For the next school year, the counseling breakdown will be as follows:

Freshman & New Student Orientation - Thursday, August 27th 3:30-5:00 pm - New and Freshman students can enter through the high school's main entrance located at the front of the building. Students do not need to sign up, and they can arrive any time up to 4:30 to catch the last tour. Students will meet their tour guides in the high school cafeteria and tours will depart every 15 minutes starting at 3:30. The tours will last approximately 20-30 minutes. Students will be provided a copy of their schedule along with their locker information and combination. There will also be an activities fair in the high school cafeteria for students to learn about the different clubs and activities AHS has to offer, and some complimentary frozen treats from Cream in the courtyard at the end!

Senior ‘Sunrise’ Breakfast - A growing tradition at Abington high School has been a parent sponsored Senior Class ‘Sunrise’ breakfast on the first day of school. If you would like to volunteer or drop off items, please email senior parent Traci Maslanka at traciam@icloud.com  to connect with that parent group.

Free School Breakfast & Lunch - The Commonwealth of Massachusetts has approved free breakfast & lunch for all students for the foreseeable future. Students must select a fruit and/or vegetable serving for their lunch to be considered reimbursable.

First Days of School - Wednesday September 2 & Thursday September 3

For our first day of school, students should report to their home room and homeroom teacher. Students will start with an extended homeroom, and then see all seven periods before ending their day back in their homeroom. We start our rotating schedule on Thursday September 3rd.

Student Supplies - We hope this is an easy one - every student needs their fully charged school issued laptop for the first day of school, and should be fully charged themselves with a good night’s sleep. I might recommend a notebook and a pen as well, although almost all of our classes are organized on the online Canvas learning platform. Students and parents can access teacher information and class resources through Canvas. All of our school technology resources are found under the ‘Technology resources’ tab on the district’s web page, abingtonps.org.

Lockers - Students will have an assigned locker to use at the school. They will have an opportunity to practice their combination and master the vexing ninja art of opening a high school locker on the first day.

Busses - If you have questions about your student's bus stop, or would like to get a bus pass for your student, email transportation@abingtonps.org. Bus passes will begin being distributed on Monday August 24th.

Morning Drop Off - During the first few weeks of school, all of our families are adjusting to new schedules and routines. Thank you in advance for your patience and cooperation as we help everyone get acclimated to our process. For most drivers in the morning commute, there is an added sense of urgency and rush. In addition to adults with busy schedules, we have novice student drivers whose confidence outweighs their experience and sensibility, who also feel a sense of urgency and importance. Slow is smooth, smooth is fast.

Most traffic at 201 starts after 7:10 in the morning, so an earlier start to the day avoids most driving and parking issues entirely, with doors opening at 7:10 a.m. for students. Abington Middle School drop off begins at 7:20 a.m.

Student Drop Off - For parents seeking the fastest and easiest drop off, pulling up to the curb on Gliniewicz Way by the front lawn is recommended. Passengers should exit on the right side of the vehicle and can then walk across the lawn or down the sidewalk to the front of the building.

If you prefer to drop your student off at a door, for Abington High School you can line up on the side and rear of the high school to drop off by the gym/auditorium entrance at door 17. For Abington Middle School you can continue around the building to drop off at door 10, directly across from the tennis courts. As cars pull up, you can drop off as soon as you are within the solid yellow line - you do not need to wait to pull up right in front of the door. Please do not drop off students anywhere in the parking lots as this quickly contributes to a backlog of traffic.

Bus Entry Only - This entrance off of Gliniewicz is a one way, bus only entrance to the parking lot. It is not allowed to enter or exit through this access way for family and student drivers.

Front end in parking - As the morning traffic increases, front end in parking will help maintain traffic flow and prevent collisions or safety issues. Students backing cars into spaces causes traffic to back up, so students should park front-end in if they arrive after 7:10 in the morning. As a reminder, turn signals are still very important when entering or exiting a parking space. Students need to register to park with the main office. A reminder that parking at AHS is a privilege for students, and your safe driving is appreciated.

After School Pickup - Please enter the pick-up line for the high school or middle school. You may also pull into a lined space on campus or on Gliniewicz Way.

Anonymous Reporting - Abington High School has an anonymous tip line to report any concerns about the school, typically used for reporting bullying, harassment, and/or discrimination. The link below allows people to submit reports and concerns that go directly to our administration. While this tip line is anonymous and available as needed, we also encourage you to contact us directly, as we seek to create and maintain a positive school culture and climate in partnerships with families and the community.

Electronic Devices - In conjunction with our existing language in the student handbook, Abington High School will be limiting student cell phone use to non-instructional time only. Students will only be allowed to use their phones and devices during homeroom, passing time, and when at lunch. We want our students to experience and appreciate the benefit of having their sustained and undivided attention to the important academic work and growth that happens in our classrooms. Students also admit to us that they would like a break from their phones as well, acknowledging that they feel better and are more focused when they do not have the constant distraction from their phones.

Artificial Intelligence – We have all seen the spread and utility of artificial intelligence (AI) in almost every aspect of our modern world. Many AI technologies can quickly replicate sophisticated academic work in a matter of seconds. While there is tremendous potential for harnessing AI, we feel that student use of AI in our academic setting robs students of important opportunities to learn, which is entirely antithetical to our primary responsibility. Students who are found using AI on assignments may be found ineligible for athletics and extra-curricular opportunities, in addition to other consequences, as outlined in the student handbook as part of Abington High School’s statement of academic integrity.

We strongly encourage parents, families, and students to familiarize themselves with the language about AI in our student handbook. More information will be provided to parents at our Open House on September 10th.

Important Dates & Events

If you have any questions about the information in this letter, or if you have any questions that are not answered in this letter, please reach out to us by email or by calling the school. We eagerly look forward to welcoming our students back in a few days!

Regards,

Jonathan Bourn                                                                                  Kate Casey

Principal                                                                                                       Assistant Principal

jonathanbourn@abingtonps.org                                   katecasey@abingtonps.org