Calling all 7th grade families- Pay it forward!

Thank to all who volunteered to help with Mill River.  We are still in need of volunteers to help clean up after the dance on Monday.  Many hands make light work!  Please, please join us to make this a quick job!  http://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0e49a4ae2faaff2-8thgrade

ARPS Message in Response to the Tragedy in Orlando

Dear ARPS Community:

This past weekend our nation suffered a tragedy that impacts all of us.  Whenever there are hate-driven, intentional acts of violence such as the mass shooting in Orlando, people experience a wide range of emotional responses.  At such times, it is important that we be mindful of supporting and caring for everyone in our schools and neighboring community.  The Orlando nightclub where the mass shooting occurred is a popular place for members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.  We have heard from many in our community that this event has made them feel vulnerable.  As more information is made available, the emotional effect of such targeted violence may become even more heightened.  

Our school community is sensitive to how our LGBT students, staff, and families may be feeling and are here to offer them care and support.  As a community that values diversity and acceptance, this is a time for us to be unified and stand strong on our core values.  As President Obama stated, “...this is a sobering reminder that attacks on any American -- regardless of race, ethnicity, religion or sexual orientation -- is an attack on all of us and on the fundamental values of equality and dignity that define us as a country. And no act of hate or terror will ever change who we are or the values that make us Americans.”  

In our schools, our mental health team of counselors and psychologists are available to support any students and personnel who may want or need someone to talk to. To assist parents and guardians in talking with their children about this topic at home, the Mayo Clinic link below has some information on helping children cope:  

http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/childrens-health/in-depth/helping-children-cope/art-20047029?pg=1
We appreciate the partnership between our personnel and families to help us come together in these challenging times.  Please feel free to contact us if you would like to have any follow-up discussion.
Sincerely,
Faye Brady, Student Services Director

Estimada Comunidad de ARPS:

Este pasado fin de semana nuestra nación sufrió una tragedia que nos impacta a todos. Cada vez que hay por actos intencionales de violencia impulsados por odio tales como el tiroteo masivo en Orlando, las personas experimentan una amplia gama de respuestas emocionales. En esos momentos, es importante que seamos conscientes de apoyar y cuidar a todo el mundo en nuestras escuelas y en la comunidad vecina. El club nocturno de Orlando, donde se produjo el tiroteo masivo es un lugar popular para los miembros de la comunidad gay, lesbianas, bisexuales y transexuales. Hemos escuchado de muchos en nuestra comunidad que este evento les ha hecho sentir vulnerables. A medida que se hace disponible más información, el efecto emocional de este tipo de violencia dirigida puede ser aún más elevado.

Nuestra comunidad escolar es sensible a la forma en que nuestros estudiantes LGBT, el personal y las familias pueden estar sintiéndose y está aquí para ofrecerles atención y apoyo. Como comunidad que valora la diversidad y la aceptación, es un tiempo para nosotros estar unificados y permanecer fuertes en nuestros valores esenciales. Como dijo el Presidente Obama, "... esto es un recordatorio aleccionador de que los ataques a cualquier estadounidense - sin importar la raza, el origen étnico, la religión o la orientación sexual - es un ataque contra todos nosotros y a los valores fundamentales de la igualdad y la dignidad que nos define como país. Y ningún acto de odio o terror va a cambiar lo que somos o de los valores que nos hacen Americanos ".

En nuestras escuelas, nuestro equipo de salud mental de consejeros y psicólogos están disponibles para apoyar los estudiantes y el personal que pueda querer o necesitar hablar con alguien. Para ayudar a los padres y tutores en hablar con sus hijos sobre este tema en el hogar, el enlace debajo de la Clínica Mayo tiene alguna información sobre cómo ayudar los niños a enfrentar:

http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/childrens-health/in-depth/helping-children-cope/art-20047029?pg=1

Agradecemos la colaboración entre nuestro personal y las familias para ayudar a unirnos en estos tiempos difíciles. Por favor no dude en ponerse en contacto con nosotros si le gustaría tener una discusión de seguimiento.

Sinceramente,

Faye Brady, Directora de Servicios al Estudiante

Mark Your Calendars

June 17- Noon Dismissal
June 20- 8th Grade Moving On Ceremony/ Noon Dismissal
June 20- 8th Grade Social
June 21- Last Day of School- Noon Dismissal

July 1- Report Cards Mailed home

August 1st – Deadline to register/pay for fall sports
August 23rd – Fall Sports Information Night for Parents/Guardians
August 27th – Hurricane Golf Open 2016
August 31st- First Day of School

Taste of Amherst, June 16th - 19th

The 2016 Taste of Amherst is now underway on the Amherst Town Common (June 16-19). It will be open Friday 5pm-10pm, Saturday 12pm-10pm and Sunday 12pm-4pm.  The event is sponsored by Atkins Farms Country Market.

Over 20 Amherst area restaurants participate in the event, showcasing some of the area’s favorite food. 93.9/The River organizes the music for the event. Once again, the Taste is happy to welcome Chef Bill Collins, who is organizing the Cooking Demo tent. At the beer and wine tent, there will be great beer and wine for your enjoyment on Friday and Saturday evenings.

The “Chow-Down Challege is back by popular demand. The Challenge features local offerings from Taste participants, town celebrities and taste-goers, who will compete in our challenge. Bring your appetite! The winners of qualifying rounds will face-off on Sunday in the championship round.
Volunteers are needed for Compost Coaching. The Taste of Amherst is one of the lowest-waste events in the area because volunteer “compost coaches” help people sort their recyclables and compost. Interested in joining the team? Volunteers will receive free non-alcoholic drinks, and treats from Insomnia Cookies! Follow this link to learn more and to sign up your family: http://www.signupgenius.com/go/9040d4eafa922ab9-team.

Check us out on Facebook, for up-to-date listings, and news.

ARMS PGO Meeting

The last ARMS PGO meeting of the year will be held at Laura Wear's house (143 Lincoln) at 6:00 PM (please note time change) on Tuesday, July 14th.  All are invited to attend.

Last call for Volunteers for 8th Grade EOY

ARMS 8th graders will have their Moving On Ceremony on Monday, June 20th  AND a celebrate that night with a social at the High School from 7 to 9 PM.  

 

Please help us make these events memorable by volunteering and/or contributing. 

 

We need the support from both 7th and 8th grade families!

 

To sign up  click here or visit

 

 http://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0e49a4ae2faaff2-8thgrade

Attention 8th Grade Families

Monday, June 20 - 8th Grade Moving On Ceremonies – Time Change:  Moving On Ceremonies will start with Team Presentations at 9:30 a.m. (time was originally scheduled for 9 a.m.) and at 11 a.m. the Teams will come together as a class in the auditorium for a final fair well from Principal Mendonsa and a welcome from ARHS Principal Jackson. The Moving On Ceremonies will end at 11:30 a.m.  Eighth Grade Parents/Guardians that would like to take their children at 11:30 may sign them out in the main lobby.  Otherwise, 8th grade students will report to the cafeteria for lunch prior to dismissal at 12 noon.

Summer Reading Suggestions from ARMS

Your ARMS English teachers and librarian cannot wait to get started on our lists of summer books, and we encourage our students to read all summer!  Just as coaches expect their athletes to train daily to stay on top of their game, teachers ask students to read over the summer to maintain their “reading fitness.”
We expect all rising 7th and 8th grade ARMS students to read the equivalent of AT LEAST two books over the summer, or in place of two books, one could read weekly magazines and/or newspapers.  Students are encouraged to read whatever they like, but recent award winners, new popular titles, classics and more are listed at the middle school library’s website to help students make a selection.  http://armslibrary.wikispaces.com/Summer+Reading+Suggestions

- Scholastic Summer Reading Challenge One way to make summer reading a (fun!) habit is through participation in the Scholastic Summer Reading Challenge, a free online reading program that invites children to log their reading minutes all summer. As kids log their reading minutes throughout the weeks of summer, they will unlock stories from popular authors. Plus, throughout the summer, kids can earn digital rewards and learn about great new books to read.  Learn more about the Scholastic Summer Reading Challenge at http://www.scholastic.com/summer. 

-Borrowing Books Over the Summer Current seventh graders who feel it may be a challenge to access books to read over the summer may apply to check out up to 3 books.  These books will be due the first week of school in fall 2016.  All a student needs to do to participate is make sure they return any overdue books, resolve any charges for missing items, and turn in an application signed by a parent or guardian. Applications are available from the library or from seventh grade English teachers.

To see the summer reading list, click here

Free Interactive Theatre Performance for ages 7-10, this Sun, June 12th

From the ARHS Theater Company

Dear Families,
The Amherst Regional High School Theater Company invites families with 7-10 year olds to sign them up to attend a special immersive theater performance designed exclusively for them! A Letter from Sabine, first mounted by the company in 2013 returns with its story of a mysterious post card shop that has popped up in downtown Amherst and a curious cast of characters to boot. The show is designed for four lucky audience members at a time. Performances start at noon in downtown Amherst and continue on the hour.

Additional information can be found here: bit.ly/arhssabineabout
Ticket reservations (free!) can be found here: bit.ly/arhssabine

Questions can go to the Performing Arts chair John Bechtold at bechtolj@arps.org.

Amherst Together Accomplishments

As the school year ends, following are some of the noted Amherst Together accomplishments for the high school:

People of Color United (POCU) members joined 1,500 volunteers to help revitalize 62 homes for Springfield residents;

Refugees In Distress club (RDC) organized an assembly to raise awareness and educate the community about the plight of refugees;

Black Lives Matter (BLM) held two assemblies featuring the history of BLM, performances, and small group discussions;

Best Buddies club hosted several events to bring awareness to the isolation of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities;

Community Service Club hosted an annual Red Cross Blood Drive in April, where 74 students and 10 staff members donated blood. 37 pints were collected, setting a record with the most since 2011.

A French-Francophone Dinner explored various aspects of French and Francophone cultures from France to West Africa;

African Scholars Program shared its experiences of living with families during its recent exchange trip to Senegal and The Gambia;

In Our Shoes blog was recently launched to educate and actively discuss feminist issues.

At the South East High School Campus, a $7,500 AEF grant provided students an opportunity to construction a greenhouse for hands-on education in sustainable gardening and food production.

Amherst Together is a town and school collaborative that began in 2014, as a vehicle for the community/employer aspect of the Ron Ferguson model that our district uses to close the achievement gap. The initiative reaches into our broader community to find where there might be common agendas to align efforts and continues to evolve with the goal of creating a collective impact movement. Much of the work is done through the lens of posing larger social questions that impact equity and inclusion for all students (gender, ethnicity, ability, social-economic, identity, etc).

For further information see the Amherst Together website at www.amhersttogether.org

Mark Your Calendars

June 15- 7th Grade EOY Field Trip to Look Park
June 16 - 7:30 pm, ARMS 7/8 Orchestras
June 16- 8th Grade EOY Field Trip to Mill River
June 17- Noon Dismissal
June 20- 8th Grade Moving On Ceremony/ Noon Dismissal
June 20- 8th Grade Social
June 21- Last Day of School- Noon Dismissal

July 1- Report Cards Mailed home

August 1st – Deadline to register/pay for fall sports
August 23rd – Fall Sports Information Night for Parents/Guardians
August 27th – Hurricane Golf Open 2016
August 31st- First Day of School

Taste of Amherst, June 16th - 19th

The 2016 Taste of Amherst will be held on the Amherst Town Common from June 16-19. It will be open Thursday 5pm-9pm, Friday 5pm-10pm, Saturday 12pm-10pm and Sunday 12pm-4pm.  The event is sponsored by Atkins Farms Country Market.
Over 20 Amherst area restaurants participate in the event, showcasing some of the area’s favorite food. 93.9/The River organizes the music for the event. Once again, the Taste is happy to welcome Chef Bill Collins, who is organizing the Cooking Demo tent. At the beer and wine tent, there will be great beer and wine for your enjoyment on Friday and Saturday evenings.

The “Chow-Down Challege is back by popular demand. The Challenge features local offerings from Taste participants, town celebrities and taste-goers, who will compete in our challenge. Bring your appetite! The winners of qualifying rounds will face-off on Sunday in the championship round.
Volunteers are needed for Compost Coaching. The Taste of Amherst is one of the lowest-waste events in the area because volunteer “compost coaches” help people sort their recyclables and compost. Interested in joining the team? Volunteers will receive free non-alcoholic drinks, and treats from Insomnia Cookies! Follow this link to learn more and to sign up your family: http://www.signupgenius.com/go/9040d4eafa922ab9-team.

Check us out on Facebook, for up-to-date listings, and news.

Community Meetings to Plan Groff Park Improvements

Share your thoughts about the exciting renovations and additions planned for Groff Park. Recently approved by Town Meeting and to be paid with CPA funding, these include a Spray Park that would extend the season for access to cooling off and water play beyond the pool schedule. 

Meeting times:
  
June 16: 7:30pm at the Bangs Center

June 25: 9 am - noon at Groff Park Playground

July 4: 6 - 8 pm at LSSE Tent (at the Fireworks)

ARMS PGO Meeting

The last ARMS PGO meeting of the year will be held at Laura Wear's house (143 Lincoln) at 6:30 PM on Tuesday, July 14th.  All are invited to attend.

LSSE Summer Sports Camps

Fall 2016 GCC Classes

There will be multiple opportunities to take GCC classes in Amherst next year.
Four evening courses will be held at ARMS in the fall and open to both students and community members:

• ENGLISH 101 (English Composition I: Expository Writing)
• ESL 114 (Spoken English-High Intermediate Level)
• PSYCHOLOGY 101 (Principles of Psychology)
• SPANISH 102 (Elementary Spanish II)

We anticipate that four additional evening courses will be offered in the spring.
For high school juniors and seniors only, two classes will be held during the school day at the high school during the spring semester:

• ENGLISH 101 (English Composition I: Expository Writing)
• ANTHROPOLOGY 104 (Cultural Anthropology: Tribes, States and the Global System)

An information session and an opportunity to take the Accuplacer placement test (a requirement for the English, Psychology, and Anthropology courses) will take place at ARHS at 2:30 on Tuesday, June 7^th.  Students planning on taking the Accuplacer must arrive no later than 3 p.m.  This information session is for ARHS students only.  There will be a similar information session/Accuplacer testing session for community members in July.
Students interested in taking the GCC courses offered at the high school next spring must meet with their guidance counselor as soon as possible after attending the information session (and before the school year ends) to adjust your course requests.  For students planning to take both ENG 101 and ANT 104 or just ENG 101, you will be scheduled for college class E, F, and G periods in 2^nd semester.  For students planning to take just ANT 104, you will be scheduled for college class F and G periods in 2^nd semester.
GCC is committed to waiving the tuition and fees for students taking their first college-level GCC class.  Students not eligible for the tuition and fee waiver can expect the cost for a 3-credit class to be approximately $700.
For more information please contact the GCC Office of Admission at (413) 775 -1801 or admissions@gcc.mass.edu.

8th Grade EOY Activities Volunteer Sign-Up

ARMS 8th graders will formally graduate on Monday, June 20th. These hard working kids will have the opportunity to celebrate their Middle School experience at two fun events: A class picnic at Mill River (Thursday, June 16th during school hours,) AND a festive social at the High School (Monday, June 20th 7 to 9 PM.)  

 

Please help us make these events memorable by volunteering and/or contributing.  Please note that breakfast and lunch will be provided at the picnic but food is needed for the dance. 

 

We need the support from both 7th and 8th grade families!

 

To sign up  click here or visit

 

 http://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0e49a4ae2faaff2-8thgrade

 

 

Pancake Breakfast for Puffer's Pond

The 25^th Annual Puffer’s Pond Pancake Breakfast will take place this Saturday, June 4 from 8:30 - 11:00 AM at the Mill River Recreation Area.  All you can eat pancakes and coffee $8 adults/ $6 kids. 

Please join us for multi-grain pancakes made from ingredients donated by local farms. There will also be gluten-free pancakes and local sausages! And, as usual, we’ll have real maple syrup, live music, fabulous raffle prizes, and tons of community spirit!   The event is held Rain or Shine.

Mark Your Calendars

June 8 - 7:30 pm, ARMS 7/8 band 

June 15- 7th Grade EOY Field Trip to Look Park
June 16 - 7:30 pm, ARMS 7/8 Orchestras
June 16- 8th Grade EOY Field Trip to Mill River
June 17- Noon Dismissal
June 20- 8th Grade Moving On Ceremony/ Noon Dismissal
June 20- 8th Grade Social
June 21- Last Day of School- Noon Dismissal

August 1st – Deadline to register/pay for fall sports
August 23rd – Fall Sports Information Night for Parents/Guardians
August 27th – Hurricane Golf Open 2016
August 31st- First Day of School

Jones Library Teen Summer Reading Kick Off

Pun intended—the Jones Library will be kicking off summer reading with a Library vs. Library Bubble Soccer event at Sunderland Public Library on Saturday, June 18th from 1pm-5pm.

There will be book giveaways and food, too! Spectators of all ages are welcome. Any interested teens can pre-register for this program at The Jones Library or 413-259-3091/ teens@joneslibrary.org