Amherst Junior High School

In April 2011, Peggy Kordeleski succumbed to panceratic cancer. In her honor, her family is raising money for the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PANCAN) which funds research towards ending pancreatic cancer.

The first benefit is a memorial spaghetti dinner on Saturday, June 2, from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Amherst VFW. Tickets are $12 for adults and $5 for children ages between three and twelve. Children under three are free. Dinner includes spaghetti and meatballs, salad, roll with butter, and dessert. Tickets for the event and the fifty-fifty raffle at the dinner may purchased from Maryann Kordeleski (440-988-4786) and Liane Nossek (443-994-0096).

On Monday, June 4, Ziggy's Pub and Resaurant hosts the second benefit. Guests should tell their staff member they are there for the PANCAN or Peggy Kordeleski benefit and twenty-percent of the bill's profit will be sent to PANCAN. This applies to both dine-in and carry-out orders.

On Thursday, June 16, a team will be participating for Peggy in PANCAN's Purple Stride walk at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo. Peggy's team welcomes participants and sponsors. To sponsor, review Peggy's page on PANCAN's website.

The students at AJH are going to attempt to break into the Guinness World Records. The record they are attempting to break was recorded in July 2011 at Cedar Point. They were able to bounce 401 beach balls in the air for 10 seconds. Thanks to the support of Olde Town Pizza, every kid at AJH will have a beach ball as they attempt to bounce them in the air for 15 seconds. This will include over 700 participants, so the Cedar Point record could be crushed. If successful, every student will be able to receive their own Guinness World Record certificate with their name on it.

The Guinness World Records has approved this record-breaking attempt for May 21 with a rainout date on May 29. This will take place on the football field at AJH at 1:00 p.m. Spectators are welcome to come watch the attempt, however, all visitors must remain outside the fenced in area. This is a Guinness rule.

A special thank you to Olde Town Pizza and Action Kam Photography for sponsoring this event.

Incoming eighth grade Amherst Junior High School students will have an opportunity to travel to Washington, D.C. The fee for the trip is $395. The dates for the trip are October 18-20, 2012.

Washington, D.C. permission slips were sent home with seventh grade students back in March.  

Please be aware that if your student is planning on attending the trip, permission slips, a deposit of $50, and roommate request forms are due in the office by May 29.

There will be a parent meeting on Thursday, May 24, at 7:00 p.m. in the media center to discuss the upcoming high school cheer season.

Saturday, May 19 - Seventh and eighth grade bands perform at OMEA band contest at Tri-C.

Tryouts are open to sixth and seventh graders interested in cheerleading for AJH during the 2012 - 2013 year. Trials will be held on Tuesday, May 22, Wednesday, May 23, and Friday, May 25. Tuesday and Wednesday the clinics will be held from 3:15 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. in the gym at Amherst Junior High. On Friday, tryouts will begin with seventh grade at 2:45 p.m., and sixth grade will follow. The information packet* will be available in the AJH and Nord offices beginning Monday, May 14. Permission slip, application for tryouts, and spirit posters will all be due on the first day of tryouts. Please email Kristi King if you have any questions.

*There is an error in the information packet for cheerleading tryouts. There are no required teacher evaluations this year.

The Amherst Athletic Association is running a softball clinic open to all girls ages nine to eighteen at the junior high fields on June 6 and June 13. The camp is split between two sessions each day. From 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. participants will practice fielding, throwing, catching, and base-running fundamentals followed by practicing pitching, catching, and hitting fundamentals from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Fees are $25. For more information read the registration flyer or contact Andrew Dever by email or phone 440-653-1333.

Lady Comets basketball coach John Rositano will be conducting a five-day instructional camp for girls entering grades three through nine in the fall. This will be held at Steele's gym from Monday, June 11, to Friday, June 15. $60 fees are due by June 8. Please read the registration form or call John Rositano at 440-396-9641 for more information.

All Amherst Schools will have a two hour early dismissal on the last day of school, Wednesday, May 30.

Baseball camp is open for boys entering grades seven through nine. Camp will be held on June 11 through June 13 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Steele Varsity Field. $60 registration fees and the registration and release form are due Thursday, May 31.

All spirit wear will be twenty-percent off at the Comet Corner now through the end of the year. Please check store hours.

Students needing a sports physical should plan to attend the free CFO Sports Physical event, Friday, June 8.

Medical history forms must be filled out and signed by a parent or guardian prior to this event. If a student brings a parent or guardian forms will be made available the day of the physical.

Student athletes participating in this event will receive a “goody bag” and a free t-shirt (while supplies last). Please RSVP to 440-329-2860 no later than Friday, June 1. Full information is available on this flyer.

Physical Education summer school is offered for both remediation (student failed course) and advancement (student has not attempted the course). One-quarter credit will be awarded. There will be one session of Physical Education, June 4 through June 15, from 8:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Cost is $90.00 for Amherst students and $100.00 for out of district students and is non-refundable after the start of the first class session. Download the application and return it to the high school office before the first day. Applications are also available in the high school and junior high offices.

Seventh grade students can participate in a free boating education program called the Spirit of America Program. For sixteen years the Spirit of America Program (funded through the Ohio Department of Natural Resources), has provided students with a fantastic opportunity to learn to operate power boats, sailboats, canoes, kayaks and jet skiis. Space is limited, so pick up an application at the Junior High now. For more information contact Mr. Novotny, or visit www.spiritofamerica95.org.

Attention to all girls entering grades four through nine and interested in learning the fundamentals for volleyball. Camp will be held June 4, through June 8, at the Jr. High and Steele High School. Any student interested should download the registration form and mail to Steele High School on or before Wednesday, May 23.

Congratulations to the seventh-grade band and choir members that participated in the OMEA Solo and Ensemble contest on Saturday.

Receiving a Good rating were soloist Hope Corcoran and the ensemble consisting of Destiny Champe, Hope Corcoran, Adrianna Figueroa, and Samantha Heise.

Two ensembles received an Excellent rating. The first consisted of Halle Brosky, Meredith Funderburg, Kate Anderson, and Shelby Prieto, and the second was Chaz Ference, Michael Cool, David Mendez, and Logan Freeman. Soloists Selena Leyva, Abby Paul, and Destiny McMichael also earned an Excellent rating.

Three soloists earned the highest possible rating of Superior. They were Cassie Smith, Cameron Howell, and Samantha Heise.

All football players (Varisty, Junior Varisty, and Freshman) entering grades nine through twelve this fall are expected to attend the four-day high school mini-camp. Price is $25 and includeds a t-shirt and practice jersey. Checks should be made payable to Amherst Football. Players should bring cleats and tennis shoes, but not a helmet.

Camp runs from Monday, June 4, through Thursday, June 7, starting from 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. Players should arrive at the field house at 7:15 a.m. If you have any questions please contact Coach DiFranco.

All boys entering seventh and eighth grade are invited to attend the 2012 Amherst Junior High Football Camp Monday, June 4, to Thursday, June 7. This camp prepares atheles for football at the junior high level by teaching fundamentals and terminology. This camp is designed for both beginners and experienced players interested in playing junior hight football. This is a non-contact camp. Price is $25 to attend.

For complete information and to register, print and fill out this flyer. Call (440-988-4433) or email Coach DiFranco with any questions. Registration must be submitted the first day of camp, Monday, June 4.

Invitations to the seventh and eighth grade awards programs were distributed to students on Friday, May 4.  Please contact the office if your child did not receive an invitation and you believe that they should be invited to the awards program.  

Our seventh grade program will be on Wednesday, May 23 and our eighth grade program will be on Thursday, May 24.  Both of these events will begin at 8:00 a.m. in the gymnasium.

A big thank you to Giant Eagle for their very generous donation of refreshments after the award's programs.  

This summer there are a number of camps and programs to help gifted students further their knowledge while school is not in session. This list provides links to websites where students and parents can learn more about each program.

Another incident of threatening bathroom graffiti has been discovered at the high school. The threats were not directed toward other students, but we are taking this very seriously. Mr. Gillam and the staff are taking proactive measures to ensure student safety including minimizing students in the halls. We are also working with the Amherst Police Department by keeping them informed about all incidents and increasing police presence in the schools. We are working hard to make sure our schools continue to be a safe environment for our students. We will keep you posted through Facebook and our website.

Building Administrative Assignments and Hours.