Amherst Middle School

Dear AMS Families,

Welcome to the start of a wonderful school year! As we embark on this journey together, we want to keep you informed and involved every step of the way. That’s why we are thrilled to announce the launch of our weekly school newsletter, beginning this week!

The newsletter will be sent out every Friday and will include important updates, upcoming events, highlights of student achievements, and helpful resources for you and your family. This is one way we strengthen communication between home and school, and to ensure you have the latest news at your fingertips.

Here’s a glimpse of what you can expect:

• Key dates and reminders: Never miss an important event!
• Classroom and grade level highlights: Sneak peeks into your child’s learning experience.
• School-wide announcements: Updates from the principal’s desk, teachers, and staff.
• Student spotlights: Celebrating student accomplishments, including our Best of the Nest recognition.

We hope this newsletter becomes a valuable resource for your family and helps you stay connected with all the amazing things happening at our school. Thank you for your ongoing support and partnership in making this year a great success.

Be well,

Kristen Gauthier

Principal

Mike Cuddyer

Assistant Principal, 7/8

Matt Lane

Assistant Principal, 5/6

September 10 (Tues): Early Release Day (12:50PM Dismissal)

September 11 (Wed): Open House (Lower School, Grades 5 & 6) 6:00-8:00PM **date change**

September 13 (Fri): School Picture Day (see New News item below)

September 16 (Mon): PTA Meeting @ Wilkins School 7:00-8:00PM

September 18 (Wed): Open House (Upper School, Grades 7 & 8) 6:00-8:00PM

September 24 (Tues) - September 27 (Fri): 8th Grade Ecology School (Team Volcano)

October 1 (Tues) - October 4 (Fri): 8th Grade Ecology School (Team Hurricane)

October 14 (Mon) NO SCHOOL - Columbus Day

You are cordially invited to join us for our Open House events on September 11, 2024 and September 18, 2024.

On September 11th, we will welcome 5th and 6th grade families to join us from 6:00 - 8:00PM. We will start with an assembly in the Cafeteria before heading to classrooms to meet teachers.

On September 18th, we will welcome 7th and 8th grade families to join us from 6:00 - 8:00PM. We will start with an assembly in the Cafeteria before heading to classrooms to meet teachers.

The 5th grade teachers would like to invite 5th grade students to attend with their families. However, the 6th, 7th, and 8th grade programs are more geared for adults.

You may have noticed your student has recently been issued a device (either to use at school, bring home, or both -- depending on grade level). As part of our efforts to ensure that students understand what productive and safe use of technology looks like, and to protect the investment in our devices, we are asking students to commit to a Student Technology Agreement. You will notice that this document is in student-friendly language and aligns with the district policies and procedures that were agreed to during the annual student registration process. We are meeting with students next week to go over this document and help make sure everyone understands our guidelines.

To see a copy of the agreement, please click HERE. You can help us at home by going over this document with your student, monitoring technology use, and giving reminders as needed about expectations outlined in this document.

Thank you in advance for your support in helping us to protect students and devices at Amherst Middle School.

Dear Families,

As we move into the 2024-25 school year, we would like to inform you that SAU 39 schools have several pilots happening in both math and literacy at a variety of grade levels. All of these pilots are designed to make informed decisions about the instructional programs we invest in moving forward. These pilots both support the SAU Framework for Progress and allow us to be in compliance with state regulations. We look forward to supporting teachers and students this year as they participate in the pilots.

This year, grades K-6 in SAU 39 will be piloting two knowledge-building ELA programs with the intention to select the best fit for our students for full implementation over the 2025-26 school year. These programs allow us to align with evidence-based, research-backed instruction in reading and writing. For the first half of the year we will be implementing Wit and Wisdom. For the second half of the year we will be implementing Amplify CKLA in grades K-5 and Amplify ELA in grade 6. Teachers will receive training in both of these programs. This is one part of students’ literacy block. Fundations and Heggerty will continue to be used in the primary grades, while upper elementary students will continue to work on advanced spelling skills as well as science and social studies units typically taught.

Our other pilot this fall is in grades 6 - 8 where we will be piloting a new math resource Carnegie Learning. The teachers have been trained in implementing this program and it builds on the K - 5 Bridges Math Program. An additional pilot is planned for the spring and an update will be provided.

The evaluation process for both pilots will include data analysis, classroom observations, and interviews with teachers and students. We are excited about the resources provided and their potential for our students.

Please feel free to reach out with any questions.

Sincerely,

Steve Chamberlin, Assistant Superintendent

Liz Cannon, Director of Curriculum and Accountability

We are still in need of Team Parents for the following grades/teams:

• 6th Grade Team Spartans (Estabrook/Martin)
• 7th Grade Team Earthquake (Blais, Cooley, Dustin, Hinrichs)

Please email Tabatha Moriarity, Amherst PTA room parent coordinator at moriarity.tc@gmail.com if you can help!

Please click here to access the most updated Bus Routes for 2024-2025. It's possible that these routes may change slightly, so keep checking back.

School nutrition information can be found at https://www.sau39.org/administration/school_nutrition. This includes breakfast and lunch menus, and also information about applying for Free & Reduced Lunch.

Amherst Middle School will host School Picture Day on Friday, September 13th.

NEW THIS YEAR: There are no paper forms. You can go online to www.geskusprint.com and enter our unique school code 8S3XJJZD to order your prints in advance (and up to 24 hours after picture day).

Photos will NOT be delivered to school and will be sent directly to homes (this is because we know that middle schoolers + backpacks + printed portraits are not always the best combination).

We will have a retake day later in the fall if your student's school pictures need a re-do.

We will be sure to remind you of school picture day here on Facebook and through our weekly newsletter as we get closer to September 13th.

Log on to https://amherstnhpta.membershiptoolkit.com/ to complete your registration today!

Becoming a member of the PTA doesn't mean signing your life away volunteering, although we can always use more volunteers. If you are interested in chairing an event/committee, are looking to get more involved or you want to meet some new people, join us at our first meeting of the year on September 17 at 7pm in the Wilkins Library. You can also reach out to the PTA via email if you have any questions or concerns that need to be addressed before our first meeting, amherstptanh@gmail.com.

As you complete the Powerschool Registration forms for school this year, please make sure to Opt into the PTA Directory (it is the last form)! This will allow Clark Wilkins and AMS to share contact info directly with the PTA, making it easier for you to stay up-to-date with all PTA communications, including room parent emails.

Please click below for our full August 2024 newsletter.

2024-2025: Check out this link for the 2024-2025 approved Amherst School District calendar.

Please check out this great opportunity with Amherst Recreational Department!

Please join the Amherst Lions Club for their 13th Annual Antique Car Show.

Where: 85 Route 101, Amherst, NH 03031

When: Saturday, September 21st

Time: 9AM - 3PM