Lancer Connection

Lancer Families,

We are already finished with the first grading period of the 2026-2027 school year! As I have told our Senior Class multiple times, don't blink, this year will fly by! We have lots of great things happening at ACHS as you will see in this newsletter. So many of our students are excelling in what they are doing and they continue to make us all proud. As we start pushing further into the school year, please remember the importance of good attendance for your student and for good communication with our teachers. Lancer Pride!

Joey Crawford

Principal

Underclassmen Picture Day is Wednesday, October 21. Flyers were sent home earlier this month and proofs will be delivered once pictures are taken so parents can place orders. If you have any questions, please contact our photographer Virginia Photo Company at info@virginiaphotocompany.com or 804-256-3246.

There will be one more Senior Picture Day on Saturday, October 24. Virginia Photo Company will be back at ACHS to take formal and casual pictures of seniors. The tux and drape will be furnished for the yearbook pictures. Seniors who have not already taken senior pictures at ACHS can book an appointment at: https://calendly.com/virginiaphoto The formal portraits taken by Virginia Photo Company will be the picture used in the yearbook.

At the Blast in the Draft Marching Band Competition our Marching Band took home the following:

3rd Place Percussion, 2nd Place Color Guard, 2nd Place Visuals, 1st Place Music, 1st Place General Effect, 1st Place Overall in their class. Our Marching Band was also crowned Grand Champion for having the highest score of all 16 bands in the competition. Congratulations to the members of the ACHS Marching Band!

The 2026 Amethyst has received the All-Southern Rating from the Southern Interscholastic Press Association in South Carolina. This is SIPA’s highest evaluation rating. Publications receiving this rating demonstrate excellence in all areas of scholastic journalism production. These publications effectively integrate writing, design, photography, and graphics and cover a wide range of content to give readers an excellent record of the school year.

In addition, the 2026 Amethyst received the Honor Rating of First Class from the National Scholastic Press Association in Minneapolis, MN and our yearbook was also recognized by the Columbia Scholastic Press Association in New York with the Rating of Gold Medalist and was awarded two All-Columbian Honors in the Verbal and Visual Sections.

Congratulations to our yearbook staff!

Lancer golfer, Caitlyn Baxter, won Top Medalist at the Region 4D South Sub-Region Golf Tournament held at Hidden Valley Country Club, in Salem. Baxter, a senior playing her final year of high school golf, shot a 8 under 63 to set a new course record. She recorded nine birdies, eight pars and just one bogey over 18 holes. The round established a women's course record from the black tees at Hidden Valley. On the 18th hole, Baxter managed to sink a 35-foot birdie putt for her ninth birdie of the day.

Baxter continued her impressive post-season run by capturing the Region 4D Individual Championship at Winchester Country Club on October 6. Baxter shot a 6 under 66 to win the title by 3 strokes. She then placed 7th out of 60 golfers at the Class 4 state championship in Mineral, VA.

We are so proud of her hard work, consistency, and determination!

FFA students recently participated in competitions at the State Fair of Virginia. The Forestry Field Day results included:

• Team 1st
• Crosscut saw 1st (Reggie Kirkland & Landon Mays)
• Water Accuracy 2nd (Braeden Hicks)
• Log Roll 2nd (Brantley Martin & Walker Clark)
• Log Throw 4th (Kamen Phipps)
• Bow saw 6th (Jesse Tyree)

In the last four years the ACHS students have placed first in 2023, second in 2024, first in 2025, and first in 2026! That's first place in three of the last four years! Congratulations to our FFA students!

Jr. Foresters is a knowledge based competition. Our team placed sixth in this competition and Emily Lewis placed 7th out of 100 individuals. Congratulations Emily!

Come out and support our incredible theatre students as they take "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" on the road! This traveling show is a true winner, and we have multiple chances for you to catch the magic—both right here at home and on the competition stage. Here is where and when you can see the performance:

• Local Preview Night: Thursday, October 29th at 7:00 PM in the ACHS Auditorium. Come get a first look at the show before we head to our first level competition!
• VHSL Theatre Festival: Saturday, November 7th in the ACHS Auditorium. Amherst County is proudly hosting the festival in our brand-new space! Theatre productions will run all day, with Amherst taking the stage at 4:30 PM. Important Rule: You must arrive a few minutes early. Per VHSL rules, the auditorium doors will lock precisely when the show starts, and no late entry is permitted. Let's pack the house as we compete against all 8 schools in our district and show everyone our school spirit!

• VTA Conference Performance: Friday, October 23rd at 11:00 AM at the Marriott Waterside Norfolk Hotel in Norfolk, VA. If you happen to be traveling for the Virginia Theatre Association conference, you can check the official VTA website for ticket details. Otherwise, we would love to see you at our local home shows! If we keep winning at the first level competition, we will add even more performance dates to the calendar. Don't miss out on supporting our talented cast and crew!

Our Patron Campaign has officially begun! If you would like to become a patron or purchase an advertisement for your business in our program, you can do so directly online through the Amherst Theatre Support Page. Thank you for supporting such a positive program! For any questions regarding the show or patron options, please contact Patricia Emmert at pemmert@amherst.k12.va.us.

The yearbook staff is now selling Senior Tribute Ads. Parents can purchase ads from a member of the yearbook staff or purchase them online using the link to the Google Form in an email sent from Dr. Crawford to parents of seniors. The deadline to submit ads to guarantee your space is November 16, 2026.

Are you an ACHS alumnae who may be missing a yearbook from the time you were in high school? Or maybe you know someone who did not get a yearbook. We have a limited number of yearbooks from previous years that are available for purchase. Order forms can be picked up in the main office. Or you can contact us at achsyearbook@amherst.k12.va.us to check availability and price.

PSAT - Sophomores and Juniors who have registered for the PSAT will test on Thursday Oct. 15th. These students will check-in with their first period teachers and then head to their testing locations.

VCAW- Virginia College Application Week(s) are October 19th-October 30th. During this week, Mr. Heath, our pathways adviser, will be providing college application assistance and fee waiver codes, which allow you to apply to a number of universities for FREE! We will have college rep visits from Hampden-Sydney and VMI as well as on-site admissions with University of Lynchburg, Randolph College and Liberty University. We will be doing raffle prizes for seniors at the end of each week and all students are invited to play "BINGO" for the chance to win a prize. See the flyer below for more details:

Unity Day - Wednesday October 21st we will be celebrating UNITY DAY. This is the signature event of National Bullying Prevention Month. During this day students are invited to wear "ORANGE" the national color recognition for standing up against Bullying. For any student who wears orange on this day, they are also able to wear a hat. We will also have a poster decorating contest during 1st period to create a poster around the theme "Kindness Acceptance Inclusion" The winning 1st period class will receive free breakfast!

(Even though this day coincides with our school picture day, we encourage students to participate in this event)

Kids’ Haven: A Center for Grieving Children provides grief support services for children who have experienced the death of a significant person in their life, such as a parent, primary caregiver, sibling, or other loved one. For more than 25 years, Kids’ Haven has provided grief support, resources, and education to children and families in the Greater Lynchburg area free of charge. Kids’ Haven does not provide counseling or therapy. Instead, their school groups offer peer-to-peer grief support led by trained facilitators. A Kids’ Haven grief support group is available at Amherst County High School. Kids’ Haven school groups provide a safe and supportive place where children and teens who have experienced the life-changing loss of someone they love can come together, connect with others, and receive peer support.

Additional information about Kids’ Haven and their services can be found on their website: Kids’ Haven Information. Please take a moment to review the information, and if you would like your student to participate, permission forms can be picked up from your child's school counselor and the completed form must be returned to the counselor by Friday, October 16, 2026.

If you have any questions about the program, please contact your student's school counselor. We are glad to have this additional support available to our students and families.