AIHS Weekly Update

One of the nice opportunities at AIHS is that our students can take classes at Amesbury High School. Last year two of our students took chemistry and this year we have one student taking drama in the morning and another leaves for chemistry and two others are taking guitar lessons and seem to be loving it.

The Amesbury Educational Foundation, Inc. (AEFI) awarded our Bethany Noseworthy a grant to develop a program where students could do work study. Students at AIHS are required to complete 6 hours each week in an internship, job placement, sport, club or activity to fulfill their time on learning requirement as part of our work study program. For our younger students, finding opportunities for paid employment can be challenging because of their age and/or labor laws and restrictions on the job site. Thanks to funding from an AEFI grant, students can complete these hours after school in their choice of certification courses. Supervised by Bethany Noseworthy, our school guidance and adjustment counselor, students research a catalog of courses and find one that matches up with career or personal interests. Many of these courses provide a certificate of completion at the end. Currently, students are studying great white sharks, nail technician training, cosmetology and makeup application as well as tattooing and counseling children and adolescents.

Over the past 8 weeks, we have seen a couple of areas we need to improve upon:

ABSENCE:

- AIHS should be notified when a student is absent prior to the start of school day.

- You may notify Evan or Bethany but please let Carol know so she has it in the attendance list by calling or texting 617-763-0438 or email: carol.bartlett@amesburyma.org

- Students who are not reported absent by Parent/Guardian will receive 120 minutes of flex time.

- Students who have 8 or MORE absences require a doctor’s note to be considered “excused.”

DISMISSAL

- Students should be dismissed with a note from Parent/Guardian prior to the beginning of school.

- Parents should not just drop in to dismiss their student without prior notification.

- Parents/Guardians should enter the school to sign their student out.

- Students under 18 may not dismiss themselves under any circumstances.

- Students over 18 may be dismissed with permission from Evan but must sign out.

- All dismissals related to sickness or illness should go through Nurse Kristin Tierney’s office. We will be working with her and she is the definitive judge on who should be sent home with a “Nurse Dismissal” excuse. And please if you have not done so already, return those Health Forms we sent home at the beginning of the year. Kristin can't give medicine without them!!

- Obviously emergencies happen and we will work with the situation.

CALENDAR REMINDERS

Friday, October 30th Trunk or Treat Day

Tuesday, November 3rd is Election Day - No School

Wednesday, November 11th is Veterans' Day - No School

Wednesday, November 25th is an Early Release Day

Thursday, November 26th and 27th Thanksgiving Break

As you know, we take lots of pictures at AIHS! In addition to including these pictures in our newsletters, we use many of them in the AIHS Yearbook. Every student receives a copy of the yearbook at the end of the year, and we do our best to ensure everyone is represented. However, we understand that some families may prefer not to have their student included. If you would like to opt out of having your student's picture appear in the yearbook, please let us know at katherine.pena@amesburyma.org.

Not only does Amesbury Innovation have budding musicians, but we have 3 (2 students and one staff person) who are participating in AHS sports this year!

Kamari Smith #42 is on the AHS Football Team which is 3 Wins and 2 Losses (but all really close) this year!!

Kullan Spurr is a new recruit of Soccer and is really liking it. They have one more game in the stadium on October 22nd.

And speaking of "new recruits" our Adjustment Counselor is a mid-season replacement as the AHS Girls' Field Hockey Coach. Bethany Noseworthy was in this position many years ago and left when her son was little to focus on her family. But she heard there became an opening, she saw a need an jumped in and reports that she is so glad she did. Happy to be back in the game and is loving the girls on her team.

Go Red Hawks all around!!

The theme for this year's Pumpkin Project Day (our second annual) was to build an animal that has character traits that are important to our AIHS Students. They got the assignment and did an excellent job as you can see. We may have some upcoming designers in our midst.

Charles Wright, our former AIHS Teacher, and his wife, Grace have a baby girl. Meet Miss Penelope who was born on October 12th and weighed 8 lbs. 6 ozs. Congratulations to Charles and Grace--she is beautiful and we are so happy for you both!