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Western Mass Champs!

Submitted by Baer Tierkel on June 16, 2010 - 9:08pm.

'Canes ball teams RULE the hills!  Both 'Canes Softball and 'Canes Baseball won the Western Mass Championships this week!

On Monday the ARHS Hurricanes Softball team won the Western Mass Championship!  Emma Mendoker struck out 15 batters as the 'Canes beat West Springfield 1-0.  Congrats to an awesome team for an awesome season!

On Monday, Dean Bonneau pitched a 1-0 win for the 'Canes Baseball team to win the Western Mass Championship!  Then on Tuesday, senior Derek Osborne pitched a 5-0 win with Kevin Ziomek getting the save to defeat the Central Mass Champions Wachusett High School!

That win puts Amherst Hurricane Baseball in the Massachusetts State Finals for the first time in 69 years!  In 1941 the 'Canes lost to Somerville.  We will face Xavieran on Saturday in Lowell at LeLacheur Park. Time is still TBA, check the ARHS website.  Everyone should try and come out and cheer on the team!

Woohoo! New Playground for Crocker Farm!

Submitted by Baer Tierkel on June 16, 2010 - 9:01pm.

The Crocker Farm PGO is thrilled to announce that the playground total has been reached! This community effort could not have been achieved without the support of dozens of individual and business donors, as well as Fort River and Wildwood Elementary Schools and the ARHS Dance Theater Ensemble. Crocker Farm also received major financial support from the Rotary Club of Amherst. Thank you to everyone who sponsored this project!

The new playground will be built on Friday, August 13, beginning at 8 am. We need 30–50 volunteers (no children, please) to install all of those fabulous pieces. Can you help with this final step?

To sign up, please contact Becky at 230-3306 or CrockerFarmPGO@gmail.com.

ARHS 2010-2011 Calendar

Submitted by Baer Tierkel on June 16, 2010 - 8:55pm.

Are you wondering when all the important dates are for next year?  Are you trying to plan that special trip to National Rare Mushroom Museum in Toledo?  

Take a look at the ARHS 2010-2011 calendar. We'll be posting dates on the ARHS Calendar on our website all through the summer as information becomes available

http://www.arhsparentcenter.org/arhs-calendar

 

ARHS Career Conversations Program

Submitted by Baer Tierkel on June 16, 2010 - 8:53pm.

There's a new program starting at ARHS in the fall: ARHS Career Conversations Program.

How do people arrive at their careers? What is it really like to work in a particular career? These questions will be the focus of a new program called Career Conversations. Career Conversations is a joint initiative between the ARHS PGO and the ARHS Guidance Department and will offer a series of speakers who will share their career experiences with Amherst Regional High School students. The purpose of the program is to increase students’ awareness of a variety of career options and to illustrate the paths people take to arrive at a given career.

Look for more information in the fall!

Fall Sports Registration - June 23rd 5-6:30

Submitted by Baer Tierkel on June 16, 2010 - 8:50pm.

If your teen is planning on playing a fall sport, they need to get their ducks in a row.

Fall Sport Registration has been rescheduled to June 23 from 5:00 to 6:30 in the high school Gymnasium. Registration forms will be available online and may also be obtained in the main offices at the high school and middle school after June 17.

Help Fund ARHS School Clubs

Submitted by Baer Tierkel on June 16, 2010 - 8:47pm.

For the second year in a row the school budget has no funding for after-school clubs. Despite the override there still have been cuts in positions and services at the high school and clubs are one of the areas for which funding has been cut.

Restoring after-school clubs means we, the ARHS PGO (Parent Center) need to raise $20,000 to restore the 30 clubs offered at the school this past year. We will be sending out info and a donation form in late August. Please be as generous as you can.

THANKS!

Summer Reading

Submitted by Baer Tierkel on June 16, 2010 - 8:38pm.

Our intrepid ARHS library staff and teachers have assembled an AWESOME summer reading list for our teens.  So grab that Nintendo DS out of their grubby hands and replace it with one of the great books!

There is fiction listed by grade levels, there are great web design/technology books, wonderful science books, performing arts, something for everyone!

http://www.arps.org/hs/Library/SummerReadList.htm 

AR[T]HS - Outstanding Student Artwork Show

Submitted by Baer Tierkel on June 16, 2010 - 8:33pm.

'Canes Roll On!

Submitted by Baer Tierkel on June 10, 2010 - 7:32pm.

'Canes Girls Tennis won their semi-finals match and will play for the Western Mass Championship Friday June 11th at 3:30pm against Longmeadow.  The match is in Chicopee.  Go 'Canes!
 
'Canes Boys Tennis won their quarter-finals match and will play Thursday June 10th at Minnechaug HS.
 
'Canes Baseball beat Chicopee on Monday and will face arch-riva; Cathederal on Friday June 11th at Szot Park in Chicopee at 4pm.
 
'Canes Softball won their Quarter final match and advance to the semis against Mennechaug HS at Elms College at 5:30 on Friday June 11th.
 
'Canes Track star Tjiro Nkambo who qualified for the New England Championships in the Triple Jump.  The event takes place in New Britain, CT on Sunday June 13th at 10am (Willow Brook Park).
 
Also, congratulations to Kevin Ziomek who was drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday in the MLB Amateur draft.  Here's a great article in the Sunday Globe about Stan and Kevin and the Ziomek baseball dynasty! 

Parents of Sophomores, Read On!

Submitted by Baer Tierkel on June 10, 2010 - 7:24pm.

Parents of Sophomores, your students will soon be receiving the following notice at their school e-mail addresses.  It will include a Naviance log in code. 
 
Hello Sophomores,
 
I am the ARHS college advisor.  I will be meeting with you in groups and individually in your junior and senior years to discuss your post-high school planning.  I am writing to you now to make you aware of two summer preparatory activities for the standardized tests you will need to take in the next year, in case you are interested.  I am also including some advice for athletes who hope to play at the college level. 
 
1.  As you may know, we urge juniors to take the PSAT.  This year’s date will be Saturday, October 16.  The PSAT is a practice test for the SAT, which is required by many colleges.  We urge students to take the SAT in the winter or spring of the junior year and again in the fall of the senior year if needed. 
 
ARHS has subscribed to a test-preparation program called Method Test Prep.  It is free to students and is pretty user-friendly.   It consists of a series of about 45 fifteen-minute training modules and two practice SAT tests. It is useful as preparation for either the SAT or the PSAT.  We are now making it available to sophomores.  you can use it if you would like to prepare for the PSAT over the summer.  Such preparation is strictly optional for the PSAT but highly recommended for the actual SAT. 
 
The Method Test Prep program is part of Naviance, which you will use beginning in the winter of your junior year for your college search and application process.  Feel free to look around the site, particularly at the information under “Careers” if you wish.  Register for Naviance at the following address:
 
www.connection.naviance.com/amherst
 
Use the code below, individualized to you, to register for your account.  Begin by registering, not by trying to log in.  Use the e-mail address you check most as your log-in user name and select a password you will remember.  Write both of these down somewhere you will remember in case you forget them.  Although I am sending a copy of this note to your parents/guardians they will not have access to Method Test Prep.  I will send them log-in codes before school is out so they will be able to use the Naviance features that we offer to parents.)
 
Once you are in Naviance you will find Method Test Prep under “Colleges/test preparation.  We hope you find it useful.  Most students say it is pretty good to use, considering that it is test prep! 
 
2.  Sophomores are now invited to register for an SAT prep class that we are offering during ARHS summer school (July 6-16) in conjunction with the Princeton Review.  The cost is $399, far below their usual charge.  This course is best for rising seniors who want some extra preparation for their senior year SAT, but rising juniors who generally test very well may wish to take the course as preparation for the PSAT.  The top 1 % of PSAT scorers in Massachusetts become “National Merit semi-finalists” and are eligible to win some scholarship money.  To sign up, call 1-800-2REVIEW.
 
3.  If you are an athlete who is considering college athletics at either the Division 1 or Division 2 level, you should do two things:  1) Register with the NCAA (eligibilitycenter.org) early in your junior year, and 2) Plan to take your SATs in the fall or winter of your junior year.  You may want to plan your test-preparation activities accordingly.  Admission timelines for D1 and D2 athletes have accelerated in recent years.  Timelines for Division 3 are not as critical and D3 athletes do not need to register with the NCAA at all.  Of course students who are applying to schools in multiple divisions will need to register even if they ultimately choose a D3 school. 
 
Please see your counselor or a Guidance secretary if you have any questions.
 
Sincerely,
 
Myra Ross
ARHS College Advisor

Student News Season Finale!

Submitted by Baer Tierkel on June 10, 2010 - 7:17pm.

The June 2010 special hour-long season two finale of Student News will be airing this coming Monday, June 14 at 7pm on ACTV, for Frontier Community Access Television and Hadley TV-5, check your local listings.  This special episode features an extended, in-depth interview with Amherst School Committee Member Catherine Sanderson, covering all the hot spots on town issues; from budget cuts, to increased testing, to Union 26, to the override, and some interesting information about school populations. And, you will - of course - get some great headlines and a Feel Good Story-of-the-Week.
You will also be able to view this and other past episodes of Student News online at:
http://www.actvamherst.com/ Series
Just find Student News on the list and click on "view."  Student News is an independent, monthly half-hour news show produced by high school students in the Pioneer Valley. Since it first aired in February 2009, it has grown from a team of about 10-people to over 20 youth reporters, producers, editors, and studio crew from Amherst, Hadley, Pelham, Belchertown, Leverett, and Northampton. More information about how to join the team and clips of past shows are available at the website: www.riverwolfproductions.org/studentnews

Stuff For Aging Parents of Teens This Weekend!

Submitted by Baer Tierkel on June 10, 2010 - 10:47am.

Saturday 6/12 6pm - Pioneer Valley Roller Derby @ Fitzpatrick Ice Rink 575 Maple St, Holyoke.  If you think you've run out of things to do in the Valley, this is for you.  Get down to Holyoke and check out the roller derby!

Saturday & Sunday 6/11-12 All Day - Water Under The Bridge Music Festival in Turner's Falls.  More bands than you can shake a stick at in Turner's Falls all day and night on Saturday and Sunday.  If you haven't been up to Turner's lately, you should make the trip.  Fun, funky shops, the Rendezvous, cafes.  Good times by the river!

 

End of School Party!

Submitted by Baer Tierkel on June 9, 2010 - 8:26pm.

Celebrate the end of the school year at the library!Join us for some fun on Friday, June 11 from 3 - 5 pm in the Large Meeting Room.

Teens are invited to come and celebrate the end of the school year with pizza, music, friends, and so much more! Come have some fun!

Acting for Teens Summer Course Aug. 2-6

Submitted by Baer Tierkel on June 9, 2010 - 8:19pm.

Amherst Leisure Services is offering an Acting intensive for Teens (ages 13-16) August 2 - 6.

This class will run Monday-Friday 9:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m., and will be held at the Middle School. The class is designed to encourage young actors in creative risk-taking and to build improv comfort level and confidence.

Call LSSE at 259-3065 to register or visit lsse.org for more information.

You Are Not Alone!

Submitted by Baer Tierkel on June 8, 2010 - 8:35pm.

This is a tough time of year for both kids and parents.  Lots of change.  Don't let it take control of you. 

Every 15 minutes someone in the US takes their own life.  During depression the world disappears. Language itself. One has nothing to say. Nothing.  Find a clear, step-by-step path for you to follow out of the darkness. There is hope and you can feel happy again!

If you need to speak with someone right now call: 1.800.SUICIDE (1.800.784.2433)

Check out the Hope Center: http://www.hopeline.com/gethelpnow.html 

ARHS Calendar

Submitted by Baer Tierkel on June 3, 2010 - 1:19pm.

Always get the most current ARHS Calendar here on Google Calendar:
http://www.arhsparentcenter.org/arhs-calendar

Friday (6/4) - ARHS Graduation 6pm @ Mullins Center...Congratulations Senior Parents!
Friday (6/4) - Senior Party 9pm 
Tuesday (6/8)  - Concert: Philharmonia and Symphony Band 7:30pm @ ARHS Auditorium 
Wednesday (6/9) - ARHS Underclass Awards 7pm
Thursday (6/10) -  AR[T]HS Opening Reception 5-8pm @ Nacul Center Gallery
Monday (6/14) - Final Exams
Tuesday (6/15) - Final Exams
Wednesday (6/16) - Final Exams
Thursday (6/17) - Final Exams Makeup Day
Thursday (6/17) 12pm - Teacher Appreciation Luncheon
Friday (6/18) - Summer begins! 

 

New Last Day of School & Exam Schedule

Submitted by Baer Tierkel on June 3, 2010 - 10:37am.

That tiny bit of wind and thunder last week put a crimp in the remaining school schedule.

Exams will start on Monday June 14th.  The new LAST DAY OF SCHOOL is Wednesday June 16th.   Thursday, June 17th will be an exam make-up day.

Here is the new Exam Schedule. 

We're nearing the finish line, folks! 

 

ARHS Summer School

Submitted by Baer Tierkel on June 3, 2010 - 10:30am.

Some kids love it. Some kids hate it.  But sometimes you just have to focus on getting the job done and sacrifice the fun.  That's right, summer school is upon us.

ARHS Summer School will run from July 1 to July 29. Here is the 411 on the course offerrings, registration, times, locations, etc.

Teacher Appreciation Luncheon Moved to Thursday 6/17!

Submitted by Baer Tierkel on June 3, 2010 - 10:29am.

Salad

The ARHS teacher appreciation luncheon has been moved to Thursday June 17th.  The PGO will purchase drinks, paper products, and sandwich ingredients.  We need parents and guardians to pitch in with salads and desserts as well as to help at the luncheon.  Please Volunteer to: 

1. Contribute food (Salad for 10 or Dessert for 10)
2. Set up and serve from 10:15 – 11:30
3. Serve and clean up from 11:30 – 12:45

Food should arrive at the High School between 7:30 and 10:30 in disposable containers if possible.  Please label any containers or utensils that you will be taking home.  

To volunteer, please contact Cindy Naughton at 253-5290 or CNAUGHTO@smith.edu . Thanks for helping to make this event a success for our teachers and staff!

New Student & 9th Grade Orientation

Submitted by Baer Tierkel on June 3, 2010 - 10:23am.

We are pleased to welcome the newest class of 9th grade students to Amherst Regional High School. We are committed to transitioning our rising 9th graders well because we recognize that a positive transition experience is essential to future student success in high school.

On Wednesday, August 25th, we will host a Summer Open House for all incoming 9th grade and new students. This open house will invite students to visit the high school, pick up their schedules, and tour the building to find their specific classrooms. They will be greeted by administrators and staff and can learn more about athletics and other facets of high school life. Parent and high school student volunteers will be present to answer questions and help students become more comfortable when adjusting to the high school. Emergency forms, locker information, and other handouts will also be available.

Parent/guardians are welcome to attend this event with their children. The doors open at 8:30am and students and parents can drop in for an hour or so between 8:30a.m. and 1:00p.m. If families of incoming 9th graders or new students are unable to attend this event, but would like to pick up their high school class schedule, they will be available in the main office of the high school from August 25-27. All pertinent orientation information and student schedules will also be delivered during the orientation sessions on the first day of school. Consequently, attendance at the Summer Open House is not necessary in order to receive this information.

Please note that this summer Open House does not replace either our Ninth Grade Student and Family Evening (scheduled for September 13th) or our school-wide Fall Open House (scheduled for October 7th). We hope to see you at all three of these events.#We look forward to seeing incoming students on August 25th, or when we welcome all of our students back to school on Thursday, September 2nd. In the meantime, we send you our best wishes for a successful end of this school year and for a restful summer.

'Canes Softball Completes Back to Back 20-0 Seasons!

Submitted by Baer Tierkel on June 3, 2010 - 10:14am.

Canes

'Canes Softball just completed their second 20-0 undefeated season! They enter the state tournament in Division 1 as the favorite. Emma Mendoker finished the regular season with a .15 ERA and 266 strikeouts over 136 innings pitched on top of a .476 batting average! Quianna Diaz-Patterson hit .520 with 5 homers and Zoe Dillon-Davidson .509 with 5 homers and Simone Frank .529 with a 33 for 34 stolen bases.

Come on out this Saturday at 6pm at ARHS and catch the 'Canes play in the Quarterfinals of the State Tourney! 

Go 'Canes!!!

'Canes Win Ultimate State Championship

Submitted by Baer Tierkel on June 3, 2010 - 10:04am.

Both the Boys and Girls Varsity Ultimate teams won the State Championship on Monday at the Massachusetts State Ultimate Tournament in Sudbury.  The boys capped their 24-0 season (plus a 14-3 record against colleges) and their National Co-Championship with their win in the 16 team state tourney.  The girls finished their season 21-2 adding their win at the 11 team field at the state tournament to their National Co-Championship they won 2 weeks ago.  The JV Girls team won the Spirit of the Game award at the State Tourney out of all the 27 teams.

Congrats Ultimate 'Canes! 

LSSE Week-Long Sports Camps

Submitted by Baer Tierkel on June 3, 2010 - 9:57am.

Is your teen looking to hone their skills this summer?  Or maybe try a new sport before the ARSH season starts?  Or maybe you're just trying to get them out of the darn house...

LSSE is holding week-long sports camps from June 28 to Aug. 13 in manysports, including baseball, lacrosse, Ultimate Frisbee, basketball, soccer,softball, volleyball, tennis, field hockey and golf. F

or details, call LSSEat 259-3065, log onto www.LSSE.org or contact Mark Miville atmivillem@amherstma.gov. For British Soccer camp registration, sign uponline at www.challengersports.com. 

Chris Smither Concert & Benefit

Submitted by Baer Tierkel on June 3, 2010 - 9:52am.

Chris Smither

Check out awesome local icon Chris Smither at Shelburne Falls' Memorial Hall this Friday, June 4th at 8 pm.  It's a benefit for the fledgling Pioneer Valley Chinese Immersion Charter School in Hadley.

For more info click you mousie here:
http://www.shelburnefallsmemorialhall.org/concerts.html

College Essay Workshop

Submitted by Baer Tierkel on June 3, 2010 - 9:51am.

Essay

For parents and upcoming seniors: College admissions essays coming yourway?

Learn how to put more of yourself into college essays and engageadmissions readers in the story of who you are. Full Voice, a workshoppresented by Main Street Writers, meets on Wednesdays in July, twosessions. Fun and pizza included. For more information contact Ms.Hwang-Carlos in the English Department, or Kathy Dunn (413) 221-4652

You can find more information on the intertubes at www.mainstreetwriters.com