ARHS Morning Announcements: March 2021

Thursday, April 1, 2021

We have two last women to highlight from Women's History Month. Today's woman is:
Sacheen Littlefeather was born Marie Louise Cruz in 1946 in Salinas, California. Her father abused her and her mother, so she was primarily raised by her grandparents. While attending college, Littlefeather grew more interested in her Native American heritage and participated in the occupation of Alcatraz by Native American tribes. This was where she adopted the name Sacheen Littlefeather. In 1972, Marlon Brando was nominated for an Oscar for his role in The Godfather. He decided to boycott the 1973 Oscars in solidarity with the ongoing Wounded Knee protest and to draw attention to the portrayal of Native Americans in Hollywood films. Littlefeather was chosen to appear at the awards ceremony and turn down Brando’s Best Actor award on his behalf. (You can find the video here: https://youtu.be/2QUacU0I4yU.) The audience booed as she explained why Marlon Brando would not accept the award. She claims that she was blacklisted in Hollywood after this, and was unable to have a career in show business. Littlefeather has continued to be an important member of the California Native American community and has worked on various documentaries concerning Native Americans in film.
WRC Women’s History Month presented by Ruthie Weinbaum

Yearbook-

Remember, it is the last day to pre-order the yearbook and avoid shipping costs! Visit arps.picaboo.com to place your order!
If you are a senior on free/reduced lunch and can not afford a yearbook, email Miss Garrity ASAP to reserve one!
Do you have candid photos of you, your friends, your pets, your family? Email them to Miss Garrity by Friday! We desperately need more photos for our collage pages!

High School Spring Sports Registration is now open! Register today

Wake Up, Take Action, and Do the Work: Be Anti-Racist (Ages 11-17)
Tuesday, April 13, 2021, 4-5pm
The anti-bias, anti-racist educator, activist, and #1 New York Times bestselling author Tiffany Jewell will lead this anti-racism webinar for our community. Intended for youth ages 11-17, it will last approximately 60 minutes, including 15 minutes for a Q&A.

Imagine spending several hours of each upcoming week this spring surrounded by smiling faces, singing people, bad jokes, and frequent use of power tools. Chances are, you're imagining your life with the Theater Company this spring as we prepare two outdoor productions: The Student-Written Play Festival and our musical, The Sound of Music. AUDITIONS and TECH SIGNUPS are this week - learn everything here: bit.ly/arhssom21

Wednesday, March 31, 2021

Patsy Matsu Takemoto Mink was born on December 6th of 1927 in Paia, Hawaii. Mink was elected as class president of her highschool, graduated as the 1944 valedictorian, and went on to attend Wilson College and the University of Nebraska. But after experiencing racial discrimmination at these schools, Mink transferred to the University of Hawaii where she studied in hopes of pursuing a career as a doctor. After graduating, she decided to head to law school instead, and attended the University of Chicago. In 1954, after much difficulty finding a job due to her interracial marriage, Mink decided to start her own practice and founded Oahu Young Democrats. Patsy Mink became the first Japanese-American woman to practice law in Hawaii, the first woman of color elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, the first Asian-American woman to serve in Congress, and the first Asian-American to run for U.S. President. In addition to much more, Mink spent her time in politics fighting for gender and racial equality, affordable childcare, and bilingual education. After her death, the “Title IX law” -- a civil rights law in the Education Act -- was renamed the “Patsy T. Mink Equal Opportunity In Education Act.”
WRC Women’s History Month presented by Selma Keochakian

This is a reminder that Mr. Sadiq will be hosting a Google Meet today from 12:00 - 1:00 to discuss ways the school can work with students to raise awareness about the escalation of violence and hate crimes against Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI), and create support for that community. This meeting is open to all students and adults interested in doing this work. Please join us for all or part of the meeting.

Its Wellness Wednesday
Today's Tip is: Get Connected!
Are you feeling a bit unmotivated to connect with friends lately? Are you tired of zoom/facetime calls? Are the social distance/pandemic limitations for connecting feeling more frustrating lately? We are all feeling the effects of our connections being limited, different and sometimes even feeling stressful (due to worries about safety). The impact of this can cause us to feel more tired, less motivated and at times, even hopeless.

If/When you notice it.. Allow yourself to feel it. Don’t avoid it! It's real. It matters. Give yourself more practice to sit with this discomfort so you can better figure out how to cope with it. Talk about it. Write about it. Just like with a tough math problem, or if you get lost, you’ve got to sit with it, understand it better before you can figure out your next move.

What are some ways you are staying connected during these challenging times? Share them with us on the wellness Wednesday challenge this week! Here are a few ideas to consider, too!

Write Letters! Not emails, not texts, not Instagram messages. Get some paper and write a letter to someone you care about. Get creative! Draw, write a quote, a funny memory or share something with someone that you are grateful for. Everyone LOVES getting mail, right?

Schedule some connections. It's not as easy these days to just run into friends and hang out. Putting some scheduled time on your schedule for a phone date, a video call or a socially distant walk or hike (if you can) helps us have anchor points in our week to look forward to.

Try a new hobby or activity! Did you used to enjoy puzzles or games? Are you looking for a book to read for pleasure? Interested in spring sports at school? Have you wanted to learn to make a certain recipe? Chances are, there are others in your circle (or groups you could find online that can help you get into it! Share your interest! Again, make time for this by putting it on your schedule.

Do some good! Helping others or our community is a meaningful way to connect! Can you help a friend with homework? Join a club at school! Can you record yourself reading a kids book to a friend or family member? Is there a project in your neighborhood or community that you could get involved in? Look into it, ask us for ideas

GET OUTSIDE! Its getting warmer out! Spring is beautiful! Go for a walk, take some photos of what you see, smell the air, feel the trees/the grass. Find a good spot to sit, to read/draw/think/nap, etc!

High School Spring Sports Registration is now open! Register today

Wake Up, Take Action, and Do the Work: Be Anti-Racist (Ages 11-17)
Tuesday, April 13, 2021, 4-5pm
The anti-bias, anti-racist educator, activist, and #1 New York Times bestselling author Tiffany Jewell will lead this anti-racism webinar for our community. Intended for youth ages 11-17, it will last approximately 60 minutes, including 15 minutes for a Q&A.

Imagine spending several hours of each upcoming week this spring surrounded by smiling faces, singing people, bad jokes, and frequent use of power tools. Chances are, you're imagining your life with the Theater Company this spring as we prepare two outdoor productions: The Student-Written Play Festival and our musical, The Sound of Music. AUDITIONS and TECH SIGNUPS are this week - learn everything here: bit.ly/arhssom21

Tuesday, March 30, 2021

Yuriko Kochiyama was born on May 19th, 1921 in San Pedro, California to Japanese immigrant parents. Kochiyama’s life changed once the bombing of Pearl Harbor happened. The FBI came and arrested her father, who was sick, for national security threats. The day after he was released, he died. After his death, Kochiyama and her family were interned in Jerome, Arkansas, where they lived until the end of the war. She married her husband, Bill Kochiyama, in 1946, and they moved to Harlem where they became active in civil rights movements. In 1963, Kochiyama met Malcom X and joined his organization of African-American Unity. She was present at his assassination in 1965. Kochiyama became a radical leader during the Asian-American movement and pushed for reparations and a government apology for the incarceration of Japanese Americans. When Reagan signed the Civil Liberties Act, which gave an apology and 20,000 dollars to each survivor, Kochiyama used her victory to push for slavery reparations. She was a polarising figure to many because of her hatred of American imperialism and support of American enemies, notably Osama Bin Laden. In 1989, UMass Amherst honored her with the Yuri Kochiyama Cultural Center, and in 2005, she was nominated for the Nobel peace prize. She died in 2014 at the age of 93.
WRC Women’s History Month presented by Anna Gilsdorf

International Students Club’s guided discussion about anti-Asian racism and children’s education is TODAY, March 30th from 12 PM to 12:45. Here is the meet link: bit.ly/iscsocialjustice. The discussion will be thought-provoking, educational, and a no-stress way to talk about your opinions and perspectives. All friendly faces here! Also just a little incentive: you may be able to get extra credit in your English and History classes by coming (just ask your teachers!). Email Rebekah Hong (hongr@arps.org) or Mira Setty-Charity (setty-charityma@arps.org) with questions about joining ISC or the discussion. See you there!

Wake Up, Take Action, and Do the Work: Be Anti-Racist (Ages 11-17)
Tuesday, April 13, 2021, 4-5pm
The anti-bias, anti-racist educator, activist, and #1 New York Times bestselling author Tiffany Jewell will lead this anti-racism webinar for our community. Intended for youth ages 11-17, it will last approximately 60 minutes, including 15 minutes for a Q&A.

Imagine spending several hours of each upcoming week this spring surrounded by smiling faces, singing people, bad jokes, and frequent use of power tools. Chances are, you're imagining your life with the Theater Company this spring as we prepare two outdoor productions: The Student-Written Play Festival and our musical, The Sound of Music. AUDITIONS and TECH SIGNUPS are this week - learn everything here: bit.ly/arhssom21

If you are planning to take the STAMP test this year and you are not already registered, or if you are unsure about your registration, please open the following flyer and fill out the application form as soon as possible.

Monday, March 29, 2021

Kalpana Chawla was born on July 1, 1961 in India and from a young age had a great interest in flying. She graduated from Punjab Engineering College with a degree in aeronautical engineering before moving to the United States and earning a doctorate degree in aerospace engineering in 1988 from the University of Colorado and a masters degree from the University of Texas. Soon after, she started working for NASA on computational fluid dynamics and in 1994 was selected as an astronaut candidate. After training, she became a crew representative and worked on shuttle software. In 1997, she had her first opportunity to fly in a space shuttle and became the first Indian woman to become an astronaut. During her first voyage, Kalpana and her crew orbited the Earth 252 times. In 2000, Kalpana Chawla was selected for her second flight to space, the flight launched in 2003 and during their 16 day voyage, the crew completed over 80 experiments. On February 1st, when the shuttle re-entered the Earth’s atmosphere, a piece of insulation broke and damaged the wing. The shuttle became unstable and depressurized, killing the crew just before it had been set to land.
WRC Women’s History Month presented by Noa Chambers

Imagine spending several hours of each upcoming week this spring surrounded by smiling faces, singing people, bad jokes, and frequent use of power tools. Chances are, you're imagining your life with the Theater Company this spring as we prepare two outdoor productions: The Student-Written Play Festival and our musical, The Sound of Music. AUDITIONS and TECH SIGNUPS are this week - learn everything here: bit.ly/arhssom21

If you are planning to take the STAMP test this year and you are not already registered, or if you are unsure about your registration, please open the following flyer and fill out the application form as soon as possible.

The ARHS Theater Company is proud to announce AUDITIONS for both THE SOUND OF MUSIC, this year's musical - and our annual STUDENT-WRITTEN PLAY FESTIVAL! Both productions will be done entirely outdoors and with COVID-safety protocols in mind. One audition sets you up to try out for one or both productions. Exactly 0% previous background or skill is required.

Head over to the musical website at bit.ly/arhssom21 for all the details on auditions, which will run on Tuesday, March 30 and Wednesday, March 31. Sign-up sheets for both productions are up and waiting for you on the musical website.

Come be a part of something big and happy. See Mr. Bechtold with any questions: bechtolj@arps.org.

Friday, March 26, 2021

Instead of our daily WRC Women’s History month announcement for the day:

As a group of Asian American young women, along with BIPOC and white allies, we feel the urgent need to address a recent spike in anti-Asian sentiment and hate crimes across the country. In the last year the non-profit Stop A.A.P.I. Hate has collected reports of over 3,700 anti-Asian hate crimes across the country. Last Tuesday, March 16, 6 Asian women and 2 other victims were killed in the Atlanta area in a series of mass shootings. Violence against Asian Americans, especially Asian women, is nothing new in America, and yet we must state that it is unacceptable and heartbreaking to us. Even in our progressive town of Amherst, we have experienced racist violence and hatred as Asian women, and seen such incidents increase in the last year. We are not your model minority. Your biases, prejudice, microaggressions, xenophobia, discrimination, and racist actions are hurting us. We urge our teachers and classmates to use your voices to actively speak out against and disrupt racist violence. If you are neutral, if you are silent, you are hurting us. To our allies: we cannot fight this alone, and we need you to find ways to get involved, informed, and educated.
To the Asian American community here at ARHS, we support you, we stand in solidarity with you and we will fight for and alongside you.
WRC Members: McKenzie Fitz, Addy Lepak, Anna Lee, Fatma Abel-Maksoud and Olivia Cox.

Congratulations to the Science Olympiad team for placing 7th at the Massachusetts State Science Olympiad competition! This is the highest an ARHS team has placed in its Science Olympiad history!

If you are planning to take the STAMP test this year and you are not already registered, or if you are unsure about your registration, please open the following flyer and fill out the application form as soon as possible.

The Amherst Center Cultural District (ACCD) is transforming downtown Amherst into an art gallery. You are invited to showcase your works of art throughout the town center in windows on streets, walkways, and municipal areas in downtown Amherst. Installations will be on view for 3 months, from June through Labor Day Weekend. Windows Into Art 2021 Application

Non School Sponsored -AMHERST RALLY to STOP ANTI-ASIAN HATE on Saturday, March 27 at 1pm sponsored by the UMASS Amherst Graduate Employee Organization and AAPI Community Members & accomplices Amherst Common, Amherst

The ARHS Theater Company is proud to announce AUDITIONS for both THE SOUND OF MUSIC, this year's musical - and our annual STUDENT-WRITTEN PLAY FESTIVAL! Both productions will be done entirely outdoors and with COVID-safety protocols in mind. One audition sets you up to try out for one or both productions. Exactly 0% previous background or skill is required.

Head over to the musical website at bit.ly/arhssom21 for all the details on auditions, which will run on Tuesday, March 30 and Wednesday, March 31. Sign-up sheets for both productions are up and waiting for you on the musical website.

Come be a part of something big and happy. See Mr. Bechtold with any questions: bechtolj@arps.org.

Thursday, March 25, 2021

Marsha P. Johnson was born a biological male in 1945 in Elizabeth, New Jersey. Johnson began to wear dresses at the age of five, but her childhood was fraught with homophobia from her mother and local youths. Johnson moved to NYC at age 18 and came out as gay and transgender. She coined the name “Marsha P. Johnson” when she started doing drag, and said that the P stood for “pay it no mind,” a reference to her gender being fluid. Johnson was one of the first drag queens to perform at the Stonewall Inn and was alleged to have helped start the Stonewall Riots, with some saying she “threw a shot glass at a mirror… screaming, ‘I got my civil rights’”, and others saying she threw a brick at a police officer. After the riots, Johnson marched in the first gay pride rally and co-founded the Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (STAR) organization, along with the STAR House, a shelter for gay and trans street kids. Johnson struggled with severe personality shifts that some said were from schizophrenia throughout her later life while living on the streets of NYC, which perhaps is why activists were reluctant to credit her for her role in sparking the gay liberation movement. Shortly after the 1992 pride parade, her body was found in the Hudson River and ruled a suicide, but a police investigation reclassified her cause of death to “undetermined” in 2002.
WRC Women’s History Month presented by Olivia Cox

If you are planning to take the STAMP test this year and you are not already registered, or if you are unsure about your registration, please open the following flyer and fill out the application form as soon as possible.

The Amherst Center Cultural District (ACCD) is transforming downtown Amherst into an art gallery. You are invited to showcase your works of art throughout the town center in windows on streets, walkways, and municipal areas in downtown Amherst. Installations will be on view for 3 months, from June through Labor Day Weekend. Windows Into Art 2021 Application

As a part of Social Justice Month, the International Students Club is leading a guided discussion about Asian-American racism and children’s education in developing countries on Tuesday, March 30th from 12:00-12:45. Mark the date! With cases of violence against Asian-Americans on the rise and the pandemic posing as a severe obstacle to developing countries’ education programs, discussing and debriefing these issues is SO important. Come! This may count as extra credit in your English and History class too, so ask your teachers! Email Rebekah Hong (hongr@arps.org) or Mira Setty-Charity with any questions about either the club or the discussion (setty-charityma@arps.org).

Non School Sponsored -AMHERST RALLY to STOP ANTI-ASIAN HATE on Saturday, March 27 at 1pm sponsored by the UMASS Amherst Graduate Employee Organization and AAPI Community Members & accomplices Amherst Common, Amherst

This week's tip: FIND SOME JOY!! What is JOY? Think about this for a few minutes. One definition of Joy is "A feeling of great pleasure or happiness" Well, that sounds great, doesn't it? When was the last time you took a minute to notice something joyful? To feel something joyful? To share that you are JOYFUL with those around you? Our challenge for you is twofold: Make a list (in your head or on paper if you can) of a few things big or small (5, 8, 10?) that bring you joy! Next, find ways to seek some out! Notice the impact on your mood, your energy, and even possibly your motivation.
Check out these article with some great tips to discover/rediscover joy in your
daily life & how joy positively impacts your body and brain
1. https://www.healthline.com/health/affects-of-joy#3.-Your-autonomic-nervous-system
2. https://www.prevention.com/health/mental-health/g33002023/how-to-find-joy/

BONUS: If you do make a list, share it with us at petersk@arps.org so we can highlight what BRINGS JOY to folks in our community!
Yearbook-
·  Yearbook pre-orders are only open until APRIL 1ST. Order yours now at arps.picaboo.com! If you are a senior and are having trouble affording a yearbook, contact Miss Garrity.
·  Families and staff can submit "parent ads" to thank or congratulate students, staff, or faculty. Every ad purchased helps a senior on free/reduced lunch get a yearbook! Submit your ad at arps.picaboo.com!
·  All students should submit a portrait to the yearbook through the MyYearbookPhoto app! If you are having trouble uploading your image to the app, you may email it to Miss Garrity at garrityc@arps.org. IF YOU DO NOT SUBMIT A PHOTO, YOU WILL NOT BE INCLUDED IN THE YEARBOOK.
·  In addition to portraits, we are still looking for candid images to fill our yearbook! Send us photos of you with your friends, family, pets, and projects! Send us photos of your silver linings, your clubs, your joy, your genius! Photos can be uploaded at arps.picaboo.com or emailed to garrityc@arps.org.

The ARHS Theater Company is proud to announce AUDITIONS for both THE SOUND OF MUSIC, this year's musical - and our annual STUDENT-WRITTEN PLAY FESTIVAL! Both productions will be done entirely outdoors and with COVID-safety protocols in mind. One audition sets you up to try out for one or both productions. Exactly 0% previous background or skill is required.

Head over to the musical website at bit.ly/arhssom21 for all the details on auditions, which will run on Tuesday, March 30 and Wednesday, March 31. Sign-up sheets for both productions are up and waiting for you on the musical website.

Come be a part of something big and happy. See Mr. Bechtold with any questions: bechtolj@arps.org.

Wednesday, March 24, 2021

Tu YouYou was born on December 30, 1930 in Ningbo, China. After contracting tuberculosis at age 16, she decided to study medicine. She earned a degree at Beijing Medical College in 1955 and studied the use of traditional Chinese medicine at the Institute of Materia Medica at the Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine from 1959 to 1962. In 1969, Tu (age 39) was appointed head of Project 523, launched by Chairman Mao Zedong to find a cure for chloroquine-resistant malaria after causing tremendous casualties among soldiers in the Vietnam War. She left her two children to study a malaria outbreak in Hainan Island. By studying medical texts from ancient Chinese dynasties, her team discovered a cure in wormwood, and Tu volunteered to be the first human subject before using it on the 21 patients in Hainan. All of them recovered. Their findings reached international acclaim, and in the early 2000's, the WHO recommended Tu's artemisinin combination therapy as the first line of defense against malaria. The Lasker Foundation, which awarded Tu its Clinical Medical Research Award in 2011, called the discovery of artemisinin “arguably the most important pharmaceutical intervention in the last half-century.” She won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2015, yet said, "I feel more reward when I see so many patients cured." She is now Chief Scientist at the China Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and is married with two daughters.
WRC Women's History Month presented by Maya Sessions

The Amherst Center Cultural District (ACCD) is transforming downtown Amherst into an art gallery. You are invited to showcase your works of art throughout the town center in windows on streets, walkways, and municipal areas in downtown Amherst. Installations will be on view for 3 months, from June through Labor Day Weekend. Windows Into Art 2021 Application

As a part of Social Justice Month, the International Students Club is leading a guided discussion about Asian-American racism and children’s education in developing countries on Tuesday, March 30th from 12:00-12:45. Mark the date! With cases of violence against Asian-Americans on the rise and the pandemic posing as a severe obstacle to developing countries’ education programs, discussing and debriefing these issues is SO important. Come! This may count as extra credit in your English and History class too, so ask your teachers! Email Rebekah Hong (hongr@arps.org) or Mira Setty-Charity with any questions about either the club or the discussion (setty-charityma@arps.org).

Non School Sponsored -AMHERST RALLY to STOP ANTI-ASIAN HATE on Saturday, March 27 at 1pm sponsored by the UMASS Amherst Graduate Employee Organization and AAPI Community Members & accomplices Amherst Common, Amherst

Join the ARHS administrative team TODAY (3/24) at 12:30pm for a student forum to hear about the proposed 4x4 block schedule next year and an update on the return to in-person learning this spring. You'll have the opportunity to ask questions about both of these. Here is the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RIWhrVzo3q4

This week's tip: FIND SOME JOY!! What is JOY? Think about this for a few minutes. One definition of Joy is "A feeling of great pleasure or happiness" Well, that sounds great, doesn't it? When was the last time you took a minute to notice something joyful? To feel something joyful? To share that you are JOYFUL with those around you? Our challenge for you is twofold: Make a list (in your head or on paper if you can) of a few things big or small (5, 8, 10?) that bring you joy! Next, find ways to seek some out! Notice the impact on your mood, your energy, and even possibly your motivation.
Check out these article with some great tips to discover/rediscover joy in your
daily life & how joy positively impacts your body and brain
1. https://www.healthline.com/health/affects-of-joy#3.-Your-autonomic-nervous-system
2. https://www.prevention.com/health/mental-health/g33002023/how-to-find-joy/

BONUS: If you do make a list, share it with us at petersk@arps.org so we can highlight what BRINGS JOY to folks in our community!
Yearbook-
·  Yearbook pre-orders are only open until APRIL 1ST. Order yours now at arps.picaboo.com! If you are a senior and are having trouble affording a yearbook, contact Miss Garrity.
·  Families and staff can submit "parent ads" to thank or congratulate students, staff, or faculty. Every ad purchased helps a senior on free/reduced lunch get a yearbook! Submit your ad at arps.picaboo.com!
·  All students should submit a portrait to the yearbook through the MyYearbookPhoto app! If you are having trouble uploading your image to the app, you may email it to Miss Garrity at garrityc@arps.org. IF YOU DO NOT SUBMIT A PHOTO, YOU WILL NOT BE INCLUDED IN THE YEARBOOK.
·  In addition to portraits, we are still looking for candid images to fill our yearbook! Send us photos of you with your friends, family, pets, and projects! Send us photos of your silver linings, your clubs, your joy, your genius! Photos can be uploaded at arps.picaboo.com or emailed to garrityc@arps.org.

The ARHS Theater Company is proud to announce AUDITIONS for both THE SOUND OF MUSIC, this year's musical - and our annual STUDENT-WRITTEN PLAY FESTIVAL! Both productions will be done entirely outdoors and with COVID-safety protocols in mind. One audition sets you up to try out for one or both productions. Exactly 0% previous background or skill is required.

Head over to the musical website at bit.ly/arhssom21 for all the details on auditions, which will run on Tuesday, March 30 and Wednesday, March 31. Sign-up sheets for both productions are up and waiting for you on the musical website.

Come be a part of something big and happy. See Mr. Bechtold with any questions: bechtolj@arps.org.

Sign up for the Adopt a Freshman program! NHS is creating a mentor program to pair upperclassmen with freshmen to help them navigate high-school. Check out this form to see more details and apply! If you have any questions please contact sweetingse@arps.org or setty-charityma@arps.org.

Interested in becoming a camp counselor? In learning about how to grow food and care for fuzzy farm animals? In exploring food justice and how you can have an impact in your community? Attend Farm & Garden Camp as a counselor-in-training or as a paid staff member! These programs are for anyone who wants to get a little messy and have a lot of fun while developing agricultural knowledge and teaching skills. Learn more at http://www.farmandgardencamp.org/teen-programs.html.

First Annual Anti- Racist Art Contest and Exhibition; Calling all artist, photographers and anti-racist activist from Amherst- Pelham Regional check out the flyer.

I’m hoping to publish a senior athletic showcase section in the newsletter at the end of this year. I am looking for student-athletes who plan to attend college next year and continue to participate in athletics. If you are one of them, can you please send me what school you are attending next year, along with your major and an action photo of you playing that sport that would be great. Please send information and photos to Ms. Stewart's email. Stewartv@arps.org

As we reflect on the one-year anniversary of leaving school for quarantine, The Minks Literary Magazine editors want to hear about your experiences. Our writing prompt for you is: describe a way the past year has affected you. Your piece could be long or short, serious or lighthearted. Send your writing to minks@arps.org, and it could be featured in this year’s edition of The Minks. If you would like your work published anonymously, simply let us know in the email. Happy writing!
The Environmental Action Club has partnered with Tree-Plenish to plant trees in the Amherst regional community to offset our school’s yearly paper consumption. Buy trees for yourself or as a gift at www.tree-plenishevents.org/amherst! The deadline for ordering trees is TODAY (3/24) , trees cost $5 each, and we are offering red oak, red maple, and river birch saplings. We are hoping to meet our goal of 230 trees, so tell all your friends! You can also sign up to volunteer for our planting event on April 24 at the website above.

Tuesday, March 23, 2021

Clara Schumann was born on September 13th, 1819 in Leipzig, in modern day Germany. Clara started playing piano at the age of 5 and by 15 she was known throughout Europe as a child prodigy. In 1838, she was appointed to Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde (the prestigious Society of the Friends of Music) in Vienna by the Austrian court. Despite her father's objections, she married Robert Schumann in 1840 and they had eight children between 1841 and 1854. Although her family responsibilities slowed down her career, she taught at the Leipzig Conservatory, continued to compose and toured frequently. In 1853, the Schumanns started a professional and personal friendship with the composer Johannes Brahms. Clara continued this friendship after her husband’s death in 1856. She edited a selection of her husband's works (published between 1881 and 1893). Among her compositions were orchestral works, a piano concerto, chamber music, and character pieces for piano. She died May 20, 1896, in Frankfurt, Germany at age 76.
WRC Women's History Month presented by Magdalene Marcus

Join the ARHS administrative team this Wednesday (3/24) at 12:30pm for a student forum to hear about the proposed 4x4 block schedule next year and an update on the return to in-person learning this spring. You'll have the opportunity to ask questions about both of these. Here is the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RIWhrVzo3q4
Yearbook-
· Yearbook pre-orders are only open until APRIL 1ST. Order yours now at arps.picaboo.com! If you are a senior and are having trouble affording a yearbook, contact Miss Garrity.
· Families and staff can submit "parent ads" to thank or congratulate students, staff, or faculty. Every ad purchased helps a senior on free/reduced lunch get a yearbook! Submit your ad at arps.picaboo.com!
· All students should submit a portrait to the yearbook through the MyYearbookPhoto app! If you are having trouble uploading your image to the app, you may email it to Miss Garrity at garrityc@arps.org. IF YOU DO NOT SUBMIT A PHOTO, YOU WILL NOT BE INCLUDED IN THE YEARBOOK.
· In addition to portraits, we are still looking for candid images to fill our yearbook! Send us photos of you with your friends, family, pets, and projects! Send us photos of your silver linings, your clubs, your joy, your genius! Photos can be uploaded at arps.picaboo.com or emailed to garrityc@arps.org.

Join us for Social Justice month at ARHS this March! Every Tuesday in March starting on the 9th, different clubs will be presenting student-led discussions on issues that are important to them. You have the power to make a difference in Amherst, and there is no better time than now. Check out the whole list of topics, dates, and meeting links right here: bit.ly/arhssj. This week: Tuesday from 12-12:40, Best Buddies will be leading a discussion on intellectual and developmental disability advocacy, and the Sexuality and Gender Alliance will be discussing self-advocacy for queer and trans youth in the classroom, and how to support your LGBTQ peers. If you have any questions, email vanhornsh@arps.org, demlingaa@arps.org, or robes-kenworthyg@arps.org

The ARHS Theater Company is proud to announce AUDITIONS for both THE SOUND OF MUSIC, this year's musical - and our annual STUDENT-WRITTEN PLAY FESTIVAL! Both productions will be done entirely outdoors and with COVID-safety protocols in mind. One audition sets you up to try out for one or both productions. Exactly 0% previous background or skill is required.

Head over to the musical website at bit.ly/arhssom21 for all the details on auditions, which will run on Tuesday, March 30 and Wednesday, March 31. Sign-up sheets for both productions are up and waiting for you on the musical website.

Come be a part of something big and happy. See Mr. Bechtold with any questions: bechtolj@arps.org.

Sign up for the Adopt a Freshman program! NHS is creating a mentor program to pair upperclassmen with freshmen to help them navigate high-school. Check out this form to see more details and apply! If you have any questions please contact sweetingse@arps.org or setty-charityma@arps.org.

Interested in becoming a camp counselor? In learning about how to grow food and care for fuzzy farm animals? In exploring food justice and how you can have an impact in your community? Attend Farm & Garden Camp as a counselor-in-training or as a paid staff member! These programs are for anyone who wants to get a little messy and have a lot of fun while developing agricultural knowledge and teaching skills. Learn more at http://www.farmandgardencamp.org/teen-programs.html.

First Annual Anti- Racist Art Contest and Exhibition; Calling all artist, photographers and anti-racist activist from Amherst- Pelham Regional check out the flyer.

I’m hoping to publish a senior athletic showcase section in the newsletter at the end of this year. I am looking for student-athletes who plan to attend college next year and continue to participate in athletics. If you are one of them, can you please send me what school you are attending next year, along with your major and an action photo of you playing that sport that would be great. Please send information and photos to Ms. Stewart's email. Stewartv@arps.org

As we reflect on the one-year anniversary of leaving school for quarantine, The Minks Literary Magazine editors want to hear about your experiences. Our writing prompt for you is: describe a way the past year has affected you. Your piece could be long or short, serious or lighthearted. Send your writing to minks@arps.org, and it could be featured in this year’s edition of The Minks. If you would like your work published anonymously, simply let us know in the email. Happy writing!
The Environmental Action Club has partnered with Tree-Plenish to plant trees in the Amherst regional community to offset our school’s yearly paper consumption. Buy trees for yourself or as a gift at www.tree-plenishevents.org/amherst! The deadline for ordering trees is March 24, trees cost $5 each, and we are offering red oak, red maple, and river birch saplings. We are hoping to meet our goal of 230 trees, so tell all your friends! You can also sign up to volunteer for our planting event on April 24 at the website above.