Text Box: SAVE THE DATES

ARMS Back-To-School Picnic August 29
Team Indigo Breakfast September 6
Team Mahogany Breakfast September 7
Team Green Breakfast September 11
Team Onyx Breakfast September 12
Team Sapphire Breakfast September 18
Team Crimson Breakfast September 19
School Pictures September 14
Open House September 27
OPENING OF SCHOOL

Thursday, August 30:

All students, grades 7 and 8 will report to school on the first day. However, they will do so on a staggered schedule for which separate bus runs (pick-ups) will be provided. Please see your Amherst Bulletin for updated school bus pickup schedules.

Seventh graders and eighth graders NEW to the Amherst Middle School should be waiting at bus stops for pick-up at the times listed in the published bus schedules. Their school day will begin at 7:45 a.m.

Eighth graders will be picked up at bus stops approximately two hours and twenty minutes after published times so that their day can begin at 10:15.

For the first few days of school, please ensure that your students are at bus stops at least ten minutes prior to the published pickup times.

Friday, August 31, will be a regular school day schedule.

NEW 8-DAY SCHEDULE

Due to a variety of factors, we will be having a new master schedule next year. Classes will be on an 8-day rotation (we will drop two classes a day). Most classes will meet 6 days in each 8-day rotation. Physical Education and some support classes will meet 3 days in the 8 day rotation. Classes will be 52 minutes long. As in previous years, every student will start the day with an advisory period.

On the first day of school, each student will get their schedule which will tell them which classes they have each day in the 8-day rotation. It will be important for students to keep this schedule so that they can refer to it until they are comfortable with their schedule. At the beginning of each day, we will let students know which day it is in the rotation. In addition, we will send home a year long calendar which will have the days laid out for the entire year. We will also post it on the website.

STUDENT SCHEDULES

Seventh and eighth grade students' schedules will be available on the first day of school. Seventh graders and all new eighth graders will be welcomed in the auditorium when they first arrive at school. From there, they will then go with their assigned advisor to their classrooms to begin their day. Returning eighth graders, will report to the main lobby where their advisor’s name and room number will be posted.

OUR NEW 7TH GRADE COUNSELOR

It is with great excitement and enthusiasm that we welcome Mr. Talib Sadiq as our new seventh grade guidance counselor. Mr. Sadiq will work with you and your seventh graders to help to make your experience at the middle school successful and positive. You can reach him at 362-1843 or sadiqt@arps.org.

While we do not typically share background information about employees, Mr. Sadiq has been forthcoming about his past and we want you to be aware. Fourteen years ago Mr. Sadiq committed a crime and served time in prison. Since that time, Mr. Sadiq has paid his debt to society, worked hard to establish a new life in our community, completed his Masters degree work at the university, and prepared himself to make positive contributions to our society. Mr. Sadiq comes to us with outstanding references from the University and others. The superintendent and I scrutinized this information and, as we have noted, "the justice system has worked". We are confident he will be an excellent counselor and resource for our students, families and staff.

Mr. Sadiq is looking forward to a wonderful year working with you and your children.

SCHOOL SUPPLIES

Please let your children know that their teachers will tell them about needed school supplies during the first few days of school. If they come on Thursday with a pencil and a bit of paper, they will be fine.

SCHOOL LUNCHES/BREAKFAST

The price of school lunches for the 2007-2008 school year is $2.25. Students who received free lunch last year will be able to do so this year (until September 30) while they are completing the necessary paperwork. New applications for free/reduced lunch will be sent home with your child during the first weeks of school.

Breakfast is available every morning (7:30-7:40) to every middle school student AT NO CHARGE.

STUDENT INFORMATION

Your child will bring home emergency contact information cards and other important material on the first day of school. Please fill these out immediately and return them to us at the school. It is critical that we have this information available to us so that we can take the best possible care of your child.

ATTENDANCE

On a day that your child will be absent from school, please call the school to inform us. Please make the call before 9:00 a.m. The student absentee number to call is 362-1984. We will call home in the event of any unexcused absence.

ELECTRONIC NEWSLETTER DELIVERY

We are currently providing an option for families to receive their newsletter by email rather than by regular mail. It helps us cut down on the cost of postage and enables you to receive the newsletter up to 7-8 days sooner. Also, parents that are on this email list will receive periodic reminders about school closings or late start days, etc. If you received a paper copy of this newsletter and would like to be included in the email group, please email Jeanne Kamansky at kamanskyj@arps.org.

SCHOOL HEALTH NEWS

An urgent reminder to all parent/guardians: Students’ health records, including updated immunization documents and a physical examination, must be on file in the school health office in order for your child to attend public school. To abide by the laws of the Commonwealth and to protect the health of all our students and staff, we are required to exclude students from attending school unless documentation of immunizations is complete. All students entering 7^th grade must have documentation of an updated tetanus booster within the past five years. Please contact your health care provider to insure that all immunizations are compliant. If your child has a medical or religious exemption, a written statement must be sent to the nurse or building administrator annually. Please forward updated health records to the nurse via mail, drop off in main office, or call 362-1974 if you are unsure of your child’s health record status. Thank you for your attention to this matter. Dani Pers Faytell, ARMS nurse.

WELCOME NIGHT FOR PARENTS OF NEW INCOMING STUDENTS

On THURSDAY EVENING, AUGUST 23, FROM 7:00-8:00 P.M., parents and guardians of all new to the Middle School students are invited to a meeting in the library conducted by Principal, Fran Ziperstein, Co-Principal Mike Hayes, Assistant Principal, Libby Hurley, and Talib Sadiq, 7th grade Guidance Counselor. Parents/guardians who did not attend the spring parent/guardian meetings are encouraged to come with their questions about the opening of school, orientation, support programs for new students, classes, and any other questions about our programs and organization. The schedule for the first day and week of school will be described. Parents will also learn about ways they can become involved in ARMS.

We look forward to the opportunity to meet with parents/guardians new to the middle school.

ARMS BACK-TO-SCHOOL PICNIC

Wednesday, August 29, 6 PM

Groff Park

72 Mill Lane, Amherst, MA

Rain or Shine - Pavilion available

Sponsored by ARMS Family School Partnership

Enjoy the last night of summer vacation with school friends old and new. Bring a picnic dinner for your family, and summer vacation stories to share.

OPEN HOUSE

We will conduct our annual Open House on Thursday, September 27, beginning at 7:00 p.m. The evening will include a chance to meet your child’s teachers and experience a condensed version of his/her day. The time in each class will be brief, long enough to hear about the curriculum and course expectations but not a time for individual conferences. We will offer conferences later in the year.

Open House is also a wonderful time to meet other parents and learn about the many activities and programs available to your children and to you at our school.

SCHOOL PICTURES

Photographers will take school pictures on Friday, September 14. Product and price information will be provided prior to that date. Every student will have his/her picture taken which will be used for school IDs regardless of additional pictures you may order.

TEAM BREAKFASTS

We will hold our now traditional family/advisory breakfasts on the following mornings in September. Please join your children and their teachers for this casual opportunity to get acquainted and learn a bit about your child’s new school year. All breakfasts begin at 7:45 but feel free to join us as early as 7:30 in the middle school cafeteria.

Team Indigo Thursday, September 6

Team Mahogany Friday, September 7

Team Green Tuesday, September 11

Team Onyx Wednesday, September 12

Team Sapphire Tuesday, September 18

Team Crimson Wednesday, September 19

LATE START DAYS

The dates listed below will be “late start” dates for students in the middle school. On late start days, students will be arriving at school approximately two hours and 15 minutes later than usual. Teachers use this time to do critical professional development work together. The students will be able to use this time to get much needed extra sleep. Students should plan to be at their bus stops 2 hours and 15 minutes later than usual. Buses will begin arriving at the secondary schools at 9:45 a.m. and the school day will officially begin at 10:00 a.m.

Thursday, September 20 Thursday, October 18

Thursday, November 8 Thursday, December 13 Thursday, January 10

Thursday, February 14

Thursday, March 20

Thursday, April 10

Thursday, May 8

SCHOOL SPORTS

The following interscholastic sports will be available to our middle school students this fall:

· Cross-Country for boys and girls

· Field Hockey

· Intramural Volleyball for boys and girls

PLEASE HELP US:

FAMILY DROP OFF AND PICK UP

Families who bring their children to school or need to pick them up at the end of the day are asked to use the South parking lot. The school is served by 33 school buses both in the morning and in the afternoon and for safety reasons it is important that the front drive be left open for their use.

DRESS CODE

As fashions have become bolder in the past years, we feel the need to state our dress code more clearly for our students. We are publishing in this newsletter language from our handbook that should clarify for families what we expect of our students. If you have questions, please call us. Thank you for helping us establish a climate appropriate for the middle school.

School Dress Code

Wear shoes at all times.
No hats, caps, or bandanas.
Do not wear coats while in the building. The exception to this rule occurs when classrooms are very cold.
Do not wear any clothing that contains “obscenities, fighting words, incitement or defamation on them.” (See a Guide to Rights & Responsibilities of Massachusetts Students in the Family Handbook)
Do not wear clothing that is revealing or suggestive.
Do not wear clothing advertising or promoting alcohol, drugs or tobacco.

Boys

No body shirts or similar clothing with extra large armpit openings.
Do not wear an undershirt as a shirt.
Pull your pants up and make sure your underwear is not showing.

Girls

No short cropped tops revealing midriffs and no halter tops.
No micro-mini skirts or short-shorts.
Cami tops or spaghetti strap tops must cover you sufficiently.

Remember: If your clothing is inappropriate, we will request you call home for a change of clothing. If you have questions, please see any teacher or administrator

Text Box: Important School Phone Numbers

Principal’s Office – 362-1800
Health Office – 362-1974
Guidance Office – 362-1840
Middle School Library – 362-1900
Attendance Line
(for absences) – 362-1984
School Closing Line – 362-1898
Sports Cancellation Line – 362-1798
Superintendent’s Office – 362-1810

AMHERST-PELHAM REGIONAL SCHOOLS

Amherst Regional Middle School

170 Chestnut Street (413) 362-1800

Amherst, MA 01002 Fax: (413) 549-9812

Fran Ziperstein Michael Hayes Libby Hurley

Principal Co-Principal Assistant Principal

August, 2007

Dear 7^th Grader,

We hope you’ve been enjoying a wonderful summer. We are busy at the Middle School getting ready for the start to a great school year. We’ve been cleaning the building, moving a few classrooms and creating your schedules. Many of your teachers have been meeting during the summer to plan and design great curriculum.

A few of our seventh grade advisories wrote some tips on “What You May Need To Know To Be Ready For Seventh Grade”. We though we’d share some of those tips with you as you think about starting school. Here’s their advise to you:

Ø We felt prepared when we got here. You’re ready for the Middle School.

Ø You will like the teachers, open gym, band, teacher workdays, changing teachers and schedules, and getting to change clothes after gym.

Ø The school is bigger than you think and also not as scary as you think. The lunches are a lot better. When you first get to school, you shouldn’t worry about getting lost. You probably will get lost but that’s okay. Take advantage of the “3 week get lost rule”.

Ø Get lots of sleep. Don’t wear a hat in school. A friendly personality helps as does a good sense of direction. Don’t be late to school. Try to be in school because making up work missed is hard. Stay after school to get extra help.

Ø Give everyone and everything a chance.

Ø You might not be with your friends. You’ll make lots of new ones.

Ø The school lunches are a lot better than the ones you’re used to. School lunches are $2.25. There are lots of choices and sometimes long lines. Vending machines have good junk food and cost between .85 to $1.50. You can bring lunch from home and buy side stuff.

Ø Have a meaningful conversation with a teacher to get on their good side. Get to know your teachers and let them get to know you.

Ø The teachers give you an assignment book. Use it.

Ø Have a good quality backpack. You’ll need it.

We’re looking forward to seeing you on Thursday, August 30. The eighth graders will be coming to school later in the morning, so we’ll have the school to ourselves for a little while. We will all gather in the lobby of the auditorium and then meet in the auditorium to give you your team and advisory assignments. You’ll spend the first part of the day in your advisory getting to know each other and the Middle School. You do not need to bring a binder or any books. Your teachers will tell you what you need to bring during the first week. You will probably want to bring a pencil and some paper to take down your list of supplies. If you are in band or orchestra, you do not need to bring your instrument on the first day. Bring lunch or lunch money. If you received free or reduced lunch last year, just tell the person at the register and she will take care of it for you.

Enjoy the rest of your summer. Relax and prepare yourself for having a wonderful year. We’ll be looking for you on the 30^th.

Fran Ziperstein Michael Hayes Libby Hurley

Principal Co-Principal Assistant Principal