2007-2008
Welcome to the
AMS contains grades
5 to 8. There are about 820 students currently
enrolled. As a new student, you may be
interested in knowing that we have had over 35 new students enroll each year
over the past five years.
Typical School Day:
Busses begin arriving at 7:15 and drop off students at the
oval between the middle school and high school.
Students remain on the playground until it is time to enter the
building, at about 7:30. In the event of
rain or frigid weather, grade 7/8 students report to the Cafeteria and grade
5/6 students report to the Gym. Students
then go to their lockers to drop off backpacks and coats and gather their
materials. In homeroom, attendance is
taken and daily announcements are heard.
At about 7:40, students report to first period. We have a 7-period day and each period is
about 50 minutes.
At present, all grades are on a standard 5-day schedule,
Monday through Friday, with the exception of two periods per day when the
students are on a 6-day rotating schedule for physical education, music, art,
home economics, industrial arts, study hall, health, and computers. The school day ends at 2:04. Students are dismissed and take the bus
home. Students who are staying after
school for extra help, to use the library, or for any school activity are
eligible to ride the late bus, with a bus pass from their teacher. The late bus leaves at 3:45 from the front of
the middle school, and has central drop-off points in Amherst and Mont Vernon.
**Please phone the bus company to inform them that your
child will be riding the bus. They will
give you a bus number, location and time for pick up. (672-3355).
Lunch:
There are 4 lunch periods, each 25 minutes long. Grade 8 students eat first, at 11:01 am, followed by 6th grade,
then 7th grade, then 5th grade. There are several choices of hot lunch and
individual items such as milk, yogurt, juice and chips are available for
purchase. Pizza is always available. Approximate
cost for lunch is about $3.00. Students
are able to set up individual accounts, and withdraw money from that account to
pay for lunch or to pay cash. Some
students prefer to bring their own lunch.
When students complete their lunch, they clean up their place and go
outside.
After School
Activities:
There are many things to do after school. Some students arrange with their teachers to
stay for extra help or to make up work.
Others participate in after school activities. Last year, the following co-curricular
activities were offered: Animation Club,
Amherst 500, Art Club, Band, Chorus, Chess Club, Computer Club, Crafts, Math
Counts, Newspaper, N.H.O.M.: Destination Imagination, Student Council, Yearbook,
Intramural Co-ed floor hockey, field hockey, basketball and tennis. These activities are open to everyone and
provide new kids with an excellent opportunity to meet other kids while having
fun. We also have an Interscholastic Girls Field Hockey team, Boys and Girls
Soccer teams, Boys and Girls Basketball teams and a Boys Baseball and Girls
Softball team. These are open to 7th and
8th graders on a try-out basis.
There is also an Interscholastic Cross Country Team in the Fall and a Track Team in the Spring for grades 5 through
8. There is a user fee for these
activities. The AMS Student Council
sponsors dances throughout the year that are held in the school Cafeteria. These are open only to AMS 6th, 7th,
and 8th graders. Two dances
during the year are for 7th and 8th graders only. We also
have two socials for 5th and 6th graders only. Visit our
website at www1.sprise.com/ams/default.htm for
additional information.
Grade-level
descriptions:
One
thing that makes our middle school a unique place is an understanding of how
kids from 10 to 15 grow, change, and learn.
This understanding is the foundation that structures a student’s daily
experience in order to meet the student’s physical, emotional, social, as well
as academic needs. As you walk the halls
of our school, you will see a great variety in our students! The use of the Team Teaching approach, a method of keeping the same small group of
teachers together with the same group of students, helps to foster a sense of
being known and belonging on the part of students. Each student is assigned to a homeroom on the
team. In addition to having the team
teachers for academic subjects, students have additional teachers for Special Subjects. These include art, music, band, chorus, home
economics, technology arts, computers, physical education, health, and library.
Grade 5:
Grade 5 consists of 9 teachers divided into 3 teams. Teams are:
5-1 Mrs. Nedelman/
Mrs. Gagne/ Mrs. Estabrook
5-2 Mrs.
Palmegiano/ Mrs. Hujsak/ Mr. Kidder
5-3 Ms. Maher / Mr.
Steenhoek
The
fifth grade classrooms are located on the lower level. Grade 5 teachers focus on basic learning
skills in order to develop good work habits as well as academic skills. Each teacher distributes a Survival Skills Manual, containing a list
of supplies students are expected to come prepared with the first day of
school. These are also posted on our website.
Grade 6:
Grade 6 consists of 3 teams of teachers.
Teams consist of:
6-1 Mrs. Field /
Mrs. Stack / Ms. Rogers
6-2 Mrs. Emmond /
Miss Maynard / Mrs. Robinson
6-3 Mr. Dustin /
Mrs. Gasser / Mrs. Manolis
All grade 6 classrooms are housed on the lower level of
the academic wing, along with the 5th grade classrooms. Grade 6 students attend
Grade 7: Grade 7 consists of three teams. In addition, most students will begin the
study of Spanish or French, while some will be recommended for
Mrs. Lafazanis (French & Spanish), Mrs. Steenhoek
(Spanish), Mrs. Ahgren (French), and Mr. Chew (Spanish) will teach World
Languages. Mrs. Westwater teaches
Teams consist of:
Mrs. Hamel Mrs.
Cranney Mr. Giarrusso
Mrs. Kalenik Mrs.
Farrington
Mrs. Leknes
Ms. Wilson Mrs. McCormick
Mrs. Hinrichs
Project Safeguard, a health and wellness program for
students and parents, is held in May.
Grade 8:
Grade 8 consists of 12 teachers divided into three teams:
8-1 Mr. Fessenden 8-2 Mrs. Rocchio-Dodge 8-3 Mrs. Allison
Mrs. Wons Mr. Desnoyers Mrs.
Chestnutt
Mr. Tumas Mrs. Mutarelli Mr.
Vassar
In addition, most students will begin the study of Spanish
or French, while some will be recommended for
Placement Tests:
All new incoming students are administered a reading and
math assessment to determine skill level and assist in placement. Spanish and French aptitude may also be
reviewed.
Support Services:
There is an extensive support system available at AMS This is comprised of a speech therapist, learning
disabilities specialists, academic and behavioral support programs, reading
assistance, guidance counselors, principal and assistant principal. The
guidance counselors,
For Parents:
There are a number of information sessions for
parents. The school calendar highlights
important dates and events. All students
receive an Agenda book, which is used as a homework notebook/communication
tool. The Agenda also contains the
student handbook, describing rules and policies. Early each fall, our team coffees give
parents the opportunity to meet their child’s teachers and learn about their
child’s day and teacher expectations.
Open House on September 10th focuses on curriculum. Our library has an excellent parent resource
center and we encourage parents to avail themselves of this material. The AMS teachers have their own web site and
provide on-line information and homework assignments at www.schoolnotes.com. In addition, all
staff members have voice mail extensions.
Website & Email:
The
There is a lot to learn about a new school! If you have questions, please ask your
teacher, counselor or fellow students.
We are all here to help you have the best learning experience possible
and a happy successful year.
Debbie Tumas X 7132
Important numbers:
AMS Fax (603)
673-6774
Bus Company (603) 672-3355
School Nurse
x 7103