ABRPTSO
Weekly Chatter
AB Regional High School
April 11, 2021
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Table of Contents
- Calendar of Events
- PTSO General Meeting Agenda
- Help the PTSO Support Student Clubs - Volunteers Needed
- Entrepreneur Olympics - April 13th
- Calling All Problem Solvers - Virtual Escape Room Event - April 17th
- Order a Lawn Sign for Your Class of 2021 Graduate
- Project Graduation: Pizza Night, This Thursday
- Working Together on Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Lunch Meetings
- Upcoming Community Ed Programs
- Food and Personal Care Items Available at A-B
- Parents Supporting Parents Groups
- Career Speakers Event for Grades 10-12
- April Vacation Program: Your Map to College & Beyond
- Course Scheduling for 2021-22
- Spring Athletics Sign-Up
- School Council Information
- Boys Volleyball Tryouts Begin 4/26
- Looking for a Mental Health Provider?
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April 13 - Ramadan Begins
April 13 - PTSO General Meeting
April 14 - Last day for 2021-22 Course Selections
April 14 - Career Speakers Program
April 14 - School Council Meeting
April 15 - Project Graduation: Pizza Night
April 19-23 - No School - Spring Recess
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PTSO General Meeting - Tuesday, April 13th
Members of the PTSO include all R.J. Grey Junior High School and AB High School parents/guardians, all JHS AND HS faculty/administrators/staff, and all JHS and HS students. Multiple HS student clubs and their leadership attended last month's meeting to share information about their upcoming events and how the PTSO could assist.
Our next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, April 13th and all are welcome! Click here to find the Agenda. The meeting runs from 7:30-9pm. Please join using this Zoom link.
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Help the PTSO Support Student Clubs - Volunteer for Upcoming Event!
HS Computer Science Club Event (Saturday, April 17th, 5-8pm)
The HS Computer Science Club has designed a very special Escape Room game event for Saturday, April 17th (see separate article below). We are looking for 15 adult volunteers who can chaperone breakout rooms on Zoom for this virtual event.
Please sign up using the SignUp Genius link below if you can help. You need to have a current CORI.
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Entrepreneur Olympics - April 13th
Students are invited to join us for a night of innovation and invention in the Entrepreneur Olympics. First, competitors will identify a crippling problem in their daily lives, like when your phone battery is at 1% but you’re almost done with your latest and greatest Tik Tok video. Then they will invent a solution and pitch it to their peers. Afterwards, each student will “invest” in their favorite inventions. The invention with the most “investments” wins up to $35 in Amazon gift cards.
Students interested in this event hosted by Entrepreneurship Club and sponsored by the AB PTSO may join us through Zoom on April 13th, 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM. Click here to sign up!
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April 17th: Calling all Problem Solvers - Virtual Escape Room Event
Do you like riddles and/or problem-solving? Have you ever wanted to learn a little bit about the world of computer science? If so, this is the activity for you! The AB Computer Science Club is hosting an Escape Room on Saturday, April 17th from 5-8pm, for AB students in grades 4-12. No prior experience is necessary, as there will be short video tutorials provided to teach students about the concept. There are also two divisions based on age and difficulty: Junior and Senior. The junior track is recommended for grades 4 - 6, and the senior track is recommended for grades 7 - 12. Students can drop in and play at any time, either individually or as a team. If you decide to have a team, all members of the team must sign up using the RSVP form.
If you don’t sign up as a team, you still have the option to be randomly assigned with other people who are of the same age too. As we get closer to the date, the Computer Science Club will email out the Zoom link along with other information pertaining to the event. Please email ab.compsciclub@gmail.com if you have any questions.
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Order a Lawn Sign for Your Class of 2021 Graduate!
Parents of 2021 Graduates, order a lawn sign for your student! (An A/B mom has already provided an art file to Staples on Great Rd. in Acton).
Call the “Print & Marketing Dept.”, and order by the (hard) deadline — Sunday, April 18th!
The size is 12” x 18” and the price is $12 (plus tax).
Call: 978-263-6150 and pay when you pick up!
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Project Graduation: Pizza Night, This Thursday!
This Thursday is our first-ever PIZZA NIGHT fundraiser! On Thursday, April 15 from 5:00 to 10:00pm, order from any of these great pizza shops, tell them you're supporting Project Graduation, and the restaurants will generously give us 10% back! Here's the amazing list:
AP Pizzeria
Bravo Pizza
DiCapri Pizzeria
New London Style Pizza
Sorrento's Pizza
Sweet Tomatoes Pizza
Happy Pizza Night, everybody!
Jennifer Mabardy and Jennifer Philion
AB Project Graduation 2021 Co-Chairs
P.S. We are collecting GIFT CARDS in small denominations to give out as game and activity prizes at the Sunset Send Off. Click here if you can help!
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Working Together on Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Lunch Meetings with Associate Principal Betty Baker
If you are interested in talking more about how families and school staff can work together as a community to create a safe and inclusive environment at A-B, please join Ms. Baker during lunch via Zoom on either Thursday 4/15 or Friday 4/16. These meetings will take place on an ongoing basis between now and the end of the year. Please email Lynn Hurley for the Zoom link and passcode.
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Upcoming Community Ed Programs
This class focuses not on learning new concepts but on effectively implementing content knowledge students already have.
Join Dana Roth as she walks families through the fundamental differences between high school and college, self-advocacy through the college search and transition process, best practices for identifying and connecting with college resources, and ideal timelines for the college search.
Join a former admissions officer for an insider's perspective on the complex and challenging college admissions process.
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Food and Personal Care Items Available at A-B
Students in need of food or personal care items can access these items through the Food Pantry Outpost in the Counseling Center at no charge by submitting this order form online and picking up bagged items in Counseling on in-person days. Delivery can be arranged for students in the remote learning program. In addition, gift cards are available to be used to purchase school supplies and clothing. Of course, all information and participation will be held in strict confidence. For more information on the Food Pantry Outpost, please contact Lindsay Rosenman or Elizabeth Warren in the Counseling Center. The Acton Food Pantry (including the Acton Community Supper) has been providing food assistance to residents of Acton and surrounding towns since 1984 and last year partnered with the high school to provide in-school access to food pantry items.
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Parents Supporting Parents Groups
As reported in earlier Chatters, the BRYT (Bridge for Youth in Transition) Network weekly Parents Supporting Parents Groups open to any parent/caregiver in a school that belongs to the Network, which includes ABRSD. These groups are facilitated by clinicians from the BRYT Family Engagement team.
Upcoming meetings of the Parents Supporting Parents Group will continue to focus on how the transition back to school may impact students and families and sharing and will explain a resource that has been created based on conversations with clinicians and parents to help caregivers know what to expect and/or look for when their students return to school and how to manage issues that may arise due to this transition.
The link above details the groups that will be offered this week.
If you have questions about the BRYT Program or the Parents Supporting Parents Groups please contact Todd Chicko, Counseling Chairperson (tchicko@abschools.org) or Susan Root, STAR Program Clinical Coordinator (sroot@abschools.org).
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Career Speakers Event for Grades 10-12
The last ABRHS Career Speakers Event of the year will be held on Wednesday, April 14th at 2:00 pm on Zoom. There are many great career presentations for students to choose from! All sophomores, juniors and seniors received an email invitation this week, and interested students must register by April 12th. Contact Melissa Dempsey with questions at mdempsey@abschools.org.
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"What's Next Starts Now" - Your Map to College & Beyond
Calling all high school students! We’re starting the next cohort of our “What’s Next Starts Now” series - it’s your map to college and beyond!
The What’s Next Starts Now series offers high school students the opportunity to explore different aspects of planning for their future. By focusing on individualized exploration methods, and a customized approach, students will have the opportunity to think about what plan for college prep best fits them.
As the content is all through an online course, students will proceed through the content at a self-directed pace, and can add on check-ins based on your individual needs.
The next cohort starts on Monday April 19th so sign up now to reserve your spot and get started on your college exploration journey over Spring Break! Sign-up now or learn more on our website: https://www.dannys-place.org/whatsnext/signup
From now through April 18th, use code “SPRING21” for $20 your purchase of any course package and to join us for the Spring Cohort!
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Course Scheduling for 2021-22
All students in grades 9, 10, and 11 are required to make their course selections for next year via the PowerSchool Parent Portal by Wednesday, April 14 at 3:00 pm.
The Parent Portal will remain open for course selection for all grades until April 14 at 3:00 pm. Once the portal closes for course selection, information related to course changes and corrections will be available on the portal. Students may see their counselor if they need assistance with the course selection process.
Documentation to help students with course selection can be found at the following links and on the ABRHS website:
After the portal closes for registration, students will be able to view their course selection on the portal. Student schedules will be available in mid to late August.
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School Council Information
The next School Council meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, April 14th at 5:00 pm via Zoom. School Council meetings are open to the general public. If you are interested in attending, please email Lynn Hurley for the link.
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Boys Volleyball Tryouts Start 4/26
The Boys Volleyball program is always looking for athletes to learn the game. We teach you how to play! If you are looking to learn an awesome sport please fill out this form to sign up for tryouts. There will be an informational meeting for PLAYERS Wednesday April 14th at 7pm on Zoom for all players interested. Please fill out the Google Form or contact Coach Gwin dgwin@abschools.org for the Zoom link. If you have any questions, please feel free to email Coach Gwin as well.
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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.
Acton-Boxborough Regional PTSO Chair
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