ARHS PGO Parent News

Whole Children is EAGERLY looking for any and all volunteers to help out on the morning of SUNDAY MAY 22nd from 10:00-1:30. There will be shifts available (if you can’t stay the whole time, it’s fine.) We’ll mostly need helper to direct runners on the route, man the water tables and (if you’re so inspired) help a little with the carnival of kiddie-games.
We welcome volunteers of all ages and abilities!

Here’s the link with more information about the event in general: https://www.runreg.com/wildgoose (If any of your families would rather enter to run/walk, that’s FINE, we’ll keep looking!)

This is a reminder that the 2016 Amherst Parent Survey opened on March 23, 2016. The survey window will close today April 15, 2016.

This online survey gathers data related to five indicators that can affect and predict school success. They are: ∙ Ambitious instruction ∙ Effective Leaders ∙ Collaborative Teachers ∙ Involved Families ∙ Supportive Environment.

All teachers and students in grades 4 ­ – 12 have been given time to participate in the survey during the school day. The district has also elected to survey parents and guardians. We encourage you to participate in the survey as your feedback will help inform our school improvement work.

Your identity and survey responses will be kept completely confidential and will never be connected to you or your child.

To take the survey: http://survey.5-essentials.org/amherst/survey/parent/

This is a reminder that the 2016 Amherst Parent Survey opened on March 23, 2016. The survey window will close today April 15, 2016.

This online survey gathers data related to five indicators that can affect and predict school success. They are: ∙ Ambitious instruction ∙ Effective Leaders ∙ Collaborative Teachers ∙ Involved Families ∙ Supportive Environment.

All teachers and students in grades 4 ­ – 12 have been given time to participate in the survey during the school day. The district has also elected to survey parents and guardians. We encourage you to participate in the survey as your feedback will help inform our school improvement work.

Your identity and survey responses will be kept completely confidential and will never be connected to you or your child.

To take the survey: http://survey.5-essentials.org/amherst/survey/parent/

To learn more about this powerful story and writer, please read the NPR Fresh Air story: here.

Valley Gives Day is a special day when we come together as a community to support organizations across the Pioneer Valley. Through the work of these organizations and the generosity of many donors and sponsors, the needs and the aspirations of our friends and neighbors are supported.

The ARHS PGO will be participating with the goal of raising $1000 to support the Presenters Fund! The ARHS PGO enriches the experience of our students by bringing many presenters to campus. We have recently helped fund classroom and community-wide workshops and presentations in the areas of:

• Islamophobia
• Yoga
• Interview skills
• Poetry
• Homophobia
• Dance
• Refugees in distress
• Music

We need your help to continue to fund these types of events. Please make a gift to the ARHS PGO on May 3rd at https://valleygives.razoo.com/us/story/Amherst-Regional-High-School-Parent-Guardian-Organization.

Big thanks to the Hurricane Singers, Chorale, and Jazz combo for their great performances at this year’s Local Vocal Chord Bowl acapella show held in the ARHS auditorium on Saturday April 2.  The event raised $3000 to support music and the arts at ARHS!  MUSIC ROCKS!

Galen Knowles ’10 stopped by ARHS this Thursday to show his full-length documentary, Far From Home. Featuring Brolin Mawejje, the film follows the native Ugandan and his quest to become Africa’s first Olympic snowboarding competitor, vying for the 2018 games. Featured in multiple international film festivals across the country, Far From Home also was named an official selection for the American Documentary Film Festival this year. The film’s site – and a trailer – can be found at farfromhomemovie.com.

Formal Wear to Share?

You Can Help Teens in Foster Care!!

The second annual flagship program, Fitting For the Future, will take place in Springfield MA in April 2016!  This incredible event provides high school-aged teens in foster care in Western MA the chance to “shop” for formal outfits, just like their peers often do, for occasions like prom, formal dances, or job interviews.

So, now is the time, as you prepare for this year’s prom and graduation parties to consider donating last year’s dress, suit, shoes, purse!!

Your beautiful outfit will go on to let another teen have an inspiring experience!!

Call/Text Mary Beth Meade for donation pick-up…908-303-1750.

SATURDAY, APRIL 16th
10 AM – 4 PM
TOWN COMMON

Join us for a day of family fun, education and entertainment. The Sustainability Festival is in its seventh year and is bigger and better than ever! There is literally something for everyone with over 100 vendors of renewable energy, energy efficiency product suppliers, advocacy groups as well as sustainable crafts and artisans!
Schedule of Stage Performances:

10 AM – Piti Theatre Company – “Innocenzo”
11 AM – Valley Women Drummers
Noon – Incus
1 PM – Carrie Ferguson
2 PM – Chris Scanlon
3 PM – The Connotations

Demo Workshops:

10:00 AM – “Growing, Sprouting and Saving Bean Seeds” – David Lovler
11:00 AM – “Vermi-composting” – Brandon Curtin
Noon – “Constructing Your Own Solar Oven” – Scully Wilhelm
1 PM – “Making Natural Deoderant & Biochar Facemasks” – Erica Clark-Tramantozzi & Mariana Lachiusa
2 PM – “Gardening with Mushrooms” – Willie of Fungi Ally
3 PM – “Beekeeping: Getting Started” – Henry Wilhelm

Be sure to bring your clean, used, dry clothing and textiles for the annual Textile Drive sponsored by the Amherst Recycling and Refuse Management Committee! The drop off will be located on Boltwood Avenue across from the Lord Jeff Inn.

A Special Note: We dedicate this year’s festival to the memory of our beloved former Town Manager, John Musante. He truly believed that sustainability and energy efficiency were the “right thing to do” and we thank him for his leadership that led Amherst to become a Green Community, as well as his many other lasting legacies. – Stephanie Ciccarello, Sustainability Coordinator

The jubilat/Jones Reading Series continues its 17th year with the final reading of the 2015-16 season on Sunday, April 24, 2016 at 3:00 pm in the Goodwin Room of the Jones Library. The jubilat/Jones Reading Series showcases established and emerging poets in a number of readings each year. Celebrate National Poetry Month by attending this reading, which will feature the poetry of Ana Božičević and Bianca Stone.

Born in Zagreb, Croatia, Ana Božičević immigrated to New York City in 1997 and studied at Hunter College. She is the author of several chapbooks, including Morning News (2006) and Document (2007). Her first book-length collection, Stars of the Night Commute (2009) was Lambda Literary Award finalist, and her second book, Rise in the Fall (2013), won a Lambda Literary Award. Božičević has worked for the PEN American Center and the Center for the Humanities of the Graduate Center, CUNY. She codirects the Stain of Poetry reading series in Brooklyn, New York.

Bianca Stone is a poet and visual artist, and the author of Someone Else’s Wedding Vows, and Poetry Comics From the Book of Hours. She runs the Ruth Stone Foundation & Monk Books with her husband, the poet Ben Pease, in Vermont and Brooklyn.

This series is sponsored by the Friends of the Jones Library, jubilat, and the Juniper Initiative. This program is also supported in part by a grant from the Amherst Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.

Free and open to the public. For more information, please contact Janet Ryan at 413/259-3223.

###

Join the ARHS PGO and the ARPS PGO in supporting the PGOs Guest Speaker fund on Tuesday, May 3, 2016.

Valley Gives is a fun and powerful way to improve the region we call home. It is a 24 hour online giving event to encourage philanthropy among the residents of Hampden, Hampshire and Franklin counties in Western Massachusetts. Donors can contribute to their favorite nonprofit organizations via valleygivesday.org.

Who doesn’t want to see magic, juggling, singing, bag pipes, dancing and more on a Friday night?  Come to the Faculty Talent Show tonight-  April 8th at 7:00 P.M. – Tickets at the door- $5.00.

Students have access to the Method Test Prep. Find it in the Naviance Document Library under Standardized Tests.

The African Scholars Program at Amherst Regional High School will share experiences from its recent exchange trip to Senegal and The Gambia on Monday, April 11, at 7:30 p.m. in the high school cafeteria. The program is free and open to the public.

Students and faculty who participated in the February exchange trip will show photos of West African schools, communities, and cultural sites; offer reflections on the experience of living with families in Dakar, the capital of Senegal, and Sifoe and Gunjur, villages in The Gambia; and present short research projects on topics such as education, gender roles, and environmental challenges. Refreshments will be provided.

Students who participated in the exchange program are seniors Hannah Ackerman, Forest Carlsen-Neiger, Elende Connor, Dominic Gerace, Bowen Keller, Charlotte Landeryou, Emilia Mann, Nevin Murray, and Rowan Sacks; and sophomores Augusta Fricke and Leija Helling. Faculty who accompanied the group on the exchange were Momodou Sarr and Ericka Alschuler.

The exchange trip, the culmination of several years’ planning and fundraising, was the second in an ongoing exchange. Originally scheduled for 2015, the trip was postponed due to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa. The first African Scholars exchange trip took place in 2013, and students from Senegal visited Amherst Regional in 2014. Groups from Senegal and The Gambia are expected in 2017.

For additional information, e-mail adviser Bruce Penniman at penniman@english.umass.edu.

PHOTO CAPTION:

African Scholars Program students and their Gambian hosts visited Juffureh, where Kunta Kinte, the hero of Alex Haley’s Roots, was captured and sold into slavery. Members of the Kinte family still live in the area. The motto on the monument says “Never Again.”

The Graphic is the student newspaper for ARHS.  Most articles printed in The Graphic are written by students in Journalistic Writing classes. An after-school staff is responsible for the paper’s layout, editorial policy, content decisions, and finances.  Check out their latest edition and previous articles online at: thegraphic.arps.org

Students enrolling in college in fall 2016 now have the opportunity (as of April 1) to request final amateurism certification for each sport they plan to participate in. Please put the NCAA in Naviance so the Guidance Office is aware of grade/transcript needs. Prior to the final amateurism request, please remember the following:

Be sure information in the registration is accurate (i.e., email, date of birth, enrollment period);
Be sure to enter all sports that need an amateurism certification;
Be sure to enter any previous colleges or universities attended (under the education tab); and
Be sure to complete all tasks (especially academic).

For help with requesting final amateurism certification, students can refer: here.

Apr. 8 – Faculty Talent Show
Apr. 13 – Early Release Day
Apr 14 – Symphonic Orchestra Chamber Concert 7:30 PM — 9:00 PM
Apr. 18-22 – Spring Break
Apr 28-30 – Student-Directed Plays
May 3- Chorale Concert- 7:30pm – 8:30 *Amherst South Congregational Church)
May 11- Early Release Day

The Arbella Insurance Human Performance Laboratory (HPL) at UMass Amherst is looking for licensed drivers ages 16 – 18 with either a JOL or up to one year driving experience and ages 30-55 with 7 -10 years driving experience to participate in a driving simulation.  For more information read the: Driving simulator flyer(1)

Program contact is Melissa:  teendriversumass@gmail.com or 413-577-1952

SATURDAY, APRIL 16th
10 AM – 4 PM
TOWN COMMON

Join us for a day of family fun, education and entertainment. The Sustainability Festival is in its seventh year and is bigger and better than ever! There is literally something for everyone with over 100 vendors of renewable energy, energy efficiency product suppliers, advocacy groups as well as sustainable crafts and artisans!
Schedule of Stage Performances:

10 AM – Piti Theatre Company – “Innocenzo”
11 AM – Valley Women Drummers
Noon – Incus
1 PM – Carrie Ferguson
2 PM – Chris Scanlon
3 PM – The Connotations

Demo Workshops:

10:00 AM – “Growing, Sprouting and Saving Bean Seeds” – David Lovler
11:00 AM – “Vermi-composting” – Brandon Curtin
Noon – “Constructing Your Own Solar Oven” – Scully Wilhelm
1 PM – “Making Natural Deoderant & Biochar Facemasks” – Erica Clark-Tramantozzi & Mariana Lachiusa
2 PM – “Gardening with Mushrooms” – Willie of Fungi Ally
3 PM – “Beekeeping: Getting Started” – Henry Wilhelm

Be sure to bring your clean, used, dry clothing and textiles for the annual Textile Drive sponsored by the Amherst Recycling and Refuse Management Committee! The drop off will be located on Boltwood Avenue across from the Lord Jeff Inn.

A Special Note: We dedicate this year’s festival to the memory of our beloved former Town Manager, John Musante. He truly believed that sustainability and energy efficiency were the “right thing to do” and we thank him for his leadership that led Amherst to become a Green Community, as well as his many other lasting legacies. – Stephanie Ciccarello, Sustainability Coordinator

as  his many other lasting legacies. – Stephanie Ciccarello, Sustainability Coordinator

The ARHS Women’s Rights Club, Man Club, and Gender Sexuality Alliance (GSA) have collaborated to create Consent Week, which will take place from April 4- 8. The goal of the week is to teach and promote healthy and positive communication in relationships. This is the second year of the event and we’re excited to build on what we did last year.  Events are supported by a grant from the PGO.

The Women’s Rights Club has planned a wide range of activities to reach every member of the ARHS community and to contribute to a positive climate at the high school. In addition, 30 students have been trained to facilitate complex discussions about consent with their peers. Activities include:

• Informational Morning announcements on the issues of consent
• Informational Posters and Leaflets in the school: Got consent?
• Lunch Tables – What do healthy relationships look like? What are rights and responsibilities in a relationship? What are ways to say Yes / No?
• Wednesday advisory 4/6: Student-developed and student-led lesson
• After-school events: (all discussions are in Room 302 at 2:30)

o   Monday – Panel of college students and administrators about consent issues on college campuses

o   Tuesday – Female Identified Students: Rape Aggression Defense Training with Janet Lopez from the APD (in the main gym); Male-identified students:  Discussion with Tom Schiff from UMass Men and Masculinities Center

o   Wednesday – 11th and 12th grade students will take part in a facilitated discussion about communication and consent, led by trained student facilitators. Ninth and 10th grade students will view a short video about consent and have a structured discussion led by their advisory teacher. We believe that the topic is important enough to make it part of the advisory curriculum this year, but also understand that some students may wish to opt out. An opt-out option will be available for all students in all grades.

o   Thursday – Consensual Cookie Building with Yana Tallon-Hicks, writer and sex educator

o   Friday – Guest Speaker Lisa Fontes from UMass “Controlling relationships”

In preparation for the week, ARHS staff have consulted professionals at the Amherst College Sexual Respect Office, the UMass Center for Women and Community, the UMass Men and Masculinities Center, and the Amherst Police Department.  

Additionally, the guidance department is poised to support any student who is affected by the week’s discussions. While the broad messages of each day will be posted for everyone, most events and discussions are voluntary, and students will never be forced to attend or share anything.

Age appropriateness and universal relevance are major goals for us. We understand that students and their families have a wide range of values and experiences, and have tried to design workshops and activities to meet students at all levels. For instance, while discussions about consent at the college level might focus on sex, ours will focus on any sort of kissing or touching at all. The core message is that everybody deserves to be asked first so that nobody is touched in any way that they don’t want to be touched. We are not assuming that students are sexually active, or that they should be. We want to teach lessons about consent before they are.

A letter has been sent home to parents. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1NOiOK5qMZrTrmZ8XFvE3o15i5rozAxBmJUyhq02AxDM/pub

Also attached is a website of resources for students and their families: bit.ly/consentweek2016.

Parents and guardians are also invited to join any of our after-school guest speaker sessions.

The latest issue of The Graphic has been issued.

This issue features an article by Amaraya Deza about Pat Kennan (above, left) and Jane Fitzgerald.  The women run the main office at ARHS.

Another article features ARHS librarian, Annie Figliola, who walks to work each day. The article is by Kelly Ford.

Another article celebrates Jamie Staples, an ARHS senior who scored over 1,000 points in her high school basketball career.

Following is the link:  http://thegraphic.arps.org/

The Amherst­-Pelham Regional School District has formed a partnership with UChicago Impact to administer the 5Essentials Survey to our school community. This online, research­based survey gathers data related to five indicators that can affect and predict school success.

They are: ∙ Ambitious instruction ∙ Effective Leaders ∙ Collaborative Teachers ∙ Involved Families ∙ Supportive Environment All teachers and students in grades 4 ­ 12 will take the survey. Current 9 th , 11 th , and 12 th grade students were given the opportunity to complete the survey during the extended MCAS period on March 23rd. 10th grade students will take the survey during advisory on April 6th.  The district has also elected to survey parents and guardians. We encourage you to participate in the survey as your feedback will help inform our school improvement work. Your identity and survey responses will be kept completely confidential and will never be connected to you or your child.

To take the parent survey:  Visit https://survey.5­essentials.org/amherst/survey/parent ∙ Select your child’s school.

Please feel free to contact Ericka Alschuler at alschule@arps.org or 362­1781 with any questions.

Parents are invited to participate in the Career Day advisory on May 25, 2016.  At ARHS, we strive to prepare students to be both college and career ready.  We are therefore inviting professionals from various fields and career paths to share their educational background and professional experiences in hopes that we may educate students about the vast career opportunities open to them and the importance of furthering their education after high school.

Participating in our Career Day advisory requires only a one hour commitment, from 11:15 a.m to 12:15 p.m.  During your visit, you will be stationed in a classroom and will be asked to speak for 15-20 minutes to a group of 10th and 11th grade students who have signed up in advance to hear your presentation. They will then have time to ask questions of you. Here are some guiding questions to help you in preparing for your presentation: What is your career? Where have you worked? What led you to this position? What education/training is needed for the job? What are some of your responsibilities? What does a typical day look like? What advice do you have for the students interested in your specific field? What should every student know and do to be successful?

To confirm your participation in our Career Day advisory, please RSVP to Crystal Cartwright at (413) 362-1749 or cartwrightc@arps.org by Monday, April 25th. Please include your name, job title/profession, organization, and contact information.  Further details about the event will be sent to you in early May.

The Amherst Regional Public Schools Parent Guardian Organization (ARPS PGO) is a Registered 501c3 Massachusetts Charity encompassing the individual PGOs of the Amherst Regional High and Middle Schools, Crocker Farm and Wildwood Elementary.

Fast and Furious: Physical Extremes of Animal Movement with Zanne Cox.  When we think about the extremes of animal movement, we may picture a cheetah running down a gazelle, putting on a burst of speed to make its kill.  But cheetahs are actually pretty slow in comparison to the fastest animals…like jellyfish.  Seriously, jellyfish and mantis shrimp are actually faster than cheetahs by far.  There are also serious downsides to living life at such a rapid pace. This month, Zanne Cox will explain what we can learn by studying such extreme animals.

Thursday, April 7th, 6-7 pm, Nacul Center, 592 Main Street, Amherst

 http://oebsciencecafe.org/

The Jones Library invites area trivia buffs to at our monthly Trivia Night, hosted by Mark “Harpo” Power, on the first Thursday of the month, from 6:30 pm until 8:30 pm.  The next Trivia Night will be held on Thursday, April 7, 2016 in the Woodbury Room.  All trivia aficionados are invited to join in the fun and support the Jones Library!

Bring friends and family as a team, or form teams on the spot, with a maximum of five per team. There will be two rounds of 15 questions each, and there will be prizes for the top teams.  Doors open at 6 pm, and the event starts promptly at 6:30 pm.  There is a suggested donation of $5-$10 per person to participate.  All proceeds benefit the Jones Library.  Refreshments will be served.

Open to the public.  For more information, please contact Janet Ryan at 413/259-3223.

The Guidance Office has had several parents inquire about how they could access parental controls for their child’s phones; we have found the following information:

Every provider offers a service for an additional fee (minimal usually around $5 per month) which allows you to block certain times of day usage and phone numbers, restrict the level of internet access etc., and also sends a weekly email to you with notifications of all of their activity.  If you contact your service provider they can tell you what is offered and help set up the controls.

Links for various providers:

Verizon: https://wbillpay.verizonwireless.com/vzw/nos/safeguards/SafeguardProductDetails.action?productName=familybase

ATT:
https://www.att.com/shop/wireless/smartlimits.html

Sprint:
https://mobilecontrols.sprint.com/welcome.htm

TMobile:
https://support.t-mobile.com/docs/DOC-1725

When: Tuesday April 26, 2016
Time: 6:30pm to 8:30pm
Where: Amherst Middle School Auditorium

Raising a Happy Child

Raising a Happy Child (SPA)

The Human Performance lab at the University of Massachusetts is currently scheduling participants who are 16-18 years of age and have their permit with at least 10 hours of driving experience or teenagers who have had their full license for 6 months or less for a driving simulator study funded by the American Automobile Association Foundation for Traffic Safety (AAA).

Each participant will be asked to come to 1 session at the HPL that will last approximately 2 – 3 hours. During the study participants will be asked to complete a training program designed for new drivers and go through drives on our simulator, driving as you normally would in a real car. We are paying participants who complete this session $100. Partial compensation will be available for participants who choose to end the session early. In the Assent form it states that there are 2 studies and you will be paid $40 for each. This information has changed. The second study is an option for you and you will be paid $40 if you decided to come back in and participate in three months. The first study will pay $100 for your time not $40 as this sheet says. When you come in I will change this by hand before I sign it.

If your child may be interested in participating in this study, please email us at drivingstudyumass@gmail.com or call at (917) 696-2103 in order to schedule a time for your study. 

UMass Driving Study Informed Assent

CHAMBER MUSIC Showcase! Thursday, April 7^th at 7:30p.m.
Wesley United Methodist Church in Hadley (98 N. Maple st.)
Featuring:
Saxophone Quartet          Brass Septet             Woodwind Quintet
Flute Quartet                    Jazz Trio                    Double Reed Duet
Piano Duet                        Percussion Trio       And More!
 *$5 suggested donation*  Everyone Welcome!

1. Two-thirds of your junior year is now complete.  If you aren’t thinking about what you want to do after graduation yet, this is a good time to start thinking about it.

2. Remember – there will be a terrific evening program about the college admissions process for juniors, offered by MEFA (Massachusetts Educational Financing Authority), on Thursday night, March 31, at 7:00 in the cafeteria.  MEFA programs are always good!  It’s important to get other perspectives on the admissions process.  I think everyone will leave with at least one new idea.  Check out their website at mefa.org/juniors..  They are an excellent source for all kinds of college information including but not limited to financial information and loans.

3. Mark your calendars so you will remember the April 12 (Tuesday) panel presentation by seniors for juniors and their parents/guardians, at 7:00 in the auditorium.  The seniors will tell you about their experiences with admissions.  Why re-invent the wheel and why make the same mistakes they made.  Come to hear their compelling, and often amusing stories.

4. If you took the PSAT, retrieve the code that you used to get your scores.  Go to psat.org  use it to bring your PSAT information into Khan Academy, where there is a very helpful SAT tutorial program established in conjunction with the College Board.

5. Remember, through Naviance you have free access to a valuable test-preparation program called Method Test Prep. You can use it to prepare for both the SAT and the ACT.  Click the link for Method Test Prep and set up an account by creating a user name and password.  Remember that the ACT has a science section.  At a minimum you should do the modules related to science in addition to any math, reading and writing prep you have done.

6. This weekend would be a great time for you to complete the Junior Questionnaire for College Conference in Naviance.  Then you can come into the Guidance Office next week to make an appointment for your college meeting.  Be sure you know when your parents/guardians are available.

7. There will be a large college fair at the Eastern States Exposition (Big-E) on Sunday, April 3 from 1:00-4:00.  Although fairs can be overwhelming, they can also be the place you learn about a college that might be a great fit for you.  If you register in advance at gotomyncf.com  And print your receipt with the barcode, you won’t need to fill out any cards!

8. Brian Leaf will be offering a fee-based mini-course at ARHS for the June 11 Act.  This course is ideal for students who have done a fair amount of preparation on their own and would like some useful hints and strategies.  The class will be from 6:00-9:00 on Tuesdays, May 31 and June 7.  The cost will be $250.  Sign up at brianleaf.com.  If there are six paid registrations, the class will be offered free to any juniors on free/reduced lunch.

9. Andy Hilnbrand will be offering a fee-based 4-part, eight hour SAT prep class at ARHS.  The cost will be $350.  He requires eight paid registrations before inviting any juniors on free/reduced lunch to take the course free.  The dates will be Tuesdays, May 3, 10, 17, and 31.  Note that we are avoiding the week of the combined chorus/orchestra rehearsals/concert.

10. If you are eligible and want to take either of the courses free, see Mrs. Cappelli in Guidance.

In an effort to make the teacher’s term 2 grading timeline comparable to that in term 1 of this year, term 2 report cards will be distributed on April 8th instead of April 1st.  We apologize for any inconvenience and appreciate your understanding.

On Tuesday, March 29, 2016, the Town of Amherst will hold their annual election.  This year, there is a contested school committee race (3 candidates for 2 open seats).

In addition, there is an important Yes/ No question about forming a Charter Commission to examine our form of government.  Simultaneously, there is vote on candidates to serve on the Charter Commission should the question pass.  There are 19 candidates vying for 9 seats.

The League of Women Voters has detailed election guides available online:

2016 Voting Guide- TM, SC and Select Board

Charter Commission Candidate Statements

Congratulation to the Boys Ice Hockey Team and Coach Mike Rousseau! The Hurricanes won the Western Massachusetts Division 3A Tournament championship for the first time in 20 years with a 3-2 overtime win over Chicopee Comp at the Olympia Ice Center last week.

The Hurricanes played Nashoba in the State Championship last night and lost 5-1.  Congratulations on a great season!

To read more about their Western Mass Title:

Daily Hampshire Gazette Coverage

MassLive Coverage

photo credit: ARHS Hurricane Boosters

All are invited to attend the PGO Coffee with Mark Jackson on Thursday, March 24th at 7 PM in the ARHS Library. The coffee will cover topics related to homework, the switch to semesters, budget and more. Refreshments will be provided by the Culinary Arts students under the direction of Mr. David Jean.

Thanks to a recent ARHS PGO Grant the ARHS Science Department has new Gas Law Apparatuses for the Chemistry classes. This grant was made possible through money raised in our Stop&Shop A+  School Rewards program participation.  Here is some feedback from Chemistry Teacher Mike Thompson:

I got a chance to test-drive the gas law apparatuses last week in my Chemistry in the Community classes and they worked better than I had hoped. When studying gas laws, it always helps to graph real data to help students understand where the equations come from. I’m attaching a graph that contains the data that we collected with the apparatuses. The points fit a perfect curve. It was SO helpful to have reliable data for the students to analyze. It clearly shows the inverse relationship between the volume and the pressure of a gas. (As the volume increases, the pressure decreases and vice-versa). I’m also attaching a copy of the lab I designed for the devices. I’ll probably revise it a bit before doing it with my students in T3.

At any rate, thanks again for helping us build our repertoire of authentic labs and allowing us to purchase equipment that we otherwise could not afford!

Mar. 18 – Teacher Workshop Day- No School for Students
Mar. 18 – 9:00-10:30 am – SEPAC Board Meeting, Agenda will be posted online, at ARMS Superintendent’s Conference Room
Mar. 21 – T3 Begins
Mar. 22-24- MCAS 10th Grade ELA Testing
Mar. 24 – 7:00 pm – Coffee with the Principal
Mar. 25 – Man Pageant
Mar. 30 – Early Release Day
Mar. 31 – 7:30 pm, Jazz/Symphony Band Concert
Apr. 7 – 7:30 pm, Wind Ensemble Showcase
Apr. 8 – Faculty Talent Show
Apr. 13 – Early Release Day
Apr. 18-22 – Spring Break

ARHS Senior Sasha Yakub will be featured this weekend on NPR’s From the Top! You can tune in on 88.5 FM this Sunday (3/13) at 3:00 p.m.; if you can’t wait, you can also listen to the broadcast online, here..

MIAA offers an online Sports Schedule and contact information for participating schools.  Here is the quick link to ARHS’s page:  Online Sports Information

The ARHS Outdoor Programs are selling cookies! The cookie types are: Chocolate Chip, M&M, Peanut Butter Chip, Trail Mix, and Oatmeal Raisin. The prices are $6 a dozen and $10 for two dozen. Orders can be places up until this Friday, Mar. 18th. Cookies can be picked up this Monday, Mar, 21st, after school. We will be baking all of the cookie ourselves, and the proceeds will support our outdoor adventures!​

    The School Committee has voted to accept next School year’s calendar. The Full calendar available at this link:  2016-2017 Calendar