Amherst Middle School

Dear AMS Families,

It's hard to believe that February break is already here. Spring will be here before we know it. This time of year is a period of great change in our students, where we often see large leaps of social-emotional and academic growth.

We wish you and your family a safe, fun, and relaxing break. We look forward to seeing everyone back here on March 4th.

Be well,

Kristen Gauthier

Principal, Amherst Middle School

John Schuttinger

Assistant Principal (Grades 7/8)

February 26 - March 1: February Vacation (NO SCHOOL)

March 6 & 7 (Wed/Thurs): NH-SAS Writing Assessment, Grades 5-8

March 22 & 23 (Fri/Sat): AMS Theater Club presents The Wizard of Oz, Youth Production

March 27 (Wed): Early Release 12:50 PM

April 1 - April 5: 8th Grade Ecology School Week, Team Hurricane

April 2 (Tues): NJHS 7th Grade Spring Induction 6:30 PM - 7:30 PM

April 8 (Mon): Early Release 12:50 PM

We hope your family will consider visiting Red Robin (Nashua, Pheasant Lane Mall) on March 12th (Town Election Day) to help us raise funds for our 50th Anniversary Celebration. Red Robin is contributing 20% of all sales to Amherst Middle School in support of our event. Be sure to mention Amherst Middle School to your server or add the "Fundraisers To-Go Only" item if you wish to place a take-out order. Don't forget to vote before or after your meal!

Time to restock, and reinvigorate your AMS Gear stash. You can find all the available items here: https://www.brandingmine.com/collections/amherst-middle-school. From sweatshirt to pajama pants, there is something for everyone.

Please click here for more information regarding the Town Vote on March 12th, including information about obtaining an absentee ballot. Please also see the Amherst Town Clerk website for more information.

This year, we are recognizing students with the Best of the Nest Award. Staff members nominate students each week who demonstrate a commitment to upholding the Courage to CARE model and the values of Amherst Middle School.

This week, we are celebrating two students who went above and beyond in the AMS community.

Annamae W. (Grade 6)

Annamae displays the perfect example of a student who cares for others. She can often be found supporting a peer or consoling a friend in need. Her presence and positive light radiate throughout the classroom. She works hard and she truly appreciates the Spanish culture. Annamae's Compassion is evident in the way she interacts with her classmates and teachers every day.

Crew R. (Grade 7)

Crew has brought such positive energy into class! He is a strong leader as we are kicking off our group project during this unit. He can effectively lead and delegate work to peers in a way that allows all students to engage successfully with the task. Crew is showing a strong sense of Accountability and Effort each day.

Monthly Newsletter

The PTA Monthly Newsletter is live! Click here.

Join the PTA

For more information about the PTA and to join this year, please visit their website, http://www.amherstnhpta.org/index.html.

SHS/AMS Athletic Director, Kelli Braley, will be sending out weekly schedules directly to families and we will also share the weekly schedule in our Friday updates.

Did you now? Not only can you access the sportsYou on your smartphone, you can also login online! https://www.sportsyou.com/login

Full season schedules can be found here.

We just received the BEST update from Operation Delta Dog regarding our Veterans Day Fundraiser and the money that we were able to raise and donate this past November. Many thanks to all who donated to this cause, as your contributions are truly making a difference for a veteran in our community!

ɪ ᴡᴀɴᴛᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ꜰɪɴᴀʟʟʏ ᴄᴀᴛᴄʜ ᴜᴘ ᴡɪᴛʜ ʏᴏᴜ ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ʏᴏᴜʀ ɪɴᴄʀᴇᴅɪʙʟʏ ɢᴇɴᴇʀᴏᴜꜱ ꜰᴜɴᴅʀᴀɪꜱɪɴɢ ᴇꜰꜰᴏʀᴛꜱ ʟᴀꜱᴛ ꜰᴀʟʟ. ʙᴇᴄᴀᴜꜱᴇ ᴏꜰ ʏᴏᴜʀ ɢᴇɴᴇʀᴏꜱɪᴛʏ ᴏᴘᴇʀᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴅᴇʟᴛᴀ ᴅᴏɢ ᴡᴀꜱ ᴀʙʟᴇ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇꜱᴄᴜᴇ ʜᴏʟʟʏ, ᴀ 1 ʏᴇᴀʀ ᴏʟᴅ ʙʟᴀᴄᴋ ʟᴀʙ ᴍɪx ꜰʀᴏᴍ ꜱᴏᴜᴛʜ ᴄᴀʀᴏʟɪɴᴀ. ꜱʜᴇ ᴄᴀᴍᴇ ᴜᴘ ʀɪɢʜᴛ ʙᴇꜰᴏʀᴇ ᴄʜʀɪꜱᴛᴍᴀꜱ. ʙᴇꜰᴏʀᴇ ᴄᴏᴍɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ ᴜꜱ, ꜱʜᴇ ʜᴀᴅ ꜱᴘᴇɴᴛ ᴀʟᴍᴏꜱᴛ 6 ᴍᴏɴᴛʜꜱ ᴏꜰ ʜᴇʀ ʟɪꜰᴇ ɪɴ ᴀ ʀᴜʀᴀʟ ꜱʜᴇʟᴛᴇʀ. ꜱʜᴇ ɪꜱ ɢᴏᴏꜰʏ, ᴘʟᴀʏꜰᴜʟ, ᴀɴᴅ ʟᴏᴠɪɴɢ.

ꜱʜᴇ’ꜱ ᴅᴏɪɴɢ ɢʀᴇᴀᴛ ᴡɪᴛʜ ʜᴇʀ ᴛʀᴀɪɴɪɴɢ ᴀɴᴅ ꜱʜᴏᴜʟᴅ ʙᴇ ᴍᴀᴛᴄʜᴇᴅ ᴡɪᴛʜ ʜᴇʀ ᴠᴇᴛᴇʀᴀɴ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ɴᴇxᴛ ᴡᴇᴇᴋ ᴏʀ ꜱᴏ.

ᴛʜᴀɴᴋ ʏᴏᴜ ᴀɢᴀɪɴ ꜰᴏʀ ᴄʜᴏᴏꜱɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ ꜱᴜᴘᴘᴏʀᴛ ᴏᴘᴇʀᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴅᴇʟᴛᴀ ᴅᴏɢ ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴠᴇᴛᴇʀᴀɴ ᴄᴏᴍᴍᴜɴɪᴛʏ. ᴡᴇ ᴀʀᴇ ᴅᴇᴇᴘʟʏ ɢʀᴀᴛᴇꜰᴜʟ ᴛᴏ ᴀʟʟ ꜱᴛᴜᴅᴇɴᴛꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ꜱᴛᴀꜰꜰ ᴡʜᴏ ʜᴇʟᴘᴇᴅ ʀᴇꜱᴄᴜᴇ ʜᴏʟʟʏ ᴀɴᴅ ᴍᴀᴛᴄʜ ʜᴇʀ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴀ ᴅᴇꜱᴇʀᴠɪɴɢ ᴠᴇᴛᴇʀᴀɴ. ᴡᴇ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ʟᴏᴠᴇ ꜰᴏʀ ʏᴏᴜ ᴛᴏ ꜰᴏʟʟᴏᴡ ʜᴇʀ ᴘʀᴏɢʀᴇꜱꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ᴡɪʟʟ ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ᴏɴ ʜᴇʀ ᴊᴏᴜʀɴᴇʏ.

The 2023-2024 school year represents the 50th year of educating, supporting, and empowering adolescents at Amherst Middle School. This is a momentous occasion for our school, students, and staff and I am thrilled to announce that we will be hosting an anniversary celebration on Friday, June 7th.

We are organizing a Gift Basket Raffle Fundraiser to support this celebration. We are raising funds to bring in an engaging performance group for our students, provide a picnic lunch, and purchase t-shirts to commemorate the event. We are currently planning ways to include former staff members and alumni, including those who were here when the school opened in 1974.

To make this event a success, we are reaching out to our valued community members for their support. Your generous donations can make a significant difference in the success of our fundraiser. Whether it's a contribution of a themed gift basket, a monetary donation, an item, or a gift certificate, every bit counts and is deeply appreciated.

Your contributions will directly impact Amherst Middle School students and staff, enhancing the overall experience for our students and enriching our school community.

Here's how you can contribute:

1. Gift Basket Individual Item Donations: We welcome donations of individual items (gift certificates, products, etc.) for a gift basket that will be created by the committee.

2. Gift Basket Donations: We welcome donations of full-themed gift baskets such as spa packages, gourmet food baskets, sports gear, movie night packages, and anything else you believe would make an enticing raffle prize.

3. Monetary Donations: Your financial support is invaluable. Donations will be used to purchase items for gift baskets, cover event expenses, and support our cause directly. Checks can be made out to Amherst Middle School. Please note “50th Anniversary” on the memo line.

4. Volunteer: If you're able to lend your time and skills to help with organizing the event or contributing in any other way, we would be grateful for your assistance. We plan to raffle off baskets at the March 12 Town Voting Day at Souhegan High School and may need help with staffing a raffle table.

We recognize that your support extends beyond financial contributions, and we are truly grateful for your dedication to our school community.

Please feel free to contact Kristen Gauthier (kgauthier@sau39.org) if you have any questions or would like to discuss how you can contribute.

Thank you in advance for your generosity and support. Together, we can make a meaningful difference and create lasting memories for our students.

Students in grades 5-8 will be participating in the New Hampshire State Assessment System (NH-SAS), our state assessment program, in March and May.

March 6-7, 2024: English Language Arts: Writing, Grades 5-8

May 1, 2024: English Language Arts: Reading, Grades 5-8

May 2, 2024: Mathematics, Grades 5-8

May 9, 2024: Science, Grades 5 & 8

NH-SAS is an important assessment that helps provide information on whether students are meeting grade-level expectations. We receive test results quickly and teachers can use this information to target instruction through the end of the school year and in future years.

While parents can opt students out of testing, we are required to have a 95% participation rate. Any students who opt out of the 2024 assessment below the 95% district and school participation requirement, will be counted as zero scores for accountability. Zero scores for students will significantly impact our school and district-level test results.

While RSA 193-C:6 permits parents to exempt their students from taking the statewide assessment, your student’s participation is appreciated as we strive to represent the achievements of our students accurately. If you would like to opt your child out of NHSAS testing, please complete this opt-out form by Friday, February 23rd.

Calling all kids ages 11-15 who wants to learn valuable knowledge and skills in the wild world of babysitting!

We are changing the early release days dates to better accommodate the SAT date in March and the Eclipse that will occur in April.

SAT Day: To allow Souhegan High School to implement the SAT we are moving the early release day from March 20 to March 27.

Eclipse Day: The administration is developing the best approach to accommodate the eclipse. To have students home in the afternoon we are moving the early release day from April 17 to April 8.

As a reminder, all AMS students are dismissed at 12:50 on Early Release Days.

As discussed earlier in the year, promoting and monitoring safe internet use has been a focus of our work. The school’s filtering process now includes a Wellness Module, which alerts the administration if student health-safety-related terms are discovered. In addition, the faculty were trained in restricting website access to content-related sites during instructional time. Thank you for your support of this effort as we continue to focus on high-quality instruction and student safety.

Go to TinyURL.com/treering2324, log in, and check your "To-Do" to upload your 8th grader's baby photo!

We met over Zoom last week to discuss the current state of grading and reporting at Amherst Middle School. You can check out the recording below for more information.

We are excited to announce that the next round of clubs and activities begin on January 8th. Please see the graphic below for more information about dates and times.

A special note about the 5th Grade Stone Soup Club, which has become incredibly popular: This club will meet on Mondays and Thursdays 3:30 PM-4:30 PM for 5 weeks. Students who are interested, should talk to their families to get permission and then give their Morning Meeting teacher their name by Monday January 8th. There will then be a randomized lottery and families will be notified by Friday, January 12th.

A special note about Board Game Club, their meeting day will could change week to week. Please check the AMS Calendar here for updates and remind your student to listen to morning announcements for changes as well.

If your student will be late to school or absent, please call us directly at 603.673.8944 and leave a message on the attendance line or email ams@sau39.org. While it is helpful for teachers to also know about tardies and absences, contacting the front office is the best way to ensure your student is accounted for in our daily attendance process. Automatic notification calls go to families at 11:00am for absent students that we have not received an absence notification for.

Make sure you check back frequently as the calendar can (and likely will) still be modified.