AHS Principal's Newsletter

The new year and new semester is upon us. In fact, the school year is more than half over at this point. For us, it means that planning for the spring - and even next year - is well underway! Please be on the lookout for your child's Q2 report card which will be posted in the Aspen portal by Monday. Additionally, course registration for the 25-26 school year begins next week. You can read more information below.

I am proud of all the good work our students and staff have done so far this year. Mid-year can be challenging in ways, but I encourage us all to continue to work to keep our school a safe, respectful, and happy place for all. I look forward to this second half of the year and all of the exciting things that spring brings!

As always, should you have any questions for me, please don't hesitate to reach out.

With gratitude,

Danielle

We are process of developing our Vision of the Graduate that includes the transferrable skills, knowledge, understandings, and dispositions that we want all students to gain in their Amesbury Public Schools journey. We will be referring to this vision as our Redhawk Roadmap. More than ever, we are preparing students for a future where they will need the skills to be able to flexible and adaptable in an ever-changing world. Our goal is to figure out exactly what skills we as a school district want to really narrow in on and to figure out what they look like at each grade level. For example, if we decide that we want all APS learners to be critical thinkers, we will be asking ourselves, "What does critical thinking look like for a 1st grader? A 5th grader? A 12th grader?" and identifying how we can implement and assess these skills over time.

We have built a district-wide committee that includes representation from each school to be leading this work. In the coming weeks, our district Vision of the Graduate committee will be holding focus groups with various stakeholders in the community to gather initial data. We will use that data to create a community wide survey set out in the spring. The goal by the end of the year is to have a draft of our Redhawk Roadmap.

Interested in being involved? Attend our family focus group session on March 4th at 7pm in the AHS library and/or be on the lookout for our community survey in the spring!

Reach out to our accreditation coordinators with any questions:

Lisa Estabrook (lisa.estabrook@amesburyma.org)

Tim Osgood (timothy.osgood@amesburyma.org)

In November 2024, Massachusetts voters approved Question 2, eliminating the requirement for high school students to pass the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) exams as a measure of Competency Determination in order to receive their diplomas. While the MCAS are no longer required to earn a high school diploma, schools must still have some kind of competency determination (CD) to ensure that students are meeting state-level standards that students must meet to demonstrate proficiency in key academic subjects - English, math, and science.

On January 27th, the School Committee voted to approve both our competency determination language and related updates to our graduation requirements for the 25-26 school year.

Here are the basics of what you need to know:

1. In order to earn an AHS diploma, students must meet our CD and our local graduation requirements.

2. In order to meet the CD required by state law, students must take and pass the following courses: English 9, English 10, Algebra I, Geometry, and Biology.

3. Changes to our graduation requirements for the 25-26 school year will include making all senior English and math courses a full year.

4. MCAS will still be given to students as a data collection point, and while passing is not required for graduation, the data itself is important to our schools to best meet the needs of each student. Additionally, students can still qualify for state scholarships based on their MCAS scores.

You can view the PowerPoint presented to the school committee here.

This is a reminder that anyone picking up a child from school must be on the student's identified pickup list and must come into the reception area to present their ID. Students will not be dismissed to anyone that is not on their contact list. In the event that a student has their license, parents/guardians must indicate in their dismissal note that the child will be driving themselves.

We have also seen an uptick in students signing out of school for driving lessons. This is a reminder that driving lessons are not an excused absence from school. We ask that families to find times outside of the school day to schedule these lessons. Additionally, we will be enforcing the same dismissal procedures, and if the person picking that child up for a lesson is not on the contact list and does not present proper ID, they will not be allowed to leave. Student safety and attendance are top priorities, and we appreciate your support.

Course Registration for 25-26

We have approached the time of year that we begin to think about the upcoming 25-26 school year! Our Program of Studies is readily available to view and includes courses that AHS has to offer including various levels (College Prep, Honors, and Advances Placement) and electives in all departments. Over the next couple of weeks, we encourage you to review the courses with your student and discuss options for what they may want to take next year. The AHS Program of Studies for 2025-2026 is available on our school website.

Beginning the week of February 3, students will meet with their guidance counselors in groups to discuss how to register for classes. Registration will open for all students on February 3 and will remain open through February 14. Upon our return from February break, guidance counselors will meet with students to review their course requests and update their requests for the upcoming school year.

If you have questions regarding the Program of Studies or registration, please reach out to your child's guidance counselor or Assistant Principal Alina Lingley (alina.lingley@amesburyma.org).

Junior College Night

Attention Junior Families: Join the AHS Guidance Department and a UMass Lowell admissions rep on February 5th at 6 pm in the auditorium for an introduction to the college application process. This session is geared toward any students interested in attending a 2 or 4 year college.

Mini College Fairs

Beginning 2/26, the guidance department will be hosting mini college fairs each week during WIN block. Students will be able to view which colleges are visiting and sign up to attend.

Senior Scholarship Packets

Senior scholarship sessions were held the last week of January during WIN block. All the information students need (including instructions) is in the Google Scholarships classroom. There are scholarships for students pursuing vocations, trades, and/or traditional college education. Students can reach out to their guidance counselor or senior English teacher for assistance with the applications. All scholarships submitted via the Google classroom are due no later than 7:30am on Monday March 3, 2025.

It's the time of the year where viruses can be on the rise! Here's some information to keep our students, staff and families healthy and to prevent the spread of these viruses:

Norovirus, is a highly contagious "stomach virus/bug" that causes vomiting and diarrhea, and is currently on the rise nationwide. To help mitigate the virus here at AHS, please review the following signs & symptoms and recommendations from the CDC.

Signs & Symptoms:

• Nausea, Vomiting, Diarrhea, Stomach Pain

• Fever, Headache and Body Aches

Prevention:

• Wash hands before eating, preparing or serving food

• Clean and Disinfect Contaminated Surfaces

• Stay home when sick and per AHS Policy may return to school 24 hours after vomiting/diarrhea has stopped and/or your child is able to tolerate a normal diet

Student Health Guidelines - 24-25 SY (1).pdf

To learn more about the virus, signs and symptoms, treatment and ways to help prevent contracting the virus review here: Norovirus | CDC

Respiratory Viruses: We no longer have COVID specific guidelines. The updated Respiratory Virus Guidance from the CDC recommends if you feel sick with cold, flu, or covid-19 symptoms to stay home away from others until you have not had a fever for 24 hours (without using fever-reducing medication) and other symptoms are improving. Masks are recommended.

For your convenience please refer to the APS Nursing & Health Services for clarification on when to stay home from school when feeling ill.

Nursing & Health Services -> illness -> Testing Positive for a Respiratory virus - https://schools.amesburyma.gov/Page/10640

Rest & Hydrate!

During WIN block, once a week, Advisory is held (usually Wednesdays) where students and teachers work to better connect with peers in their grade level while building relationships with their Advisory teacher. Our goal this year is to create a bridge between families and our advisory program. By sharing the content we are discussing each month, we hope to create space and provide resources for these conversations to continue at home.

January Theme: Career Exploration

January's advisory theme was careers. Our goal was to be able to introduce students to the array of career options available, pathways to reach those goals, and connect students with the community to learn more about careers.

Alumni returned to AHS to meet with students about their careers - and the pathways to get there. Alumni working in a range of fields were presented and shared what they needed to do to be successful in their career - whether that be job training, apprenticeship, college, etc. We are so grateful to those who attended!

SAVE THE DATES:

Mandatory Senior/Parent Night

Wednesday, April 30th - AHS Auditorium - 7pm

All seniors and a parent/guardian should attend for information about senior week activities. A mailer will be going home in the first week in April with more information.

Graduation

Friday, May 30, 2025- Landry Stadium - 7 pm

We can't wait to celebrate your graduates!

Reminder to pay your class dues of $150. Checks can be made to Amesbury High School Class of 2025 and given to Mrs. Johnston or Mr. Opolski and/or you can pay online.

Class questions? Email advisors Mrs. Johnston and/or Mr. Opolski.

kaitlin.johnston@amesburyma.org

ian.opolski@amesburyma.org

Yearbook questions? Email Ms. Leary.

barbara.leary@amesburyma.org

I just finished reading "The Let Them Theory" by Mel Robbins - who happens to be one of my favorite podcasters, too! So much in our lives can be out of our control - and this can be challenging for people who want to feel in control. This book gave me some great, practical strategies and would be a great read for anyone looking to improve relationships in any facet of their lives.

From Amazon:

What if the key to happiness, success, and love was as simple as two words?

If you've ever felt stuck, overwhelmed, or frustrated with where you are, the problem isn't you. The problem is the power you give to other people. Two simple words—Let Them—will set you free. Free from the opinions, drama, and judgments of others. Free from the exhausting cycle of trying to manage everything and everyone around you. The Let Them Theory puts the power to create a life you love back in your hands—and this book will show you exactly how to do it.

In her latest groundbreaking book, The Let Them Theory, Mel Robbins—New York Times bestselling author and one of the world's most respected experts on motivation, confidence, and mindset—teaches you how to stop wasting energy on what you can't control and start focusing on what truly matters: YOU. Your happiness. Your goals. Your life.

Email me your recommendations for my next read!

Sharing appreciation can go a long way! If you or your child have had a positive experience with an AHS staff member, let them know! Please take a moment to complete the Google Form below. A few small words can bring someone so much light!

Link to School Calendar

2/5/25

Junior College Night

6:00 pm - AHS Auditorium

Meet with our guidance team to learn more about beginning the college process.

2/6/25

PRT Day

11:30 dismissal

Breakfast and lunch will be served.

2/10/25

Mac 'N' Monday

5:30-7:30 pm - AHS Cafe

Come support the AHS Class of 2027 and eat some mac & cheese! $5 per person

2/17/25-2/21/25

FEBRUARY VACATION - NO SCHOOL

2/22/25

Build a Buddy Fundraiser

9:00-11:00 a.m.

Bring your little one to build a stuffed animal and support the Class of 2026. $30 admission

2/27/25

Principal's Coffee

8:30-9:30 a.m - Dr. Ricci's Office

RSVP to Jennifer Machado (jennifer.machado@amesburyma.org) by 2/25/25

Our cafeteria is committed to meeting the needs of all students. If you have an allergy or another dietary restriction, reach out to cafe manager Bethany Brown to discuss (bethany.brown@amesburyma.org).

Dr. Danielle Ricci, Principal

Email: danielle.ricci@amesburyma.org
Website: https://schools.amesburyma.gov/Domain/861
Location: 5 Highland Street, Amesbury, MA, USA
Phone: 978-388-4800
Facebook: facebook.com/amesburyhighschool