Welcome to Amherst Street School
The Best School in Nashua!
Welcome to Amherst Street School! Amherst Street Elementary is a school where parents and teachers work together to provide students with engaging work, challenging academics, and enriching experiences so that each student can become successful in achieving their dreams and aspirations. Our teachers are a gifted group of professionals who love your children and work tirelessly for them understanding that each day your child is at school that you are sharing the most precious part of your life with us. We value the trust you have put in us and we will do all we can to make sure they are safe, happy, and challenged. We have an active group of parents who generously support our school through volunteering their time and resources. We are very appreciative of these efforts. It is no wonder that academic achievement is truly a team effort of students, parents, and staff here at Amherst Street Elementary School.
Our school is a small educational community with approximately 300 students in grades K-5 that provides a challenging and global learning environment for all. As a school within the Nashua School District, we have access to so many supportive resources. Being so close to historic Holman Stadium and the heart of downtown Nashua, we also enjoy the wide variety of community resources nearby including the historic society, fire station, parks, colleges, and the public library.
A strong academic curriculum is focused on high expectations and balanced with a strong fine arts and physical education program to meet the needs of our learners. Additional enrichment and academic opportunities are available through our 21st Century after school program, REACH program, grants, and PTO sponsored activities.
It is our belief that the “whole child” needs a “whole team” to achieve social and academic excellence.
Thank you for visiting our website, and please view our website often to learn about our programs and offerings.
Sincerely,
Pat Snow, Principal
A NOTE FROM THE PRINCIPAL
HAPPY November!
The year has gotten off to an excited and productive start. Already parents are pitching in, students are working hard, and teachers are doing everything they can to meet and exceed the needs of each and every student.
Just a few “housekeeping” issues:
· Parents are always welcome at Amherst Street School, but all visitors to the school MUST report to the office and sign-in to receive a visitor’s pass before going to any part of the building.
· When picking up kindergarteners in the afternoon, parents are asked to park in a parking space and walk over to each kindergarten teacher. Teachers will then release your child.
· Please, never leave your car unattended in the drop-off and pick-up lanes. This stops traffic from flowing smoothly when picking up and dropping off students.
· When plan changes for students’ transportation home in the afternoon, you must inform your child’s teacher in writing of the change. If your child does not have a note, they will not be able to change their existing mode of transportation home.
· Please contact your child’s teacher via e-mail or leave a phone message for the secretaries. Teachers will respond to you within 24 hours.
Parent Teacher conferences are being held Nov. 22 and Nov. 23. “A growing body of evidence suggests that family engagement matters for student success. Research shows that family engagement improves school readiness, student achievement, and social skills.” from Harvard Family Research Project June 2009
“Response to Intervention and Instruction” (RTIi) at Amherst Street School.
This year we continue to use a system called Response to Intervention and Instruction Groups are created with a pre and post assessment. Our Reading Teacher, Title 1 Teachers, ELL Teacher, and Special Education Teachers and classroom Teachers facilitate groups (paraprofessionals support teacher lessons and plans). The purpose of the RTIi program is the following:
1) Creates an opportunity to guarantee learning in a systematic way for all students.
2) RTIi targets academic support through student centered learning environments of small groups, identifying and focusing specific skills regularly and early.
3) It reduces Special Education referrals because of early identification of at-risk students.
4) There is a social benefit of increased adult-student relationships as teachers get to know a variety of students within the grade level, as well as students being able to get to know other students within their grade level.
Lunch program: Students are having recess first and then eating lunch after a 20 minute recess. Some experts believe that the timing of recess can make a difference in a child’s health and behavior, reporting less food waste and higher consumption of milk, fruit and vegetables. Some teachers say there are fewer behavior problems, as kids could eat and cool down, then come back to the classroom and start academic work immediately. As always, we appreciate your feedback to all that we do here at Amherst Street School. Please call or visit me anytime. Thank you for being partners in education with us for the most important journey of all…educating your child.
Happy autumn,
Pat Snow