Bulletin
September 22, 2017 Volume 37, #6
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Calendar RemindersSeptember 26: 9th-12th Grade Parent Night (6:30 - 8:00 PM)
October 3: Academy Parents Council (APC) Meeting in Shelburne Falls (details on school calendar)
October 7: Ashfield Fall Festival APC Pie Sale
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From the Academy Parents Council: Please Re-take the Parent Survey
Parents we need your help! There was a glitch with the APC Parent Survey from registration day and we lost all the responses. This makes it very difficult to organize the help we need this year and to plan family events. The survey will remain live until Friday, October 6. Please take two minutes to re-take the survey. Sorry for the inconvenience. Thank you for your time!
Cornucopia Auction Planning Meeting on Sunday
Are you a party planner? Or do you just want to hang out with some fellow AAC parents and help out? Consider attending the next meeting of the Cornucopia Auction and Social Planning Group, this Sunday, September 24, from 2 to 4 PM at the school.
PIE BAKERS NEEDED
Our first fundraiser of the year is our annual pie sale at the Ashfield Fall Festival on Saturday, October 7. Please contact Diane Bigelow or Paul Catanzaro if you are willing to bake pies. We ask for a minimum of 2 pies (more are always welcome!). Pie tins are available at The Academy. All varieties of pies are accepted: apple, blueberry, peach, pecan, pumpkin, gluten free crusted.....your specialty! We are also planning a group pie bee at The Academy. More details to follow. If baking pies isn't your thing, let us know if you are able to help sell the pies on the day of the event.
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| Mountain Day - Coming Soon to an Academy Near You!
Though the precise date of Mountain Day will remain top secret to students and families until the evening just prior, it is likely to occur in the coming weeks while we still have good hiking weather. Though such nebulously-timed events are difficult to plan for, we want to make sure families are prepared to supply their students with proper hiking footwear, layers of clothing, water bottles, and lunches that don't require refrigeration or microwaving (and make sure to include all utensils!). As is the case with many aspects of our community, more information about this event can be found in The Scoop, our handbook for students and parents.
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PILOT HONORS PROGRAM
About a dozen students and families have elected to pilot Honors at The Academy. In the Spring, we will seek feedback from students, parents, and staff about the pilot program to determine its future. Stay tuned for more information.
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| | Rafting Day at The Academy
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OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS!Journalism Mentorship and WorkAre you interested in journalism, graphic design, and other aspects of publishing? If so, Jeff Potter '84 invites you to contact him. Jeff is the editor of The Commons newspaper in Brattleboro, and has extensive experience in the industry. He'd love to be a resource for you, and would be happy to talk with you about working at the paper! Please contact him by email with questions or to express interest. Volunteer Opportunities at Ashfield Fall FestivalWe know that Academy students LOVE the Fall Festival in Ashfield. How about helping to make it run smoothly this year? The Festival takes place on Saturday and Sunday, October 7 and 8 this year. Organizers are looking for student volunteers to help with parking (in two hour shifts beginning at 8 AM and ending at 4 PM) and with early morning Saturday/late afternoon Sunday help for vendors in carrying their wares in and out of Ashfield Town Hall. For those of you who are interested in becoming actively engaged in community service outside of school programs, getting involved with things like this is a great way to help out. The Fall Festival provides wonderful exposure for local artisans and craftspeople, musicians, and a variety of non profit groups. The Festival committee also provides scholarships for Ashfield students.
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|  | Señora Rodriguez Salas made empanadas to celebrate the Chilean Independence Day and served them to enthusiastic students! | |  | Students in Art 9 engage in their first critique of the semester. These artists were tasked with making a series of 5 minute automatic drawings – a meditative mark-making exercise where one starts with a simple line or dot and runs with it. They presented their favorite pieces, and offer constructive feedback using visual evidence. | |
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Academy Athletics - Week of September 18, 2017
Boys varsity soccer defeated Paulo Friere Social Justice Charter School 6-0 on Tuesday behind goals from Hendrik P (2), Tucker Z-A (2), Alec D, and Raymond M. Nacho T also had great contributions with 6 saves and an assist. On Wednesday, the boys lost 7-2 to Four Rivers. Hendrik P and Nacho T scored, and Kyle N had an assist and seven saves.
The girls soccer team played a tough game against Stoneleigh Burnham on Wednesday. It was a close 2-0 game until the last 8 minutes when SBS pulled away for a final score of 5-0. Eliza B had a particularly strong game.
The cross country team raced at Dublin on Wednesday and were led by a strong trio of Patrick O, Eli C, and Kyle M who finished 21st, 23rd, and 25th overall in the boys race.
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| SOCIAL JUSTICE COUNCIL INITIATIVE
In an effort to do our part in creating communities of hope, the Social Justice Council has taken on the task of spreading the "Hate Has No Home Here" message through the distribution of yard signs and posters bearing that slogan and logo. From its website, the "Hate Has No Home Here" initiative "began with a group of neighbors from North Park, a Chicago neighborhood characterized by its diversity of age, race, nationality and ethnicity. Many ties bind the residents of North Park to one another; the most notable is the neighborhood school, Peterson Elementary School, where the student body mimics the demographics of the neighborhood and where educators and families are committed to celebrating diversity. The phrase used in this poster was imagined by a third grader and kindergartener at Peterson Elementary School. In solidarity with this campaign, we hope to spread the word. The Council has purchased 100 yard signs and is making them available to our community for a minimum donation of $5/sign (our cost). These can be purchased in the main office. Additional proceeds will be used to produce posters similar to the ones hanging on doors around campus, also for distribution.
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| Phakchok Rinpoche to Present on Radical Happiness - October 10
Phakchok Rinpoche, a Tibetan Buddhist monk, will offer a presentation to the Academy community on "radical happiness" on Tuesday, October 10 at 2:15 PM. Speaking at schools in many east coast locations, this presentation promises to benefit anyone who is struggling to keep a balance in life between work (or school!) and family, coping with the fast pace of daily life, a career and at the same time aspiring to flourish and grow: intellectually, emotionally and spiritually. Despite Mr. Rinpoche's origins, this is a secular presentation, not focused on Buddhism. One and all are welcome to attend.
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| PSAT TEST OCTOBER 11th FOR SOPHOMORES AND JUNIORS
The PSAT/NMSQT will be held at The Academy on October 11th. All 10th and 11th grade students will participate. Students have received a student guide and they should read it and complete the practice questions in preparation.
Students are not supposed to stress over this test. Its purpose is to give the student, family, school administration, and college counselor familiarity with the format and an indication as to college readiness. Colleges do not see the results of this exam. However, students should take the PSAT seriously and try their best. Questions can be addressed to Mr. Gay.
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| Blood Drive - October 13
The Red Cross returns to campus for their twice yearly Blood Drive at The Academy! The Blood Drive will be held on Friday, October 13, from 1:00 to 6:00 PM. Students will be bringing home donor forms (and parental consent forms, for students age 16), with the goal of every student finding at least one person to donate blood. Appointments can be made by filling out the donor form and turning it in to the Main Office, or by calling the Main Office during regular business hours, or by visiting the Red Cross Blood Drive appointment page and entering our zip code. Baked goods for donors are also a high priority, so there are ways for everyone to lend a hand. We appreciate in advance your support of this important service event that both saves lives and helps provide scholarship money to our seniors towards their first year of college tuition!
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| CORNUCOPIA AUCTION AND SOCIAL
We’re pleased that so many of you purchased auction tickets in advance. You can still "buy two and get one free" so you can bring a friend! This event is a wonderful social evening for adults, a terrific opportunity to do some holiday shopping, and a great way to benefit Academy financial aid and programs. You can purchase tickets online, or contact the Business Office to have them billed to your school account.
In order to make the event fresh and exciting each year we ask parents to suggest new donors to solicit. If you have ideas, please send them along to Phoebe Walker P17, 21. Phoebe is also happy to answer general questions about the event and let you know how you can get involved.
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