race and class in our schools.  Email the statement to Pat Ononibaku at patbaku@aol.com. You can also share your reasons for nominating a candidate by calling Pat at 413-627-0043.

A recipient will be selected by the RaDAR Committee at the Martin Luther King Jr Breakfast on January 14, 2017.  The RaDAR (Race and Discipline, Action, Rights) Committee grew out of the ARHS Parent Center’s Study Circle Project on Race and Class in the Amherst Schools.  RaDAR was formed to address concerns raised by ALANA (African, African-American, Latino, Asian, Native American) parents regarding issues of discipline, social justice and equity at ARHS.

The award honors the memory of Dr. Norma Jean Anderson (1936-2006) who lived and worked in our community and left a legacy of courage. determination and foresight.

The Multi-Arts Children’s Theater Company production of “The First Connection” by Xinef D’Agnos will be performed at the Jones Library, Goodwin Room on Thursday, December 1, 2016 at 5 pm.  Admission is free to the public.

“The First Connection” is a hilarious play about aliens trying to take over Earth. It is an entertaining and inspiring play where the unexpected happens.

Play synopsis: An alien race has searched for a new planet to inhabit for many years, and decide to target Earth. The aliens arrive in the form of a female teenage robot named Emma to study humans in high school in preparation for world domination. Instead, the aliens find friendship, and learn about human emotions.

This performance is in conjunction with the Amherst Arts Night Plus program which promotes free cultural events held in and around downtown Amherst, MA on the first Thursday of each month. Participating venues host gallery openings, concerts, lectures, and other creative events.

A second performance will be presented on Friday, December 9, 2016 at the Northampton Community Music Center (NCMC), 139 South St, Northampton, MA at 5 pm.  Donations accepted to benefit NCMC and the Northampton Patent’s Center.

The playwright, Xinef D’Agnos, an alum of Multi-Arts, is a published author, and writer who has written and directed several plays for Multi-Arts summer camp. Mr. D’Agnos also teaches creative writing workshops to adults for a youth development program, and works with social justice initiatives though the creative arts. He is also a choir director, and acting director of the arts at Hope Community Church of Amherst.

Sonia Arrubla is the artistic director of the Multi-Arts Children’s Theater Company. A former Colombian theater and television actor, Sonia graduated from New York University’s prestigious Film and Television MFA program in 2001.  She currently works as a theater director and film editor. Her short films have won various international awards.

Multi-Arts, a non-profit organization, has been offering world-class, innovative performing arts programming for children ages 4 to 12 for over 16 years. Its mission is to introduce the arts to all children, regardless of their financial status and/or ethnic background, and to present the children’s work to the larger community. Classes are taught by internationally renowned performers and teachers who work side by side with the children to create original theater productions integrating several arts into a single project. For more information, please visit www.multi-arts.org.

All Amherst Public and Regional Schools will be closed for Thanksgiving Recess November 23-25th (Wednesday – Friday next week).

Greenfield Community College is offering two college courses (English Composition I and Principals of Sociology) during the day at ARHS next semester.  The courses will be taught by GCC faculty and are available only to current ARHS students.  Upon successful completion of the courses, students will be awarded both high school and GCC college credits. The courses (including necessary textbooks) are available free of charge and are open to ARHS students in all grades.  Students with any flexibility in their schedule (E, F, and G periods) are encouraged to contact their guidance counselor to explore this opportunity.  Information and Enrollment Sessions will be held during lunch on Tuesday, December 6th and placement testing will be offered from 2:30-4:00 pm on Tuesday, December 6th and Thursday, December 8th.  For more information, contact your child’s guidance counselor or the GCC Office of Admission at 413-775-1801 or admissions@gcc.mass.edu.

Parents and community members have been supporting the ARHS PGO Grants Program by registering their Stop & Shop cards for the A+ Rewards program. If you have not yet done so, please  register your Stop & Shop card to benefit  ARHS. This is quick and easy to do. Where it asks you to enter a school code,enter 05167. Step-by-step instructions are here.

Students parking vehicles on campus must have an ARHS Parking Permit or risk being towed.  Please come to room 168 to submit parking paper work, $75 check, and show valid license and registration.