Departments

ART

The Massachusetts Arts Curriculum Framework (2019) states art "students will develop artistic literacy through active participation in the arts, expressing creative ideas with skill, confidence, and artistic intent. Through practices related to creating, presenting or performing, responding, and connecting, students will understand the role of the arts in their individual lives and interests. While recognizing the intrinsic values of the arts, students will also discover the meaningful connections between arts and other disciplines, and how the arts contribute to their communities and cultures around the world. As art students respond to great artists and works of art, they develop the ability to analyze artworks in terms of their own formal qualities, historic styles, social context, and artistic intent. The practice of responding to works of art builds perceptive acuity and aesthetic sensitivity. A rigorous progression of learning and engagement with the arts throughout K-12 education is the foundation for a rich, lifelong relationship with the arts.

Director – Michelle Poirer, Staff – Christen Couture, Megan Kenealy

Web Page - http://ahsvisualart.wixsite.com/artdept 

[email protected]             

BUSINESS

 Regardless of your career plans, the Business Department offers courses that will help you fulfill many of your professional and personal goals. In response to National Business Educator Association initiatives, our goal is to provide students with curricula that reflect the application of course content to realistic business situations and engage students in learning situations that promote both academic and career success. Exploration of career possibilities is an integral component in all courses. Business courses develop the critical thinking skills, human relation skills, and positive attitudes needed for career satisfaction and advancement in our complex and constantly changing workplace.

Staff – Cara Howell      

[email protected] 

ENGLISH

English courses are designed to give students the opportunity to develop the skills of reading, writing, listening and speaking in a literature-based, integrated language arts program. Our goal is to support students on their way to more effective language use and greater appreciation of the literary expression of others. Students will learn to use language to gain information, discover meaning, understand logical relationships, and make judgments through critical listening, reading and viewing; speak, write, and solve problems creatively; and communicate emotions, ideas, opinions, values, experiences, and information. All students read the written work of others as models of communication; they communicate their understanding of texts in writing through journals, reader’s logs, note-taking, essays, exams, creative writing and research papers.

 Department Head - Elizabeth Gonsalves, PhD, Staff - Matthew Cutter, Kim McHugh, Mark Regalbuto, Erin Slayton, Megan Tomlin

[email protected]

WORLD LANGUAGES

The World Language Department offers a five-year sequence in Spanish. Language proficiency, or the ability to use language for purposeful communication, is the major goal of all foreign language courses. Conversation and culture are integrated in all teaching and learning situations in the foreign language class. In order to conform to the recommendations of the World Language Curriculum Frameworks, students are encouraged to continue their study of Spanish through senior year. The world language curriculum meets school-wide expectations by providing students with opportunities to communicate effectively through speaking and writing, to demonstrate high level thinking skills and to work toward mastery of content.

Director – Kristina Wilson, Staff - Martha Fry, Patricia Grabowski, Kate Ward

[email protected]

GUIDANCE

The AHS Guidance Department supports all students in the development of a positive assessment of self.  We assist with the academic and personal transition from middle to high school and promote a realistic plan of action for future college and career readiness. In general, services can be divided into four areas:

Education, Vocational, Personal and Psychological.

Counselors meet with all students in groups and individually throughout the year.  Students and parents can also access counselors on an as needed basis.  A school psychologist is on staff at the high school to support students' learning and mental health.  A consultation model is the primary avenue for the provision of counseling services, with the involvement of parents and outside service providers strongly encouraged.

Interim Director - Anne Marie Padilla (G-M), annemariepadilla@abingtonps.org

Staff- Sarah McGinness (A-F), Jessica Coscia (N-Z) 

Administrative Assistant -Seanna O'Donnell

[email protected], 781-982-2165

LIBRARY & MEDIA

The Abington Middle / High School Library supports students and faculty by providing a collection of materials, both print and electronic to implement and enrich curriculum and to help ensure students are effective finders, users, and ethical producers of information. The library also strives to promote reading for pleasure. The library supports the Technology Department by being the contact point for laptop troubleshooting and repair.

Librarian - Tricia London, library tutor - Sheila Manzi

web site - https://sites.google.com/view/abington-mhs-library/home

[email protected]

MATH AND COMPUTER SCIENCE

 "As science and technology have come to influence all aspects of life, from health and environment to financial affairs and national defense, mathematics has come to be of vital importance to the educational agenda of our nation." Recognizing that mathematics is the foundation of science and technology, and that mathematical literacy is essential in this technological age, the math department at Abington High requires that each student successfully complete four years of mathematics. Our math courses help promote the vision of the graduate by creating opportunities for students to increase their skills in critical thinking and to become engaged participants.

Department Head - Margaret Doherty, Staff - Lauren Bates, Allison Dennehy, Catherine Ferris, Phil Foley, Kristen Gerhart, Olivia Leonardo, Bridget Wakelin

[email protected]

MUSIC

The Abington Public Schools Music Department provides students and families opportunities both during and after school throughout the academic calendar.

Participating in music offers numerous benefits that help with student’s valuable preparation for college and their adult lives. Engaging in music cultivates discipline, teamwork, and time management skills, all of which are essential for success in higher education. Students in Abington who participate in band, choir, or other performing arts ensembles develop a strong work ethic and learn to collaborate effectively with their peers. Involvement in music enhances cognitive abilities, boosts creativity, and fosters emotional expression, demonstrates commitment and passions, which are all highly valued by college admissions and in life. Overall, participating in music in high school not only provides a fulfilling artistic outlet but also equips students with essential skills and attributes for college readiness.

All these ensembles below enhance a student’s school experience by both engaging students that have similar skills and come from different backgrounds.

The Abington “Champions” is the award-winning marching band that travels throughout New England for competitive events and performs at home football games and town events. The group is made up of students that play woodwinds, brass, percussion, or dance in our color guard. Students who participate in concert band and concert choir are strongly encouraged to participate for the full performing arts experience in Abington.

The bulk of the “Champions” season occurs 8 weeks in September and October. The ensemble meets Mondays and Wednesdays from 5:45pm-7:45pm, football games on Fridays, and competitions on Saturdays beginning late September through October.

Concert band (instrumental music) and concert choir (vocal music), which meets daily during the school day, rehearses and studies music from different cultures and in a variety of styles of music including popular, Broadway, jazz, and contemporary.

The Jazz Band meets once a week after school on Mondays from 2:00pm until 2:50pm. This ensemble explores music from the 20th and 21st centuries including jazz, rock, punk, and hip hop. Improvisation is also taught in these sessions.

Reach out to Mr. Leonelli with any questions at [email protected].

Tim Leonelli – Director of Music, Marching Band Director, Concert Band Director, 7th and 8th Grades Band Director, and 5th and 6th Grades Band Director

Rebecca Harrison – Concert Choir Director, 7th and 8th Grades Chorus Director, and Introduction to Acting/Theatre Teacher

Charlie Blanchette – Concert Band Percussion Instructor, 3rd-6th Grades Classroom Music and 7th and 8th Grades General Music Teacher

Mercy Vaillancourt – K-2nd Grades Classroom Music Teacher

Kristen Lewis, Andrea Harmon – 3rd-4th Grades Classroom Music Teachers 

SCIENCE

In support of STEM education (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics), the four-year high school science program provides a hands-on, inquiry-based learning experience in the four basic areas of science: physical science, life science, earth and space science, and technology/
engineering.

In addition, our students must meet the College and Career Readiness standards in science which entails the ability to research and write about specific topics. Students are required to elect three years of science and are encouraged to choose from a variety of elective courses. Students are encouraged to consult with science teachers regarding specific details of any science course or level offered.

Department Head - Nicole Corbett, Staff - Orianne Greene, Presley Mahanna, John McGinness, Marissa Morganelli, Ross Weber

[email protected]

SOCIAL STUDIES

“Knowledge of history is the precondition of political intelligence. Without history, a society shares no common memory of where it has been, of what its core values are, of what decisions of the past account for present circumstances. Without history, one cannot undertake any sensible inquiry into the political, social, or moral issues in society. And without historical knowledge and the inquiry it supports, one cannot move to the informed, discriminating citizenship essential to effective participation in the democratic process.” (National Standards for History, 1996) The Social Studies curriculum is designed to reflect the sentiment of the National Standards as well as the standards of the Massachusetts History and Social Science Frameworks. Our goal is to prepare students for active citizenship through the study of history, civics, economics, geography and social science.

Department Head - Jason Scott, Staff - Zach Carey, Nick DiPrizio, Brian Lanner, Amy Maddalena, Stephen Moore

[email protected]

SPECIAL NEEDS

Based on the individual needs of the students in these prevocational special education programs, a range of unleveled five-credit courses (e.g., reading, mathematics, life skills, including Green Wave Café and job exploration, etc.) may be offered in any school year taught by the staff assigned to this program.

Team Chairperson and 504 Coordinator -Victoria Tansey

email: [email protected], phone: 781-982-2160 ext. 4427

Staff - Carrie Balasco, Caroline Boffoli, James Donohue, Christopher Grijalva, Cathy Keohane, Moira Leion, William Siegal, Kaitlyn Willette
Paras and Tutors - Judy Buckley, Shannon Burke, Anne-Marie Cicarella, Ashley Dinsmore, Matthew Gibbons, John Kelleher,

ESL -Beth Quinn

SPEECH AND LANGUAGE -Sandra Solano

SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGIST - Kathleen Posk, Student Support Services...

SCHOOL NURSE - Donna Conso

WELLNESS

The Health Education courses are designed to provide students with health-related knowledge and skills that can lead to positive attitudes and behaviors related to their well-being. The courses focus on emerging health concepts and issues, as well as current research on effective health practices and the motivation to change unhealthy behaviors. Physical Education courses are designed to provide students with the knowledge and skills needed to participate in a wide variety of physical activities throughout their lives and to help students to understand the relationship between physical activity and health.

Director – Karin Daisy, Staff - Frank Cormos, Matt Henriksen, Adam Talbot

[email protected]

Web page - Wellness - Abington Public Schools