Dear Everyone Learning @ Amherst, Regional, and Pelham Schools:
This week, the Amherst, Amherst-Pelham Regional, and Pelham School Committees reviewed the executive level of their respective budgets. The letter below is the letter included in the front of those budgets. We should always remember that a budget is just a means to an end of high levels of student achievement and each student's sense of belonging. The budget is a means to the end of our expectations and aspirations for children. The budget, who it represents, and what it represents are all just a means to those ends. Thank you for your interest in the means and the ends.
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"Our greatest contribution is to be sure there is a teacher in every classroom who cares that every student, every day, learns and grows and feels like a real human being." - Donald O. Clifton
March 2008
Dear Amherst, Amherst-Pelham Regional Schools, and Pelham Community:
Extending Donald Clifton's quote, our greatest contribution, too, is to be sure there are professional staff, school and district leaders, program directors and managers, maintenance staff, nurses, secretaries, custodians, bus drivers, food service employees, office staff and all other staff in their respective settings every day who care that every student, every day, learns and grows and feels like a human being.... through the support, resources, assistance, behind-the-scenes work, supervision, and development they provide that enhance our preK-12 schools.
At the end of the day, it's about what goes on in classrooms, what goes on in schools, and what we do to support those efforts. As three school districts working as one, we strive to insure that we have systems in place, resources available, and support and development available to connect our expectations-curriculum and programs-with students and their learning. As High School Principal Mark Jackson noted, our challenge doesn't fit nicely as a coffee mug slogan but it works: "How can we help schools challenge and support all kids so as to keep them working at the outer edge of their capabilities?"
Our budget supports our challenge of supporting every student, every day!
We are looking forward to 2008-2009... and 2010, 2011, and beyond! We have our sights set on possibilities and opportunities that enhance our current levels of high student achievement and program success. A public engagement process will result in a clear picture of the future for our children. Our objective in the FY09 budget is to "get through the year" so we can build for the future.
The budget you are about to review fulfills that objective as best possible. The proposed FY09 budget does not get us out of the hole created by five years of cuts due to reduced state and federal funding and increased expenses, many of which are out of our control. The proposed FY09 budget does allow us to remain as close to status quo as possible with attention given to class size, student support and program development, supervision and development of our faculty and staff, and continued alignment of programs and expectations to reach high standards of achievement of every student, every day.
This is a revised format of our school budget. Program information will accompany the final version. Supplemental background material, demographic data, and budget revenue and expenditure assumptions have been distributed in recent months at School Committee meetings and other gatherings. Please see our website, www.arps.org for these reports and additional information. If you would like periodic updates about school news and information, you can send a "subscribe" email to learning@arps.org.
Thank you for your interest in our schools and your support of our children.
Respectfully,
Jere Hochman
Superintendent
In this Issue...
1. ARHS Russian Students Win Multiple Medals
2. Spring Into Fitness Activity Night for Students
3. First Day of School for 2008-2009 Set
4. Agenda for Regional School Committee Meeting, Tuesday, March 11
ARHS Russian Students Win Multiple Medals
In November 2007, Russian students from Amherst Regional High School competed in the National Russian Essay Contest, sponsored by the American Council of teachers of Russian. Twenty-eight students from the Intermediate and Advanced classes had 2 hours in which to formulate and write an essay on the topic "Why I decided to study Russian." Nationally, 66 schools competed in this contest, with 1,397 essays written.
The Amherst students really outdid themselves this year, with 21 of the 28 participants earning Gold Medals! Jane Shuffelton, president of the organization, sent this note with the results: "Please accept my awed congratulations at your students' prowess. How do you do it? They have such strong skills in grammar, syntax, spelling...and they write such creative, lively essays." The essays of the gold medal winners will now be sent to the Pushkin Institute in Moscow for a second round of international judging.
Advanced students and their medals:
Baglow, Brittany—Gold
Benfey, Tommy—Silver
Brigham, Atticus—Gold
Crough, Olivia—Silver
Darby, Cecilia—Silver
Fisher, Annie—Gold
Kiefer, Andrew—Bronze
Parson-Gomberg, Ben—Gold
Levy-Moore, Luke—Gold
Norden, Erika—Gold
Popstefaniya, Aleksandr—Silver
Rising, Lisa—Silver
Rivera, Sasha—Gold
Ryan, Hannah—Gold
Tetenbaum, Noah—Gold
Thom, Jenae—Gold
Intermediate students and their medals:
Albert, Aravis—Gold
Armstrong, Anna—Gold
Atkinson, Kate—Gold
Cherrington, Alison—Gold
Darby, Myles—Gold
Duda, Jessica—Silver
Fabrizi, Emmy—Bronze
Higgins, Genevieve—Gold
Lloyd, Alanna—Gold
MacMillan, Glynis—Gold
Mabee, Caroline—Gold
Micelotta, Aliza—Silver
Palmer, Robin—Gold
Welborn, Kelsey—Gold
Congratulations to Russian Teacher, Jude Wobst, and all of these extremely talented students!
Spring Into Fitness Activity Night for Students
The Amherst-Pelham Regional High School Athletic department is having a "Spring Into Fitness" Activity Night for students in Grades K-6 on Friday, April 11, from 5:00 -- 9:00 p.m. at the High School Gym and Fields. High school sport student-athletes who participated in the Mentors in Violence Prevention training and coaches will supervise sport and recreational activities including basketball, football, soccer, lacrosse, floor hockey, cooperative games, board games, brain teasers, puzzles, and movies. We will also have informational sessions on bully prevention and sportsmanship.
Our student-athletes and coaches are excited about having this opportunity to teach sport activities and talk with your kids about their sports and the benefits of regular exercise. We hope the evening will be educational and lots of FUN!
Please pre-register so that we have an idea of how many kids will be attending (registration form is attached). The cost is $8.00 per person and checks can be made out to ARHS Athletics. You may drop off the signup sheet and money at the athletic office at the high school or send it through the mail by April 2 to ARHS Athletics, 21 Matoon St. Amherst. Registration will start at 5:00 and Pickup is anytime before 9:00 p.m. Please have your child dress for activity. Snacks will be provided with additional food and beverages on sale. If you have any questions about the evening or if the cost is an issue, call the athletic office at 362-1747.
First Day of School for 2008-2009 Set
At their meeting on Tuesday, March 4, the Regional School Committee voted unanimously to approve Thursday, September 28 as the first day of school for students in the 2008-2009 school year. They will be voting on the calendar in its entirety next Tuesday night (March 11) and the official calendar will be published on www.arps.org and in Learning@arps as soon as it's approved.
AGENDA for REGULAR Meeting of REGIONAL School Committee
7:00 PM, TUESDAY—March 11, 2008
High School Library
Call for Executive Session—7:30 p.m.
1. Welcome
· A. Call to Order
· B. Agenda Review
· C. Minutes—February 5 and March 4, 2008
2. Announcements and Public Comment
3. Superintendent's Update
4. Unfinished/Continuing Business
· A. Legislative Action Statement
· B. 2008-2009 School Calendar
· C. School Choice Hearing
5. New Business
6. Reports
7. Sub-Committee Reports
8. School Committee Planning
· A. Calendar review
· B. Items for upcoming meetings
· C. Sub-committee reports
9. Adjourn