SAVE OUR SCHOOL

 

Welcome to our Blue Pride Community   Photo by: Lydia Robinette

 

By: Abbie Strobel and Lydia Robinette

The recent cuts made in regards to the budget will strongly affect the education of schools like Attleboro High School (AHS) and its students. There is a great deal of confusion and frustration over the current predicament, alongside the necessary changes that must take place.

With 25 percent of the staff being let go at just the high school alone, students are going to be forced into cramped classrooms where the number of students per class will grow from around twenty individuals to forty. This large group will most definitely impede on the learning ability of each student.

The result of the classroom size could possibly produce stress on students who suffer from social anxiety and large crowds but will also create issues with teachers laying out ground rules and lessons for students to follow. If the budget cuts insue, classrooms may turn from orderly to chaotic in just a short amount of time.

This is unfair to the remaining teachers whose workload will suddenly double with the flood of students in a single room. Classrooms at the moment manage the proper amount of pupils, but once the headcount increases, not only will rooms be a tight fit, but the issue of safety will arise.

In cases of fire drills and lockdowns, it would be much more difficult to manage the large quantities of students in any given classroom. There would be less space for students to move, making it harder for them to get out of the way or remain hidden and quiet in times of emergency. Students may also have problems exiting the building safely if a fire was to occur.

Students who suffer from social anxiety and claustrophobia may have issues when it comes to doing presentations, completing work, or even feeling relaxed and comfortable in their environment.

School curriculum  is going to suffer as well because with budget cuts comes the loss of precious classes and activities that help represent the diverse students and all of their interests. If classes and teachers are being cut, students will lose parts of school that make them more passionate about their education. Schedules will become strictly academic and will place a greater stress on students, creating a less engaging day.

With so many classes in danger of being removed from the curriculum, staff members in charge of managing the schedules will face more difficulties, seeming that schedule creation has already gone under way. Students may not be able to participate in classes that interest them, which could eventually lead to a drop in grades.

Many students already struggle with the aspect of education, often times questioning the school system and whether or not receiving an education is worth their time. Eliminating beloved classes will reinforce students’ beliefs on school being a waste of time and energy.

Students may feel less inspired in classes and their work ethic is sure to drop. Without positive reinforcement and rewards, school days begin to look bleak. Elective classes provide students with skills and experience that they may not receive anywhere else.

For some students, art and music are what open their eyes to the world of learning and allow them to enjoy their high school years. Without a proper balance between academic and electives, students are more likely to struggle, which could cause an incline in behavioral and emotional issues.

If classes involving the arts, vocational practices, and electives are cut, students who look to create a career in those fields will lack experience, knowledge and ability, and may lose future career opportunities.

Alongside cuts to art programs and electives, students will be deprived of their sports. With the cuts being made to the budget, the prices will incline drastically, making it extremely difficult for families to afford such high costs. The athletes who are forced to quit may miss the chance to receive sports related scholarships when entering college.

Overall, the cuts made to the budget are going to strongly affect Attleboro and its students on a personal level. Redistribution of funds will allow for students to receive proper attention from their teachers and ensures a comfortable working environment for both the faculty and their classes. On behalf of the affected schools, consideration in the readjustment of the budget would be greatly appreciated.

 

Senior Prank 2016: Balloons

As a senior prank for the AHS Class of 2016, an array of bright, star-shaped Mylar balloons were released in the Library Media Center for a harmless and colorful surprise. Photo by: Meghan Lancaster

Project Unite hosts the Attleboro School Day Games

Opening Parade  Photo by: Jenna Berg

By: Jenna Berg

 

The Attleboro High School (AHS) 2016 Special Olympics was held last Thursday. This is the 28th annual Attleboro School Day Games, coordinated by AHS teacher and Project Unite leader, Mrs. Rebecca Halsey.

Special Olympics is funded by another popular school event, Polar Plunge- an event where students fundraise money and plunge themselves into the freezing ocean.

Students volunteer from AHS, Bishop Feehan High School (BFHS), and North Attleboro High School (NAHS) to form Project Unite. Volunteers raised money through Polar Plunge and asked friends and family members to sponsor them. All of the money raised funded the Special Olympics

The project is always successful, full of enthusiastic students who are always going all out for the themes during the plunge and games. Project Unite surpassed their goal of $18,000 this year alone with Polar Plunge, but there were also other ways of fundraising; AHS raised money through Senior Assassin, a game where seniors were allowed to eliminate each other with water guns.

Volunteers were required to wear a blue team shirt and to accent their outfits with red and yellow to accommodate the circus theme.

This year, over 650 athletes from 40 different groups participated in the games. There were about 300 hundred volunteers from AHS, BFHS and NAHS. This event was coordinated since September.

Athletes looked forward to this event all year, and the volunteers worked very hard to make it the best day for the participants.

Halsey said that her favorite part was working with the staff, and she loved seeing “the pieces coming together.” The Attleboro Day Games is a huge event that takes a lot of organized effort in order to run smoothly. This year’s event was the largest one yet.

Thursday’s weather was warm and sunny, a great day for the outdoor event. Volunteers arrived early and helped with the setting up. Everyone was festive in their colors with tutus, socks, bandanas, suspenders and clown noses or bow ties.
The parade began and finished before 10 a.m. All the schools and groups were welcomed with a big round of applause. Music was blasting through the speakers, and people were singing along, creating a fun and positive atmosphere.

When the parade finished, the games began. Groups rotated around like a clock. Athletes competed in turbo jav, the softball throw, long jump or any running events such as the hundred meter dash.

Athletes could also go to Olympic Town, an area dedicated to games. Volunteers ran everything such as a dunk tank and face painting. Food was also provided for all participants.

At each event, all the volunteers met the athletes, and were filled with excitement. No one was left behind; everyone who competed was given an award.

AHS sophomore and second time volunteer, Julia Hayes said, “It is wonderful to be a part of an eye opening event.” For the participants, it was very special to see how important the day meant to the athletes.

Abigail DesVergnes, an AHS junior, said her favorite part was the opening ceremony. DesVergnes also liked seeing the kids and how happy they were.

A BFHS student, Brad Nelson, volunteered for his first time this year with friends. He explained his favorite part of the day was “working with the kids.”

Kyle Johnson is an NAHS senior who volunteered and participated in Polar Plunge all four years, and was the awards coordinator the past two years. He felt that the athletes “didn’t always get as much recognition,” which is why his favorite part was awards.

AHS student and project unite coordinator, Hadley Porreca, described the event as “magical.” Porreca wanted to do everything she could to support their one day. All of the work that was put into it, was worth it.

The 2016 annual Attleboro School Day Games was a success. Volunteers are already looking forward to next year’s event.

School Leadership Saves the World

“Ban the Bag”   Photo by: Delaney Nisbet

By: Delaney Nisbet

During the day on Monday, Attleboro High School (AHS)’s School Leadership teacher Mrs. Rebecca Halsey, presented projects that the class hoped would save the world some day in the future. Multiple projects were out on display in the pit for students who passed by to see.

“We are trying to spread awareness with these projects, so that we can save the environment” said junior Cassidy Dias, who was a participant of the “Ban the Bag” presentation.

Ban the Bag has been an ongoing project created by senior Patrick Collins in order to ban plastic bags from being used. “The plastic bags are harming the environment because the animals tend to eat or swallow them, and the bags are killing them” said junior Kassandra Alves.

Other projects that were presented were anti-tobacco support for Special Olympics and against drug abuse. “We are really trying to get everyone around us aware of the issue at hand. The best way to start is within the schools,” said senior Samantha Spaziano who ran the Special Olympics table.

“The projects were a huge success and I’m so happy with how they came out,” said Senior Morgan Fulton who had been working on the project almost all year long. Ultimately, the School Leadership projects were a success with raising awareness.

 

Budget Crisis Strikes Attleboro

Attleboro City Hall  (Photo by: Mark Stockwell of The Sun Chronicle)

By: Meghan Lancaster and Amanda Lindley

The public schools in the district of Attleboro have recently received word that the city’s budget for school funding will be reduced for the upcoming 2017 school year. The budget cuts include the possibility of faculty and staff layoffs, non-essential course elimination, an increase in class sizes, and raised fees for transportation and after-school activity programs, among other possibilities.

Although nothing has been confirmed as to what stays and what goes, the School Department has made it clear that making these budget cuts is one of the only options available to close the current $2.6 million General Government budget gap.

Mayor Kevin J. Dumas recently visited several schools in the district to inform concerned residents, one of which was Thursday May 5, at Thacher Elementary School.

“This is something we need to keep talking about because this is a huge problem,” said Dumas at Thacher. He said that the City’s process to solve the problem was “thwarted by the massive numbers of untruths and misinformation which have truly divided the people.”

Initially, it was thought that the School Committee would have to cut $3-$4 million, but Dumas was able to redirect funds from elsewhere to the school system following the outrage of city residents. Now, the Committee is preparing for up to $2 million in cuts, which totals to 64 teacher layoffs, among other staff members.

Before official news of the budget cuts broke out, city residents gathered in City Hall on Tuesday, April 26 to convince the School Committee to pass a law allowing them to use funds from other departments.

“In order to get to the point where we even had this $800,000 to allocate towards the city, we already had a $2 million shortfall in all of the other 23 departments citywide,” says Mayor Dumas.

Students at Attleboro High School (AHS) immediately expressed their concern with the budget cuts and planned to take action with an in-school walkout, but the plan was shot down once AHS Principal Mr. Bill Runey and some of the students decided that it would be counterproductive.

Instead, the school held two question-and-answer forums open to any student that wanted to receive official information about the budget crisis. Runey led the meetings, along with School Committee Chairman Mr. Stephen K. Withers, Superintendent-elect Mr. David A. Sawyer, School Committee Representative Mr. David Quinn.. They discussed the main causes of the City’s debt and the reasons for which the budget cuts are the only possible resolution at this time.

The forums made it clear to students that the budget crisis is the effect of debts in both the City and Massachusetts as a whole.  

The “2014 Chapter 70 Foundation Budget and Net School Spending” (Ch. 70) document establishes the minimum amount of money that the City is required to spend on its schools annually. If they spend less than 5% below that budget, fiscal penalties are put in place.

The Superintendent’s recommendation to the School Committee included an increase to the school budget by $6.8 million, but the School Committee decided to vote for a level-service budget and an increase of only $4.2 million, which resulted in a $2.6 million General Government budget gap to create a balanced city budget. Usually, in order to reduce this gap, the City would increase property taxation. Right now, however, the city is unable to do so because Proposition 2 ½ limits the amount that the city can tax its residents.

Even though the City has funded $1 million above the minimum spending requirements, an increase of only $344,135 (0.5%) in State funding is simply not enough to sustain services in the Attleboro Public Schools in the upcoming year. Under the limits of Proposition 2 ½, the City may only raise new tax revenue of $1.6 million to cover the expenses for the entire City. Thus, a $4.2 million shortfall in any department cannot be made up solely within the limits of Proposition 2 ½.

The City is considering overriding Proposition 2 ½ so that they can tax more and avoid having to make budget cuts in the future, but there is no clear indication whether or not this plan will be put into place, or how long it will take if it is put into action.

Along with the news of budget cuts in the school system came a spread of misinformation. In order to separate fact from fiction, a joint letter from Dumas, Quinn, and Sawyer was published April 30 regarding Ch. 70 as well as some of the common misunderstandings surrounding the issue.

The letter made it clear that the other projects around the City, including the renovations at AHS, are not payed for through tax dollars and therefore are not affecting the school budget crisis.

For people who wish to contribute to the City’s efforts toward helping the crisis, Bill Runey suggests that they donate materials – not money – to teachers. He says that this will cause the City to channel their funding from the cost of materials and instead put it towards teacher’s salaries.

Runey also mentioned that he is in the process of planning a potential festival on June 16 to raise money for the High School, although no plans have been made definite yet.

Teacher Appreciation Week

Apple for Appreciation (Screenshot by: Keegan Douglass)

By: Keegan Douglass

Teachers spend all of their time helping students get through classes, while simultaneously grading piles of papers, preparing lessons, and for some, studying at their own school to higher their education. Teacher appreciation week is designed to give teachers the appreciation that they deserve.

Student participation in teacher appreciation week is completely independent. If students have specific teacher who has changed their lives significantly, then that student could write the teacher a letter or give that teacher a small gift.

“Of course, it’s always good to show appreciation to someone,” said history and psychology teacher Mr. Patrick Callahan.

Though the concept of teacher appreciation week is beneficial for the staff at Attleboro High School (AHS), there is irony in the air: 20 percent of the staff at AHS is going to be cut by next year, unless something can be done.

“The whole idea behind teacher appreciation week this year is bitter sweet,” said English teacher Mr. J. Vaughn Boone, continuing, “it’s nice to celebrate, but it’s also hard when there is such a large cloud of tension floating around.”

Despite the overall negative tone shrouding the school, many of the teachers are maintaining an optimistic outlook.

“You know me, I’m always thinking positively,” said English teacher Mr. Patrick Parker, continuing, “There is no doubt in my mind that this will all work out. Of course, there will be some level of damage, but I really do believe that everything will be fine.”

Most students, as well, are trying to keep a positive mindset in the light of teacher appreciation week.

“For the teachers, I will always stay positive,” said senior Tyler Stowe.

As the week continues, students send in their emails to express their true appreciation for teachers.

“Since it was just Advanced Placement (AP) testing week, I sent emails out to all of my teachers, thanking them for a great year,” said senior Sarah Manlove.

Though there is tension at AHS, students and teachers are still remaining positive in order to celebrate the hard work put into education.

AP Exam Preparation

AP textbooks      Photo by: Amanda Lindley

By Amanda Lindley

With Advanced Placement (AP) exam testing around the corner, students at Attleboro High School (AHS) have been studying vigorously to ensure they’ll perform their best on testing day.

The AP exams are being administered over a two-week period starting May 2 through May 6 and May 9 through May 13. The test requires students to thoroughly memorize and understand the material taught in class; so then they can apply their knowledge on the multiple choice questions, short answer questions, and essays.

Speed is necessary for success on AP exams; very little time is given for students to finish. In order to thoroughly prepare their students, AP teachers must not only enforce the class curriculum but also teach the importance of responding to questions quickly and accurately.

“I feel like I’m taking the right steps to prepare myself, but I’m still worried about the test because of the time restraints,” said sophomore and AP World History student Ellie Sanford. “On our regular unit tests [my teacher] times our essays for 40 minutes, and he times our multiple choice questions based on how many questions there are which helps us prepare.”

Overall, students believe that their teachers have successfully prepared them for test day by practicing previously released test questions, giving timed practice tests, studying AP flashcards, and more.

“A common theme between [my teachers] is going over the material rather quickly, and then doing multiple practice quizzes, tests, and problems, which is very effective,” said senior and AP Chemistry, Literature, and Calculus student Kyle Pannone.

AP Environmental Science teacher Mrs. Angela Larson encourages students to “…have confidence in your first answer, read the question carefully, read all the possible choices… and don’t waste your time on questions you don’t know.”

After all the time and energy spent on preparation, students are sure to excel on their exams. Teachers and staff at AHS wish their students the best of luck for the upcoming weeks.

 

 

 

 

Spring Fling

Colorful Light Show

By: Jenna Berg

On April 1, 2016 four rock and indie bands performed at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center in Providence, R.I. for their Spring Fling Tour: Bear Hands, Foals, Silversun Pickups, and Cage the Elephants gathered a vast and energetic crowd of all ages.

Bear Hands originated in Brooklyn, N.Y. in 2006. It is signed to Canatora Records and has produced three studio albums; they are ready to release a fourth on April 15. The band consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Dylan Rau, bassist Val Cooper, guitarist Ted Feldman and drummer TJ Orscher.

Foals is a British band signed to Warner Bros. Records with five studio albums. They began to produce in 2005. The band has five members: lead vocalist and guitarist Yannis Philippakis, bassist, vocalists and percussionist Walter Gerves, drummer Jack Bevan, guitarist and vocalist Jimmy Smith, and keyboardist Edwin Congreave.

Silversun Pickups is from L.A., Calif. and was formed in 2000. They have five studio records with New Machine Recordings. This group consists of  lead guitarist Brian Aubert, bassist and vocalist Nikki Monninger, drummer Chris Guaniao, and keyboardist Joe Lester.

Cage the Elephant from Bowling Green, Ky. was the final act. Formed in 2006, they have produced four albums, and are currently signed to Jive Records. The group is made up of lead vocalist Matthew Shultz, keyboardist and guitarist Brad Shultz, drummer Jared Champion, and bassist and vocalist Daniel Tichenor.

Fans arrived at the venue early and rushed to the floor, hoping to stand as close as they could to the stage. Seats filled up quickly, the arena echoing with excited voices.

The four bands were a blend of music from indie to rock, but the majority of the crowd was there to see all the bands and not just one.

A student, Cameron, from Rhode Island School of Design, said that this concert would be his “big hoorah”’ before spring break ended. He attended the concert alone but had been looking forward to the show and hoped to hear his favorite song “Lazy Eye” by Silversun Pickups.

Two girls, Victoria and Abigail, made it to the concert at the last minute but were just as enthusiastic. It was their first time seeing Cage the Elephant in concert, and Victoria hoped to hear “Cage the Elephant’s mainstream songs.”

As the lights went down, the volume went up. Bear Hands started the show off with their loud and in-your-face music; the beat could be felt in the chest. The flashing purple, blue and green lights complimented their unique music.

They interacted with the crowd a lot. Rau addressed the crowd in the beginning with “Hey, What’s Up Fam?” They played their songs “Marathon Man,” “Giants” and “2 A.M” among others. Not only was the crowd dancing but many of the members on stage were also.

After them in the lineup came Foals. The band encouraged the crowd to throw their hands up, clap their hands. Their music had extra techno sounds that made a couple of their songs, such as “My Number,” stand out.

Foals performed their songs “My Number,” “Spanish Sahara” and their most popular “Mountain At My Gates.” The catchy tunes were accompanied by blinding multicolored lights. Philippakis went off stage and into the crowd and later said, “You guys are awesome.”  The crowd shouted their appreciation for Foal’s first time in Providence by always reciprocating the same amount of energy that the band gave to the audience. Silversun Pickups then ran on stage loud and unannounced. They were very interactive with the audience and told personal stories about their band members. Aubert, also, was not afraid to go into the crowd. The band was loved, and an unidentified man in the crowd continuously screamed, “I love you Nikki.”

Songs “Friendly Fires,” “Circadian Rhythm” and “Lazy Eye” were played for the crowd. Even  parents were pumping their fists in the air. The mass of people was dynamic.

Next, Cage the Elephant came onto the stage and played the longest set. Shultz never stopped jumping. He was in the air and running the length of the entire stage, always on the balls of his feet.

Not afraid to crowd surf, he dove toward the fans often. He never appeared tired and sounded just like his recordings.  The band started off with “Cry Baby.” If the crowd was loud before, it became frenzied.

More people were on their feet and singing back entire verses. The light show contributed to the electrifying feel of the arena. Cage the Elephant continued with their more known songs “Spiderhead,” “Take it or Leave it,” “Too Late to Say Goodbye,” “Punchin’ Bag,” “Cigarette Daydream,” and “Come a Little Closer.”

Toward the very end of the show, the other bands joined Cage the Elephant on stage. Everyone was dancing and having a good time. The concert did not disappoint.

Local fans Kylie and Savannah said they “absolutely loved it” and would definitely recommend the music to anyone. Another concert goer, Will, described the show as “wicked” while his friend, David, said, “I can’t hear anything.” Attleboro High School student Lindsey Johnson said, “The overall experience and environment of the concert was amazing.”

The show was a night to remember with its loud music, blazing lights and positive vibes.

AHS Clothing Swap

Student Council Members (Photo by: Hannah Michienzi) 

By: Hannah Michienzi

Student Council members at Attleboro High School (AHS) held a clothing swap on March 4 after school for people in the community who are not able to afford clothing.

People who needed clothes came to the event and picked from a variety of clothing such as pants, T-shirts, pajamas, dresses, shoes, and anything else they needed. The clothing was donated by AHS students, faculty and people in the community who had clothing they didn’t need any more.

The night of the event, Student Council members set up tables in the B1 cafeteria and organized the clothes. There were tables that had clothing for men, women and children.

Student Council member Arianna Susi said, “People from all over the community came and were able to fill a bag with all the clothes they needed. People also came and donated $5 that went towards an AHS scholarship.”

“People didn’t just come from Attleboro,” said Student Council Hailey Patel, adding, “We had people at the event who came all the way from Foxboro to get clothing that they needed.”

When the event was over, Student Council members put any remaining clothes into bags that were then donated to clothing drives. Susi said, “Many people left with bags in their hands and smiles on their faces.”

 

 

Attleboro High School Blood Drive

American Red Cross (Photo by: http://donationsstatic.ebay.com/extended/logos/MF3843.jpg)

By Nicole Lavoie

The American Red Cross is coming to Attleboro High School on Friday, April 1 between 8:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. in the large gym. Students can make appointments starting March 14, 2016 in room 213A. Students must be 18 years old with a photo ID or 17 years old with a signed parental permission form and a photo ID, and meet the high school weight requirements, which can be found on the American Red Cross website.

“We’ve heard back from the blood drive that it has helped and we get lots of volunteers so we’ve saved lots of lives,” said student council advisor and Spanish teacher Mrs. Katherine Pereira.

The American Red Cross advises drinking plenty of water, eating a healthy meal before donating and avoiding fatty foods, and to wear clothing that can be raised above your elbow. Donating actually takes only 8-10 minutes but the whole process takes about an hour.

Students will need to register or sign in when first arriving at the drive then read the information about donating and show an ID. Students will be questioned about health history and travel history and a blood sample will be taken to test hemoglobin levels. Present staff will check a student’s temperature, pulse and blood pressure,  if everything is at an acceptable level,  the area will be cleaned and a brand new sterile needle will be used to draw the blood. Approximately a pint of blood is collected.

A free snack and juice can be enjoyed after donating. Each donor should rest for 10-15 minutes to keep from becoming lightheaded. Students should leave feeling good about having donated their blood and possibly saving three lives.

Pereira who has been coordinating the blood drive for the past few years, said, “The students like giving back.”