Albemarle High School
Newsletter
April 2014 ~ Third Quarter
Principal’s Message
Table of Contents
Principal’s Message
1
Contact Information
2
Important Dates
2
Faculty & Student Recognitions
2
Department/Achievement News 3-4
Student & Teacher Awards
5
Swim Team Champions
6
The Sound of Music!
6
AHS Lantern Magazine
6
AHS Rowing Club
6
Spring is finally here. This is an exciting and busy time of year for Albemarle’s
school community, especially for the families of seniors. It is a time of celebration,
recognition and achievement. It is also the time of year for intense testing and
social activity.
Winter storms were plentiful this year, resulting in numerous school
closings and calendar changes to testing schedules. Our writing SOLs were
completed last month, and finished up just in time for spring break.
April 12 was prom day for juniors and seniors. Seniors will be busy with senior
exams in May while the rest of the student body will be taking finals in June. Senior
graduation is May 31, and because of snow days lost, the last day of school for
underclassmen will be Thursday, June 12. During spring break, many seniors may have heard from the colleges where they
applied and some may have learned about college scholarships. Share the news with
us! If you wish to have your son or daughter publicly recognized, please e-mail the
guidance director, Megan Parsons, mparsons@k12albemarle.org as soon as possible,
and tell us about any scholarship your student was offered and will accept. We
will share this news with the school community during the Senior Awards Night,
May 22.
For more information on year-end official senior activities, please go to the
http://www2.k12albemarle.org/school/AHS/Pages/default.aspx and click on
Senior End of the Year Schedule under AHS Announcements.
I can’t help but be proud of our students and staff at Albemarle High School. Our
programs offer a well-rounded education from academic studies to the creative arts
and athletics, providing an opportunity for each student to reach beyond their earlier
limits. Over the years, both Albemarle High School staff and students have been
awarded liberally for many outstanding achievements in a broad spectrum of areas.
This year is no exception. Please be sure to check out page 3 of this newsletter for
details of the challenges and awards involving our student body and staff.
In closing, for a fun evening from our talented drama department, don’t miss the
award-winning Albemarle Players’ spring musical, The Sound of Music on May 2 –
May 4. For details, go to http //www.ahsplayers.webs.com/. Thank you for your
support and efforts to make Albemarle High School an award winning school.
Jay Thomas, Principal
In recognition of Black History Month, AHS celebrates Harlem Renaissance Day.
Third Quarter ~ April 2014
Albemarle High School
Two AHS Former
Students Recognized in
Top 12 Outstanding
Faculty at Virginia’s
Colleges and Universities
Contact Information
Main Office 975-­‐9300 Main F ax 974-­‐4335 Athletics 974-­‐4308 Attendance 974-­‐4310 Community Ed 975-­‐9450 Guidance 974-­‐4321 Important Dates
Senior Movie & Picnic 5/16 6:30-­‐8:30 p.m. Senior Exams 5/21-­‐23 Senior Night 5/22 Memorial Day – no school 5/26 Graduation 5/31 1:00 p.m. at JPJA Last Day of School 6/12 Albemarle High School graduates
Jeffrey McClurken, Professor of
History and American Studies at the
University of Mary Washington, and
Allison Orr Larsen, Associate
Professor of Law at the College of
William and Mary, received
Outstanding Faculty Awards
presented by the State Council of
Higher Education for Virginia at the
28th annual ceremony. Professor
McClurken was selected as a
Teaching with Technology recipient
and Professor Larsen as a Rising Star
honoree. Visit the ACPS website for
video comments by both AHS grads
McClurken and Larsen:
http://www2.k12albemarle.org/acps
/division/Pages/ACPS-Grads.aspx
Patriot Singers Achieve
Outstanding Rating
The Patriot Singers received straight
1's in the March Choral Assessment,
including a perfect score in sightreading.
Additionally, the orchestras of
Albemarle, Jouett, and Sutherland
had three ensembles perform at the
District 13 Orchestra Assessment.
All three ensembles received straight
Superior ratings from all four judges
for the ninth consecutive year!
This makes AHS the recipient of
the Virginia Music Educators
Association (VMEA) Blue Ribbon
School Award again, an award given
when all three musical disciplines
receive Superior ratings at
assessment.
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AHS Swim Teams Take
First and Fourth in State
In a season of new records and
championships, the Patriot Girls
finished first in the state with 341
points, with the next closest team
coming in at 190 points. The boys’
team finished 4th in the state with
148 points. Records broken
included the girls 200 freestyle set by
Corie Morton with a time of 1:54.54,
the boys’ 200 individual medley set
by Hogan Harper with a time of
1:56.12, the girls’ 200 individual
medley set by Hannah Harper with a
time of 2:08.03, the girls’ 500
Freestyle set by Corie Morton with a
time of 5:03.73, the boys’ 100
Breaststroke set by Andrew
Williamson with a time of 59.40, the
girls’ 100 breaststroke set by Corie
Morton with a time of 1:09.8, and
the girls’ 200 medley relay set by
Jeanette Yan, Megan Jones, Maggie
Woods, Emma Lockman with a
time of 1:49.76. The Patriots also
captured two 5A State Champion
relays that set a new State
Record! Those relays were the girls’
200 medley relay swum by Jeanette
Yan, Megan Jones, Maggie Woods,
Emma Lockman in a record-setting
time of 1:49.76 and the girls’ 400
freestyle relay swum by Hannah
Harper, Abby Wuensch, Madison
Noga, Corie Morton in a record
setting time of 3:37.25.
Congratulations to
Wes Bellamy Wes was recognized as one of the
Distinguished Dozen in The Daily
Progress Sunday. Below is a link to
the article. Thank you Wes for all
you do for not only the youth at
AHS, but in the community as well. http://www.dailyprogress.com/new
s/local/dozen-bellamy-helping-citys-poorest-children-reachpotential/article_9c035b6c-6f5d11e3-ae24-001a4bcf6878.html
Third Quarter ~ April 2014
Albemarle High School
Department News
2014 Summer Classroom
Driver Education
Program
Four sessions of driver education
classroom will be offered this
summer through Albemarle
County. This 9-day class provides
36 hours of classroom
instruction. It is intended for
students who: (1) attend private
school, (2) are home-schooled
students, (3) are from other school
systems, or (4) are Albemarle
County students who have
previously completed Health II.
Tuition is $150.00. To register for
class #5002, call 975-9451 or
register online at
www.opendoors1.org with Visa,
Discover or MasterCard.
)
June 17-27, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.
AHS room 11
July 15-25, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.
AHS room 11
Note: For more information on
Driver Education, go to the website
at www.opendoors1.org and click
on the Driver Education link (blue
paragraph).
Behind-the-Wheel Summer
Sessions: Behind-the-Wheel classes
will run throughout the summer at
Albemarle High School for
$250.00. The summer schedule and
registration forms will be posted on
the website soon.
Free Driver Ed. Parent
Seminars: Before students register
for Behind-the-Wheel, a parent
needs to attend a free Parent
Seminar. The summer parent
seminar schedule will be posted on
the website soon.
Math Department
Congratulations to John Garland, one
of this year’s Golden Apple recipients.
John’s dedication to his students, our
school and community are evident in all
that he does. Thank you, John, for your
hard work!!
Math tutoring is available each
Tuesday evening from 4 p.m. until 6
p.m. in room 116. Students should
arrive promptly at 4 p.m., but do not
need to stay until the finish. They
should bring their math work with them
and be prepared to ask questions about
things they don’t understand.
Drama Department
This semester has been hopping for the
drama department. The traveling drama
troupe took their award-winning
championship play, Shakespeare's R & J,
to Mobile, Alabama on March 4-9.
With Mother Nature dumping 5" of
snow on the eve of our trip, there were
some tense moments as to how and
when our departure would take place.
Thankfully, the hired motor coach from
Washington, D.C. pulled out of the
parking lot at 11:45 pm that Tuesday
evening, bound for the deep south.
At the Southeastern Theatre
Conference, Albemarle was the first
performance out of 19 high school
plays, representing Virginia, West
Virginia, North Carolina, South
Carolina, Florida, Mississippi,
Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, and
Tennessee.
Mr. Jay Thomas showed his cheer
hurrahs by flying to Mobile to see our
performance; it meant a great deal to
the drama students for their principal to
show that kind of support.
After traipsing to see numerous
shows, workshops, auditions, guest
speakers, and other conference events,
the awards ceremony also proved
fruitful. Tyler Missig, Joey Wharton,
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and Aaron Hoffman all won All-Star
Cast medals. In addition to the three
acting awards, Albemarle won a
trophy for the creative use of the "red
cloth"...never have I known an
inanimate object to win its own
trophy! Thanks to all parents and
chaperones who helped make this trip
possible.
AHS Media Center
We now have a MakerBot 3D printer.
Students have been enjoying
experimenting, designing and
developing items and printing 3D
objects. Mr. Ulrich’s 9th grade classes
researched, designed and printed
Ancient Roman artifacts. AHS
students also Skyped with third grade
classes, who recently completed
studying Ancient Rome. They shared
information about the ancient artifacts
and process of 3D printing.
On Saturday, April 12 at Lee Park,
a discussion on the MakerBot project
was held at the TomTom Fest Genius
House. For more information:
http://www.tomtomfest.com/2014/e
vent/genius-hour-expo
Author and book designer Chip
Kidd visited AHS Friday, March 21st.
He delighted Lit Mag, Creative
Writing and ESOL students with
discussions about the writing process,
his experience as an author and the
graphic design of book covers.
Third Quarter ~ April 2014
Albemarle High School
More Department News and School Achievements
Fifty AHS Sports
Medicine Students Earn
CPR Certification
Fifty students in the AHS Sports
Medicine classroom, taught by Vada
Holcomb, learned CPR and first aid
from American Red Cross and are
now certified for two years. This is
an extraordinary opportunity for
students to learn and continue to
know life-saving skills, whether they
pursue medical related fields or
choose other professions.
Ms. Holcomb, RN, BSN, MSN/Ed,
and also AHS instructor of Health
and Medical Science, reports her
students are currently studying
human growth and development.
Working with interactive infant
dolls who cry, need diaper
changing, burping and require
constant attention for two days,
students become totally engaged
with this real life simulation. At the
end of the caring period, students
write a summary about their
experience.
Dual Enrollment Process
There are very specific steps your
child must complete prior to May 1,
2014, if s/he plans to take a dual
enrollment class next school
year. School counselors distributed
all necessary information when they
met with your child to register them
for classes next year. However,
teenagers frequently do not hear all
the details they are given or pack
these handouts away and lose the
information.
To help you out, we want to
remind you all the information you
need is on the AHS website at
http://www2.k12albemarle.org/sch
ool/AHS/counseling/Pages/DualEnrollment-Information.aspx
or click the School Counseling link on
the left side of the AHS homepage, then
click the Dual Enrollment Information
link. If students have not taken a dual
enrollment class before, they should
read the “New to DE Class Enrollment
Process Info Sheet” first, followed by
the “PVCC Application Directions”
sheet. Their school counselor gave them
the “AHS-PVCC D-CE Application
Form” and entered English and/or
Math test score information on the back
of the form. This is where students can
see which DE class(es) they are
applying for, which qualifying test
scores they already have, and which
placement test they may need to still
take (if an English or Math test score is
not listed for the class).
If you need help, please feel free to
contact your school counselor or Jill
Garnett, jgarnett@k12albemarle.org for
help or clarification.
Albemarle High School
Students Show Strong at
Regional Science Fair
At the Piedmont Regional Science Fair
in March, AHS was well represented
with students winning in many
categories.
Best in Show: Selena Feng
First Runner Up:
Monika Grabowska
Category Winners:
Selena Feng
Monika Grabowska
Gus Osmitz
Abby Haden and Meredith Hooper
Isabella Yellman
Quinn Legallo-Malone
Stacy Vitko
Cole Martin
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AHS placed first and third overall,
with eight category winners, and 40 of
49 students placing.
2014 Summer
Behind-the-Wheel
www.opendoors1.org
Driver Education in-car training will
be provided this summer at the AHS
driving range. Students may choose
from the following schedule. No
classes held on Saturday or Sunday.
Classes are two hours in length.
Choose from the following times
and dates:
8 am to 10 a.m.; 10 a.m. to 12 noon; 12
noon to 2 p.m.; 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
1) June 16 to June 24
2) June 25 to July 3
3) July 7 to July 15
4) July 16 to July 24
5) July 28 to August 5
6) August 6 to August 14
7) August 18 to August 26
To take in-car training a student
must have a Virginia Learner’s permit,
begun or completed the 36 hour
classroom, and parent attended a free
seminar on teen driver safety. To
register and reserve a class, a student
must present his/her learner’s permit,
parent seminar certificate, and pay
tuition of $250 at the time of
registration. Registration is handled in
room 98 at Albemarle high
School. Forms can be printed from
the website or picked up from rm.
98. Checks, Visa, MasterCard, and
Discover are accepted. Call:
(434) 975-9451.
Third Quarter ~ April 2014
Albemarle High School
Staff and Student Body Accomplishments
AHS Forensic Team in
States Competition
Other Congratulations
from a pool of over 2300 applications.
The award honors young women at
the high-school level for their
computing-related achievements and
interests. It offers both national and
local "affiliate" competitions to
generate support and visibility for
women's participation in communities
nationwide. Selena has been invited to
the national ceremony with her family
and will receive $500, a laptop
computer, and a place among the
women in technology
community. Selena is only eligible to
win Nationals one time and as a
sophomore, this is a huge
accomplishment.
Allison Moore was accepted to the
All-Virginia Orchestra on double
bass.
Albemarle’s John Garland
Recipient of Golden Apple
Award
AHS Girls Varsity Basketball became
2014 Conference 16 Champions in
triple over-time.
John Garland was selected to receive
this year’s Golden Apple Award
representing Albemarle High
School. Golden Apple Award
recipients are recognized for
outstanding contributions they make
to the education of the children in the
schools in Albemarle County,
Charlottesville City, and the schools
of the VAIS. This is a well-deserved
award for a very dedicated teacher.
Congratulations, John!
Congratulations to Fay Cunningham
and the forensic students who
placed 3rd in States Saturday.
Gary Kellenberger and John Harris-1st
place in serious duo
Andrew Dickason-2nd place in
storytelling
Kevin Zong-3rd place in extemp
Loren Oliver-3rd place in impromptu
Lucy Birchfield- 3rd place in
storytelling
AHS Students Chosen by Audition
for All-Virginia Chorus
The following students were chosen
to represent Albemarle at the AllVirginia Chorus:
Peter Balcke
Mia Brunal
Samyuktha Mahadeven
Libby Sawyer
Albemarle Sophomore
Selena Feng is named an
NCWIT National
Winner!
Albemarle High School is proud to
announce that Selena Feng has
been selected as a National Winner
for the 2013-2014 National Center
for Women in Information
Technology (NCWIT) Award for
Aspirations in Computing. She is
among 35 young women selected
AHS Teacher Rich
Lindsay Awarded Grant
The Golden Apple Award Selection
committee has awarded Rich Lindsay
the 21st Century Learning in the
Classroom Grant. In addition to being
awarded $1,000, Rich will be
recognized at the Golden Apple Awards
ceremony for his grant submission
titled: Staged Archeology Dig.
5
AHS Key Club at District
Conference in MD
The Capital District is comprised of
Key Clubs from Delaware, Maryland,
DC, and Virginia. Over one thousand
students from across the district
participated in workshops, elected
officers for the upcoming year, and
competed in several contests.
Savannah Maxwell received
honorable mention for her essay in the
impromptu essay contest.
Our club video won second
place. Check it out at this link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=
zJjzF0Nde1I#t=15
Our scrapbook, which was headed
up by freshmen Sydney Alexander and
Hannah Pajewski, also won second
place.
President, Rex Willis, secretary,
Melanie Arthur, and treasurer,
Hannah MacKnight received
Distinguished Officer awards.
The AHS club was recognized for
raising over $1, 000.00 for the
Eliminate Project to eliminate
maternal/neonatal tetanus.
Katherine Pajewski was installed as
the new Lieutenant Governor for
Division 9A representing Fluvanna,
Charlottesville, Monticello, Western
Albemarle, and Albemarle High
School.
Congratulations to all our Key Club
students for working together for
another great year!
Indoor Track Team
The AHS indoor boys’ track teams
placed first in the conference
championships this past year and the
girls’ indoor track finished
second. Congratulations to Brian
Nagel and all our indoor athletes!
Third Quarter ~ April 2014
AHS Academic Team Wins State Championship
The Albemarle High School
newsletter is a publication of
Albemarle County Public Schools.
It is published quarterly and
distributed to all Albemarle High
School families.
After a strong showing in the competition last fall, the Academic team headed for the
Districts, where they qualified for Regionals. Competing against strong rival Thomas
Jefferson High School and winning the Regionals brought an infusion of greater vigor
and determination to the team as they now head to Reston to fight for the State
Championship title on May 24 and 25. We wish them every success!
Charlottesville is alive with The Sound of Music!
Albemarle County Public Schools
does not discriminate on the basis
of race, color, religion, age, sex,
disability, national origin,
pregnancy, or marital status.
Questions or concerns regarding
compliance with the School
Division's nondiscrimination
policies may be directed to:
Director of Human Resources 401
McIntire Road Charlottesville, VA
22902 Phone: (434)296.5827
Title IX of the Educational
Amendments of 1972, 20 U.S.C.
§§ 1691 et seq., prohibits
discrimination on the basis of sex in
educational programs or activities
receiving federal funds, including
discrimination in employment and
student admissions. All Albemarle
County Public Schools students,
applicants, and employees are
covered by this law. For questions
or concerns regarding Title IX,
please contact:
Title IX Coordinator Department
of Human Resources 401 McIntire
Road Charlottesville, VA 22902
Phone: (434)296.5827
Our Vision:
All learners believe in their power
to embrace learning, to excel, and
to own their future.
The award-winning Albemarle High School Drama Department presents The Sound of
Music in three performances at 8:00 p.m. on Friday, May 2, Saturday, May 3, and at
3:00 p.m. on Sunday, May 4. The last musical theatre work created by the team of
Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, The Sound of Music presents many
familiar songs and provides true family fare in the story of the von Trapp family in
Austria as Nazi Germany took control of the country.
Ms. Fay Cunningham, director and head of the Drama Department, leads more
than 130 AHS students involved in every aspect of the production and reached into
middle and elementary schools for casting younger members of the von Trapp family.
Tickets can be purchased at www.ahspresents.com or by telephone at 1-800-5948499 beginning on April 9, through May 1. After May 1 all tickets will be sold only at
the AHS Box Office. Dinner theatre tickets include a 6:00 p.m. catered dinner in the
AHS cafeteria and can be purchased for Saturday’s performance.
Ticket prices for adults are $18 online, $20 at the door; for students and seniors,
$13.50 online, $15 at the door; for groups of ten or more, $13.50; and for the Saturday
evening dinner theatre, $30 (advance reservation only). Discounted tickets of $10 are
available for Preview Night, the final dress rehearsal, on May 1; those tickets will be
sold only at the AHS cafeteria and at the door on May 1.
“Climb Ev’ry Mountain” to get your tickets before the production sings, “So Long,
Farewell!”
AHS Lantern Peripetia Wins SIPA Awards
Congratulations to the AHS Lantern Literary/Art Magazine of 2013, Peripetia for
winning awards at the Southern Interscholastic Press Association (SIPA) sponsored
by the University of Columbia, South Carolina. The literary/art magazine won the
following awards:
Cover, Best in Show
Spread design, “Upon Impact,” Best in Show
Spread design, “This is a Serif,” Honorable Mention
Magazine Judging, Superior
AHS Rowing Club
Our nascent team had just six athletes when they began competing 2 years ago – four
young men and two young women. With only four boys rowing in a quad, they
succeeded in winning the Virginia Scholastic Rowing Association Championships!
After practicing through much of the winter, all four AHS team boats won their
first test regatta this year by a number of seconds, proving they intend to be a force to
reckon with this year as well.
It takes a talented and dedicated team and a great coach for a young team to make
such an impact in the competition so soon. Please help cheer these fantastic young
athletes on! Contact Coach Coffman to learn more: ccoffman@k12albemarle.org
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