ABRPTSO
Weekly Chatter
AB Regional High School
September 12, 2021
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Table of Contents
- Calendar of Events
- ABRPTSO General Body Meeting, September 14th
- Two Openings for Parent Representatives on School Council
- School Picture Day #1, September 15th
- Extended Privileges for Juniors and Seniors
- Clubs & Activities - Extracurricular Agreement Form Required
- PSAT/NMSQT Registration Opens September 20th
- ABSAF Launching 2021-2022 Fundraiser Drive
- AB Girls Swim & Dive Team Fundraiser Updates
- Update from Community Ed
- Food Services Department Update
- AB Youth Volleyball Clinic at ABRHS
- Job Opportunity at Community Ed.
- Scarecrow Contest in Acton!
- Looking for a Mental Health Provider?
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September 14 - First ABRPTSO Meeting of 2021-2022 Academic Year, 7pm
September 15 - School Picture Day
September 16 - Yom Kippur, No School
September 22 & 23 - Fall Activities Fair
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ABRPTSO General Body Meeting
We hope you can join the first JH/HS PTSO meeting of the year on Tuesday, September 14th at 7pm. We will be meeting at Room 115N at the High School. Please note that masks need to be worn indoors in all school buildings. The agenda is available by clicking the following link:
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Two Openings for Parent Representatives on School Council
Each public school in Massachusetts is required to have a School Council, the role which is to serve as an advisory board to the principal and to be involved in developing and approving the school's yearly School Improvement Plan. Members of the School Council include the principal, teachers, students, parents and at least one community representative. Meetings are open to the public. AB's School Council meets five times during the year on Wednesdays (10/6, 12/8, 2/9, 4/6 and 5/18) at 5:00 to 6:00pm in Room 115N. If you would like to be considered for the School Council, please send a short statement explaining why you are interested and any relevant experience to Lynn Hurley, HS Office Manager by Friday, September 17th.
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School Picture Day #1 on September 15th
Wednesday, September 15th will be the first School Picture Day. The second day will be on October 12th with retakes on November 3rd. Students have been assigned times during their English Classes for pictures and can check in with English teachers to find out which day they are scheduled for. Families should have received order information from Prestige/Lifetouch via email, as well as an email from yearbook advisor Genevieve Hammond. Students will also receive hard-copy forms on the day of their pictures. Feel free to reach out to Ms. Hammond if you have any questions.
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Extended Privileges for Juniors and Seniors
Any junior or senior may apply for Extended Privileges by filling out this form and dropping it off at the main office of the High School. Seniors who already have been granted privileges do not need to reapply. Extended Privileges allow students to leave campus during their free periods.
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Clubs & Activities - Extracurricular Agreement Form Required for Student Participation
If your student would like to join a club or is considering joining a club or activity this year, you need to complete the online Extracurricular Activity Agreement form. This required form needs to be read and filled out by the parents and/or guardians with their students. The form and instructions can be found at this link: Extracurricular Activity Agreement Form 2021-2022. This form needs to be completed each academic year. For more details about clubs and activities follow this link: Extracurricular Activities. Please contact Melissa Dempsey if you have any questions.
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PSAT/NMSQT Registration Opens September 20th
The Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) will be offered at Acton Boxborough Regional High School on Saturday, October 16, 2021 starting at 8:00 AM. The PSAT/NMSQT measures critical reading skills, math problem-solving skills. It is also the qualifying exam for 11th graders to enter the competition for National Merit Scholar scholarships and is a valuable tool to help prepare for the SAT. The ABRHS Counseling Department recommends that 11th grade students considering applying to college take the PSAT/NMSQT. While some believe taking the exam in 10th grade could be "extra practice," it is only recommended if the student has completed both Algebra I and Geometry by the end of ninth grade. Juniors will be given priority in the registration process in order to ensure test availability.
There is no alternative test date at ABRHS for students unable to test on October 16, 2021. If students have a schedule conflict on that day, they will need to contact other local schools to see if they can register to take the test there.
Online Exam registration will run from 9/20/21 - 10/4/21 with a late registration period running until 10/8/21. October 8, 2021 is the last day to register. Students can register here.
To complete registration, students must answer all of the required questions. Registration is not complete until students have printed the pdf of the confirmation page that is provided at the end. Student Guides provided by Collegeboard will be available at the entrance to Counseling during the registration window if students wish to pick one up as a resource to prepare for test day.
Acton-Boxborough Regional HS is excited to offer families the convenience of paying exam fees online at the time of registration. Please be sure to have a debit or credit card available before beginning registration. Paying online is a great way to make sure that payment has been made while avoiding mailing payment.
Here are the important dates for the registration process:
- Mon, Sep 20, 2021 at 8:00 AM - Registration Begins
- Mon, Oct 4, 2021 at 8:00 AM - Registrations and payments after this date will incur a $5 late fee
- Fri, Oct 8, 2021 at 3:00 PM - Registration Ends
- Tues, Oct 12, 2021 at 3:00 PM- Registrations that have not been paid for will be canceled.
- Sat, Oct 16, 2021 at 8:00 AM - PSAT/NMSQT Administration
**Registration can be completed online here.
Please contact Ms. Jen Hagopian if you have questions or require financial assistance.
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The Acton-Boxborough Student Activities Fund (ABSAF) is launching its 2021-2022 Fundraising Drive!
The Board is thrilled to start a new year of fundraising and happy to announce that we presented a check for $10,000 to the Acton Boxborough School Committee in May of 2021. We will continue our efforts this year through ABSAF Pass Sales, Fall Phonathon and outreach to the AB Community.
ABSAF is a non-profit organization that supports our students in all of the extracurricular activities they participate in (see below):
- Athletic Teams (Junior High to High School Varsity)
- Academic Teams (Math Team, Science Team, Speech & Debate Team, and Academic Decathlon Team)
- Performing Arts Groups (Band, Chorus, and Theater)
- Community service at ABRHS and RJ Grey Junior High
Donations are accepted throughout the school year and any contribution is appreciated. Many families benefit from the tremendous value of the ABSAF Pass. A donation of $175 or more, will grant you and your immediate family an ABSAF Pass with the following benefits below:
- Admission for all immediate family members to home High School regular season sporting events.
- Two complimentary tickets to each of the theatrical productions at the Junior High and High School.
- Convenience for your family when attending AB events that charge admission.
To learn more about how to obtain an ABSAF Pass and support extracurricular activities at the Junior High and High School, please visit www.absaf.net or tap on this link:
On behalf of the students at AB Regional High School, we thank you in advance for your support!
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Coming Up: AB Girls Swim & Dive Team Fundraisers
September 12 Fundraiser, CHIPOTLE UPDATE - Due to staffing issues at the Westford Chipolte, the fundraiser scheduled for tonight (9/12) has been rescheduled for Saturday, October 9th. An updated flyer with a new code will be posted closer to that date.
Three weeks of SWIM CLINICS - does your child want to improve on a specific stroke? Do they want to explore the world of diving? Sign them up for one of our clinics! Sign up early as spots are limited.
The clinics will be at the High School Pool from 1-2pm. Specific dates for specific strokes, so sign up for the right Saturday or all 3!
9/18 (free/back), 9/25 (breast/turns) and 10/2 (fly/intro to competitive diving).
Price: $50 per session, $125 for all three classes.
Thank you in advance for supporting the AB Girls Swim & Dive Team!
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Update from Community Ed
Community Ed is offering a myriad of teen and college prep courses this fall. Visit our website or sign up for our email list to receive updates regarding new classes. You can reach our office at 978-266-2525 with questions or to register.
Coming in September:
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Food Services Department Update
The Food Services Department Staff is looking forward to providing nutritious and delicious meals for your children in the cafeteria this upcoming school year!
- Exciting news!! Every student is eligible to receive one breakfast and one lunch every school day at no charge.
- We are back to using pin pads this year at the registers.
- All students need to know their 4 digit pin number when they get to the register. We can look the student up by name but it helps if they know their pin number. Even though meals are free, students will enter their PIN when they come through the line. Your student’s PIN and meal account balance are below.
- If students purchase "a la carte items" such as water, snacks or second meals, the items will be charged to their Food Service meal account.
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Food Services removed all “a la carte” restrictions last year due to COVID. If you would like to set up restrictions for prepackaged "a la carte items," log into www.SchoolCafe.com/abrsd. If you set up a restriction, please let your students know in advance of the restriction.
- If the meal account is in the negative, we will not allow students to purchase prepackaged “a la carte” items. However, students will always be able to get a breakfast and lunch.
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Click here for the Food Services Welcome Letter with more information.
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AB Youth Volleyball Clinic at ABRHS
If you have a child interested in learning more about the sport of volleyball or working on their volleyball skills, please join Varsity Coach Darren Gwin and members of the girls volleyball teams at their first YOUTH CLINIC.
The clinic is for children in grades 4th -8th and will be on Saturday, 9/25 and Sunday 9/26. Come for 1 or both days.
4th - 6th grades 1:00p - 3:00p
7th - 8th grades 3:00p - -5:00p
Location: ABRHS Field House (upper gym)
Pre-registration is preferred via google form or you can sign up day of.
Cost:
1 day $35.00
2 days $60.00
If the link is not working to register, you can go to ABVB’s website at abvbspike.com to register as well.
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Job Opportunity at Community Ed.
Adult staff are needed at Community Ed. Extended Day. Shifts are 3-6 PM on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday and 12:30-6 PM on Wednesday. Flexible scheduling! Choose from 1-5 afternoons per week. For more information, please email Community Ed. Director, Erin Bettez at ebettez@abschools.org.
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Scarecrow Contest in Acton!
Enter the “Stand Up to Stigma” Scarecrow Contest to benefit the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) of Central Middlesex. Bring your $25 donation to Cucurbit Farm at 32 Parker St. in Acton and pick up your scarecrow starter frame, beginning 9/1. Then drop off your family friendly scarecrow at the farm stand. Individuals, organizations, and businesses are invited to participate. The scarecrows will be on display for the month of October, and the public is invited to cast their vote for the winning entry. Our goal is 100 scarecrows along the fence and many conversations about mental health! You can also submit your carved pumpkin to the “Jack O’ Lantern Glow By” event, set for Halloween weekend. Plus, there’s a corn maze! Additional info at namicentralmiddlesex.org and cucubitfarm.com.
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Looking for a Mental Health Provider?
INTERFACE Referral Service is a mental health resource and referral Helpline that helps children, adults and families, in subscribing communities, become connected with mental health and wellness resources. Part of your ABRPTSO Membership Donation goes towards the funding of this service.
INTERFACE Referral Service looks forward to continuing to help residents of Acton & Boxborough find a successful match with an outpatient mental health provider in their area, who is able to see them at a convenient time, takes their insurance or meets their fee requirement, as well as meets their clinical needs.
Please call the William James College INTERFACE Helpline at 617-332-3666 Monday through Friday from 9 AM to 5 PM, for resource information and/or provider referrals from a mental health professional. Please also review the very extensive website at interface.williamjames.edu for additional information about the service, as well as resources on mental health and wellness across the lifespan.
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The Weekly Chatter is distributed each Sunday. If you have a submission you'd like to include in the Chatter, please email it to ABWEEKLYCHATTER@gmail.com by noon on Friday. The Chatter was created solely for the purpose of communicating school-related events, groups and forums to parents and students.
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