ARHS PGO Parent News

School picture packages are available in the Main Office.  Picture retake day is Tuesday, October 18th.

Parents and Community members have been raising money for the ARHS PGO Grants Program by registering their Stop & Shop Cards for the A+ Rewards Program. Funds raised are used to support exciting projects proposed by our students and teachers. If you have not done so, please take a moment to register your card. Note that You DO NOT need to re-register your card if your school selection(s) remains the same as last year.

1. Click here  (or visit https://stopandshop.com/aplus/register-card/)
2. Enter the first three letters of your last name and your 13-digit Stop & Shop card number, and click the “Look Up” button.
3. On the next page where it says “school 1,” enter “05167” (ARHS’s ID), then click “Register.”
4. And finally, on the next page, click “confirm my registration.”

The deadline to register for the Wednesday, November 2, PSAT has been extended to Friday, October 21st.  The cost is $15 (cash or check payable to ARHS).  Fee waivers are available for income-eligible 11th grade students.  Sign-up in the Guidance Office.

The program is open to all middle and high school students and runs from 9AM to 3PM. Registration fee is $10, but fee waivers are available. Registration is set to close November 1st so sign up soon!

Here’s the registration link to get you started:
https://amherstsplash.learningu.org/learn/index.html

Please invite all your friends and pass the information along to anyone interested! Additionally, we are now on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/splashamherst) so give us a like and get a chance to see updates and what happens behind the scenes with us 🙂

In order to vote in the Town of Amherst you must be a registered voter in the Town of Amherst and you must vote in the precinct in which you are a registered voter.

Massachusetts residents can apply online by visiting www.sec.state.ma.us and clicking the “Massachusetts Register to Vote Online” button to access the online application system.  Any Massachusetts resident who has a valid identification card issued by the Registry of Motor Vehicles will be able to use the online system to apply to register to vote, update their address, or change their party enrollment.
Massachusetts residents who do not have identification issued by the Registry of Motor Vehicles can still complete an application online which they can print, sign, and mail or hand-deliver to their local election official.

The deadline to register to vote or make changes to your voter registration for the Presidential Election is 8:00 p.m. on October 19, 2016. 

You can check on your voting status by going to www.sec.state.ma.us/VoterRegistrationSearch/MyVoterRegStatus.aspx  You can register online or in person at Town Hal. You will need a photo ID or last 4 digits of your SS#.

Remember if you are turning 18 on or before November 8, 2016, you are eligible to vote! You can still register to vote before your birthday.

New! Early Voting

Early Voting will be held from October 24, 2016 to November 4, 2016 at Town Hall.  Hours for Early Voting will be 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday (including Thursdays when the Town Clerk’s office is normally closed to the public).

Early Voting will also be held on Saturday, October 29, 2016 from 9:00 am – 3:00 pm at the following locations:

• North Fire Station, 603 East Pleasant St
• Munson Memorial Library, 1046 S East St

Voters registered in Amherst can vote at any of these locations .

Are you interested in voting early? Please check your voting status prior to voting, whether at your precinct polling place on Election Day, or at an Early Voting location. If your voting registration is in Inactive Status, or you are required to show ID at the polls, please call the Town Clerk’s office at 413-259-3035 for assistance.

The Amherst Regional High School Parent/Guardian Organization (ARHS PGO) is a volunteer group of parents and guardians, and invite you to join us!

What We Do For You: PGO Weekly Newsletter

Our weekly email newsletter will keep you informed about upcoming events, deadlines, news and more. We welcome you to submit information that is helpful to the ARHS community. You can sign up to receive the newsletter via email at: arhspgonews@gmail.com. The newsletter can also be accessed from the front page of the ARHS website or at https://arhsparentcenter.org/.

What We Do For You: PGO Grant Program

The PGO Grant Program uses funds raised through the Stop & Shop A+ Rewards Program to award more than $15, 000 annually to staff members in every department. We also offer a Student-Initiated Grant Program to generate additional creative and innovative ideas that benefit the entire ARHS Community. When you register your Stop & Shop card with us, Stop & Shop makes a contribution to ARHS every time you shop at absolutely no cost to you. This is the sole source of funding for our grant program. Please provide your Stop & Shop card information by following the link in our newsletter even if you have registered in the past so we can assure that your participation is up to date.

What We Do For You: Community Events/Coffees with Principal Jackson and Others

Each trimester the ARHS PGO invites the principal and other guest speakers to present on a variety of relevant topics. Join us and stay connected! We also provide support for annual events including the new family welcome dinner, course registration information session, college process information session, staff appreciation lunch and community kick off day.

What YOU Can Do: Register Your Stop & Shop Card, Donate and/or Volunteer

We encourage you to register your Stop & Shop card so that we can continue to bolster our students’ high school experience. As mentioned above, you can register your Stop & Shop card by following the link in our newsletter. You can also make a tax-deductible donation to the PGO by going to the website https://arhsparentcenter.org/ and clicking on the donation tab. Last but not least, you can become a PGO volunteer. There are tasks to fit every schedule and skill set, including current opportunities to serve on our grants committee, represent the ARHS PGO at district-wide meetings, assist with treasurer duties, help coordinate the annual staff appreciation lunch, and more! If you would like to volunteer please by contacting us at http://www.arhspgochair@gmail.com.

Thank you in advance for your help!
The ARHS PGO Board

Online winter sports registration is in open. Ensure a smooth start to the winter season by registering NOW.  The sports that are offered are listed at https://www.familyid .com/amherst-pelham-regional- schools . Current sport physical forms should be on file with the school nurse before the first day of tryouts. Please call the nurse’s office at the high school at 362-1743. Questions for middle school registrants please contact the middle school nurse at 362-1975.

NEW:  Online payment is available!!  https://unipaygol d.unibank.com/Default.aspx? customerid=1211

VERY IMPORTANT: If you have to write a check clearly write your child’s name and sport in the MEMO of the check when you pay. You can drop off your payment or mail to:

ARHS Athletics
Amherst Regional High School
21 Mattoon Street
Amherst, MA 01002

ATTN: Sports Registration

If there is a financial hardship, please contact Rich Ferro, the Athletic Director at ferror@arps.org

November 28th is the start of the winter season..

You are encouraged to register & pay prior to November 1st.  Early registration enables us to have the most accurate tryout lists for our coaches.O

Attention 10th and 11th graders – Friday October 14th is the deadline to sign up for the PSAT. Just bring $15, cash or check made out to ARHS to the Guidance Office to sign up. The PSAT will be given Wednesday, November 2nd during the school day.

The ARHS Guidance Department routinely hosts representatives from a large variety of Colleges and Universities.  Here is the list for the next two weeks.  To view the complete list for Fall 2016, click here.

This year, Kestrel Land Trust is supporting Madlyn MacKillop as a Youth Education Coordinator with Amherst High School’s Outdoor Programs. Madlyn is working with Club Advisor Aaron Kropf and program alumni to teach Outdoor Adventure and Leadership, assist with Survival Living, and run Outing Club trips. Madlyn worked with the ARHS Outdoor Programs last year, and is excited tocontinue taking students outside and bring outdoor programming to other high schools in the area, including Holyoke.

Save the Date: October 27th, 2016 AEF Trivia Bee Thursday 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. Amherst Middle School Auditorium. Doors open at 6:30pm for a fun evening that includes over 100 players in costumes, raffle prizes plus refreshments, an audience trivia game and prizes. Admission is free with donations benefiting Amherst area public schools. Questions? contact Clare Bertrand 413-531-4235 clarebertrand@gmail.com

Our kids are exposed to racialized violence often. They witness, hear stories, and absorb our anxieties and their peers’ anxieties about anti-black, anti-Muslim, anti-immigrant violence and more.
Research shows us that “toxic stress” caused by racism and violence can take a heavy toll on children. The challenge is especially acute in the case of children of color, who are more likely than white kids to identify with the victims of racialized violence.
In response to many recent high profile incidents of racialized violence, parents, guardians, teachers and others want to know how best to help children make sense of these events.
Register for a free call for parents, teachers and other concerned adults to learn how you can best support kids of color in the wake of racialized violence.
Date: Monday, October 10th
Time: 9 pm ET / 6 pm PT
Duration: 1 hour
Can’t make it live? Register anyway and we’ll send you the recording and transcript.
On the call you’ll hear from child psychologist Dr. Allison Briscoe-Smith, educator Dr. Sandra “Chap” Chapman and Andrew Grant-Thomas and Melissa Giraud, the co-founders of Embrace Race.
You’ll learn how to help children feel safe without overpromising or making them fearful. We’ll also discuss how to teach kids to approach the world with love and possibility when they so often seem targeted for harm.
Register for the call — even if you can’t join the live event. We’ll send you the recording afterwards.

Dear ARHS Parents, Guardians and Students,

Earlier in the week, I wrote to the ARHS community about the Holyoke High School allegations that our fans, during the September 23rd girls varsity soccer game, were inappropriate and used a racial slur. I assured Holyoke officials that we would take their allegations seriously and fully investigate. The purpose of this letter is to communicate the results of the investigation and, importantly, clarify how we will move forward.

Our investigation included interviews with the two league referees who officiated the game, the police officer who was on duty at the game, all four members of our event staff and 10 ARHS students. This morning I spoke with Holyoke High School principal and informed him of the results of our investigation. The findings are two: while there was considerable evidence that ARHS fans were inappropriate, we found no evidence to corroborate the allegation that racial slurs were used. I apologized to the Holyoke High principal and assured him we would use this experience as an opportunity to develop clearer behavioral expectations for our fans. And it is to the issue of behavioral expectations that I want to turn.

To begin, I’d like to distinguish ‘fan’ from ‘fanatic’.

On the surface, they share many similarities: both are loud, animated, wear school colors and track the ebbs and flows of the game with great passion. What distinguishes them is that the fanatic loses sight of the fact that there are considerations far more important than the final score and whether or not the losing team has been sufficiently humiliated for ending up on the wrong side of it.

In a word, then, my interest is that we conduct ourselves like fans. I care little about what the rest of the athletic world considers normal. Right now, my only concern is that we reset our own standards.

A final qualifier: I have no interest in turning athletic contests into a library. Home field advantage should continue to mean something. Fans have plenty of room to yell and enjoy the game experience.

So, here’s the Fan Framework:

• The core principle is this: ‘for, not against’. A fan cheers for his or her teams, not against the other team. Whether our teams do well or poorly, the focus is on supporting them. How the other team fares is besides the point.

• More concretely, calling out the names or numbers of opponents, or the name of the school, and then proceeding to call them ‘lousy players’ is prohibited. This goes for all other synonyms of ‘lousy’.

• The same holds true for officials. Fans can express frustration with what they perceive as a bad call – ‘you’re kidding?! –  but they stop short of aiming personal attacks at officials – ‘you’re lousy!’. The synonym rule also applies here.

• Lastly, these two chants are prohibited; ‘warm up the bus’ and ‘if you’re winning, clap your hands…’ If there are other chants or cheers that I haven’t yet heard that have the same intent – to  humiliate a losing team –  they, too, are prohibited.

Homecoming is this weekend. There is a full slate of games scheduled. This framework is effective immediately.

I’m mindful that the framework may take some getting used to and that are still issues to clarify. I’m patient. But to disregard it altogether will result in removal by our event staff.

On Friday morning, I will speak to the student body over the PA and summarize this letter, which we will also post on our web site. I will also make myself available during lunch to answer students’ questions and take their feedback.

Please let me know if you have questions or concerns.

Thank you

Mark Jackson

Principal

To view the letter, Click here.

Today kicks off Homecoming weekend at ARHS.  In addition to the dance, there are a number of sports events on both tonight and tomorrow.  For the latest schedule, please visit:  http://miaa.net/schools/public/AmhPelA2 OR click here.

Events for September 30th

• Sabis International Charter School @ Amherst-Pelham Reg High School -Girls Fall Junior Varsity Soccer – 4:00 pm Location: Amherst-Pelham Reg High School
• Sabis International Charter School @ Amherst-Pelham Reg High School – Girls Fall Varsity Soccer – 4:00 pm Location: Amherst-Pelham Reg High School
• Longmeadow High School @ Amherst-Pelham Reg High School – Girls Fall Junior Varsity Volleyball – 5:00 pm Location: Amherst Regional Middle School
• Longmeadow High School @ Amherst-Pelham Reg High School – Girls Fall Varsity Volleyball – 6:00 pm Location: Amherst Regional Middle School
• Monument Mountain Reg HS @ Amherst-Pelham Reg High School – Boys Fall Varsity Football – 7:00 pm Location: Community Field

Saturday will feature the following teams:

•  Boys Fall Freshmen Soccer
•  Girls Fall Junior Varsity Volleyball
•  Boys Fall Junior Varsity Soccer
•  Girls Fall Junior Varsity Soccer
• Girls Fall Varsity Volleyball
• Boys Fall Varsity Soccer
• Girls Fall Varsity Soccer

To celebrate Homecoming Weekend, the ARHS Environmental Action Club is sponsoring a Fall Exchange or Flea Market on Saturday Oct 1 from 2 to 5 PM next to the athletic fields. Please send to school your donations of used but undamaged clothing or household goods, as well as clothes hangers. Donations may be placed in the large container in the front hall. Proceeds from the sale will be used to purchase and install new water bottle filling stations in the school.

The National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) has announced 16,000 students nationwide as Semifinalists in the 62nd annual National Merit Scholarship Program. Scott Harvey-Arnold of Amherst Regional High School was among those named.

About 1.5 million juniors in more than 22,000 high schools entered the 2017 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2015 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT), which served as the initial screen of program entrants. The nationwide pool of Semifinalists, representing less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors, includes the highest scoring entrants in each state. The number of Semifinalists in a state is proportional to the state’s percentage of the national total of graduating seniors.

These academically talented high school seniors have an opportunity to continue in the competition for some 7,500 National Merit Scholarships worth more than $32 million that will be offered next spring. To be considered for a Merit Scholarship award, Semifinalists must fulfill several requirements to advance to Finalist standing. About 90 percent of the Semifinalists are expected to attain Finalist standing, and about half of the Finalists will win National Merit Scholarships, earning the Merit Scholar title.

“The young men and women being named Commended Students have demonstrated outstanding potential for Academic Success,” commented a spokesperson for NMSC.  “These students represent a valuable national resource; recognizing their accomplishments, as well as the key role their schools play in their academic development, is vital to the advancement of educational excellence in our nation.  We hope that this recognition will help broaden their educational opportunities and encourage them as they continue their pursuit of academic success.”

The ARHS Guidance Department routinely hosts representatives from a large variety of Colleges and Universities.  To view the complete list for Fall 2016, click here.

MONTHLY MEETINGS

The board meets with Dr. Faye Brady, Director of Student Services the first Friday of every month at rotating schools. You are welcome to attend!

WORKSHOPS
Workshops are held at various locations during the school year. Let us know if there is a topic you’d like to learn more about.

FACEBOOK
“Like” us on Facebook at:
https://www.facebook.com/arps.sepac
We post resources, events and tools to support all students and families.

EMAIL US
sepac@arps.org
Feel free to reach out to us if you need any assistance!

Blog
https://arpssepacblog.wordpress.com
Check out our blog as well for information!

Volunteer
Please consider reaching out to us if you can make time to help out! Together we can make a difference!

SEPAC= Special Education Parent Advisory Council

This meeting is open to all community members!

Date: Monday, 10/17/2016
Location: Wildwood Elementary School, Library 71 Strong Street, Amherst

Time: 5:30p 5:30 Pm-6:30pm

RSVP: Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC) Nancy Stewart sepac@arps.org 413-687-4255ARPS

We are fortunate to host this informal gathering and plan to do the following:
– Introduce you to some members of staff that help support your child on an IEP or 504:

o Dr. Faye Brady, Director of Student Services
o JoAnn Smith, Student Services Administrator
o Some members of Wildwood Staff

– Learn more about how the Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC) supports families on an IEP or 504.
– We will share basic special education information to help you advocate for your child.
– Network with other families in the district!

Childcare can be provided if given notice one week ahead of time.

Your Charter Commission is pleased to meet you! We are nine Amherst residents elected to propose possible changes to Amherst’s form of government.

Our first step is to hear from you. Please join us Monday, October 3, from 7pm–9pm, at the Crocker Farm Elementary Cafeteria, where we will be having honest, direct conversations about diversity, inclusion, and landlord-tenant issues. These face-to-face discussions will help us to understand these issues more fully and will be of great influence in shaping Amherst’s Charter.

We’re listening.

We look forward to working with you and fellow Amherst residents over the next year to design an alternative municipal charter that reflects Amherst’s ideals and values.  Keep updated through our website (www.amherstma.gov/charter) or on Facebook (www.facebook.com/amherstcharter) for meeting times and more public events. Be heard!

Thank you so much,

Your Charter Commission

The Amherst Committee for A Better Chance will hold its 45th Annual Fall Foliage Event on Saturday, October 15, including the 3-mile Family Style Walk and the 5k Competitive Run. An Amherst tradition, the event has annually brought together hundreds of members of the community together to admire the diverse colors of the foliage while they walk or run in support and celebration of diversity in our community.

Since 1968, Amherst ABC has played a critical role in changing the face of leadership in American society, selecting high qualified young men of color from disadvantaged school districts whose families envision a brighter future for their sons outside of their home environments. These ABC Scholars live at the ABC House in downtown Amherst under the guidance of Resident Directors Sid and Isabel Ferreira while they attend Amherst Regional High School.
For more information as to how to participate and/or donate to the ABC Fall Foliage Event, go to the Amherst A Better Chance website http://amherstabetterchance.org/

A vacancy on the Amherst School Committee will be filled on Thursday October 13, 2016 at a joint meeting of the Select Board and the remaining members of the Amherst School Committee. Interested candidates must submit a Letter of Interest to the Select Board office by 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, October 6, 2016.

Letters of Interest may be submitted by email to selectboard@amherstma.gov (preferred) or via hard copy to Select Board, Town Hall, 4 Boltwood Ave. Amherst MA 01002. Please include a summary of your reasons for wishing to serve on the Amherst School Committee and your qualifications and experience. All submissions will be distributed to Select Board and Amherst School Committee members as they are received, and will be available to the public on the Town web site in the Select Board’s packet materials for the October 13, 2016 meeting. Certain personal information will be redacted upon request. Please note that while candidates are
welcome to make the public aware of their interest, members of the Select Board, Amherst School Committee, and staff will not release the number of candidates, or candidate names or other identifying information, until after the Letters of Interest appear in the Select Board packet materials for the October 13, 2016 meeting.

Candidates who have submitted a Letter of Interest will need to attend the Thursday October 13, 2016 joint meeting at 5:00 p.m. The joint meeting will be held in the Town Room on the second floor of Town Hall and will be broadcast live by Amherst Media on channel 17.

Vacancies in elected Town-wide office are governed by MGL Chapter 41 Section 11. A roll call vote of both bodies is required, and at least five positive votes must be made for the selected individual, regardless of how many members of the Select Board and Amherst School Committee are present.

The person elected on October 13, 2016 will serve until the next Annual Town Election, to be held on March 28, 2017, and has the option to seek election on the Town ballot through the standard nomination process. The Amherst School Committee term that ended with resignation on September 26, 2016 will be on the March 28, 2017 Town ballot as a two year term. The new Amherst School Committee member also serves on the Amherst-Pelham Regional School Committee http://www.arps.org/administra tion/school_committee, and must be sworn in at the Amherst Town Clerk’s office prior to participating in meetings of either body.

If you have questions please contact Debra Puppel in the Select Board/Town Manager’s Office at 259-3001 or puppeld@amherstma.gov.

The Jones Library Presents:

Slavery in the Valley: Five Unsung Heroes Who Resisted

The OCTOBER 15 EVENT IS PART OF NATIONAL LECTURE SERIES ‘THE BIRTH OF A NATION: SLAVERY, RESISTANCE & ABOLITION,’ TIED TO AWARD-WINNING FILM

Amherst, MA, September 22, 2016 – The Jones Library announces Slavery in the Valley:  Five Unsung Heroes Who Resisted, a lecture by Robert Romer on Saturday, October 15, 2016 at 2:30 pm.

Slavery was widespread in the Connecticut Valley in colonial times, where most of the “important people” – including most of the ministers – owned two or three black slaves.  By no means did all of the enslaved people in the valley, some born in Africa, some born into slavery in America, passively accept their status as the property of white owners.  Romer will tell what is known of the stories of five who, in various ways, actively resisted and explain why it is important to remember those who lived here in slavery, the “invisible men and women” of our colonial past.

Robert H. Romer, physicist and historian, is Professor of Physics, Emeritus, at Amherst College, where he taught from 1955 to 2001, serving as editor of the American Journal of Physics from 1988 to 2001.  He is the author of Slavery in the Connecticut Valley of Massachusetts(Levellers Press, 2009) and The History of Hope Church in Amherst (2013), a manuscript held at the Special Collections Departments of Jones Library and Amherst College’s Frost Library. He was the 2012 recipient of the Amherst Historical Society’s Conch Shell Award, for distinguished contributions to the history of the town of Amherst.

Romer’s presentation is part of the national lecture series and community-building initiative ‘The Birth of a Nation: Slavery, Resistance & Abolition.” The series is presented in conjunction with the Office for Diversity, Literacy and Outreach Services at the American Library Association (ALA), The United Nations’ Remember Slavery Programme, Fox Searchlight Pictures and BazanED.

Inspired by actor and director Nate Parker’s acclaimed film The Birth of a Nation, the series will run August 21 through October 30, 2016, commemorating the history-changing slave rebellion launched by the film’s subject, Nat Turner, on August 21, 1831, through his capture on October 30, 1831. The lecture series marks the 185th anniversary of Turner’s rebellion, as well as The United Nations’ International Day for the Remembrance of The Slave Trade and its Abolition, observed annually on August 23.

“We are honored that libraries will be the primary venues for these vitally important conversations across the country, and thankful that the Jones Library came on board to bring this series to its local community,” said Jody Gray, director of the Office for Diversity, Literacy, and Outreach Services at the American Library Association. “Libraries are not just about housing books; they have always been about learning, exchanging ideas, and transforming lives — characteristics that this series perfectly reflects.”

About ‘The Birth of a Nation: Slavery Resistance & Abolition’ National Lecture Series

“The Birth of a Nation: Slavery, Resistance & Abolition” lecture series is taking place in libraries, museums, institutions of higher education, and community centers around the nation during the period of August 21st and October 30th 2016. Each free public event features a local educator or historian addressing the topic of slavery, resistance and abolition, and will provide an opportunity for individual communities to engage in a timely and coordinated national discussion.

About The Birth of a Nation movie

Set against the antebellum South, The Birth of a Nation follows Nat Turner (Nate Parker), a literate slave and preacher, whose financially strained owner, Samuel Turner (Armie Hammer), accepts an offer to use Nat’s preaching to subdue unruly slaves. As he witnesses countless atrocities — against himself and his fellow slaves — Nat orchestrates an uprising in the hopes of leading his people to freedom. The film won the Audience Award and Grand Jury Prize in the U.S. Dramatic Competition at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival. Fox Searchlight Pictures will release The Birth of a Nation on October 7, 2016. The company acquired the film at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, where it received rave reviews and won both the Audience Award and Grand Jury Prize in the U.S. Dramatic Competition.

About The American Library Association

The ALA is the oldest and largest library association in the world. Founded on October 6, 1876, during the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia, the mission of the ALA is “to provide leadership for the development, promotion and improvement of library and information services and the profession of librarianship in order to enhance learning and ensure access to information for all.”

About The United Nations Remember Slavery Programme

The Remember Slavery Programme, managed by the Education Outreach Section of the United Nations Department of Public Information, was established by the General Assembly in its resolution 62/122 of 17 December 2007 to honour the memory of the victims of slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade.  It also aims at raising awareness of the dangers of racism and prejudice today with activities held and educational materials produced throughout the year. To learn more about the United Nations ‘Remember Slavery’ programme, please contact Kimberly Mann, Chief, Education Outreach Section, at education-outreach@un.org or visit www.rememberslavery.un.org

About Fox Searchlight Pictures

Fox Searchlight Pictures is a specialty film company that both finances and acquires motion pictures. It has its own marketing and distribution operations, and its films are distributed internationally by 20th Century Fox. Fox Searchlight Pictures is a unit of 21st Century Fox.

About BazanED

BazanED is a free teacher resource offering free materials for narrative films and documentaries, as well as curriculum guides and so much more to K-12 and College educators throughout the U.S. BazanED partners with entertainment, cultural, scientific and financial organizations to provide teachers with engaging, grade-appropriate content to supplement and support classroom instruction and enhance student learning.

A full high-school and college-level educational curriculum about Nat Turner’s rebellion that meets Common Core state standards will be available for teachers at BazanED.com, pegged to the major motion picture The Birth of a Nation. BazanED provides free curriculum materials to educators, and has previously launched successful educational initiatives on behalf of the 2014 Academy Award®-winning film Selma, the Jesse Owens biopic Race and Davis Guggenheim’s feature-length documentary film Teach.

# # #

Contact:

Janet Ryan, Head of Programming & Outreach

Jones Library, Amherst, MA

ryanj@joneslibrary.org  or 413/259-3223

Does your child like to sing? The Hampshire Young People’s Chorus (YPC) is an award-winning youth choir, currently accepting new members. YPC offers children the opportunity to experience choral singing in a comfortable and encouraging atmosphere. Healthy vocal technique and fundamental music skills are taught through singing a wide range of music from many styles and traditions. The choir’s roster includes more than 45 children in two age divisions – Concert Choir (grades 3-6) and Chamber Singers (grades 6-10). Rehearsals take place on Tuesdays in Amherst. For more information, please visit http://www.hampshireypc.org or call the director, K.C. Conlan, at 413-530-9337

The ARHS homecoming will be held on September 30th through October 1st, 2016.  Following is a list of events:

Events for September 30th

• Sabis International Charter School @ Amherst-Pelham Reg High School -Girls Fall Junior Varsity Soccer – 4:00 pm Location: Amherst-Pelham Reg High School
• Sabis International Charter School @ Amherst-Pelham Reg High School – Girls Fall Varsity Soccer – 4:00 pm Location: Amherst-Pelham Reg High School
• Longmeadow High School @ Amherst-Pelham Reg High School – Girls Fall Junior Varsity Volleyball – 5:00 pm Location: Amherst Regional Middle School
• Longmeadow High School @ Amherst-Pelham Reg High School – Girls Fall Varsity Volleyball – 6:00 pm Location: Amherst Regional Middle School
• Monument Mountain Reg HS @ Amherst-Pelham Reg High School – Boys Fall Varsity Football – 7:00 pm Location: Community Field

Events for October 1st

• Eaglebrook School @ Amherst-Pelham Reg High School – Boys Fall Freshmen Soccer – 3:00 pm Location: Amherst-Pelham Reg High School
• Belchertown High School @ Amherst-Pelham Reg High School – Girls Fall Junior Varsity Volleyball – 4:00 pm Location: Amherst Regional Middle School
• Holyoke High School @ Amherst-Pelham Reg High School – Boys Fall Junior Varsity Soccer – 4:30 pm Location: Amherst-Pelham Reg High School
• Northampton High School @ Amherst-Pelham Reg High School – Girls Fall Junior Varsity Soccer – 4:30 pm Location: Amherst-Pelham Reg High School
• Belchertown High School @ Amherst-Pelham Reg High School – Girls Fall Varsity Volleyball – 5:00 pm Location: Amherst Regional Middle School
• Holyoke High School @ Amherst-Pelham Reg High School – Boys Fall Varsity Soccer – 6:00 pm Location: Amherst-Pelham Reg High School
• Northampton High School @ Amherst-Pelham Reg High School – Girls Fall Varsity Soccer – 8:00 pm Location: Amherst-Pelham Reg High School

It’s time to order your 2017 ARHS Yearbook. This year marks the 100th anniversary of The Goldbug!” We have lowered the price from $65 to $50! Please place your order by October 28th. There will be only a limited number of extra books available in June. The only way to guarantee a book is to preorder it this fall.

Parents of seniors can wish their students congratulations and good luck by taking out a recognition ad. Order forms will be mailed out this week. Digital forms are available on the ARHS web site.

Mark Jackson’s podcast addresses the following issues: Community Kickoff Events on 9/23; student’s nightly homework loads under the semester schedule; and the opioid epidemic.

He notes that the community kickoff events will be held during advisory. The events are a continuation of work begun last year in connection with dialogue day.  After that event, students identified norms that they observed in the school.  They are: supportive, accountable, upstanding, diverse and inclusive.  This year posters with personal account concerning those norms are displayed throughout the school.

Mr. Jackson also focused on homework under the new semester schedule.  He said staff is determining whether the goal of 30 minutes of homework each night is feasible with five classes.  He said staff is exploring the issue of how to adjust the curriculum to make the new course load manageable.  He said this is a work in progress.  It is a priority.  Mr. Jackson is seeking feedback on homework.

He also asked the community to consider what can be done to address the opioid and heroin epidemic in Western Massachusetts.

The Amherst High School Boys Soccer Program will host its Annual Bake Sale Fundraiser on Saturday, September 24th (day of the Apple Harvest Festival on the Common) at Ren’s Moble Station in downtown Amherst.

The bake sale will run from 11:00 am to 3 pm.

Please stop by and support ‘Canes Soccer!

6:30 – 8:30 pm  PowerSchool Portal user names and passwords available in the Main Office.

Official ID is required.

6:30 – 6:45 pm   Student Schedules Available By Grade

•        Grades 9 & 11 outside auditorium       Grades 10 & 12 outside the cafeteria

Please Note

• The evening begins with a stop in your child’s advisory. Advisors will explain the nature and purpose of the advisory program.  

• Guidance counselors are available all evening in the cafeteria.

• Special Education service providers – Educational Team Leaders, Speech and Language Pathologists and School Psychologists – are available in room 141 after the advisory period to answer questions.
• If your child has two classes that meet in one period on different days, you may choose which class you would like to attend.

• If your child has a Directed Study, you may use this time to come to the cafeteria to meet administrators, the athletic director, guidance counselors and the Dean of Students. The library is also open to visitors all evening.
• The Open Period is an opportunity to visit teachers your child will have during the second semester. Please see the listing of teacher locations during the open period on the reverse of this page. Please keep in mind that, during this period, teachers will only be able to answer questions and not make a complete presentation on all their second semester courses.

Sept 26th – Sept 30th: Spirit Week
Sept 30th – Oct 1st: Homecoming
Oct 6th: ARHS Open House
Oct 10th: No school
Oct 19th: Early Release Day, 12:00 pm dismissal
Oct 20th: ARHS PGO Community Conversation with Principal Jackson

Nov 2^nd: PSAT Administered at ARHS
Nov 7th: Dance Theatre Ensemble Performance; 7pm
Nov 17th: ARHS PGO Coffee with ARHS College Counselor Myra Ross

Slavery in the Valley:  Five Unsung Heroes Who Resisted, a lecture by Robert Romer, will be held on Saturday, October 15, 2016 at 2:30 pm as part of a nationwide lecture series, The Birth of a Nation: Slavery, Resistance and Abolition.

Slavery was widespread in the Connecticut Valley in colonial times, where most of the “important people” – including most of the ministers – owned two or three black slaves.  By no means did all of the enslaved people in the valley, some born in Africa, some born into slavery in America, passively accept their status as the property of white owners.  Romer will tell what is known of the stories of five who, in various ways, actively resisted and explain why it is important to remember those who lived here in slavery, the “invisible men and women” of our colonial past.

Robert H. Romer, physicist and historian, is Professor of Physics, Emeritus, at Amherst College, where he taught from 1955 to 2001, serving as editor of the American Journal of Physics from 1988 to 2001.  He is the author of Slavery in the Connecticut Valley of Massachusetts (Levellers Press, 2009) and The History of Hope Church in Amherst (2013), a manuscript held at the Special Collections Departments of Jones Library and Amherst College’s Frost Library. He was the 2012 recipient of the Amherst Historical Society’s Conch Shell Award, for distinguished contributions to the history of the town of Amherst.

Romer’s presentation is part of the national lecture series and community-building initiative, ‘The Birth of a Nation: Slavery, Resistance & Abolition.” Inspired by actor and director Nate Parker’s acclaimed film The Birth of a Nation, the lecture series will run August 21 through October 30, 2016, commemorating the history-changing slave rebellion launched by the film’s subject, Nat Turner, on August 21, 1831, through his capture on October 30, 1831.  It marks the 185th anniversary of Turner’s rebellion, as well as The United Nations’ International Day for the Remembrance of The Slave Trade and its Abolition, observed annually on August 23.

The lecture series is taking place in libraries, museums, institutions of higher education, and community centers around the nation during the period of August 21st and October 30th 2016. Each free public event features a local educator or historian addressing the topic of slavery, resistance and abolition, and will provide an opportunity for individual communities to engage in a timely and coordinated national discussion.

The series is presented in conjunction with the Office for Diversity, Literacy and Outreach Services at the American Library Association (ALA), The United Nations’ Remember Slavery Programme, Fox Searchlight Pictures and BazanED.

This season, for the remaining UMass Minutemen football home games at McGuirk Stadium (10/1/16 and 10/29/16), an updated traffic plan and new parking guidelines have been established to create a safe and enjoyable experience for all guests.

New in 2016, UMass is requiring visitors to register for COMPLIMENTARY reserved parking in many lots. This is a change from past seasons but will allow organizers to coordinate gameday operations both pre-and-post game to ensure a first-class fan experience.

A free Youth Mental Health First Aid training will be held at the Unitarian Universalist Society of Amherst (121 N. Pleasant St., Amherst) on October 7, 2016 from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. Registration is required, and those interested in registering should email FrickeDRE@gmail.com for registration information.

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. about-mental-health-first-aid-1

As you may know, the District has worked to implement co-teaching as an instructional model in all of our schools.  Last Spring, they held information sessions and they have a short article addressing some of the key take aways:

co-teaching-letter-for-principals-newsletter_english_final

co-teaching-letter-for-principals-newsletter_spanish_final

The PSAT will be given here at ARHS on Wednesday, November 2, at 8:00 a.m.  The cost will be $15.00 (checks payable to ARHS or cash will be accepted).  Fee waivers are available for income-eligible 11^th grade students only.  Stop by the Guidance Office (room 101)  to sign up and pick up an information booklet.  Deadline to register is Friday, October 14^th.  If you plan to take the PSAT and have been approved through the College Board to test with accommodations, please see Mrs. Tracy in room 309.

New to ARHS?  Learn everything from Who’s Who to important information about Advisory, After School Help, Late Bus Schedules and so much more in the New Student’s first day of school New to ARHS Presentation .

Wondering when your favorite ARHS Team is competing or how they are doing this season?  There is a great feature offered through the MIAA website that will help keep you in the loop by sending you email alerts for your favorite team(s)!!

To get started, go to the MIAA website, look for the light blue bar, select the team(s) you’d like to receive notifications on. In that same area, select the pencil “Schedule Notification Options.” From there, follow the prompts. You can change your selections at any time.

The science department has just launched a new web page to share information about science events and opportunities in the local community. If you would like to submit an event for possible inclusion, send it to ARHS lab technician, Deb Leonard at leonardd@arps.org.

To learn about upcoming events,  click here.

A one-day reading of all 1,789 of Emily Dickinson’s poems, and a celebration of another of Amherst’s great poets, James Tate. The inaugural Emily Dickinson Poetry Slam. An open mic, dozens of poets, two days of workshops, Doughnuts and Death, and, just for good measure, a Poemkémon scavenger hunt.

The Emily Dickinson Poetry Marathon and the fourth annual Amherst Poetry Festival return September 15-17. Produced by the Emily Dickinson Museum, Amherst Business Improvement District, Jones Library, and The Common, the festival is a celebration of the poetic legacy of Emily Dickinson, the exceptional poetry community of western Massachusetts, and poets from around the world who will gather to share their work in the very place where Dickinson penned her immortal words. Click here to see the full festival schedule.

The theme of this year’s festival is “place,” and it’s one participants have interpreted in as many ways as a poet’s imagination can run.

The Charter Commission welcomes input from the residents of the Town about Amherst and its values about Town government.

During the upcoming months, there will be several opportunities to submit your comments, through public forums, hearings and meetings. A Working Group, consisting of Charter Commission members and members of the public is currently working on scheduling listening workshops throughout town to gather more input and thoughts from the public relating to specific areas and perspectives. The following dates represent just a portion of the listening workshops.

September 20, 2016, 7-8 pm, Middle School Cafeteria (Schools perspective)
October 3, 2016, 7-9 pm, Crocker Farm Cafeteria (Renter perspectives)
October 19, 2016, 6:30-8:30 pm, Survival Center (Social and Human Services & Perspectives)
October 27, 2016, 7-8 pm, Woodbury Room, Jones Library (Library User Perspectives)

You may also submit input in two other ways:

Send an email to the entire Charter Commission by emailing charter@amherstma.gov.
Complete the Public Input Form, by clicking here.

 Parents and Community members have been raising money for the ARHS PGO Grants Program by registering their Stop & Shop Cards for the A+ Rewards Program. Funds raised are used to support exciting projects proposed by our students and teachers. If you have not done so, please take a moment to register your card. Note that You DO NOT need to re-register your card if your school selection(s) remains the same as last year.

1. Click here (or visit https://stopandshop.com/aplus/register-card/)
2. Enter the first three letters of your last name and your 13-digit Stop & Shop card number, and click the “Look Up” button.
3. On the next page where it says “school 1,” enter “05167” (ARHS’s ID), then click “Register.”
4. And finally, on the next page, click “confirm my registration.”