ANDOVER ELEMENTARY MIDDLE SCHOOL
March 26, 2014
Dear AEMS Family,
The show I have been waiting for all year is finally here! Opening night for HONK is Thursday night at 6:30. HONK will also be performed on Friday night at 6:30. I am so impressed with the amount of time and work the students and staff members have put into this production. Work started in October and finally we will see the magnificent results!
Tickets for HONK will be on sale at the door. Adults are $7.00 and students are $5.00. A family rate will be available. Any profit will be used to offset production costs and build the drama fund for future productions. Please do not let the cost deter you. Contact me confidentially and we will work it out.
There will also be a delicious bake sale both nights of HONK.
To celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Gettysburg Address, documentarian Ken Burns launched a national effort to encourage everyone in America to video record themselves reading the Gettysburg Address. Mr. Tucker, Ms. Unger and the 6th and 8th grade social studies classes accepted the challenge. The following link will take you to the 8th grade video. The 6th grade video has also been made but we are awaiting a few parent permission slips before sharing. www.learntheaddress.org/#Ri3A5AJwnbw,
Report cards will be sent home with students on Friday.
We are on track for Poetry Night. You can hear students reciting their poetry throughout the building. Classroom judging takes place next week. Finalists in grades 1 – 8 will be invited to recite their poems at Poetry Night on April 10th at 6:30 pm. This is a very important evening and we always ask for the audience to be silent.
Our MVHS seniors have been invited to share their senior projects with our middle school students on April 17th. We look forward to their return and we know they will have great advice to share.
Please continue to check your lunch accounts on a regular basis. We have still had a few glitches. Bring it to our attention if you see anything that doesn’t make sense to you.
Spring is here and it is already that time of year when parents begin thinking about the next school year. The question inevitably comes up, “How are students assigned to teachers and classes?” Our goal is to have all students thrive in balanced, positive learning environments. The teachers, specialists, counselor, and administrators hold grade level meetings to place students for the following year. The focus is on balancing classes of students based on current teacher input, gender ratio, academic levels, school adjustment factors, student interests, social /emotional development, readiness, schedule needs, behavioral concerns, and motivation.
Parents may submit a written request regarding their child’s placement but we cannot always guarantee that it will be honored. All requests should be sent to my attention. A request for a particular teacher will be considered with the rest of the information and input during the placement process and shared with the team. Please trust that the classroom teacher who has been working with your child all year knows your child quite well and uses all of that information in the actual placement procedure, whether or not you submit anything in writing.
The placement process begins before school ends in June. Placements, however, are never finalized until August because of fluctuations in both enrollment and staffing that occur over the summer. Students in the younger grades are mailed a postcard/letter from their teacher in early August welcoming them to the class. Our task is to build balanced classes in the best interest of our students and their learning. We are committed to making this process work.
We are ready to run! Middle school track practices begin on Monday. Please return paperwork.
Attached is an opportunity to get a free student ticket to NH Motor Speedway for the two big races. $1.00 from every ticket purchased does come back to AEMS but I am not offering it for fundraising purposes. I just thought it seemed like a good deal for families. Please do not send the form back into AEMS but deal directly with NHMS.
The family letter is arriving (hopefully) a day earlier than usual. Tomorrow will be a bit chaotic with Honk dress rehearsal and opening night. The menu will still be coming home on Thursday and report cards on Friday.
Safe to say this is actually a week without a snow day or delay – YEA!!!
If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to call.
Sincerely,
Jane Slayton