AHS Principal's Newsletter

It's fall, ya'll! Fun fact about me? I drink pumpkin spice coffee all year. I order my K-Cups on Amazon for year round fall vibes!

As we settle into fall, we are also finally settling in to the school year here at AHS. Our students and teachers are in routines, building relationships, and are well into their academic content. It's been busy around here for sure! Our clubs and sports teams are well underway, we've had several drills with the police and fire departments, our Yearbook held their annual Photo Day, and we held our first rally (seniors with the win!).

To support our students in relationship-building, we use every Wednesday of our WIN block to hold what we call "Advisory," a time where students and staff engage in lessons and activities designed to build skills in our students like time management, executive functioning, stress relief, managing relationships, and more! Last week, our students did a fun "This or That" activity to kick off some conversation. Need an easy way to engage your teen? Go ahead and ask them this one - Hodgies or Hodgies Too? Guaranteed to start a conversation!

Teachers are well into the swing of instruction and assessment, too! We are halfway through the first quarter. Progress reports are now available in Aspen. This is a great time to check in with your child about their academic progress. If your child needs support, I'd suggest reaching out to their guidance counselor and teachers. Teachers are available during WIN block and one day/week after school to provide extra help and support. Take advantage!

Next week will be an important one for us here at AHS as we welcome in the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) on 10/17 and 10/18 for our Collaborative Conference - a visit that is held two years prior to our decennial accreditation visit. In preparation for our collaborative conference, we have written a self-reflection of our school based on the NEASC standards for accreditation. While the visiting team is here, they will be visiting classrooms, meeting with focus groups, and talking to students about life at AHS. They will ultimately produce a report that will help us to identify priority areas for growth over the next two years. I'll be sharing these findings with our community following the visit. We look forward to showing the NEASC team all of the wonderful things happening at AHS!

We're off to a great start and appreciate the continued support from our families and community members. We look forward to seeing you at our events and supporting our students. As always, should you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out.

With gratitude,

Danielle

Senior year is here!

Throughout the year you can expect a section in this newsletter dedicated to senior updates. You should also check our Weekly Bulletin and social media channels for more information.

• Class dues are $120 and need to be paid as soon as possible. Class dues will pay for your yearbook and cap and gowns. If you want your name embossed on your yearbook, dues must be paid before December. Paymants can be made by cash, check, or UNIPAY on the school website. If you are having any financial difficulties, please reach out to Mrs. Burrell or Mr. Bastien.

• The website to order your cap and gown is now live. Payments will be made to the Class of 2024. The website will close on January 1st.

• Upcoming senior fundraisers include the Halloween Bash (10/15), Mr. AHS (11/6), and Powderpuff Football (11/16).

Class questions? Email advisors Mr. Bastien and/or Mrs. Burrell:

steven.bastien@amesburyma.org

emi.burrell@amesburyma.org

Yearbook questions? Email Ms. Leary.

barbara.leary@amesburyma.org

Meet the freshman class officers! The freshman class is excited to have Josiah Fugate as class president, Jamie Hawkins as vice president, Norah Primack as treasurer, Abby Lamott as secretary and Jess Silva/Sophia Manetakis as member at large. These class officers are already off to a fun and busy start to the school year helping plan some awesome events and fundraisers. The first fundraiser the freshman class will be doing is selling poinsettias in November. More information will be coming out soon.

Freshman class dues are $150 and can be paid over the course of the next 4 years. Class dues help pay for student yearbooks, class trips and more. You can visit the school’s website and pay using Unipay or pay by cash or check.

Questions? You can email freshman class advisors Mr. Miller and/or Ms. MacLean

david.miller@amesburyma.org

madison.maclean@amesburyma.org

We are excited to welcome aboard a few new staff members:

Ms. Anna Matthews, Paraprofessional

Mr. Cody Baker, Multi-Purpose Facilities Technician

We are excited to have them join our AHS community!

October 2nd was National Custodian's Day, and we are so grateful to celebrate ours. Thank you to Mr. Rich Papa on the day shift and our newest MPFT, Mr. Cody Baker who will begin the night shift!

PSAT

10/10 7:40 am

Registered sophomores and juniors will take the PSAT during the school day.

Halloween Bash

10/15 12-2

AHS Cafeteria

Bring your little ones to enjoy pumpkin painting and more!

Fall Dance

10/20 - 7-10 pm

AHS Cafeteria

Picture Retake Day

10/23

MEFA Financial Aid Presentation *VIRTUAL GOOGLE MEET*

10/23 6-7 pm

Financial aid information for senior students and families

Halloween Rally

10/27 1:00

Savers Drive Fundraiser

10/28 8 am - 2 pm

Support the Class of 2026

Drop off your donations to the AHS Parking Lot

Future Freshman Family Night

Save the date, 8th grade families!

Join us on 11/2 from 6-8 pm to learn more about AHS!

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